Suhbah after Fajr at Jamia Ghausia Masjid (1)
As-salaam `alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh. I have travelled to many places around the world and haven’t found a mawlana like this one. Allah (swt) gave him something He didn’t give many: a beautiful voice that can hit the heart!
Alhamdulillah alladhee fadalanee `alaa katheerin mimman khalaqa tafdeela.
Praise to Allah, the One Who has favored me over many whom He previously favored, and He favored me more.
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`alaa fee haadha 'l-masjid.
Every meeting we make this intention so Allah will accept it and dress us in the blessings of this intention. This is an advice to us from our shuyookh that whenever you sit with a jama`ah, make the above mentioned intention, as this is adaabun ma`a-Allah. When you make the intention to do seclusion, you can only speak about Akhirah, not dunya matters. So we are repeating what awliya have taught us, that Allah (swt) will dress us, as He is Kareem and Ghani.
Adab is the way of sincere and pious servants who practice discipline. In order to develop discipline, you begin with dhikr so that the heart, mind and every cell of your body makes dhikr. Shuyookh guide you to the door of Prophet (s), and after that Prophet (s) takes us beyond, to where no one knows! Our job is to practice discipline and have good adab, which is how we may save ourselves.
I mentioned this before, but will say it again. The custom of the Prophets (a) was to travel through deserts, jungles and isolated areas where there was no one, to see the Greatness of Allah (swt). Sayyidina Musa (s) went into the desert, as Allah inspired him to. When we travel to Madinah, we visit Mt. Uhud, yuhibbuhu wa yuhibbuna Uhud, “We love Uhud and Uhud loves us.” When Allah created the earth He put mountains like strong pegs to stabilize it, and still the earth was wobbling, then Allah created Mt. Uhud, the mountain from Paradise, so that the earth would be balanced. It is heavier than other mountains on earth. According to many tafseer, to look at Mt. Uhud is most meritorious, because it reminds you that it hid Prophet (s) in the cave from those who wanted to kill him.
There is another cave at the bottom of the mountain that many people don't know about. I never knew of that place until a Pakistani friend took me through alleys to reach the cave.We have a Pakistani friend who has lived there for twenty years, who used to take the hujjaaj or those going for ziyarah to all of these holy places. I knew him through some friends. He said to me, “I have lived in Madinah and Mecca from 1976 to 1994, and will take you to a place that no one knows about.” Subhaan-Allah, I never knew that place! He said the mountain took Prophet (s) through that cave and up through the other side! In the cave, you can see an indent in the rock where Prophet (s) rested his head when he laid on the ground. That cave gives an amazing smell of amber. We took some stones from there and until today, they still smell like amber! We put our heads where the Prophet (s) put his head and that smell stays with you for more than forty days, even if you shower! There you also see the imprint of the hand of Sayyidina `Ali (r) on the cave wall.
Once Sayyidina Musa (a) was travelling and heard a clear, distinct voice coming from a mountain. He approached the sound and found a man in a cave reciting, “Glory to Allah (swt), Who created me with more honor than any one.” Perhaps Musa (a) knew he was a Pakistani! (laughter). Musa looked at him in sajda and listened to his beautiful voice. He was surprised when the man came out of sajda and he saw he had no arms or legs. He wondered why the man was praising Allah (swt) despite his condition.
Then Musa (a) saw that a deer came, the man drank its milk, and the deer left. Allah (swt) had arranged for his provision. Musa (a) said, "My friend, you are glorifying Allah (swt), saying that He has honored you endlessly, but you have no arms or legs!"
The man answered, "Yaa Musa, Allah (swt) gave me the best of all the blessings you can imagine, he made me Muslim!"
This story is in the Tawraat. To be a Muslim is an honor, so don't be ashamed! When you go out on the street or to the university, be proud of your Islam and don’t try to hide it! That man with no arms and legs said proudly, "I am a Muslim!"
Then Musa (a) raised his arms in du’a, "Yaa Rabbee! That servant astonished me with his faith. Give him Paradise!"
