Princess Town Masjid
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. Alhamdullahi Rabbi 'l-`Alameen…(Arabic du`a.)
O Muslims, believers! I have the honor to be among between you today. I don’t know how I came, but I took a flight and I came and it is a long story that Imam Raffaic was asking me several times, since four years. Every Jumu`ah, every Friday, at the time of Zhuhr I receive a call from Imam Raffaic, asking me when I am coming to Trinidad, and subhaanAllah he never gave up, whether I answered or I didn’t answer, he would keep calling and he didn’t give up. But subhaanAllah, that is Allah's wish, that we came two days ago.
Alhamdulillah, I am seeing very beautiful faces from different backgrounds, men and women, and we can say Islam is everywhere and mu’mins are everywhere, that Muslims come from everywhere. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. We don’t know where we will end up next trip; for sure on the opposite side of the world from Jamaica, as I will be in Jakarta, Indonesia!
Since he was trying to fix the microphone, I will tell you a story. I went to Uzbekistan to visit the madrasah of Imam Bukhari, and he is Muhammad Isma`il Bukhari (q), who compiled the ahadith of the Prophet (s). It is the most authentic, which doesn’t mean the other books of hadith are not authentic; no, we have to be careful and not think like some other people who believe Imam Bukhari’s is the only authentic ahadith and it is finished. So we have to be careful as there are many other sihah, books that were compiled by other authors that are authentic.
We went to visit his madrasah and there was his courtyard and also the masjid, and in his courtyard he taught and explained the hadith that was part of his book. I was told that when he sat (to speak), the masjid cannot take more than five thousand people and imagine at that time five thousand people. Today if we have one-hundred people we say alhamdulillah, it is a miracle! (Laughter.) So five thousand in the masjid and they say twenty thousand in the courtyard, so twenty-five thousand in total attending the circle of hadith that he was teaching.
He never put a hadith--this is a fact quoted by many scholars--that he never put a hadith except that he made istikhara and he would see the Prophet (s) in the dream and he would ask the Prophet (s), “Yaa Rasoolullah, is this hadith authentic or not?” and he would wait for an answer or else he would not put that hadith in his book. And the answer would come to him in a dream from the Prophet (s). He was not a prophet, he was not a khalifah, he was not a Sahaabi; he came three hundred years after Prophet (s), yet he was able to see the Prophet. Why are we not able to see the Prophet (s)? If Imam Bukhari saw the Prophet in a dream, it means every sincere, pious person can see Prophet (s) in a dream as Prophet (s) said:
من رائني في المنام فقد راءني حقا
Man ra'anee fi 'l-manaami faqad ra’anee haqqan.
Who saw me in the dream saw me in reality. (Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)
So if we are sincere, we would be able to see Prophet (s). Some people can see and Allah knows the hearts, and he was seeing the Prophet in the dream and the Prophet said to him, “Yes, that hadith is correct and put that hadith in such-and-such chapter.” There are many chapters, like salaat, siyaam, zakaat and many more, and the Prophet (s) would inform him which chapter. “Yaa Isma`il, put it under that chapter.” Look, with his sincerity how much he was able to have Prophet (s) appearing to him and get that support!
Not only that, but Imam Bukhari was able to speak in his mosque about hadith and twenty-five thousand people were all able to hear him speak that hadith as if he was near them; everyone was able to hear Imam Bukhari. If there is someone there at the door and I say in a low voice, “As-salaam `alaykum yaa `Ali,” he cannot hear, but if I say in a loud voice (through the microphone), “As-salaam `alaykum yaa `Ali,” then he will hear it. So what kind of microphone did Imam Bukhari have?
O Muslims! Be happy these are our ancestors, that they are seeing their descendants reading what they wrote and what they had said and what they have left to them, and they are very happy in front of the Prophet (s) and in the Divine Presence!
So Imam Muhammad Isma`il Bukhari (r) was able to make his voice heard among twenty-five thousand people without a microphone and here we need a microphone! Alhamdulillah we have a mic and our voice can be heard. Now we have the Internet and your voice can be heard everywhere. We have to thank Allah for what He gave us.
