As-Siddiq Institute & Mosque (ASIM)
Jumu`ah Khutbah
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem.
Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
How are you going to make it, O Muslim, other than shafa`ah of Rasoolullah (s)? May Allah (swt) grant us his shafa`ah. On this day, what do you need to do? We need to play. Muslims have taken playgrounds. Have you ever heard of the playgrounds of the rich and famous? New York City is one of them. Oahu is another one, in Hawaii. The other one is in France. The other one is in Switzerland. Monaco, the playground of the rich and famous. That’s what Muslims are doing nowadays!
The rich ones, the princes, the kings, the sultans, the presidents, the prime ministers, the ones who have money, are partying on yachts. You can see the pictures. I’m not making it up. Google it. The rich and famous Muslims are in Monaco on yachts, celebrating and partying.
How about the poor ones? Don’t worry, they have brought a taste of Europe back home. Mashaa-Allah, every Muslim goes to Dubai nowadays. “We will make you taste a little bit of the places that the rich and famous Muslims go to. We will bring France to Dubai. Don’t worry, on the Red Sea we are going to have another city called Neom. You can celebrate. You can taste the playgrounds.” Muslims have become playful mates. They play. Not all of them but most of them are about playing and fun and games.
Sayyidina Bahlul (q) was an Awliya but he did not show it. One day Bahlul (r) was in the bazaar. He saw a bunch of kids playing with walnuts and almonds, as the story goes. He saw one boy by himself looking at them and crying. Bahlul said to himself, “Maybe this little boy is sad because he doesn’t have anything to play with like these kids. Maybe I should buy him some walnuts and things to play with.” He went to the boy and said, “O my boy! Don’t cry. I can buy you some walnuts and almonds so you can play.” The boy said, “Yaa qaleelu ‘l-`aql, O bird brain! We were not created to play.”
Where is the Muslim? Where is the mu’min? A mu’min is higher than a Muslim. To the Muslim who says, “I am a Muslim,” why do you go play in Dubai? What do you do in Dubai? Do you go to the masjids? Maybe once or twice a day, just to keep face, but most of the Muslims go to Dubai for entertainment.
That boy said, “We were not created for play.”
Bahlul asked, “What were we created for, O my son?”
He said, “We were created li ‘l-`ilmi wa ‘l-`ibaadah.” How many Muslims are taking the way of knowledge and worship nowadays? `Ilm and `ibaadah. Bahlul was mesmerized.
He said, “BarakAllahu feek. May Allah (swt) bless you. How did you come up with that?”
He said, “Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur’an, afa hasibtum anama khalaqnaqum abathan wa anakum `ilayna la turja’oon. Do you think We have created you in vain? Do you think we have created you for nothing? Do you think we have created you for no purpose and that you will not return to Us?”
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ
"Did you then think that We had created you in jest, and that you would not be brought back to Us (for account)?" (Surat al-Mu’minoon, 23:115)
You will return to Allah (swt). When He asks you, “Ammatha kuntum ta’maloon.” In the Holy Qur’an, Allah (swt) says, “I will ask them, ‘What were you doing?’”
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُو قَالَ أَكَذَّبْتُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِى وَلَمْ تُحِيطُوا۟ بِهَا عِلْمًا أَمَّاذَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
Until, when they come (before the Judgment-seat), (Allah) will say: "Did you reject My Signs, though you comprehended them not in knowledge, or what was it you did? (Surat an-Naml, 27:84)
“We brought entertainment from France to Dubai for Your servants, O my Lord.” That’s what you have done. What were you doing? Insaan has lost his mind. Mind is `aql. I’m not talking about the mind that manages the world, no. They are all into the affairs of dunya. They have lost the `aql that is for Akhirah. That is the important mind that you have to use, the one that will show you the way to Akhirah. What is the way to Akhirah?
Rasoolullah (s) has told you, O Muslim, O mu’min, O insaan. He sent Sayyidina Mu’ad ibn Jabal (r) to Yemen. He said, “You will come to the people who have a book.” In the beginning, the people of Yemen were Jewish. Later on, the Ethiopians came and took over. That’s where Abraha came from. He was Christian. It was a Jewish and Christian area before they became Muslims. Rasoolullah (s) said, “If they ask you about the key to Jannah, it is Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.”
