by Dr Ahmad Soboh

To listen to this khutbah, please click here:

http://www.islamicity.com/islamitv/?ref=12208

Christians and Muslims: the other story

Arshad Gamiet/Royal Holloway University of London/16^th March 2012

(to listen to this khutbah, or to download the audio version, please click 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,  is truly 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, – be aware of Allah, with correct awareness, 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,

In the verse I just quoted, the Holy Quran reminds us that we are all descended from common ancestors, we are all children of Adam and Eve, peace be on them. Yet there are still people who forget this, and who treat others with unbelievable hatred and contempt. In recent days, some Christians have been burning Qurans and some Muslims have been bombing churches and committing acts of mindless terror. They claim they are defending their religion and serving God. But each group is equally misguided. They’re just massaging their own bruised egos. Senseless violence between followers of one great religion and another has nothing to do with real faith.

Wars between Crusaders and Caliphates tell us more about the political rivalry for wealth and power between two civilizations. It tells us nothing about the spiritual connection that has always existed, very strongly, between believing Christians and believing Muslims.

In today’s khutbah I want to focus on this topic. Let’s look at three remarkable Christians to illustrate the intimate connection between the followers of Jesus and Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be on both of them. We can learn some important lessons from their stories.

They are Bahira, Waraqa and Najashi, the king, the Negus of Abyssinia.

Let’s begin with Bahira the Monk. As we know, Prophet Muhammad was an orphan. His father died before he was born, and his mother died just a few years later. So he was left in the care of his uncle Abu Talib. One day Abu Talib decided to take him along with a caravan to Syria. Along this route was a monastery. Bahira, a Christian monk lived there.

As the caravan approached, Bahira noticed a small cloud was shading it from the sun, in an otherwise cloudless sky. When the caravan stopped by a tree, the cloud also stopped. This tree, by the way, is still alive, subhanallah! It’s still there. It’s the only tree, in fact the only vegetation of any kind, for more than 100 miles in any direction, between Jordan and Syria. This tree stands all alone in the empty desert, the last living sahaba, the last living entity still connected with our beloved Prophet, sws

Bahira invited the travellers to a meal, and after examining the boy Muhammad closely he recognised the mark of prophet-hood on his back. He advised Abu Talib to take good care of him, because his own people would seek to harm him.

Our story goes fast-forward to a mountain cave near Makka and Muhammad is now a man of 40. He often comes here to meditate, but tonight, one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, a strange thing happens. Suddenly, the Angel Gabriel appears, and hugs Muhammad in a tight embrace, almost squeezing the life out of him, commanding him to read. He protests: I cannot read! I’m illiterate! But again and again he is commanded: Read! Until the first verses of the Holy Quran come forth from his lips:

“Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem! Iqra! Bismi Rabbikal lathee khalaq! Khalaqal insaana min ‘alaq. Iqra wa rabbukal akram; Al-lathee ‘al lama bil qalam, ‘alamal insaana ma lam ya’alam”

In the name of Allah, the All- Merciful, the All-Compassionate.
READ! In the name of thy Lord Who created, (1) Created man from a clot of blood. (2) Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, (3) Who teaches by the pen, (4) Teaches man that which he knew not

This was the beginning of Muhammad’s assignment as God’s last Prophet. Gripped by fear and dread, he rushed home to his wife, Khadija, pleading, “Cover me, cover me!” He feared that he was losing his mind. But Khadija reassured him, saying “You always maintain family ties, always feed the poor and you stand by the downtrodden. Allah would never humiliate you or forsake you.” And where do you think she took him to find advice and consolation? To the rich and powerful, the grandees of Makka? No! She was rich and powerful herself. But she took him to her cousin, Waraqa,  a poor man in failing health who was a Christian. He was old and losing his sight, but he reassured Muhammad that this event was foretold in earlier scripture. “If I lived long enough I would stand by you, even when your people turn against you,” said Waraqa. “Will my people turn against me?” asked Prophet Muhammad. Waraqa replied: “Never has a prophet brought what your will bring without his people turning against him.”

