International Cultural Center (ICC)
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. [Du`a.]
كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ثقيلتان فى الميزان حبيبتان إلى الرحمن سبحان الله و بحمده سبحان الله العظيم
There are two words that are very easy to say, yet very heavy on the Scale, most beloved to The Merciful, “SubhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ’l-`Azheem.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
O our brothers, Believers! Allah (swt) has blessed and honored that us He created us from Ummat an-Nabi (s):
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ
You were the best of Nations evolved for Mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong and believing in Allah. (Surat Aali-`Imraan, 3:110)
“You were the best Ummah that has been sent to humanity, calling for good and prohibiting what is bad.” Ibn Mas`ud (r) narrated that whatever the majority of Muslims see as good then it is good to Allah, and what they see as bad, then it is bad:
مَا رَأَى الْمُسْلِمُونَ حَسَنًا فَهُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ حَسَنٌ
Whatever the Muslims consider good, then Allah considers it good. (Tabarani)
فإذا رأيتم اختلافا فعليكم بالسواد الأعظم
If you see a difference of opinion then you must follow the biggest group. (Ibn Majah)
Prophet (s) said, `alaykum bi ‘s-sawaadi ‘l-a`zham, “You have to follow the majority of people.” Sawaad al-a`zham means, “the greatest black,” meaning, follow the majority without interruption or complaint: what they follow, you follow.
The majority of Muslims and human beings follow something in common, they accept what is good and not what is bad. Whatever we see happening, the majority of people and Muslims do not accept bloodshed and that is why revenge is coming. In any country or tribe, in any desert or jungle, if some people do something wrong the tribe will come against them for revenge. This is among human beings. What do you think about Allah (swt)? When we do something wrong against our Lord Creator, Allah will take the Sword of Revenge, not a physical sword, but it means He will take revenge and punish, so we have to be careful. I'm not saying this to frighten you; in the end, Allah is Merciful.
Grandshaykh `AbdAllah (q), may Allah bless his soul, said the most difficult punishment is Naar al-Hasrah, the Fire of Sorrow, which is more difficult and more effective than Hellfire. He said that for the sake of His Beloved Servant, Sayyidina Muhammad (s), Allah (swt) will forgive his Ummah. But the most difficult situation for Allah--Who forgives every moment, and we ask Him to forgive us in this moment because all of us are sinners… He is The Owner, He owns us, when He forgives He doesn't ask - what will happen to us when we are facing that situation? Look at the subtle meaning of what Grandshaykh (q) said: “Fire burns everything, but Naar al-Hasrah burns you from inside.” That feeling of shame in front of Allah (swt) will set your body on fire that is more effective than Hellfire. For example, you stole something from a stranger, friend, or a brother and when you face him, what do you feel? Shame. You will begin to feel burning from within yourself. What do you think about every moment we are disobeying Allah and obeying our desires? There are Awliya, sincere pious servants of Allah (swt) who never talk. Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) put a stone in his mouth for seven years in order not to sin from speaking.
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱجۡتَنِبُواْ كَثِيرً۬ا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثۡمٌ۬ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُواْ وَلَا يَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًاۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُڪُمۡ أَن يَأۡڪُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِيهِ مَيۡتً۬ا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُ
O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible) for suspicion in some cases is a sin, and spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? No, you would abhor it! (Surat al-Hujuraat, 49:12)
When he read that ayah he put a stone in his mouth, afraid of saying something wrong. That is Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r), whom Allah called As-Siddiq, the Trustworthy One. What will happen to us in that situation? In dunya, people are afraid of governments, of doing something wrong and going to prison, but what about for Akhirah? We are not thinking.
The youth have a chance more than us adults because they have fewer sins, so let them make du`a, stand up and ask for forgiveness for Ummat an-Nabi (s)! Sayyidina Abu Yazid al-Bistami (q) said, “I am a sinner, and I respect those younger and older: the younger have less sins, because with every breath I sin (because of nafs, desires) and I respect elders because they have done more `ibaadah than me.”
