Suhbah at ICC
Inshaa-Allah from today this tariqah will be known as Naqshbandiyya-Nazimiyyah.
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. n’astaghfiruhu wa nastahdeeh... man yahdillahu fa laa mudilla lahu wa man yudlilhu fa laa haadiya lah…
O brothers and sisters and honorable guests. Too much going around in this dunya, in this world and the best among us is what the Prophet (s) has mentioned in his hadith:
عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " إِنَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ السَّاعَةِ فِتَنًا كَقِطَعِ اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ يُصْبِحُ الرَّجُلُ فِيهَا مُؤْمِنًا وَيُمْسِي كَافِرًا ، وَيُمْسِي مُؤْمِنًا وَيُصْبِحُ كَافِرًا ، الْقَاعِدُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْقَائِمِ ، وَالْمَاشِي فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ السَّاعِي ، فَكَسِّرُوا قِسِيَّكُمْ وَقَطِّعُوا أَوْتَارَكُمْ وَاضْرِبُوا سُيُوفَكُمْ بِالْحِجَارَةِ ، فَإِنْ دُخِلَ يَعْنِي عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَكُنْ كَخَيْرِ ابْنَيْ آدَمَ " .
Before the Hour comes, there will be a tribulation like patches of dark night. A man will get up a believer and go to sleep a kaafir, or will go to sleep a believer and wake up a kaafir. The one who sits at that time will be better than one who stands and the one standing will be better than the one walking and the one walking will be better than one running. Break your bows, cut their strings and strike your swords against stones. If someone comes to kill any of you, then be like the better of the two sons of Adam. (Narrated Abu Musa al-Ash`aree, Abu Dawud, ibn Maajah.)
There will be fitna, dissension, like big chunks of dark night, where you look at sky and see pieces where there are no stars, completely dark, and the Prophet (s) said that is coming in front of us and too much of that is in front of us today. And at that time, the Prophet (s) said the one sitting at home is better than the one walking in the streets, the one walking in problems as he goes outside to see what is happening and another explosion happens and he will die. It means keep the fitna away by running away from it, but contrary, our nature is to always go see what is happening. What is the benefit? Can you stop it from happening? Allah's Iraada will happen as He Wills.
The Prophet (s) is mentioning what will happen in the Last Days and we are in the Last Days. Alhamdulillah you are going to mosque or conference and so on, but what is the benefit? To socialize only. Those outside the conference room are more than those inside the ballroom! Keep accounting (auditing) yourself, judging yourself before judging others, because on the lectures you might be advising people of things that you are not doing. Begin with something small. Everyone of us needs a help; you need help and everyone is looking for a help. If you want to go to court, you take a lawyer with you, is it correct? If you don’t take one, you might take ten lawyers with you, and you try to take as much as you can, oceans of lawyers to defend you, because if you don't have lawyer who will defend you?
So how do they deny intercession when we and all Muslims are in need for it and all humanity is in need for it when the Day of Judgment comes? Can you stand in front of Allah without an intercessor? Who are you to stand in front of Allah on Judgment Day? Do you think Allah will speak with you or with the intercessor coming with you? Think a little bit. We Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment. Is Allah going to judge every ten in ten by groups? Another millions and billions of years will not finish! Is Allah going to judge everyone in a queue, when Allah said:
فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَه ُُ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَ
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-Zalzaal, 99:7-8)
It is judged by the angels of those ayats, already they are judged, everyone has already been judged! What did Sayyidina Muhammad (s) say to Sayyida `Ayesha (r)? That applies to us for us to learn:
من حوسب عذب
Who will be judged will be punished for sure. (Bukhari)
“Yaa `Ayesha,” and she is wife of the Prophet (s), in Paradise directly, “ask Allah not to judge you.”
It means we have to ask Allah not to judge us, if He judge you you will be punished, not because she did something too much; what the Prophet (s) is telling her is a message for whole ummah. We need to ask Allah (swt) every moment of our lives not to judge us! If the Prophet (s) is telling Sayyida `Ayesha to ask Allah not to judge her, it is because there might be something hidden and we will be punished. How many thing we did in our lives that we forgot we did and we are not asking forgiveness for them?
أخوف ما أخاف على أمتي الشرك الخفي
Akhwafu maa akhaafu `alaa ummattee ash-shirk al-khafee.
What I fear most for my ummah is hidden shirk.
All of us have hidden shirk, for example, something that we did and we say, "Oh, I did that (praising ourselves)," that is hidden shirk. don't put yourself with Allah!
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاء رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا
وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا
Qul innamaa anaa basharun mithlukum yoohaa ilayya.
Say, "I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me. (Surat al-Kahf, 18:110)
If the Prophet (s) is saying that in Holy Qur'an, what about us? we have to know that we are in danger. I am not saying this to frighten you, but I am worried about myself and everyone can be worried about himself or herself. Allah (swt) ordered in Holy Qur'an:
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 بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Inna fee khalqi ’s-samawaati wa ’l-ard w ’akhtilaafi ’l-layli wa ’n-nahaar la-ayaatin li-ooli ’l-albaab. Alladheena yadhkuroona ’Llaha qiyaaman wa qu`oodan wa `alaa junoobihim wa yatafakkaroona fee khalqi ’s-samawaati wa ’l-ardi rabbanaa maa khalaqta hadhaa baatilan subhaanaka faqinaa `adhaab an-naar.
