Khutbah delivered in Orange County, USA,

27th January 2011

http://vimeo.com/19291892

By Ihsaan Bassier, a high-school student

(This khutbah is reproduced with the kind permission of the Main Road Mosque, Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa) 13th January 2012.

One of the most important distinctions between humans and animals is the human ability to reason and the human capacity for innovation. Therefore, as the New Year begins – some of us grudgingly into yet another year of school, some for the umpteenth time into a job, and others at a loss as to the future – I’d like to reflect on the importance of that human ability and capacity: which we call knowledge, from a contemporary Islamic perspective.
Before I deal with my topic directly, I would like to provide a context for my reflections.

Knowledge over the past decade has been revolutionised, in primarily three ways. Firstly, with practically omnipotent internet, constant media coverage and vibrant social networks, access to information is simply a button away. Secondly, there is immense emphasis on the value of knowledge, through patronage by governments, markets and every imaginable institution. And then, thirdly, NGOs, technology and globalisation have created abundant opportunities to spread this knowledge.

When considering the enormity of these three changes, we realize that we are in arguably the most capable and adept position historically.

With this context in mind, I suggest two duties that we should be mindful of as Muslims.  One is from a personal perspective and the other from a social one.

On a personal level, there is absolutely no excuse for ignorance and bigotry.

With such widespread access to information, we are easily exposed to a spectrum of opinions and viewpoints. Yet, whenever something that we perceive to be cardinal to our beliefs is challenged, we throw up retaliatory mental fortresses.

We need to each ask ourselves what our responses are when we are challenged with alternative arguments, perhaps regarding the validity of  one or other hadith, or our religious justification of women’s status, or our eating habits and the concept of halal or permissible food. Too often, we tend to dismiss the contrary views and interpretations of others without stepping back for a serious moment’s introspection.

Denying the possibility that something may contain truth, however absurd, is arrogance or kibr and is regarded by Islam as one of the worst sins.

However, the duty to engage extends beyond having a passive open mind-set. We should use our knowledge to actively challenge and engage others in constructive debate and discussion. This is especially important in circumstances where we may be witness to the perpetration of an injustice.

Justice, for me, is the most important principle of Islam: it is the ultimate goal of everything we do. This is affirmed by the weekly Qur’anic benediction from Surah al-Nahl, chapter 16, verse 90, we conclude with at the end of every jum`uah wherein we are commanded to enact justice and to stop oppression.

“Allah commands justice, the doing of good,

and giving generously towards one’s family.

He forbids indecency, manifest evil, and oppression.

He exhorts you so that you may be mindful.”

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Often, though, I find that when I witness an injustice I hesitate to step in, questioning the appropriateness of the timing or fearing a negative response.

We need to remember that upholding justice is difficult, but it is a duty incumbent on the conscientious Muslim. It takes courage and great wisdom.

An inspiring example of the use of knowledge to stand up for justice is recorded in the following story from the khilaphate of Sayyidina `Umar.

It is reported that `Umar, the second Rightly- Guided Caliph, was once standing on the pulpit delivering a khutbah, severely reprimanding the people and ordering them not to set excessive amounts of dower (mahr) at the time of marriage. A woman who was attending the jumuàh service on hearing `Umar’s sermon got up and objected by saying, “O `Umar, you have no right to intervene in a matter on which Allah the All-Mighty has already decreed in Quran.` Then she proceeded to quote verse 20 of Surah-al-Nisa, chapter of 4 of the Glorious Qur’an:

وَإِنْ أَرَدْتُمُ اسْتِبْدَالَ زَوْجٍ مَكَانَ زَوْجٍ وَآَتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ قِنْطَارًا فَلَا تَأْخُذُوا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا أَتَأْخُذُونَهُ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا

“If you intend to replace one wife by another and you have given one of them a Qintar (of gold, i.e., a great amount as Mahr bridal money), take not the least bit of it back; would you take it wrongfully without a right and (with) a manifest sin?” (V.4:20)

After being reminded of this Quranic verse, `Umar withdrew his order, saying,

“I am in the wrong and a woman is correct.”

In the most public of forums (the masjid), under the judgemental gaze of a patriarchal community and against the most revered of sources, a woman cast aside her fears and stood up for justice. That is something we should all strive towards.

The second duty that we should be mindful of as conscientious Muslims is that it is incumbent on those who have knowledge, to share and spread this knowledge.

The information society of today makes the spreading of knowledge so much easier than before. The Prophet Muhummad (pbuh) is reported to have said :

“The best charity is that of one who learns knowledge and later teaches it to another.”

Giving someone knowledge empowers them in every facet of their lives.

Let us all make a habit of regularly sharing our skills, insha-Allah

I began this Khutbah by quoting a verse from the Qur’an:
هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

“Say: ‘Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?

It is those who are endowed with understanding that receive admonition.’”
May we all realise the importance of knowledge and make the decision to spread it.

May we take full advantage of our opportunities and circumstance, so that we may ultimately use it to benefit our community.

Second Khutbah

Apparently I am at a stage in which I can offer advice, what with having experienced a whole 11 years of school.  I’m a bit nerdish, so can’t speak for most. But, for those at school, here are a few suggestions:

Firstly, this period is the easiest in which to create your future.

While most follow the mundane setwork, those who pursue a passion or grab at opportunities stand out. There are so many companies and competitions that throw thousands of rands at every glimmer of promise in the most obscure of fields.

Your talent doesn’t need to be conventional at all – explore the so called weird, interesting ideas and hobbies. So pick a speciality. Get really good at it. Own it. And be curious about it.

Secondly, get your timing right. Come exam-time, study like it’s an obsession.

But otherwise, focus on that speciality area or your personal hobbies. Take up a sport or instrument, join a society.

We have so many opportunities – to learn, to influence and to create change.

We can walk right into the headmaster’s office at any moment, if only we had the guts to do so.

We all want to leave an impression beyond our scuffed textbooks: Even our most creative visions just need a bit of time. Take that time to develop yourself and your school into what you want.

Lastly, from what I’ve heard, this is the best period of our lives.

University allows zero respite, and work is hell. So enjoy these years. There’s plenty of time for enough crazy teenage fun, as well as productive hobbies and schoolwork.

Please join in me in a supplication to our All-Knowing God:

May this year, for those at school and otherwise, be productive and full of success.

May we always be cognizant of our duties as Muslims while pursuing our endeavours.

And may we be gifted with a thirst for some of those endeavours to be Spiritually aimed.

(Rabbana zidna ilma)
O God, increase us in knowledge.

رَبَّنَا آَتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآَخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

“Our Lord, grant us goodness in this life,

as well as goodness in the hereafter,

and protect us from the torment of fire

http://www.cmrm.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=629:khutbah-january-13-2012-ihsaan-bassier&catid=46:khutab&Itemid=778

“We should always entertain the hope, the possibility that our worst enemies today could become our beloved brothers and sisters tomorrow…”

Arshad Gamiet/Royal Holloway University of London/Date 19 August 2011

(You can listen to this khutbah here: )

“A-úthu billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem

Al hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi, wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa. May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida. Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”

All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, sal-lal-laahu ‘alayhi wa sal-lam, is His servant, and His messenger.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem! Yaa ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, haqqa tuqaatihee wala tamu tun-na, il-la wa antum Muslimoon.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, with correct awareness, and die not except as Muslims.

Yaa ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, wa qooloo qawlan sadeedaa. Yuslih-lakum a’maalakum wa yaghfir lakum thunoobakum, wamay yu-til-laaha warasoolah, faqad faaza fawzan atheemaa.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His Prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.

In the opening verse of Sura An-Nisaa’, Allah says:

O mankind! Show reverence towards your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate and from the two of them scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;― Be conscious of Allah, through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights) and (show reverence towards) the wombs (that bore you): for surely, Allah ever watches over you.

My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

In recent days, we’ve seen horrific scenes of arson, looting and mayhem on the streets of Britain. But out of the same chaos and confusion there has emerged some extraordinary examples of courage, generosity and wisdom. The mass media, which has become so accustomed to presenting Muslims in a bad light, could not ignore the huge public admiration for 2 Muslims in particular.

There was the Malaysian student who arrived in London only a month ago. He was attacked by thugs, left with a broken jaw and his belongings stolen by those very same people who pretended to help him. Despite his painful ordeal that was filmed and shared around the world, he wasn’t bitter, his admiration for this country was undiminished and he certainly didn’t want to go home yet. Interviewed in his hospital bed, he just said he felt very ‘sorry’ for his attackers, who were “so young,” He wasn’t thinking of himself, of his own pain. He wasn’t feeling sorry for himself. He didn’t wish his attackers any harm. This gentleness and generosity of spirit touched the hearts of millions. Within a few days, Facebook and Twitter raised £20,000 to help him fly his mother over to see him.

Meanwhile in Birmingham a very serious racial conflict was defused by a grieving father. Some of you may have followed this story. Tariq Jahan’s son was killed along with 2 brothers who were defending their property from rioters. A car was deliberately driven over them, killing all three. Muslims were very angry, and if  Tariq Jahan gave way to his emotions at this crucial time then who knows what terrible violence would have followed. Anger and revenge between black and Asian neighbours was near breaking point. But Tariq Jahan is no ordinary man. He must have learnt from Prophet Muhammad’s sws advice:

“Do not become angry. Do not become angry. Do not become angry.” (Hadith)

In a time of unspeakable grief, he knew that his reaction would have far reaching consequences, immediately and in the long term, here and elsewhere. So this is what he said:

“Blacks, Asians, whites — we all live in the same community. Why do we have to kill one another? Why are we doing this? I’ve just lost my son. Step forward if you want to lose your sons. Otherwise, calm down and go home — please!”

This heartfelt plea from a grieving father took everyone by surprise, especially people who feed on a diet of bad news about Muslims. Thousands responded on the internet and in newspapers. One person wrote: “I used to hate Muslims, but this grieving father’s words were so dignified, so persuasive and generous hearted, it moved me to tears. Now I’m ashamed of my hatred for them. I shall never hate Muslims again.”

Brothers and sisters, these words are as inspiring as they are humbling. They show us in a simple, practical way what we can achieve by not giving way to our anger, by not seeking revenge. Indeed, when we accept all the pain and loss that we suffer, simply as another test from Allah, then we are truly following the Straight Way, the siraat al mustaqeem.

What can we learn from the momentous events that swept Britain last week? Here are a few suggestions:

Don’t just give way to your anger in a crisis. It may be human to do so, but a real Muslim follows the Prophetic Sunnah, like Tariq Jehan did. Don’t get angry, don’t lash out. That only massages your bruised ego, your lower nafs. Do turn to your inner core, your pure heart, your qalb saleem, that you’ve trained so hard. Remember that Allah loves those who are patient and who persevere in times of hardship and distress. We know this from reading the Holy Quran in : Sura Al Baqara 2:153-6

“Ya ay yuhal latheena aamanus ta’eenu bis sabari was salaah. Innal laaha ma’as saabireen.”

“O you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere…”

Then the following verses continue:

“And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah: ‘They are dead.’ No, they are living, although you cannot perceive them.”

Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits of your hard work, but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere,

Who say, when they are afflicted with a calamity: “Inna lil laahi wa inna ilayhir raaji oon! To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return”

“Ulaa ika ‘alayhim salawaatun min Rabbikum, wa Rahmah, wa ulaa ika humul muhtadoon.”

“They are those on whome [descend] blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.”

Brothers and sisters, if you ponder over these verses, you might think that they were written especially for the grieving families in Birmingham. But such is the majesty and beauty of Allah’s Book, revealed over 14 centuries ago, that its guidance and its healing and mercy will nourish the souls of Believers everywhere and always, until the end of time. SubhaanAllah!

“Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”

Second Khutbah:

“Soob’ hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual theem”

Glory to Allah!  Praise to Allah! There is no power and no strength except from Allah!

My dear sisters and brothers,

When we restrain our anger, when we wrestle with our lower nafs and we throw ourselves at the feet of Allah’s Mercy, some amazing things happen. The reward for showing our utter reliance on Allah has many unexpected consequences. One of the most surprising reports I read last week (UK Sunday Times 14^th August 2011) was that the racist (EDL) English Defence League’s leader was so moved by Tariq Jehan’s dignified example that he was going to ask all his members at their next meeting to hold a minute’s silence out of respect. Imagine that! At the beginning of the riots, reports were circulating that the EDL was planning arson attacks on mosques. We don’t know whether this is true or not. But a few days later, there’s a newspaper report that the EDL leader wants his followers to show some respect for the fallen Muslims in Birmingham. Allahu ‘alam! Allah knows best! Let us also remind ourselves that no matter how dire the situation, Allah can intervene in ways that we could never have hoped. Allah can change a heart from hatred to love in an instant. Allah has the key to all our hearts. Sura Al Anfal 8:24 reminds us that “Allah comes between a man and his heart…”

There are many who hate Muslims and who wish us harm. We should of course take sensible precautions to defend ourselves. But we should never forget that our enemies could one day become our brothers and sisters in faith. Never forget that Khaled ibn Walid, who bitterly fought the Muslims in the Battle of Badr, became the most famous military commander after Allah came between him and his heart. He conquered the Roman and Persian armies for Islam. Don’t forget Amr ibn al As, who led the Quraish delegation to Abyssinia. He tried unsuccessfully to persuade the King Najashi to return the first Muslim asylum seekers and to hand them over to their oppressors. Soon afterwards, Allah came between Amr and his heart. Amr conquered Egypt for Islam and built the fist mosque on the African continent in Al Fustat. And who can forget Sayyidna Omar, who hated Prophet Muhammad so bitterly that he unsheathed his sword and set out to kill our Nabi. But Allah came between him and his heart, and when he heard his sister reciting the opening verses of Sura Ta-Ha, his hard heart melted and this big, fearsome warrior was moved to tears. He actually took shahadah in front of Prophet Muhammad, still holding his sword in his hand, the same sword that was meant to kill our beloved Prophet!

What does all this mean, brothers and sisters? We all plan, but Allah is the best of planners. Don’t ever think that things out there are really as bad as they seem. Things could be a lot worse. Allah is completely in control of his entire creation. Slowly but surely, in ways we cannot always appreciate, Allah is fulfilling His Plan. We should never despair of Allah’s Mercy. Who knows… perhaps next Ramadan, some of those gangsters, rioters and former members of the EDL will be praying alongside us as our new brothers, for the taraweeh prayers! Who knows? Anything is possible for Allah. He has the key to unlock any heart! We should always entertain the hope, the possibility that our worst enemies today could become our beloved brothers and sisters tomorrow. This reminder is clearly given in Sura Al ‘Imran 3:103:

“Wa’tasimu bi hablil laahi jamee-aah…”

“And hold fast,  all together, by the Rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and do not be divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you became brothers; and you were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His Signs clear to you: That you may be guided.”

