You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

9 March 2013   Maryland

`Isha Suhbah at ICC (4)

A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.

Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,

nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`alaa fee haadha 'l-masjid.

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Atee`oollaha wa atee`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.

Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:59)

Something important (came) just now, a principle or issue that is necessary for all of us to learn in order for us to be able to bring ourselves back to Siraat al-Mustaqeem, the Right Track. We are like different kinds of trains: those that move fast, those that move slow and those that just make sound without movement, like a choo-choo train that makes a lot of sound but does not move. So there are three kinds of trains and which one you choose to jump in is your decision. Do you want to go on the fast one, the slow one or the one with the voice of a train but no wheels? Of course everyone would like to say, “On the train that moves fast.” To be on the fast train, however, we must learn a very important principle.

I just asked my nephew to say something because although he is a doctor, he is mashaa-Allah very well educated and acquainted with Shar`iah and Islamic knowledge. He said, Fa’a qulu ‘sh-shay laa yu`tee, “‘The one who does not have something to give cannot give,’ and I cannot, as I am empty.” It immediately reminded me of what Prophet (s) said:

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Innamaa bu`ithtu li utammimu makaarim al-akhlaaq.

I have been sent to perfect the best of conduct (your behavior and character). (Bazzaar)

One of the highest levels of good manners is to be humble, as it enables us to be on the fast train. If you lose humbleness, then you can no longer be on the fast train. It is said, Man tawada `ala Allah rifada`a, “Whoever humbles himself in front of Allah (swt),” which is not to be like Fir`awn, when he said:

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Fa-qaala anaa rabbukumu ’l-a`alaa.

Saying, “I am your Lord, Most High.” (Surat an-Nazi`at, 79:24)

We have to say to ourselves:

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Fa laa tuzakoo anfusakum.

Don’t praise yourself.  (Surat an-Najm, 53:32)

Do not say to yourself that you are something, you are nothing! Tawadu is for Allah; you do not need to have humbleness in front of a tyrant, but you must be humble in front of Allah (swt), Prophet (s) and Muslims as that is the ticket for the fast train. One day you are humble and one day you are not.

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Inna alladheena aamanoo thumma kafaroo thumma aamanoo thumma kafaroo.

Those who believe then reject faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject faith.

(Surat an-Nisa, 4:137)

One day you are on imaan and the next day on kufr, and this leads you to be on the train that is moving slowly. Without humbleness you are like a train that does not move, but only makes a sound. Just like a matchbox with three or four matches will make a sound when you shake it, but will make no sound if it is full. So don't be like a drum; it is better to be dumb than a drum. Say, “I don’t know,” because to say, “I know” is a responsibility in front of Allah (swt). If you know then why are you doing (something bad)? Who are you cheating? That is why you say, “Yaa Rabbee, forgive us!” In every moment, Prophet (s) was making tawbah.

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Alam nashrah laka sadrak wa wada`na `anka wizrak. Alladhee anqada zhahrak wa rafa`na laka dhikrak.

Have We not expanded for you your breast? And We removed from you your burden that weighed so heavily on your back. And We raised up your remembrance. (Surat ash-Sharh, 94:1-3)

It means, “We have taken away your burdens that have broken your back.” Yaa Rabbee, tawbah! Allah (swt) says, “I have already forgiven you, you are ma`soom,” but still Prophet (s) said that. That is why he said:

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Allahumma laa takilnee ila nafsee tarfat `aynin wa laa aqala min dhalika.

O Allah! Don't leave me to my ego for the blink of an eye or less. (al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, al-Bayhaqi in al-Asmaa wa’s-Siffaat, Sunan al-Kubra of an-Nisaa’ee)

See, this is Prophet (s)! They always stress on this point, as this is the beginning of the track that you are going to follow. If you are not humble, there is no barakah and you will not get anything. Don’t say, “That one is not humble. but he has....” Never mind! This is dunya and Allah gives to whomever He likes and does not give to whomever He likes. In Akhirah they are going to say, “You are rich, as even if we owned all of dunya, we would wish to give it all up to be Paradise in Akhirah under Allah’s mercy!” So we must not be like an empty box of matches with just three or four pieces that make a sound if you shake it. Be straightforward (on the Path). Sayyidina `Ali (r) said:

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Qasama zhahree rajulaan, `aalimun mutahattiq wa jaahilun mutanassik.

Two kinds of people broke my back: a proud scholar and a rude ignorant ascetic.

So Sayyidina `Ali (r) is saying, “Two men broke my back and one these two men is a scholar, but a muttahattiq (someone who is always scolding and complaining, only seeing themselves and not practicing what they preach and although he learned through books, his knowledge has no taste).”

