Suhbah Before Jumu`ah at Hillingdon Borough Central Mosque
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.
Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`Alameen, was-salaatu was-salaamu `ala ashrafa 'l-Mursaleen, Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een.
Alhamdulillah, that Allah (swt) has granted us to be in this new mosque, one of the houses of Allah. May He make it a mosque that is open at all times and for all Muslims.
O Muslim brothers and sisters! I am very honored to be here in this masjid that, from the beginning, was built on taqwa, piety. Allah (swt) said:
وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا
Wa anna ‘l-masaajida lillaahi falaa tad`oo ma`a Allahi ahada.
And the places of worship are for Allah (alone), so invoke not any one along with Allah.
(Surat al-Jinn, 72:18
No one can claim, “This is my masjid,” but unfortunately, we see a group of people hijacking the masajid to implement ideas that are against Ahlu ’s-Sunnah wa ’l-Jama`ah beliefs. Alhamdulillah, this is an Ahlu ’s-Sunnah wa ’l-Jama`ah masjid, and the majority of the Muslim world is Ahlu ’s-Sunnah, practicing Islam in the love of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), who came with the message:
الدين نصيحة
Ad-deenu naseeha.
Religion is advice.
As explained in general, this means, “Religion is advice.” The hadith says, Ad-deenu naseeha. Qaaloo liman yaa Rasoolulullah. Qaala: lillaahi wa li-rasoolihi wa lil-mu’mineen. If we translate it literally for it to be understood, it means “advice is for Allah, for the Prophet (s) and for the believers.”
The root word “nasaha” means “to clean honey from wax or from any sour elements that don't taste good.” Generally, the implied meaning of this word 1400 years ago was “to clean; to remove dirt.” So when the Prophet (s) said, “ad-deenu naseeha” it meant you have to clean your belief and practice. So when we say, “an-naseeha lillaahi wa li-rasoolihi wa ‘l-mu`mineen,” it doesn't mean to give advice to Allah (swt), the Prophet (s) and the believers, rather it means we have to clean our belief and our tawheed to Allah (swt) and the Prophet (s)that we must not have any shirk.
In any form of `ibaadat you have to clean your `aqeedah, belief from any element that might make it false or imperfect, which means to purify our deen from any incorrect beliefs about Allah (swt). Then the hadith states, li rasoolihi, “to His Prophet;” whatever incorrect beliefs you have about the Prophet (s) must be corrected.
Allah (swt) told us to take whatever the Prophet (s) brought. He is the Shari`ah and the Constitution. Islam is Muhammad (s); there is nothing else in it, and we say we are “Muhammadiyoon,” followers of Sayyidina Muhammad (s)!
A child is not effected by Shaytan; he runs after his father and mother out of love. Similarly, we have to run towards the Prophet (s) out of love, like young ones do. We have no one to run to except Sayyidina Muhammad (s). The Sahaabah (r) used to run to him as through him they ran to Allah (swt). You cannot run to someone to whom Allah has not given that authority!
Allah (swt) said:
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا
Maa aataakaumu ’r-rasool fakhudhoohu wa maa nahaakum `anhu fantahoo.
Leave what Prophet (s) forbade and take what he ordered. (al-Hashr, 59:7)
We must take whatever Allah (swt) gives us. He ordered the angels and human beings to do salawaat on the Prophet (s), not to say, “O Muhammad (s)!” like the Bedouins from the desert said (adressing Prophet in a rude manner); use respect, saying, “Yaa Rasoolullah (s), yaa Habeebullah (s).” Prophet has over 200 names, so call on him with those.
Salawaat are the naseeha that clean the imperfections of our `aqeedah. When you send salaam to the Prophet (s), he sends salaam to you. These salaams bring up our level of love. An example is, when you meet someone the first time, you both exchange salaam, then you meet the second time, and again say salaam to each other; the third time it happens, you love that person and he invites you for dinner; then again you meet the fourth time, and the fifth time he asks you to marry his daughter! (laughter)
When even in the masjid we are preoccupied with videos, the Internet and cell phones, that prevents us from strengthening our bond with the Prophet (s). The Sahaabah (r) used to give salaam to the Prophet (s) and then come around a second time to give salaam again. The salaam of the Prophet (s) has fruit in it, it is alive, whereas our salaam is dead. To make it alive, Allah (swt) asked us to make salaat and salaam on the Prophet (s), because Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is Habeebullah, Allah’s Beloved. Sayyidina Ibrahim (a) is Khaleelullah, but not habeeb, which is more loved. Khaleel is “friend,” but if someone is very close to you and the best in following Islam, then you give him more responsibility as you know he will not let you down.
