Shah Jahan Mosque
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaada, nawaytu 's-salook, lillahi ta'ala al-`Azheem fee hadha '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)
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`Alameen, wa ’s-salaatu wa ’s-salaamu `alaa ashrafi 'l-mursaleena Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een.
Dear brothers and sisters, may Allah (swt) bless you all and mays th He send His mercy on us all, which is Sayyidina Muhammad (s)! He is the mercy now and on Judgment Day. We are here for `ibaadah. Every step we take towards this masjid is `ibaadah, however we come, in cars or by other transport, as Prophet (s) said, “Allah rewards the one who goes to a masjid, for every step he takes.” We have been favored in this meeting with you tonight under the blessings of Sayyidina Muhammad, `alayhi afdalus ‘s-salaatu wa ‘s-salaam, so count how much reward we are taking to come to this masjid tonight, which it is `ibaadah because we are remembering Allah (swt), Sayyidina Muhammad (s) and Awliyaullah.
We are Ahl as-Sunnah wa 'l-Jama'ah, Awliyaullah and `ulama are Ahl as-Sunnah wa 'l-Jama'ah, everyone of us here is Ahl as-Sunnah wa 'l-Jama'ah and the noor of Ahl as-Sunnah wa 'l-Jama'ah will be spread around all those who will stand for judgement. Whomever is in that noor will go to Paradise with no account, because Allah (swt) wants to grant us mercy! He, the Prophet (s) and Awliyaullah know we are here. Through many reasons, we can say at this place and this moment is a rawdah from Paradise. Everyone of us loves to go to Madinah to visit the Prophet (s), who in our belief is alive, laa shakka wa laa shubha. We like to go there to do `ibaadah. The rewards for every step we take to reach Madinatu 'l-Munawwara are not through angels, they are through the Prophet (s)!
We are running there to step in Rawdah ash-Shareefa, in order to get the blessings of the Prophet (s). Sayyidina Adam (a) was in Jannah, Paradise, and wherever he stepped was Paradise, but when Allah sent him to Earth, it was like the moon, with no trees, no rivers, no water, nothing. However, by Allah's Order, when he descended to Earth and stepped with those feet that had touched Paradise, it turned this whole Earth into Paradise! Where he stepped with his feet is written for us and we don't exclude anyone, we say, “Yaa Rabb, those who are not believing now, let them believe later.” We believe this whole world will be become Muslim, not by fight nor speech, but because Allah (swt) said:
إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الإِسْلاَمُُ
The religion in Allah’s view is Islam (submission to His Will). (Surat Aali-`Imraan, 3:19)
It means you are built on Islam: whether you know it or not, it is written for you that you are a Muslim, not just those who are here, but everyone around the world as the Prophet (s) said:
يولد الانسان على الفطرة ، فأبواه يهودانه أو ينصرانه أو يمجسانه
Man is born upon fitra (innocence), but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magian.
(Bukhari, Muslim)
Either his parents will teach him to be with Sayyidina Musa’s teachings, with Bani Isra`eel and the Jews; or Christian, following the right way of Sayyidina `Isa (a); or Zoroastrian. Everyone is born on purity and the Hadith does not mention ‘Islam,’ but says, “Every person is born on fitra,” which is Islam. So everyone is born on Islam and Allah will guide whom He likes, no one can say anything.
One day, Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) was crying and the Prophet (s) was looking for him and did not find him until he went to the Ka`bah.
He asked, “Why are you crying?”
Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) said, “I don’t know if Allah will punish me or not.”
The Prophet (s) said, “In Allah's eyes you are The Siddiq, Trustworthy One, so stop it.”
Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) said, “Yaa Rasoolullah, if Allah decides now to put me in Hellfire, can anyone prevent that?”
The Prophet (s) said, “Al-mar’u ma`a man ahabb, you will be with me.”
Here tonight and every night around the world, there are people remembering Allah (swt) and His Prophet. You will not find any place empty of someone remembering Allah! Our shuyookh said, and this is the teaching of Ahlu ’s-Sunnah wa ’l-Jama`ah, that if three people on top of a mountain within 24 hours make dhikrullah, for sure Allah will send one pious person, a Wali, to guide them; even on top of the mountain, because they are remembering Him!