My dear sisters and brothers, as we enter the last 10 days of Ramadan, the days of ‘freedom from hellfire,’ and the nights of laylatul Qadr, the Night of Power, let us reflect on the momentous events in our community. This is a crucial time for Muslims. There is some danger but there is also immense potential for good. This is no time for bruised egos, for settling old scores or for racial and tribal vendettas. Islam is too noble for such behaviour. Let us reach out to those who used to hate us and who now have doubts, so that we can share with them Allah’s beautiful message. The world is watching us. Let us become living examples of discipline, self control, humanity, mercy and Allah’s love. Let us pray that our three martyrs from Birmingham would not have died in vain. Let their example, and their fathers’ dignity at a time of unspeakable pain and grief, be an inspiration to Muslims and their neighbours all around the world. Great things happen in Ramadan. O Allah, let the tragedy in Birmingham become the key that unlocks the hearts of Islam-haters everywhere, so that their breasts can be opened Islam. Ameen!

Brothers and sisters, to conclude our khutbah:

InnaAllaha, Yamuru bil adel, wal ihsaan, wa eetaa-i zil qurba; wa yanha anil fuhshaa-i, wal munkari walbaghi; ya-idzukhum lallakum tathak-karoon. (Sura 16:90),

“Surely Allah commands justice, good deeds and generosity to others and to relatives; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, so that you may be reminded.”

Fadth kuroonee adth kurkum, wash kuroolee walaa tak furoon [2:152].

“and remember Me: I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject faith.”

wala thikrul-Laahi akbar, Wal-Laahu ya’lamu maa tasna’oon.” [29:45].

“and without doubt, Remembrance of Allah is the Greatest Thing in life, and Allah knows the deeds that you do.”      

Ameen.    Aqeemus salaah

“A-úthu billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem

Al hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi, wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa. May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida. Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”

All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, sws, is His servant, and His messenger.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem! Ya Ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, haqqa tuqaatihee wala tamu tun-na, il-la wa antum Muslimoon.”

O You who believe, – Fear Allah, as He should be feared, and die not except as Muslims.

Ya Ay-yuhal-latheena ‘aamanut taqul-laaha, wa qooloo qawlan sadeedaa. Yuslih-lakum a’maalakum wa yaghfir lakum thunoobakum, wamay yu-til-laaha warasoolah, faqad faaza fawzan atheemaa.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His Prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.

In the opening verse of Sura An-Nisaa’, Allah says:

O mankind! Show reverence towards your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate and from the two of them scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;― Be conscious of Allah, through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights) and (show reverence towards) the wombs (that bore you): for surely, Allah ever watches over you.`

My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

What can we learn from the momentous events that are now unfolding across North Africa and the Middle East? The full impact of what is happening there has yet to be assessed. In the meantime, some important lessons are emerging: Firstly, our rulers should serve their people; People should not be expected to serve their rulers. Sadly, some Muslim rulers see themselves as modern Pharaohs, running their countries like a greedy family business. They have modest beginnings and end up as multi-billionaires, This is absolutely wrong. If you read the Quran and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, you will see what an enormous responsibility lies on the shoulders of a ruler.

The Quran does not tell us in detail what a Halal government should look like: whether it should be a monarchy, a republic or a parliamentary democracy. After the death of Prophet Muhammad sws his pious Companions, the sahaaba, established a system of leadership known as the Caliphate. The leader or Caliph was responsible for the well being of all Muslims all over the world, as well as for the wellbeing of non-Muslims who live in Muslim lands. The Caliph has to be elected, and has to refer to the Quran and the prophetic examples for guidance. He has no right to appoint his own family as his successors. Muslim rulers should remember that they are there to serve the greater good of human society, not to serve their own personal whims and caprices. They must always guarantee freedom and justice for everyone.

At the end of every khutbah we hear these words: “Innal-laaha ya’muru bil ‘adl” “Allah commands justice…” It’s not an option or an afterthought. Justice is imperative: it’s the absolutely irreducible minimum, non-negotiable element of society. A civilized human society is built on Justice. Later the Quran also says:

“Obey Allah, and obey His Messenger, and those charged with authority over you.”[Quran chapter 4:v53]

Hence first Caliph, Sayiddna Abu Bakr, when he was appointed Ameerul Mu’mineen, Commander of the Faithful, he famously declared:

“O Muslims, follow me as long as I follow Allah and His Prophet. If I should deviate from that, I no longer have any right to your obedience.”

Leadership is all about accountability. A Muslim leader is accountable not only to those he leads, but also to Allah. It is with Allah’s permission that we achieve anything. We must realise that He will hold us to account. The 2^nd Caliph, Sayyidna Omar, gave this wise advice:

“Take account of yourself, before you are brought to account.” Caliph Omar was so diligent in his responsibilities. He once said that while he was ruling in Madinah, he was so worried that if a donkey trips and injures itself in Baghdad because of a pothole in the road, Allah will hold him accountable for negligence. Imagine that! How many leaders, Muslim or otherwise, could match Sayyidna Omar’s sense of responsibility? No wonder he and the other 3 original Caliphs will always be known as the Khilaafat ar-raashidun, the rightly-guided Caliphate.

In Islam, good rulers never seek power and authority. A good ruler is someone who is chosen by his people, and who accepts it humbly and reluctantly. The worst rulers are those who crave power, who are too eager to get the top job. They usually want to rule for the wrong reasons.

Another clear lesson from the events in North Africa: Allah’s decree is swift and decisive. In human terms we sometimes feel we are waiting almost to the point of despair, for relief from oppression. The Egyptians and Libyans have waited for 30-40 years, ruled by tyrants using brute force, and the end of their suffering is not yet clearly in sight. But Allah is fully in control over every detail in His creation. If we endure the test that Allah has presented before us, if we show determination, untiring effort, patience and reliance on His Mercy, then He will reward us. That we must believe for certain.

“Or do you think that you will enter Heaven without being tested like those who were tested before you? They endured suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Prophet and those of faith who were with him cried: ‘When will the help of Allah come?’ Ah! Truly, Allah’s help is always near!”

“Ala! Inna nasral-Laahi qareeb!” (Quran 2:214)

Never forget that Allah is constantly watchful over His creation, and that nothing escapes his attention, even our most secret, unspoken thoughts. “’Aalimul ghayb wash-shahaadah,” He knows all things, both secret and open, and everything is perfectly under His control, under His authority. People rise from obscurity to power and fame by Allah’s permission, and they fall from power and grace into humiliation, by Allah’s permission. His decree is irresistible, His power is absolute, yet, Allah’s intentions for His creation are always, unfailingly good. Read Sura Al-Imraan, verses 26-29:

“Qulil-laah humma maalikal mulki tu’til mulka man-tashaa’u watanzi-ul mulka mim-man-tashaa’, Wa tu’izzu man-tashaa’ watuzillu man-tashaa’ Biyadikal khair. Innaka ‘alaa kulli shay-in qadeer! [Sura Al-‘Imraan 3:27]

“Say: ‘O Allah, Sovereign of all dominion, You grant dominion to whom You will and take dominion away from whom You will. You exalt whom You will and abase whom You will. In Your hand is all that is good. You are able to do all things”. (Al-Imran, Verse 26)…”

We Muslims must have faith that ultimately everything is safe in Allah’s loving care. When Allah decrees a thing, he only has to say:

“Kun! Faya kuun..” Be! And it is!

Once people have broken through the fear barrier, nothing can stop them. When people no longer fear injury or death, they become a force to be reckoned with. Victor Hugo wrote, a hundred years ago, that: “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”  Today in North Africa and the Middle East, Freedom is the idea. The desire for freedom can defeat the mightiest armies. Let us pray that our brothers and sisters, who have suffered so hard for so long, will soon enjoy the freedoms that we in this country enjoy and sometimes take for granted. Ameen.

“Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”

Second Khutbah:

“Soob’ hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual theem”

Glory to Allah!  Praise to Allah! There is no power and no strength except from Allah!

My dear sisters and brothers,

We are all leaders of one kind or another. In our families, in our business or workplace, in our sports and social circles, we are called upon to lead others at some time in our lives. How do we exercise that authority, so that we promote the greater good, in a way that pleases Allah? We have seen clearly on the news these days, how bad things can get when leaders lose sight of their role as servants of their people, and they delude themselves into thinking that by some divine right, they have become the masters, to be served by others.

If we always hold ourselves to account, if we constantly monitor our inward state, the state of the heart, we can keep our greed, our ego and vanity, our lower passions in check. No person is born evil. The path from innocence to evil is a slippery one that begins with a little forgetfulness and distraction.

Only Dhikr, constant, loving, passionate remembrance of Allah is what polishes the heart and keeps it free of evil inclinations. Dhikr removes the rust of forgetfulness and distraction that can lead us to do wrong. That’s the secret. That’s the way we keep our hearts pure. That’s how we can prevent ourselves from sliding down the slippery slope that leads us away from Allah’s protecting Mercy and Grace. That’s what ultimately will protect us from hellfire: Dhikr, remembering Allah.

A scholar once said that the jihad-al-nafs, the struggle for inward purification, is what takes the spearhead out of the hands of a madman. That metaphor of course applied to bygone times. Nowadays we could say that constant Dhikr is what takes the gun or the bomb out of the hands of a madman. Without this crucial inward struggle, as leaders we risk simply becoming fools, tyrants and mass murderers.

Let us all remember Prophet Muhammad’s advice to his soldiers when they returned from a battle:

“You have now returned from the lesser Jihad. Now you must battle with the greater Jihad.”

He was of course, referring to the battle with one’s own demons, deep within our hearts: the battle to subdue our own greed, our envy, anger, lust and all the inclinations of the lower nafs, the nafs-al-ammara bis sow. That’s the nafs that inclines towards evil.

If the Muslim world of the future to be spared the corruption and tyranny we have seen for so long, then we must prepare ourselves for a different kind of leadership. Who knows, perhaps a future Muslim leader may well be right here today amongst us in this Jumuah! Allah alone knows! Let us therefore be prepared. Let us also remember that:

Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves, (i.e. what is withing their hearts). (Sura Al Anfaal 8:53)

And, ultimately, no one shall enter Allah’s garden, except those with a sound heart, qalb saleem. Let us constantly purify our hearts, by remembering Allah constantly, lovingly, in Dhikr.

Let  us take our leadership roles seriously, whether we lead a student group, a family, a big business or a nation. Big or small, we are all Caliphs, trustees of whatever Allah has placed in our trust. We must hold ourselves accountable, before we are brought to account.

Brothers and sisters, to conclude our khutbah:

InnaAllaha, Yamuru bil adel, wal ihsaan, wa eetaa-i zil qurba; wa yanha anil fuhshaa-i, wal munkari walbaghi; ya-idzukhum lallakum tathak-karoon. (Sura 16:90),

“Surely Allah commands justice, good deeds and generosity to others and to relatives; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, so that you may be reminded.”

Fadth kuroonee adth kurkum, wash kuroolee walaa tak furoon [2:152].

“and remember Me: I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject faith.”

wala thikrul-Laahi akbar, Wal-Laahu ya’lamu maa tasna’oon.” [29:45].

“and without doubt, Remembrance of Allah is the Greatest Thing in life, and Allah knows the deeds that you do.”

Ameen.

Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an;

“Your Lord has decreed that you shall worship none except Him; and show kindness to your parents. If one of them or both reach old age, never say to them ‘uf’, nor scold them. Rather speak to them graciously and lower for them your wing of mercy, and say, ‘My Lord, have mercy on them as they raised me mercifully when I was small.” ( 17:23 )

Oh Muslims, in this above verse Allah states categorically that He has prescribed affection, kindness and obedience towards parents. The Almighty absolutely forbids ill-treatment, abuse and neglect of parents. Paradise and divine approval are for those who are kind to their parents, as the Holy Prophet (pbuh) so beautifully states;

“Paradise lies at the feet of the Mothers”

Oh servants of Allah. We have just started the new academic year 2009. The learner, the educator, the professional, the layman, the business person, nay, everybody is in search of success and prosperity. The question is; What is true success ?

Firoun was a mighty ruler and very wealthy, yet he died horribly and unsuccessful.

Abu Jahl, who was an uncle of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), was an intellectual in his era, but his obstinacy and boastfull arrogance blinded him to the Truth, and he also died in disgrace and unsuccessful. How many of us move in mighty executive circles today, holding positions of esteem, but neglect and abandon our beloved parents?  How many parents are crying of loneliness in old-age homes and cramped out buildings? Why are children’s memories so short? Have we forgotten so soon how our mothers painfully bore and brought us into this world? Remember, when our beloved Prophet was asked who is the most deserving of our affectionate company, he replied thrice, Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother and then your Father. Therefore understand! that one’s worship of Allah is incomplete if one deserts, abandons or abuses one’s parents.

Our Noble Prophet (pbuh) was asked: Why do you give the mother three degrees of preference over the father? He replied: “Your mother carried you for nine months in her blessed womb, then painfully gave birth to you. After that she gave up her sleep for you, suckled you, carried you in her arms for three years and cleaned up your mess. She did your laundry. She cooked and served your food for eighteen years. When you were forty, fifty, sixty, she still followed your progress with great interest. The man enquired; Oh Prophet, suppose I carry my mother on my back for years, clean up after her, cook for her and feed her. Suppose I attend to those same services as long as she may live? The Prophet replied; There will be this one difference between you. Your mother looked out for you to live, while you are waiting for her to die.”

Listen attentively and I will relate to you a beautiful qissah (story).

