Suhbah at Kelab Golf Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Alam
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem. 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.
Alhamdulillahi ‘l-ladhee hadaana li ’l-Islami wa maa kunna li-nahtadeea law laa an hadaana ’Llah...
My son (mureed next to Mawlana) asked my age and I said, “I am 37 !” (Laughter). He said, “I am 36, just one year younger than you!” so I said, “Alhamdulillah!”
We are very honoured that Dr. Azeezan, along with his staff, arranged this gathering. For what reason? He is not in need of money or anything else, he is in need of just one thing, which every Muslim should have and must think about: he wants to be proud of the love of Prophet (s) and to be happy that people will call him the ‘lover of Prophet (s),’ who are (in turn) lovers of Allah (swt)!
Imam Busayri (r) is one of the greatest Sufi saints whose poetry has been read for hundreds of years. A majority of Muslims and scholars read his poem al-Burdah ash-Shareefah. He understood the Greatness of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), and therefore he said, Huwa ’l-Habeebu ’Lladhee turjaa shafa`atuhu li-kulli hawlin mina ’l-ahwaali muktahimi, “He is the Lover whose intercession is requested for every big disaster that comes!”
Like a tsunami; he is the one who can stop it. This is the literal meaning, but if we go a bit deeper, he said, “Huwa ’l-Habeeb, he is the only one.” He didn't say, “Muhammad al-Habeeb,” he said, “Huwa ’l-Habeeb” confirming Prophet (s) is the one who is the Lover of Allah (swt) and there is no doubt about that! In Arabic it can be said, which is also a very famous poem, Allah Habeebu Muhammad, “Allah is the Lover of Muhammad(s)!” and, Muhammad Habeebullah, “Muhammad(s) is the Lover of Allah (swt)!” For Sayyidina Ibraheem (a) it is said, Ibraheem Khaleelullah, “Ibraheem (a) is the Friend of Allah (swt),” but you can't say, Allah Khaleel Ibraheem, “Allah is the Friend of Ibraheem;” that is not correct Arabic. “Ibraheem Khaleelullah” shows shows servanthood to Allah (swt) from someone at a lower level, and that Sayyidina Ibraheem (a) is close, a friend of Allah (swt), but you cannot say, “Allah is a friend of Ibraheem (a)!”
For Sayyidina Muhammad (s) you can say vice versa, the way you like: “Allah Habeebu Muhammad, Muhammad Habeebullah!”
Imam Busayri (r) said, Huwa ’l-Habeebu ’Lladhee turjaa shafa`atuhu, “He (s) is the only one whose intercession Allah (swt) will accept for human beings,” li-kulli hawlin mina ’l-ahwaali muktahim, “for every disaster that comes!” Here ‘disaster’ means when your Nafs al-Amaarra bi ’s-soow, your ego is suppressing you to do something wrong. There is a Nafs al-Amarra, Nafs al-Mutma’ina and Nafs al-Lawwama. Nafs al-Amaarra bi ’s-soow orders you to do something wrong, and Imam Busayri (r) said the Prophet (s) will push away the Nafs al-Amaarra bi ’s-soow with his intercession. It is not a disaster if there is electrical failure in the building or when a car has an accident, but it is a big disaster when you let your ego ride you!
Prophet (s) said:
اللهم لاتكلني الى نفسي طرفة عين ولا أقل من ذلك
Allahumma laa takilnee ila nafsee tarfat `aynin wa laa aqala min dhalika.
O Allah! Don't leave me to my ego for the blink of an eye or less.
He prayed not be be left to bad desires even for the blink of an eye! We blink at least eighteen times a minute. Like they count frames in a film, they have about sixty frames in a minute. Similarly, we blink our eyes about 16-18 times up to 24 times per minute. Prophet (s) said, “Yaa Rabbee, do not leave me to my ego even for one of these 24 blinks, otherwise I will go to a bad situation to bad desires!” Although he has no bad desires as he is a Prophet, but this is for us to learn. How many bad inspirations or bad desires do we have in a day? Prophet (s) is saying, “Yaa Rabbee, save me from that!” No one can say they don't have bad desires; as long as you are blinking (alive) you have bad desires.
Out of love, Allah (swt) is saying, “Look at My Beloved!” He is introducing His Beloved to the ummah. When we introduce someone, we say, “Look at (our host). He is generous and great, he is teaching people how to make good trade or business.” You explain his good character. What did Allah (swt) say when He introduced His Prophet (s)?
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِي
Wa innaka la-`alaa khuluqin `azheem.
