Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
11 July 2013 Fenton Zawiya, Michigan
Suhbah after Fajr
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
A`oodhu billahi 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.
Madad yaa Sayyidee, Sultan al-Awliya, yaa Rasoolullah yaa Rahmatan li ’l-`Alameen.
Yesterday we mentioned the du`a of Sayyidina Ibraaheem (a):
رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ العَزِيزُ الحَكِيمُ
Rabbanaa w ’ab`ath feehim rasoolan minhum yatloo `alayhim aayaatika wa yu`allimuhumu ‘l-kitaaba wa’l-hikmata wa yuzakkeehim innaka anta ‘l-`azeezu ‘l-hakeem.
Our Lord! And send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:129)
We explained that in many places in Holy Qur'an, Allah says He “sent from within Us a messenger that’s taking care of everyone, wa yuzakkeekum wa yu`allimukumu ’l-kitaaba, who will teach them Holy Qur'an and purify them.”
When someone says, “I take responsibility to teach you,” it means, “I have to teach you and have to make you complete the Holy Qur'an and memorize the Holy Qur'an, and make you understand as much as you can from the level of the Holy Qur'an.” All this the Prophet (s) took on his shoulders after the du’a of Sayyidina Ibraaheem (a) where he said in Surat al-Baqarah (2: 129), wa yu`allimahumu ’l-kitaab, “to teach them Holy Qur'an,” as we mentioned, besides what he said regarding, “to purify them, yuzakkeehim.” That means the whole meaning of spirituality entered in that word in Holy Qur'an! If they ask you, “Where is spirituality in Holy Qur'an?” say, “Allah said in Holy Qur’an from the du`a of Sayyidina Ibraaheem, ‘wa yuzakkeehim,’ to purify them.”
“Wa yuzakkeehim” means all knowledge of good manners they need in their life from Holy Qur’an, the Prophet (s) is responsible for carrying that message, to make sure everyone is purified and polished and that everyone’s four enemies are not running after him. These four are dunya, the world; nafs, the self; hawwaa, desire and Shaytan, which all of you know. So when he said “yuzakkeehim,” it means “he must purify the self.” That means when you are called on Judgment Day, the Prophet (s) will not take you without purifying you of all sins and you will be as if newly born, wa yuzakkeehim. Wa yu`allimahumu ‘l-kitaaba wa’l-hikmata wa yuzakkeehim, “Teach them the Holy Book with all its meanings.”
Wa’l-hikmata, it is not enough to memorize the Holy Qur'an. There are many imaams who memorize the Holy Qur’an, but they don’t act on what the Holy Qur’an is asking. There are many non-Muslims today who read the Holy Qur'an and study it very well and pose questions to Muslims, but they don’t act on it, so what is the benefit? It is to act on the issue! To say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” is to enter Paradise, but do you say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” and stop? No, you must say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah.” Like the Christians say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” and stop, but they say that Sayyidina `Isa (a) is the Son of God, astaghfirullah, and that sentence is not acceptable. So what they say of “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” is not acceptable from them. Also, the Jews say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” but some of them add after it, uzayr ibnu’Llah, Uzayr is the son of Allah, so that part is not accepted. So the whole thing is not accepted.
So `ulama and imaams must not only teach Holy Qur'an, but they need hikmah, wisdom, with it. Without wisdom you might not understand the Holy Qur'an or you might understand the literal meaning, but not understand the meaning inside. The meaning inside is what Allah wants to describe, human beings and His Messenger in a very eloquent way of saying it. In Surat Ibraaheem (14:24-25), Allah is describing this dunya and whatever appeared in dunya as a tree, ka-shajaratin tayyibatin:
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء تُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا وَيَضْرِبُ اللّهُ الأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
Alam tara kayfa daraba’Llaahu mathalan kalimatan tayyibatan ka-shajaratin tayyibatin asluhaa thaabitun wa far`uhaa fi’s-samaa. Tu’tee ukulahaa kulla heenin bi-idhni rabbihaa wa yadribu’Llaahu al-amthaala lin-nasi la`allahum yatadhakkaroon.
Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, (making) a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches (high) in the sky? It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And Allah presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded. (Surat Ibraaheem, 14:24-25)
Allah (swt) is giving an example in Holy Qur'an about who we are. He mentioned “shajarah” here:
اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونِةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ نُّورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاء وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
Allaahu nooru 's-samaawaati wa 'l-ardi mathala noorihi kamishkaatin feehaa misbaahun al-misbaahu fee zujaajatin, az-zujaajatu ka-annahaa kawkabun durriyy. Yooqadu min shajaratin mubaarakatin zaytoonatin laa sharqiyyatin wa laa gharbiyyatin yakaadu zaytuhaa yudeeu wa law lam tamsas-hu naarun noor `alaa noor. yahdiya’Llaahu li-noorihi man yashaa wa yadribu ’Llaahu’l-amthaala li ’n-naasi w’ Allahu bi-kulli shayin `aleem.
Allah is the Light of the Heavens and Earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a niche and within it a lamp: the lamp is in a glass, the glass like a Brilliant Star lit from a blessed tree, an olive tree that is neither of the East nor of the West, the oil of which is so bright that it would certainly give light of itself. Light upon Light! Allah guides whom He will to His Light: Allah sets forth Parables for men: and Allah knows all things. (Surat an-Noor, 24:35)
He (swt) is describing the Light of the Prophet (s), where the example of Allah’s Light is the Light of the Prophet (s) which has been created first before any Creation, and He described the Lamp, which to ignite, yuqadu min shajaratin mubaarakatin zaytoonatin laa sharqiyyatin wa laa gharbiyyatin, it is from a tree not from East, not from West. Allah sent a message 1400 years ago that “I can make a lamp shine without your technology. I can make a lamp,” because the Prophet (s) is mentioned as mathala noorihi kamishkaatin feehaa misbaah, “the example of His Light is like a bundle in which is a lamp.” That lamp is described as al-misbaahu fee zujaaja, “the lamp is inside of a crystal,” yuqadu min shajaratin zaytoonatin, “Noor of that light has suddenly been ignited from a tree, laa sharqiyyatin wa laa gharbiyyatin, not of East, not of West.”
So Allah doesn’t need East and doesn’t need West, the East who think they know everything and the West who think they know everything! He doesn’t need them and everything in-between. So Allah is describing that tree in Surat Ibraaheem as “tayyiba,” sweet, not sweet as in (dessert) sweets, but “full of goodness and love and emotions and good manners.” That is the shajarah that has many branches, asluhaa thaabitun wa far`uhaa fi’s-samaa, the root of it is standing up and wa far`uhaa, its branches are all going up, they don’t go down, they try to go up.
Every tree has a life and everyone cutting the tree is cutting the life of the tree. So that tree has life in it, so the branches are coming out. Allah is describing, after He described in many places, “I am sending a messenger from within you,” and that is mentioned in four-five verses in Holy Qur'an that we mentioned yesterday. Allah (swt) is confirming, “I am sending you a messenger from within you,” but that messenger is like a tree: its roots are firm, strong and you see the branches are up, reaching to Heavens, asking Allah (swt) and making tasbeeh.” So you see branches up and branches down, and sometimes you see a branch half dead and what do you do? You trim or cut it. So He wants to mention, asluhaa thaabitun wa far`uhaa fi’s-samaa, “the trunk is firm and good and the branches are are going up.” It means the trunk is Sayyidina Muhammad (s), the reality of the life of the tree is through the trunk with all its roots going everywhere, and the branches are us, the human beings.
That is why we mentioned the hadith yesterday:
إن في أصلاب أصلاب أصلاب رجال من أصحابي رجالا ونساء من أمتي يدخلون الجنة بغير حساب
Inna fee aslaabi aslaabi aslaabi rijaalan min ashaabee rijaalan wa nisaa’un min ummatee yadkhuloona al-jannata bi ghayri hisaab.
