A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`ala fee haadha 'l-masjid.
Ati`ullaha wa ati`u 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
Alhamdulillah, it is very difficult to speak because it is not that simple. I am not preparing anything. I am coming to hear and to listen, like you. You have to have adab, respect, to Allah and His Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (s). The Prophet (s) never spoke anything without revelation. So the adab for discipline of Ummat an-Nabee and humanity is to be following the footsteps of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), who taught us the best of character. Now people may say whatever they like, everyone is free to say Islam is this or that! Even Shaytan said, "O my Lord! I am better than Adam." It is in the Holy Qur'an:
قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem, anaa khayrun minhu khalaqtanee min naar wa khalaqtahu min teen.
(Iblees) said, "I am better than him; You created me from fire, and You created him from clay! (38:76)
He had the strength to face his Lord and say, "Why do I have to bow to Adam? I am better." He still believes in God. Allah sent Sayyidina Adam, Nuh, Moses, Jesus, and Sayyidina Muhammad (peace be upon them all) to teach us how to be disciplined. Today, if you want to be a diplomat, you have to take a course. Why? To learn to show respect. An ambassador has to show respect even to his enemy. He wants to build bridges, not destroy them. So they are trained. What then do you think when speaking about the heavenly message of Islam, or what Jesus or Moses came with? You have to say something Allah will be pleased with. Allah doesn't like someone who stands on the podium and attacks people; instead of attracting them, you are saying all kinds of negative words to distract them and make them run away.
Therefore, the responsibility of speaking is very hard. It is said there are two kinds of knowledges: `Ilm al-Awraaq, "Knowledge of Papers," and `Ilm al-Adhwaaq, "Knowledge of Taste". You read a paper, take the money and go. It is not important whether someone heard it or not. That is the knowledge that you have acquired through reading books. Knowledge cannot be taken except from the mouth of scholars, from knowledgeable people. `Ilm al-Awraaq, on the other hand, means to know how to talk and keep the sweetness in your speech so people will listen. You will not know the sweetness of this cup until you taste it; I can describe it as a golden cup with a yellow trim that has water, but if you cannot taste it, what is the benefit? So `Ilm al-Adhwaaq is knowledge that Allah puts on the tongue when you have discipline.
Messengers and prophets came with a nice heavenly message; Heavens did not send a message that is not sweet. Our speeches must have sweetness in them, or else you cannot get anything from that session or association and it is better to stay home. Wherever you are as a human being, whatever you are following, if you are following the message of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), Sayyidina Jesus (a), or Sayyidina Moses (a), you must have discipline to follow any message or person. There is discipline in every way of life. You cannot ignore it and say, "It doesn't concern me." On the street you have a walkway or sidewalk and you don't walk in the street; that is discipline. Every country has its own constitution or government and society would fall apart. Also, each individual assumes a way to follow.
وَلِكُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا فَاسْتَبِقُواْ الْخَيْرَاتِ
Wa li kulli lahu wijhatu huwa muwalleehaa fa 'stabiqoo 'l-khayraat.
For everyone there is a direction to their goal; then strive together (as in a race) towards all that is good. (al-Baqarah, 2:148)
Fastabiqoo'l-khayraat, "Run for the best." Our duty is to run for what is best for humanity and ourselves. Allah said to Prophet (s):
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
Wa innaka la-`ala khuluqin `adheem.
And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character. (Al-Qalam, 68:4)
The khuluq Allah gave to Prophet (s), wa innaka la-`alaa khuluqin `azheem, means, "You have the highest character with the best manners and moral excellence." Allah is describing His Prophet as:
كان خلقه القرآن
Kaana khuluqahu al-qur'an.
The character of Prophet was the Qur'an. (al-Bukhari)
Who wants to achieve the discipline of Prophet Muhammad (s), or any other prophet whom you want to follow in your heart, that message has to have the highest level of excellence. Allah described Sayyidina Muhammad (s) as having the best character, outwardly and inwardly.
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Qul in kuntum tuhiboon Allah fatabi`oone yuhbibukum Allah.
Say, "If you do love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you." (3:31)
Thus, if people today are not following the best way or examples, they will fall into problems and difficulties. In Islam, if you see a rock in the middle of the street, the adab is to remove it, as it might give hardship for someone, or a car might hit it and have an accident. So what is your duty? To remove the rock. You cannot move it with your feet. Who created that rock, you or Allah (swt)? Allah created it. The adab is to bend down, take it with your hands, and move it to the side. You have to take that problem away from people by giving your time and intention to what you see in front of you. Prophet (s) is saying, "If you really love Allah, follow Muhammad (s)." We cannot only say it, we have to follow Sayyidina Muhammad (s) by action and discipline!
