21 May 2016 Burton, Michigan
Laylat al-Bara`at at As-Siddiq Institute & Mosque (ASIM) (2)
[Series source text: السنن الواردة في الفتن وغوائلها والساعة وأشراطها As-Sunan al-Waridah Fi ‘l-Fitani wa Ghawaali’ihaa wa ‘s-Saa`ati wa Ashraatihaa, by `Uthman bin Sa`eed al-Muqri ad-Daani; research and Hadith authentication by Dr. Ridaaullah bin Muhammad Idris Mubarakfuri; published by Daar al-`Aasima, Riyadh. Originally published 444 Hijri.]
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh. Inshaa-Allah we will try to complete Halaqat adh-Dhikr. If you say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” laa yas`auha ’l-meezaan, “The Balance cannot contain it even one time.” What then do you think about someone who says 100 times a day, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah.” If you say one time, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah,” the Scale cannot contain it even if it was as big as Heavens and Earth! If you write on a leaf of a tree from Heaven “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah” and put it on the Scale, it will be heavier than the whole universe because Laa ilaaha illa-Llah indicates Kalimat at-Tawheed.
Today the Wahhabis complain that we don't say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah,” and if we say it they complain, also if we say “Allah, Allah” they complain, so what should we say, should we keep quiet? In any case, they like to complain and Allah likes people to submit, surrender. That is the problem in the world today, people don't surrender to each other, they only submit to their egos and desires, however:
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا
On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. (Surat al-Baqarah, 2:286)
The ayah is very clear, “Allah does not burden anyone with more than he can take,” finished. If my limit is one bottle Allah will not burden me with two bottles. If I can take two bottles, I take; if I can take one, I can; if I can take three I can, but Allah does not force me, He says to observe the limits and it will be written for you as if you did the highest, but do something, don't be lazy.
Awliyaullah differed from us in one thing, they submitted to Allah (swt), no iraadah, no will from them. As long as we have will, we will be like a fish out of water. May Allah (swt) forgive us and accept from us this night. Do you have the du`a? We will do dhikr first. [Khatm al-Khwajagan.]
[Post-dhikr suhbah starts at 58:00.]
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah, nawaytu 'r-riyaada, nawaytu 's-salook, lillahi ta`ala fee hadha 'l-masjid. Kalimataan khafeefataan `ala al-lisaan thaqeelataan fi ‘l-meezaan SubhaanAllah wa bi-hamdihi SubhaanAllahi ’l-`Azheem, astaghfirullah.
Alhamdulillah that Allah (swt) granted us and honored us to be Muslim. In dunya, today if you go to a jeweler and ask for a precious stone, he shows you many, but one of them is the most precious, a blue diamond. Blue is the symbol of Heavens, like when you look at the sky you see blue and when you look at the ocean you see blue or green. Green is also a precious stone, emerald. So Allah (swt) likes the Ummat an-Nabi (s) to be the best, that is why He mentioned in the Holy Qur'an:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ
You were the best of Nations evolved for Mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong and believing in Allah. (Surat Aali-`Imraan, 3:110)
“You were the best Ummah sent forth to humanity.” Allah made us rare jewels, He made Ummat an-Nabi (s) and dressed them with Rahmat an-Nabi (s). That is why you see in Ummat an-Nabi (s) a lot of Awliya, because they are the jewels or the water that makes everyone around them alive; without them dunya is dark. That is why the Prophet (s) mentioned from the Last Days that umaraaukum, “Your leaders are too many,” and fuqahaaukum, scholars are too many, but when Allah takes them, there is no substitute, the Ummah is left with no leadership. We need leadership! If all Muslims ask for leadership Allah will send, not as a prophet but as a grandson of the Prophet (s) as he said, “In the Last Days Allah will dress one of my grandchildren to guide humanity to the Right Way.”
لا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تُمْلَأَ الْأَرْضُ ظُلْمًا وَجَوْرًا وَعُدْوَانًا، ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي مَنْ يَمْلَؤهَا قِسْطًا وَعَدْلًا ، كَمَا مُلِئَتْ ظُلْمًا وَعُدْوَانًا
The Hour will not arise until the Earth is filled with oppression and injustice and enmity, then from among my progeny one will come out who fills the Earth with fairness and justice, just as it was filled with injustice and enmity. (Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak)
He (s) said yakhruju, “to come out, appear,” not yooladu, “he will be born.” It means, “He is among you but did not yet appear,” but he is somewhere and ready to carry the flag of the Prophet (s) to call for peacefulness and happiness. That’s why he (s) said, “A child from my children will come out and fill (balance) the Earth with justice as previously it was filled with darkness and oppression.”
