26 March 2016 Fenton Zawiya, Michigan
Zhuhr Suhbah (1)
[Series source text: السنن الواردة في الفتن وغوائلها والساعة وأشراطها As-Sunan al-Waridah Fi ‘l-Fitani wa Ghawaali’ihaa wa ‘s-Saa`ati wa Ashraatihaa, by `Uthman bin Sa`eed al-Muqri ad-Daani; research and Hadith authentication by Dr. Ridaaullah bin Muhammad Idris Mubarakfuri; published by Daar al-`Aasima, Riyadh. Originally published 444 Hijri.]
Nowadays, if you want to give something of advice, you fall into too many different opinions.
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem. A`oodhu billah min ash-Shaytani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani '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.
Salaam 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh. It is a short advice to myself and to you at least to shed the light on things that are happening today as the Prophet (s) has predicted. [Someone sneezes.] Shahid-al-Haqq. Everywhere you want to travel to speak you find people, some who accept, some don't accept, and you don't know who you are going to ask that accepts and who does not accept, but what to do except to say what the Prophet (s) has mentioned 1400 years ago and see if it applies to the time we are in today.
Allah has sent him as the Messenger and his tribe has known him since childhood as the Most Trustworthy person; he never said something that comes against anyone and he was always friendly with everyone and he never in his life said "no". What Allah revealed to him (s), he gave it to his Companions (r), who spread it everywhere. Alhamdulillah we are coming here to bring more Light into this gathering as the Prophet (s) said:
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)
And the Sahaabah (r) said, “We don't know any piece of Paradise on Earth except the Rawdah,” as the Prophet (s) said:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَا بَيْنَ بَيْتِي وَمِنْبَرِي رَوْضَةٌ مِنْ رِيَاضِ الْجَنَّةِ وَمِنْبَرِي عَلَى حَوْضِي
Maa bayna qabree wa minbaree rawdatan min riyaadu’l-jannah wa minbaree `alaa hawdee.
Between my grave and my pulpit is a garden from the Gardens of Paradise and my pulpit is upon my Basin. (Bukhari and Muslim)
That piece of Paradise was activated when Prophet (s) stepped on it, because he went for Israa and Mi`raaj, he stepped everywhere there is Gardens of Heavens, in the First Paradise, Second Paradise, Third Paradise, Fourth Paradise, Fifth Paradise, Sixth Paradise, Seventh Paradise, Jannat al-Firdaus. He (s) stepped in all of them and then went to Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa, so he became more and more subtle like an angelic power. It dressed him completely with Allah’s Noor that he was dressed in when he was created, when Adam (a) was between clay and water. When he (s) went to Israa and Mi’raaj he was a heavenly person, he is the Garden; therefore, anyone who makes salawaat on the Prophet (s) is entering his Paradise! So when he stepped on that area of his grave, where he knew he would be buried, and when he stepped upon his minbar, Allah turned that area into a Paradise from the highest level of Heavens, so anyone who prays there will never go to Hellfire, Allah will forgive his sins because how will He throw someone in Hell who stepped in Paradise? Allah will forgive them, for He is Ghafoor ar-Raheem. We have to keep that faith in our hearts that Allah will forgive sins! If Allah was to look at what we are doing we would all be punished, like the Prophet (s) said to Sayyida `Ayesha, “Ask Allah not to question you, because if He questions you, for sure He will show you something you did wrong, you are not ma`soom.” Prophet (s) is ma`soom, infallible. That’s why he (s) said:
من حوسب عذب
(Yaa `Ayesha!) Who will be judged will be punished for sure. (Bukhari)
“Ask Allah not to judge you.” So because the Prophet (s) does not want his Ummah to be judged, he takes the load on himself. Awliyaullah inherit from the Prophet (s) and they take the load of Allah's servants on themselves in order to keep them clean. Awliyaullah follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (s), they carry the load of their followers and they ask Allah's forgiveness for their followers. You don't know what they are doing with your heart, you are like someone under complete anesthesia, sleeping, you don't feel anything. We hope they work on our hearts because they control the hearts.