In Umm al-Hadith, the Mother of All Ahadith, when Jibril (a) came to the Prophet, as related by Sayyidina `Umar ibn al-Khattab (r), he asked the Prophet, “What is Islam?” and I think everyone knows that:
Sayyidina 'Umar (r) said:
"While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (s), one day a man came up to us whose clothes were extremely white, whose hair was extremely black, upon whom traces of travelling could not be seen, and whom none of us knew, until he sat down close to the Prophet (s), so that he rested his knees upon his knees and placed his two hands upon his thighs and said, 'Muhammad, tell me about Islam.' The Messenger of Allah (s) said, 'Islam is that you witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish the prayer, and you give the Zakat, and you fast Ramadan, and you perform the hajj of the House if you are able to take a way to it.' He said, 'You have told the truth,' and we were amazed at him asking him and (then) telling him that he told the truth. He said, 'Tell me about iman.' He said, 'That you affirm Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that you affirm the Decree, the good of it and the bad of it.' He said, 'You have told the truth.' He said, 'Tell me about ihsan.' He said, 'That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don't see Him then truly He sees you.' He said, 'Tell me about the Hour.' He said, 'The one asked about it knows no more than the one asking.' He said, 'Then tell me about its tokens.' He said, 'That the female slave should give birth to her mistress, and you see poor, naked, barefoot shepherds of sheep and goats competing in making tall buildings.' He went away, and I remained some time. Then he asked, 'Umar, do you know who the questioner was?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'He was Jibril who came to you to teach you your deen'." (Muslim, Bukhari)
And I think everyone knows that; it is general education that every mosque teaches the students. And
everyone says al-islam al-arkaan al-khamsa, the Five Pillars of Islam, what are they? Shahadat, (to say) ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah. When you say Shahadah, ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah, how do you translate it into English? Ash-hadu, “I bear witness,” and laa ilaaha illa-Llaah, “There is no Creator but Allah,” but we say, “I bear witness.” You did not bear witness, you didn't see, you are not able to see. Are you able to see? Then you can say, “I bear witness.” So our Shahadah is still not mature in ourselves, it needs to be perfected, we still need to perfect our Shahadah.
We go through the hadith, yes, and we say, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah,” even in at-Tahiyyat we say “ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah,” but are we bearing witness? We are only imitating what Prophet (s) said, which is very good, but we need to progress. When we make Shahadah it means we need to see something. Why did Allah (swt) bring the Prophet (s) in Isra and Mi`raj? To see what others cannot see, unless they are sincere and pious, like Imam Muhammad Ismail Bukhari (r), whom Allah made to see something, not something, but to see the Prophet (s), which for us, Prophet (s) is everything!
We have to admit that we are not yet at the Level of Perfection, we are struggling. Of course, everyone has to struggle in Islam and in learning. So it means I cannot say and rely on what I say, but I have to improve. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah, I bear witness, yaa Rabbee! When a judge calls you as a witness in a court, he will not call you if you didn’t see anything, but you have to see if there was an accident or whatever and they will ask you, and you say, “I saw this or this.” So how is our prayer going to be accepted when in at-Tahiyyat we say, “As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh,” and we bring Shahadah, and our Shahadah is not yet ripe, is not yet to the level? Are we not ashamed of ourselves?
O Muslims! Islam, yes, on one side is rahmah, mercy; no doubt whoever says, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah,” will enter Paradise no matter how he says it,
من قال لا اله الا الله دخل الجنة
Man qaala laa ilaaha illa-Llah dakhal al-Jannah.
As Prophet (s) said: Whoever says, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” enters Paradise. (From Abu Dharr, Tabarani, in al-Kabir)
He will enter Paradise. No analysis, no commentary is needed. Allah said in Holy Qur’an:
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا
Wa maa ataakumu ’r-rasoolu fakhudhoohu wa maa nahaakum `anhu fantahoo.
Leave what Prophet (s) forbade and take what he ordered. (Surat al-Hashr, 59:7)
So we have one point here. He (s) said, man qaala laa ilaaha illa-Llah dakhal al-Jannah and we take it. We say now, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah.” There, we have one point.
