Q&A with Imam Senad at Private Residence
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani: May Allah (swt) save us from the badness of our egos all our life. We were explaining some of these in your absence. If you want to say something …
Imam Senad: Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem. I apologize, first of all, for coming late. There was a wedding I promised to attend a long time ago, so I had to go to an Albanian Islamic Center. We welcome Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, our `alim, our authority.
Today something happened to me, probably not without a reason, and I will raise this issue in front of Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, to see whether what I said was right or not. I was khateeb today in MEC in Morton Grove for the first Jumu`ah; they offer three Jumu`ah prayers, two for adults and one for the students. I spoke about whom Allah loves and I quoted the ayah:
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
qul in kuntum tuhibboona ’Llaha f ’attabi`oonee yuhbibkumullahu wa yaghfir lakum dhunoobakum wa ’Llahu Ghafooru 'r-Raheem.
Say (O Muhammad), "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me! Allah will love you and forgive your sins, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Aali `Imraan, 3:31)
Probably all of you know about this ayah. I said that this is the ultimate answer of the Holy Qur'an, that the one who loves Allah is the one who follows the footsteps of Sayyidina Muhammad (s). Then it came to my mind during the khutbah to say what I think about Sayyidina `Isa (a) and the reasons why he is coming back, that I think he might be coming back because he knew about this verse, this truth, and it might be that he asked Allah to grant him to be the follower of Prophet Muhammad (s) so that he can be loved in that way, so that he can fulfill the promise of this ayah.
After the khutbah we prayed two raka’ats and one Muslim stood up and said, “This khateeb is wrong! Sayyidina `Isa (a) is great enough and he doesn’t need anyone as Allah praised him and made him great already. He is coming back and we don't know why he is coming back, so please disregard what this khateeb said.”
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani: It is good what that man said, because it is like taking a temperature when someone gets a fever. You use the thermometer and it goes up to 99, 100, 101, 105. The awliyaullah were there, checking his heart to see how much the thermometer for his anger was going up, or if he was submitting; they know.
He said that Sayyidina `Isa (a) understands that ayah and wants to follow the footsteps of the Prophet (s). I don't want to call that one who spoke, a stupid person, but there is hadith about when Sayyidina `Isa (a) asked Allah (swt) to delay him so he could be honored to be part of Ummat an-Nabi (s). Because of that Allah raised him or else he would have gone like other prophets, but because he showed humility and humbleness to ask this, Allah (swt) delayed him so he could come back to be honored as part of Ummat an-Nabi (s).
According to some ahadith, they explain how it is going to be when Sayyidina `Isa (a) descends, saying, “Between you and your imam.” This means that Imam Mahdi (a) will be in front and then he will step back so Sayyidina `Isa (a) can lead the prayer, but Sayyidina `Isa (a) will refuse, saying, “I asked to be from Ummat an-Nabi (s). You lead the prayer as I am from Ummat an-Nabi (s).” Let these (ignorant) people educate themselves before they try to stand and criticize without knowing! Of course we know the ayah:
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي
Qul in kuntum tuhibboona 'Llaaha fattabi`oonee...
Say (O Muhammad), "If you (really) love Allah, then follow me!” (Surat Aali-'Imraan, 3:31)
Sayyidina `Isa (a) is one of Bani Adam (a) following the Prophet (s) as he said in an authentic hadith, “Adam (a) and whoever is under him are under my flag on the Day of Judgment.” It is very well established that all of the nations, from that of Sayyidina Adam (a) to Ibrahim to Sayyidina Musa (a), will come to the Prophet (s) to ask for shafa`ah, so how will Sayyidina Adam (a) not be honored to return to follow the Prophet (s)? But, unfortunately, there are people like that and may Allah (swt) forgive us.
What you said is correct, Shaykh, and I don't want to say it, but some people are rude. He could have gone between you and him and said, “What you said is wrong.” He should have had adab. There is no adab. What he said was wrong, so you could have shown him the evidence and then it would be finished. What did Imam Shafi`i say about ignorant people? “If a hundred `alims come to debate with me I will win over them, but if one ignorant person comes and debates with me, he will win over me.” The ignorant are ignorant, which means they are not going to accept anything. These Wahhabis are going to attack no matter what you say, so may Allah protect us and protect them and guide them back to what is good for them and what is good for Ummat an-Nabi (s). No problem, that is a good test and now there are too many tests like that everywhere.
Are there any questions? No questions. So, as I was saying to the people here, it is not like a fiqh circle or a hadith circle, but it is the teaching of the Maqam al-Ihsaan, how to improve our behaviors and prepare ourselves for moral excellence. This is what is important in Islam and in religion, discipline and adab. At-tariqatu kullahu aadaabun, “All of tariqah is good conduct.” Your journey in life must be full of diplomacy and respect, and you cannot be rude to people or they will run away from you. Allah (swt) wants people to run to you! The Prophet (s) made his Sahaabah (r) like stars because he taught them discipline. He said, “My sahaabi are like stars; whichever of them you follow, you will win, you will be guided.” So if you follow in the footsteps of any Sahaabee you will be guided to the way of the Prophet (s) because they are the doors of the Prophet (s)! So may Allah guide us and guide the ummah and grant an opening soon for Imam Senad for a masjid! And inshaa-Allah may Allah protect all of us.
And what did the other students say? Did they keep quiet?
Imam Senad: Many came to apologize for what that student did; he is known for that and his father was on the board and used to do the same thing.
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani: In Holy Qur'an there are two boats mentioned, one of Sayyidina Khidr (a) and the other of Sayyidina Nuh (a), and the two ships have to sail for safety, is it not? For one to be kept safe, Sayyidina Khidr (a) had to make a hole in it, while the other had to be glued well with no holes. So the safety of Sayyidina Nuh's (a) ship is to have no holes, and the safety of Khidr's (a) ship is to have holes. Why? This one with no holes to reach its destiny and the other with holes to reach its destiny, and both are safe.
The safety of Sayyidina Khidr's (a) boat has to have holes and Sayyidina Musa (a) no holes. Sayyidina Khidr (a) is showing us [it is very deep] Sayyidina Khidr (a) drilled the hole in the ship because at the end there is a tyrant, jabaabira, yakhudh kulla safeenatin ghasba, “a king who takes all ships by force,” so if that ship is going to take all dunya treasures, there is tyrant there to take it, which means, “Don't sail with dunya, your ego!” He put a hole in the ego of the self, which is the example of the ship. To put a hole in it means “to kill the self.” Why? Both are safe, but he is preparing to meet the shaytan at the end, and if that shaytan sees you normal he is going to take you, but if he sees you stabbing yourself against your will, he will leave you. So when you put that knife in your self, like what he Khidr after that--he killed the boy--that means at that time Khidr (a) killed the complete ego of the self, preparing Sayyidina Musa (a) for these levels. We will explain this in detail tomorrow.
For Sayyidina Nuh’s ship, everyone was submitting to Allah's will, as mentioned in the ayah:
وَقَالَ ارْكَبُواْ فِيهَا بِسْمِ اللّهِ مَجْرَاهَا وَمُرْسَاهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Wa qaala irkaboo feehaa bismi-Llahi majraahaa wa mursaahaa inna rabbee la-ghafoorun raheem.
So he (Nuh) said, "Embark on the ark in the Name of Allah, whether it moves or remains still, for my Lord is assuredly Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful!" (Surat al-Hud, 11:41)
Bismillahi majreehaa wa mursaahaa, the ship was submitting to the flood, so it has to be held together with no holes as this ship’s safety is with submission. And so today there are people following the ego and others trying to glue the mistakes of others. May Allah glue our mistakes!
Bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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