We are reminded here, that Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus all met with ingratitude and violent rebellion from their own people, the very people who needed to be saved from themselves. Doesn’t that sound familiar? People of faith are always resisted by their own people who prefer to worship the false idols of power, greed and vanity.

Here’s another example of a great Christian of the time,The king, the Negus of Abyssinia, who protected a small group of Muslims from persecution from their own tribe, the Qureish of Makka.

As soon as Prophet Muhammad started preaching his message, he made enemies, lethal enemies. He called on people to worship the One God of Abraham and Moses and Jesus, not the many idols, 360 idols of wood and stone adorning the kaaba. This was bad for business. Imagine someone preaching against capitalism and consumerism in Trafalgar Square! Not quite the same earth-shaking message, but imagine! Prophet Muhammad urged people to stop burying alive their baby daughters, for the strong to stop oppressing the weak, for the tribes to stop genocidal warfare. He was calling for change, radical change, and his enemies, sensing a threat to their power and authority, started torturing and killing his followers.

Islam was now in mortal danger.

So as a precaution, Prophet Muhammad sent a small group to Abyssinia/ Ethiopia. “There you will find a just and tolerant Christian ruler who will protect you,” he assured them.  These were the world’s first Muslim Asylum seekers, given protection by a Christian king in Africa, 1,400 years ago! Today, Good Christians in Britain and Europe are still following this noble tradition, taking care of asylum seekers who fear persecution in their own countries!

What about Muslim hospitality towards Christians?

While he was the Governor of Madinah, Prophet Muhammad received a delegation of Christians from Najran in Southern Arabia. When it was time to pray, they had no place to pray, so he invited them into his mosque and allowed them to pray in there.

My dear brothers and sisters! How many of us Muslims will do that today? How many mosques anywhere in the Muslim world, will offer their Christian neighbours that courtesy exemplified by our own Prophet?

Here at Royal Holloway University, in a few weeks time when students write their exams, we’ll have to do our Friday prayers in another hall. For years, we’ve used the Jurgens Centre at exam time. The Jurgens Centre belongs to the local Catholic Church. Remember that. We Muslims do our Friday prayers in a hall owned by the Catholic Church. 1400 years after the Najran Christians prayed in Prophet Muhammad’s mosque, Christians in Englefield Green are returning the favour!

When believers of any faith treat believers of another faith with kindness and respect, they are also showing a courtesy to God, to Allah.

My dear sisters and brothers, let’s remember the Golden Rule, the Ethic of Reciprocity: Nabi Isa, Jesus saidl “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” 600 years later, Prophet Muhammad expressed the same message in different words. He said that we are not believers until we desire for others what we desire for ourselves.

“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.”

Allah and His angels send greetings on Prophet Muhammad, O you who believe, send greetings on him, and salute him with a worthy salutation! O Allah, send peace on Muhammad and his family, just as you sent peace on Abraham and his family. O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad and his family, just as you sent blessings on Abraham and his family. In both worlds, You are Praiseworthy and Exalted.

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,

The Islamic Calendar, the Hegira, began when Prophet Muhammad evaded assassination in Makka and migrated to Madinah. Jews, Christians and Muslims welcomed him as their new leader. They eagerly awaited his first speech, his first sermon, khutbah. It was short, eloquent, and powerful.

He summed up the entire teaching of Islam in one short sentence:

“Spread salaam (peace), feed the hungry; pray for a part of the night and you will enter paradise.” (Hadith)

That’s all…   That’s what Islam is all about: Spreading peace between people, feeding the poor, thanking our generous Provider every night, and hoping for his good pleasure.

A few years ago my wife and I visited the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. In the middle of the Sinai desert we found Mount Sinai, where Moses received the 10 Commandments. At the foot of the mountain is the ancient St Catherine’s Monastery. We were amazed to find a mosque inside this monastery. We were also amazed to find that local Muslim Arabs have been coming to the monastery every day, for over 1,400 years, to knead the dough and bake the bread there, side by side, with Coptic Christian monks.

