Pre-Khutbah Suhbah at Abdul Ghafoor Mosque (1)
(Suhbah begins on video @ 05:11:00.)
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. Alhamdulillahi ‘l-ladhee hadaana li ’l-Islami wa maa kunna li-nahtadeea law laa an hadaana ’Llah...
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)
Muslim brothers and sisters, may Allah (swt) grant you and this masjid and the people who are organizing the events in this masjid and looking after it. may Allah protect you all and this country from anything, as it is a peaceful country and we love to come here always, every time. I will not be too long, I am counting the seconds on the clock in front of me, because seconds pass quickly in this life. We will take an example from this clock that reads 12:10 p.m. now and after a while it will become 1:05, meaning, every moment of our life is in that second, the past is gone. If we are good, alhamdulillah, if not, then we ask for Allah’s forgiveness as that moment left us and now we are in this moment. This new moment will leave us and another will come. So let us take that opportunity and follow that authentic hadith of the Prophet (s):
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا مررتم برياض الجنة فارتع. 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)
Prophet (s) is saying that if you pass through the Gardens of Heavens, and who can pass through a Garden of Heaven in dunya? Are there such gardens in dunya? Yes, there is one that we know of, but there are too many in Akhirah. In dunya, the real Garden of Heaven is Rawdah ash-Shareef, about which Prophet (s) said:
ما بين قبري و منبري روضة من رياض الجنة
Between my grave and my pulpit is a garden from the Gardens of Paradise. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Everyone who goes for Hajj prays there, but the Prophet (s) is mentioning in that hadith that when you pass by riyaadu ‘l-jannah, sit there. The Sahaabah (r) asked, “Yaa Rasoolullah, what are riyaadu l‘-jannah, where can we find it? Is there a possibility that there is a piece of Heaven on Earth?” The Prophet (s) said, “Yes, they are the circles of dhikr,” like this one, where people are coming and sitting in a masjid, praising Allah (swt), making salawaat, praying, listening to khutbah, sitting together and speaking about what is good for them.
Allah (swt) said in the 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 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 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, 3:190-191)
‘Standing’ means that they are working, and ‘sitting’ also means that they are in their offices working. Also during the day and when they are lying down, before they go to sleep they remember Allah (swt). Prophet (s) used to recite Surat al-Ikhlaas three times, Surat al-Falaq and Surat an-Naas one time each, blow on his hands and rub them on his face. Associations, such as this one, are riyyadu ‘l-jannah. So now spiritually, we are in rawdatan min riyaadu’l-jannah. The blessings that will come on us in Heavens inshaa-Allah, by which Allah will send us to Paradise, those who are sitting together remembering Him, will receive a blessing from Allah (swt) for making associations with other people.
Allah (swt) is saying to the Prophet (s) in a long Holy Hadith, the end of which is:
أَنَا جَلِيْسُ مَنْ ذَكَرَنِي
I sit with him who remembers Me. (Hadith Qudsi. Ahmad, Bayhaqi)
If we say ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah’ here, we are remembering Allah (swt), as He said in the Holy Qur’an:
قُلِ الله ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
Say "Allah," then leave them to plunge in vain discourse and trifling. (Surat al-An`am, 6:91)
Allah is saying, “Say ‘Allah’ and don’t bother with those who are entertaining themselves outside, you say ‘Allah!’” Leave others to Allah’s Judgement, don’t judge them. So it is our duty to say “Allah,” to remember Him, as if He is blessing us in His Divine Presence, not literally sitting, but in the spiritual meaning, as the Prophet (s) said that Allah (swt) said, “I sit with him who remembers Me,” so Allah will bless us when we are remembering Him.
Remember Allah and don’t bother with the outside. Prophet (s) predicted the future, saying, “There is going to be too much fitna around the world, like chunks of dark night.”
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.)
It will be like when you don't see any stars on a dark night. Now people are not believing or caring for Allah (swt), they only care for their own benefit. Prophet (s) is saying that Allah said, “When that happens, the one sitting is better than one standing. “Sitting” means he is remembering Allah (swt), and don’t try to involve yourself in discussions that Allah does not like. Prophet (s) said, “The one standing is better than the one walking,” because there is a fitna [outside, where you may walk]. Try to avoid getting yourself and your country in any fitna. That is why the Prophet (s) said, “When you pass by circles of dhikr, run for it, sit with it.”