What do you think if we are remembering in a masjid, what kind of teaching will we get? You are not going to get my teaching or anyone else's, but because we are sitting in a place that is honorable and holy, we are going to get blessings directly from the Prophet (s)!
We are coming here for Akhirah, not for dunya, none of you. We are coming here to be together, why? There is something within us that only Awliyaullah know. In the heart there are Five Levels: in the first level is where Shaytan can come in and gossip everything bad in your ears, that is Maqaam al-Qalb, “Level of the Heart.” The second level is Maqaam as-Sirr, a place where Awliyaullah put their followers in that secret holy place as Allah has given them authority on that. That is why Awliyaullah, whom we are not seeing, but are everywhere and for sure angels are here, because Allah (swt) said:
ما جلس قوم يذكرون الله إلا نزلت عليهم السكينة وغشيتهم الرحمة و حفتهم الملائكة و ذكرهم الله في من عنده
And no group of people sit together remembering Allah except with tranquility descending upon them, mercy covering them, and the angels surrounding them, and Allah mentioning them to those in His Presence. (Muslim)
“As long as people sit together remembering Him the angels will encompass them,” not just in one circle. but in circles ascending up to Heaven. That is the Mi`raaj of mu’min, the dhikrullah, dhikr al-Habeeb al-Mustafa. It is a Mi`raaj, because we are sitting and angels are encompassing us. If our (hearts’) eyes were not veiled we would see them, feel them and taste them. So that moment is a blessed one on our lives, every moment like that is a nadhirah, very unique. No one can replicate it, because it is for the moment that we are sitting together, that tajalli, that manifestation is coming and shining on us. I am not bringing that from myself, but that is from Hadith of Prophet (s). Prophet (s) mentioned this to Sahaabah (r) to encourage them to sit together:
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ
Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting and lying down on their sides, and contemplating the creation of the Heavens and the Earth. (Surat Aali `Imraan, 3:191)
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ
Remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me and do not be ungrateful towards Me.
(Surat al-Baqarah, 2:152)
In these moments, dhikrullah attracts angels and they accompany us all the way to Heaven. How far is Heavens? We are with these angels, wherever they go we go with them: if they go to the Presence of the Prophet (s) we go with them; if they go to the Divine Presence we follow them, because the Prophet (s) said:
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا مررتم برياض الجنة فارتعوا. قالو وما رياض الجنة؟ قال "حلق الذكر"
Ibn `Umar reported that the Prophet (s) said, "When you pass by the Gardens of Paradise, avail yourselves of them." The Companions asked, "What are the Gardens of Paradise, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "The circles of dhikr.” (Tirmidhi)
Sit and eat with them, spiritually and physically, and don't leave them, even if they stay all night. I don't think Pakistanis, those from the Subcontinent, or Arabs stay all night, but Africans will stay from Maghrib all the way to Fajr! I saw that myself in the Tijjani people; they’re very strong, making dhikrullah all night up until Fajr. We will be with them inshaa-Allah, because we mentioned their names and their shaykhs. So what did the Prophet (s) say? Idha marartum bi riyaadha ‘l-jannah farta`oo, “If you pass by the gardens of Paradise sit in them, take a place,” don't run away, don’t say it is too crowded, sit on your knees. Qaaloo ya rasoolullahu ma hiya riyaadha l-jannah, “What are these paradises?” The Prophet (s) said, “These are paradises from Allah's Gardens in Heavens.”
Since you came here this evening, this moment Allah sent His Prophet (s) and Awliyaullah in this place, and they sent nazhar here! They look at us, because this is what Prophet (s) said, “Sit with them to get barakah and blessings from them.” We have a crowd of Muslims here remembering Allah (swt), so they have a Garden of Paradise here, which is a rawdah, not like in Madinatu 'l-Munawwara, but it inherits from the major rawdah that blesses all rawdahs around the world, because dhikrullah turns the bad into good, turns kufr to imaan. Allah (swt) can turn you through your presence here from sins, from kufr to imaan, because you are sitting in these gardens. So these secrets will be passed to your heart. We don't feel it and we don't see it, because we are veiled. We are veiled due to our sins. What makes Awliyaullah different from us? They sit with their followers making dhikrullah and teach them.
