Jumu`ah Khutbah at As-Siddiq Mosque
(The day before Mawlana and group departed for Hajj.)
O Muslims, Believers! Allah (swt) created us with honor and dressed us from heavenly honor and He perfected us. He said:
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ
Wa laqad karamnaa Bani Adam.
We have honored the Children of Adam. (al-Israa, 17:70)
He honored us above all Creation and He honored some ones by choosing them to be from ummat an-Nabi (s). That is why He said in Holy Qur'an:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِِ
Kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrijat li ‘n-naasi taamuroona bi ‘l-m`aroofi wa tanhawna `ani al-munkari wa tu’minoona bil-Laah.
You are the best ummah of Mankind, enjoining what is right, preventing whatever is forbidden. (Aali-`Imraan, 3:110)
Today we are in the time of Hajj and from Allah's Honor, He honored us to do Hajj at least once in our lifetime, and not only once for whoever can afford it healthwise or financially, because Allah knows Hajj is not easy; it is a difficult journey that you are going to follow. But, subhaanAllah, from the different schools of thought, Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi`i to Hanbali, their different explanations of the principles of Hajj makes it so easy. They took from ahadith of the Prophet (s) where some Companions (r) traveled with Sayyidina Muhammad (s) on Hajjat al-Wada` and he gave them instructions to reduce difficulty.
Al-Abbas (r) came to the Prophet (s) and said, “Yaa Rasoolullah! I have to give water to the pilgrims in Mecca, so what should I do, because I cannot stay for three days in Mina.” Prophet (s) said, “Yes, you have a good excuse; throw your stones on the first day of Mina and go back to Mecca, or stay in Mecca the four days of Hajj.” Also, a group of shepherds came to Rasoolullah and said, “We are looking after the flocks of sheep for zabiha for Ahl al-Islam for Hajj and we cannot go to Mina.” Prophet (s) said, “Yes, stay in Mecca.” These are examples that Hajj is not difficult and it is not easy. If you are young and strong and can fulfill all the principles, you may, without observing only the easiest ones.
Allah (swt) granted Hajj once a year for 1400 years, and every Hajj has its own unique taste; there is no resemblance between one and the other. Whatever Allah (swt) sends of His Beautiful Names and Attributes on this Hajj or on that Hajj, He does not send the same, but sent in addition to it for the next Hajj. So Hajj is like a rainbow which has different faces of colors, which gives you a different taste if you look with a magnifier, you see many more colors that make you happy. Also Hajj is like a rainbow showing different manifestations of Allah's Beautiful Names and Attributes, so each year you get more and more manifestations over what came last year, all the way to the time of the Prophet (s) to the year you go for Hajj.
Allah is generous and whatever He sends, He doesn't take it back and what He gave before is still there. Since 1400 years ago, the rainbows of manifestations that Allah (swt) sent on people making Hajj are there from that time, and you receive them accumulatively with the year you perform Hajj (the tajalli of Hajj increases exponentially).
The presence of this year is going to be a different taste from what happened before, and we are moving towards Signs of the Last Days, as the Prophet (s) said:
القابض على دينه كالقابض على الجمر
Al-qaabidu `alaa deenihi ka’l-qaabidu `alaa al-jamr.
The one who holds his or her religion (in this time) is like one holding a burning coal in their hand.
So today it is not easy, to afford to go from these countries because it’s so expensive and so difficult, not like you are there or near the airport, or that you take a one-hour flight to be in Mecca and Madinah. The hassle of going and of more and more people making Hajj is more and more difficult. But, as Prophet (s) said:
لا راحة في الدين
Laa rahata fi ‘d-deen.
(There is) no rest in religion.
It means that you must always struggle. Before they depart, hujjaj, pilgrims, call everyone in their family and their neighbors and friends to say good-bye as the one going does not know if he will return, if he will die there or live. You are leaving dunya to go for Akhirah, that is the intention, that for everyone going to Hajj, it is akhirah, because it is an obligation. When you enter your prayer it is akhirah; when you make the five prayers it is as if you are in Heavens, because when you direct your face to qiblah, Baytullah, the original is in Bayt al-Ma’mur (in the Fourth Heaven, directly above the Ka'aba on Earth), so you are in akhirah!
The Prophet (s) said:
Qurratu `aynee fi 's-salaat.
The coolness of my eyes (the best time, what I love) is prayer (because I am in the Divine Presence).
Although we don't see that because we are weak servants and sinners, still Allah (swt) will give it to you because you are trying your best not to lose your prayers, as a Muslim is not only praying on Jumu`ah, but every day. Every prayer is with its own rainbow of manifestations and has its own unique taste. Unfortunately, today we pray like roosters (rushing) without any khushu`, taste of the prayer or any emotional feeling. Some people have it and others do not, and we ask Allah to give us that taste.