You are of the most exalted character. (Surat al-Qalam, 68:4)
Allah (swt) is confirming that Prophet (s) is of the best character, but the translation of that verse is not fully correct. Wa innaka la-`alaa khuluqin `azheem means, “Prophet (s) has infinite Greatness in his character.” Here “`Azheem” means there is no beginning and no end. When we say, “Allah huwa ‘l-`azheem” or “Sadaqallahu ‘l-`azheem,” it means there is no definition for the Greatness of Allah (swt), but if I say to someone, “You are `azheem,” we can still define it; we can say, “You are handsome, intelligent, you have a turban, you are Dr. A.B.C.” (Laughter) Once I invited the rector of a university, a PhD, to a conference in Indonesia. I will not mention his name. He agreed to attend, but two days before the conference he said, “I am not coming because your invitation was not polite.” We always try to be very nice with people, so we checked and found everything from our side was correct. We called to ask him the reason and he said, “You have to mention all my degrees and add that in front of my name!” These were already very long! (...)
Allah (swt) said, “Yaa Muhammad! You are of the highest grandeur in character, without limits!” and this is a verse of Holy Qur’an. That's why Prophet (s) said:
انما بعثت لاتمم مكارم الاخلاق
Innamaa bu`ithtu li utammimu makaarim al-akhlaaq.
I have been sent to perfect the best of conduct (your behavior and character). (Bazzaar)
So according to that hadith, Ba`thatu ’n-Nabi, “the Prophet’s (s) Mission,” when Allah (swt) ordered him to deliver the message, is “to complete good manners,” not as they translate it, “to perfect our good manners.” Are our manners completed? (No.) Everyone has nuqsaaniyyah, “negativity” in something. The Prophet (s) is saying, “I have been sent to complete the best of characters,” which means he is responsible for it in front of Allah (swt)! Look at his greatness! Allah (swt) gave him power and we have to praise him day and night! He (s) said, “I have been given the authority to complete this, and even if you are not doing the best I will do it on your behalf.”
Where is the proof? There are many proofs, such when the Prophet (s) said:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : حَيَاتِي خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ، تُحَدِّثُونَ وَيُحَدَّثُ لَكُمْ ، فَإِذَا أَنَا مُتُّ كَانَتْ وَفَاتِي خَيْرًا لَكُمْ ، تُعْرَضُ عَلَيَّ أَعْمَالُكُمْ ، فَإِنْ رَأَيْتُ خَيْرًا حَمِدْتُ اللَّهَ ، وَإِنْ رَأَيْتُ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ اسْتَغْفَرْتُ اللَّهَ لَكُمْ
Hayaatee khayrun lakum tuhadithoona wa yuhdatha lakum fa idhaa anaa mitta kaana wafaatee khayran lakum. Tu`radu `alayya `amalukum fa in ra’itu khayran hamadt 'Allah wa in ra’aytu ghayra dhaalik astaghfartullaha lakum.
My life is good for you as you will relate from me and it will be related to you, and when I die my passing will be better for you. I observe the deeds of my ummah. If I find good I thank Allah, and if I see bad, I ask forgiveness for them.
["and when I die my passing will be better for you" means, “My death is better for you than my life, because then I can pray for you.”]
Who can do that? No one. Okay let us think a little, let us use statistics here. He said, “Tu`radu `alayya `amal ummatee,” meaning, “The deeds of my ummah are shown to me every day.” this means Prophet is with everyone at the same time, every day, and he can see everything about the ummah completely, what they have done in 24 hours, good or bad, as he is observing them, and if he sees good, he says, “Shukran yaa Rabbee,” and for whatever he sees bad he asks forgiveness for everyone. Imagine how Prophet (s) can do all at the same time? Can you? He knows about them and counts them one-by-one, and that secret has been dressed on Prophet (s)! By the power of Allah (swt) in one second Prophet (s) can count without looking at them, and he can check the whole ummah without dropping anyone from his sight. That is authentic and no one can object to this claim, but how can that be possible, in every 24 hours to check everyone, when Prophet (s) has a normal body like ours?
As Imam Busayri (r) said in al-Burdah ash-Shareefah, The Poem of the Mantle:
Muhammadun basharun wa laysa ka 'l-bashari bal huwa yaaqootatun wa ’n-naasu ka ‘l-hajari.
Muhammad is a man, but not like other men; Muhammad is a gem and human beings are stones.
He is the only one that is a jewel although he is a human being, but he is not like us, he is different. A doctor must study statistics because he has to put everything in figures and numbers, just like when you want to go on a space shuttle, you have to study figures to see if you will survive, and if it doesn’t meet your requirements you have to cancel the trip. Imagine Sayyidina Muhammad (s) went to Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa, the universe beyond Heavens. He went where there is no one, no time or space! Allah (swt) brought him to His Divine Presence and Prophet (s) didn’t make any calculations. If someone goes by space shuttle they say you might die, and you can’t sue the company, you sign a waiver of liability! When Allah said to Prophet (s), “Come,” he moved without using his mind, as Prophets do not use their minds but only, “sam`ina wa at`ana,” they listen and obey.