What has Rasoolullah (s) come for, O insaan? To make for you Dubai, Cannes, or Cote d'Azur, the French Riviera? Is that what he invited you to go to? Did he invite you to go sunbathing? Did he invite you to go sightseeing? Did he invite you to go to the galleries and museums? In that area they also have Formula 1 in Monte Carlo. Did he invite you to where all the movie stars hang, to the glitz and glamor of this dunya?
He invited you to the door of Jannah! He said, “Take Laa ilaaha illa-Llah with you.” It is the door to Jannah, O insaan. Who is following Rasoolullah (s)? They work, save up and go on vacation. Where do you go?
“I’m going to Florence, Italy.”
“What is there?”
“Some palaces, mansions and some cuisine.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to Barcelona, Spain.”
“What is there?”
“Some palaces, some mansions and some cuisine.”
It’s the same. Allah (swt) has not created you for playing, O insaan. He says in the Holy Qur’an:
إِنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَإِن تُؤْمِنُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ يُؤْتِكُمْ أُجُورَكُمْ وَلَا يَسْـَٔلْكُمْ أَمْوَٰلَكُمْ
Innama ‘l-hayaatu ‘d-dunya la`ibun wa lahwun wa in tu’minoo wa tataqoo yu’tikum ujoorakum wa laa yas’alukum amwaalakum.
The life of this world is but play and amusement: and if ye believe and guard against Evil, He will grant you your recompense, and will not ask you (to give up) your possessions. (Surah Muhammad, 47:36)
To the end of the ayah. It is basically games and distraction. Distraction from whom? From the honor of Rasoolullah (s) and the message he brought us, from the honor of heavenly messages, from being the servant of Allah (swt).
You have to run to, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, O Muslim! Leave the garbage. Leave the nonsense. Don’t get distracted by the glamor and glitz of this world. Don’t get distracted by the billboards. “Every time I drive on the highway, non-stop to Orlando, Florida, non-stop to Fort Myers, Florida. What am I going to do there?” You’re going to sunbathe. “I don’t look good.” Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. “It doesn’t matter. It is our madhab. It is our way. If you’re not one of us, you will never be one of us.” I don’t want to be one of you!
May Allah (swt) forgive us. We are Muslims. We have taken the message that Rasoolullah (s) brought. His message was to take you to the door of Jannah. A shaykh who claims to be a shaykh has to take you to the door of Jannah. If he is taking you to another door, he is not a true one. Leave them. Every Nabi, every Wali, every `alim, every `arif, has to take you to the door of Jannah. If he doesn’t take you to the door of Jannah, he is not what he claims to be. You have to be awake and alert. Don’t be an imitator. Be of the ones who look at evidence and proof.
`Istidlal is `ilmu ‘l-yaqeen. Find your Lord through what He has created. Not only that, “Yes, there is a Lord,” but you see His Power, His Wisdom, what He is doing and you understand His Greatness and then you say, “There is truly a Lord.”
Look at this moon. It never changes. Why doesn’t it become red one day? Maybe it wants some lipstick on. Why doesn’t it become a full moon from the first day and then half the moon at the end of the month? Why is it regular? What keeps it regular? You cannot keep a clock regular, you have to change the battery every time. Who changes the battery of the moon to stay regular? Who puts gas in the sun to make it burn? Where does the sun get its gas or its helium from or hydrogen or whatever it burns? Is there a Costco gas mart on the other side that gives a discount so that the sun lines up to get its fuel behind all the stars of the galaxies?
There is no mind that thinks! The only mind they have is to play. That’s not enough. They also get people stoned. “Free weed. Get high. Forget things.” They have fun and whatever they do down in Monaco and they are partying all together. They’re all the same. They’re all working together and partying together, and having fun together. You? They give you the news. Everyday they make you more depressed. Every day they make you more stressed out. It’s a plan they’re running.