“One day Nabi Musa (as) was conversing with Allah on Mount Sinai, and Allah said: Oh Musa, go to certain place where you shall meet a certain person, who is a butcher by trade, He will be your close companion in Jannah. When Nabi Musa arrived in this town, he hid his true identity and requested hospitality from this butcher, saying he is a traveler. The butcher took him home that evening and made him sit, saying, make yourself at home, but kindly excuse me for a while as I have something very important to do first. Nabi Musa then noticed that his host tended to a very old and frail woman laying in a basket. He cleaned the old lady, brushed her hair, then lovingly fed her and made her comfortable. The old lady murmured something, to which the butcher said ‘Amen’. After a while Nabi Musa asked his host about the old lady, and he replied. She is my mother. Every morning before I leave, I see to her needs for the day and make her comfortable. When I return home, I clean her up and feed her before I see to my own needs. Then Nabi Musa asked, What did she murmur to you. The butcher smiled and said. My mother daily makes duah that Allah must make me the companion of Nabi Musa in Jannah. I only say Ameen to please her, because I am only an ordinary person in comparison to Nabi Musa who is the great prophet of Allah. Hear the good news, brother butcher, the blessed Nabi Musa said. Your mother’s duah has been accepted. I am Nabi Musa and you are to be my close companion in Jannah.”

Oh Muslims, Listen dearly and reflect on the following qissah (story) as well.

One day, the great wali, Imam Hasan Al-Basri (ra) was making Tawaf around the Ka’bah, and saw a young man carrying a basket on his back. The young man explained. We are poor folk. For years my mother had this deep yearning to visit the Ka’bah, but we could never afford it. She had grown old, but always spoke so lovingly of the Ka’bah, with eyes  filled with tears. I could not bear to see my mother in such a state, so I placed her in this basket and brought her all the way from our house in Syria. Oh Imam, did I repay my Mother’s due by what I have done for her? The pious Imam replied: Even if you carry your mother on your back and perform tawaaf seventy times around the Ka’bah, you will never compensate her for one kick you gave her when you were in her blessed womb.”

Oh servants of Allah! Do I need to say more? Islam teaches us that our two beloved parents are our doorway to Paradise. Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak Al-Jerrahi urges;

“Be obedient and loving to your parents and earn Allah’s good pleasure. Your mother and father are your honoured guests. You will lose them one day, and be left all alone in this world. You will never find a friend and helper like your mother. For of all those who seem to be your friends, the most loyal is your mother. She is your true friend, all the rest are friends of your money, rank, beauty etc. Should you become bankrupt, ugly, old or sick, or be put into prison, your one real friend will be your MOTHER.” I pray from this sacred Mimbar to Almighty Allah to bless all our beloved parents lives with khair and barakah, and those who are deceased, to grant them Jannatul-Firdous, Ameen.

Jumuah Mubarak!!!

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise be to Allah, the Supreme Creator, Nourisher and Sustainer of the universe. We beseech the Almighty to bestow His choicest blessings on our illustrious Master, Nabi Muhammad (peace be upon Him), on His pure family, His noble companions and all believers in every era.

Oh Muslims ! The Glorious Qur’an exhorts us to be ever conscious of the Omni-presence of Allah, our beloved creator, Who gave us the precious gift of life and bestowed on us His countless Favours and Mercy. In accordance with the divine injunctions,

“to rejoice the Favour and Mercy of Allah” (Surah 10:58),

and

“to publicise the Favour of Allah” ( Surah 93:11 )

This universal Mercy and Favour, in the person of Prophet Muhammad ( P.B.U.H ), the global Muslim community joyously commemorated and celebrated the noble birth and advent of the Prophet in the blessed month of Rabi-ul-Awwal. His illustrious birth was was more radiant than the glorious sunrise onto a world steeped in the darkness of animalism, superstition and ignorance. But, we find that in a short span of 23 years, He achieved the most glorious and comprehensive success, and accomplished what stands up to this day as “the noblest and most profound revolution in human history”.

Reflect! oh servants of Allah, how the Prophet led mankind out of the abyss of moral and spiritual degradation, to the highest pinnacle of civilization, through the processes of “Iqra’!”(read), constructive critical thinking and dialoque. It is for this reason that the Almighty endowed us with the faculty of intellect, which distinguishes us from the brute creation. The Holy Qur’an bears testimony to this :

“Most certainly the worst of animals in the sight of God are the deaf and dumb who do not apply their Aql ( faculty of intelligence).” ( Surah 8:22 )

“None will grasp the message, but people of intellect.” ( Surah 2:269 )

Muslims must be proud and thankful to Allah for providing the world with the divine and all-comprehensive Shari’ah Law, of which one of the basic objectives is “the preservation of Aql”.

The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said :

“Whoever allows his vain desires and lust to control him, is considered lower than the beast, and whoever applies his aql (intellect), is considered higher than the Angels in the estimation of Allah.”

One of the primary sources on which our Islamic legal system is built, is the principle of Ijtihaad, which means “to exert oneself” through applying your Aql on the premise of profound knowledge. The Prophet is reported to have advised Mu’adh Ibn Jabal, on dispatching him to Yemen to lead the new Muslim community there, to judge by the Qur’an and Sunnah. On being asked how he would judge if he cannot find an answer in Qur’an and Sunnah, Mu’adh replied that “I will apply my Aql” (ijtihaad). The Prophet then praised him.

Oh servants of Allah! Is it not crystal clear that Islam came to save us from all kinds of bondage, especially intellectual slavery. We are not bound by blind following like sheep, nor to just swallow everything “hook, line and sinker”, but rather act on informed decisions. We have the right to dialoque, constructive critical thinking and freedom of speech. Let me remind you of the incident when Hazrat Umar, the second khalifa of Islam, one day delivered a sermon against the practice of settling large sums as Mahr (dower-money), it was a woman who stood up and objected, saying: Oh Ameerul Mu’mineen, how dare you oppose the Qur’anic dictate that even a heap of gold may be settled on the wife as dowry? Umar did not resent this, but on the contrary showed appreciation for this woman’s courage of her conviction and right to freedom of speech. He exclaimed:

“The woman is right and Umar is wrong.”

This is the product moulded by the blessed hands of Rahmatu-lil-‘Alameen. I urge you, from this mimbar, the sacred platform of truth, not to live our lives striving only for physical pleasure like the animals, but rather ponder, reflect and apply our God-given Aql in every venture we undertake. Modern challenges demand that our Darul-Ulooms and religious institutions not only educate our youth through mere memorization of religious texts, but compliments it through encouraging independent thinking.

In conclusion, I urge you to note, that peaceful dialoque is conducive towards harmonious co-existence and constructive critical thinking leads the way to the advancement of every field of arts and science. Indeed the Prophet of Islam said:

“Allah has decreed excellence in everything”

Praise be to Allah and choicest blessings on our beloved Prophet. Jumuah Mubarak!

* Sheikh Abduragmaan Alexander is the Imam at Bridgetown Masjid, Cape Town, South Africa and President of Cape Mazaar Society, South Africa.

Wait for adhaan

Standard Introduction:

AUZO BIL LAAHI MIN ASH SHAYTAANIR RAJEEM,

BISMIL LAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHIM

AL HAMDU LILLAAHI RABBIL ‘ALAMEEN. WAS SALAATU WAS SALAAMU ‘ALAA ASHRAFIL MURSALEEN. SAYIDINAA WA NABI YENAA WA MOULANAA MUHAMMADIN WA’ALA AALEHEE WA AS HAABEHEE WASALLIM.

All praise is due to Alláh, the Lord of all the Worlds; may the greetings and peace be upon the best messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and upon his family and upon all of his companions.

AL-HAMDU LILLA HIL LAZI HADAANA LIHAAZA WAMA KUNNA LANAHTADIYA LAW’LA ANN HADAANA ALLAH. (You must expand this Arabic portion of Khutbah, depending on the month/season, e.g. Hajj, Ramadaan, etc.)

Meaning:

Praise is due to Allah,

Praise is due to Allah who guided us to the righteous path, and indeed we wouldn’t have attained this state of guidance without Him Allah,

AMMA BA’AD.

English Part of the Khutbah:

IKHWATI FIL ISLAM, ASH-HAAB AL ILM, WA RUWAAD AL ILM, Brothers in Islam, Learned Colleagues and Scholars,

The recent world events have portrayed us as only terrorists.

Furthermore, they say that if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.

Therefore, I thought it would be good to redress the balance and so in today’s Khutbah we will concentrate on how many, many eminent non-Muslims have rated the Muslim Ummah.

First of all, lets see what Napolean Bonaparte had to say as Quoted in Christian Cherfils, ‘Bonaparte et Islam,’ Pedone Ed., Paris, France, 1914, pp. 105, 125.

Original References: “Correspondence de Napoleon Ier Tome V pièce n° 4287 du 17/07/1799…”

“Arabia was idolatrous when, six centuries after Jesus (H. Isa – AS), Muhammad (SAW) introduced the worship of the God of Abraham (AS), of Ishmael (AS), of Moses (AS), and Jesus (H. Isa – AS).

The Aryans and some other sects had disturbed the tranquillity of the east by agitating the question of the nature of the Father, the son, and the Holy Ghost. Muhammad (SAW) declared that there was none but one God who had no father, no son and that the trinity imported the idea of idolatry…

I hope the time is not far off when I shall be able to unite all the wise and educated men of all the countries and establish a uniform regime based on the principles of Qur’an which alone are true and which alone can lead men to happiness.”

Sir George Bernard Shaw wrote in ‘The Genuine Islam,’ Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936:

“If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe within the next hundred years, it could be Islam.

I have always held the religion of Muhammad (SAW) in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him – the wonderful man and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Saviour of Humanity.

I believe that if a man like him was to be in charge of the modern world he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad (SAW) that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.”

Bertrand Russell wrote in ‘History of Western Philosophy,’ London, 1948, p. 419:

“From India to Spain, the brilliant civilization of Islam flourished. What was lost to Christendom at this time was not lost to civilization, but quite the contrary…

“To us it seems that West-European civilization is civilization, but this is a narrow view.”

Now lets see what H.G. Wells had to say:

“The Islamic teachings have left great traditions for equitable and gentle dealings and behaviour, and inspire people with nobility and tolerance. These are human teachings of the highest order and at the same time practicable. These teachings brought into existence a society in which hard-heartedness and collective oppression and injustice were the least as compared with all other societies preceding it. Islam is replete with gentleness, courtesy, and fraternity.”

With regards to equality, Dr. William Draper wrote in ‘History of Intellectual Development of Europe’:

“During the period of the Caliphs the learned men of the Christians and the Jews were not only held in great esteem but were appointed to posts of great responsibility, and were promoted to the high ranking job in the government. Caliph Haroon Rasheed never considered to which country a learned person belonged nor his faith and belief, but only his excellence in the field of learning.”

With regards to the challenge and responsibility faced by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) , Thomas Carlyle wrote in the ‘Heroes, Hero Worship, and the Heroic in History,’ Lecture 2, Friday, 8th May 1840:

“Wild Arab men! They were wild men bursting ever and ever into quarrel, into all kinds of fierce sincerity; without right worth and manhood, no man could have commanded them. They called him prophet you say? Why he stood there face to face with them; bare, not enshrined in any mystery; visibly clouting his own cloak, cobbling his own shoes; fighting, counselling, ordering in the midst of them: they must have seen what kind of man he was, let him be called what you like! No emperor with his tiaras was obeyed as this man in a cloak of his own clouting. During three-and-twenty years of rough actual trial. I find something of a veritable Hero necessary for that, of itself.

These Arabs, is it not as if a spark had fallen, one spark, on a world of what proves explosive powder, blazes heaven-high from Delhi to Granada! I said, the Great man was always as lightning out of Heaven; the rest of men waited for him like fuel, and then they too would flame”

With regards to our contribution towards humanity, Phillip Hitti writes in the ‘Short History of the Arabs.’::

“During all the first part of the Middle Ages, no other people made as important a contribution to human progress as did the Arabs. For centuries, Arabic was the language of learning, culture and intellectual progress for the whole of the civilized world with the exception of the Far East. From the 9th to the 12th century there were more philosophical, medical, historical, religious, astronomical and geographical works written in Arabic than in any other human tongue.”

With regards to the Muslim Moghul rulers, who ruled India for several centuries, Carra de Vaux writes in ‘The Philosophers of Islam,’ Paris, 1921:

“Finally how can one forget that at the same time the Mogul Empire of India (1526-1857 C.E.) was giving the world the Taj Mahal (completed in 1648.), those poets those philosophers knew how to deal with the world or matter. They observe, classify, calculate and experiment. All the ideas that occur to them are tested against facts. They express them with eloquence but they also support them with statistics.”…the principles of tolerance, justice and humanity which prevailed during the long reign of Akbar.”

With regards to the development of science and law; Marcel Clerget wrote in ‘La Turquie, Passe et Present,’ Paris, 1938:

“Many proofs of high cultural level of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent are to be found in the development of science and law; in the flowering of literary works in Arabic, Persian and Turkish; in the contemporary monuments in Istanbul, Bursa, and Edirne; in the boom in luxury industries; in the sumptuous life of the court and high dignitaries, and last but not least in its religious tolerance. All the various influences – notably Turkish, Byzantine and Italian mingle together and help to make this the most brilliant epoch of the Ottomans.”

Now here’s the SHOCKER! Lets now analyse how the Muslims actually returned the Churches to the Christians, as documented by Michael the Elder Quoted in ‘Michael the Elder, Chronique de Michael Syrien, Patriarche Jacobite d’ Antioche,’ J.B. Chabot, Editor, Vol. II, Paris, 1901.

“This is why the God of vengeance, who alone is all-powerful, and changes the empire of mortals as He will, giving it to whomsoever He will, and uplifting the humble beholding the wickedness of the Romans who throughout their dominions, cruelly plundered our churches and our monasteries and condemned us without pity, brought from the region of the south the sons of Ishmael (AS), to deliver us through them from the hands of the Romans. And if in truth we have suffered some loss, because the Catholic churches, that had been taken away from us and given to the Chalcedonians, remained in their possession; for when the cities submitted to the Arabs, they assigned to each denomination the churches which they found it to be in possession of; nevertheless it was no slight advantage for us to be delivered from the cruelty of the Romans, their wickedness, their wrath and cruel zeal against us, and to find ourselves at people.”

Michael the Elder, Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch wrote this text in the latter part of the twelfth century, after five centuries of Muslim rule in that region.

With regards to science and learning Sir John Bagot Glubb wrote:

“Khalif (Caliph) Al-Ma’mun’s period of rule (813 – 833 C.E.) may be considered the ‘golden age’ of science and learning. He had always been devoted to books and to learned pursuits. His brilliant mind was interested in every form of intellectual activity. Not only poetry but also philosophy, theology, astronomy, medicine and law all occupied his time.

