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We Are Honored to Celebrate Mawlid an-Nabi (s)!

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

19 February 2010 Burton, Michigan

Jumu`ah Khutbah at As-Siddiq Mosque

O Muslims, we are in the month when Allah (swt) gave birth to Islam. In this month, Islam was appearing by the birth of Sayyidina Muhammad (s). We are in the month of Rabi` ul-Awwal, the month that Prophet (s) was born. And in that month we have to know that Allah (swt) has sent His Messenger not from the day he became 40 years-old but when Adam was between clay and water.

كنت نبي و ادم بين الماء و الطين

Kuntu Nabiyyin wa adamu bayna 'l-maa'i wa 't-teen,

I was a prophet when Adam was between water and clay.

So Sayyidina Muhammad has said, "Without pride, I am the master, I am the khalifah and I am the deputy for all Children of Adam. Allah gave me that power, that leadership, and I am the leader." So Prophet never said, laa, "no'; he always says, sami`na wa 'ata`naa, “We hear and we obey.” If you look at the history of prophets you see many of them asked Allah (swt), "Why?" even angels. When Allah (swt) said, "I am going to make a deputy on Earth," the angels said, "Will you appoint those who are going to be hypocrites and shedding blood?" He said, "I know what you do not know!"

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُواْ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاء وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

Wa 'idh qala Rabbuka lil mala`ikati 'inni jaa`ilun fee al-'ardi khaleefata. Qaaloo 'ataj`alu feehaa man yufsidu feehaa wa yasfiku ad-dimaa` wa nahnu nusabbihu bihamdika wa nuqaddisu laka. Qaala innee `alamu maa laa ta`lamoon.

Behold, your Lord said to the angels, "I will create a vicegerent on Earth." They said, "Will You place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood, while we celebrate Your praises and glorify Your Holy (Name)?" He said, "I know what you know not!" (2:30)

Allah gave the most important message to Sayyidina Muhammad (s), who never complained or said "no," laa.

وَقَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

wa qaalloo sam`inaa wa at`anaa ghufraanaka rabbana wa `ilayka 'l-maseer.

And they say, 'We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys. (2:285)

Those who were around him said the Prophet (s) said and taught them, sami`na wa 'ata`naa, "We hear and we obey." Are we listening? We don’t want to say that, of course, we are not listening, because they said whatever they listened to they obeyed, and whom did they obey?

طِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ

Ati`oollaha wa ati`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.

Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)

That is why you have to obey. Prophet (s) showed us Sahaaba (r) can do their best, and they became his companions. But Tabi`een or Tabi`oon, the next generations who followed the Sahaaba (r), followed in the footsteps of Prophet's `ittibah. It is important to have guidance. Allah sent Sayyidina Muhammad (s) as a guide. So ask yourself, "Am I following guidance correctly or am I doing some and then leaving some?" Sometimes if we follow then we reach.

أصحابي كالنجوم بأيهم اقتديتم اهتديتم

Prophet (s) said, ashaabee ka 'n-nujoom bi ayyihim iqtadaytum ihtadaytum, "My companions are like stars in a dark night, whichever of them you follow, you will be guided."

Ashaab is not only men, they are women also. Anyone of them from you take knowledge, you will be guided. Sahaaba (r) used to take knowledge from Hadrat `Ayesha (r) or Hadrat Fatimah (a); there are many ahadeeth (that support this).

So what is Prophet (s) showing us? Not to have a question mark. You have to obey, no questions!

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى

Wa maa yantiqoo `anil-hawaa, in huwa illa wahyun yoohaa.

Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than revelation sent down to him. (53:3-4)

"He doesn’t open his mouth without it being revealed to him."

I was hearing that they reject the ahadeeth of Prophet, saying, "We don’t want to read hadith, we only want to read Qur'an." You are wrong, and Allah (swt) said about them, wa maa yantiqoo `anil hawa, in huwa `illa wahyun yoohaa. His hadith is also a revelation, meaning any word or anything he said is a revelation.

O Muslims! Allah (swt) gave us through Prophet (s) many ways to save ourselves and I will quote two or three from many hadith, and especially we are in the month of his birth, which is coming on the 12th Rabi`ul-Awwal, either 24th or 25th February. They asked Prophet (s) about fasting on Monday and this is the answer for those who are not accepting the Mawlid and to celebrate the Prophet's (s) birthday. Read the Sahih of Muslim (book of hadith).

Hadhaa yawmu wulidu feehi, "This is a day I was born; in it fast." No problem. It means Prophet (s) has shown the importance of fasting on Monday.

If Sayyidina Yahya (a) and Sayyidina `Isa (a) are celebrating their birthday, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) does not have higher honor than that, to celebrate his birthday?

وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا

W 'as-salaamu `alayya yawma wulidtu wa yawma `amootu wa yawma ub`athu hayya.

So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)! (19:33)

O Muslims! Open your minds! Don’t stand on the Day of Judgment with enmity to Prophet (s). He is saying, "Who is under Adam on the Day of Judgment will be under my flag." There will be a problem that you did not give Prophet (s) respect during your life! Sayyidina Yahya (s) said, "Peace be on me the day I was born." Prophet Muhammad (s) does not have that right?

ذَلِكَ الَّذِي يُبَشِّرُ اللَّهُ عِبَادَهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَى وَمَن يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَّزِدْ لَهُ فِيهَا حُسْنًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ

Dhaalika alladhee yubashshirullahu`ibaadahu 'l-ladheena aamanoo wa `amiloo 's-saalihaat. Qul laa as'alukum `alayhi ajran illa al-mawaddata fi 'l-qurba. Wa man yaqtarif hasanatan nazid lahu feehaa husnaa. Inna Allaha ghafoorun shakoor.

Allah gives glad tidings to His servants who believe and do righteous deeds. Say, "No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near relatives." And if anyone earns any good We will increase it's benefit, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Thankful. (42:23)

So on that day, we have to pay our respect to Sayyidina Muhammad, `alayhi afdala 's-salaatu wa 's-salaam! O Muslims! That day is coming! Around the world there are many demonstrations and marches on the street, people are showing their love to Prophet (s). Food will be distributed, millions are celebrating, giving charity, to pay back. Allah (swt) is saying, "I don’t want you to pay anything except in honor!" Allah (swt) honored Prophet (s) with something no one else ever achieved: he was raised to qaaba qawsayni aw adna, two-bows' length or nearer to his Divine Creator! When someone famous achieves something great, they say, "This is the most respected one in dunya." What do you think about the Prophet (s), who has been raised to be the closest in the Divine Presence?

O Muslims! That day is coming and Allah is watching who is going to give respect to His Prophet or not. They will be under intercession. They are not shy, because they paid their respect to him in dunya, but those who did not will also get his shafa`ah, because Prophet (s) is Rahmatan li 'l-`Alameen (Mercy to All the Worlds)! But we don’t want to regret (when we stand before Allah). Allah (swt) will forgive when He has the power to punish you, and Prophet (s) will also forgive on that Day because he is not like us; he will forgive when he has the power to punish!

O Muslims! Keep his love in your heart. Come through that door, to the love of your Prophet (s)!

Arabic du`a.

(End of khutbah)

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