Today we have only darkness and oppression. Awliyaullah are waiting for the appearance of Mahdi (a), the grandson of the Prophet (s). Some Awliyaullah say he is ready, waiting for permission. He is not going to fight, he is not going to carry a sword or machine gun, that is for children, like a toy in that time that does not have power, not even the biggest tank by power of Sayyidina al-Mahdi (a)! Sometimes they show you in cartoons the cat or mouse deflates like a balloon, then will be no more. So he (a) is waiting to appear by Allah's Order in a time when there is nothing left of religion, which is why the Prophet (s) said:
يوشك أن يأتي على الناس زمان لا يبقى من الإسلام إلا اسمه
There will come a time upon a people when nothing remains from Islam except its name. (Bayhaqi)
The Prophet (s) said the Qur’an is going to enter every house and now Holy Qur'an is in every house, Muslim and non-Muslim. Muslims keep the Qur’an, but on the shelf. Non-Muslims are curious to know, they read some pages, they don't understand and they say ‘this is terrorism,’ but it is full of Allah’s (swt) Commands, it is the Constitution of Heaven, Allah's Words. So he said, Lam yabqaa min al-islaami illa ismuhu, “There will be nothing left from Islam except its name,” is it not? There is nothing left. There are some `alims around the world, only very few and unfortunately all of them pull the carpet towards themselves, competing with each other. Allah (swt) wants us to compete in worshipness, not in papers, not on becoming big `ulama who memorized everything. He wants you not to be `alim of papers, but `alim of understanding the realities of the Holy Qur'an!
Allah wants the best for us. He knows He said in Holy Qur'an, kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrajit li ’n-naas, “You were the best of communities sent to Mankind, calling to good and peace and happiness, and you prohibit munkar, badness.” Allah knows we are weak and cannot do that, so we are going to make sins. So what did He say in the ayah?
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا
If they had only, when they were unjust (oppressor) to themselves, come to you and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nisaa, 4:64)
Allah made it a condition, as for sure everyone is an oppressor to himself and that’s why He said, law annahum idh zhalamoo anfusahum, He wants to give Ummat an-Nabi (s) a way out, and He said, jaa`ooka, “They come to you, yaa Muhammad.” Yaa Sayyidee, yaa Rasoolullah (s), we are calling you from here! We are oppressors to ourselves, is there any other door to come to? Allah made that door to come to Prophet (s), and when He said, jaa’ooka, in the present tense, “They are coming to you,” it means, “There is no way except your way.” Allah wants us to come to the presence of the Prophet (s) and that means there is no way out from your sins except through the Prophet (s). Do you want to try another door? Try! Which door do you want to try? Sayyidina `Isa’s door or Sayyidina Musa’s door? If we were to use Sayyidina `Isa's door, Allah would have made us from Sayyidina `Isa (a), but Allah created us from Ummat Muhammad (s), so we have to do what he says, the others do what Sayyidina `Isa (a) or Sayyidina Musa (a) said, it is their religion, their own way.
But all of them, every prophet, is going to come to Sayyidina Muhammad (s) to intercede for them on the Day of Judgement. So if you don't do that in dunya you will do it in Akhirah, because you have to come to the door of the Prophet (s). Is there any other door? From Sayyidina Adam (a) up to Sayyidina `Isa (a), all these prophets are going to come to Sayyidina Muhammad (s). That is why Allah said, “Anyone who is an oppressor to himself,” that means everyone comes to Sayyidina Muhammad (s)!
So I am here, you are here, we are coming and repenting on 15th of Sha`ban and this is Laylat al-Bara`at, what do we have to do? If we call on the Prophet (s), will he not respond when in Holy Qur'an Allah said we have to go to the Prophet (s)? It means he is going to respond, for sure. We are not seeing, but we are understanding that to come to the Prophet (s) there is no other way. “When they come to you, Sayyidina Muhammad (s), I will accept their istighfaar, if they don't come to you, I will not accept their istighfaar.”
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا
If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come to you and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nisaa, 4:64)
اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لاَ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَن يَغْفِرَ اللّهُ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِي
Whether you pray [to Allah] that they be forgiven or you do not pray for them [it will all be the same, for even] if you were to pray seventy times that they be forgiven, Allah will not forgive them, seeing that they are bent on denying Allah and His Apostle, and Allah does not bestow His guidance upon the perversely rebellious! (Surat at-Tawbah, 9:80)
So your condition for your istighfaar to be accepted in the Presence of the Prophet (s) is to be muwahhid, to say, “Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah,” and anyone who does not say it, his istighfaar is not accepted. You have to admit that there is no Creator except Allah and that the Seal of Messengers is Sayyidina Muhammad (s), then even one istighfaar is accepted. But if you don't say “Allah has no partner and Muhammad is His Messenger,” then you have no Tawheed. For Muslims, Tawheed is ‘Laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah’ and the Hadith states whoever says “Laa ilaaha illa ’Llah” enters Paradise.
“There will be nothing left from Islam except its name,” so that ayah, if you go a little bit deeper Allah will open more meanings, and it shows everything is connected: to go to Allah it has to pass through the Prophet (s). If you send email, it goes from the server to the recipient; similarly, Allah made the Prophet (s) the one responsible to carry the Ummah and if you say “astaghfirullah” it goes to Prophet (s), who presents it to Allah (swt). That is why He brought him (s) to Maqaam Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa. So when you say “astaghfirullah” you are in the presence of the Prophet (s); remember he (s) is coming, observing you for your happiness, because you are saying istighfaar: jaa’ooka, “they come to you,” and the Kaaf in jaa’ooka goes back to the Prophet (s), meaning, “They come to you, yaa Muhammad: there is no one else to come to them except you! You make istighfaar for them there and they will find Allah laa wajadullah tawaaba, forgiving!”