Wake up, O insaan! Go to the door of Jannah. The door of Jannah is, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah. Follow that one. Find out how to get there. It’s very easy. Follow the A, B, Cs. It’s not rocket science. Allah (swt) has given you A, B, C, D, E, five. He has given you Shahadah, prayer, charity, fasting and Hajj. Stick to that. When Allah (swt) wants you, He will call you. When Allah (swt) wants to deliver the trust to you, He will call you. He will send somebody to your door to take you to where you need to go. If you don’t stick to the A, B, Cs, you are not advancing in your school. How can you go to 2nd Grade or 3rd Grade without knowing the A,B, Cs? You can’t. Wake up and keep up with the A, B, Cs, O insaan.
May Allah (swt) forgive us. The A,B,Cs are Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. Don’t forget. Allah (swt) is the One to be obeyed. Allah (swt) is the One to be worshiped. Go to Him. No matter how hard it is, go to Him. I’ll finish here.
Shaqeeq al-Balkhi (r) was also a Wali. He was from Balkh. He was on his way to Makkah, he found a crippled guy. He saw him crawling. He looked at him and said, “Where are you going?”
He said, “Makkat al-Mukarrama.” He asked, “Where are you coming from?” He said, “Samarkand.” He asked, “How long have you been on the road?”
“I’ve been on the road for more than ten years.”
It is said that Shaqeeq al-Balkhi looked at him in astonishment. The man asked, “Why are you looking at me, O Shaqeeq?” He said, “I’m looking at your weak body and physicality and I’m thinking of the long journey you have.”
He said, “Yaa Shaqeeq! My Lord is carrying my weak physicality. The yearning is making my long journey closer to me.”
He is running to Allah (swt). If it takes him a hundred years to get to His House, to get to Baytullah, he wants to get to Baytullah. That’s what you have to have. You have to have that drive. “Even if it takes me 30, 40, 50 years to get to Baytullah physically and spiritually,” which is your heart. It is said: qalbu ‘l-`arif `Arshu ‘Llah. The knower's heart is where Allah (swt) is manifesting His Beauty, His Noor. It comes to your heart, not only `Arsh. It comes everywhere but exclusively to your heart.
He said, “Allah (swt) is carrying my physical body and love and yearning for Him is making it closer to me.” Inshaa-Allah, we have that yearning in our hearts. Yes, our journey is long. It’s going to take a long time to get there but Allah (swt) has promised, if you take the first step, He will come to you with ten steps. If you take ten steps, He will come to you with a hundred steps. If you approach Him a little, He will approach you more. You will not approach Him until He wants you to approach him.
وَمَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ هُوَ أَهْلُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ وَأَهْلُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ
Wa ma yadhkuroona illa an yasha-Allahu huwa ahlu ‘t-taqwa wa ahlu ‘l-maghfirah.
But none will keep it in remembrance except as Allah wills: He is the Lord of Righteousness, and the Lord of Forgiveness. (Surat al-Muddaththir, 74:56)
You will not want except when Allah (swt) wants. When Allah (swt) wants you, you will have that want in your heart. Because you have that want in your heart, know that Allah (swt) wanted you. As our teacher has said, you are being sought after. Somebody is seeking you because your heart has turned. That means, “Come to Me.” Take your journey. Take your way to His Presence. Inshaa-Allah we can all get there.
That is why Sayyidina Muhiyyin ibn Arabi (q) said, “You wanted me and You wanted something from me but my will is tied to Your Will” because He said, “You will not want until I want.” You were what You wanted from me. What Allah (swt) wants from you is Himself. He is Ad-Dhat. He is the Essence but the Insaan al-Kamil, the Perfect Human is the appearance of His Beautiful Names and Attributes. That is Muhammad (s). Don’t think it’s us. By following Muhammad (s), our master, we can get some of that light. Rasoolullah (s) was the appearance of Allah (swt)’s Names and Attributes. Allah (swt) has dressed Rasoolullah (s) with every Name and Attribute.
Allah (swt) is the Essence. Nobody knows Allah (swt) but Allah (swt), but He can show you His Names and Attributes in Muhammad (s), in Rasoolullah (s). So, put the lights up and show the world that Rasoolullah (s) is my light. He is the light of my life and the light of everybody’s life. If it weren’t for Rasoolullah (s), Allah (swt) would not have created creation. Why? Rasoolullah (s) was the reason. Allah (swt) wanted to show His Beautiful Names and Attributes to His creation so He created that perfect mirror. May Allah (swt) grant us from his Noor.