Allah (swt) replied, "O Musa! What you have asked has been accepted,” then He sent hyenas to eat that man!
Musa (a) said, “Yaa Allah! I asked you to send him to Paradise and You sent hyenas to eat him?”
Allah (swt) said, “Yes, I test My mukhliseen, sincere Servants, to give them Paradise. I did not give him dunya, I gave him Paradise.”
Through these tests, we have to stand up for Islam and for Prophet (s), first among ourselves, to know the Greatness of Prophet (s), who said:
انما بعثت لاتمم مكارم الاخلاق
Innamaa bu`ithtu li utammimu makaarim al-akhlaaq.
I have been sent to perfect the best of conduct (your behavior and character). (Bazzar)
Prophet (s) is telling us, "I have been sent to perfect your character, to discipline you, to perfect behavior and manners, to make you a better person, not only someone who to prays and fasts, because that may be rejected.”
The Prophet (s) said:
Do you know who the muflis (bankrupt one) is? The muflis from my Ummah is one who comes on the Day of Judgment having performed prayer, fasting, and giving zakaat. However, along with all of this, he abused this person and slandered that person, ate the wealth of this person and unlawfully spilled the blood of that person. These people will take from his good deeds. If, however, his good deeds become exhausted, then their sins will be put upon him and he will be thrown into the Fire. (Tirmidhi)
Backbiting is the worst of manners that leads to spreading false rumors and creating conspiracies that will destroy your `amal! You must be conscious of your behavior and character! People complain and say their children are running on the streets or joining gangs, even though they were raised in Islam and even trained as hafizh! That happens because they only learned the infrastructure of Islam; it is not just the obligations of the Five Pillars, but also needs the support of Imaan and Ihsaan.
Jibreel (a) asked Prophet (s) about Islam: the Five Pillars, the Six Pillars of Faith, and Maqaam al-Ihsaan, the Station of Moral Excellence, which is:
أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه، فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك
An ta`bud Allah ka'annaka taraahu, fa in lam takun taraahu fa innahu yaraak.
That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for, if you don't see Him, truly He sees you.
(Bukhari)
Prophet (s) also said:
أدبني ربي فأحسن تأديبي
Adabanee rabbee fa’ahsana taa'deebee.
My Lord perfected my good manners and conduct. (Ibn `Asakir)
Allah (swt) taught him good manners and disciplined him. Who can teach more than Allah? Allah taught him good manners through His Beautiful Names and Attributes, and then Prophet (s) said, "Come, I will teach you good manners until you are perfected." Prophet's (s) adab is so high that no one can understand! Allah (swt) said:
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِي
Wa innaka la-`alaa khuluqin `azheem.
You are of the most exalted character. (Surat al-Qalam, 68:4)
When Allah says “`Azheem,” that means there is no limit of Prophet’s (s) adab; it is so lofty, beyond our understanding! Allah (swt) wants us, “To worship Me as if you are seeing Me!” Do you think when Prophet (s) said “Allahu Akbar,” he was not seeing Allah (swt)? We are blind, we cannot see. Imam Nawawi (r) narrated that Prophet (s) saw Allah (swt) with the eyes of his head (physical eyes), not just spiritually through his heart, but he actually saw Allah (swt)! We can not say more because some will start criticizing and say this is shirk. He was able to see with his own eyes because of his perfect character, and anyone who perfects his character and follows Prophet’s (s) way will see Allah's (swt) Tawheed. But, our egos always interfere and make shirk. When you do something that is fisabeelillah but later you tell people what you did, that is shirk. Allah (swt) made you give, you didn't do it!
وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَـكِنَّ اللّهَ رَمَى
Wa maa ramayta idh ramayta wa laakinna-Allaha ramaa.
When you threw (a handful of dust), it was not your act, but Allah's. (Surat al-Anfal, 8:17)
The Prophet (s) never questioned Allah, he only accepted. You cannot find even one question in the Holy Qur’an from Prophet (s) to Allah (swt); even in the case of Sayyidina `Ayesha (a) he said nothing, asked nothing, and waited until Allah (swt) showed the answer. He submitted to Allah’s Will!