We are here to teach and to learn from each other, that is what Allah likes. This person was making qasidah and na`at shareef to express his love to Sayyidina Muhammad (s). Let us be frank, na`at shareef or qasaa’id are mainly written for the love of Prophet (s). You find lot of qasaa’id and na`at shareef mentioning the name and love of the Prophet (s). They don’t mention Allah directly, because the Prophet (s) is with us, he is looking at his Ummah and wants them to be raised, so the only door is through the Prophet (s). That is why qasaa’id or na`at shareef express the love of the Prophet (s) and build us and our children on that. Of course, love of Allah is necessary, but until we reach that we hmust go through Prophet (s), so take the shortcut and praise him (s)! Allah will be happy with us: it is not shirk, it is `ibaadah mention the name of Prophet (s) that Allah ordered humanity.
وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
(O Muhammad!) We have raised your remembrance. (Surat ash-Sharh, 94:4)
Allah ordered many times to mention the name of the Prophet (s). Where Allah said, “We raised your remembrance.” He raised him not just spiritually, but also physically and he is still being raised up until the Day of Judgement. We are rising with him, because as is in the ayah:
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Say (O Muhammad), "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me! Allah will love you and forgive your sins, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surat Aali-'Imraan, 3:31)
Who does not love Allah? Everyone loves Allah, He said, “Follow Muhammad. Since you love Me I am giving you a way to follow Sayyidina Muhammad (s).” Everyone on Judgment Day is holding the hand of the Prophet (s). Don't say, “How can he hold millions of hands of Muslims and mu’mins at the same time?” He can be with all of them. Allah mentioned that in Holy Qur'an:
وإعلموا أن فيكم رسول الل
And know Allah's Messenger is in you. (Surat al-Hujuraat, 49:7)
You have to know that the Prophet (s) is in you and with you and he is guiding you. Allah said, “After they do dhikr:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لآيَاتٍ لِّأُوْلِي الألْبَابِ الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا اطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Behold! In the creation of Heaven and Earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding, those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, (saying), "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose! Glory to You! Grant us salvation from the torment of the Fire.” (Surat Aali `Imraan, 3:190-191)
If you sit by yourself at any time during the day or night, close your eyes and reflect and contemplate on the creation of Heavens and Earth, that veil will be slowly taken away. That is why Awliyaullah order their followers to make tafakkur.
لَخَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاس
Truly the creation of the Heavens and the Earth is greater than the creation of Man. (Surat Ghafir, 40:57) AG from SL transcript
Allah is telling us, “Don't you see the greatness in My creation? That is why Allah brought the Prophet (s) to Paradise in Mi’raaj to show him what the Ummah is going to get, to show him the greatness of Paradise and brought him to Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa. Did he go alone or with his Ummah? He went with his Ummah, because he said “ittabiʿoonee.” When we do dhikr and salawaat, we are following the Prophet (s). He said fattabiʿoonee, yuhbibkumullah, “Follow me Allah will love you. If you want to love Allah follow me.” If Allah says, “Follow Muhammad,” what else do you want? Wherever the Prophet (s) goes we are following. With his love to his Ummah, he cannot go by himself, he will give them a chance. Allah said in Holy Qur'an how to follow him in the ayah:
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا
If they had only, when they were unjust (oppressor) to themselves, come to you and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nisaa, 4:64)
“When they are oppressors to themselves and they know they made mistakes and sins,” like everyone of us. We know we made sins and mistakes. Today sins and mistakes are so popular. He said, “After they show their love to Allah and Allah ordered them to follow Muhammad,” then Allah opened the door to come to Prophet (s) jaa’ooka, to welcome them. Prophet (s) is welcoming us; jaa’ooka, “they come to you.” What will they do? They will make istighfaar. When we make the niyyah, you know yourself that you have been an oppressor, you have to come the to door of the Prophet (s), he has to open the door, Allah gave him the key for that. He gave him the authority, “When they feel oppressor to themselves,” anyone who feels oppressed means that they made a sin, they know immediately that they have to come to the Presence of the Prophet (s). The Holy Qur’an is saying jaa’ooka, “they come to your presence, and you open your doors,” at that moment when you do a sin you come to the Presence of the Prophet (s) for istighfaar, rawhaaniyyat an-Nabi (s) is there. He will welcome you. You come for what? To ask forgiveness. Allah says, “Muhammad has to forgive you”:
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا
If they had only, when they were unjust (oppressor) to themselves, come to you and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nisaa, 4:64)
You make istighfaar in his Presence and then what happens? Then Prophet (s) with that liqa, honorable meeting, will clean you from your sin, as you decided to go to the Prophet (s) and repent:
الاسلام يجب ما قبله
Islam takes away what came before it. (Ahmad)
Islam will waive whatever came before, so all your sins are gone. When you recite the Shahadah, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah,” you become clean.