Be like that crippled one. We are crippled. We cannot walk. You need Allah (swt) to be your feet. You need Allah (swt) to be your eyes. You need Allah (swt) to be your hands. Run to Him. When He loves you, you will become like that and you will get a gold medal then.
Do you watch the Paralympics? Everybody is running for the gold medals of dunya. How about the gold medal in Akhirah? Who is running for that? Everybody accepted the fake, tin medals that they put on people in dunya. This is the medal of this and that. It has no value. When you are put in the grave, no medals you take in this country or this world or this nation will benefit you in front of the angels. It doesn’t matter. The angels will ask you, “Man rabbuk. Who is your Lord?” If you know, Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, you will succeed. If you say, “I don’t know. Let me remember what it was. It was Monaco. It was Monte Carlo. Every chance I got, I ran there.” If you know Laa ilaaha illa-Llah in this world, that’s what you need, nothing else.
May Allah (swt) allow us to be from the medalists in the Hereafter. It is said that Allah (swt) will decorate His mu’min servants. In the Hereafter, He will dress them from His Lights. They will be on manabir from Noor. They will be on big pulpits, big towers of light. That is what will matter then. That is the gold medal you should run after. Mashaa-Allah, the Tunisian one the Paralympic marathon. It took him two hours. That one is taking ten years. Why don’t you give him a medal? Can you do it? Can you go from Tunis to Makkah al-Mukarrama? “No, I can’t. I’m sick.” But for running, he can.
May Allah (swt) give us a mind, `aql. `Aql is what you put on the horse or camel. They call it the bridle. Tie it up. “O my ride! Stop eating and drinking. Let’s get on the way.” That is what `aql means. You tied up your camel. Enough eating and drinking. Let’s move. Let’s get on our way. What’s our way? Our way is Baytullah.
May Allah (swt) allow us to see His Beauty through Rasoolullah (s). That is Haqeequ ‘l-Muhammadiya. Nobody knows the reality of Rasoolullah (s) because it is a mirror of Haqeeqatu ‘l-`Ilahiyya. It has no limits. You cannot limit what Allah (swt) has from knowledge, from Mercy, from Wisdom, from Light. You cannot limit any of that. Whatever He reflects, comes down on the qalb of Rasoolullah (s). That’s why nobody can understand al-Haqeequ ‘l-Muhammadiya. That’s why it is said, “As-salaamu `alayka ayyuha ‘n-Nabi,” full stop. His maqam is separate. Nobody can enter his maqam. It’s in at-tahiyyat, tashhahud. You say, “As-salamu `alayka ayyuha ‘n-Nabi,” and you stop and you say, “As-salamu `alayna, and peace be upon us,” but you don’t tie yourself to Nabi. You don’t say, “As-salamu `alayka ayyuha ‘n-Nabi wa salamu `alayna.”
You don’t put that waw, that “and” because you cannot enter into his maqam. His maqam is separate in the Divine Presence, but you can get from what he is getting because he always said, “Whatever is for me, yaa Rabbee, is there for my nation.” Anything that he got, he asked his nation to get the same. That is your Rasool! `Ithar, `uthir, he prefers you over himself. He gives to you before he gives to himself. Sahaabah al-kiram (r) learned from him. They gave to their guests before they gave to themselves. They gave in the way of Allah (swt) before they gave to their families. That is eethaar. That is love. That is the true iman, you love for others what you love for yourself. Alhamdulillah.
Some Muslims love for others what they love for themselves, so they made Dubai reflect Monte Carlo. May Allah (swt) forgive us. May Allah (swt) give us true iman and true `aql. Tie your ego from the pleasures of this world and get on the way to Baytullah, to Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s). How many words are there? Seven. “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” is four words. Muhammadun Rasoolullah is three words. That is a total of seven. If you take the way of Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s) truly then you have closed the seven doors of Jahannam and they’re locked up. That is when your road starts. Pull your camel, your ride and say, “Let’s go.”
May Allah (swt) allow us to reach there.
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