But the monks showed us something even more amazing. High up on a wall is a gold-framed Charter of Privileges to the Christians. It is written in Arabic, and it is signed by Prophet Muhammad, with the seal of his ring imprinted in red wax. The one we read was a copy, as the original Charter is in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul. It reads:

This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them.
Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses.
Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.
The Muslims are to fight for them.
If a female Christian is married to a Muslim it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).

This charter of privileges has been honoured and faithfully applied by many Muslim regimes throughout the centuries. Imagine that! Despite wars between Crusaders and Caliphates, Christians were safe here, making bread and breaking bread with local Muslims. There’s a powerful message for our troubled world today.

Those who ‘spoil God’s Covenant’ and disobey clear instructions from Prophet Muhammad will have to answer to Almighty Allah. Let us therefore show respect and love for fellow believers among the ‘People of the earlier Scriptures.’ This is what Allah commands us to do, and for more than 14 centuries, Prophet Muhammad’s letter has reminded us of this Covenant.

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

courtesy of www.islamicity.com

The Prophet Muhammad taught love, kindness and compassion to his people, and was seen to be the most loving, kind, and compassionate of all of them. The Quran mentions his kind and gentle behavior in these words: “O Messenger of Allah! It is a great Mercy of God that you are gentle and kind towards them; for, had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would all have broken away from you” (Quran 3:159).

There are many instances that show his kindness and gentleness, especially to the weak and the poor. Anas, who was his helper, said: “I served Allah’s Messenger for ten years and he never said to me, ‘Shame’ or ‘Why did you do such-and-such a thing?’ or ‘Why did you not do such-and-such a thing?’” (Bukhari, 2038).

Once he said to his wife: “0 ‘A’ishah! Never turn away any needy man from your door empty-handed. 0 ‘A’ishah! Love the poor; bring them near to you and God will bring you near to Him on the Day of Resurrection”. He also went much further on to say: “Seek me among your weak ones, for you are given provision, or you are given help only by reason of the presence of your weak ones”. (Rahman, Encyclopedia of Seerah, VOL. VIII, p. 151) God Almighty is Kind, and the Prophet imitated Allah’s example in its perfection by showing kindness to his servants and all creatures without any regard for their beliefs, color or nationality. The Prophet said: “God is kind and likes kindness in all things” (Bukhari, 6601).

His heart ached within him at the corrupt state of his fellow-Meccans and their rejection of One God. The Holy Quran testifies to it in these words: “0 Muhammad, you will, perhaps, consume yourself with grief because the people do not believe” (Quran 26:3). In Surah Kahf, we read: “Well, 0 Muhammad, it may be that you will kill yourself for their sake out of sorrow if they do not believe in this Message.” (Quran 18:6). And Surah Fatir says: “So let not your life be consumed in grief for their sake.” (Quran 35:8).

He took a great interest in the welfare of all people and had great compassion for people in trouble. The Prophet Muhammad imitated the attributes of God par excellence and translated them into practice in the highest form possible for man. Kindness is an attribute of Allah, which has no limits. It is extensive and encompasses all things and all beings without discrimination. Likewise was the kindness of the Prophet. He extended it to all beings, both animate and inanimate and benefited all without measure. The Quranic words for the Prophet’s kindness, ra’ufun rahirn (Quran 9:128) are very intensive and comprehensive in meaning and convey the true nature and extent of the Prophet’s kindness to people. The Prophet said: “One of the finest acts of kindness is for a man to treat his fathers’ friends in a kindly way after he has departed” (Abu dawud, 5123)