من قال لا اله الا الله دخل الجنة
Whoever says ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah’ enters Paradise.
How to enter Paradise if you are not clean? So that person becomes clean through istighfaar. In kuntum, tuhibboon Allah fattabiʿoonee, through that ayah we are following the Prophet (s), to where? To the ayah that says, “When they are oppressors to themselves they come to you, yaa Muhammad, they make istighfaar.” If Prophet (s) is not present, they cannot make istighfaar, is it not? Haadhir wa naadhir, he is waiting; nadhir in Arabic has two meanings: present and seeing. It means seeing and waiting. Come to him through salawaat, through dhikr, through nasheed, through reciting the Holy Qur’an and through mentioning his holy name, making your best to keep Sayyidina Muhammad (s) happy with you. He is happy with all his Ummah. That is why Allah said, “I gave you an Ummah who I forgave before I created them.”
Allah (swt) said, “When you mention Him, mention His Prophet (s).” You cannot mention Allah alone without mentioning Sayyidina Muhammad (s). You cannot say “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” and stop there, you have to continue with “Muhammadun Rasoolullah.”
مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ
Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and those who are with him are forceful against the disbelievers and merciful amongst themselves. (Surat al-Fath, 48:29)
Ashiddaa’u `ala ‘l-kuffar means “on yourself,” fix yourself first. Sometimes (words) in Arabic have many meanings. When we become non-Muslim, that is kufr, but also when we do something wrong that is kufr, denying Favors of Allah (swt). Abu Hurayrah (r) related from Prophet (s):
أَنَا عِنْدَ حُسْنِ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي
I am according to My servant’s good thoughts of Me. (Hadith Qudsi, Bayhaqi. Bukhari, Muslim)
“I am as My servant thinks of me. If they think of Me as good, The Merciful, The Forgiver, My Beautiful Names and Attributes, then I will mention him in My Presence.” Yaa Rabb, we think that You are going to grant us Heavens and Paradise!
Ask what is possible and impossible: don't be low in asking, ask high as Allah can give! When you make du`a, ask, “Yaa Rabbee, dress us with what you dressed the Prophet (s)!Give us what You gave Sayyidina Sulayman (a) in dunya.” Shoot high, don't shoot low! Allah will give. Think that Allah (swt) will close Hellfire in front of Muslims. If He closes it but still looksw at non-Muslims, we hope everyone will become Muslim and love the Prophet (s).
Prophet (s) visited Hellfire and requested, “Yaa Rabbee, don't punish unbelievers more than Hellfire can carry.” That is rahmah of Prophet (s): he is not only looking at Muslims, but also at non-Muslims to be guided in the future. We hope that everyone will be guided, as Allah said, inna ‘d-deen inda ‘Llahi ‘l-Islam. Inshaa-Allah everyone will be Muslim and loving the Prophet (s), as narrated by Muslim:
سبق المفردون، قالوا: وما المفردون يا رسول الله؟ قال: الذاكرون الله كثيرا والذاكرات
“The mufarridoon have won.” They said, “What are the mufarridoon, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “Those men and women who remember Allah much.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
The Prophet (s) said to the Sahaabah (r), “The Mufarridoon overtook you,” they were able to surpass.