Verily in the loins of the loins of the loins of men from my Companions are men and women of my Nation who will enter Paradise with no account. (al-Tabarani)
“Inside the body, inside more of the body, inside more of the body...” there come the sperm, of which that sperm and the egg are the reality of the connection together in order to bring a healthy child. So what He is saying is, “From the womb of the womb of the womb of mothers there are coming men and women, yadkhuloona al-jannata bi ghayri hisaab, who enter Paradise with no account.” That is the meaning of “shajaratin tayyibatin asluhaa thaabitun wa far`uhaa fi’s-samaa tu’tee ukulahaa kulla heen,” a firm trunk with many branches and you pick whatever branch you want and take the fruit of what you like. He said, tu’tee ukulahaa kulla heen, “In every time, every moment, it gives its fruit to those who want to carry.” If you want to carry, then follow Sayyidina Muhammad (s)!
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Qul in kuntum tuhibboona 'Llaaha fattabi`oonee yuhbibkumullaah.
Say (O Muhammad), "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me! Allah will love you.”
(Surat Aali-`Imraan, 3:31)
Follow Sayyidina Muhammad (s) and Allah will love you! So that is the branch and that is the tree. When He described it as a trunk with all these branches on the trunk, this verse of Holy Qur'an came to explain the ni`mat that is sent by Allah from one generation to another generation and in every century people get the benefit from it, and it never stops until the Day of Judgment.
So, like Sayyidina Luqman (a), what did Allah say about him in Holy Qur'an in Surat Luqman?
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ وَمَن يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ
Wa laqad aataynaa luqmaana al-hikmata ani ‘shkur lillaahi wa man yashkur fa-innamaa yashkuru li-nafsihi wa man kafara fa-inna’Llaaha Ghaniyy un-Hameed.
And indeed we granted this wisdom to Luqman, “Be grateful to Allah.” And he who is grateful (to Him) is but grateful for the good of his own self, whereas he who chooses to be ungrateful (ought to know that) verily Allah is Self-Sufficient, Ever to be Praised! (Surat Luqman, 31:12)
In Surat Luqman, Allah said to Luqman (a) one thing and from that one thing many come under it. He said to him, “Yaa Luqman! We gave you wisdom,” finished! If Allah gave wisdom to anyone no need for more. Awliyaullah are struggling to get wisdom; if you get wisdom you get everything. Wa laqad aataynaa luqmaana al-hikmata, “We gave him wisdom,” to do what? Ani ‘shkur, to praise Allah and to thank Him, that’s it! Shukr is from good manners, akhlaaqan tayyiba. You can pray and you don’t make shukr, but shukr is from the good manners, good characters. You pray and you say, “Alhamdulillah, yaa Rabbee!”
One time the Prophet (s) was in a sad position from too many overwhelming problems and he said to Sayyidina Bilaal (r), arihnaa yaa Bilaal, “Relieve us, O Bilaal! Relieve us from what we are in.” How? It means with salaat, as the Prophet (s) said, “Take us into relief after these difficulties,” and to take him where? To take him to pray. It means, “Call adhaan.” If you call adhaan when you are unhappy or asking for something or you are sad, call adhaan and pray and that difficulty will go away. When you are asking for something, immediately make wudu and pray and you will feel more at ease.
So Allah (swt) called Luqman (a) and told him, “I gave you wisdom to thank Me.” So whatever you have acquired in this dunya or you breathe in and out, you have to thank Allah for it! Allah gave you two ears and if someone took your ears what will you say? You would look at someone with ears and you have no ears. So hikmah teaches you to have ears, because with no ears you are deaf. Some people are blind and you are not blind, so what you have to say? “Shukran, yaa Allah.” Go to hospital and see all kinds of patients, and what do we have to say? “Shukran, yaa Allah.” So that is hikmah: you are eating and drinking and saying, “Shukran, yaa Allah!” That is why it is recommended to make du`a before and after eating and drinking.
He said, ani ‘shkur lillaahi, “Thank Allah!” Wa man yashkur fa-innamaa yashkuru li-nafsihi. Look how great Allah is and generous! He said, wa man yashkur, “If you thank Me, it is not really for Me, it is for you.”Fa-innamaa yashkuru li-nafsihi, “He is thanking Me but in reality it is for him, because he is going to say, ‘Shukran, yaa Allah,’ when he sees the others going for punishment.” Like what we said, you have ears and they don’t, so you say, “Shukran yaa Allah!” So the benefit of the shukr is not for Allah, He doesn’t need it, but you have to do it in order that you will be rewarded for it, fa-innamaa yashkuru li-nafsihi, as if you are thanking for your own benefit.
وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ
W ’ashkuroo lee wa laa takfuroon.
Give thanks to Me and do not be ungrateful towards Me. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:152)
“Make shukr for Me and laa takfuroon.” “Laa takfuroon” here is not in the meaning of real kufr, but it means, “Don’t deny My favors.” Wa man kafara fa-inna’Llaaha Ghaniyy un-Hameed. “Whoever denies Allah’s Favors, He (swt) is not interested as He is the Rich One.” There is no benefit for Him if you thank or not as it is for you. Also from hikmah is to run away from Shaytan. Don’t let Shaytan to catch you, because if he catches you it’s like cancer. If Shaytan catches us we ask Allah to send His Mercy on us, because if Shaytan catches us we are lost, as Allah said in the Holy Qur’an:
الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاء وَاللّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلاً وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Ash-shaytaanu ya`idukumu ‘l-faqra wa yaamurukum bi ’l-fahshaai w ’Allaahu ya`idukum maghfiratan minhu wa fadlan w ’Allaahu waasi`un `aleem.
Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:268)
Shaytan promises you and promises you, but then pulls the carpet from under you. It means he is ya`idukumu ‘l-faqra, he promises you to make you bankrupted, to make you in poverty or “pauvre” in French, it is easy. He makes you have no wealth as the Prophet (s) said to Sahaabah (r), “Man il-muflis? Who is the bankrupted?” Shaytan is giving you bankruptcy, bankruptcy in everything to prevent you going to Paradise. He plays with you in dunya to cut you from Akhirah, wa yaamurukum bi’l-fahshaai, and he orders you to be corrupted, to do everything that is not accepted. And Allah said, w’Allaahu ya`idukum maghfiratan minhu wa fadlan, “And Allah promises you forgiveness.” Look at Allah’s Greatness! He didn’t say, “Because you follow Shaytan I am punishing you,” but He said, “I am forgiving you, but come to Me! I’m promising you forgiveness, but come, don’t run away! Break your relationship with Shaytan and I will give you. Don’t depend on him.” W’Allaahu Waasi`un `Aleem, Allah is the Greatest with a Vast Kingdom that never ends from pre-Eternal to post-Eternal!
And He said, “The example of the one who spends his money in Allah’s Way is like an ear of corn which Allah increases as much as He likes.”
مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّئَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Mathalu alladheena yunfiqoona amwaalahum fee sabeeli’Llaahi kamathali habbatin anbatat sab`a sanaabila fee kulli sunbulatin mi-atu habbatin w’Allaahu yudaa`ifu liman yashaau w’Allaahu waasi`un `aleem.
The likeness of those who spend their wealth in Allah’s Way is as the likeness of a grain which grows seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah gives increase manifold to whom He will for Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:261)
When you thank Allah He will give you so much, but Shaytan promises you and gives you nothing, he only takes from you. In that ayah, Allah describes those who spend their wealth, their money in the way of Allah as like a seed which gives a plant with seven shoots and in every shoot 100 grains. Shaytan does not give you anything! Today people are so much in bad desires and they want to have everything in order to enjoy it. We are not saying it is easy to stop that, but repent. Allah promises to give to you from His Vast Kingdom, from every good `amal you do, 700. Like for example, astaghfirullah, we cannot give that as an example, but like someone who has 100 coins and Allah says, “Thank Me and I will give you 70,000 coins by saying one time, ‘Shukran lillah.’” Saying “Shukran lillah” one time is enough. From 100-700 times or up to no end and no beginning! Allahu Akbar! Because Allah wants His servants to come to His Door.
May Allah (swt) forgive us and give us wisdom. Next time we will mention some of the wisdoms that happened to the Salaaf, previous people, in their lives, some of their stories in order to understand more.
Wa min Allah at-tawfeeq bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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