Jumu`ah Khutbah at As-Siddiq Mosque
Ayyuha 'l-mu'minoon al-haadiroon ittaqullah wa atee`ooh inn 'Llah ma` alladheena 'ttaqaw w 'alladheena hum muhsinoon. wa qaala Allahu Ta`alaa yaseen wa 'l-qur'ani 'l-hakeem.wa qaala wa 'n-najm idhaa hawaa maa dalla saahibakum wa ghawaa in Huwa illa wahyun yoohaa `allamahu shadeedu'l-qiwwa. wa qaala an-nabi innamal-`amaalu bi 'n-niyyaat. wa innamaa li-kulli 'mrin maa nawaa.
O Muslims, Believers! We are all equal in Allah's sight, as people coming and praying and doing their obligations, the way He ordered them to do. There is no difference between one or the other, as Prophet (s) said:
لا فرق بين عربي ولا عجمي إلا بالتقوى
laa farqa bayna `arabiyyan wa `ajamiyyan illa bi 't-taqwa.
There is no difference between an Arab and non-Arab except through righteousness. (al-Fawaa'id)
So as long we are saying, ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadun Rasulullah, we are muwaahidoon, declaring that Allah is the Creator, the One who is independent; we are dependent on Him. Allah (swt) sent Muhammad (s) as a messenger to show us the way. The way is very simple if we make it simple, and difficult if we make it difficult. It is easy as long as we are able to control the ego, but to control the ego is not so easy. There is a place in the heart where Allah allowed Shaytan to enter. If we close it firmly we are safe, and if not, we are unsafe. That place in science is a very small spot, like a clot as described in ahadeeth. So let us close that one to live a peaceful life.
Today people say, "We want to live a peaceful life, we want to live our own life." What is their life? Discos, night clubs, drugs; this is nice for them, but their Afterlife will be threatened. Sayyidina `Ali (q) said, "Do for this life as if you are living forever and do for your Akhirah as if you are dying today." That means, if you are not doing more for akhirah as you are doing for this life, then you will be threatened first by Ankar and Nakeer, the two angels that come in the grave and ask you, "Who were you worshipping?"
Prophet (s) mentioned a small hadith from ibn `Abbas (r):
Ann an-nabi idha dakhal alaa mareed qala laa baas tahooran inshaa-Allah.
When Prophet would enter the house of a sick person, he would say, 'Tahoor, inshaa-Allah you will be cleaned; you will overcome that problem, and you will be cured.' (al-Bukhari)
Prophet (s) also said:
Yaqool inn al-marad yutahirun min adh-dhunoob.
"Sickness cleans you from sins."
People get sick because Allah (swt) wants to purify them from sins. And there are two kinds of sins: al-dhunoob al-hissiyya wadh-dhunoob al-ma`nawiyya. The first kind is the sins you see with your body. When you feel cold, sick, and feverish, it is because of these kind of sins. Allah is blessing you with this. Don't say it is harming you, it is a ni`mah, blessing. That is why shuyookh say, "Don't complain, but say 'alhamdulillah.' It is to purify and cure you." So Prophet (s) is saadiq al-masdooq, "the Trustworthy One," and he says sickness cures you. When sickness comes, it has to cure you from the sins you are committing and from the sins your ego is committing, as well.
If you compare between the sins of the body and the sins of the ego, the ego is committing far more sins than what the body is committing. And any sin, even ma`nawiyya, spiritual sin, it is more difficult than a physical sin. A physical sin is easy because you can see that you did it. For example, if you lied, or said something wrong, or even drank something that is not allowed, these are all sins; you may ask Allah for forgiveness. But Allah described those sins that cannot be cleaned when He said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلاَ يَقْرَبُواْ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ
Inna mal-mushrikeena najasa fa laa yaqraboo al-masjid al-haraam ba`d `aamihim.
Truly the pagans are unclean, so let them not after this year of theirs approach the Sacred Mosque. (9:28)
That means if you have any doubts of the Oneness of Allah, or anything that is making you to be arrogant or proud against others, or acting bad towards others, or humiliating people, or breaking their hearts, that is najas, not pure, najaasah. People are familiar with the physical najaasah; it is when after cleaning yourself you have to go make ablution. There is no shyness in religion (so we may discuss this openly). If you go to the restroom, you have to clean yourself. Sometimes you will see there is no water in the restroom. It is advisable to use water, not paper, when water is available, but if there is no water, use paper. In the old days, people used stones to clean themselves, and when they returned home they cleaned another time with water. At least clean with rocks, and now you are cleaning with paper. Although there is water readily available now, they still don't put it everywhere. When you clean with water, it gives light to these places and takes sicknesses away from them.
Therefore, we know that there is a physical cleaning process. But there is also a cleaning process for your belief. Aamantu billahi wa malaa'ikatihi, "We believe in Allah and His angels," and "We believe in the Pillars of Faith." This is another najaasah in you (incorrect or weak belief).
Prophet (s) said, "Sicknesses come to clean you." Today we see sicknesses we haven't ever seen before, and as technology advances, Allah sends new sicknesses in order to teach Mankind not to associate with Allah. "Don't approach them and don't let them come to Masjid al-Haram or Masjid an-Nabawi." That area is prohibited for them. It means, if we carry any najaasah in our hearts, how are we going to perform a good prayer? We are directing our faces towards Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, to Ka`abatullah. How are we directing our faces when we have najaasah in us? What is asked of us? To be peaceful: not to interfere in anything, not to be bossy, saying, "Do this, do that." Bossiness comes from pride and arrogance. When you are arrogant, you think everyone has to listen to you. That is why it is not accepted in Islam to show that you are better than others.
That is why Allah said:
وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ
wa fawqa kulli dhi `ilmin `aleem.
Above every knower is a (higher) knower. (12:76)
wa ma`ana at-taharrah, to be pure means to be obedient, and prostrating to Allah (swt) through your heart, your organs and all parts of your body. No one has the right to go beyond the limits of that taharrah; that means to be obedient: who obeys the Prophet (s) obeys Allah (swt). May Allah keep us in His obedience and keep us always under the shafa`ah, intercession of His Prophet (s)!
Inn Allaha wa malaa'ikatahu yusalloona `alaa an-nabi. Yaa ayyuhal-ladheena aamanoo sallu `alayhi wa salleemu tasleemah. (Surat al-Ahzab, 33:56)
(End)