So repentance is necessary and unfortunately, people will challenge you, “Why are you doing dhikr? How are you inviting people here? It’s bid`a.” But we remember that Allah (swt) said:
أَنَا جَلِيْسُ مَنْ ذَكَرَنِي
[Allah said to the Prophet], I sit with the one who remembers Me. (Hadith Qudsi. Ahmad, Bayhaqi)
All verses of the Qur'an were revealed all at once by Sayyidina Jibreel (a), and then in verses, over a period of 23 years, except the Fatihah which was revealed twice: once in Meccatu 'l-Mukarrama and once in Madinatu 'l-Munawwara. What is the hikmah? In Mecca, Surat al-Fatihah was revealed to Prophet (s) with all the manifestations it carries. It is the heart of the Holy Qur’an and when it was revealed in Mecca all angels came to Prophet (s) for him to get the blessings of that surah. The Fatihah was revealed in Meccatu 'l-Mukarrama for the House of Allah, to praise Sayyidina Muhammad (s) and lift him up.
It was revealed for a second time in Madinatu 'l-Munawwara for the blessings of Madina to be dressed on Prophet (s) and anyone who visits there receives all the blessings he was dressed with. Good tidings for us that Allah made us recite the Fatihah in the five daily prayers, in every raka`at, otherwise your prayer is not accepted. If you don't read another surah or ayah after the Fatihah, your prayer is still accepted, but you cannot leave out the Fatihah. In some madhhabs the imam recites the Fatihah on behalf of everyone, in other madhhabs everyone recites the Fatihah in their heart together with the imam. In any case, the Fatihah is a secret given to Prophet (s), that’s why he said:
الْفَاتِحَةُ لِمَا قُرِئَتْ لَهُ
The Fatihah is for whatever it is read for.
So if you recite Fatihah on water for shifaa’ and make du`a, if Allah accepts the du`a that person is cured and if not, that person is not cured. Allah will give the shifaa’, not you. There might be two people with the same sickness and you read it for one of them and at that moment that person is cured, but the second one is not cured. The timing of one du`a being accepted was that inaayatullah was descending so Allah accepted it, but when the other du`a was made there was no inaayah at that moment, so they are not cured. That is why it is so important to keep asking and making du`a, don't stop, as Allah (swt) said, “Ask Me and I will accept from you and reward you.”
ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
Call on Me, I will answer you. (Surah Ghafir, 40:60)
So Sayyidina Muhammad (s), Allah brought him to Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa, but He wants him (s) to see what He prepared for his Ummah. The most important matter for Prophet (s) is his Ummah. So what did Allah order? For Prophet (s) to visit all Paradises, he went to all Paradises. He saw the First Paradise, alam nashrah laka sadrak (Surat ash-Sharh, 94:1), “We have opened your chest very widely for you to feel happy, yaa Muhammad (s).” Prophet (s) saw the First Paradise and was so happy, he mentioned… Think! What is bigger, the universe or Paradise? Paradise is not in the universe. The universe is created and Paradise is created, but Paradise is created beyond the universe. So think, which is bigger? Paradise is bigger than the universe.
It is said that Adam (a) asked Jibreel (a), “How big is Paradise?”
Jibreel (a) said, “Yaa Adam, one time I had a concern about that, how big it is, and Allah said to me, ‘Yaa Jibreel, open your wings,’” he has 600 wings according to many sources in the Seerah of Prophet (s); when he used to come to bring Revelation to Prophet (s) he opened two wings and in a moment he would be there. So he asked, “Yaa Rabbee, how big is Your Kingdom?” meaning the First Paradise.
He said, “Yaa Jibreel, open your 600 wings and move.”
He said he moved for 70,000 years, Heavenly years, and he got tired and stopped and asked, “Yaa Rabbee, what distance have I covered?”
Allah said, “Yaa Jibreel, you are still in the corner from where you began.” That is the First Paradise! It is bigger than this universe with its billions and billions of galaxies and stars.
NASA was surprised to discover a pulsar star that continuously issues a tapping sound from itself. It is many light years away but still it is in our galaxy, and they found out the Qur’an mentioned it 1400 years ago in Surat at-Tariq. Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem:
وَالسَّمَاء وَالطَّارِقِ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الطَّارِقُ النَّجْمُ الثَّاقِب
Consider the Heavens and that which comes in the night, and what could make you conceive what comes in the night? It is the star that pierces through darkness (Surat al-Tariq, 86:3)
Allah is giving an oath by the taariq, the star that is hammering. “What do you know about that star?” It is an-najmyou ’th-thaaqib, “The star that can penetrate everything.” It sends billions of rays and penetrates the whole atmosphere in every direction and nothing can stop it! They are still investigating it. So we know nothing. After 70,000 years of moving, Allah showed Jibreel (a) that he was still in one corner of Paradise! On Israa wa ‘l-Mi`raaj, Prophet (s) entered all the Paradises entirely, from their beginning to their end, not like when we shop for a home, enter, look around and exit. Prophet (s) did not enter, look around, then exit: he was receiving all the Divine Attributes manifested on those paradises! He went all the way to the Seventh Paradise, then al-Firdaws al-`Alaa is above them all, but seven paradises, like the seven verses in Surat al-Fatihah. Every Paradise is under the manifestation of one ayah of the Fatihah and he was being dressed in them, for the benefit of the Ummah.
