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ASIM

 

O Muslims, believers! Allah swt created us and perfected us. And Allah doesn’t like for His servants to be oppressors or to be oppressed. As Allah doesn’t like to Himself, He is dignified, glorified and exalted as He doesn’t like Himself to be an oppressor also He doesn’t like His servants to be oppressed or oppressors.

That is why Allah swt has given us ways not to be oppressors. Everyone of us is an oppressor to himself in some way, in a way that he might not think about it but in reality it is happening.

People think that they are doing good to themselves. But to Allah they are not. If someone says, I am good but I don’t like to pray, he is oppressor. If someone says, “I don’t like to give charity or sadaqa,” he is an oppressor. If someone goes and lies, he is an oppressor. So there are many ways that people are oppressors that they don’t realize it.

Many people go to work and they are in the car and a car overpasses them and they get angry. They might use bad words. One of Allah ‘s names is as-Saboor. If Allah can be patient on us cannot we be patient on each other? He is sending His mercy because He is patient. He isn’t looking at the small thing we are doing, we are still children. He doesn’t look at us and the Prophet (s) doesn’t look at us, in the eyes of the Prophet (s) we aren’t yet mature. Though we are all getting older, but if we are mature, then according to the verse of Holy Qur'an:

قل إن كنتم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله

qul in kuntum tuhiboonAllah fatabi`ooenee yuhbibukumullah – Say: if you really love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you. Surat Aal-`Imran [3:31]

Are we following 100% as the Sahaba followed? It is simple question. Dunya is passing and age is passing. We were yesterday young; now we are old. What are we going to say to Allah?

The Prophet (s) has given us many things in order to avoid hellfire. Don’t think by our `amal we can save ourselves from hellfire. That is why the Prophet (s) said, "If you know what I know, you would have laughed little and cried a lot.” We look everyone is laughing at each other. We tell jokes and we look at ourselves and we laugh a lot.

The Prophet said, " If you know what I know you would have laughed little and cried a lot.” Allah showed the Prophet (s) hellfire in night of Isra and Mi’raj and the Prophet (s) said in a very eloquent to-the-point hadith.

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "اتقوا النار ولو بشق تمرة، ولو بكلمةٍ طيبة".
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`Ali (r) said that he heard the Prophet (s) say, "ittaqu ’n-naar - be aware of hellfire.” Prophet saw what was happening in hellfire. He doesn’t want his Ummah, his beloved ones to be in hellfire. He is giving them a way out, he says, “Beware of hellfire.” So if they want to beware of something, they tell you, “give presentation and then give us bullet points of what we have to follow. Give us a summary.”

The Prophet (s) said, "ittaqu ’n-naar wa law bi shiqi thamar - Avoid hellfire, even by half of a date.”[1]

What is meaning of half of a date? A piece of a date by which you avoid hellfire. It means avoid hellfire by means of sadaqa, a charity. A charity that is not in your eyes too big. Not millions and millions but by a small piece of a date.

That is showing to care for someone else. You are caring for someone else, you are seeing a poor person, he doesn’t have anything, you give him a piece of date, half for him, half for you - you avoid going to hellfire.

Look Allah’s mercy is so easy. Fill your pockets with dates. That means keep your pocket full of good things. Go and find poor people and help them. Smile in face of your brother as the Prophet (s) said, "that even smile in face of your brother is a sadaqa” don’t always show in your face that you are not happy. When you are happy everyone around you will be happy. When you are happy your will wife be happy. Avoid your house to be hellfire. Houses today are hellfire, fighting with husband with wife, brothers with brothers, children with parents, parents with children. Be generous, give a donation. Go to your home, give your wife something, make her happy. Give something to the children, smile in their face, help them. That will avoid hellfire for us in akhira. When we do that Allah is happy with us, Allah will bless us and mercy us more. That is why he said:

 وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ

"wa la’in shakartum la-azeedanakum - If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you;”

and when you give charity then you are thankful, then Allah will give more.

Even if you sit in a masjid and recite a hadith and explain that, it is sadaqa. If you don’t have money share your knowledge, guide them to the way of Allah swt. You are doing a sadaqa.

حدثنا إسماعيل قال حدثني أخي عن سليمان عن معاوية بن أبي مزرد عن أبي الحباب عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : (ما من يوم يصبح العباد فيه إلا ملكان ينزلان فيقول أحدهما اللهم أعط منفقا خلفا ويقول الآخر اللهم أعط ممسكا تلفا).

Wa `an abi Hurayrah qaala an-Nabi (s) qaala ma min yawm yusbihoo al-`ibaadu feehi illa malakaana yanzilaan feehi. As soon as the day dawns two angels are sent to every person and they say… " these two angels that Allah sent to earth. Fa yaqoolu ahadahum ya rabbee atihi munifiqan. Give someone more because he is giving charity and giving in your way. Provide him more he is giving out, giving a smile, giving charity, helping someone, taking by the hand of someone that cannot walk, teaching someone knowledge.

“Give someone who is giving out for your sake, ‘`ati munfiqan khalafa – give the one who is giving out something to replace it,’ and the one on the left says ‘Allahuma `ati mumsikan talafa - The one who is holding back give him something evil to make him to lose his mind.’”