“By Mamun’s time medical schools were extremely active in Baghdad. The first free public hospital was opened in Baghdad during the Caliphate of Haroon-ar-Rashid. As the system developed, physicians and surgeons were appointed who gave lectures to medical students and issued diplomas to those who were considered qualified to practice. The first hospital in Egypt was opened in 872 AD and thereafter public hospitals sprang up all over the empire from Spain and the Maghrib to Persia.”

Now lets say a few words about the Holocaust of Baghdad in 1258 perpetrated by Hulagu:

“The city was systematically looted, destroyed and burnt. Eight hundred thousand persons are said to have been killed. The Khalif Mustasim was sewn up in a sack and trampled to death under the feet of Mongol horses.

For five hundred years, Baghdad had been a city of palaces, mosques, libraries and colleges. Its universities and hospitals were the most up-to-date in the world. Nothing now remained but heaps of rubble and a stench of decaying human flesh.”

Who could ever forget the Civilization founded by our Moors Brothers!

“The Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula, who ruled Spain between 711 and 1492 C.E., are commonly known as the Moors. The word Andalusia is derived from the Arabic word Al-Andalus which has several meanings. One of them is ‘to become green after a long summer or drought,’ and the history of the Iberian Peninsula over the ages attests to this phase when Muslims ruled Spain.

The word Moors is a corrupted word referring to the people who came from Morocco.

When Muslims first arrived in Spain in 711 C.E., they constituted mainly Arabs. Within two decades a majority of the inhabitants of Andalus, especially most of the Unitarian Christians and the oppressed class, accepted Islam freely in recognition of the peace, security and the freedom of religion and expression under the Muslim rule. By 770 C.E. people of all races from North Africa and Arabia migrated to Andalusia (Spain and Portugal). They intermarried with various nationalities including the native Spanish-Muslim population, with the result that Spain became a fairly homogeneous country within a few generations. During the reign of Abdur-Rahman, the ‘Falcon of Andalus’ (755-788), they began the work of building an Islamic civilization similar to the one already flourishing in Damascus, Baghdad and its many regional centers. Within a century of their activity, they had developed a civilization far in advance of any in Europe.”

Stanley Lane-Poole writes in ‘The Moors in Spain’: Introduction:

“For nearly eight centuries, under the Mohamedan rule, Spain set all Europe a shining example of a civilized and enlightened state.

…..To Cordoba belong all the beauty and ornaments that delight the eye or dazzle the sight. Her long line of Sultans form her crown of glory; her necklace is strung with the pearls which her poets have gathered from the ocean of language; her dress is of the banners of learning, well-knit together by her men of science; and the masters of every art and industry are the hem of her garments.

“Art, literature and science prospered as they then prospered nowhere else in Europe.

Mathematics, astronomy, botany, history, philosophy and jurisprudence were to be mastered in Spain, and Spain alone. Whatever makes a kingdom great and prosperous, whatever tends to refinement and civilization, was found in Muslim Spain…

With Granada fell all Spain’s greatness. For a brief while, indeed, the reflection of the Moorish splendour cast a borrowed light upon the history of the land which it had once warmed with its sunny radiance. The great epoch of Isabella, Charles V and Philip II, of Columbus, Cortes and Pizarro, shed a last halo about the dying monuments of a mighty state. When followed the rule of inquisition and the blackness of darkness in which Spain has been plunged ever since.

In the land where science was once supreme, the Spanish doctors became noted for nothing but their ignorance and incapacity. The arts of Toledo and Almeria faded into insignificance.

The land deprived of skillful irrigation of the Moors, grew improvished and neglected, the richest and most fertile valleys languished and were deserted, and most of the populous cities which had filled every district in Andalusia, fell into ruinous decay; and beggars, friars, and bandits took the place of scholars, merchants and knights. So low fell Spain when she had driven away the Moors.”

Conde as Quoted in Prescott, ‘Philip II of Spain,’ Vol. III:

“The Arabs suddenly appeared in Spain like a star which crosses through the air with its light, spreads its flames on the Horizon and then vanishes rapidly into naught. They appeared in Spain to fill her suddenly with their activity and the fruit of their genius, and endowed her with a glorious glamour which enveloped her from the Pyrenees to Gibraltar and from the oceans to the Barcelona.

Martin Hume wrote in the ‘Spanish People’:

“The Sultan Abd-er-Rahman was one of the Heaven-sent rulers of men. Prompt yet cautious in council and in war, unscrupulous, overbearing and proud, he was as ready to wreak terrible vengeance, as he was political to forgive when it suited him. Berber and Yamanite alike acknowledged that at last they had found their master. He ruled until his death, in 788, with the tempered severity, wisdom, and justice which made his domain the best organized in Europe, and his capital the most splendid in the world.”

S.P. Scott wrote in ‘The History of the Moorish Empire in Europe.’

“Yet there were knowledge and learning everywhere except in Catholic Europe. At a time when even kings could not read or write, a Moorish king had a private library of six hundred thousand books. At a time when ninety-nine percent of the Christian people were wholly illiterate, the Moorish city of Cordova had eight hundred public schools, and there was not a village within the limits of the empire where the blessings of education could not be enjoyed by the children of the most indigent peasant, and it was difficult to encounter even a Moorish peasant who could not read and write.”

H. Kamen, write in ‘The Spanish Inquisition.’:

“As a result of his (Cardinal Ximenes’ coercive) endeavours, it is reported that on l8th December 1499 about three thousand Moors were baptized by him and a leading mosque in Granada was converted into a church. ‘Converts’ were encouraged to surrender their Islamic books, several thousands of which were destroyed by Ximenes in a public bonfire. A few rare books on medicine were kept aside for the University of Alcala. Ximenes claimed the Moors had forfeited all their rights under the terms of capitulation (of Granada). They should therefore be given the choice between baptism and expulsion…At Andarax the principal mosque, in which the women and children had taken refuge, was blown up with gun-powder. All books in Arabic, especially the Qur’an, were collected to be burnt. Cardinal Ximenes was reported during his conversion campaign among the Granada Moors in 1500 to have burnt in the public square of Vivarrambla over 1,005,000 volumes including unique works of Moorish culture.”

Alhamduallah, Islam has grown in the world and the population has increased vastly from the time of Prophet Mohammed (SAW). How can Islam, in today’s society and life grow and become a bigger part of the world’s civilization? Answer is by the establishment of the Ummah based on the better understanding and application of the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Conclusion of the First Part of the Khutbah:

NAD’OO ALLAHA AN YAGHFIRA LANA ZUNUBANA

Meaning: We make Duas to ASWT, so that he will accept all our Ibadat & forgive our sins.

WA AAKHERO DAA’ WAANA ANIL HAMDO LIL LAAHEY RABBIL AALAMEEN

Sit down & make a du’a yourself.

Second Khutbah:

Globally Standardized Conclusion:

AL HAMDU LILLAAHI NAHMADUHU WANAS TA’EENAHU, WANASTAGH-FIRUHU, WANATOOBU ILAYHI, WANA’OOTHU BILLAAHI MIN SHUROORI AN-FUSINAA, WAMIN SAYYI AATI AA’MAALINAA.

MAY- YAHDILLAAHU FA HUWAL MUHTAD, WA MAY- YUDLILL FALAN TAJIDAA LAHU WALIYAN MURSHIDA. WA ASH-HADU AN LAA ILAAHA IL LAL-LAÁH, WAHDAHOO LAA SHAREEKA LAH, WA ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN ‘ABDUHOO WARASOOLUH

All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds.

Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him.

I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Prophet Muhammad, SAW, is His servant, and His messenger.

YA AY-YUHAL-LATHEENA ‘AAMANUT TAQUL-LAAHA, HAQQA TUQAATIHEE WALA TAMU TUN-NA, IL-LA WA ANTUM MUSLIMOON.”

O You who believe, – Fear Allah, as He should be feared, and die not except as Muslims.

YA AY-YUHAL-LATHEENA ‘AAMANUT TAQUL-LAAHA, WA QOOLOO QAWLAN SADEEDAA. YUSLIH-LAKUM A’MAALAKUM WA YAGHFIR LAKUM THUNOOBAKUM, WAMAY YU-TIL-LAAHA WARASOOLAH, FAQAD FAAZA FAWZAN ATHEEMAA.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.

INNALLAAHA WA MALAAIKATAHU YUSALLÚNA ALAN NABI. YAA AY YOHAL LATHEENA AAMANU SALLÚ ALAYHI WASALLI MÚ TAS LEEMA.

ALLAHUMMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD, WA AALA AALI MUHAMMAD, KAMAA SALLAYTAA ALA IBRAHIMA, WA AALA AALI IBRAHIM. ALLAHUMMA BAARIK ALA MUHAMMAD, WA AALA AALI MUHAMMAD, KAMA BAARAKTAA ALA IBRAHIM, WA AALA ALI IBRAHIM, INNAKA HAMEEDUN MAJEED.”

Behold, Allah and his angels shower blessings on the Prophet (SAW). O you who believe! Ask for blessings on him, and salute him with a worthy greeting.

The Du’a – before the Khutbah Ends:

Again, for the sake of global standardization using the global “Islamic Language”, one uses a standard and brief du’a:

ALLAHUMMAGH FIR LIL’ MUSLIMEENA WAL MUSLIMAAT…. Stop for the congregation to say AAMEEN

WAL MOAMINEENA WAL MOUMINAAT…STOP FOR AAMEEN

AL-AHYAA’EE MINHUM WAL AMWAAT…STOP FOR AAMEEN

INNAKAA SAMEE’UN MUJIBUD DA’WAAT… STOP FOR AAMEEN

Meaning:

Ya Allah, forgive all our Muslim men and women,

Forgive the believing men and women,

Those who are alive and those who died,

You are indeed the One who listens and accepts all supplications.

RABBANA LAA TUZIGH QULOOBANAA, BA’DA ITH HADAY TANAA WAHAB LANAA MILLA DUNKA RAHMA. INNAKAA ANTAL WAH-HAAB.

O Allah, do not let our hearts deviate from the Truth now that we have been guided , but grant us Mercy from Your very Presence, for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure.

RABBI JA’ALNI MUQEEMUS SALAATI, WAMIN DUR-RIY-YATI, RABBANAA WATA QABBAL DU’AAH.

My Lord, help me to perfect my salaat, and of my descendants, Our Lord, accept this dua.

RABBIGH FIRLEE WALI WAALI DAYYA, WALIL MU’MINEENA YAWMA YAQOOMUL HISAAB.

My Lord, forgive me, and my parents, and all Believers until the Day of Reckoning.

SUB’ HAANAKA RABBEKA RABBIL ‘IZZATI ‘AMMAA YUSIFOON, WA SALAAMUN ‘ALAL MURSALEEN, WAL HAMDU LIL-LAAHI RABBIL AALAMEEN.”

Glory to Allah, Lord of Majesty and Honour, and Peace on the Prophets, and Praise to Allah, Lord of all creation!

Other Duas you could make:

Ya Allah, accept our Ibadat and forgive us.

Ya Rabb, have mercy on us. Help us obey you and praise you.

Ya Allah, we stand before you having observed all the tenets of Islam, so lead us to prosperity and growth, to triumph and solidarity, to unity and wealth beyond our imagination.

Ya Allah, we beg for your MAGFIRATAK, and ask you for success, health and wealth for all the brothers who are present here and now in this blessed room.

Ya Rabb, increase our love that binds us together now, and in the future to come.

With regards to their dear beloved ones who have passed away, Ya Rabb, may you grant them a place in Jannatul Firdaus. May you forgive all their KHATAYAA, KABEERA WA SAGHEERAH. May you fill their Qabr with your holy noor and light. Ya Rabb, may you also save us from ADHAAB AL QABR. Ya Allah, grant their rooh, eternal peace, AR RAAHA AL ABDIYYAA on the YAWM AL HISAAB.

Ya Allah, accept all our duas, fulfil all our righteous wishes, fulfil our dreams,.

Ya Allah, may your rehma and safety encompass all our families, wherever they may be.

Ya Allah, grant these brothers who are present, here and now, SABR that is YUHIB HUM AS SABR.

Ya Allah, make the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) intercede or YASHFAAH on our behalf on YAWM A QIYAAMAH.

Globally Standardized Conclusion:

IBAA DAL LAAH:

IN NAL LAAHA YA’A MURU BIL ADLI WAL IHSAN

WA EE TA’EE ZIL QURBAA WA YANHAA ANIL FAHSHAA’EE WAL MUNKAREE WAL BAGH’YI

YA EE ZUKUM LA AL LAKUM TAZAK KAROON.

FAZ KU ROONI AZ KUR KUM WAS KU RU LI WA LA TAK FURUN.

Then you conclude by saying to the mu’azzin:

WA AA QIMUS SALAAH

Wait for adhaan

Standard Introduction:

AUZO BIL LAAHI MIN ASH SHAYTAANIR RAJEEM,

BISMIL LAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHIM

AL HAMDU LILLAAHI RABBIL ‘ALAMEEN. WAS SALAATU WAS SALAAMU ‘ALAA ASHRAFIL MURSALEEN. SAYIDINAA WA NABI YENAA WA MOULANAA MUHAMMADIN WA’ALA AALEHEE WA AS HAABEHEE WASALLIM.

All praise is due to Alláh, the Lord of all the Worlds; may the greetings and peace be upon the best messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and upon his family and upon all of his companions.

AL-HAMDU LILLA HIL LAZI HADAANA LIHAAZA WAMA KUNNA LANAHTADIYA LAW’LA ANN HADAANA ALLAH.

Meaning:

Praise is due to Allah,

Praise is due to Allah who guided us to the righteous path, and indeed we wouldn’t have attained this state of guidance without Him Allah,

AMMA BA’AD.

English Part of the Khutbah:

IKHWATI FIL ISLAM, ASH-HAAB AL ILM, WA RUWAAD AL ILM, Brothers in Islam, Learned Colleagues and Scholars,

As mentioned in our last Khutba, from the onset, again I would like to reiterate and to emphasise the fact that the English portion of the Khutba will contain quite a lot of Arabic and this is done deliberately so as to strengthen both your Arabic vocabulary and grammar.

We also mentioned the fact that the Khutba should contain current issues, and problems affecting Ummah so the Khutba is organic and not repetitive. It should contain something that is troubling the Ummah in the present climate so people can relate to it and that it is not detracted from reality whilst the Imam should emphasise the Ibrah part. Ibrah in Arabic and Ibrat in Urdu means a catastrophe or an incident that teaches us a lesson. It serves as a warning.