"إِذَا مَرَرْتُمْ بِرِيَاضِ الْجَنَّةِ فَارْتَعُوا "قَالَ وَمَا رِيَاضُ الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ " حِلَقُ الذِّكْرِ
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)
I will end with this Hadith related by Sayyidina `Umar (r), which is a good tiding for us in this time:
عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ، قَالَ : كُنْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَالِسًا ، فَقَالَ : " أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَفْضَلِ أَهْلِ الإِيمَانِ إِيمَانًا " ، قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، الْمَلائِكَةُ ، قَالَ : " هُمْ كَذَلِكَ ، وَيَحِقُّ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ ، وَمَا يَمْنَعُهُمْ وَقَدْ أَنْزَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ الْمَنْزِلَةَ الَّتِي أَنْزَلَهُمْ بِهَا ؟ بَلْ غَيْرُهُمْ ؟ " ، قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، الأَنْبِيَاءُ الَّذِينَ أَكْرَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِرِسَالَتِهِ وَالنُّبُوَّةِ ، قَالَ : " هُمْ كَذَلِكَ ، وَيَحِقُّ لَهُمْ ، وَمَا يَمْنَعُهُمْ ، وَقَدْ أَنْزَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ الْمَنْزِلَةَ الَّتِي أَنْزَلَهُمْ بِهَا ؟ بَلْ غَيْرُهُمْ " ، قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، الشُّهَدَاءُ الَّذِينَ اسْتُشْهِدُوا مَعَ الأَعْدَاءِ ، قَالَ : " هُمْ كَذَلِكَ وَيَحِقُّ لَهُمْ ، وَمَا يَمْنَعُهُمْ ، وَقَدْ أَكْرَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِالشَّهَادَةِ مَعَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ ؟ بَلْ غَيْرُهُمْ " ، قَالُوا : فَمَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ؟ ، قَالَ : " أَقْوَامٌ فِي أَصْلابِ الرِّجَالِ يَأْتُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِي ، يُؤْمِنُونَ بِي ، وَلَمْ يَرَوْنِي ، وَيُصَدِّقُونَ بِي ، وَلَمْ يَرَوْنِي ، يَجِدُونَ الْوَرَقَ الْمُعَلَّقَ فَيَعْمَلُونَ بِمَا فِيهِ ، فَهَؤُلاءِ أَفْضَلُ أَهْلِ الإِيمَانِ إِيمَانًا " .
Sayyidina `Umar (r) relates: I was sitting with the Prophet (s) and the Prophet (s) said, anbi’oonee bi afdali ahli ‘l-imaani imaanan? “Can you tell me who has the best imaan?” The Sahaabah thought and they said, “It is the angels.” The Prophet (s) said, “How are angels not going to have the best imaan when they are in Paradise and they see Allah and what He gives them? No, it is someone else.” And they said, “The anbiya.” Prophet (s) said, “What prevents them to have imaan when they see prophecy and Jibreel (a) is coming to them?” And they said, “Ash-shuhadaa, the martyrs who fought for Allah's sake and were with their prophets.” And the Prophet (s) said, “Of course ‘dhaak haqqan lahum’, they were given shahaada by Allah.” In another narration they then said, “Your Sahaabah, yaa Nabiullah.” The Prophet (s) said, “How are my Companions not going to have faith when I speak with them and they speak with me?” Then the Prophet (s) said, “Aqwaamun fee aslaabi rijaalun, men who are unborn, they are in the backs of their fathers in sperm form. I am seeing them.” The Prophet (s) saw them, because he said, aqwaamun fee aslaabi rijaalun, “They are still in the sperm position, waiting to appear. They never saw me, but they see papers, yajidoona al-waraqa al-mu`alaq fa y`amaloona bimaa feehi, “They will find papers,” (in that time paper was made of animal hides, leather), “they will see it hanging and verses of Qur’an have been written in it, and they accept and they do what has been ordered for them to do on these hanging leather.” Fa ya`maloonaa bimaa feehi, “They do according to what is written there.” (al-Hakim, al-Bazaaz and as-Suyuti)
Prophet (s) asked the Sahaabah (r), “Who are the best between Creation with the highest faith?” Sahaabah (r) said, “Yaa Rasoolullah, the best of imaan are the angels.” Prophet (s) said, Wa kayfa laa, “Of course the angels are going to be the best, but that is not what I meant. There are others who have great imaan in their hearts.” The Sahaabah (r) said, “Yaa Rasoolullah, the prophets.” “How they will not have best imaan,” he replied, “when we are with our nations and they were seeing and receiving the message from Jibreel (a). How will they then not believe?” The Sahaabah (r) said, “Yaa Rasoolullah, there is no one left; it is not the angels although they have high imaan and not prophets, although they too have high imaan. Then it is us, your Companions as we believed in you, they have the best imaan against juhaal, ignorance.” Prophet (s) said, “No, there is more.” They asked, “Yaa Rasoolullah who else? If not the angels, the prophets or the Sahaabah (r), who else?” He said, “A group of people who will come at the End of Days,” such as these days that are very difficult on everyone, Muslim and non-Muslim, as they are facing a lot of problems, “people will come at that time and will believe in me when they never saw me.”
O People! That is you, the Ummah of the Prophet (s), those with best imaan! The Prophet (s) said, “I was not among them or with them like the Sahaabah (r). I am not with them and they are still believing in me, and they have the best imaan.” That is why when you find an association of dhikr where Allah is being remembered, the Prophet (s) is being praised and Muslims are calling for harmony, peace, stability, tolerance and acceptance, sit with them as they are the ones with the best imaan. May Allah (swt) grant us this kind of imaan that we will continue non-stop! May Allah open our ways in order to understand more Islam, it is Allah’s Religion.
إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الإِسْلاَمُُ
Inna ad-deena `inda Allaahi al-islaam.
The religion in Allah’s view is Islam (submission to His Will). (Surat Aali-`Imraan, 3:19)
There is no religion for anyone accept to think inna ad-deena `inda Allaahi al-islaam. Religion to Allah is Islam and He would not give us an extremist religion. It is a moderate religion that can accommodate everyone and everyone can take something from it to be happy with!
May Allah (swt) bless us with Islam, the real meaning and understanding of tolerance and acceptance of Islam. May Allah (swt) support us.
[D`ua]
Wa ‘s-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
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