When we do salaat and salaam on the Prophet (s) we are increasing our bond with him, and gradually it becomes strong and then Shaytan cannot break it. We don't want to please Shaytan; we want to please Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s). That is why Ahlu ’s-Sunnah wa ’l-Jama`ah are the people of love! If there are two men, one a scholar and the other not, which one should you follow? If the scholar takes away the love of dunya from you and prepares you for the love of akhirah, then follow him, but even if the non-scholar doesn't know anything about Shari`ah but he takes the love of dunya away from you through his piety and guides you to Akhirah, then follow him!
On other hand, if the scholar gives lectures but does not take away your hubb ad-dunya and does not make you love Akhirah, even with all his knowledge and with all respect to him, he is not going to benefit you. But if someone is illiterate but takes you to Akhirah, you must take hold of him. That is naseeha: cleaning your honey, your heart. Sit with him and see how he behaves and how people around him behave. That is a hundred times better than sitting with scholars who do not take hubb ad-dunya away from your heart.
A Bedouin came to Sayyidina Muhammad (s) and said, “Yaa Muhammad! When is the Day of Judgment? The Prophet (s) didn't answer, as he was giving Jumu`ah Khutbah. The man asked again, and the Prophet (s) did not answer. Finally he asked the third time, “When is the Hour?” The Prophet (s) said, “What did you prepare for that Day?” He said, “Only my love of you and Allah, nothing else!” The Prophet (s) said:
يحشر المرء مع من أحب
Yuhshar al-maruw ma` man ahab.
Each person will be resurrected with the one he loves.
It means, “You will be with me, O Bedouin!” The Sahaabah (r) were so happy to hear this, as they all loved the Prophet (s). This is our ticket to Paradise! We love the Prophet (s), and the Prophet (s) loves us; don't think he doesn't love us as his love for us is more than our love for him! If we keep trying to make salawaat on the Prophet (s) our love will increase, our difficulties will decrease, and our families and homes will prosper.
Keep telling your children about Mawlid-an-Nabi (s), which is coming soon. Decorate your homes like Christians do for (the birthday of) Sayyidina `Isa (a); they decorate the whole city. Why don't we decorate our homes and masajid and make salawaat `ala an-Nabi (s)? When I was young, in Muslim countries every home was decorated outside and inside from the beginning of the month of Mawlid. Why are we now afraid to decorate our home to show our love for the Prophet (s)? That is not a Christian innovation, it is our way! Recite the Mawlid and celebrate his birthday! Let them know about it, as many Muslims don't even know when the Prophet (s) was born.
Once I was in New York and was invited by a rich man to his home. There were many `ulama also, some belonging to Ahlu ’s-Sunnah wa ’l-Jama`ah and others. I saw a Christmas tree glowing there, which they all kept quiet about, but I could not. He said, “O Shaykh! Never mind, it is only to make my children happy and let them know what is going on.”
I said, “Okay, I would like to ask your children one question.” He brought them and I asked, “What is the tree for?”
They said, “For the birthday of Jesus.”
I asked them, “Who is your prophet?”
They did not answer, and they did not know his birthday. All those scholars remained quiet, because that rich man paid them money.
That is why it is necessary to pay money where it is needed for Ahlu ’s-Sunnah wa ’l-Jama`ah. This masjid needs money and support; don't go out of the masjid without giving something, then it will be as if you put a brick in this masjid’s wall. In the old days, you people brought loads of bricks to help build a new masjid.
The Prophet (s) said:
Yanqati` `amal ibni Adam illa min thalasth: sadaqatun jaariya wa waladin saalihun yada`u lah wa `ilmun yantafi`u bih.
The deeds of the Children of Sayyidina Adam are cut except three: a flowing donation in Allah’s Way, a child who prays for you, and some knowledge that you leave behind (that benefits people).
Any brick you put in this masjid will be like a flowing donation that will keep going. You have to strengthen the masajid of Ahlu ’s-Sunnah wa ’l-Jama`ah, not just the big masjids that have imperfect beliefs in the Prophet (s)! The Sahaabah (r) gave from their hearts. Once Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq ( r) and Sayyidina `Umar ( r) each brought something in front of the Prophet (s), who asked Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) what had he left at home for his family. He said, “I left for them Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s).” Then Prophet (s) asked Sayyidina `Umar (r) what had he brought and he said, “I brought half (of everything I have).” Prophet (s) said, “Your belief is half of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq’s.”
What we put is pennies in respect to what we have, but Allah looks at the pennies and looks at someone who is poor, and makes those pennies more valuable than the £1 the rich donated, because that rich one can easily donate £1,000 or £2,000!
The Prophet (s) said:
غني شاكر خير من فقير صابر
Ghaniyyun shaakir khayrun min faqeer saabir.
The rich thankful one is better than the patient, worshipful poor one.
May Allah bless this masjid. They didn't ask me to say anything and it came to my heart to say something. I am seeing some Wahabi mosques here. May Allah bring them to become Ahlu ’s-Sunnah wa ’l-Jama`ah; that is what we have to pray. They believe in “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadin rasoolullah,” and we ask that their and our love for the Prophet (s) increases.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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