At this point I just want to digress and brief you as to why I prefer to use the word Wrong Action rather than Sins. In 1975, I met a group of Muslims, all of them were highly educated Englishmen of pure Anglo-Saxon descent and Americans who had all converted to Islam. Many were practising Christians who had now converted to Islam through a Sheikh in Morocco of Shadhiliyya Tariqa. One of the first thing they thought me was the fact that inadvertently over the years we have adopted lot of words in our every day lives which have Christianic connotation, e.g., prime example was the word Sin. Yes you are right you may argue that well ASWT will look at our intentions but all of you are ASH-HAAB AL ILM, WA RUWAAD AL ILM, so think, if Allah has granted you knowledge then it becomes incumbent upon you to use this ilm. Again these Christian priests who had converted to Islam absolutely and categorically refused to use the word SIN. Now this is their opinion and as usual don’t’ shoot the messenger I am only delivering a message.

They say that if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. Likewise although the Wikipedia and the modern dictionaries have mellowed the word SIN, the die hard Christians will define the word Sin as follows: In fact brothers, lets forget people’s opinions and look at the source of the word that is the New Testament. Their book of Romans Chapter 3, verse 23, Ephesians Chapter 2, verse 1 – 3 , Book of Isaiah Chapter 53 verse 6, still teaches Christians wrongly that and I quote “Due to the Original Sin, man has lost any and all capacity to move towards reconciliation with God. This inborn sin turns humans away from God.” Brothers nothing is more false than that. Infact if you do your TAUBA say ASTAG with sincerity truly you know well that indeed, Allah is GAFOORUR RAHIM. In fact if you look at any Islamic books that were written by the Muslim Authors in the sixties and seventies including the translation of the Holy Quran, you will find that although the translation is correct on the tafsir side Muslims translators have used the word God throughout instead of Allah, So I rest my case as this just proves my point. Instead of Ya Rabb, they use the word O Lord! I ask you brothers lord of what House of Commons, House of Lords! See my point. It really doesn’t take much effort to use the word Ya Allah! Ya Rabb!

Umma Baad, Now, onwards and upwards.

Let us pick up the thread where we left off from last time when we spoke about the fact that undoubtedly our present day Heads of States and Political Leaders could learn a lot from H. Umar Ibn Al Khattab (RA). So this Khutba will continue where we left off from as we concentrate on further events from H. Umar’s (RA) life and draw parallel to present day crisis. We learned that whilst H. Umar (RA) on his way to Bait al Maqdas or Jerusalem, had brought with him just 1 servant and 1 camel for both of them for the entire journey and no entourage whatsoever unlike the present day Muslim Heads of States would go fo nothing less than a couple of floors in a 5 Star Hotel not to mention anything less than Chauffer driven Limousine, etc.

Truly even the Kuffars acknowledged that “If there was one more Umar (RA) Islam would have conquered the whole Duniya!

One more incident that I am sure you might be aware of but I will mention it inorder to strengthen our Imaan, and that is at the time H. Amr Bin Aas (RA) was the Governor of Misr, Egypt and his son took part in a Horse Race. An unknown horse rider won the horse race and so H. Amr Bin Aas’ (RA) son decided to beat up the winner! Seems to be a custom in the sub continent. If you can’t win beat up your opponent! Anyhow, his father complained to the Caliph.

H. Umar (RA) therefore sent a message to both the father and son that come to Madinah Al Munawwarah dressed in your best clothes. H. Amr Bin Aas (RA) thought he had done exceptionally well that he was going to be rewarded. H. Umar (RA) gathered the people of Madinah and when they were all gathered he took out his own personal whip and handed it over to the son of the complainant. He said, I want you to beat this person as long as you like and in the same manner that he had beaten you. The beating then began until even the people of Madinah felt that the justice had been done but H. Umar (RA) urged the young man to continue.

Yet another rare incident worth mentioning is that on another occasion, during the Khutba of Salaatul Juma, H. Umar (RA) stood up on the mimber and said, “ ISMA OO WA ATI OO! O people listen to what I have to say and obey me! H. Salman Farsi (RA) a very notable Sahaba stood up and decided to challenge H. Umar (RA) saying, “LA NASMAOO WA LAA NU TEOO! We will not listen and not obey. Why asked H. Umar (RA). H. Salman (RA) replied, “You are a tall person and your JALAABA is made up of 2 sheets or TARAF QUMAASH. However, the quota of sheet that was distributed from the Bait ul maal, upon your own decree was 1 Chader each! So until you account for the extra sheet which you are wearing in the form of JALAABA, we will neither listen nor obey you. H. Umar (RA) announced that his son H. Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA) be brought forward. H. Umar (RA) said inform the people where I got this extra sheet from. H. Abdullah (RA) duly came forward and testified before the whole Majlis that “I was given 1 chader from the Bait ul Maal which I gave to my father as my father is quite tall and could not make a shirt from 1 chader.

Now I will narrate the unquantifiable wealth that poured into Madinah Al Munawwarah and remember this point Brothers, as I will come back to it in a minute. For example the incident of the Qisrah’s throne arriving in Madinah Al Munawwarah is again well documented with its length, the breadth, the height and weight. To top it all the throne was accompanied by a crown which was so heavy that it had to be hung from the ceiling and by the way Caesar would stick his head in it every time he sat on the throne. That aside the wealth from world over like the rich Iranian empire is again well documented.

Afsos! Alas! WA HASRATAA! WA HASRATAA! Such a shame! We do not have such strong Imaan or such noble acts. Even Prophet SAW dug trenches during the Battle of the Khandaq even though he had both H. Gibraeel (AS) and Mikaeel (As) at his disposal. He prepared the map of war tactics during the GHASWAT BADR or the battle of Badr that even the most competent General of our day and age could not have prepared such a detailed Map of granularity. This was to guide the ummat that verily, Allah wants to reward you for ever more, if you perform any right action.

He was stabbed during Salaat by a kuffar and became a true shahid Yaani SHAHIDE HAQIQI or moreover he became a KAAMIL SHAHID and brothers, you could not get a better status of a martyrdom than that. Then what happen? During the last few moments of his life, whilst dying he asked his son to be place on the ground. When done so as a final gesture of humility he started rubbing the dust Mubarak of Madinah on his face, and begged ASWT for forgiveness.

Here we have a Khalifa who managed a huge empire, conducted huge military campaigns, he held fast to the Sunnah of H Rasoolallah (SAW) and therefore met with amazing success. His conquests on behalf of Islam were unparalleled. After that he was called upon to bring peace into the vast empire. Here again, his success was unequalled. In short H. Umar made himself the fountain head from which flowed the undiluted blessings brought by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), for mankind who was indeed Rehmatul Lil Aalameen. I

Conclusion of the First Part of the Khutbah:

NAD’OO ALLAHA AN YAGHFIR LANA ZUNUBAKUM”

Meaning: We make Duas to ASWT, so that he will accept all our Ibadat & forgive our sins.

WA AAKHERO DAA’ WAANA ANIL HAMDO LIL LAAHEY RABBIL AALAMEEN.….

Sit down & make a du’a yourself.

Second Khutbah:

Globally Standardized Conclusion:

AL HAMDU LILLAAHI NAHMADUHU WANAS TA’EENAHU, WANASTAGH-FIRUHU, WANATOOBU ILAYHI, WANA’OOTHU BILLAAHI MIN SHUROORI AN-FUSINAA, WAMIN SAYYI AATI AA’MAALINAA.

MAY- YAHDILLAAHU FA HUWAL MUHTAD, WA MAY- YUDLILL FALAN TAJIDAA LAHU WALIYAN MURSHIDA. WA ASH-HADU AN LAA ILAAHA IL LAL-LAÁH, WAHDAHOO LAA SHAREEKA LAH, WA ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN ‘ABDUHOO WARASOOLUH

All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds.

Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him.

I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Prophet Muhammad, SAW, is His servant, and His messenger.

YA AY-YUHAL-LATHEENA ‘AAMANUT TAQUL-LAAHA, HAQQA TUQAATIHEE WALA TAMU TUN-NA, IL-LA WA ANTUM MUSLIMOON.”

O You who believe, – Fear Allah, as He should be feared, and die not except as Muslims.

YA AY-YUHAL-LATHEENA ‘AAMANUT TAQUL-LAAHA, WA QOOLOO QAWLAN SADEEDAA. YUSLIH-LAKUM A’MAALAKUM WA YAGHFIR LAKUM THUNOOBAKUM, WAMAY YU-TIL-LAAHA WARASOOLAH, FAQAD FAAZA FAWZAN ATHEEMAA.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.

INNALLAAHA WA MALAAIKATAHU YUSALLÚNA ALAN NABI. YAA AY YOHAL LATHEENA AAMANU SALLÚ ALAYHI WASALLI MÚ TAS LEEMA.

ALLAHUMMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD, WA AALA AALI MUHAMMAD, KAMAA SALLAYTAA ALA IBRAHIMA, WA AALA AALI IBRAHIM. ALLAHUMMA BAARIK ALA MUHAMMAD, WA AALA AALI MUHAMMAD, KAMA BAARAKTAA ALA IBRAHIM, WA AALA ALI IBRAHIM, INNAKA HAMEEDUN MAJEED.”

Behold, Allah and his angels shower blessings on the Prophet (SAW). O you who believe! Ask for blessings on him, and salute him with a worthy greeting.

The Du’a – before the Khutbah Ends:

Again, for the sake of global standardization using the global “Islamic Language”, one uses a standard and brief du’a:

ALLAHUMMAGH FIR LIL’ MUSLIMEENA WAL MUSLIMAAT…. Stop for the congregation to say AAMEEN

WAL MOAMINEENA WAL MOUMINAAT…STOP FOR AAMEEN

AL-AHYAA’EE MINHUM WAL AMWAAT…STOP FOR AAMEEN

INNAKAA SAMEE’UN MUJIBUD DA’WAAT… STOP FOR AAMEEN

Meaning:

Ya Allah, forgive all our Muslim men and women,

Forgive the believing men and women,

Those who are alive and those who died,

You are indeed the One who listens and accepts all supplications.

RABBANA LAA TUZIGH QULOOBANAA, BA’DA ITH HADAY TANAA WAHAB LANAA MILLA DUNKA RAHMA. INNAKAA ANTAL WAH-HAAB.

O Allah, do not let our hearts deviate from the Truth now that we have been guided , but grant us Mercy from Your very Presence, for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure.

RABBI JA’ALNI MUQEEMUS SALAATI, WAMIN DUR-RIY-YATI, RABBANAA WATA QABBAL DU’AAH.

My Lord, help me to perfect my salaat, and of my descendants, Our Lord, accept this dua.

RABBIGH FIRLEE WALI WAALI DAYYA, WALIL MU’MINEENA YAWMA YAQOOMUL HISAAB.

My Lord, forgive me, and my parents, and all Believers until the Day of Reckoning.

SUB’ HAANAKA RABBEKA RABBIL ‘IZZATI ‘AMMAA YUSIFOON, WA SALAAMUN ‘ALAL MURSALEEN, WAL HAMDU LIL-LAAHI RABBIL AALAMEEN.”

Glory to Allah, Lord of Majesty and Honour, and Peace on the Prophets, and Praise to Allah, Lord of all creation!

Other Duas you could make:

Ya Allah, accept our Ibadat and forgive us.

Ya Rabb, have mercy on us. Help us obey you and praise you.

Ya Allah, we stand before you having observed all the tenets of Islam, so lead us to prosperity and growth, to triumph and solidarity, to unity and wealth beyond our imagination.

Ya Allah, we beg for your MAGFIRATAK, and ask you for success, health and wealth for all the brothers who are present here and now in this blessed room.

Ya Rabb, increase our love that binds us together now, and in the future to come.

With regards to their dear beloved ones who have passed away, Ya Rabb, may you grant them a place in Jannatul Firdaus. May you forgive all their KHATAYAA, KABEERA WA SAGHEERAH. May you fill their Qabr with your holy noor and light. Ya Rabb, may you also save us from ADHAAB AL QABR. Ya Allah, grant their rooh, eternal peace, AR RAAHA AL ABDIYYAA on the YAWM AL HISAAB.

Ya Allah, accept all our duas, fulfil all our righteous wishes, fulfil our dreams,.

Ya Allah, may your rehma and safety encompass all our families, wherever they may be.

Ya Allah, grant these brothers who are present, here and now, SABR that is YUHIB HUM AS SABR.

Ya Allah, make the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) intercede or YASHFAAH on our behalf on YAWM A QIYAAMAH.

Globally Standardized Conclusion:

IBAA DAL LAAH:

IN NAL LAAHA YA’A MURU BIL ADLI WAL IHSAN

WA EE TA’EE ZIL QURBAA WA YANHAA ANIL FAHSHAA’EE WAL MUNKAREE WAL BAGH’YI

YA EE ZUKUM LA AL LAKUM TAZAK KAROON.

FAZ KU ROONI AZ KUR KUM WAS KU RU LI WA LA TAK FURUN.

Then you conclude by saying to the mu’azzin:

WA AA QIMUS SALAAH

Wait for adhaan

Standard Introduction:

AUZO BIL LAAHI MIN ASH SHAYTAANIR RAJEEM,

BISMIL LAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHIM

AL HAMDU LILLAAHI RABBIL ‘ALAMEEN. WAS SALAATU WAS SALAAMU ‘ALAA ASHRAFIL MURSALEEN. SAYIDINAA WA NABI YENAA WA MOULANAA MUHAMMADIN WA’ALA AALEHEE WA AS HAABEHEE WASALLIM.

All praise is due to Alláh, the Lord of all the Worlds; may the greetings and peace be upon the best messenger, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and upon his family and upon all of his companions.

AL-HAMDU LILLA HIL LAZI HADAANA LIHAAZA WAMA KUNNA LANAHTADIYA LAW’LA ANN HADAANA ALLAH.

Meaning:

Praise is due to Allah,

Praise is due to Allah who guided us to the righteous path, and indeed we wouldn’t have attained this state of guidance without Him Allah,

AMMA BA’AD.

English Part of the Khutbah:

IKHWATI FIL ISLAM, ASH-HAAB AL ILM, WA RUWAAD AL ILM, Brothers in Islam, Learned Colleagues and Scholars,

The Khutbah should contain current issues, and problems affecting Ummah so the Khutbah is organic and not repetitive. It should contain something that is troubling the Ummah in the present climate so people can relate to it and that it is not detracted from reality whilst the Imam should emphasise the Ibrah part. Ibrah in Arabic and Ibrat in Urdu means a catastrophe or an incident that teaches us a lesson.

