Zhuhr Suhbah at Private Residence
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`alaa fee haadha 'l-masjid.
أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Atee`oollaha wa atee`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:59)
(Suhbah in progress.) ...Do not do what you have said, there is no benefit for you or them because you did not achieve what they are expecting from you. So Grandshaykh (q) said, “Yaa Sayyidee, I do not want that; I do not wish to be on the top of the pyramid and am not after chairs. Whoever wishes for chairs, let them have it.” Shaykh Sharafuddin (q) said, “What do you want then, what are your conditions to be a murshid, a guide?” Anyone can be a scholar but not a guide, a murshid where people listen to you. So Shaykh Sharafuddin (q) asked, “What do you want?” Grandshaykh (q) answered, “I have one condition: I want the level of anyone who sits in my association listening to what I say, to be the same as mine on the Day of Judgement. Or else I do not want it, as I will be wasting my time. If you can guarantee me that, then I will accept. If you cannot, then for what reason will I be speaking and going here and there? No! I will sit back and do my worshipness by myself and Allah Kareem until I leave this dunya.” Shaykh Sharafuddin (q) did not answer. Can anyone guarantee that everyone attending one association of the murshid will be raised up to the level as the murshid? Then everyone will become the murshid, but this is what is needed. You cannot depend on people’s own worshipness that they will worship correctly with good intentions and get rid of their bad manners, as no one can guarantee that and people will not do it. Sayyidah Rabi`a al-`Adawiya’s (q) was a very famous pious lady in history.
When her husband died, `ulama came to her after waiting four months and ten days and said, “Yaa Rabi`a, you have to complete and perfect your religion now. You cannot be alone with no husband.”
She said, “I am busy.”
“Busy in what?” they asked.
She replied, “I am busy in istaghfaar, asking Allah for forgiveness.”
They said, “Yaa Rabi`a, all of us know that you have reached a high status in worshipness and you are a sincere, pious lady, so Allah will accept.”
She said, “How do I know? I have three conditions, if you can guarantee them then I will marry and waste my time with a husband.”
“What are your conditions?” they asked.
She said, “When the Angel of Death comes to take my soul, will he come with mercy or punishment? I will follow if you can answer this question, but if you cannot, then I am busy with istighfaar.”
They all looked at each other and no one could give an answer, for how could they know?
Then she said, “Leave that. When the two angels, Ankar and Nakeer, come in the grave to question me, will they come with mercy or punishment? If you can give me an answer, I will follow you immediately.”
They looked at each other and again no one could give an answer.
She said, “Leave that. On the Day of Judgement, Allah (swt) will call everyone. When He calls me, will He judge me according to His Mercy or His Punishment?”
They could not give her an answer. Prophet (s) said in an authentic hadith to Sayyidah `Ayesha (r):
من حوسب عذب
Man hoosiba `udhdhib.
Who will be judged will be punished for sure. (Bukhari)
That is why Prophet (s) is asking Allah for his ummah to not be questioned. Sayyidah `Ayesha (r) was surprised at that hadith. He said, “Yaa `Ayesha, pray that Allah will not judge you.” This means that we have to pray that Allah does not judge us. In court today when they want to judge you they make positions and ask everything that you cannot imagine, and these are human beings. What do you think about Allah (swt) if He decides to judge you? That is why Prophet (s) said, “Pray that Allah does not judge you.” Man hoosiba `udhdhib, “Whoever is being questioned, judged or accounted for his `amal will not be able to run away and will be sentenced for punishment.” That is why Allah said:
فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَه ُُ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَ
Fa man ya`mal mithqaala dharratin khayran yarah, wa man ya`mal mithqaala dharratin sharran yarah.
Whosoever has done an atom's weight of good shall see it, and whosoever has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it. (Surat al-Zalzalah, 99:7-8)
He said, “Even if you did an atom’s weight of goodness, I will reward you for it as I am al-`Adil, ‘The Absolute Just.’ However, if you have done an atom’s weight of badness, then I will judge you.” Who can run and disappear? That is why, man hoosiba `udhdhib, “Whoever is going to be judged for his `amal will be punished.” How? When Allah gives us His Judgement for our accounts, for sure there is punishment and that is why He gave shafa`ah to Prophet (s), as that will relieve everyone.
Allah (swt) said:
أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ الَّذِي أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
Alam nashrah laka sadrak, wa wada`na `anka wizrak, alladhee anqada zhahrak, wa rafa`ana laka dhikrak.