وَمَن يُطِعِ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ
Waman yuti`illaha warasoolahu yudkhilhu jannaatin tajree min tahtiha ’l-anhaaru.
Those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath.
(Surat al-Nisa, 4:13)
We have one point now to enter Paradise. Prophet (s) honored us with his hadith, man qaala laa ilaaha illa-Llah, “Whoever says ‘laa ilaaha illa-Llah’ entered Paradise.” Why you came here and I am traveling all over the world, for what? Inshaa-Allah to be together in Jannah, along with pious and sincere people! So Shahadah, to say, ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah, when you bear witness that He is the Creator, how are you going to be in that moment when you are really bearing witness and seeing what you are seeing, as Prophet (s)mentioned in a holy hadith:
عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن الله قال من عادى لي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب وما تقرب إلي عبدي بشيء أحب إلي مما افترضت عليه وما 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 وإن سألني لأعطينه ولئن استعاذني لأعيذنه وما ترددت عن شيء أنا فاعله ترددي عن نفس المؤمن يكره الموت وأنا أكره مساءته
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،
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)
Allah is saying, “When you approach Me, I will love you.” How to approach Him, by which knowledge, by which `ilm? Which way we have to approach Allah (swt)? When Prophet (s) came to the Sahaabah (r) with the Message, he was approaching them with what? With Kalimat at-Tayyiba, laa ilaaha illa-Lllah Muhammadun Rasoolullah. You want to approach, that is your way. Prophet (s) said that in a holy hadith, that means that hadith was revealed: “As long as My servant approaches Me through voluntary worship, I love him.” When you love your son or your daughter, what do you give him? I didn’t say, “You love your wife,” because they are happy, but you must love your wife, that is an Islamic order, and Islam expects every man to love his wife and every wife to love her husband. When Allah loves someone, when He says “I love you,” how will He put him in Hellfire? And in dunya, since He loves you, look what He gives to us! “I will be the ears that he hears with,” means He will give you power to hear what people cannot hear. So don’t speak about people. I don’t want to enter into this subject now, leave that problem as some say, “This is shirk, this is bid`a,” so let us speak in general here. And so when Allah says, “I will love him,” it means, “I will give him ears he can hear with, he is My wali.”
من عادا لي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب
Man `adaa lee waliyyan faqad aadhantahu bi ’l-harb.
(Allah [swt] said) Whoever comes against My wali, I declare war on him.
(Hadith Qudsi; Bukhari, from Abu Hurayrah)
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. (Surah Yunus, 10:62)
Allah says His friends have nothing to fear. “I give My friends special hearing.” You don’t need speakers there because you can hear everything. Allah (swt) says, “When I love him, then I will give him from My Hidden Treasures.” There is a hadith:
كنت كنزا مخفياً فأحببت أن أعرف فخلقت الخلق
Kuntu kanzan makhfiyyan fa ahbabtuhu an u`rafa fa khalaqtu ‘l-khalq.
I was a Hidden Treasure (and) I wanted to be known, so I created Creation. (Hadith Qudsi)
Allah had not created Creation at that moment, (it was) Allah by Himself to Himself, which no one can understand so we don’t want to go into this subject, but He said, “I was a Hidden Treasure and I wanted to be known, I wanted My Treasures to be given to My Creation, so I created Creation, wa khalaqtu khalq, I created Creation (not only men and women) to give them from those Hidden Treasures.” And these Hidden Treasures are the whole Qur’an's secret in Surat al-Fatihah! The whole Qur’an is embedded in Surat al-Fatihah. I am not sure if the word “embedded” is correct to use or not, but this is better: the heart of Holy Qur’an is Surat al-Fatihah.
It is said that the heart of Holy Qur’an is Surat Yaseen and Surat Fatihah is the heart of Surat Yaseen. And Yaseen is, you know, (the Prophet). So Allah (swt) will give you hearings that you will never be able to hear anywhere else, Allah will give you to hear something other than people. That is not me saying this, it is hadith of Prophet (s). All those outside or those watching on the Internet, don’t say that I said that, but Prophet (s) said that, and anyone who lies on the Prophet (s) will be cursed! May Allah (swt) protect us.