Allah (swt) was saying, “Don’t worry about how you will come, I will arrange it,” and Prophet (s) ascended to Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa. So he is “bashar,” human, but not like us. Can we raise ourselves one inch or centimeter from the floor? No, because gravity pulls us down. So he asked about ‘whirling dervishes,’ which is not meant as “whirling,” but rather like a turbine that turns and generates power; it means your whirling must create energy that overcomes the power of the gravity.
Sayyidina Jalaluddin Rumi (q), the Master of whirling dervishes, produced such high energy from whirling that he raised up from the ground as gravity could no longer pull him down. As much as you are pure in your soul and suppress your ego, like a cough suppressant that keeps the cough from not coming up, your body will rise, because unlike the soul which is in heaven, your ego works with gravity. So when you suppress your ego by coming against its desires, your body will ascend. That is why Prophet (s) said the third level of Islam is Maqaam al-Ihsaan, The Station of Moral Excellence, which will raise you up in heavenly levels.
Prophet (s) said:
أصحابي كالنجوم بأيهم اقتديتم اهتديتم
As-haabee ka 'n-nujoom bi ayyihim aqtadaytum ahtadaytum.
My Companions are like stars (on a dark night); whichever of them you follow, you will be guided.
(`Abd ibn Humayd)
Sayyidina `Umar (r) suppressed and killed his ego and what happened to him? He was able to see and hear what others could not. Can anyone here see anything above the audience? (No.) But if you bring cameras here and broadcast on television, we will be able to see everything. How is it that the cameras can see and we cannot? If our hearts become clean, then we can see and hear, as Prophet (s) said in a Holy Hadith:
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،
Wa laa yazaala `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)
“If you approach Allah through voluntary worship,” which means helping people and suppressing your desires, then He says, “I can be their ears with which they hear.” Is there no sound here? There are electromagnetic waves here all around us that you can hear with a machine, but this (ear) is not ready yet. Then He says, “I can be their eyes, I can be their ears.” That is why Sayyidina `Umar (r), who was in Madinah at the time, was able to see and hear Sariya, the army commander who was in Damascus, and advise him, whereas Sariya could only hear Sayyidina Umar but not see him during the battle. It is not something that we are bringing from our imaginations, it is documented!
Allah (swt) is showing the Greatness of His Prophet (s), that he is the one Lover of Allah!
A Bedouin came to the Prophet (s) saying, “Yaa Rasoolullah, when is the Day of Judgment?” Prophet (s) asked, “What did you prepare for it?” The Bedouin said, “I didn’t prepare too much through praying or fasting, but I love Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s). Prophet (s) said, “People will be with the one they love (you will be with Allah and me).”
The Arabic word hubb, “love” is made of two letters, “Haa” and “Baa.” Haa represents “hayat,” which means “life;” when you are in love you will find life, and without love there is no life, and we see generation after generation coming out of love. People plant flowers for love, they come up and make people happy. There is love for candy also. Everything is built on love. So here the Haa means “life is built on love,” and every life is different from another. When the Bedouin said, “I love you and I love Allah,” it means he is accepting all that Allah ordered.
When I say, “I love you,” you would give me something, at least ten ringets! Love without spending is lying and hypocrisy, not love. In love, you have to give. What to do you love the most? Your children and wealth. Sahaabah (r) gave their children to Prophet (s). Even the ladies gave their children and gave their money; they didn't keep anything. We are weak, and what are we doing? “Music love,” singing qaseedas to express our love, because we are not of that high calibre like the Sahaabah giving everything, their children and wealth. That is doing business with Ahkirah, as we do business for dunya; that is okay because you can help those in need.
غني شاكر خير من فقير صابر
Ghaniyyun shaakir khayrun min faqeerun saabir.
The rich thankful one is better than the poor, patient worshipper.
A rich one can give in the Way of Allah and if he doesn’t, then he is like Qaroon, while a poor person can feed his family and is pious. Prophet (s) is recommending a way for us, that hubb, “People will be with the one they love.” The Bedouin didn’t do much fasting or praying, but he loved Prophet (s), who said, “It is enough.” It means if your hayat/life is in that way, you will end it with Baa, and Baa is baqa “forever living.” So anyone who loves Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s) will be in Paradise with Prophet (s). So love him!
There are many evidences of this; we can continue citing them. Love of Prophet (s) is important in our lives because it will erase from your heart all other love. It is said “The heart of the believer is house of Allah,” so you cannot put two there or it will be shirk. Your love must be only to Allah through the Prophet (s).
May Allah forgive us and bless us. It is honor for our host. May Allah bless us and forgive us.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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