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The Five Signs of Corruption

Welcoming Shaykh ul-Islam

Shaykh Abdul Rahman Kuddous, Chief Imam of Ivory Coast

Visit to Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

Private Home in New Jersey

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani:

Mawlana Shaykh Kuddous is head of all Muslims of the whole Ivory Coast. He is so humble to come here, although he is sick. He said, "I am coming for us to say to him "welcome" and mashaa-Allah he is with all kinds of Muslim organizations all over the world. And I think he has his son here in this country. his daughter and son.

He speaks French and Arabic, but he speaks English and he can address us and he will be on Internet. He will speak in French and Diomande will translate in English.

(Translated from French)

Shaykh Kuddous:

Before everything, I would like to be thankful to Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani for the big honor he did in Ivory Coast. I am here to attend an ecumenical conference in Washington, but that was postponed to the 23rd of next month. Before coming, I said to the president of Ivory Coast that I am going to visit my children and may meet with Shaykh Kabbani in the next week. I will pass the greeting of the whole country. And the president said, "From the short time he spent here, I am seeing the effect of his visit on the whole country." Again he is saying thanks to Malwana and saying that the country is ready for a second visit! I wish to greet with great affection and with our love to Mawlana for the huge Islamic work that he is doing in the US, and that is helping to spread the teaching of Islam in the US. And I pray that Allah (swt) increases the knowledge that Allah (swt) has bestowed on Mawlana Shaykh Hisham for the benefit of the ummah.

Yesterday I did the Jumu`ah khutbah and mentioned a hadith of the Prophet (s). When you read it you feel the Prophet is among us; he is among us and he is everywhere! When you go to a factory you find the Prophet (s), when you go to a garage you find him there, when you go to hospital you find him there and everywhere you go, even if it is modern, you find the Prophet (s).

Abdur Rahman ibn `Auf (r) mentioned a hadith about the Prophet (s). The Prophet had met with the muhajireen (refugees) who came from Mecca. He said, "There are five characteristics or morals that will appear and the world will be tested by those five characters." And he prayed the Companions will live to that time. He said he would like to share the five characters that Prophet mentioned 1400 years ago, to see if we are living on that. The first character he mentioned to the muhajireen, the message is not for you alone but for all of us, and for all time.

One of those behaviors that will be displayed is that fornication and adultery will be widespread and there will be no fear of Allah (swt) to do that in plain sight. And due to that Allah (swt) will send diseases that never appeared before, incurable diseases. Fornication and adultery will not be widespread in a community except that Allah (swt) will send destruction in that community and that is what we see today. He said that there are places that those who worship Allah (swt) cannot even pass, and that is why Allah (swt) is sending calamities and destruction worldwide. All this destruction is happening for what we are seeing day and night, and that is a disease we say "AIDS." And that is why Allah (swt) said, "Don't come close to adultery." He didn't say, "Don't do it," but, "Don't come close to it." That is why is forbidden for man and woman to sit alone together. And Allah (swt) said, la tatabi`u khutuwaat ash-Shaytan. "Don't follow the footsteps of Shaytan," and then you go astray. He said that looking with lust in your eyes or with envy is wrong. And that is a hadith from 1400 years ago, as if Prophet (s) is here today. And that is general proof of authenticity of the message of the Prophet (s).

And in the hadith, the second behavior mentioned is that they will reduce the (financial) balance and (practice) corruption in business, and if they do that then calamities will come down and they will have the oppressor set over them.

The next behavior the Prophet (s) mentioned is that people stop paying the zakaat, to the point that they don't believe it is required. From that, the rain will stop coming from the sky. Today people live as if zakaat doesn't exist; that is what we see today in the world Muslim community. If they will pay the true zakaat as required, there will be no more poor among the Muslims. Among the 600 richest people in the world today, 400 are Muslim and 200 are non-Muslim, but they give. And the rain will only come for the sake of animals.

The fourth behavior will be that the community in general will stop obeying the Lord as obliged. The Muslims will neglect the pact between them and Allah (swt) to worship Him, and to follow what Prophet gives, and avoid what he prohibits. Now we realize we are not following those two oaths we took and Allah (swt) will impose on us non-Muslims who will dictate to us what to do. And in Ivory Coast there is organization that gives dawah and they used to get a subsidiary from (a Muslim country) and recently they were prohibited to get that as the money might help al-Qaeda!