Kuntu sam`ahu ’Lladee, “I will be the ears he hears with,” wa basaaru ‘l-ladee yubseeroo biha, “I will be his eyes he sees with,” and then you can see as a witness, then “I bear witness” is correct. When Allah (swt) gives you the power of seeing that, you can see what people cannot see.
اتَّقُوا فِرَاسَةَ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ بِنُورِ اللَّهِ
Ittaqoo firasat al-mumin fa innahu yanzhuru bi nooorillah.
Beware of the believer's intuition, for indeed he sees with Allah's Light.
(Narrated Abu Sa`eed Al-Khudri, Tirmidhi)
Beware of the power of the vision or the sight of a sincere person, mu’min, the believer, for he can see with the power the Light that Allah gave to his heart. It means they can read the heart, ittaqoo firasat. Why Prophet (s) has to say that? Be worried of the vision of a mu’min when he looks at you, because he looks at your heart with what Allah has given him of power, he knows. And not everyone can do that, but there are some who can. The Sahaabah all used to have that.
Sayyidina `Umar (r) is the example if anyone asks you: where is that? Sayyidina `Umar was bearing witness, when he said Shahadah it changed everything for him. He went to Prophet (s) and said Shahadah there and Prophet (s) petitioned in the Divine Presence for him. He was able to carry that vision and that hearing, so he was able to hear and was able to see. That is why in Damascus, when the army of Muslims were fighting the enemy and he could see them coming from the mountain, and Sayyidina `Umar was on the minbar giving the khutbah, he called out to Sariya and said, “Yaa Sariya al-Jabal, look toward the mountain,” while he was in Madinah and Sariya was in Damascus 2,000 miles away. All the Sahaabah in the army were saying, “O how is Sariya changing the course of the battle completely?” He was able to hear Sayyidina `Umar but not see him, and Sayyidina `Umar was able to see and to hear and to speak, and saved him to go behind the mountain. And Sayyidina `Umar is not Prophet (s), so when Allah gives He gives! Allah is al-Kareem, Most Generous! He never stops giving. So He is giving in this life and the Next.
So our Shahaadah is to be with seeing and hearing. When you say, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” Kalimat at-Tawheed, this is what Allah likes. He likes for someone to say, “We are Your servants and slaves and You are our Creator,” not like those who want to teach us Tawheed. What you want to teach? Did you see any mu’min or Muslim make sajda to a wali or to a shaykh? You never see that. Our aqeedah is one aqeedah, your aqeedah O Muslims, is a strong aqeedah. When Allah wants to give someone, we cannot deny and we cannot complain; rather be like him and take! Why are you jealous from him? Do like him and you will also be given.
So when we say, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah,” we bear witness that Allah is the Creator, and Allah will open a door that you never imagined. Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah, when you bear witness, Prophet (s) will open a line between you and him, like Imam Bukhari receiving every moment what he wants and asking, “Yaa Rasoolullah, this is what I received. Is it true or not, and where should I put it?” And Allah opened to him to ask Prophet (s) and get the answer from him. Do you want this or not? So let us perfect our Shahadah and let us be witness on each other by saying, “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadu ‘r-Rasoolullah.” Now everything before is cleared out. I am not the one who said that. Whoever said, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” entered Paradise, and in another hadith:
Whoever recited “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” a hundred times will enter Paradise.
Whoever says, “There is no god but Allah” enters Paradise.
(Narrated by Abu Dharr, Tabarani in the Kabir)
Make it your daily practice: Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, laa ilaaha illa-Llah... you are calling on Him with Tawheed, Allah will give you something you never expected. In dunya, if someone gives you a watch you will be very happy, and you will be so thankful, so Allah is giving us from His Endless Treasures and what do we need to do? Say, “Alhamdulilalh, wa ‘s-shukur lillah.” So these are small things that enter us into religion, into belief. What does Allah open Surat al-Fatihah with? Some madhahib say “Alhamdulillahi Rabbi ‘l-`Alameen” is the beginning and some say, “Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem” is the beginning. Allah opened it with “alhamdulillah,” but He is saying to Himself, “alhamdulillah,” because no one can give Him His right, no one can give the right of alhamdulillah for Allah (swt). The first four verses of Surat al-Fatihah are for Him.
الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ. الرَّحْمـنِ الرَّحِيمِ .مَـالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ .إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ .صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. Most Gracious, Most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone do we worship; and to You alone do we turn for aid. Guide us the straight way. The way of those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessings, not of those who have been condemned (by You), nor of those who go astray! (Surat al-Fatihah, 1:1-4)
He is praising Himself to Himself for us to learn! If Allah is saying to Himself alhamdulillah that He is the Creator, what do we have to say? It means we have to repeat “alhamdulillah,” and that is why if the prayer does not include al-Fatihah, that prayer is null. Every Muslim must read Surat al-Fatihah. He said alhamdulillah, He is saying. If we say it... when He says it, it is not like when we say it. When He says it, it is carrying all kinds of Beautiful Names and Attributes dressed on it with al-hamd of Allah (swt), that He is the Creator of these Creations. It means all the secrets of the Beautiful Names alhamdulillah will come on the one reciting “alhamdulillah,” as he is following the order of Allah (swt) and He will dress him with these Beautiful Names and Attributes. When you say “alhamdulillah,” that is not like a parrot saying, “Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`Alameen, ar-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem, Maliki yawm ad-deen…” No, you have to think you have to give it its right. I say to myself and to you. My self is a sinner and needs to be at the door, not that important person.
We have to show our responsibility as a Muslim towards Allah (swt). When He mentioned what He mentioned, Allah’s Holy Qur’an is not created, it is Allah’s Ancient Words! That is why it is haraam to place Holy Qur’an on the floor and I see many people in Mecca and Madinah putting Holy Qur’an on the floor. It is Allah's Words carrying Light and Guidance, and we are not paying attention! He is praising Himself because He created us. Allahu Akbar! “Alhamdulillahi Rabbi ’l-`Alameen” means the Creator of Creation, that means, “Alhamdulillah to Me.” How important are Allah's Creation that He is saying “alhamdulillah”! Then saying “ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,” the Forgiver the Merciful, He continues the praise, and “Maliki yawmi ’d-deen,” the One who owns the Day of Judgment, these carry a lot of meanings, but there is no time to explain it all. The One Who Owns the Day of Judgement, and what is the meaning of the Day of Judgment? It is full of meanings, you can write books on it! Iyyaka na`budu wa iyyaka nasta`een, after you praised Him and mentioned, “He is the Creator of Creation,” then after it you said, “He is Merciful and Compassionate,” and then you said, “He is Owner of the Day of Judgment,” and then what do we need? “O Allah! Guide us so we can pass that Bridge to Paradise, Siraat al-Mustaqeem, from one side to the other.” Ghayri ‘l-maghdoobi `alayhim wa la’d-daaleen.
When Jibril (a) asked Prophet about Islam, Prophet (s) said it is shahaadatu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah, then he said prayer, and prayer comes immediately after Tawheed. Look what is in it: `iqaamu ‘s-salaaat. It is very important because it contains the whole of the Five Pillars within it. In it you recite the Shahaadah when you are in at-Tahiyyat, the First Pillar of Islam. And second you are making salaat, the prayers, and third you are making eetaau ’z-zakaat. How are you giving zakaat in your prayer? It includes zakaat, because you are giving time from your dunya time to Allah; that is zakaat from you, that is a sadaqa from you. Other than your obligations, you pray the sunnah, it is not fard, you do voluntary worshipness in addition to the obligations. If you were working you would make money, so that is considered sadaqa because instead of working you are praying. So that is voluntary prayers. And sawmu Ramadan, fasting is in salaat: you cannot talk, eat, drink, nor do any sin or any haraam. So all your focus is on Allah in your prayer and that is fasting of your limbs from whatever sins they make, and also fasting from food in your prayer.