From the onset, I would like to make it clear that the English portion of the Dars or Bayaan of the Khutbah will contain quite a lot of Arabic and this is done deliberately so as to strengthen both your Arabic vocabulary and grammar.

Let us pick up the thread where we left off from last time when we spoke about the fact that unfortunately, our lives have intertwined so much with the Kuffars and Nassara that we have stopped believing in the concept of Baraka. If we earn say £100 by honest means then this will have more Barakah from ASWT then say £1,000 earned somewhat dishonestly. For example, in the former case, when you have earned less but by honest means, your Car’s MOT may get through cheaper, your electricity, gas, telephone and other utility bills may be lower than expected. Such is the Baraka of Allah T’ala. The rizq from ASWT comes from the least of unexpected sources. Conversely the money earned dishonestly may lack Baraka and invite a pack of trouble and may end up with unexpected bills, trials and tribulations, as his bad deeds eventually catches up with him and even then Allah is trying to forgive him in this Duniya so as to spare him from the strict accounting in the in Qabr and moreover on Yawm Al Qiyamah.

Throughout the day Shaitan puts was-wasaa or evil whisperings in our heart and mind as mentioned in Surah AN AAS:

QUL AUZO BE RABBIN NAAS MALEKIN NAAS

I seek refuge in the Lord of Men, the King of Men, and the God of Men.

MIN SARRIL WAS WAASIL KHAN NAASIL LAZI

From the evil whisperings of Shaitaan

YOU WAS WESO FI SUDOORIN NAAS

Who whispers into the hearts of men.

MIN NAL JINNATE WANNAS

From among the Jinn and men.

So to counteract this Allah says repeatedly in the Quran, for example, Surah Taa Haa, Ayat 132 and I quote:

“WA AA MUR AH LAKA BIS SALAATI WAS TABIR ALAIHAA LAA NAS ALOKAA RIZKAUW NAHNU NAR ZUKU KA WAL AAKE BATU LIT TAQWA”.

Enjoin Salaat on your people and be constant therein. We are not asking you to provide Rizq,. In fact we provide it for you.

And again, in Surah Zaariyaah meaning the Winds that scatter: Aayat: 56 to 58, inclusive and again I quote verbatim:

WA MAA KHALAQ TUL JINNAH WAL INSAA ILLA LIYA’A BUDOON.

I have only created Jinn and men that they worship me.

MAA URIDU MIN HUM MIN RIZQIN WA MAA URIDU AN YUT EMOON.

No sustenance or Rizq do I require of them. Nor do I require that they should feed me.

INNAL LAAHA HUWAR RAZZAQO ZUL QUW WATIL MATEEN.

For Allah is he who gives all rizq sustenance = INNAL LAAHA HUWAR RAZZAQO

And only he can do that for he is the Lord and the source of power who is steadfast forever and ever.

Undoubtedly our present day Heads of States and Political Leaders could learn a lot from H. Umar Ibn Al Khattab (RA). So this Khutbah now will concentrate on certain events from H. Umar’s (RA) life and draw parallel to present day crisis. As you know that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had said that “My companions are like the stars. Which ever of them you will follow you will be guided.”. So here, we have a Khalifa who managed a huge empire, conducted huge military campaigns, he held fast to the strict Sunnah of SAW and therefore met with amazing success. His conquests on behalf of Islam were unparalleled. After that he was called upon to bring peace into the vast empire. Here again, his success was unequalled.

Now I want you to picturise this glorious event in your mind when H. Umar Ibn Al Khattab (RA) is about to enter Bait al Maqdas, meaning Jerusalem. But before that let us rewind and recap what led to that event – that – on one hand H. Amr Bin Aas (RA) was ready to attack and H. Khalid (RA) and other notable generals also joined H. Amr (RA). The Christians had little or no hope from their fellow Byzantine Empire. Incidentally, Byzantium is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire centred around its capital of Constantinople, before the Muslims took over. Although called the Roman Empire, Allah knows why, it was characterised by Greek as the official language.

The Christians were well aware that whenever the Muslims conquered a city or an empire for that matter, they had always respected the life and the property of the Defeated. In addition, the Muslims had also left alone their places of worship. Under Muslim rule they were allowed to follow their own religion. So in order to avoid blood shed in short the Christians gave in and sent a message to that effect to H. Abu Obaida (RA). Their only condition was that and I quote verbatim here, “We are ready to give in, but your Caliph, H. Umar Ibn AL Khattab (RA) must come in person and sign the treaty of peace! The Muslim generals then conveyed this message to H. Umar (RA). Now this particular scene brings tears to my eyes. On his way to Bait al Maqdas or Jerusalem, H. Umar (RA) had brought with him just 1 servant and 1 camel for both of them for the entire journey and no entourage whatsoever unlike the present day Muslim Heads of States booking out couple of floors in a 5 Star Hotel not to mention anything less than Chauffer driven Limousine, Mercedes and Rolls Royce and etc.

By the time they got to the outskirts and horizon of Jerusalem, it was the time of the servant to ride the camel. The Christian priests, elders and Heads alike who had gathered to greet H. Umar (RA) commented to H. Abu Obaida, H. Khalid and other generals, “The rider is obviously your Caliph and commander of the Faithful.” “No” Replied H. Abu Obaida (RA). The man on foot and walking and holding the camel’s reins is our Amirul Moa meneen and our Commander in Chief whilst the rider is the servant. I ask you brothers do we see this sense of justice in any of our Ministers, Rulers, Head of States. It does not happen.

Brothers, as you are well aware MUNKAR WA NAAKIR will ask you questions such as:

1. Firstly, MAN RABBOKA? Who is your Rabb?
2. Secondly, WA MAA DINUUK? And what is your deen?
3. Thirdly, WA MAA DHATA TA QUL FIR RAJU LIL LAZI BU EE THA FI KUM?

The most stringent type of Su-aal will be taken from the rulers. So it is narrated in the Hadith that in the Qabr, when the MALAAIKA will question some righteous believers, insha ALLAH (IA) like yourselves, they will complain to the Malaaika to the effect that “Why are you questioning us? What did Allah give us in the Duniya and what did we ever had in the way of possession? The Malaaika will go back to ASWT and ask for guidance. At that juncture Allah will recall these believers in his Holy presence. These believers will say, “ Ya Allah, your angels were questioning me so I replied, “What did we ever have? You gave all the wealth to nassara and Yahud? All we ever had was Sabr. On this note ASWT will reply: “O mere bande! I kept you away from the Duniya so as not belittle you. It was for this day that I wanted to crown you and give you your rightful place, OOD KHO LOOL JANNAH! See your place in Jannat as far as eye can see, it is yours!

So what is the difference between a present day ruler or Minister and the Khula faa e Raashedeen? Mainly that the Politics come into play and the Muslim rulers under the pretext of politic will have no hesitation in instigating killings between Shia and Sunnis like we have in Iraq. As long as their position is safe guarded. The Khula faa ey Raashedeen on the other hand will ensure that the Shariah is upheld.

For example, on a Wednesday night Prophet Muhammad (SAW) made the Dua and on Thursday , H. Umar (RA) came into the fold of Islam. This was because H. Abu Bakr (RA) was beaten so badly that by evening he was near the point of death. When SAW saw his state he could not hold back the tears. So Prophet SAW made the Dua to Allah that give us Umar (RA) or Amr Bin Hishaam, commonly knows as Abu Jahl. Obviously his choice was H. Umar Ibn Khattab (RA) and the rest as they say is history to the effect that when Gibraeel (AS) came down he said, “Ya Rasoolallaah (SAW) even the angels are also rejoicing today. So H. Umar went on to rule for 10 years and during this glorious period Islam conquered from the large neo Persian empire to the north west’s Eastern Roman so called Byzantium Empire. Muslims swept across North Africa to the Atlantic Ocean.

So ten years after H. Umar passed away, he came in the dream of his son H. Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA). He asked his father “How goeseth O father?” Wiping the sweat of his brow H. Umar (RA) commented, “I have just completed the questions of the Malaaika with regards to my tenure of Khilafat and settled the accounts. I still have to answer for the remainder of civilian life” and yet this was one of the 10 Sahaba who was bestowed with good news Yaani ‘ASHRA – MUBASH SHAREEN’. The same Khalifa who used to roam the streets of Madina al Munawwara at night, crying, YA LAB BAIKA, YA LAB BAIKA. You may well remember the famous incident of the old lady who had an empty pot cooking away and was surrounded by couple of kids crying their heart out. He asked, “Ya ummi, O! Mother why are these children crying?” They are hungry the mother replied. What is this pot doing then? Oh its just boiling water. There is no food in the pot. It is just to make the kids think that I am cooking something. Tears rolled down H. Umar’s (RA) eyes as he asked her, “Does Umar (RA) know of your condition?” She replied “In that case, what business has he of becoming our Khalifa in the first place, if he doesn’t even know our plight? On hearing this, H. Umar (RA) immediate went to the Bait ul Maal and picked up a hugh sack full of provisions and as he lifted this his man servant Aslam (RA) asked, “O master” shall I lift this for you? To which H. Umar (RA) replied are you going to lift my burden on the day of Qiyamah as well? He proceeded to his house and made the halwa called, HAISA in Arabic. This was made up of Dates, Cheese & ghee – butter.

Aslam (RA) the servant further narrates that as H. Umar (RA) tried to light the fire I saw the smoke coming out of his beard and tears rolled down his eyes as a consequence! When the Halwa called Haisa was ready he served it on a plate and fed the children. After they were fed and satiated and seeing the laughter on the children’s face he began to continue on his nightly mission of seeking out more unfortunate souls. At that juncture, the mother of the children replied, “Oh! How I wish you were Amirul Moameneen in place of Umar (RA)”. Hearing this H. Umar did not acknowledge that in fact he was Umar (RA) but instead with unsurpassing humility replied, “O Mother! When you meet Umar (RA) I will be in his vicinity. Now Brothers in this room, name one of our Political Leader who would show such humility and care for the people.

I am sure you are all familiar with the Hadith of the Prophet SAW who said that “if there was to be another Prophet after me than it would have been H. Umar (RA). Truly even the Kuffars acknowledged that “If there was one more Umar (RA) Islam would have conquered the whole Duniya!

One more incident that is rare and you might be aware and that is at the time H. Amr Bin Aas (RA) was the Governor of Misr, Egypt and his son took part in a Horse Race. An unknown horse rider won the horse race and so H. Amr Bin Aas’ (RA) son decided to beat up the winner! Seems to be a custom in the sub continent. If you can’t win beat up your opponent! Anyhow, his father complained to the Caliph.

H. Umar (RA) therefore sent a message to both the father and son that come to Madina Al Munawwara dressed in your best clothes. H. Amr Bin Aas (RA) thought he had done exceptionally well that he was going to be rewarded. H. Umar (RA) gathered the people of Madinah and when they were all gathered he took out his own personal whip and handed it over to the son of the complainant. He said, I want you to beat this person as long as you like and in the same manner that he had beaten you. The beating then began until even the people of Madina felt that the justice had been done but H. Umar (RA) urged the young man to continue.

Yet another rare incident worth mentioning is that on another occasion, during the Khutbah of Salaatul Juma, H. Umar (RA) stood up on the mimber and said, “ IS MA OO WA ATI OO! O people listen to what I have to say and obey me! H. Salman Farsi (RA) a very notable Sahaba stood up and decided to challenge H. Umar (RA) saying, “LA NASMAOO WA LAA NU TEOO! We will not listen and not obey. Why asked H. Umar (RA). H. Salman (RA) replied, “You are a tall person and your JALAABA is made up of 2 sheets or TARAF QUMAASH. However, the quota of sheet that was distributed from the Bait ul maal, upon your own decree was 1 Chader each! So until you account for the extra sheet which you are wearing in the form of JALAABA, we will neither listen or obey you. H. Umar (RA) announced that his son H. Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA) be brought forward. H. Umar (RA) said inform the people where I got this extra sheet from. H. Abdullah (RA) duly came forward and testified before the whole Majlis that “I was given 1 chader from the Bait ul Maal which I gave to my father as my father is quite tall and could not make a shirt from 1 chader.

Afsos! Alas! WA HASRATAA! WA HASRATAA! Such a shame!. We do not have such strong Imaan or such noble acts. Even Prophet SAW dug trenches during the Battle of the Khandaq even though he had both H. Gibraeel (AS) and Mikaeel (As) at his disposal. He prepared the map of war tactics during the GHASWAT BADR or the battle of Badr that even the most competent General of our day and age could not have prepared such a detailed Map of granularity. This was to guide the ummat that verily, Allah wants to reward you for ever more, if you perform any right action.

The wealth that poured in Madina AL Munawwara was also unparallel. For example the incident of the Qisrah’ throne arriving in Madina Sharif is again well documented with its length, the breadth, the height and weight. To top it all the throne was accompanied by a crown which was so heavy that it had to be hung from the ceiling and by the way Caesar would stick his head in it every time he sat on the throne. That aside the wealth from world over like the rich Iranian empire is again well documented. Despite the distributor of such wealth he wore only 1 robe and even that had 14 patches and he only ate meat once a month.

He was stabbed during Salaat by a kuffar and became true shahid Yaani SHAHIDE HAQIQI or moreover he became a KAAMIL SHAHID and you could not get a better status of a martyrdom than that. Then what happen? During the last few moments of his life, whilst dying he asked his son to be place on the ground. When done so as a final gesture of humility he started rubbing the dust Mubarak of Madina on his face, and begged ASWT for forgiveness.

Here we have a Khalifa who managed a huge empire, conducted huge military campaigns, he held fast to the Sunnah of H Rasoolallah (SAW) and therefore met with amazing success. His conquests on behalf of Islam were unparalleled. After that he was called upon to bring peace into the vast empire. Here again, his success was unequalled. In short H. Umar made himself the fountain head from which flowed the undiluted blessings brought by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), for mankind who was indeed Rehmatul Lil Aalameen. I

Insha Allah, we will continue this dars from here on in a future Salaatul Juma’s Khutba.

Conclusion of the First Part of the Khutbah:

NAD’OO ALLAHA AN YAGHFIR LANA ZUNUBAKUM”

Meaning: We make Duas to ASWT, so that he will accept all our Ibadat & forgive our sins.

WA AAKHERO DAA’ WAANA ANIL HAMDO LIL LAAHEY RABBIL AALAMEEN.….