The issue of treating friends well was also extended to include relations: “He who wishes to have his provision enlarged and his term of life prolonged should treat his relatives well” (Bukhari, 5985). He emphasized on this matter because he deeply held the view that “Only kindness prolongs life, and a person is deprived of provisions for the faults he commits” (Ibn Majah). Bahz b. Hakim, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather told him that he had asked Allah’s Messenger to whom he should show kindness and that the Prophet had replied: “Your mother.” He asked who came next and he replied: “Your mother.” He asked who came next and he replied for the third time: “Your mother.” He again asked who came next and he replied: “Your father, then your relatives in order of relationship” (Abu dawud, 5120). He dwelled on the issue of treating orphans humanely as he stated that “The best house among the Muslims is one which contains an orphan who is well treated, and the worst house among the Muslims is one which contains an orphan who is badly treated” (Ibn Majah, 3679). This means that the Prophet cautioned his followers against general maltreatment of anyone regardless of his status. By extending good treatment from friends to relatives and now to neighbors, Prophet Muhammad was intent in making all humans interdependent as he emphasized in the following words: “All creatures are Allah’s dependants, and those dearest to God are the ones who treat His dependants kindly” (Rahman, VOL VIII, p. 154). He emphasized the kind treatment of women again and again in his speeches:

Treat women kindly, since they are your helpers; . . . you have your rights upon your wives and they have their rights upon you. Your right is that they shall not allow anyone you dislike to enter your bed or your home, and their right is that you should treat them well. (from the Farewell Sermon of the Prophet)

Once a number of women complained to the Prophet’s wives about their ill-treatment by their husbands. On hearing of this, the Prophet said: “Such persons among you are not good persons.” (Abu Dawud, 1834). This condemnation by the Prophet himself was an indication that no one will be accepted before God who, while on earth, decided to be unkind to women. Another person said to the Prophet: “0 Messenger of Allah! My relatives are such that although I cooperate with them, they cut me off; I am kind to them but they ill treat me.” The Prophet said this in reply: “So long as you continue as you are, God will always help you and He will protect you against their mischief” (Muslim, 4640). This was not only a way of bringing comfort to the mind of the worried person but one of the communicative techniques of the Prophet to assure who ever found himself in that situation to look up to God to be consoled and protected. So it was pointless to preach vengeance to this kind of people suffering from this similar fate. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad was nothing short of a competent counselor.

He was always counseling people to be goodhearted regardless of their sex, age or gender. Once Asma bint Abu Bakr’s mother, who was still an unbeliever, came to see her in Madinah. She told this to the Prophet and said: “My mother has come to see me and she is expecting something from me. May I oblige her?” The Prophet said: “Yes, be kind to your mother” (Muslim, 2195). This attitude of the Prophet was equally extended to Zainab as-Saqafia, the wife of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud and an Ansari woman. She went to see the Prophet and to inquire whether it would be a charity if they spent something on their husbands and on the orphans under their care. The Prophet said: “They will get a two-fold reward, one for kindness towards their relatives and the other for charity” (Bukhari, 1466).

There are many Ahadith concerning his kindness to animals, birds and insects: “God prescribed kindness towards everything; so when you slaughter any animal, slaughter it well; when you sacrifice, make your sacrifice good. And let everyone sharpen his weapon and make it easy for his sacrificed animal” (Muslim, 5055). He made this kind of statement to demonstrate his love for both humans and animals. In essence, Prophet Muhammad was equally showing his followers that he too is feels pain.

“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.

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.

May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida.

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

Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh”

And, 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.

My respected Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

The 12th Rabi-al-Awwal was the birthday of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, sws. Across the entire Muslim world, there were celebrations of what we call Moulood al Nabi. This is a good time for us to pause, and to reflect, on the life and Mission of this greatest of all men, who is described in The Holy Qur’án as, “Khaataman Nabii-een,” “The seal of the Prophets.”

What are the essential points about his life, that has meaning for us today, not only for Muslims, but for all mankind? We naturally feel a tremendous love, reverence and gratitude to our Holy Prophet Muhammad, sws. After all, it is he who brought us Islám, in its final and complete form. It is he who suffered humiliation and abuse from his own people, who endured exile and violence for the sake of his mission. It is he who established the foundations of this Ummah, this great Brotherhood of Muslims, of which we are privileged to belong. We can be excused for regarding him with so much love and affection, that, others might say we lack objectivity in our views. OK, that’s fine. If a Muslim says that Muhammad was the greatest man who ever lived, outsiders will probably not pay much attention. But, if the same words of admiration came from their own writers and thinkers, people do sit up and take notice.