Did We not expanded for you your chest (O Muhammad), and We removed from you your burden which had weighed upon your back, and raised high for you your repute. (Surat ash-Sharh, 94:1-4)
Why did He say, “Did We not expand your chest to make you happy?” What was Prophet (s) asking for? Allah continued that he was asking for the burden that he is carrying. Wa wada`na `anka wizrak,“We have taken your wizr,” meaning “something wrong,” but did Prophet do anything wrong? He is infallible, the perfect human being. Why then did Allah say, “I took away your wizr,” the things that you have done incorrectly. We cannot understand here, Alam nashrah laka sadraq, wa wada`na `anka wizrak, alladhee anqada zhahrak, wa rafa`ana laka dhikrak, “That makes you awake day and night because it is a heavy burden on your shoulders.” Prophet (s) is infallible, what is he carrying, his sins? No! Why did Allah say, “We have made you happy and took your burden that was very heavy on your shoulder.” He said, “I took away the wizr, the sins and made you very happy.” The sins of whom? The sins are from us, since Prophet (s) is infallible! “We have cleaned them for your sake yaa Muhammad because We gave you intercession to intercede for them! I gave you what you have been asking for day and night by saying, ‘ummatee, ummatee!’” His only concern was us and Allah gave him that through these three aayaat. Alam nashrah laka sadrak, wa wada`na `anka wizrak, alladhee anqada zhahrak, “We took all that and we raised your name high above every name, your name is beside My Name!” How? Through Kalimat at-Tawheed.
They say to you, “Kalimat at-Tawheed don’t make shirk,” where Allah is saying, “I raised the name of Muhammad in that place, ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah.” Even if you say “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” for millions of years, you will not be considered a Muslim until you say “Muhammadun Rasoolullah.” So when you look at Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, you will see that the last word is “Allah,” and the second half is Muhammadun Rasoolullah, “Muhammad” is after “Allah.” Meaning, Allah is The Creator and Muhammad (s) is the Sincere Servant. Allah put it in Kalimat at-Tawheed to tell people, “Be careful and keep your tawheed clean by saying ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah’ and Muhammadun is My sincere servant, subhaanalladhi asra bi `abdihi.” Allah is The Creator and Muhammad (s) is the servant. So whatever their background, no one can deny awliyaullah, as Allah mentioned in Holy Qur'an:
أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاء اللّهِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Alaa inna awliyaaullaahi laa khawfun `alayhim wa laa hum yahzanoon.
Behold! Verily on the Friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Surah Yunus, 10:62)
If all mu’min are awliyaullah, as some scholars say, are they all on the same level? Who can then define `alamaat al-mu’mineen, the signs of being mu’min? No one can say, “This person is a mu’min.” Allah (swt) said:
قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ
Qaalati 'l-a`araabu aamannaa Qul lam tu'uminoo wa laakin qooloo aslamnaa wa lammaa yadkhuli 'l-eemaanu fee quloobikum.
The desert Arabs say, "We believe." Say, "You have no faith; but you (only) say, 'We have submitted our wills to Allah,' for not yet has faith entered your hearts." Don't say, "We are mu`min," but say, "We are Muslim," because imaan did not yet enter the heart. (Surat al-Hujuraat, 49:14)
Who can define imaan? You can give a description and opinions, but real `alamaat al-mu’mineen have a significance and signs. That is why Prophet (s) said in a very strong hadith:
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من عادا لي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب
Man `adaa lee waliyyan faqad aadhantahu bi ’l-harb.
(Allah [swt] said) Whoever comes against My wali, I declare war on him.
(Hadith Qudsi; Bukhari, from Abu Hurayrah)
If you look at the first half of the hadith, he mentioned awliyaullah from the beginning, “Anyone who comes against one of my mu’min, those I have given real imaan, I declare war against them!”
Prophet (s) also said (from Allah [swt] in Hadith Qudsi):
As my servant thinks about Me, so will I be for him. I am with him if he will remember Me. If he calls on Me in himself, I will call him in Myself, and if he calls on Me in a group of people, I mention him in a better group in My presence. If he approaches Me one handspan, I will approach him one arm's length; if he approaches Me one arm's length, I will approach him by a cubit; if he comes to Me walking, I will come to him running. (Bukhari, from Abu Hurayrah)
عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن الله قال من عادى لي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب وما تقرب إلي عبدي بشيء أحب إلي مما افترضت عليه وما يزال عبدي يتقرب إلي بالنوافل حتى أحبه فإذا أحببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به وبصره الذي يبصر به ويده التي يبطش بها ورجله التي يمشي بها وإن سألني لأعطينه ولئن استعاذني لأعيذنه وما ترددت عن شيء أنا فاعله ترددي عن نفس المؤمن يكره الموت وأنا أكره مساءته
ولا يزال عبدي يتقرب إلي بالنوافل حتى أحبه، فإذا أحببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به وبصره
الذي يبصر به، ويده التي يبطش بها ورجله التي يمشي بها،
Man `ada lee waliyan aadhantahu bi ’l-harb wa maa taqarraba ilayya `abdee bi-shayyin ahabba ilayya mimmaa aftaradtu `alayhi wa maa yazaalu `abdee yataqarabu ilayya bi’ n-nawaafil hatta uhibbah. Fa idhaa ahbaabtahu kuntu sama`uhulladhee yasma`u bihi wa basarahulladhee yubsiru bihi, wa yadahulladhee yabtishu bihaa wa rijlahullatee yamshee bihaa.