When you go to Madinat al-Munawarra and visit Prophet (s) and pay your respect, and you ask Allah (swt) in du`a for the sake of the Prophet (s), Allah will give. And who is beside him--all Sahaabah and all awliyaullah--but Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) and Sayyidina `Umar (r) are buried beside Prophet (s). What did Prophet (s) say about Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) and Sayyidina `Umar (r)? I am not going to speak about Sayyidina `Ali (r) today as there are 360 verses of Holy Qur’an about him. We are speaking on this issue today. The Prophet (s) said, “Every prophet has two ministers, wazirs, from the people of Heavens and two ministers from the people of Earth, and my ministers from Heavens are Jibreel (a) and Mika'eel (s). [That is why of all Ahl as-Samaa, these two are always with him as private, special ones.] As for my ministers of the people of Earth, they are Sayyidina Abu Bakr and Sayyidina `Umar.”
And so what do you think, can someone visiting the Prophet (s) miss visiting Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) and Sayyidina `Umar (r)? No way, because they are beside Prophet (s). It means anyone visiting Madinat al-Munawwara and Sayyidina Muhammad (s), and then Sayyidina Abu Bakr and Sayyidina `Umar, will be with them in every moment of his life in dunya and Akhirah! Allah (swt) will not prevent someone who came to the threshold of Prophet(s), to the threshold of Sayyidina Abu Bakr, Sayyidina `Umar, Sayyidina `Uthman, Sayyidina `Ali, of all Sahaabah, all children and grandchildren and the Family and wives of the Prophet (s), to be later deprived of being with them, but you will be with them in dunya and akhirah!
It doesn’t mean only from your presence this year (that you receive such blessings), or that those who went last year or another year are deprived, no. It is an accumulation and an addition of the blessings of past years and this year, as this dunya is quickly moving towards a heavenly change to quickly bring the power of Heavens to restore peace and happiness on Earth.
(Hadith) Ibn `Umar said, “One day the Prophet (s) entered the mosque and on his right was Sayyidina Abu Bakr and on his left was Sayyidina `Umar, and he was holding their hands, and he (s) said, ‘This is how we will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment, together (Prophet, Sayyidina Abu Bakr and Sayyidina `Umar).’” Do you think you will be left behind when Prophet (s) is resurrected with Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) and Sayyidina `Umar (r) and with all Sahaabah (r) and all Prophet’s Family (r), that you will be deprived when you withstood all the difficulties to reach him (s) at least once in your lifetime, to reach his presence and ask what you like to ask, where there is no ‘there,’ and angels only take your prayer up, but Prophet (s) will take you up to the Divine Presence.
This year the tajalli of that du`a is open to be accepted. That’s why many sincere, pious servants of Allah, رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْه, rijaalun saadaqoo maa `ahadullaha `alayh (33:23), “Men who kept their covenant with Allah (swt),” will be in that presence, coming from everywhere to be in the presence of Prophet (s), asking Allah (swt) as in the aayah:
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ
Walaw annahum ith thalamoo anfusahum jaaooka fa ’staghfaroollaah wa ’staghfara lahumu ‘r-rasool.
If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come to you and asked for Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them. (an-Nisa, 4:64)
When they are oppressors to themselves, they come to you, yaa Muhammad, and ask for Allah’s forgiveness, Allah will forgive them if you forgive them and you ask for forgiveness on their behalf!
We are asking, yaa Sayyidee, yaa Rasoolullah! Our intention is to go and see you and visit you, and to ask for forgiveness in your presence, and to ask to be with you in dunya and Akhirah, at your feet and the feet of Sayyidina Abu Bakr, Sayyidina `Umar, Sayyidina `Uthman, Sayyidina `Ali and all other Sahaabah (r)!
(Hadith) `Anas (r) said, “The Prophet (s) said, ‘Love of Abu Bakr and `Umar is from faith and anyone who hates them will fall into the category of kafir, unbelief.”
So make sure during your presence there, in the presence of Prophet (s), to give your utmost respect to him and to Sayyidina Abu Bakr, Sayyidina `Umar, Sayyidina `Uthman, Sayyidina `Ali, Sayyidina Hasan and Sayyidina Hussayn, his Wives and his Family, his Children and Grandchildren, all his Companions (r), Ka`aba and Mahbat al-Wahiy, Jannat al-Baq`ee, Safa, Marwa and Saee, and all angels of Heavens and Earth, and to give respect to all prophets (a) and all sincere, pious people.
You must keep your anger down there: don't nag and don't argue, asking, “Why this happened, didn’t happen?” or, “Why I have to be this or that?” There, it is only what Allah wants and you will see you have no will; only Allah's will is manifest there and you will see whatever He has written for you, so don’t argue! Keep your prayers, and keep your mouth only in dhikrullah and salawaat on the Prophet (s). (Du`a)