Allah said to Prophet (s), "You are of the best character," and the hadeeth relates, "The character of Prophet (s) was the Qur'an." Prophet was the "talking Qur'an." Allah gave him knowledge of the Holy Qur'an, which is vast with unlimited meanings Today some people limit the Holy Qur'an by quoting verses out of context, or by following a literal meaning without understanding. They are limiting it so much that they are humiliating the Holy Qur'an and they are not even aware of what they are doing! The Holy Qur'an is Allah's Sacred Words!
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلًاخَالِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًا قُل لَّوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَبِّي وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ مَدَدًا
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem, inna alladheena aamanoo wa `amiloo 's-saalihaat kaanat lahum jannatu'l-firdawsi nuzula khalideena feeha laa yabghoona `anha hiwalaa, qul law kaan al-bahru midaadan li kalimaati rabbee wa law ji'naa bi-mithlihi madadaa
As to those who work righteous deeds, they have for their entertainment the Gardens of Paradise. Therein will they abide (and) never will they desire any change therefrom. Say, "If all oceans were ink for my Sustainer's Words, the oceans would indeed be exhausted." (Surat al Kahf, 18:107-109)
Allah is saying, "Say to them, yaa Muhammad, if the oceans were ink and trees were pens to write Allah's Words, Allah's Words would never end but the ink and trees would end!" So how can they limit 500 pages of Holy Qur'an? And they say they are scholars giving fatwah! Allah is describing the Holy Qur'an in the Holy Qur'an. That means, the Holy Qur'an is carrying meanings and interpretations that will benefit human beings in every moment of their lives and will benefit in any area; whether it is psychology, medicine, or astrology, you can find everything in the Holy Qur'an illuminating that science. But you need those who are studying these sciences to read and understand. And there are many examples of what they found in the Holy Qur'an from 1,400 years ago. Therefore, you have to have discipline. When you have something precious, where do you put it? If you have a crown, where do you put it? On your head. Is the Qur'an not a crown? The Holy Qur'an has to be raised as much as you can to give respect to Allah's Words.
O `ulama of today! Where are you putting the Holy Qur'an? You are only teaching how to make wudu and pray, which is good, but what about Maqaam al-Ihsaan, the Station of Moral Excellence, to know what is hidden? Look at this du'a (calligraphy hung on the wall): rabbana atinaa min ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi lana min amrina rashada. What is the meaning? If we read it literally, it means, "O Allah! Give us rahmah and prepare in us a way of guidance." That is the normal meaning. But you need to look into it deeply; zoom in, don't zoom out. Today's scholars are zooming out. When you zoom out, you cannot see the secrets in every word and every letter of the Holy Qur'an has a secret! Rabbana atina min ladunka rahmah, "O our Lord! Give us from Your Mercy Ocean! What is that ocean? It means, "Let us dive into that ocean which has no beginning and no end! That `uloom al-awwaleen w 'al-akhireen, Knowledge of Before and After, which has been put in it." Who is Rahmatali 'l-`Alameen, the Mercy for all Humanity? So the du`a means, "Dip us in the ocean of Muhammad (s); let us be there with him as his companions!"
Prophet (s) said to his companion, Sayyidina Abu Bakr (q):
إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لاَ تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَنَا
Idh yaqoolu li saahibi la tahzan innAllah ma`na.
Don't be sad, for verily Allah is with us. (Surat at-Tawbah, 9:40)
So when you read that verse in another way, it means, "O our Lord! Don't let us be kept away from navigating and zooming in on the mercy You gave to Prophet!" That is knowlege of al-awwaleen wa 'l-akhireen (before and after). Allah gave Sayyidina Muhammad (s) every kind of knowledge. That is why numerous scientific principles were mentioned in Holy Qur'an and ahadeeth 1,400 years ago. This also means there is a way and a connection for everyone in the heart of Prophet (s).
People ask you, "What is your address?" If they asked you that 20 years ago, you would give them your mailing address with a zip code. Today you would give them your e-mail address, which connects us all around the world in a "server" that filters every e-mail. Today we human innovation of servers, and billions of e-mails go through those servers. What do you then think when Allah is teaching us to say, "O Allah! Give us that mercy and dip us in the heart of Muhammadun Rasoolullah, to connect our hearts with his server so he will direct us and show us a connection!" Every person has a connection to the Prophet (s).
Allah said in the Holy Qur'an:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
Wa maa arsalnaaka illa rahmatan lil-`alameen.
We sent you not except as a Mercy for all the Worlds! (21:107)
وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
Wa hayyi lana min amrina rashada.