My servant does not cease to approach Me through voluntary worship until I will love him. When I love him, I will become the ears with which he hears, the eyes with which he sees, the hand with which he acts, and the legs with which he walks (and other versions include, “and the tongue with which he speaks.”). (Hadith Qudsi, Bukhari)
It is finished! A mu’min is when Allah loves you. Can you guarantee that Allah loves you? Prophet (s) could not and was saying “Yaa Rabbee, yaa Rabbee!” Allah (swt) said, Alam nashrah laka sadraq, “We have expanded your chest and made you happy.” So when awliyaullah see in Surat ash-Sharh that Allah is saying to Prophet (s), “We have made you happy,” they know that Prophet (s) was constantly worried and saying, “Yaa Rabbee, don’t judge my ummah or else they will lose!” Grandshaykh (q) said, “How am I going to guide them, as for sure they will only listen to perhaps five or ten percent of what the Shaykh says, but not everything. So then it is better for me to sit and ask for forgiveness for the rest of my life as Rabi`a al-`Adawiya (q) did, because even I cannot guarantee my life!”
O Muslims! We are not saying this to scare each other, but always ask Allah in your prayers not to audit, judge or account us, as for sure if we will see badness. Allah (swt) said:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Qul yaa `ibadiya alladheena asrafoo `alaa anfusihim laa taqnatoo min rahmatillaahi inna Allaaha yaghfiru ’dh-dhunooba jamee`an innahu huwa ’l-ghafooru ‘r-raheem.
Say, "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, for Allah forgives all sins for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surat al-Zumar, 39:53)
Allah is saying, “Say O Muhammad to your ummah that they went so far but not to lose hope of Allah’s Mercy and ask!” You must not however, forget your requirements for the day, (observe them) and then come and ask forgiveness, Allah will forgive. We cannot miss our prayers and say, “Yaa Rabbee, forgive us,” no! If you do so, then Allah cannot answer to that. So we must pray and fulfill our obligations, as it is our duty to pray our five prayers; young and old. Allah said:
فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَاذْكُرُواْ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِكُمْ فَإِذَا اطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا
Fa’idhaa qadaytumu ‘s-salaata fadhkuroo Allaha qiyaaman wa qu`oodan wa`ala junoobikum fa’idhaa itmaanantum fa’aqeemoo ‘s-salaata inna ‘s-salaata kaanat `ala al-mumineena kitaaban mawqootaa.
When you pass (Congregational) prayers, celebrate Allah's praises, standing, sitting down, or lying down on your sides; but when you are free from danger, set up regular prayers: for such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times.(Surat an-Nisa, 4:103)
People come to you saying, “I did not pray, can I pray in the evening?” Of course you can pray of what you have missed at any time, but Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, kaanat `ala al-mumineena kitaaban mawqootaa, “Prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times.” It is okay if you delay it by half-an-hour or one hour, but you must make that prayer before it is time for the next one. Today people say, “I am working,” or “I am writing, the government or the council wants me to do this or that,” or “My boss is this or that,” and Allah wants this or that! Which one do you prefer, what your boss wants or what Allah your Creator wants? When your boss needs you to give him what he has assigned to you at the end of the day or the week or maximum like income tax, at the end of the year, do you not give it to him? Just like if you do not give income tax at the end of the year, they come and judge you. They cannot accept you to pass the year, as they are not merciful. On the other hand, Allah (swt) is Merciful until the last moment of your life, He gave you an advantage until then and average life of up to 70 or 80 years. You can say Shahadah at the last moment and it will be accepted.
