As-Siddiq Institute & Mosque (ASIM)
Jumu`ah Khutbah
A`oodhu billahi ‘s Sami` al-Aleem min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillaahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
O mu’mins, O believers! We have entered Shahru Safaru ‘l-Khayr. It is recommended to be busy with istighfar in this month. Say, “Astaghfirullah,” 70 times, 100 times, 300 times, 700 times or as much as you want. Saying “astaghfirullah” cleans the human heart and the scrolls from unclean acts. Every sin that we commit, every mistake we make, every trap of Shaytan that we fall into and do something that is not correct, that is not good or that is not clean, saying “astaghfirullahi ‘l-`azheem” cleans it. Be busy with istighfaar. Clean up what you have done. We have made a lot of mistakes, a lot of sins, and a lot of disobedience. That disobedience is cleaned by saying “astaghfirullah.”
The biggest disobedience is shirk, not declaring the Oneness of the Lord of Heavens. Allah (swt) said about Himself, Huwa ‘l-Awwal. He is the First. What does that mean? By being the first, by being the beginning or before the beginning, means nothing in existence preceded Him. That means there is no one in front of you, there was no one before you. No one preceded you. By one word, by one definition, by one Name of Allah (swt), He is telling His creation, “I am the first. Nobody came before Me. Nobody preceded Me. Everybody came by Me, after Me.” Al-Awwal, the First. What does that mean? He is not preceded by anyone. That means His existence is not by anything. He doesn’t need anything to exist.
The ones who came after Him, all came by His creation. They all came by His Will. They all came by His want. That means there is no lord except One Lord. A god is something that nothing preceded Him. He did not depend on anything to make Him. If somebody came after the first one, he is second, third, fourth or fifth, not one. He needs the first one.
Allah (swt) gave you that example in numbers. Number 1. Two needs a one to become a two. Three needs a one to become a three. Four needs a one to become a four. Every number you can think of needs that one to become a unique number in existence. One million needs one plus 999,999, otherwise there is no million. Everything in creation depends on that one. That one made them in creation. What was made into creation was hadath, not qadeem. “Hadath” means what was made, not ancient. Al-Awwal, the First. Common sense accepts that. The mind accepts that, but people are in ghaflah. They are not using their minds anymore. They are claiming this and that.
The biggest disobedience, the biggest sin is to say there are 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 365 gods as the kuffaar of Quraysh claimed. Who was the first one? The first one means nobody made him. They say, “Who created God?” He is the First. That means He was by Himself. Nothing preceded Him. There was no cause and effect.
Sayyidina Isa (a) came from a mother’s womb. He depended on the mother’s womb to grow. If there was no mother’s womb, he could not grow. That means he is dependent. Allah (swt) created Sayyidina Adam (a) from clay. That is to give you an idea that you need something to be created from, O human being. Don’t associate partners with Allah (swt). Grow up. Elevate your mind. Don’t be stuck in stupidity and idiocy.
The First, Al-Awwal is the most sufficient Name of Allah (swt) to tell you that nothing preceded Him. He is independent. Our disobedience is doing bad mistakes and actions but the biggest disobedience is denying the Oneness of the Lord of Heavens.
That is dirtiness. Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur’an:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلَا يَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلْمَسْجِدَ ٱلْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَـٰذَا وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ عَيْلَةً فَسَوْفَ يُغْنِيكُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ إِن شَآءَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Innama ’l-mushrikoona najas
O you who believe! Truly the Pagans are unclean; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque. And if ye fear poverty, soon will Allah enrich you, if He wills, out of His bounty, for Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawbah, 9:28)
The ones who associate with Allah (swt), those who put partners with Allah (swt) are unclean. Let’s ask a question. If they take a shower everyday, do they clean up? Mashaa-Allah, Americans love to take showers one time, two times, three times, sometimes four and five times a day. If it’s more than five times, you need to see a psychiatrist. If it’s one time, okay. But does that clean you up, O insaan, O human beings?
It is said that if you take a shower in the rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, oceans and the seas, it will not clean you from that uncleanliness which is in your heart. What cleans it? If the oceans don’t clean that dirtiness that is in the heart of a human being, what cleans it? Our teachers have said, and we have learned most of our knowledge from them, in one instant with “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s), that dirtiness is gone. That uncleanliness in the hearts is gone. With one, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah,” the human heart gets cleansed and polished.
What happens after that? When you say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s),” which is seven words, the seven doors of Hellfire are closed. The door of Jannah is waiting for you now, O human being. When you declare the Oneness of Allah (swt), the Oneness of the Creator, by knowing He is Al-Awwal, The First, nothing preceded Him. He did not depend on anybody. Everything after Him is dependent on Him. No matter how high you elevated them among humans, they still depended on the First One. That means they’re not gods. If the First One did not wish to create them, how would they create themselves. Use your mind.
Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s). It’s an open invitation for all humanity. How many years did Sayyidina Nuh (a) invite his people to, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah”? Nine hundred and fifty years. Open the Heavenly Books and read. He invited them for 950 years to “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. Clean your hearts. Leave everything that you claim. Clean your hearts and turn to your Lord.” What did they do? They rejected him.
Rasoolullah (s), the Seal of Prophets (s), his message has been out there for 1,450 plus years. If you add the 13 years in Makkah, 1459 years. They still reject him. What did he invite people for? To say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.” Was there anything else? No. Once you declare that, the doors of Jahannam are closed. The doors of Hellfire are closed. The way to Paradise is open and then you start going to the door of Paradise. O human being, accept the message.
What has Allah (swt) sent the messengers for? To show you the door of Paradise, but nobody is looking there, rejecting it. How do you get to the door of Paradise? Rasoolullah (s), the Seal of Prophets, Allah (swt)’s most beautiful prayers and blessings be upon him, told everybody, “Renew your ship, O Muslim, O mu’min, mend your ship, maintain your ship, clean up your ship, check the engine of your ship, check the propeller of your ship, check the hull of your ship. Paint it. Clean it up. The sea is very deep and the journey is long. The sea is very deep. If you go in that sea with a broken ship, you might not make it. You have to fix it.”
How do you fix it? By saying, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.” Rasoolullah (s) has told his Sahaabah (r), renew your faith, renew your declaration of, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.” Because we become heedless and forget. The biggest problem that humanity faces is forgetfulness, heedlessness. Of what? They think that they are staying here forever. “We are permanent residents, yay!” Everybody is after permanent residency. “We are here forever. We have no idea that anything else can go on.” That is the biggest heedlessness of a human being that they think they are on earth forever. You are not on earth forever.
You are a traveler. As Rasoolullah (s) said, renew that ship. That ship is your iman. If you forget Allah (swt), say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah. I know my Lord is watching me. My Lord is seeing what I’m doing. I still straighten up. Muhammadun Rasoolullah. I will follow what Rasoolullah has told me. He told me to renew my faith. Again I say, ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,’ and I continue in this world, traveling.”
You are traveling. Where does a boat take you? A boat takes you out of Baltimore into the bay and out into the ocean. But if you hit something, you get stuck. You don’t go anywhere. When you go out from the bay to the ocean, you will go to another continent. That ship was going to the Subcontinent or somewhere over there.
You are going to another world. Rasoolullah (s) is telling you, your faith is your ship. You are traveling to another world, from dunya to Akhirah. “No, we are permanent residents.” No, you are not. You’re a traveler. You are not staying here. Did you ever check your app, “When am I traveling next? What is the date, two days from now, five days from now, two weeks from now?” You keep checking your date of travel. Why don’t you think you’re going to be traveling to Akhirah, O mu’min, O Muslim?
I’m not talking about the other ones. The other ones have to declare the Oneness of Allah (swt) first and then the way to Jannah will open up for them. That, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” that Kalimah Tayyiba will become their ship. It will start moving in that deep and wavy sea which is the dunya. You are traveling on top of dunya towards Akhirah, to the other continent as that ship from Baltimore was trying to get to Asia, to another world. You are also trying to get to another world.
They say the engine was broken or whatever it is. You are not maintaining your ship. They used to maintain the ships once a year. They check the bottom, they paint the bottom, they fix the bottom, they check the propeller, they check the engine to make sure it’s working. If it’s not working, you’re not going to go anywhere. You’re stuck where you are.
O mu’min, O believer, you have to understand that you are a traveler. You are on the ship of iman, of, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s),” and you are in the middle of a stormy, wavy sea that is called dunya. The waves are its desires. If a desire smacks you and turns your boat upside down, you’re done, you’re gone. You have to maintain your ship by repeating, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s).”
But Allah (swt) did not show you the date of your travel because if He shows the date of travel, nobody will work in this dunya anymore. If you think you’re going to die tomorrow, do you continue to work today? No, you leave everything. If you know you’re dying next week or next, you will leave everything. You will not be busy with anything anymore. You are either busy enjoying yourself as much as you can or preparing yourself for Akhirah.
O mu’min, O Muslim, you have to know you are a traveler in this dunya to Akhirah. Your ship is, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s).” What do you do? “I’m traveling tomorrow. I need to pack.” Did you pack? “No, I need to pack. I’m traveling. I forgot.” When the travel day comes and you’re not packed, what do you do? You have to pack and be sure you’re ready to go. When the cab, Uber or my friend comes, I am ready to go with him. To where? To the airport. What’s at the airport? I am flying out.
Have you packed your bags? Have you packed your good amal, O insaan? Did you pack what benefits you in Akhirah? Once you are on that plane, you will say, “Oh I forgot my passport. Oh, I forgot this and that. Let’s turn back.” There is no turning back. Once that plane is gone, there’s no turning back. It’s better to step up and suit up for Akhirah, O insaan. Don’t be heedless ones.