There are Five Levels in the heart: 1) Qalb, the Level of Heart; 2) Sirr, the Level of Secrets, that some Awliyaullah can enter; 3) Secret of the Secret, Sirr as-Sirr; 4) Khafa, only the Prophet (s) can check on your heart from that level; and 5) Akhfaa, the Most Hidden, only Allah laa shareeka lahu can look at His servant at that level. All this is under the Hand of Allah (swt):
إن القلوبَ بين إصبعين من أصابع الرحمن، يُقلِّبها كيف يشاءُ
Truly hearts are between the two fingers of the Merciful, he turns them as He wills. (Tirmidhi)
So the Prophet (s) said to his wife, Sayyida `Ayesha (a), “Ask for forgiveness, ask Allah not to judge you, for if He judges for sure He will punish.” So it’s our duty to say, “Yaa Rabbee! Don’t judge me, You are Ghafoor ar-Raheem,” The One That Forgives!
He said, “I am the one that forgives, I am Ghafoorun Raheem, ask Me!”
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, as Allah forgives all sins for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat az-Zumar, 39:53)
“Don't lose hope of Allah's Mercy,” Allah will forgive every sin. That is why Allah made everyone of us from the word “insaan’, the root of which is “nisyaan”, forgetfulness. If He does not send on us to forget things, we will always be down, thinking, “I am this, I am that! What happened to me?” and so on. That is why by definition a person is insaan, forgetful, he forgets what he has done. So ask Allah to make you forget everything, then if you forget, why He has to punish you? If you forget, when He sees that you forget He will forgive you, as long as you are Muslim and mu’min, if you are saying, “Laa ilaaha illa ’Llah Muhammad Rasoolullah;” that must be, as long as you say that you are safe, you will be entering Paradise:
من قال لا اله الا الله دخل الجنة
Whoever says “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” enters Paradise. (Mustadrak of an-Nisaburi)
So let us say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah, Muhammad Rasoolullah `alayhaa nayhyaa wa `alayhaa namoot wa `alayhaa nalqa 'Llah.” There is nothing else but to say that: it is what saves us, there is nothing else! Laa ilaaha illa ’Llah waives sins and brings a person from kufr to imaan.
That’s why Prophet (s) said:
الإسلام يهدم ما كان قبله
Islam removes all [sins] that came before. (Muslim)
In every moment we are making ash-shirk al-khafee, the hidden shirk, so in every moment Allah gave us something to waive our sins by us saying, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.” There is a subtle meaning here.
Allah makes everything, so when you say, “I did this, I made that,” it is hidden shirk, which means we have that kufr inside us, and to take it away say Shahaadah, as it takes all sins that were before. When you say Shahaadah you are asking to be cleaned of all that came before and it is the way to Paradise. For that reason, the Awliyaullah recommend to say “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” 100 times a day as they are guiding us to be careful in these days.
The Prophet (s) said:
يُبْعَثُ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ السَّاعَةِ أُمَرَاءُ كَذَبَةٌ , وَوُزَرَاءُ فَجَرَةٌ , وَأُمَنَاءُ خَوَنَةٌ , وَعُرَفَاءُ ظَلَمَةٌ , وَقُرَّاءُ فَسَقَةٌ , أَهْوَاؤُهُمْ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ , سِيمَاهُمْ سِيمَا الرُّهْبَانِ , لَيْسَ لَهُمْ دَعَةٌ , قُلُوبُهُمْ أَنْتَنُ مِنَ الْجِيَفِ , يَلْبِسُهُمُ اللَّهُ فِتْنَةً غَبْرَاءَ مُظْلِمَةً , يَتَهَوَّكُونَ فِيهَا تَهَوُّكَ الْيَهُودِ الظَّلَمَةِ
Just before the Hour there will be sent princes who lie, ministers who are insolent, trustees who betray, knowledgeable people who oppress, reciters who are corrupt. Their caprices will be different, and their characteristic will be the characteristic of monks. They will not have any gentleness. Their hearts will be more putrid than corpses. Allah will dress them with a dark, dusty cloud they will not be able to see anything in it, just like the Jews who oppress. (As-Sunan al-Waridah fi ‘l-Fitan)
That means you are witnessing something between the Hands of the Day of Judgment, you are seeing it, you are involved in it and you are part of it, although you don't like to be, but you get there with Allah's Wisdom. We don’t know why. People will go there to see things that Prophet (s) told the Sahaabah (r) in his time, about seeing things that are happening today, and we see what is between our hands and say, “How did this happen?” Prophet (s) said, “People today are like a tree that has fruit, but there will come a time when people will not be like a fruitful tree, they will be like trees with thorns.”
عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيِّ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " إِنَّ النَّاسَ شَجَرَةٌ ذَاتُ جَنْيٍ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَعُودُوا شَجَرَةً ذَاتَ شَوْكٍ ، إِنْ نَاقَدْتَهُمْ , نَاقَدُوكَ ، وَإِنْ تَرَكْتَهُمْ , لَمْ يَتْرُكُوكَ ، وَإِنْ هَرَبْتَ , مِنْهُمْ طَلَبُوكَ ، قَالَ : فَكَيْفَ الْمَخْرَجُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ؟ قَالَ : تُقْرِضُهُمْ مِنْ عَرَضِكَ لِيَوْمِ فَاقَتِكَ " .
The Prophet said, “People today are like a tree with fruit, but they will end up like a tree with thorns. If you oppose them they will oppose you, but if you leave them they will not leave you. If you run away from them they will seek you.” It was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how can we escape that?” He said: “Lend them a loan out of your honor for the day you might be in dire need.” (Tabarani)
This is from al-nafs at-tiflati ’l-madhmoumah. that is as Awliyaullah describe the child that was raised with his ego, with no bridle to prevent him from becoming a dry bush, ka shajaaratin dhaata shawq, from every side you turn they sting you like a wasp, so everywhere you see a person is like a dry bush full of thorns that might harm you because you are around them. So you have to choose your people you feel are good for you and trustworthy, or those who are becoming a thorny bush, wherever you move it is going to stick you and there is no way to run except to cut it completely. How to cut it? To saw it from its roots. You will not find two people agreeing on any issue. If you leave them, put a barrier line between them and you, then they will leave you.
In naabadhtahum naabadhook, if you try to say something to them, they try to say something back to you, they will not accept anything you say, so don’t follow them! Prophet (s) said, “Even if they walk one arm ahead, follow them one arm behind; if you walk one step you follow them, but they are bushes, they have nothing except thorns sticking you, but that is coming.”
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ , أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : " لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ ، الشِّبْرَ بِالشِّبْرِ , وَالذِّرَاعَ بِالذِّرَاعِ , وَالْبَاعَ بِالْبَاعِ , حَتَّى لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ دَخَلَ جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ " , قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّه , أَمِنَ الْيَهُودِ , وَالنَّصَارَى ؟ قَالَ : " مَنْ إِذًا " .
You will follow the ways of those before you, handspan by handspan, armspan by armspan, footstep by footstep, even if they enter the hole of a lizard, you will enter. (Ahmad)
Prophet (s) said there will be coming a time that you are going to follow those are before you ‘arm to arm,’ meaning they move one arm and you follow behind them one arm and if they walk more, you walk more. Wa dhir`an bi dhira`an wa shibran bi shibran, even if they go one hand over you more, you follow them, which we are seeing today. Muslims are following crazy ones within the religion, accepting what they are saying, like those who are killing for no reason, and the Prophet (s) forbade that, saying:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا تَوَاجَهَ الْمُسْلِمَانِ بِسَيْفَيْهِمَا فَكِلَاهُمَا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ قِيلَ فَهَذَا الْقَاتِلُ فَمَا بَالُ الْمَقْتُولِ قَالَ إِنَّهُ أَرَادَ قَتْلَ صَاحِبِهِ
The Prophet said, “If two Muslims meet each other with their swords, the killer and the one that was killed will be in the fire.” It was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, this is for the killer, but what about the one who was killed?” He said, “He intended to kill the other.” (Muslim and Bukhari)
And that is what is happening: the one who is killed has the same intention as the one who killed, which is to kill the other. So until you follow them into the hole of a lizard, that is what the Prophet (s) predicted 1400 years ago and that is what is happening before us, it is not hidden! The Prophet (s) said you are going to see what he mentioned 1400 years ago as Signs of the Last Days. You see this book? It is one volume of six on ahadeeth of the Prophet (s) full of the Signs of the Last Days that he (s) mentioned 1400 years ago. He said in one of the main Hadiths, by Allah’s Wisdom, bayna yadaya as-saa`at, “One of the Signs of Last Days is that Allah will send leaders that are liars, umara'un kadhabah.”