Ibn `Ajeeba (q), one of the great scholars from North Africa, said, Al-`ilmu `ilmaan, `Ilm al-Awraaq wa `Ilmu ‘l-Adhwaaq, “Knowledge is of two kinds: the Knowledge of Papers (like reading books) and the Knowledge of Taste (tasting what you have read).” You may read hundreds of books, but what is the benefit if you do not try to apply what you have read?

A student of one of the biggest scholars, Sayyidina Junayd (q), asked, “Can you define poverty for us?” Then Sayyidina Junayd closed the session and left. People thought that question made him upset, but it had struck his heart. He went home and opened the drawer and took out one dinar, one silver coin; he took it and changed it to many small coins and distributed it to the poor and he did not leave anything for himself or the family. It took him some time to do this and when he came back he said, “I can answer your question now,” and he explained about poverty.

The students asked, “Why you didn’t answer immediately before?”

He said, “Because I had one dinar, which could be good for one-to-three months’ provision, so how I can define poverty when I have some money at home? If I had answered, I would have lied.”

Today if anyone asks anything, hundreds of people begin to define and give a fatwa, and that is hypocrisy!  Fa’a qulu ‘sh-shay laa yu`tee, “The one who does not have something to give, cannot give.” Out of humbleness he said, “How can I define poverty if I have one dinar?” He said that and left. May Allah (swt) put us in the shafaa` of Prophet (s) and grant us to be with him in dunya and Akhirah! Prophet (s) asked the Sahaabah (r):

Do you know who the muflis (bankrupt one) is? The muflis from my Ummah is one who comes on the Day of Judgment having performed prayer, fasting, and giving zakaat. However, along with all of this, he abused this person and slandered that person, ate the wealth of this person and unlawfully spilled the blood of that person. These people will take from his good deeds. If, however, his good deeds become exhausted, then their sins will be put upon him and he will be thrown into the Fire.  (Tirmidhi)

Allahu Akbar! We are bankrupted; don't think our `amal will take us anywhere!

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Wa qadimna ilaa maa `amiloo min `amalin faja`alnahu habaa’am manthoora.

And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did (in this life), and We shall make such deeds as floating dust scattered about. (Surat al-Furqaan, 25:23)

“We come to what they have done and we throw it in their faces!” Allah is saying this to the unbelievers, but we are afraid that Allah might throw it in our faces also, and say, “I do not accept your `amal as it is mixed with arrogance!” If Allah says this, can anyone stop Him? So Prophet (s) knew this and said, “The poor one is the one with no `amal.”

The Sahaabah (r) asked, “Wa in sawma wa in salaah?”

He answered, Wa in sawma wa in salaah, “Even if he fasts and prays he has no `amal.” Why? Because he explained in another hadith that the one who backbites, when you do that you are not thinking that Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s) are looking at you. You are disobeying Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s) then so don't backbite each other!

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Wa laa tajasassoo wa laa yaghtab b`adakum b`adakum ayyuhibbu ahadukum an yaakulu lahma akhihi maytan fa-karihtumooh.

And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? No, you would abhor it. (al-Hujurat, 49:12)

Do you like to eat the raw flesh of your brother? This one is fasting and praying and he also makes gheebah or nameemah, he backbites or spreads false rumors, so we have to be very careful. The easiest way, as I said in the afternoon, is to be a sheep and not a shepherd who thinks that he knows something. We must believe, “Yaa Rabbee, be my witness! I don't deserve to sit here except to be at the shoes. Yaa Rabbee, we are weak and helpless servants! We cannot do what You are asking as it is not easy.” So if we know our place is by the shoes, then we might be going on the track or jumping on the train.

What is tariqah? Forget about the words “tariqah” or “tasawwuf,” we don't want to use them, we want to use “moral excellence,” which is to have good manners:

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Innamaa bu`ithtu li utammimu makaarim al-akhlaaq.

I have been sent to perfect the best of conduct (your behavior and character). (Bazzaar)

So we are after ‘good manners’ and others may call it whatever they like. They may call us ‘Muslims’ if they like, as this is what people understand. When we say “tariqah” they cannot understand it, so we put it aside. Today we are in such a gathering where people understand tariqah, so it is alright to mention that word.

Prophet (s) is teaching us to extend our hand to everyone, to bring them to us. How? By good manners. One `alim was a student of a very pious shaykh who had high levels of knowledge, he may be called “Allama,” as many shaykhs in Pakistan are called. The student was an `alim, so he had very good knowledge of Shari`ah, but he knew that Allah gave his shaykh something special according to the hadith of Prophet (s):

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Man `ada lee waliyan aadhantahu bi ’l-harb wa maa taqarraba ilayya `abdee bi-shayyin ahabba ilayya mimmaa aftaradtu `alayhi wa maa yazaalu `abdee yataqarabu ilayya bi’ n-nawaafil hatta uhibbah. Fa idhaa ahbaabtahu kuntu sama`uhulladhee yasma`u bihi wa basarahulladhee yubsiru bihi, wa yadahulladhee yabtishu bihaa wa rijlahullatee yamshee bihaa.