The biggest heedlessness is everybody thinking that they are locals, residents. If you know you are a traveler visiting Fenton, you will not build a house in Fenton because you know you’re going. You will not do what they do. A mu’min does not do what others do because he knows he’s going to Akhirah. He doesn’t get busy with that. Why do you get busy with that? The locals are doing whatever it is, the council meeting, the mayor, the police department, the fire department. Let them do it.
“I am moving from Burton to Davison to Clarkston or whatever it is.” You’re moving. What do you do? You don’t get involved. You get involved in Akhirah. You are waiting for that angel to come to you. That angel will come. A mu’min knows that the angel will come. The angel will come with an invitation to Daru ‘s-Salam. “You made it. Are you ready?” “I’m packed for 30 years, O Maliku ‘l-Mawt. I am ready for you. I was watching for you every morning and every evening. I would say, ‘Oh, he didn’t come this evening. He might come in the morning. He might not come in the morning. He might come in the evening.’ That’s how I was waiting for you.”
Our teachers have narrated that Sayyidina Azra’eel came to one Waliyullah and Allah (swt) told Sayyidina Azra’eel, “If Waliyullah wants extra time, give him a little bit of time.” It is said the Angel of Death came and said, “Yaa Waliyullah, come with me. You’re invited to a Great, Noble, Strong and Almighty King. But He said that if you want to prepare a little bit, it’s fine. If you want to take wudu, pray two raka`ats and make sajdah, it’s fine.” He said, “Yaa Azra’eel! I am ready. I don’t have to prepare anything. Whatever Allah (swt) has told me to do, I was doing it on time. I have done everything on time. I am packed. I’m waiting all these years to meet Him and look at His Beauty. What do I do here?”
He was ready. Are you ready? No, you’re not. We don’t even think about the Akhirah. We don’t even think about the ship of, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah (s)” that we are on board, moving in this wavy dunya of desires. We continue as we think. “We are permanent residents. Hey, we’re going to be here forever.” No, you’re not here forever. As the ones before you left, your time will go. Their time was destined. They left before you, two weeks ago, one month ago, three months ago and you are next.
One Waliyullah said a poem in Arabic. The meaning of that verse is that when you carry a funeral to the cemetery, know that you will be carried on the shoulder next. Who thinks of that? Mashaa-Allah, everybody runs to carry the coffin. Why don’t you think, “I will be next on the shoulders”? Do you think that? No. “I’m here forever. After I bury this person, I will do whatever I think I need to do.”
May Allah (swt) wake us up from heedlessness. Heedlessness and ghaflah has taken over the hearts of people, the eyes of people and everybody’s mind. People are asleep. When they die, they will wake up when they see the angels coming to them. Maliku ‘l-Mawt wa awaanihi, the Angel of Death and his helpers will come. Mala’ikatu ‘r-rahmah will come or mala’ikatu ‘l-`adhaab will come with Sayyidina Azra’eel (a) and then they will wake up, saying, “I wish I packed my passport. I wish I packed my jewelry. I wish I packed what benefits me when I’m going.”
Pack up. Jaddadu ‘s-safina. Clean up the ship which is the heart. Clean it up with Dhikrullah so it can continue to take you on that wavy ocean, to reach Akhirah and the doors of Paradise will open to you. Inshaa-Allah, we are hoping. It is said and I said this before that when you call adhan, seven expressions, it closes the doors of Jahannam. When you make iqamah, it’s eight, because, “qad qaamati ‘s-salaah, qad qaamati ‘s-salaah,” becomes the eighth one, the doors of Jannah open to you. That’s why they pray janaza for you.
When did they pray the iqamah on you? They bring the janaza prayer in front and pray janaza. Okay, this is a prayer. When was the iqamah? The iqamah was when the father, the mother, the uncle or the grandparent recited adhan in one ear and iqamah in the other. What does that mean? Your janaza prayer is up. You might last one day. You might last one year. You might last ten years. The iqamah has been done.
Take heed, O insaan. Don’t be ghaafil. Don’t be a blind one. Be an open one. Have a clear mind and clear eyes.
It is narrated that Sayyidina Musa (a) asked Allah (swt), “Which of Your servants are the most blind?” A voice came to him saying, “The ones that are requesting Paradise without `amal, good deeds, without turning to Me. All of them want to go to Heavens. All of them want to go to the best of the other world without having any good deeds.”
Your deeds start with, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.” Always be in Dhikrullah . Allah (swt) will rescue us from that dirtiness, from Jahannam and will put us with the clean ones. Jannah is the land of the clean and the pure. Jahannam is the land of the others. Fire cleans the dirt. Fire cleans the gold. Don’t go there. Try to clean your heart as much as you can in dunya. That’s why it’s, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah.” Repeat that as much as you can.
May Allah (swt) forgive us.
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