Generally speaking, if you want to be politician you must be a liar. Once when I was traveling with Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil, may Allah bless his soul, we met with someone very important, I will not say who, and he said, “Mawlana Shaykh, I would like to run for office in a high post.”
Mawlana looked at him, he was from a very nice family that I know very well, in power in a country today. Mawlana said, “When I look at your eyes I see purity in them, so I will give you an advice. Do you really want me to pray for you to run for office? Because for sure I believe you will be the biggest liar, as anyone running for office is a liar.”
That is Hadith of the Prophet (s): “Allah will send `umaraa'un kadhaab, leaders who lie.” Show me a leader who does not lie! They have all these conferences to encourage voters and all that they say is lies to get them elected. That is what the Prophet (s) said 1400 years ago! And thr Hadith continues: “And they look innocent like priests (ruhbaan),” they look innocent, not meaning the priests are bad, but meaning the priest knows the reality, that Allah sent Sayyidina Muhammad (s) as His Messenger, but they don’t believe it. So these `umaraa, leaders, know they are wrong but they cover themselves with the robes of priests, because when a priest covers himself in a with woolen cloak he is ascetic from this dunya. Allah knows what He will do with them. Some priests are very nice but, in general, these leaders try to imitate the appearance of a priest of a particular church to the people and the priests, bishops and archbishop cheat everyone, `umaraa'un kadhaab. Is that happening or not? Yes, it is everywhere!
Laysa lahum da`atun, they don’t have humility. A leader likes to sit higher than everyone and to have a fancy home. They don't imitate a humble, poor, sincere person through their loyalty to Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s). They want to show off, they don't show humbleness. Now every politician is collecting money to show off. Quloobuhum antin min al-jeef, their hearts are more smelly than a carcass; if Allah will open their hearts you will smell that carcass!
It is said and I heard it from Grandshaykh (q), that in some cemeteries among people who thought they were the best, if their graves are opened, after a while the smell that comes out will make people faint! Grandshaykh (q) said that if Allah will allow human beings to smell the odor of a deceased person, this dunya will faint from the smell of our `amal, but if we say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammad Rasoolullah (s),” Allah will save us!
Yulbisuhum Allah fitnan ghabraa zhalamah, Allah will dress them with a cloud of dust in wihch they cannot see what is wrong or what is good, they are always trying to figure out, they are always falling into traps of Shaytan because they are covered with a dust cloud that is a very dark, dusty wind. That is what we are experiencing and seeing today of the Signs of the Last Days. May Allah (swt) protect us!
In another Hadith, Prophet (s) says:
يَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ أُمَرَاءُ ظَلَمَةٌ , وَوُزَرَاءُ فَسَقَةٌ , وَقُضَاةٌ خَوَنَةٌ , وَفُقَهَاءُ كَذَبَةٌ ، فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَلا يَكُونَنَّ لَهُمْ عَرِيفًا وَلا جَابِيًا وَلا خَازِنًا وَلا شُرْطِيًّا
At the end of times there will be oppressive princes, corrupt ministers, deceitful judges and lying jurists. Whomever of you meets them should not be a specialist for them, nor a tax collector, nor a treasurer, nor a policeman. (Tabarani)
“Ministers who are corrupted give judgment according to how much money you give them,” especially between Muslims, wa fuqahaa'un khadhaaba, fuqahaa, who are liars! They turn things upside down as they like, man adraka minkum dhaalik az-zamaan. for those who reach that time as whoever reaches that time, be careful, don’t be someone responsible for a group, don’t be a person of authority, don’t be someone who collects money. So run from these three things: someone who collects money, jaabiyyan going to collect taxes or utilities such as water, sewer, gas. Don't be the one who goes from home to home to collect, like what happens in many countries around the world, and don't be a leader among a group of people, and don't be a policeman.
May Allah keep us from that and inshaa-Allah we will continue to discuss these Signs of the Last Days in the days to come.
Wa min Allahi ‘t-tawfeeq bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah. Salaam `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.
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