Who else can do that? No one. Only through good manners can we achieve clarity. Therefore, we have to treat our brothers and sisters equally and with softness. Do not be rude. Instead we find everyone fighting with each other: brothers, sisters, families. Prophet (s) was sent to show us the way of good manners, and one of the good manners that Prophet (s) said is afshoo ‘s-salaam, “Spread the salaam,” extend your hand.
Prophet (s) extended his hand to everyone, Muslim and non-Muslim. Greet each other, say “As salaamu `alaykum.” Sahaabah (r) used to give salaam and then come around to give salaam again, because Prophet (s) returned the greeting, "Peace be on you!" They were happy with this reward! What more do you want? Always remember to greet Prophet (s), “Yaa Sayyidee, as salaamu `alaykum!” He (s) will answer us.
So when he invites, everyone comes. If you provide food in the masjid, everyone will come and gather. SubhaanAllah. It is good for the rich people to offer food to everyone as they have nothing to lose, especially sharing their bounty with the poor. Prophet (s) said, “Give food as it improves relations between people.” When you sit with someone with whom your relationship is not good, if you give them food the relationship will improve.
There are two kinds of food: physical and spiritual. In the masjid they offer physical food, speeches and songs that express the love of Prophet (s). The blessings transform the physical food into spiritual nourishment. When you are invited to a masjid and the host serves food, they will first have speeches and everyone will participate in Mawlid, and then they offer food, all for the love of Rasoolullah (s). If you offer food for the sake of Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s), do think He will not accept? Allah will be happy, as this shows good manners.
Also, do not eat alone. If you can’t find people to feed, then give to a cat or any living thing. Abu Hurayrah (r) was famous for having more than a thousand cats and he fed all of them. There was one Shaykh in Damascus who always prayed day and night next to Ibn `Arabi’s grave. He told his daughter to prepare food and distribute it, not just in his house, but also to share it around. Nowadays, we have ten refrigerators full of food and don’t give it out. He asked her to distribute every last morsel, not thinking about sustenance for tomorrow. We live for today and we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. At night, he could not sleep if food remained in the house. One night he came home at midnight and prayed two raka`ats, but couldn't fall asleep. Finally, he asked his daughter if she had distributed all the food in the house.
"Yes, everything!" she said.
"There must be food, I cannot sleep! Are you sure you distributed everything to the poor?"
Then she remembered there was some meat someone had brought as a gift. So he prepared the meat and gave it to the dogs. They were very happy. At Fajr when he departed for the masjid, there were hundreds of dogs waiting for him, wagging their tails and following him happily all the way to the masjid. He just fed them once and they became loyal!
Prophet (s) said:
يا أيها الناس، أفشوا السلام، وأطعموا الطعام، وصلوا بالليل والناس نيام، تدخلوا الجنة بسلام
Afshoo 's-salaam wa 'ati`mu 't-ta`am wa salloo bi 'l-layl wa 'n-naasu niyaam tadkhulu 'l-jannata bi 's-salaam.
Spread (or say) the salaam, give food, and pray at night while people are asleep, then you will enter Paradise peacefully. (Tirmidhi)
When Prophet (s) is saying to feed people, there is a secret in that: it will create a good relationship between people. So spread salaam, feed people, and pray at night; wake up and worship while others are sleeping. At that time no one sees you, not like when you come to the masjid and interact with others. At that time, Allah (swt) dresses you with blessings and you will enter Paradise peacefully. Your relationships with each other will improve.
May we always be on right path and follow in the footsteps of Prophet (s). May Allah (swt) bless our countries and bless our future meetings. Don't plan; leave planning to Allah (swt) because what He wants will happen.
ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
Id`oonee astajib lakum.
Supplicate to Me and I will give you! (Surat al-Mu’min, 40:60)
Allah will give, but you must have good character as you cannot ask with bad character. Next time we might stay longer and have a longer suhbah by the permission of Mawlana shaykh Nazim (q).
Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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