30 March 2012 Burton, Michigan
Jumu`ah Khutbah at As-Siddiq Mosque
First of all, may Allah (swt) bless you all in these days of fitna. There is too much fitna around the world and may Allah (swt) help us pass through that fitna, as the Prophet (s) said:
القابض على دينه كالقابض على الجمر
Al-qaabidu `alaa deenihi ka’l-qaabidu `alaa al-jamr.
The one who holds his or her religion (in this time) is like one holding a burning coal in their hand.
And we see youngsters and might be older ones outside or in a masjid and even in homes have all kinds of issue that can harm them. For afflictions and problems that we are in today, the Prophet (s) mentioned many ahadith on this issue, that whatever sadaqah you give in the way of Allah (swt) will increase goodness, take away affliction and stretch your life. This is an authentic hadith of the Prophet (s):
الصدقة ترد البلاء وتزيد فى العمر
As-sadaqatu tarud al-balaa wa tazeedu fi 'l-`umr.
Sadaqah removes sickness and calamities and prolongs life.
So sadaqah takes away heavy burdens from you. Also, if you want a longer life, you have to give sadaqah on yourself, as sadaqah will stretch life. Today you see people jogging on the streets in efforts to prolong their life. The Prophet (s) taught that you don't need that; you just have to give sadaqah. If you are in good standing here and you see a poor person, give him sadaqah.
The Sahaabah (r) gave their entire lives to the Prophet (s), saying:
Fidaak nafsee wa abee wa ummee.
I sacrifice for your sake my life, my father and my mother!
(Also, May my father and my mother be your ransom on the Day of Judgment!)
Sadaqah is not only to give money, but to remove a stone from the street and so many other actions are sadaqah. Prophet (s) sent the Sahaabah (r) to various places for certain reasons, and that was sadaqah on their part. Leaving home and going to work is sadaqah, doing anything with first saying, “Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem” is also sadaqah. The Sahaabah (r ) didn't miss any chance to give sadaqah, and if you want a longer life give sadaqah because the hadith states:
الصدقة ترد البلاء وتزيد فى العمر
as-sadaqatu tarudd al-balaa wa tazeed fi ’l-`umr.
Charity fends off trials and increases lifespan.
Some people want to give their life as sadaqah, like the Sahaabah (r). If accepted, it will be done; it depends on how that person is feeling when he said that. Imam Ghazali (r) was guided to illumination when, on the night of Mawlid an-Nabi (s), he let a black fly drink from his ink even though he had to write an important letter. He said, “That is for sake of the Prophet (s)! Allah created you, O fly!” and so he let it drink, he didn't send it away. He was receiving that knowledge not from books, but from inspiration:
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
Fawajada `abdan min `ibaadina ataynaahu rahmatan min `indina wa `allamnaahu min ladunna `ilma.
So they found one of Our Servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our Own Presence. (Surat al-Kahf, 18:65)
And so we speak from Shari`ah, not from outside Shari`ah, and if you don't know it, we know as we wear these kinds of clothes! Some people might think it is Pakistani culture, but it is from Shari`ah to wear loose clothes, and turbans are the crowns of the Arabs, and who puts on a crown, Allah will raise him, and who put it down, Allah will lower him.
So these things happen, and as the Prophet (s) said:
إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى، فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوْ امْرَأَةٍ يَتَزَوَّجُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ
Innamaa al-`amaalu bi ‘n-niyyaat wa innamaa li-kulli imrin maa nawaa faman kaanat hijratuhu ila Allah wa rasoolihi fihjratuhu ila Allah wa rasoolihi wa man kaanat hijratuhu li-dunya yuseebuhaa aw imra’atin yankihuha fahijratahu ila maa haajara ilayh.
(`Umar b. al-Khattab [r] narrated that the Prophet [s] said:) Deeds are (a result) only of the intentions (of the actor), and an individual is (rewarded) only according to that which he intends. Therefore, whosoever has emigrated for the sake of Allah and His messenger, then his emigration was for Allah and His messenger. Whosoever emigrated for the sake of worldly gain, or a woman (whom he desires) to marry, then his emigration is for the sake of that which (moved him) to emigrate. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Sometimes your intention is very strong. You may see your child is very sick and it is well established in Muslim countries, (in anguish) the mother or father say, “O Allah! Take my life and give it to my child!” Is it correct, don't they say this? And if Allah accepted their plea at that moment it will happen, and that parent’s life will drop and that child’s life will increase. Yamhullah wa yuthbit, don't say it is not, as it is in Qur'an:
إِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
Idhaa jaa’a ajalahum laa yastaakhiroon sa`atan wa laa yastaqdimoona.