And Hajju ‘l-Bayt, to make pilgrimage. When you are in prayer you are making pilgrimage because you are directing your face to Qiblah and your pilgrimage is there; it is not the real pilgrimage, but it is the pilgrimage within the salaah, where your focus is. When you are in Ka`bah and you are praying, where do you look? You must look at Ka`bah, that is the House of Allah that everyone has to look there. So when you begin prayer with, “Allahu Akbar,” you are facing Ka`bah there. (...) You might see Ka`bah one day. Why not?
So within the prayer are the Five Pillars, but Jibril (a) did not stop there, after he mentioned Tawheed, after he mentioned salaat, after he mentioned zakat, after he mentioned sawm...then Jibril (a) said, “What is al-Iman, yaa Rasoolullah?” Shold we leave it for next time? Should I continue or I stop? What is Iman?
Prophet (s) said, al-imaanu billah. qaal an tumin billah wa malaa’ikathi...you have to have belief in Allah and His angels…” Now at a different level of Tawheed, that level of Tawheed when you are in the State of Imaan is to take you to higher level of aqeedahh, belief. And all of you are in the aqeedahh of Ahl as-Sunnah wa ‘l-Jama`ah that Allah wanted from us.
But Prophet (s) didn't stop. Then he said, wa malaa’ikatihi wa kutoobihi wa rusoolihi…, To believe in all His angels, all His books, all His prophets and in the Last Day. Why did He say, iman bi ‘l-malaa’ikat, “You have to believe in angels?” If you believe in angels, the dhikr they make and the istighfaar they make is written for you! Lillahi malaa’ikat yatalamasoona majaalis adh-dhikr. There are angels, he stressed on “angels” here, they are searching in the streets for something. Why do we say that angels cannot do that? Many people say, “O,what is this?” This is hadith of the Prophet (s)!
There are roaming angels of Allah who go about looking for the circles of dhikr, and when they find them, they surround them closely." (Tirmidhi)
Allah has angels who are roaming the streets. Today you are roaming, young and old, you are all roaming with your telephones, is it not? So why are you worried about the angels roaming? Some agencies, especially telecommunications companies, can see where you are around the world. Cannot angels do that? Answer! So they are searching for associations, like this association doing dhikrullah. We are in such an association, we are reciting the Names of Allah (swt). What is wrong with that? I don't know when they (deniers) come to you and say something.
So these angels are roaming around until they find some people in some area, in some house, some store or some masjid, and they are remembering Allah, and the angels sit with them and not only sitting with them, they are making dhikr with them! And they are not one group, but many groups in many levels ascending all the way to Heavens! And those angels are going to make dhikrullah on your behalf up to the Day of Judgment, and all that is written for them is for those who believe in angels!
What did Allah (swt) say in the hadith:
أَنَا جَلِيْسُ مَنْ ذَكَرَنِي
Anaa jaleesu man dhakaranee.
I sit with him who remembers Me. (Ahmad, Bayhaqi)
They say to you, “Don’t say, ‘Allah,’” say yaa Allah! So we say: yaa Allah, but it’s a verse in Holy Qur’an:
قُلِ الله ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
Quli 'Llaah thumma wa dharhum fee khawdihim yal`aboon.
Say "Allah," then leave them to plunge in vain discourse and trifling. (Surat al-An`am, 6:91)
Don’t argue, as arguing will extinguish the light of heart. Allah said, “Say ‘Allah’,” so we say, “Allah.” So when we say, “Allah huw ma`ak,” what more do you want? Allah is with you. Leave them alone.
Angels are important in Islamic tradition and inshaa-Allah tomorrow we will speak a little about angels and Ummat an-Nabi (s).
May Allah forgive us and may Allah bless us. And before we finish, there is the third level. Jibril (a) asked, maa al-Ihsaan, “What is Ihsaan?” He didn't stop (with asking only about Islam and Iman). There is the Level of Perfection, the Level of Moral Excellence, of good behaviors, which is to be fair among people. We leave it to next time and we say may Allah bless you all and give you happiness in this life and the Next, men and women, and make your children to have good husbands and the boys to have good wives.
As-salaam `alaykum wa rahmatullah.
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