The fifth behavior that will be displayed is that the leader will not follow Qur'an nor the hadith of Prophet (s), and they will follow their own ideas. If you look at the nations that are Muslim countries, on one side they put aside the rules of Qur'an and on one side they neglect the sunnah of the Prophet (s), and they are fighting each other. One example in Ivory Coast is where they have 20 Muslim organizations in one country and that is a means to divide the country. And if someone comes to establish a new organization, they will give him right. When the pope speaks, all the Catholics of the world listen and obey, they don't look at what he is doing as he is the leader. Who is the leader in the Muslim nation who can speak and all Muslims will listen?

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham: It is you!

Shaykh Kuddous: We are asking Mawlana Grandshaykh Hisham Kabbani to pray to Allah (swt) to bring all Muslims together. I believe and trust in his prayer and I believe if he makes that prayer, Allah (swt) will accept! I am repeating my thankfulness to Shaykh Hisham for his travel to Ivory Coast and that light is there and will grow.And Muslims and non-Muslims of Ivory Coast send their greetings to him, and especially from the Religious Forum. And there is one person who sends special regards and he believes that person will soon become Muslim. And may Allah (swt) give him long life and health and that will be in his scale in Judgment Day.

(Translated to French for Shaykh ul-Islam.)

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham: First of all, I am so happy that Shaykh al-Islam Abdur-Rahman al-Kuddous honored us with his presence here today, and that was a surprise for me. I cannot stop speaking about what I saw there of hospitality, although they are very pious and humble people there. And you can feel and see them and see how they are dedicated to keeping the name of Islam high, and how they are innocent and not violent. Also I saw the love that is in their hearts for anyone who says, "I am a Muslim," and they show that great love, even if they don't know that person, but you say "Islam" to them, they are so happy with anything you say.

I was surprised in Ivory Coast, where I saw something I didn't see in Muslim countries, not even in Ghana or in Kenya. I saw very strong activities of women and the very big support that Shaykh al-Islam is giving to women in the community, and they don't differentiate between the work of women and men, and you see their activities are more for women than for men! And also I saw Shaykh ul-Islam Mawlana Kuddous there and his influence and power, and yet he was so humble to meet with us and to organize the conference and seminars that we held there.

I traveled around the world and I know he travels around the world, but I never saw anyone who touched on the hadith of the Last Days. (Remarks to translator) I didn't say combu la fait, putting pepper in it! I was coming to that pepper. (laughter) We hear many speakers who speak about Islam very nicely, and they speak on love of Prophet (s) very nicely, but they don't prepare people that the Last Day is approaching, in order for people to prepare themselves for that time. I was not so surprised, but so happy and amazed that Shaykh Kuddous touched on that hadith, one of thousands of hadith of Prophet (s).

Al-Qafoori put a book of six volumes of one-thousand ahadith printed in Riyad. People don't touch on these hadiths, I don't know why? They think dunya will continue. Shaykh Kuddous touched on that hadith and I am so happy that someone can pass along that knowledge, as it has been lifted by Muslim scholars. They touch on marriage, zakaat, inheritance, etc. but they don't touch these ahadith. Prophet (s) mentioned what is coming in the Last Days of calamities, and if we don't pay attention we are losers!

We are going to send this speech of Shaykh Kuddous across the Internet, in order for people to understand that the scholars are there, but we need the ears to hear them, and we must give them the podium to speak.

Since we came back (from Africa) we are speaking highly about Shaykh Kuddous and all what he gave us and we didn't give him anything! He showed us all this hard work and I realized what hard work he does for his country. We pray that Allah (swt) keeps him successful and that Allah (swt) keeps him on top, not in the middle of scholars but on top of all scholars! And to bring to the Muslim community together as it is divided there. We pray that Allah (swt) makes his voice for the whole Muslim community, and to be in his hands and not divided, and then it is in safe hands.

I am very thankful for him that he arranged the meeting with the president of Ivory Coast, that really you sit with someone but if you don't meet him you don't understand him. Whatever they say about someone, you don't realize it until you meet him. He is so humble. When Prophet (s) sent the Sahabah (r) to a safe-haven to the emperor, al-Najashi, he said, "There is no difference between us." And the president has so much respect to Mawlana Kuddous and so much respect to Muslims and I am praying for him. Thank you very much for coming.

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