My servant does not cease to approach Me through voluntary worship until I will love him. When I love him, I will become the ears with which he hears, the eyes with which he sees, the hand with which he acts, and the legs with which he walks (and other versions include, “and the tongue with which he speaks.”). (Hadith Qudsi, Bukhari)

If Allah loves us, that is the key! Fa idhaa ahbaabtahu, “If I love him,” which Allah will,  kuntu sama`uhulladhee yasma`u bihi wa basarahulladhee yubsiru bihi, “I will give him power in his ears what people cannot hear and give him vision which people cannot see. I will be the power of his hearing.” For example, someone sitting next to me can hear me speak, but anyone in the next room cannot, and if I speak in a microphone, then the people in the next room can hear. Allah will give you a heavenly device that will enable you to hear behind the wall. If we can hear with a microphone, do you think that Allah doesn’t have a heavenly microphone? A microphone is an innovation or an invention of a human being, so do you think Allah doesn’t have creatures that are created for human beings to hear? How was Sayyidina Sariya (r) able to hear Sayyidina `Umar (r) in Madinah when he was fighting in Damascus?This means Allah gives to people according to their piety.

So Allah had granted this shaykh such power and his student was one of his leading representatives. One day he came to his shaykh and said, “Yaa Sayyidee! I am not complaining, but I have been with you for twenty-seven years and I did not even reach the level of the Holy Hadith in which Prophet (s) mentioned for the whole ummah:

My servant does not cease to approach Me through voluntary worship until I will love him. When I love him, I will become the ears with which he hears, the eyes with which he sees, the hand with which he acts, and the legs with which he walks (and other versions include, “and the tongue with which he speaks.”). (Hadith Qudsi, Bukhari)

He said, “I did not get anything.” Nawaafil means the voluntary worship, which is good manners and includes extra prayers, fasting, giving charity or making Hajj or `Umrah. If you perform these, Allah will love you for sure, but the scholar did not feel that love as he only had `Ilm al-Awraaq, Knowledge of Papers. On the other hand, `Ilmu ‘l-Adhwaaq, Knowledge of Taste, is like when someone becomes a doctor they must then be a resident after getting the medical degree, in order to teach them more than what they learned in the books. Some doctors have told me that even if they read hundreds of books, the experience they get through residency is still more because they apply what they studied.

That man was not applying what he had studied, but he was with the shaykh and he was complaining. He said, “Yaa Sayyidee! I am not complaining,” but he was. “I have been with you for twenty-seven years and never reached anywhere, I am staying in the same place.”

The shaykh said, “Of course! Do you want to advance?”

He answered, “Yes, please!”

His shaykh said, “Go to the market, buy a basket, fill it with walnuts and sit by the door of the masjid.”

This is a real story, not a joke; it is a teaching for us. You cannot say this to people today as if you do, they say, “What is this?” as they do not understand. However, the one who is deeply involved in spiritual teachings will find this to be true and will agree that it needs to be done.

He said, “Go to the masjid and sit at the door with a basket.”

 “At the door?” he asked.

The shaykh said, “Yes, at the door, and why not? It is Allah’s House. Don’t you want to sit at the door?”

The first one to enter Paradise will be the one who sits at the door, as he does not have any pride or arrogance. Our arrogance and pride is killing us, “I have to do that?” Yes, you have to do that and Prophet (s) did more! He would not eat for three days, put stones on his stomach and never said no to anyone! How many times do we say no to people, whether it is right or wrong?

The shaykh said, “Sit by the door of the masjid and put your slippers next to you. Say to anyone who comes, ‘Take my slipper and hit me on the neck, then I will give you a walnut. If you hit me twice, I will give you two.’ Then come to me when the basket is empty.”

What is the meaning here? Humility, bring yourself down. If you do not give yourself hardship, but only say, “Okay, I am humble,” no, it has to be done by application and only then can you understand what it is to be humble, as al-Junayd (q) did to experience poverty, he went and took out the dinar from his house.

So the student said, “You are saying this to me?” then he got up and left, saying, “I do not want your tariqah!” Because of his big ego, he left 27 years of service to his shaykh in one second! We are not asking you to go to the masjid and give walnuts to someone that hits you, but that is the problem, to show that you are something and have people admire you!

I read one hadith in Ad-Dawaa ash-Shafee by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, one of the students of a very famous scholar, Ibn Taymiyya:

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The first of people against whom Judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favors and he will recognize them. (The Almighty) will say, “And what did you do about them?” He will say, “I fought for you until I died a martyr.” He will say, “You have lied! You did but fight that it might be said (of you), ‘He is courageous,’ and so it was said.” Then he will be ordered to be dragged