But when the end of their term approaches, they can neither delay it by a single moment, nor can they hasten it. (Surat an-Nahl, 16:61)
That means no one can change his hour of death forward or backward, but there is a bracket in the hour, which is, if your request accepted then you have that bracket to extend or shorten life. An example of this is when the Prophet (s) was leaving dunya, Allah (swt) sent Sayyidina Jibreel (a) to the Prophet (s) and said to him, “(Allah said) Ask my beloved, ‘Your life is in your hands. If you want to stay, stay, and if you want to go, go, as it is in your hands.’”
Prophet (s) was given the chance to stay and he chose to go. Why did he leave dunya? His age was supposed to be more, but he wanted the difference of what life Allah gave to him--as he might say, “Yaa Jibreel! I want to live one-hundred years,” that is not too much for Allah to create, so He can extend (Prophet’s life). But Prophet (s) wanted to share the balance of the life that Allah gave to him from the life that he will go from this dunya, to distribute on the ummah, giving this person so many minutes, this one so many seconds, so that on the Day of Judgment each person will come with stars on their heads from the shifa`a of the Prophet (s)!
So out of love, if we want to give lectures about love and respect as mentioned in many places “love, love, love,” a person of high calibre might say, “O Allah! Take my life and give it to this person!” If you want to speak of love, you might give everything you possess to someone as that is for akhirah, not like the love of today, if you have a cat and caress it! Real love is even if they grind you to pieces, your love does not change. That is the love of saints!
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. (Surat al-Yunus, 10:62)
I will relate a short story about love. Everyone knows knowledge was saved by the Sahaabah (r), and after them the one who wrote the most accurate book was Isma`eel al-Bukhari (r), who was from Central Asia. People from Central Asia have a characteristic of love for their teachers, as others around the world have love for the Chistiyya Tariqat, Shadili Tariqat, or Kubrawiyya Tariqat or any other tariqat; everyone has a way on which they find themselves. So this story is for those who say that this (practice of giving your life for another’s life) is not from Shari`ah.
What is written here is from one of their biggest shaykhs who came after Sayyidina `Ubaydullah al-Ahrar (q), from Sayyidina Muhammad Zahid al-Bukhari (q), one of the members of what we call the Naqshbandi Golden Chain that originates with the Prophet (s) and continues forty generations to the Sultan al-Awliya. The story is related by Sayyidina Qassim (q), who was Sayyidina Muhammad Zahid al-Bukhari’s helper when he was sick.
ان سيدنا و مولانا مرضت مرة فأمرني ان اّتيه بطبيب من هراة. فجاءني مولانا قاسم قدّس سرّه و فال: يامولانا محمد أسرع في ذهابك و إيابك فإني لا أستطيع أن أري سيدنا و مولانا مريضاً. و حرّضني تحريضاً تاماً. فلما جئت بالطبيب وجدت الشيخ قدّس الله سرّه قد شقي و مولانا قاسم قد توفي. و كانت مدة غيابي عنه خمساً وثلاثين يوماً فسألت الشيخ عن سبب وفاته فقال: "جاءني ذات يوم فقال: إني فد فديتك بنفسي. فقلت له: لا تفعل هكذا فإن المتعلّقين بك كثيرون وأنت رجل شاب. فقال: ما جئتك مستشيراً في هذا الأمر بك قررت في نفسي و صممت عليه و جئت و قد قبل الله مني ذلك. و لطالما راجعته في ذلك و نهيته عنه فما قبل و ما زال مصراً على جوابه الأول و إنصرف. قال ففي اليوم الثاني إنتقل مرض الشيخ بعينة الي مولانا فاسم و توفي به. و ذلك يوم الإثنين لستّ خلت من شهر ذي الحجة سنة إحدى و تسعين و ثمانمائة. و برأ الشيخ بُرءً تاماً يحتج للطبيب الذي أتيت به"
( الحدائق الوردية في حقائق أجلاء النقشبندية. الشيخ عبد الماجد الخاني. دار ئاراس للطباعة و النشر. 2002. أربيل عراق, ص243 )
Inna Sayyidina wa Mawlana maradat maratan fa amaranee an aeethu bi-tabeebin min Herat. Fa-jaa’nee Mawlana Qassim qaddas-Allahu sirrahu, wa qaal: ya Mawlana Muhammad isra` fee dhihaabika wa iyaabika...
