ASIM

 

O Muslims, believers, alhamdulillah that Allah has honored us. Every time we have to say it and we have to remind ourselves that Allah chose us to be from Ummat an-Nabi (s).

In dunya life people run to be member of parliament, in order to be representatives for a community or in a kingdom, not in a … in a kingdom it is different they run, they have advisory committees, which the people try to be one of these advisors or one of the Shura Council.

Allah swt - without us running to anywhere and trying to find a position - Allah swt chose us from everyone else that He created on this earth and He made us only to be from Ummat an-Nabi (s). And this is a big honor. So if Allah honored us and chose us and made us to be from Ummat an-Nabi (s) then we have to be disciplined and following the way of Sayyidina Muhammad (s).

You cannot be sitting in that position and that is an honored position. Where Allah said:

 

وَلَقَدْكَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ

We have honored the sons of Adam; [al-Isra, 17:70]

 

“Verily We honored the Children of Adam" and to be in Ummat an-Nabi (s) is an even more special honor. We have to obey the order and discipline of the Prophet (s) and not disobey.

The Prophet (s) gave us someone advices and showed us the way and he prohibited us from sitting in the streets.

One of the ways is that people like to go and socialize and where do they sit? On the streets, is it not? They sit in coffee shops and what do they do? They talk nonsense. Because if you want to talk about Allah swt and about the Prophet (s) Muhammad and about other prophets you go to a place that has been made for that. You go to mosque or you go to a school or you go to place where Allah is worshipped. You don't go to a coffee shop or to a restaurant and give an advice about Allah and His Prophet (s). Or you think it is best to sit in a coffee shop and coffee store to give advice there? You have to run away from where Shaytan is. Shaytan is in these places. Shaytan cannot enter a mosque and Shaytaan cannot enter a place of worship. But he can enter anywhere else.

 

`An Abi Sa`eed al-Khudree `an an-Nabi (s) annahu qaal: eeyaakum, the Prophet here is warning us, threatening us. “Eeyaakum w’al-juloosa fee at-turooqaat.” He is warning us from sitting in the streets. You see people put chairs on streets and put them outside the store and they are talking and smoking and…

Instead of saying “yes - sami`na wa ata`na - we hear and we obey!”, as it is very difficult on the ego, instead of saying, “haqq,” as Sayyidina Abu Bakr said, “haqq, sadaqat ya Rasulullah.” He never answered back and questioned back, Sayyidina Abu Bakr and the Sahaba. But there were some new Sahaba.

“Wa qaaloo ma lana buda min majalisana natahadathu feeha - O Prophet (s) of Allah we…There is no way we can drop this sitting on the street." [it means] our ego likes that to sit and drink tea and coffee and talk nonsense. We cannot stop that and we are going to do it.

And the Prophet (s), if he doesn't a little bit modify it and someone will sit on street, then immediately he will be punished by Allah swt, rejecting Prophet (s)'s obedience. Then Prophet (s) went to modify it.

If you decided to sit in the streets and talk nonsense there, then you have to give the discipline of the streets. “Qaaloo ma haqq at-tareeq ya Rasulullah. What is right of the street, what we have to do?” And the Prophet (s) put the condition. And that applies to us today, from time of Sahaba up to Day of Judgment. When you go and sit in the street it means you have to understand there is a certain discipline you have to follow them.

When you sit in the street you put a table here and a chair here and another chair on this side and another chair on that side. When you sit in the chair what do you do first? What Prophet (s) prohibited first? What you have to do first is mainly what people do when they sit on streets. What do they do? To put down your eyes, to put down your sight. Don't look, don't look who is going and who is coming.

Today when you sit on street what do you do? You look who is going and who is coming. Shaytan plays with you. If you are a man he plays with you who is coming and who is going and if you are a woman also he plays with you. So what Prophet (s) said? “Ghad al-basar – lower the gaze.”

Can you sit in street and put your head down? That means the Prophet (s) is telling Sahaba not to sit in streets.

Can we sit in streets and not look at the one who is nice to look at? We are always looking right and left.

Then Prophet (s) said, “wa kaf al-a`da.” It means when you look down you don't see who is coming and who is going and in addition, he said, "don't give hardship or suffering to others."

It might be someone is passing whom you don't like and you look and begin to backbite that person. Many times in small districts in villages everyone knows the other. Same district people sit, residential area, and people know each other. When they pass each other you don't talk to them and they don't speak to you, but you speak to your companions saying "that one is bad." Prophet (s) prohibited that because you are falling into backbiting.

And he (s) said, “Wa radd as-salaam – return or respond to the greeting.” and if someone harmed you and is passing by you and gives salaam you have to answer. Don't say this is my enemy. You must give the salutation back and you cannot say no. Today how many pass by you, you know them and they don't give salam and you don't give you salam.

And “radd as-salaam, reply to the greeting,” means, when you salute that person, he or she becomes happy, that fragile problem that is built up and that mistrust the came between you and him, becomes softer and softer and softer. That is why the Prophet (s) said, "there is discipline for those who like to sit in streets."

Then he said last, "al-amr bil-ma`ruf wan-nahi `anil-munkar.” If you think your sitting in the streets has a benefit then “you have to call people to good and tell them what is forbidden.”

To give good advice. Not to sit and look at people and backbite them but to give advice that, “what is haram and what is halal.”

That is the discipline the Prophet (s) insisted upon to his Sahaba when they sit on tables outside. Many people go to restaurants or to coffee shops. We must know there is a discipline for these and Prophet (s) is giving us something that is for our best, for our future, in order when Allah swt asks you "what were you doing sitting in streets and not going to worship Me, but wasting time? Not doing something good but sitting with friends and backbiting people?" Then we are going to be responsible.

`An Abi Darda, `an an-Nabi… one time the Prophet (s) saw a gold ring on the hand of one of his Sahaba, (and it is sunnah to wear a ring on the right hand and the Prophet (s) said, "if someone revives my sunnah in the last days, they will have the reward of 70 martyrs." So when you wear ring then you get reward of 70 martyrs.)

So one day he was looking and saw a man with a ring of gold and he came to his hand and took it off and threw it away. He said, "someone of you takes a hot coal, burning coal, charcoal, burning and puts it in his hand to burn his hand."

That means that ring which is gold is a burning coal in the hand of people. That is why the Prophet (s) prohibited it to men to wear gold. For women no problem, they are lucky. And they complain they are not honored in Islam. Aayyy look in Islam you wear gold and silk and they wear not only a gold and silk but up to their shoulder they wear it. And they say "men discriminate us!" What you discriminate, you are wearing gold up to your neck?!

So sunnah is any ring but not gold; copper or silver ok.[1]

So he took that ring and threw it away and said that is like putting charcoal on your hand.

And when the Prophet (s) left they told the man, pick up your ring. Pick it up and put in your pocket. You can give it to your wife. He said “la w’Allahi! la akhudhuhu abadan wa qad atrahu ar-rasul s. I will never pick up when the Prophet (s) threw it.” That means when the Prophet (s) said something they immediately don't do it. Since Prophet (s) prohibited I am not touching it any more that is a burning coal.

O Muslims! we must not make our life a burning coal by disobedience to Prophet (s).

 

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