After reaching the Seventh Heaven, he (s) was dressed completely in the secrets of Surat al-Fatihah, which means the whole Qur’an is contained in Surat al-Fatihah. And he was lifted to al-Firdaws al-`Alaa, where he saw the Seven Paradises, everything, even the smallest particle you can imagine. but what Allah opened for him in al-Firdaws al-`Alaa was more than those openings and prepared him for Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa, or else he would not have been able to reach there. Sayyidina Jibreel (a) was not able, but Prophet (s) did!
We have such a magnificent prophet (s), so don't neglect your salawaat on him (s)! Allah is Generous! For every salawaat you make, all His angels are making salawaat on Prophet (s) in that moment and it will be written for you! Allah (swt) is Merciful, but He doesn't like us to stand up in an ashamed position. We have to do our best to keep our children healthy and protected from what is coming, and what is coming is not easy. Grandshaykh (q), may Allah bless his soul, said that many people use the Signs of the Last Days to say they are correct and others are wrong, but according to the Hadith, `alaykum bi ‘s-sawaadi ‘l-a`zham maa ra’a ‘l-muslimoona hasanan fa huwa `inda ‘Llahi hasan, “You must follow the majority of Muslims for whatever the majority sees as good is good.”
The majority don’t see what these few people (extremists) do is good, so they cannot claim the Signs are according to their interpretation. What is coming is what Prophet (s) declared and mentioned for our benefit. He told his Sahaabah (r), “Be aware of these Signs,” because when they come you have to keep yourself and your family safe or else you will be in problems. So Grandshaykh (q), may Allah bless his soul, said according to Muhiyuddin ibn Arabi (q) there will be a lot of miseries, such that children's hair will become white from the fear, terror and misery of what they see. That’s why Awliya kept asking Allah to postpone it; one Wali after the other left dunya and now there are few left and the time is approaching. We have to be very careful to keep our prayers; don't lose your prayers, dhikr, or awraad! This association or any place, sitting, remembering Allah and His Prophet (s) is better than watching movies. If you want to watch TV or play games, make some time for that, but not all the time.
May Allah (swt) look after us with His Mercy because we cannot do anything that makes Him happy with us. Don't forget to ask forgiveness; istighfaar is the strongest power that can present you to the Door of Prophet (s), as Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur’an:
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا
If they had only, when they were unjust (oppressor) to themselves, come to you and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nisaa, 4:64)
So we are coming to Prophet (s) through istighfaar. if Allah accepts your istighfaar, your problems and difficulties will be solved and you will get what you like, but keep your istighfaar daily because you don't know when Allah looks at you with Inaayatullah, His Care. It doesn't come often; if it coincides with your prayer and istighfaar, Allah will accept your du`a and immediately your problems will be solved. May Allah solve our difficulties and grant shifaa’ and blessings to everyone!
Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
This dunya is going. Now one small insect might make you sick. In the Subcontinent they have Dengue Fever caused by a small insect that enters the bloodstream. You don't see it, it bites you and you are finished; many people die from it. Someone I know very well was attacked by a wasp and within two minutes his whole body became red and he couldn’t breathe so they rushed him to hospital. If they hadn't given him an injection, he would have died. So you don't know; a heart attack can take you in one moment. A mureed from Sri Lanka who loved Mawlana Shaykh Nazim (q) very much, a jeweler, went to London with the Bulgari company. He was responsible for the diamonds and the day he was supposed to open the shop, I was passing through London. He was arranging my program and at ten o’clock in the evening, as he sat speaking with his wife about the shop and all what he has to prepare and all the money he invested, he had a heart attack, his head dropped on his shoulder and he died. What happened to the shop, watches and diamonds? All gone. What did he take with him? Nothing. So whenever you become big, remember that Allah made you big, then He will be happy with you. Don't come against His Will. May Allah forgive us and bless us.
Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
http://sufilive.com/Repentance-is-Necessary-6287.html
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