One day Muhammad Zahid got very sick and he was the student of Sayyidina `Ubaydullah al-Ahrar (q) and he wanted his khalifah to get a doctor from Herat in Iran (a well-known city today). Mawlana Qassim al-Bukhari said, “Run to get a doctor. I cannot accept to see him sick (as someone sees his child is sick and he cannot do anything for him and he dies in front of him)!” Sayyidina Qassim (q) was so upset about him and he urged me to go. So when I returned with the doctor, I found the shaykh was cured and Shaykh Qassim (q) had died! The time between going and coming from Herat was thirty-five days, but Qassim had already died although he didn't have any sickness and the shaykh was sick. I asked the shaykh, “Why did Qassim die when he was healthy, strong, and everything was okay, and he was representing you everywhere?” He said, “While you were absent, Qassim came to me one day and said, ‘O my teacher! I am asking Allah (swt) to sacrifice my life for you! I am asking Him to take my life and give it to you.’ I said, ‘Don't do that, because many people are already attracted to you and are connected to your neck and you are a young person, so don't say that.’”
Look what love can do! In Islam you don't need to do that, but out of love everything can be done! This is narrated in the book, Al-Hadaiq al-Wardiyya fee at-Tariqah an-Naqshbandi, page 243; go and read it! It is also in The Naqshbandi Sufi Way. (See http://www.naqshbandi.org/chain/21.htm)
This is an answer to those who are not aware of what Raja Ashman did; like him, that man said, “I didn't come to consult you in this matter, because I know you will say no, so I came to sacrifice myself on your behalf and I have already taken that decision myself!” The shaykh kept silent and then raised his head and said, “Allah accepted his du`a!”
He insisted he would not leave and kept saying, “This is my decision, O my shaykh! Don't change it, I am giving my life!” So on the second day, the shaykh got even more sick and all the sickness moved to Shaykh Qassim (q) and he died, and slowly, slowly the sickness disappeared from Shaykh Muhammad Zahid (q) until only traces were left. This incident happened on Monday, 6 Dhul-Hijjah, 890 Hijri, 543 years ago.
His children and everyone came to visit him and he said to them, “Everyone choose something: either be rich or poor.” Shaykh Qassim (q) said to Shaykh Muhammad Zahid (q), “Whatever you choose for me, I will follow.” He didn't say what he wanted, so Shaykh Muhammad Zahid (q) said, “I choose for you to be poor, not rich, because richness deviates you and takes you away from the line of Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s).”
So may Allah (swt) make us understand that someone may go to his shaykh and say, “I am not consulting; rather, I did what I did. I am asking Allah (swt) to take my life in your place.” And when Allah accepts, He accepts!
It is similar in Shaykh Khalid al-Baghdadi’s case; he was in Damascus during a plague and he gave his life along with Isma`eel an-Naranee (r), (not Isma`eel ash-Shirwani, who took the ijaazah of tariqah from Shaykh Khalid and went to Daghestan) who entered seclusion with his shaykh for seven days and took the difficulty from his shaykh, but whom both eventually died. That was a contagious sickness with no medicine to treat it. Isma`eel an-Naranee (r) passed away and the next day Shaykh Khalid al-Baghdadi (q) passed away, as narrated in The Naqshbandi Sufi Way:
He lay on his right side facing the Qiblah and said, "I have been struck by the plague. I am carrying all the plague which has descended on Damascus." He raised his hands and prayed, "Whoever the plague touches, let it strike me instead and spare everyone in Sham." Thursday came and all his khalifs entered. Sayyidina Isma`eel ash-Shirwani asked him, "How are you feeling?" He said, "Allah has answered my prayer. I will take all the plague from the people of Sham and I alone will die on Friday." They offered him water, but he refused and said, "I left that world behind to meet my Lord. I have accepted to carry the plague and relieve those in Sham who are infected. I will pass on Friday." (http://www.naqshbandi.org/chain/31.htm )
May Allah (swt) give us love for our shaykh and for the Prophet (s) and take away all satanic elements from our hearts, because we don't know when we will die. May Allah (swt) give peacefulness and tranquility for the people of Malaysia for the passing of their prince and to his father, sisters and brother, wife and children.
(Du`a)
(End of khutbah)
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