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 contemplating the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, (saying), "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.” (Surat Aali `Imraan, 3:191-192)
Those who praise Allah (swt) day and night, standing, sitting and laying down, they are remembering Him. Alladheena yadhkuroona ’Llaha, when you begin to remember Allah you will begin to contemplate and meditate on what you did today, but forget the good things, as Allah (swt) said:
فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ
Fa laa tuzakoo anfusakum.
Don’t praise yourself. (Surat an-Najm, 53:32)
Look at what you have done wrong, that is what counts. “Those who remember Allah standing, sitting and lying down and they contemplate on the creation of Heavens and Earth.” So we need help to remember.
This world is running and moving. as Allah gave us a soul to move and then to go, Allah gave also a special soul to this dunya to move, it is not moving by itself. Bring the biggest physicist and explain how it is moving by itself through magnetic fields, it keeps turning. If you turn ten times, what happens? You get tired, but Earth is turning and not getting tired. Why? Is it not created, makhluq? Why did it not get tired? Because it is whirling and praising, and whirling around itself like the Mawlawis, the dervishes of Jalaluddin Rumi (q): they were whirling and rising up, not like today's whirling dervishes. They generated energy and moved up against the Earth’s gravity, which is moving non-stop and praising Allah and saying “istaghfirullah.”
Are we saying “istaghfirullah”? I always give the example: sometimes to some people this iPhone. Pakistanis are very meticulous about halaal and haraam, especially in meat, while about other things they are not. Is this telephone halaal or haraam? It is a haraam telephone because it is full of things that you cannot see, and if you see them you fall into sins. You are carrying it into prayers; you are carrying all movies and all things that are naked or not correct in your prayer and instead of carrying a large television, now instead we are carrying a tiny television in our eyes, very small, but in Heavens eyes it is big haraam! But there is something to make it halaal. Does it have amn alarm system or not? Program your phone to say every hour “istaghfirullah,” then you are using something to become halaal for you. Now what you are using is not correct, so try to make it to remind you.
وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Fa dhakkir fa-inna ’dh-dhikraa tanfa` al-mu’mineen.
Remind people that dhikrullah is piety of the believers. (Surat adh-Dhaariyaat, 51:55)
“Remind them, O Muhammad, for by that reminder will benefit the believers.” To remember to say istaghfirullah is a benefit. Are we doing that? All the day, people are ...wherever you go, everyone is moving his hands (on a keyboard), but not anyone remembering Allah (swt)!
وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا
Wa ratti-‘l-qur’aana tarteela.
And recite the Qur'an in slow, measured rhythmic tones. (Surat al-Muzzamil, 73:4)
Recite the Holy Qur'an in the best way. If we recite the Holy Qur'an in the best way, we make Allah happy with us. So what we need then to face all these problems around us? We need help. You know you buy a computer or anything electronic and there is manual with it; it has with it manual that helps you. Wherever you cannot have help, to program well your life, and you want to program your life, everyone wants to program to live the best way, not just for dunya but for Akhirah. This dunya is something to prepare us for Akhirah. We need someone to come intercede for us. Is intercession accepted in Islam or not? We are Ahl as-Sunnah wa 'l-Jama`ah and the Prophet (s) is giving us something that it will help us in the Day of Judgment. I am not speaking yet of Prophet's Intercession, if you think I am speaking on that side, no. I am speaking on something that we need, the intercession of that, in order that we can go to be judged, and may Allah not judge us!
What did the Prophet (s) say?
حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو أُمَامَةَ، الْبَاهِلِيُّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " اقْرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شَفِيعًا
`An abee umaamata (r) annahu qaala sam`itu rasoolullahi (s) yaqool: iqraau ‘l-qur’aan fa-innahu yaatee yawma ’l-qiyaamati shafi`yyan.
Abu Umama (r) said he heard Allah's Messenger (s) say, “Recite the Qur'an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite it.” (Muslim)
The Prophet (s) said, “Read the Holy Qur'an.” Are you reading? when I said before we need an intercessor, everyone said yes. When I said are you reading Qur'an, nobody said yes. Are we reading Holy Qur'an? Inshaa-Allah, Allah makes us to say yes! Read the Holy Qur'an, as in the first verse that Allah revealed to the Prophet (s), Iqraa! Not just one verse, but recite the Holy Qur'an.
What is in the Holy Qur'an and what is the Holy Qur'an? If we don't know, we have to know. The Holy Qur'an is not written by anyone, not even by the Prophet (s). Holy Qur'an is revealed to the Prophet (s); it is Allah's Words that Allah (swt) recited to Jibreel (a) and then Jibreel recited them to the Prophet (s). Al-Qur'an kalaamullah al-qadeemi, we say in Arabic, the Ancient Words of Allah, and His Words are not created. His Words are revealed to the Prophet (s) to be revealed to Creation. If you say “Alif,” as in Alif. Laam. Meem., that Alif is an ocean of knowledge!