And dispose of our affair for us in the right way. (18:10)
Prophet Muhammad (s) is reaching every creature on Earth through these ayah, which means, "When you connect us to the way of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) we get guidance, and from that we get discipline." There is no guidance except with discipline. If you want to guide a small child, you have to show him discipline. It is the same with adults. You cannot be miserable yourself and teach discipline. You have to be very well disciplined with everything you do. Today they tell you, for example, that a spoon is for soup, a fork is for salad, and a knife is for cutting. Can you cut with a fork? No. If you do that, they say, "We need to teach this one etiquette." Can you eat with your feet? No, you walk with your feet.
Prophet (s) said, "On the Day of Judgment, people will be moving on their heads."
Sayyida `Ayesha (r) asked, "How will they move on their heads?"
Prophet (s) replied, "The One who made them walk on their feet will make them walk on their heads."
O Muslims and non-Muslims! Be careful! It may be that Allah will make us walk on our heads on Judgment Day, and that is a punishment (walking on our feet is not a punishment). If Allah doesn't give His Mercy, you cannot get guidance! Allah said:
إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
Innaka laa tahdee man ahababta walaakin allah yahdee man yasha'a wahuwa aa`alamoo bil-muhtadeen.
It is true you will not be able to guide everyone whom you love, but Allah guides those whom He wills and He knows best those who receive guidance. (28:56)
That is why we were explaining two days ago about the verses of Holy Qur'an:
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُقُمْ فَأَنذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ
Yaa ayyuha 'l-mudaththir, qum fa andhir wa rabbuka fa-kabbir.
O you, wrapped up (in the mantle)! Arise and warn, and your Sustainer's greatness glorify! (Surat al-Muddaththir, 74:1-3)
"O the one who is covered!" That is the meaning here. Qum fa andhir, "Stand up and warn people." Wa rabbuka fakabbir, after warning them, "show Allah's Greatness." Why does Prophet have to warn them and show Allah's Greatness? When you say "praise", "glory", and "greatness", it means you want to say something that makes you happy. "O Prophet, who is covering yourself! Warn people about Allah and His Greatness, then glorify and praise Allah, as it is the most important thing one can do!" That is the literal meaning, but zoom in.
Do you think Allah is going to say to His Prophet (s), "O the one who is covered!" Covered by what? They say he was covering himself by a sheet, blanket, or his abaa (robe), as he was shivering from the impact of revelation. He is, "O the one whom I covered with My Endless Heavenly Names and Attributes! Yaa Muhammad, who is the Light of Heavens! The Light of the Divine Presence has manifested in you! Stand in this Divine Presence; He is sending you great praises. Glorify your Lord for His Greatness, and dress people with what I have dressed you! Warn them that these Beautiful Names and Attributes are ready to be dressed on them, and do not let them run from that ocean!" That is why He said, wa rabbuka fa-kabbir, "and your Sustainer's greatness glorify, acknowledge His Greatness!"
O Muslims and non-Muslims! The Holy Qur'an is a book but it was not created. It was compiled by the Sahaabah (r). They heard and saw the revelation; they saw what we didn't see. Prophet (s) lived that revelation and no one else did. He gave that revelation, that sweetness, from his holy mouth. He read it in a holy way and no one heard it but the Sahabah and they passed it on by compiling it as a book. But the words that were revealed carry an infinite number of secrets that Allah (swt) revealed to His Prophet (s)! If this entire dunya become pens and all the oceans become ink, then what Allah is giving to Prophet (s) now will not be finished, and what Allah is giving to Prophet (s) from the beginning until now is but a drop of what Allah has to give!
O Muslims! Take the Light of Qur'an and its benefit as a crown. If you don't read it, put the Qur'an on your head every day and let its Light penetrate your whole body and nervous system. It will affect you and make that day strong and powerful. But what are we doing? We are putting the Holy Qur'an in a cabinet and saying, "We have benefit." In some countries, like Indonesia and in some Arab countries, they sew a cover for the Holy Qur'an and hang it in their homes as barakah. Here, I never saw the Holy Qur'an hung as it is back home. You see people here in the mosques reading Qur'an, and when they finish they put it on the floor! That is not adab as then their feet are higher than Holy Qur'an when they pray. The Holy Qur'an must be on your head! Anyone who gives respect to Holy Qur'an, Allah will give respect to them on the Day of Judgment, and anyone who disrespects the Holy Qur'an, Allah will disrespect them on the Day of Judgment. May Allah (swt) forgive us and grant us to be among those who respect Holy Qur'an.
Alhamdulillah, this is a new mosque in the Washington, D.C. area. It is a small place, but when we finish upstairs, inshaa-Allah the main room will be able to accommodate many people. The main hall upstairs is in the process of renovation. This is the only room ready now. This is the barakah of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) and his himmah, to bring the light and mercy of Holy Qur'an and our Prophet (s) to America and all over the world.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.