The Sahaabah (r) asked, “Who are these people who surpassed everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims?” The Prophet (s) answered, al-mufarridoon adh-dhaakiroon, “The single-focused, men and women who remember Allah often surpassed everyone, mu’min wa mu’minah. They are yadhkuroonallah, they remember Allah.”
That is why dhikrullah is important as it clears us. In business, especially in government positions, you must have clearance. Mufarridoon are cleared already; they surpassed everyone because they love the Prophet (s). Allah considers salawaat on Prophet (s) as `ibaadah, so it is easy to make salawaat. Sometimes people say, “When we make dhikr by Ismu ‘l-Jalalah, we feel heavy, we cannot continue, but when we make salawaat it is very easy.” That is because Prophet (s) is waiting to take you to the Divine Presence, so it becomes like a nice breeze on your heart, as Allah (swt) said:
قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ
O fire! Be cool and peaceful on Ibrahim. (Surat al-Anbiyaa, 21:69)
Sayyidina Jibreel (a) brought him food in the fire and he ate there, because Allah gave him a way. The way for us is qasaa’id, anasheed, salawaat of Prophet’s (s); remembrance of Allah; reciting Holy Qur’an; and acquiring `ilm. Not everyone can be an `alim, it is difficult, but to recite salawaat is easy. Dhikrullah of “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” is easy. So sabaqa al-mufaridoon, those people who do dhikrullah surpass everyone. It only takes five to ten minutes, you can make dhikrullah by Ismu ‘l-Jalalah or by Kalimat Tawheed.
يسروا ولا تعسروا
Make things easy and do not make things difficult. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Yassiroo wa laa tuʿassiroo, make things easy, not difficult or no one will follow. People complained about Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) being easy with everyone, they didn’t know the wisdom behind it. He didn’t put the camel load on the sheep. You cannot tell people to sit until Fajr, or you might find only five or ten people here. Now you find two-hundred or three-hundred people here, because it is easy and they promised to have food, which makes it much easier! [Laughter.] How we can know yassiroo wa la tuʿassiroo:
عن عبد الله بن بسر رضي الله عنه أن رجلا قال: يا رسول الله إن شرائع الإسلام قد كثرت علي فأخبرني بشيء أتشبث به؟ قال لا يزال لسانك رطبا من ذكر الله" الترمذي.
A man came to the Prophet (s) and said, "O Rasoolullah! The rules of Islam became heavy on me, so give me news of something which I can maintain." Prophet (s) said, "Make your tongue wet with dhikrullah." (Tirmidhi)
A man came to the Prophet (s) and said, “Yaa Sayyidi, yaa Rasoolullah, the conditions in Islam are too heavy I cannot do it, there are too many rules,” such as entering the masjid/home with the right foot, leave the masjid/home with your left foot, which is good for people, but for those who cannot, yassiroo wa laa tuʿassiroo, make things easy and do not make things difficult. Today you need to pray Zhuhr or `Asr in a plane when you are traveling, you cannot stand and pray, because they think many things about that. So pray sitting, Allah will accept.
A recent fatwa ruled that, for example, if you cannot pray on a plane, where if you are unable to stand, you can pray sitting or even with your eyes by moving your head, but repeat the prayer when you arrive to your destination. Some airlines from Muslim countries like Southeast Asia give you a prayer rug if you are in Business/First Class, and you can pray standing because the aisles are wide. However, for some airlines where you cannot pray standing and you don’t know the direction of Qibla, you may remain seated, pray with your eyes and say, “Yaa Rabbee, I did my best.” Then according to `ulama, you have to repeat that prayer.
So the Arab said to the Prophet (s), “There are too many loads, I cannot carry them. Give me something that is easy.” Prophet (s) said, “Make sure you keep your tongue wet with dhikrullah.” That is a big ni`mat for us, especially when we travel, with hours and hours to take our beads or counters and make dhikrullah, make salawaat on Prophet (s), recite Holy Qur’an, contemplate.
ا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُون
O you who have believed! Let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah, and whoever does that, then those are the losers. (Surat al-Munaafiqoon, 63:9)
Allah says, “O mu’min, after I gave you all this mercy and blessed you, don’t make your businesses and your children a priority or you will loose Allah’s remembrance.” Remember Allah (swt), think well about Allah (swt)!