My uncle, may Allah bless his soul, was head of scholars in Middle East and he wrote 27 volumes on Alif and every volume is 700 pages! I was young and used to see them, and he didn't continue because the war came. So that is an ocean in 27 volumes and that is when you say “Alif” that 27 volumes will be revealed to you on Judgment Day, not what a poet is writing or an author is writing. There is no benefit in that as they are authors, but Allah's Words carry an-Noor, the Divine Light:
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
Allaahu nooru 's-samaawaati wa 'l-ardi.
Allah is the Light of the Heavens and Earth. (Surat an-Noor, 24:35)
Allah is the Light of Heavens and Earth. Allah will dress you with Light on every letter you are reading! The Holy Qur'an is hayy, living and witness on you, so you need help on Judgment Day and the Prophet (s) is saying that this help will help you on the Day of Judgment, and on Judgment Day the Holy Qur'an will come as intercessor for those who read Holy Qur'an in dunya; anyone reading Holy Qur'an will be under shafa`ah of Holy Qur'an in the Presence of Allah (swt)! So what is our benefit? That Holy Qur'an will benefit us! Some people say, “I don't know how to read,” but never mind, open the Holy Qur'an and follow under the letters (with your finger) and move. There is Light coming from Allah's Words. Allah's Words are not dead! From every letter there is Light coming and that Light will dress you and on Judgment Day you will see that light! Pass your finger--to Muslims, converts and non-converts--pass your finger (under the Arabic letters) and you will be dressed with that Light. He (s) will be intercessor for you on Judgment Day. Do you want an intercessor or not?
If that is for Holy Qur'an, then what for the Holy Prophet (s)?
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ
Innaa anzalnaahu fee laylati ‘l-qadr.
We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power. (Surat al-Qadr, 97:1)
"We revealed the entire Holy Qur'an in Laylat al-Qadr," and Prophet (s) is carrying that.
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Law anzalna haadha ’l-quraana `alaa jabalin la-raaytahu khaashi`an mutasaddi`an min khashyatillaahi wa tilka ’l-amthaalu nadribuhaa li ’n-nasi la`allahum yatafakkaroon.
Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, verily you would have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. Such are the similitudes that We propound to men that they may reflect. (Surat al-Hashr, 59:21)
“If we reveal that Qur'an on a mountain, it will be crushed.” What is the biggest mountain? It is the universe. If that Holy Qur'an is revealed on the universe it will be shattered and it was revealed on the Prophet (s) and he did not shatter! If that Holy Qur'an was revealed on mountain it would be crushed, shattered and into sajda, and the Prophet's heart did not shatter.
And I will mention another hadith and then stop. Sayyida `Ayesha (r), what did she say? The one of whom the Prophet (s) said, “Ask Allah not to judge you because anyone to be judged will be punished.” She said that the Prophet (s) said, and this is very important as many people say "we don't know how to read (Arabic),” but what did she say?
الذي يقرأ القرآن وهو ماهر به مع السفرة الكرام البررة، والذي يقرأ القرآن ويتتعتع فيه وهو عليه شاق له أجران
Alladhee yiqraa al-Qur’an wa huwa maahirun bi al-Qur'an ma` as-safarati ’l-kiraami ’l-bararati wa’Lladhee yiqraa al-Qur’an wa yata`ata` feehi wa huwa `alayhi shaakun lahu ajraan.
The one who is proficient in the recitation of the Qur'an will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels) and he who recites the Qur'an and finds it difficult to recite, doing his best to recite it in the best way possible, will have a double reward. (Narrated `Ayesha, Bukhari and Muslim)
When a person is sitting in a crowd reciting Holy Qur'an, and men with men, and women with women; if young boys with women is okay; also for covered ladies, men can teach, but women not teach men and that is not discrimination here, that is Shari`ah here. We know the value of women and honor Allah gave to women, we are not discriminating. The one sitting and reciting Holy Qur'an or teaching it is sitting with the angels, so zayyinoo quloobakum bi ‘l-qur’an, decorate your hearts with Holy Qur'an. Decorate your hearts with Holy Qur'an and open them, don't leave them like orphans. The barakah is, if you finish reading one then begin reading from the second one to get the barakah of each.
So the one perfect in reading and teaching Holy Qur'an by himself is with the angels and the one who yata`ata` bil-Qur'an, has trouble reciting Holy Qur'an, Allah gives him two rewards of the one who recites it well. wa huwa `alayhi shaaku lahu ajraan. the one who has difficulty reading but does not stop, keeps reading, even by passing the finger, then he gets two rewards, and how great are these two rewards we don't know. How much is that reward? It is according to Allah's generosity; `alaaullah, Allah's Grants are something we cannot imagine.
May Allah (swt) forgive and may Allah bless all of us. Thank you for coming today; that is blessing for this place and we all be witness for each other by saying, Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa habeebuhu wa rasooluh. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa habeebuhu wa rasooluh. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa habeebuhu wa rasooluh.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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