Sit down & make a du’a yourself.

Second Khutbah:

Globally Standardized Conclusion:

AL HAMDU LILLAAHI NAHMADUHU WANAS TA’EENAHU, WANASTAGH-FIRUHU, WANATOOBU ILAYHI, WANA’OOTHU BILLAAHI MIN SHUROORI AN-FUSINAA, WAMIN SAYYI AATI AA’MAALINAA.

MAY- YAHDILLAAHU FA HUWAL MUHTAD, WA MAY- YUDLILL FALAN TAJIDAA LAHU WALIYAN MURSHIDA. WA ASH-HADU AN LAA ILAAHA IL LAL-LAÁH, WAHDAHOO LAA SHAREEKA LAH, WA ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN ‘ABDUHOO WARASOOLUH

All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds.

Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him.

I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Prophet Muhammad, SAW, is His servant, and His messenger.

YA AY-YUHAL-LATHEENA ‘AAMANUT TAQUL-LAAHA, HAQQA TUQAATIHEE WALA TAMU TUN-NA, IL-LA WA ANTUM MUSLIMOON.”

O You who believe, – Fear Allah, as He should be feared, and die not except as Muslims.

YA AY-YUHAL-LATHEENA ‘AAMANUT TAQUL-LAAHA, WA QOOLOO QAWLAN SADEEDAA. YUSLIH-LAKUM A’MAALAKUM WA YAGHFIR LAKUM THUNOOBAKUM, WAMAY YU-TIL-LAAHA WARASOOLAH, FAQAD FAAZA FAWZAN ATHEEMAA.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.

INNALLAAHA WA MALAAIKATAHU YUSALLÚNA ALAN NABI. YAA AY YOHAL LATHEENA AAMANU SALLÚ ALAYHI WASALLI MÚ TAS LEEMA.

ALLAHUMMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD, WA AALA AALI MUHAMMAD, KAMAA SALLAYTAA ALA IBRAHIMA, WA AALA AALI IBRAHIM. ALLAHUMMA BAARIK ALA MUHAMMAD, WA AALA AALI MUHAMMAD, KAMA BAARAKTAA ALA IBRAHIM, WA AALA ALI IBRAHIM, INNAKA HAMEEDUN MAJEED.”

Behold, Allah and his angels shower blessings on the Prophet (SAW). O you who believe! Ask for blessings on him, and salute him with a worthy greeting.

The Du’a – before the Khutbah Ends:

Again, for the sake of global standardization using the global “Islamic Language”, one uses a standard and brief du’a:

ALLAHUMMAGH FIR LIL’ MUSLIMEENA WAL MUSLIMAAT…. Stop for the congregation to say AAMEEN

WAL MOAMINEENA WAL MOUMINAAT…STOP FOR AAMEEN

AL-AHYAA’EE MINHUM WAL AMWAAT…STOP FOR AAMEEN

INNAKAA SAMEE’UN MUJIBUD DA’WAAT… STOP FOR AAMEEN

Meaning:

Ya Allah, forgive all our Muslim men and women,

Forgive the believing men and women,

Those who are alive and those who died,

You are indeed the One who listens and accepts all supplications.

RABBANA LAA TUZIGH QULOOBANAA, BA’DA ITH HADAY TANAA WAHAB LANAA MILLA DUNKA RAHMA. INNAKAA ANTAL WAH-HAAB.

O Allah, do not let our hearts deviate from the Truth now that we have been guided , but grant us Mercy from Your very Presence, for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure.

RABBI JA’ALNI MUQEEMUS SALAATI, WAMIN DUR-RIY-YATI, RABBANAA WATA QABBAL DU’AAH.

My Lord, help me to perfect my salaat, and of my descendants, Our Lord, accept this dua.

RABBIGH FIRLEE WALI WAALI DAYYA, WALIL MU’MINEENA YAWMA YAQOOMUL HISAAB.

My Lord, forgive me, and my parents, and all Believers until the Day of Reckoning.

SUB’ HAANAKA RABBEKA RABBIL ‘IZZATI ‘AMMAA YUSIFOON, WA SALAAMUN ‘ALAL MURSALEEN, WAL HAMDU LIL-LAAHI RABBIL AALAMEEN.”

Glory to Allah, Lord of Majesty and Honour, and Peace on the Prophets, and Praise to Allah, Lord of all creation!

Other Duas you could make:

Ya Allah, accept our Ibadat and forgive us.

Ya Rabb, have mercy on us. Help us obey you and praise you.

Ya Allah, we stand before you having observed all the tenets of Islam, so lead us to prosperity and growth, to triumph and solidarity, to unity and wealth beyond our imagination.

Ya Allah, we beg for your MAGFIRATAK, and ask you for success, health and wealth for all the brothers who are present here and now in this blessed room.

Ya Rabb, increase our love that binds us together now, and in the future to come.

With regards to their dear beloved ones who have passed away, Ya Rabb, may you grant them a place in Jannatul Firdaus. May you forgive all their KHATAYAA, KABEERA WA SAGHEERAH. May you fill their Qabr with your holy noor and light. Ya Rabb, may you also save us from ADHAAB AL QABR. Ya Allah, grant their rooh, eternal peace, AR RAAHA AL ABDIYYAA on the YAWM AL HISAAB.

Ya Allah, accept all our duas, fulfil all our righteous wishes, fulfil our dreams,.

Ya Allah, may your rehma and safety encompass all our families, wherever they may be.

Ya Allah, grant these brothers who are present, here and now, SABR that is YUHIB HUM AS SABR.

Ya Allah, make the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) intercede or YASHFAAH on our behalf on YAWM A QIYAAMAH.

Globally Standardized Conclusion:

IBAA DAL LAAH:

IN NAL LAAHA YA’A MURU BIL ADLI WAL IHSAN

WA EE TA’EE ZIL QURBAA WA YANHAA ANIL FAHSHAA’EE WAL MUNKAREE WAL BAGH’YI

YA EE ZUKUM LA AL LAKUM TAZAK KAROON.

FAZ KU ROONI AZ KUR KUM WAS KU RU LI WA LA TAK FURUN.

Then you conclude by saying to the mu’azzin:

WA AA QIMUS SALAAH

Prophet Muhammad SWS was commissioned by Allah / God to be the FINAL Messenger and Prophet to mankind in the whole universe –

و ما أرسلناك الا رحمة للعالمين”

Contrary to many of the current practices of many Muslims in the world, he DID NOT come to dispute Jesus, Moses or any of the family of Prophets. He came – as one of my dearest reverted-Muslims – my son-in-law Rick told me– to intensify the messages of all Prophets and to establish, deepen and broaden those of Moses and Jesus in particular. So, we do not have a quarrel with the people of the Jewish faith or the Christian faith. We also have no quarrels with any body. If there is a wrong inflicting us, then we need to look in the mirror. The Qur’aan teaches: And whatever a misfortune or failure afflicts you it is usually made and earned by you كسبته أيديكم by you not by Allah as many think and believe.

I am reminding myself and you of this because of a highly publicized case in Afghanistan that was really started because of a domestic dispute but faith was used as a justification for it as, unfortunately is the case in many instances. The man’s name is Abdul Rahman and he converted to Christianity 16 years ago in Europe.

First of all, if many of us do not know it yet, there is a very active wave of Muslim conversion to Christianity these days in many of the areas in Africa, Asia and the Middle East and here in America. Here in LA there is a contingent of 100′s of new Christians who were Muslims from Iran, Afghanistan, Egypt and other Muslim countries.

Of course an immediate reaction would be to ban any missionary activity in the Muslim country in question as was done recently in Algeria. Another is to put on trial the person who converts as in the case in Afghanistan. But the big question is: WOULD THIS STOP THE TIDE? I humbly say: Definitely NOT. We need to look in the mirror and see who is to blame. It is the parents, the teachers and the leaders. I am reminded by an event that happened during the consummation of the “Treaty of Hudaybi’ya”. One of the conditions of the treaty was to return to the pagan camps any Muslim who reverts away from Islam. Indeed, it happened. The Prophet SWS ordered that person back against the many emotional outbursts of the Prophet’s camp. Why? Because it is better to know who is in your team and who wants to opt out. This way we have a fully committed community of believers.

A few years ago, I had a personal experience – A sister I met was talking about her son Abdullah – so I asked – which Masjid she goes to – she said: I was a Muslim but I stopped enjoying being a Muslim – going to the Masjid was not fun!

And the big question here is: How did the Prophet (SWS) capture the imagination of all these people and touched their hearts to become Muslims? I am sure that people then are same as people today! Unfortunately, what is different has been the messages and religious education used. It stressed solely on hardships but not on how the Prophet SWS became the Advisor of all people, the trusted Banker of all people, the trusted leader of the defense forces and the trusted manager of the Treasury and of peoples trading caravans.

The Islamic transformation brought by Prophet Muhammad SWS, which was started in the age of the press, ensuring the preservation of the Qur’aan at all times, opened up new unexplored opportunities for the human race:

• It brought the age of democracy and freedom of speech to the world, 
• It helped make new discoveries possible in the world of science enabling man to use his most valuable gift, the mind and intellect, to seek religious truth and explore scientific phenomena to raise the standard and quality of life for all

These outstanding and amazing achievements were the result of an extraordinarily simple training program, which the Qur’aan explains in Chap. 74 verses 1 to 7:

ياأيها المدثر – قم فأنذر – و ربك فكبر – و ثيابك فطهر – و الرجز فاهجر – و لا تمنن تستكثر – و لربك فاصبر””

سورة المدثر – Chapter 74 Verses 1 to 7

“You who are wrapped up in your vestments, arise and give warning. Magnify your Lord, cleanse your garments and keep away from all pollution sources – both physically and spiritually. Bestow no favors expecting gain. Be patient for your Lord’s sake.”

Before one calls others to Islam, one should make sure that he/she is FIRST a good Muslim:

قل انى أمرت أن أكون أول من أسلم””

“Say: I was commanded to be the first to submit to Him.” (6:15)

The act of being the first to submit to God is entirely individual but it has far-reaching implications for the whole society. A volcanic eruption starts within a mountain, invisible from the eyes of man. But when the eruption takes place, it illuminates the whole surrounding area with its glow and the lava it produced made the most fertile soil to cultivate new life, bring up new communities and establish new lands. This is exactly what happens with the one who submits to God. This same consequence is found in the Qur’aan. The first verses to be revealed dealt with personal reform. Later on came the chapters dealing with improving society at large. Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, in the introduction of his translation of the Qur’aan, writes: “The inspiration of the Prophet progressed from inward things to outward things.”

In most cases people consider assault on the outside world to be the most worthwhile task in life. The Prophet’s method was exactly the opposite. He worked on strengthening the inside first. An individual who has consolidated himself from within becomes an irrisistible force when he erupts and breaks out in the open.

A person develops inner strength when he:

1. Becomes free of all selfish ties and inclinations, and
2. Attains a level of thinking in which all superficial considerations are cast aside, and as the Prophet put it, and sees things as they are.

His thoughts and actions are not guided by prejudice, anger, greed, hate, and the lust for power, vanity, self-interest or any such urges. This is what makes a strong character. A real brave believer makes all allowances for all eventualities, both probable and possible, in his decision making. The more people oppose him, the more he adheres to his position of truth and righteousness.

Divine truth should be embodied in one’s heart and mind

Rather than laying the blame of these difficulties on others, one should bear the responsibility for them in humbleness and humility.

When the Prophet erupted to the outside world, almost all the world capitulated to him. He captured their imagination and spirit. People just simply succumbed before his sublime character. The strength of his personality came from within.

It was this conduct of the Prophet that made him respected in the eyes of his enemies and made his followers stand by him through all kinds of hardship and misfortune. He provided mankind with an exemplary model of conduct.

* Dr. Yahia Abdul-Rahman is from Whittier, CA 90603, USA and may be contacted via email at yarahman@msn.com or by phone 626-818-0855. He regularly contributes to these websites as well: www.lariba.com, www.whittierbank.com, www.lariba.com.eg, www.islam-in-usa.com

Musaylimah had all the earthly ingredients to launch a new religion. He had an exquisite knowledge of the language, a magical public speaker, wealth beyond imagination, and a tribal army crazy about him, ready to die for his safety. He took all these ingredients and proclaimed to all that he was a Prophet of God just like Muhammad.

He missed one ingredient though, that sunk his ship, the ingredient of truthfulness. That is why today – over 1400 years later- there is not a single human soul on earth that thinks Musaylimah was the Prophet of God. Alas, God did not give him the authority to make this claim.

On the other hand, not a second ticks by in 24 hours / 7 days a week, except that there is a Muslim caller to prayer somewhere in the world in the millions of Masjids announcing Ash hadu anna Muhammadar Rasul Allah – I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

This is so, because human beings did not give him this authority. Nor did he himself proclaim this to himself. As the emperor of Rome – Heraclius – asked the Muslim messenger in the year 679 after he had presented Islam to him, “Which King gave Muhammad this authority?” The reply was so simple, so profound, “Allah did! God gave him this authority!”

I grew up in central Canada, in a city called Winnipeg, a city synonymous with the term cold – local folk call it Winterpeg. It’s so cold that people in Canada say: man you’re from Winnipeg, isn’t it cold there?

I went to grade school in Winnipeg in the early 80′s. My family and I lived in an environment where we would be giggled at and insulted at the mall and by passing cars. Not uncommon were random shouts of, “Hey Ninja lady!” or “Look what came out of the Desert!”

At that time, we were the only coloured children in the school. I remember once telling a friend to guess what the most popular name in the world was. When I told him it was Muhammad, he told me, “Get lost! You’re the only one in the school with that name. It must be John or something.”

I don’t blame him; a lot of people in North America have not travelled and experienced the treasures of culture and flavour that the nations of the world have to offer humanity.

Rev. Billy Graham once said something so profound. He said, “I travelled the world and came to the realization that perhaps America does not have in its palm all the truths of the world.”

Rev. Billy Graham deserves a standing ovation for a statement like that, the modesty to announce that to millions of viewers. But although America may not have all the truths, it is blessed with a nation of truth seekers, for it is never a shame to be mistaken, all shame lies in – after truth has come – to persist in ones mistake.

Islam is the fastest growing religion in America, rather in the world. In the past 50 years, Muslims have increased by 233%. And across the earth, from every nation, Muslims number over 1 Billion.

The key to Islam is the statement Laa ilaaha illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah – There is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

This statement takes only a few seconds to pronounce, but it is the transformation point of the lives of billions of Muslims around the world. Only the Creator deserves to be worshipped.