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لآيَاتٍ لِّأُوْلِي الألْبَابِ الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىَ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذا اطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Behold! In the creation of Heaven and Earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding, those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, (saying), "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose! Glory to You! Grant us salvation from the torment of the Fire.” (Surat Aali `Imraan, 3:190-191)
After you make your dhikr standing, sitting and lying down, think about the creation of the Heavens and Earth. It is not easy; there are no poles to carry the skies. How are they carried, with what gravity? When you go to the Moon there is no gravity, how is it standing; what kind of gravity is making it stay in its place?
وَالسَّمَاءِ وَالطَّارِقِ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ
By the sky and the night visitor! What will explain to you what the night visitor is?
(Surat at-Taariq, 86:1-2)
Wa ‘s-samaa’i wa ‘t-taariq, Allah is giving an oath with His Tongue and that star is called “at-Taariq,” because it is always knocking and can go through anything, nothing can block it, tits energy and power can move from one side to another. It cleans everything and it comes back. They have put it on the NASA website; they found it to be seventy-billion years (away). One star! Knocking at your door, knocking at our blockage. Our hearts are blocked, we need an operation. May Allah (swt) give us a spiritual opening of our heart to take all the veils that are in front of us.
Abu Musa al-Ash`ari (r) had a nice voice. One time he was reciting Holy Qur'an with a melody, with tajweed, and people were listening. Not realizing that the Prophet (s) was coming from behind him, he continued to recite in a very nice voice, and Prophet (s) was so happy to hear it that he didn’t want him to stop. The Sahaabah (r) saw the Prophet (s), but did not indicate he was present, as Prophet (s) did not want Abu Musa (r) to stop reciting. Then he finished the recitation, turned around and saw the Prophet (s) crying, and said, “W’Allahi, if I knew you were listening, I would have made the recitation more melodious out of love for you.”
Prophet (s) said, qaala lee rasoolullah (s) a-laa adulluka `ala kanzin min kunooz al-jannah, “Do you want to me to tell you about a treasure from al-Jannah?”
وعن أبي موسى رضي الله عنه قال: قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "ألا أدلك على كنز من كنوز الجنة ؟"
فقلت: بلى يا رسول الله قال: "لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله" (متفق عليه).
Abu Moosa al-Ash`aree (r) related from the Prophet (s): The Messenger of Allah (s) said to me, “Shall I not guide you to a treasure from the treasures of Paradise?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" Thereupon he (s) said, "(Recite) 'Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah (There is no change of a condition nor power except by Allah).’" (Bukhari and Muslim)
Then the Prophet (s) said, “Say after me, ‘Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah.’” This is muttafaqun `alayh, agreed upon by both Muslim and Bukhari. Recite that and a Paradise will be given to you! That has been given to us just now, and Prophet (s) is our witness, as-Saadiq al-Masdooq, The Most Trusted One!
He (s) said it to Abu Musa al-Ash`ari (r), which means he said it to the whole Ummah and we are part of the Ummah, so that means that when we recite, “Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah,” it is part of Paradise! And not only that; `Ulama al-Ummah and Awliya al-Ummah said, “That is not enough,” how many people are sitting and reciting, “Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billahi?” If you are with yourself you get one treasure; if you are with one-hundred people, everyone will get one-hundred, on the number of those who recited it.
وَمَا ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ
And that is not difficult for Allah. (Surat Ibrahim, 14:20)
“Allah can give anything.” We end with what will take you to Paradise with no account:
كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ثقيلتان فى الميزان حبيبتان إلى الرحمن سبحان الله و بحمده سبحان الله العظيم
There are two words that are very easy to say, yet very heavy on the Scale, most beloved to The Merciful, “SubhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ’l-`Azheem.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
If you say it once a day, you will get one; if you say it twice, you get two; and if you say it one-hundred times, you get one-hundred treasures! May Allah forgive us and bless us. May Allah bless this masjid and make its people to be from `ulama and Awliya, inshaa-Allah. Aqoolu qawlee hadhaa w’astaghfirullah lee wa lakum. Keep love of the Prophet (s) in your heart and you will be successful in dunya and Akhirah!
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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