If you go deeper in the verse you understand it in a different way: “When they are oppressors to themselves and they come to you, O Muhammad, and you do istighfaar on their behalf and they are then in your presence, la-wajadoo ’Llah, then they will find Allah, not only Tawaaban Raheema.” That is the whole aim of every wali on Earth, to find Allah (swt)! For sure Allah is Tawaaban Raheema, but there are Walis who don’t ask; wherever Allah will put them, whether in Paradise or Hell, they don’t care except to find Him, to love Him, and there is no way to love Him except through that ayah:
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
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.” (Surat Aali`'Imraan, 3:31)
But here is stronger, here they will find Allah, la-wajadoo ’Llah, there is no higher level than that! That’s why when Prophet (s) went to Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa, wajada ’Llah he found Allah, and more than that, as Imam Nawawi said in Sharh Hadith al-Mi`raaj, “He saw Allah (swt) with the eyes of his head.” So if you want to find Allah (swt) you must go to the Prophet (s).
فَفِرُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ
Run to Allah (from all that is false and evil)! (Surat adh-Dhaariyaat, 51:50)
Fa firroo illa ’Llah, to ‘run to Allah’ is to find Him! Sayyidina Musa (a) said:
قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكََ
He said, "O my Lord! Show Yourself to me, that I may look upon You." (Surat al-`Araaf, 7:143)
He saw a Light, la`alee ajidu `ala an-naari hudaa, “Perhaps I might find the guidance there.” He saw the Light and he knew Allah will be there so he ran, but Allah said, ikhla` na`layk, “Remove your shoes,” which means to take away your ignorance, and although Sayyidina Musa (a) is one of the Five Big Prophets, it is a teaching for us: take away from your self and your desire that which your ego does not like, “Come to Me mujarradan, with nothing, and I will show you.” He found Allah on that Light where there is no ‘there’ because for Allah there is no distance, but this is for us to understand. Musa knew he had come to the Divine Presence, so he said, rabbee arinee anzhur ilayk, “O Allah, let me see You!” So Allah is saying to Ummat an-Nabi (s), “When you come to the Prophet (s) you will find Me.”
Sayyidina Bayazid al-Bistami (q) knew that Reality and wanted to find Allah and see Him, and he said, ya rabb kayfa al wusoolu ilayk, “How to come to You?” and Allah answered, itruk nafsak wa ta`al, “Leave your self.” You will see Allah in Paradise, but whoever wants to know about Allah in dunya must leave their self. Who can do that? All of us are under the control of our self, is it not? `Alim or Wali, all of them. Yes, there are levels among Awliya, every Wali tries to submit completely, but still there is a little bit in his character that is not perfect, because Allah (swt) wants to show us that the `amal of every `Alim, every Wali, hence every human being, is not enough so we must struggle and try more, as Sayyidina Muhiyuddin Ibn `Arabi (q) frequently mentioned in his explanation of this Hadith on Maqaam al-Ihsaan:
أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه، فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك
That you worship Allah as if you see Him for, if you don't see Him, truly He sees you. (Bukhari)
“If you are not existing then you will see Him,” which is Maqaam al-Ihsaan, from this famous Hadith of Jibreel (a). So he said, “If you are not seeing, fa in lam takun, ” He (swt) stopped at ‘takun,’ meaning, it is as if you are not existing: you throw away your desires completely from your body, your soul and your self, then you can find Allah (swt).
So today what is left from Holy Qur'an? Only ismuhu, it’s name.
يوشك أن يأتي على الناس زمان لا يبقى من الإسلام إلا اسمه ولا يبقى من القرآن إلا رسمه ، مساجدهم عامرة وهي خراب من الهدى ، علماؤهم شر من تحت أديم السماء ، من عندهم تخرج الفتنة ، وفيهم تعود
There will come a time upon a people when nothing remains from Islam except its name, nothing from the Qur’an except the form of its letters, mosques will be built but are empty of guidance, their scholars will be the worst people beneath the sky, and chaos will emerge from them and return to them. (Bayhaqi)
Where are those Awliyaullah who sought the deep meanings of Holy Qur'an? There are no more, that is why it is going, waiting for Mahdi (a). The Prophet (s) said, “There will be nothing left from the Holy Qur'an but its calligraphy, rasm.” Today they only draw calligraphy and do they even know what they are drawing? I was in an exhibition hall of calligraphy and all kinds of calligraphers from around the world came to see it. That is what they have left of Holy Qur'an today and some of them don't even know how to read the Holy Qur’an but they can draw the calligraphy, some are not even Muslim and calligraphy is what they understand from Holy Qur’an.
May Allah forgive us and bless us.
Bi hurmati ‘l-Habeeb bi hurmati ‘l-Fatihah.
http://sufilive.com/Without-Awliya-Dunya-is-Dark--6197.html
© Copyright 2016 Sufilive. All rights reserved. This transcript is protected
by international copyright law. Please attribute Sufilive when sharing it. JazakAllahu khayr.