Let’s take an example from the lives of such people who’s lives changed with this call to worship only one God. Bilal – may Allah be pleased with him – was an Abyssinian slave for the aristocracy of Makkah in the year 623. When Muhammad the Messenger of Allah – upon whom be peace – came with this message of ‘No god except Allah’, Bilal – may Allah be pleased with him – denounced the 360 statues and idols that the tribes of Makkah were worshipping and believed in only Allah.

His enraged slave master Umayyah would take Bilal out in the sizzling noonday heat because of his beliefs and burn away Bilal’s back on the sand. To intensify the pain, Umayyah would bring a boulder and place it on his stomach to press his down on the grilling sand, burning the skin away.

All Bilal would whisper was, “He is only one (God), He is only one (God)” infuriating Umayyah who would only intensify the torture.

Bilal was freed by one of Muhammad’s – upon whom be peace – closest friends and followers: Abu Bakr, and Bilal become the first Mu’adhdhin (the one who calls others to prayer) of Islam.

Another example is that of the Muslim woman, Sumayyah – may Allah be pleased with her. She was also a slave and because they had accepted that no created thing deserved worship, only the creator, her and her husband and son were subjected to physical beatings.

Her torturer Abu Jahl became infuriated one day with her soft voice repeating, “There is no god but Allah!” He took a spear and pushed it through her mid section, he made Sumayyah the first Martyr. She was the first Muslim to die in the name of “There is no god but Allah!” May Allah be pleased with her.

Although it was permissible for the Muslims to lie to save themselves from the torture, you’ll see many examples of Muslims who would rather die than surrender their right to believe that only Allah deserved to be worshipped.

Amongst the tyrants of Makkah was a man by the name of Umar ibn Al-Khattabh. He was so vicious with the Muslims that he would volunteer to torture the Muslim slaves.

One day, he just had enough, so he sheathed his sword and set on his way to the home of Muhammad – upon whom be peace – to slit his throat once and for all. On the way he passed a Muslim who had been hiding his Islamic identity, – Nu’aym ibn Abdullah. Nu’aym inquired about Umar’s haste. “I’m off to find Muhammad, that convert who cut up our tribe, belittled our gods, and mocked our religion. I’m going to kill him!” Nu’aym became afraid for the Messenger of Allah – upon whom be peace – so he quickly thought and said, “Why don’t you start with your family first! Your sister and her husband have accepted Islam!”

Umar became enraged and changed direction to his sister’s home. At that time, a Muslim teacher – Khabbab ibn al Arat – was at their home teaching them the word of Allah – The Qur’an – and for a few moments Umar stood there listening. Then he shouted for them to open the door, Khabbab hid in an adjacent room and Umar’s sister Fatimah hid the scroll that had the Qur’an written on it.

Umar entered and walked right up to his brother in law. “I heard you both have accepted Muhammad and you’re following him.” Then Umar pounded his brother in law in the face. Fatimah his sister stood to protect her husband, and when she came in the way, Umar slapped her face with all his might.

She fell to the ground, her cheek split and the blood spilt all over her clothes. She looked up at her brother and said from behind her tears, “Yes Umar we are Muslim and yes we have believed in Allah and His Messenger. Maybe you don’t have all the truth like you think you do?”

Umar was ashamed at the sight of his sister’s blood and desisted. He asked, “What was that sound I heard, that recitation.” His sister replied, “I fear for that scroll to fall in your hands.” But Umar swore by the Idols that he would do no harm. She handed him the scroll after he had cleansed himself and he recited:

“Ta ha / We did not send down to you the Qur’an that you be distressed / But only as a reminder for those who fear (Allah) / A revelation from Him, who created the earth and the highest heavens / (Allah) the Merciful (who is) above the Throne established / To him belongs what is in the heavens and what is on the earth and what is between them and what is under the soil / And if you speak aloud – then indeed, He knows the secret and what is (even) more hidden / Allah – there in no god except Him, to Him belong the most beautiful names.”

Umar later that day visited the Messenger of Allah – upon whom be peace. When he met him, the Messenger of Allah – upon whom be peace – took the coat of Umar and said, “Hasn’t the time come for you to become Muslim?” And Umar replied, “I’ve only come for that reason. There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

The Prophet shouted – Allahu Akbar! (God is Great!) and everyone that heard it knew that Umar had become Muslim!

I’ve been in large crowds in my life, both in the west and in the Middle East.

In Winnipeg, the biggest crowds I experienced were at hockey games. Like I said before, Winnipeg has a lot of ice. Maybe 20 thousand Winnipeggers would gather at night for that hockey game. Hey that’s a lot for Winnipeg.

In Makkah, at the Grand Mosque, I have been in a crowd of 3 million worshippers in one prayer! These people were not from one nation, nor were they from one language background, and no they didn’t gather to see the Winnipeg Jets beat the Washington Capitols!

As you’ll see today when we line up for prayer, In Makkah, 3 Million people lined up in perfect circles around the Grand Mosque to worship Allah! I once stood in the window of a Hotel across from the Grand Mosque and watched down below the swarming crowd of 3 million Muslims. Then when the call to prayer began, that entire crowd stood in perfect circles in less than 50 secs. Who gathered these hearts? Only Allah.

A consistent crowd of 3 million from every nation, class, and color did not come about without pain and struggle to assert the human right to worship nothing but the one true God – Allah.

There were times in that very same valley of Makkah when Muhammad – upon whom be peace – would prostrate to only to Allah, avoiding all the false idols that surrounded him. The Polytheists (in Arabic Mushrikeen) of Makkah sat there staring at him and loathed the scene. They said to themselves, “How can you sit here and allow Muhammad to prostrate to Allah in your midst. Who amongst us will humiliate him?”

“I shall,” said a man by the name of Utbah.

He took the intestines of a fresh lamb that had been sacrificed to the idols and dumped it on the head of Muhammad – upon whom be peace. The Mushrikeen fell off their seats in hysterical laughter. Muhammad – upon whom be peace – did not come up from his prostration.

News reached his daughter Fatimah – who at that time was still a young girl – that her Father was being ridiculed at the Ka’bah (The Grand Mosque). She raced there and when she saw her father she cried and removed the filth and swore through her tears at the idol-worshippers.

This is just one example of the ridicule suffered by the Messenger of Allah and his followers. All they wanted was to teach humanity that nothing deserves worship except Allah!

The Mushrikeen/idol-worshippers of Makkah used their media – poetry and word of mouth – to sway public opinion against this call that there was no god but Allah.

A doctor by the name of Damaud from the tribe of Azd made pilgrimage to Makkah and when he arrived in the Holy valley the news media of Makkah flash-warned him not listen to a word Muhammad says. “He is a magician,” they said, “He’s mad”

Damaud recalls, “They frightened me so much that I considered putting cotton in my ears. But then I said to myself, ‘I am a doctor and have healed mad men before…perhaps I may be able to cure Muhammad.”

So after completing his circumbulation around the ka’bah, he saw Muhammad – upon whom be peace – sitting peacefully in the courtyard. He approached him and said softly, “Muhammad, I administer treatment for this illness and God has allowed me to heal many people, would you wish that I nurse you?”

Muhammad – upon whom be peace – turned and said, “Verily all praise belongs to Allah; we thank Allah and seek his protection from everything; whoever Allah guides none can misguide them and whoever Allah leaves to go astray none can guide them aright. I testify that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that (I) Muhammad am the Messenger of Allah.”

Damaud’s mouth gapped open. He swallowed and said, “Could you repeat that for me?” Muhammad the Messenger of Allah – upon whom be peace – repeated it.

Then Damaud smiled and announced, “By God, I have heard the words of soothsayers, and have heard the words of magicians, and have heard the words of poets, and I have never heard words like this! Give me your hand for I am pledging allegiance to Islam. There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger!”

You’ll find in the Qur’an (the book/word of Allah) verse after verse opening the eyes of humanity to the reality that there is a God and He is only one.

Jubayr ibn Mut’em stood quietly behind the Messenger of Allah – upon whom be peace – at sunset prayer (in Arabic Maghrib) one day and listened to the verses of Qur’an. The Messenger of Allah – upon whom be peace – was reciting the Chapter Toor (chapter 52) and in it he heard him recite:

“Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators of (themselves) / Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain / Or have they (in their hands) the treasures (of humanities provision) of Your Lord? Or do they control it?” verse 35 to 37.

Jubayr ibn Mut’em said, “When I heard these verses, it was as if my heart had wings flying swiftly and in bliss to the truth that I had found in Islam.”

Brother, Sister, where will you be in 100 years? You’ll probably be dead. And where were you 100 years ago? Nothing.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“Has there not come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing (even) mentioned? / Indeed, We created man from a sperm – drop mixture (i.e. combination of male and female substance) that We may test him; and We made him hearing and seeing. / Indeed, We guided him to the way, to be thankful or to be ungrateful.” Chapter 76/1-3

In those early days of Islam, the Messenger of Allah – upon whom be peace – would go from tent to tent, tribe to tribe, announcing to them, “Say there is no god but Allah and success will be yours!” Today, over 1400 years later as the followers of Muhammad, believers in Allah, we extend those words of our Messenger – upon whom be peace – to all our guests today:

“Say there is no god but Allah and success will be yours!”

Ameen! Aqeemus salaah!

* Delivered at the American University, Washington DC, USA

Part one

[Opening Dua’a]

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

It has been suggested that one should visit the past in order to know the present. So let us cast our minds back to Friday 17th of Ramadhan of the 2nd year after Hijra. The place is Badr, named after a well established by someone called Badr, some 150 km outside Al Madinah towards Mecca. A small army of about 300 men, ill equipped, only 70 of whom were mounted; the rest of them had trekked that distance on foot. This was the camp of Tawheed and Justice facing an army of between 900-1000 men armed to the teeth – the camp of shirk and falsehood.

Before the Divine Command to leave Mecca and emigrate to Al-Madinah was received by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, Muslims had endured many years of persecution on the hands of the mushriks of Quraish, which ranged from verbal and physical abuse to torture and murder not forgetting the most infamous and most cruel weapon of all, the embargo which Quraish imposed on the Muslim community. During all these years of hardship and suffering, the Muslims remained steadfast exercising patience and taqwa. With them, suffering like the rest of them, having forgone a very comfortable style of life and position of honour and leadership, (which the mushriks of Quraish had offered him) for the sake of Allah was this leader Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him. The position of the servant of Allah and Messenger was of far greater value to him than being king. Instead he remained with the oppressed and those perceived to be weak exercising a unique style of leadership – an inspired and inspiring leadership. Although he was like the shepherd providing direction, maintaining the flock and meeting individual need, neither did he, nor do we even today, refer to those who were with him as followers. They are always referred to as companions. He, peace and blessings be upon him, was the first companion; for everyone of his companions was a leader in his own right and he was a leader of leaders. That is how he wanted them to be. They obeyed him willingly – not out of fear because he was a leader by example. He would not ask them to do anything that he would not willingly do himself.

Allah, theExalted, saw in His Most Infinite Wisdom, that the only fitting worldly reward for such men was a spectacular victory, and a spectacular victory it was. The mushriks of Quraish suffered a humiliating defeat losing 70 of their highly regarded men dead and a similar number captured with scores of wounded. They withdrew to Mecca licking their wounds and leaving behind their belongings that were shared amongst the Muslims as spoils of war. The Muslims lost 14 martyrs.

“When your Lord inspired the angels (saying): I am with you. So make those who belive stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of then each finger.” 8:12

This was the immediate response from Allah, Most Exalted is He, to the supplication of the Muslims as stated in ayah 9 of the same Surah recited at the beginning, the meaning of which reads: “When you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): I will help you with a thousand of angels, rank on rank”.

And just as Allah answered the prayers of these men at Badr, He, the Almighty, promised all Muslims to answer their prayers. But let us remind ourselves of the ayah and note the condition attached to this promise:

“And when my servants question you concerning Me, (then) I am surely near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them hear My call and let them turn unto Me in order that they may be led aright.”

Part two

[Opening Dua’a]

Today is not that much different from the days preceding Badr. Although Muslims are many in numbers nowadays, they are still suffering from oppression, injustice, poverty, diseases, illiteracy and ignorance etc. What the Ummah in general needs is another Badr at three different levels.

The first and perhaps the most important level is the individual – ourselves. When Muslims turn away from their Deen, Allah will turn away from them until they return to Him in repentance. We must realise that unless and until we sincerely repent and return to the true Deen of Allah, we have no hope of overcoming the other obstacles.

The second level is the internal problems of each individual country. These are usually associated with the government of the country. Most, if not all Muslim countries have rulers rather than leaders at the head of the state. Such rulers shall not become leaders in the mould of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and his khulafa’a, may Allah be pleased with them all, until they see themselves as performing a function not holding a position or rank. They should rely on their authority of knowledge, wisdom and charisma to gain respect of their fellow countrymen. One western thinker stated that:

“Leadership in its most sublime touches the human spirit and includes the power to transcend ourselves for the common good to the extent of laying down our lives. Such an experience breeds in men a sense akin to humility in a leader, it deepens respect, trust and love. Such a leader would look upon leadership as a privilege in itself not a passport to privileges…”

It is perhaps ironic that western political observers should recognise such leadership in existence in a country that has possibly never experienced true democracy for decades.I am referring to Iraq and the English writer is talking about tribal leaders in the Euphrates region.

“…the Beduin tribe is the purest form of democracy to be found in the world…”

Another wrote…

“… the Bedu sheikh has no paid retainers on whom he can rely to carry out his orders. He is merely the first among equals in a society where every man is intensely independent and quick to resent every hint of autocracy. His authority depends in consequence on the force of his personality and his skill in handling men.”

Unfortunately at national level rulers find it better to be feared than loved. But as long as the seeds of true leadership remain alive, there is hope for true muslim leaders to emerge from amongst ourselves, by the Grace of Allah.

Once these two levels are set firmly in the right direction, the Ummah can turn to dealing with the third level – the external threats. The Ummah can then expend all its energies and resources to become economically powerful and militarily strong. All this is, by the Grace of the Most Gracious, achievable but the following must be borne in mind:

” Allah changes not the condition of a folk until they, first, change that which is in their hearts,”

“Verily in the messenger of Allah you have a good example (to follow).”

“Victory comes only with the help of Allah”.

[Closing Dua’a]

Ameen! Aqeemus salaah!