I will tell you a story that I have mentioned many times. When we were in Mountain View, California, one person came to us and became a Muslim, “I am 95 years old,” he said. He attended dhikr, came back the following week, we prayed `Isha but he did not, as he did not know how to pray. The next week he came and said, “I would like to be a Muslim and learn how to pray.” We gave him Shahadah and what could we show him about how to pray, he was 95 years old, and he said, “I like to study,” so we showed him. Then the week after, he came and followed us in `Isha and then he did not come the next week or the week after. He did not come for three weeks and when we inquired, we found out that he had passed away. Allah gave him an advantage: he was running left and right for 95 years, then he came at the end and said, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah,” and became a Muslim!
الإسلام يجب ما قبله
Al-Islam wa yajibbu maa qablah.
Islam waives everything from before.
After taking Shahadah, he wanted to pray `Isha and learn, which proves that he said it and accepted it with confidence. All he did in his life was erased! If that is for non-Muslims, what about Muslims, are they better than us? Allah gives them an advantage; they run left and right all their life, make Shahadah in the end and enter Paradise. What about us as Muslims, who are saying Shahadah everyday? Allah gave that advantage, that “candy” to the non-Muslims, but we as Muslims were put with Prophet (s). Allah brought Prophet (s) to you to intercede for you and take you to his Paradise. As mentioned in Holy Qur’an:
وَمَن يُطِعِ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاء وَالصَّالِحِينَ
وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقًا
Wa man yuti`i Allaha wa ‘r-rasoola fa’oolaaika ma` ’Lladheena an`am Allahu `alayhim min an-nabiyyina wa ‘s-siddiqeena wa ‘sh-shuhadaa’ wa ‘s-saaliheena wa hasuna oolaa’ika rafeeqa.
All who obey Allah and the Prophet are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah, of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the righteous (who do good). Ah, what a beautiful fellowship! (Surat an-Nisaa, 4:69)
He will make you to be with these ones and that is the difference. So stay with your prayers, your Kalimat at-Tawheed, your Shahadah before you sleep and Allah will raise us and forgive us of anything we have done by mistake or intentionally. Yaa Rabbee we are Your weak servants, forgive us!
Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
Look at this microphone: if it is unplugged, you may tap as hard as you like and it will make no sound, but if they plug you, then you can speak day and night, and what you speak will enter the hearts of the listeners. It is not because of you, but because of the plug, just like electricity comes when you turn on the switch, but if you do not turn it on or if it is broken, there will be no electricity. When they want you to speak, you need to get the plug. You may plug yourself to all kinds of plugs, but it will not work as they have to plug you in order that you can first benefit yourself and then people. Do not mistakenly think that you are higher than others, as speakers always do. They think they are above the listeners, no! Who gave the speakers respect? The listeners. They are sitting to listen to them because that is what the speakers need. So the first respect is to the listeners, as they give respect to the speaker. What is the benefit if there are no listeners? Who will the speaker talk to, the wall? Our teachers have said, “You as the speaker are in need of the suhbah first. Say, ‘Yaa Rabbee, I am in need of it more than anyone else, so let me benefit from this first.’” In this respect, both speaker and listener will benefit. If you have arrogance and pride, then there is no benefit. When people give lectures, they do research and quote this and that, what is the benefit? Prophet (s) is in continuous ascension, do not say, “He is in his grave, finished.”
حياتي خير لكم تحدثون ويحدث لكم ، فإذا أنا مت كانت وفاتي خيرا لكم ، تعرض علي أعمالكم فان رأيت خيرا حمدت الله تعالى وإن رأيت شرا استغفرت لكم
Hayaatee khayrun lakum tuhadithoona wa yuhdatha lakum fa idhaa anaa mitt kahan wafaatee khayran lakum. Tu`radu `alayya `amal ummatee, wa in wajadtu khayran hamadt 'allah wa in wajadtu ghayrah istighfaarta lahum.
I observe the `amal of my ummah. If I find good I thank Allah, and if I see other than that, bad, I ask forgiveness for them. (al-Bazzaar in his Musnad)
He observes the `amal of his ummah and is getting everything. His Ascension was not only in the time of Sahaabah (r), but he is always ascending! Prophet (s) is receiving `Uloom al-Awwaleen wa ’l-Akhireen, “The Knowledge of Before and After,” he is continuously being raised up and is always ascending. When Allah gives something He does not stop and Prophet (s) is taking his ummah with him. So there are real men who can receive inspirations through their hearts from Allah (swt), from Prophet (s) and from awliyaullah. Many times when you are sitting, things pass from your heart. If it is good, then it is from Allah and if it is not, then that is from Shaytan.
May Allah forgive us, teach us and guide us for the sake of His Beloved one, The One for whom Allah ordered the angels to make salawaat, Sayyidina Muhammad (s)!
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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