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Shaytan Dwells in You Through Your Anger

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

6 January 2011 Burton, Michigan

Jumu`ah Khutbah at As-Siddiq Mosque

The Beloved Chosen One, Sayyidina Muhammad (s), whom we were granted by Allah's generosity, is the one who is most perfect for what Allah (swt) gave him, and for his beautification Allah gave him the intercession on the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet (s) said:

‏‏ اإنما بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق

Innamaa bu`ithtu li utimmima makaarim al-akhlaaq.

I was sent not except to perfect the best of conduct. (Bukhari in Adab al-Mufrad)

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Praise Allah (swt) that He has made us from the Ummah of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) and that is an Ummah that He forgave from a long time before. And he gave the Prophet (s) the honor to be His khalifah on Earth, wa ja`ala fil-ardi khalifah. And he is the beloved al-Mustafa, Sayyidina Muhammad (s), who mentioned in a hadeeth something that we all need, from Sayyidina Adam (a) to the end of world: innamaa bu`ithtu li utimmima makaarim al-akhlaaq, “I have been sent to complete the all kind of perfect behaviors and perfect manners that human beings need.”

That means our manners and behavior needs a lot of perfection, because if our manners and behaviors were satisfactory, the Prophet (s) would not have said that. He (s) came to complete what is missing from our good manners and good behavior. The problem is, we are not confessing to ourselves that we need to work on our Nafs al-Bashariyyah, the Nature of the Self, in order for it to become more complete and more perfect. That was the message of the Prophet (s): “I have been sent for that purpose.”

It means we need lot of good manners, and the Prophet (s) also mentioned the worst of bad manners, when a man asked, “Give me advice,” and the Prophet (s) said, one word, laa taghdab, "Don't be angry." That is it. It means that all bad manners go into this, and it is the trunk that contains all kinds of animal characteristics; ghadab, anger, is the trunk of all bad manners. How many animal characteristics are in it that make people fight with each other? That is why the Prophet (s) said to that special person who sought his advice, “Don’t get angry,” because if you do, all bad manners will emerge. An angry person is arrogant, jealous, greedy and envious; everything goes back to anger, the trunk. You get jealous, you envy others or become greedy because your ego gets angry. So all bad manners are found in it.

Prophet (s) came to complete our bad manners. When you are not angry, everything goes along smoothly. Anger is the main disease that human beings face today. Wives are angry with their husbands, husbands are angry with their wives, children are angry with their mothers or fathers, parents are angry with their children, people are angry with their leaders and the leaders are angry and fight with the people. Everyone lives with anger and they will be responsible on the Day of Judgment because anger is from Shaytan: Iblees was the first one to be angry in Paradise when Allah asked the angels to make sajda to Sayyidina Adam (a), and they all did except Iblees. He is the tree of these diseases!

Why didn’t he make sajda? He said, “You created me from fire and You created him from clay! I am angry with him.” Allah (swt) said, “Are you angry with Me?” and He threw him and Sayyidina Adam to Earth!

People ask, “Where is Shaytan?” When you find yourself angry, know that you are with Shaytan and when you see yourself become angry, remember that Shaytan enters you. The Prophet (s) said, “There is a place in your heart from which the Shaytan enters.” So remember that and also remember when anger comes that the Prophet (s) said, “No anger!” On Judgment Day, Iblees is going to judge whoever has bad manners and judgment will be severe, but for Ummat an-Nabi (s), who are trying to perfect their good manners, Allah (swt) will forgive them. So whenever you do something wrong, say, “Astaghfirullah,” and Allah will forgive.

Look at how hard a time Allah (swt) will give us on the Day of Judgment and think about how much the intercession of the Prophet (s) will save us on that day!

Sayyida A`yesha (r) heard from the Prophet (s), who said, “On the Day of Judgment people will be resurrected and brought in groups barefooted, naked, all different races.” And A`yesha (r) said, “Will men and women be resurrected together and looking at each other?” And the Prophet (s) said, “The situation at that moment is most difficult and unthinkable for anyone to look at this one or that one. Everyone wants to be saved! They don't care for their spouses or children or anyone, they just want to run away and save only themselves.” (Bukhari)

And therefore, as the Prophet (s) said:

‏‏ انما بعثت لاتمم مكارم الاخلاق

Innama bu`ithtu li utimmimu makaarim al-akhlaq.

I have been sent to perfect the best of conduct (to perfect your behavior and character). (Bazzar)

That “best of conduct” is practiced in Maqaam al-Ihsaan, the Station of Moral Excellence.

Also, Allah (swt) said:

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِي

wa innaka la `ala khuluqin `azheem.

You are of the most exalted character. (al-Qalam, 68:4)

And the Prophet (s) said:

adabanee rabbee fa ahsana taa'deebee.

Allah perfected my character and manners.

And so, take that anger away because that is the “trunk” of all bad diseases. Allah (swt) said in His Beloved Book:

صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ

Summun bukmun `umyun fahum laa yarji`oon.

Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not return (to the path). (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:18)

It means, “On the Day of Judgment, We will resurrect people on their faces--summun, bukmun, `umyun, deaf, dumb and blind from their diseases due to the sins they committed in dunya for which they did not repent.”

A man came to the Prophet (s) and said that Allah (swt) said in His Noble Book those sinners who will be resurrected will move on their faces to Hellfire, so he asked the Prophet (s), “Will the kufaar or those deserving to go to Hellfire (and it may be Allah forgives them) be resurrected on their faces? How can they walk on their faces?” The Prophet (s) said, “Is not The One Who is able to make human beings walk on their legs able to make them walk on their heads?”

When he heard this hadeeth, one Sahaabah (r) said, “Yes, it is correct. Allah (swt) will make someone walk on his head.” And the Prophet (s) said, “Don’t be astonished, for The One Who made human beings walk on their legs can make them walk on their faces.”

So why are we trying to be angry? You are going to leave dunya and in Akhirah you want to walk on your legs, not on your heads! On the Day of Resurrection, which is a heavy day, the Day of Fear, the sun will come over the heads of people and they will begin to sweat and they will drown in their sweat.

As related from Abu Hurayrah (r), the Prophet (s) said, “People will be resurrected and will sweat, and their sweat will go down into the Earth seventy meters deep and cover the whole Earth, and then it will rise back up until it comes up to their ears, and the people will look like horses, when you want to hold them by their bridle when crossing through water; only their noses will be open (above that sweat) to breathe.

O Muslims! May Allah (swt) not show us these things on the Day of Judgment, but only show us His Mercy and the mercy of Sayyidina Muhammad (s)! Throw away your bad characters and your anger! Don't say, “I am not angry.” No, we are all angry as, from the time of our birth, we are all molded through the anger that exists in our nature. That negative energy came with Habeel and Qabeel (Abel and Cain), the sons of Sayyidina Adam (a), and still thrives in the character of human beings. So we must ask for forgiveness for that!

(Du`a)

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