 

 

 وَاضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَحَفَفْنَاهُمَا بِنَخْلٍ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعًا كِلْتَا الْجَنَّتَيْنِ آتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِمْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَالَهُمَا نَهَرًا وَكَانَ لَهُ ثَمَرٌ فَقَالَ لِصَاحِبِهِ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًا وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ قَالَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَذِهِ أَبَدًا وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَى رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا قَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَكَفَرْتَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّاكَ رَجُلًا لَّكِنَّا هُوَ اللَّهُ رَبِّي وَلَا أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاء اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا فَعَسَى رَبِّي أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًا مِّنَ السَّمَاء فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًا زَلَقًأَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَاؤُهَا غَوْرًا فَلَن تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُ طَلَبًا وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى مَا أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا

A’ûdhu bil Lahi minash Shay?anir Rajim

Bismillahir Ra?man ir Rahim

 

Wa’drib lahum mathalan Rajulayni ja`alna lia?adihima jannatayni min `anaabin wa hafafnahuma bi-nakhlin wa ja`alna baynahuma zar`an (32)

Kilta ’l-jannatayni aatat ukulaha wa lam tadhlim minhu shaya wa fajjarna khilalahuma naharan (33)

Wa kaana lahu thamarun fa qaala li-saahibihi wa huwa yuhaawiruhu anaa aktharu minka ma lan wa `a’azzu nafaran (34)

Wa dakhala jannatahu wa huwa dhalimun li-nafsihi qaala ma adhunnu an tabeeda hâdhihi abadan (35)

Wa ma adhunnus-sa`ata qaaimatan wa la’in rudidtu ila Rabbi la ajidanna khayran minha munqalaba (36).

Qaala lahu wahibuhu wa huwa yuhawiruhu a’kafarta billadhee khalaqaka min turaabin thumma min nutfatin thumma sawaaka rajulan (37)

Lakinnna Huwal Lahu Rabbi wa la ushriku bi Rabbee a?adan (38)

Wa laula `idh dakhalta jannataka qulta ma sha`al Lahu la quwwata `illa bil Lahi `in tarani `ana `aqalla minka maalan wa waladan (39)

Fa’asa Rabbi `an yutiyani khairan min jannatika wa yursila `alayha husbanan mina ’s-sama`i fatusbiha sa’eedan zalaqan (40)

`Aw yusbiha maauha ghawran falan tastati`a lahu talaba (41)

Wa uheeta bi-thamarihi fa-asbaha yuqallibu kaffayhi `ala ma anfaqa feeha wa hiya khawiyatun `ala `Arooshiha wa yaqoolu ya laytanee lam ushrik bi-rabbee ahada (42)

 

Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date palms; in between the two we placed tillage.

Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow.

(Abundant) was the produce this man had: he said to his companion, in the course of a mutual argument: "more wealth have I than you, and more honour and power in (my following of) men."

He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, "I deem not that this will ever perish,

"Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) come: Even if I am brought back to my Lord, I shall surely find (there) something better in exchange."

His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: "Do you deny Him Who created you out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned you into a man? But (I think) for my part that He is Allah, My Lord, and none shall I associate with my Lord. Why didst you not, as you went into your garden, say: 'Allah's will (be done)! There is no power but with Allah.' If you dost see me less than you in wealth and sons, "It may be that my Lord will give me something better than your garden, and that He will send on your garden thunderbolts (by way of reckoning) from heaven, making it (but) slippery sand! Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that you will never be able to find it."

So his fruits (and enjoyment) were encompassed (with ruin), and he remained twisting and turning his hands over what he had spent on his property, which had (now) tumbled to pieces to its very foundations, and he could only say, "Woe is me! Would I had never ascribed partners to my Lord and Cherisher!" Surat al-Kahf 18:32-42.

 

That is why in Surat al-Kahf, the story of the two neighbors, one is mu’min and one is not, they are arguing with each other. The one does not want to give in Allah’s way anything and he says, “I have a big garden and I am happy with it.” The other says, “don’t say like that, Allah may destroy your garden.”

So anyone Allah gives and he doesn’t give, you must be careful to give more. Don't be afraid that Allah will reduce your amount.

قال رسول الله " داووا مرضاكم بالصدقة"

The Prophet (s) said, "cure your patients with sadaqa.”[2] Sahaba were curing patients with sadaqa. Give in the way of Allah and you will see if your health improve or not.

That might be bad news for doctors. They like to see more patients. But if those doctors give in way of Allah, Allah will give them more.

My teacher said to my brother who was a doctor, “Don’t reject anyone who comes to you. Pray two raka`ats when you go to your clinic then say, ‘O Allah I am going to work for your servants.’ Allah will open for you.”

So if you are doctor, pharmacist, engineer, you say, "O my Lord! I am working to help Your servants (Not working to cheat Your servants).”

You help, they help and Allah gives more.

ففي صحيح البخاري ومسلم عن جابر بن عبدالله رضي الله عنه قال : " ما سئل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم شيئاً قط فقال لا" . وقال أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه : " ما سئل رسول الله شيئاً قط فقال لا"

And Jaabir said about the Prophet (s), “ma su’ila rasullahi shayun qat fa qaala la - Never was the Prophet (s) asked anything and he said ‘no.’” Anything you asked you find an answer. Anything you request you get. Anything you want the Prophet (s) will give. Even if yuthir `ala nafsihi. If he has one date he will give it to you before he will eat. How much people as and we say no. O Muslims let us avoid hellfire, as we begin with hadith of Hatib that “avoid hellfire even with half a date.”

Let us save yourselves by doing good. Any `amal you do good will help to save you Allah from hellfire.