Jumu`ah Khutbah
As-Siddiq Institute and Mosque (ASIM)
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani 'r-rajeem.
Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim.
What can we say? It has been a tragic week. We ask Allah to guide the hearts of human beings to justice and peace. We are trying to find a solution. We hope they come to a solution.
We will mention a story from the Holy Qur'an. Keep in mind, these are not just fairy tales that we read to our children at night. Why don't we seek to understand the stories of the Prophet's instead of just reading them? Allah (swt) is showing you a way out, O mankind, from the hell you have let loose on earth. The first man had two children. The first murder that occurred on earth was done by the first man born on earth Qabil, who killed his brother Habil. The first evil that appeared on earth was with the first human being born here, Habil.
Our father Sayyidina Adam (a) was created in Jannah, but landed on earth. So this earth is supposed to be a place for human beings to live, but unfortunately there is evil in our essence. Allah has sent prophets to guide us to the Right Path, not simply to be mentioned in bedtime stories that we read to our children but we don't understand their meaning. He is telling us how to get out of our bad situation.
Solomon was king of the whole nation at that time and he was a prophet, as well. His father Sayyidina Dawud (a), King David, was a prophet, and we believe in all of them as they were holy people connected to heavens and they brought peace, justice, and love to their communities.
What is to be a king? He is someone with power and the authority to do as he sees fit, whatever he wants. But because King Solomon (a) received messages from the Heavens, he ruled by Allah's orders, by what God allowed, and he ruled with justice. Allah mentions a story about King Solomon in the Quran in the Chapter titled 'the Ant', Surat an-Naml.
Sayyidina Sulayman (a) was going out and he gathered all his armies.
وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَيْمَـٰنَ جُنُودُهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ وَٱلطَّيْرِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ
And gathered for Solomon were his soldiers of the jinn and men and birds, and they were [marching] in ranks. (Surat an-Naml, 27:17)
All the armies and soldiers were gathered. What comprised his army? Jinn, the spiritual beings we don't see that live with us on earth, from ins, human beings, from birds and from animals. King Solomon (a) had immense power not only over human beings but also over unseen spiritual beings whom we call Jinn, some of whom are devils as they have not accepted heavenly messages, and some of whom are Believers. In addition to those were animals and birds.
That army went out and came to a valley where there was a river, a wadi, a place where water was running. In that place was a weak servant of Allah, among the weakest of Creations. She was confronted by the most powerful of Creation at that time, the king with all his power and his entire huge army. This weak one—it is said she was queen of the ants—was telling her friends, "Rush into your homes. The king is coming with his army and unaware they might crush you!"
Look at the mercy of the leader of that group. When they know they have are weak, they still protect their community from harm. A good leader does not throw his community in harm's way. A good leader protects his community from harm.
The ant said, "These armies will crush us. What should we do? Run to your homes; get out of the way." Why subject yourselves to trampling and killing?
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ وَادِ ٱلنَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّمْلُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مَسَـٰكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Unti, when they came upon a valley [full] of ants, an ant exclaimed: “O ants! Enter your dwellings, unless Solomon and his hosts crush you without [even] being aware [of you]!” (Surat an-Naml, 27:18)
That weak group was collecting their provisions by the edge of the river. The schedule of their daily lives was to go out, collect food, and return to their families to eat, drink and be happy, thinking the Lord will give them Paradise in the Hereafter.
Why concern yourselves with this world too much? In this way they go home and are unharmed, unhurt, untrampled. All that concern was in the heart of their good queen. What is the word used? la yasha`aroon. "They might crush you unknowingly."
Here is a good Jewish king, Sulayman (a) from the Jewish nation, one of whose descendants was Jesus (a), the great great great grandson of Sulayman in case you didn't know. Sayyidina Isa (a) was the son of Maryam, who descended from Sulayman. So that Jewish king will not knowingly step upon an ant.
When she said, "Sulayman and his soldiers are coming they might crush you unknowingly", it means that he is a just king, because when he notices weak servants are present he will not crush them.
Learn, O the one in power and also the one who has no power. The one with no power must look and not subject people to pain and anguish, and the one in power must look at the details so as not to crush the weak servants knowingly.
Then what happened?
يَشْعُرُونَفَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِّن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـٰلِحًا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِى بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِى عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
So [Solomon] smiled, amused at her speech, and said, "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants." (Surat an-Naml, 27:19)
Fa tabassam daahikan min qawliha. Sayyidina Sulayman (a) smiled so much from what she was saying. How did he hear and understand her? He said, "O my Lord! I am thanking You for allowing me to hear an ant and that you let my good reputation reach even the weakest of Creations."
That is your role model, O people! A Jewish king and we are following them. They are the ones to whom Allah has given guidance, so follow them. The problem today is that people read the Holy Qur'an, but they don't understand it. Follow the guidance of those who have received guidance.
Sayyidina Sulayman (a) was not happy because he was a ruler in this world, he was happy that he was taqee, sincere and God-fearing, and that his reputation for being an honest and good person had reached even the smallest of Creation. So he said, "Call this ant to me."
Learn to dialogue. Allah the Lord has sent you books to let you know how to get out of the problem you are in. Instead, you let all hell loose, like the first human being murdered his brother who stood between him and his desires, so he crushed him.
Sayyidina Sulayman (a) said to the ant, "Advise me. I am the king and a prophet of the Jewish nation." Look at the humbleness, which rarely exists now. Leaders don't lower themselves to the weak and the poor.
What do you think she said? Nowadays people say about someone, "O he is so articulate, so meticulous, so well spoken." She said, "Do you know why your father was called Dawud?"
If you need advice, don't think you need an advisor who is a big scholar, an `alim, a counselor. What is good is simplicity. In our language 'Dawud', in English' David', and in Hebrew it might be Dawud (a), I don't know. If you know why he was called Dawud, you would have saved yourselves from the troubles you are in, not one side but both sides, not just enemies, but the whole world. If you knew the meaning you would have solved this problem all you are in!
She said, "Your father's name was da-wuda." Dawa means heals the wounds in the hearts. and wuda means beloved. David (a) healed dawa, hearts' agony and pain. He was given the medicine and through it he healed.
She said, "Be a healer of hearts like your father's namesake. If you heal wounds in the hearts you will be loved." Is that not enough? Be like that.
O people! Why don't you follow what 'Dawud' means? Is it because we don't know anything else? We are ignorant ones—we only know iPad, iPhone, cell phones, computers, but we don't even know the names of the prophets, yet we say we are the leaders of the people.
About the Abraham Accords[1], saints say it means "a merciful father", and Abraham was a Merciful father to everybody. That is why they chose that name: because he is the father of three religions. Does a father want harm for his children, or goodness? So when you call it the Abrahamic Accords then it must be taking care of all the children, and you know you must be father of all and kind to all. So heal the hearts as Da wuda did. Ask how you can heal the hearts, humble yourselves. May Allah give them understanding so the hearts of all can be healed.
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[1] The Abraham Accords are a series of treaties that normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries, signed September 15, 2020.