One English writer who admired him greatly was Thomas Carlyle, who wrote (On Heroes and Hero Worship, and the Heroic in History, London, 1918).

“… These Arabs, the man Muhammad, and that one century. It is as if a spark had fallen, one spark on a world of what seemed black unnoticeable sand, but lo, the sand proves explosive powder, blazes heaven high from Delhi to Grenada: I said: the Great Man was always as lightning out of heaven; the rest of the men waited on him like fuel, and then they too would flame … How one man single-handedly could weld warring tribes and wandering boudouins into a most powerful and civilised nation in less then twenty years….”.

Another writer, Michael Hart, in his book, “The 100 greatest men in history,” placed Nabii Muhammad at the top of his list of men who had the biggest impact on human history.

We Muslims of course, have no need for anyone else to endorse the greatness of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, sws. We know that he is the greatest of all men. For us, it is enough that Alláh describes his status in The Holy Qur’án:

“Wa maa arsal naaka illaa Rahmatal lil-‘aalameen!”

“and We have not sent you [O Muhammad], but as a Mercy to all the Worlds.”

Note that the term ‘alameen” in Arabic, refers not only to all nations, or to all of mankind, but to all the worlds, i.e. including the world of matter and of the spirit. In the same way, the first line of Súra Al-Faatiha says: “Al-hamdu lillaahi Rabbil ‘aalameen,” “All praise is due to Alláh, Lord of all the worlds,” so The Holy Qur’án refers to our beloved Prophet Muhammad, sws as a Mercy to all the worlds. We who claim to be his followers, and who remember him in every prayer, should study his life and follow his example. For truly, in the Messenger of Alláh is the finest of examples.

“Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen. Was-salaatu was-salaamu alaa Khairil mursaleen. Muhammadin-nabeey-yil Ummiy-yee, wa-‘alaa aalihee, wasah-bihee, aj-ma’een.

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

Ammaa ba’ad:

Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema.

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

Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, wa alaa áli Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”

O Alláh! Send your greetings upon Muhammad and his family, just as you sent your greetings on Ibraheem, and his family. O Alláh, send you blessings on Muhammad and his family, just as you blessed Ibraheem and his family. In both worlds, you are praiseworthy and exalted.

Second Khutbah

Sub’ hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual theem.

Dear brothers and sisters,

These are very difficult days for Muslims everywhere. We are presently weak and divided, and it seems the Ummah is being torn apart from within our ranks and from outside. But we must never despair, never lose hope. And we must not lose heart. Allah takes good care of His creation. He will take good care of His religion. History is on our side. Truth will prevail over falsehood. It will be a long and painful struggle, with many false dawns, but we should be in no doubt that the Religion of Alláh will triumph in the end.

Islám ennobled every human community that came under its influence. Even Ghengiz Khan, the most fearsome ‘international terrorist’ of his time, could not destroy Islam. He brought his Mongol horsemen sweeping out of the Steppes of Central Asia. His warriors destroyed everything else in their path, but they could not resist the appeal of “Laa ilaaha ill-lall-laah; Muhammadar-Rasoolull-laah.” “There is no god except Alláh, Muhammad is the Messenger of Alláh.” The Mongols raped and plundered their way southward and westward until they were stopped at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260. Here  the brave warriors led by Beybars under the  Mameluk Sultan, Kotoz “Noor el dein Mahmoud” turned the tide. This great victory allowed the entire world to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Despite themselves, and despite having destroyed a huge swathe of the Muslim world, including Baghdad, the Mongols in time accepted Islam as their religion. Their descendants became the Mogul emperors who ruled India for many centuries.

Today, ironically, while many Muslim individuals and nations are looking towards the West for their role-models, there are growing numbers of Europeans and North Americans who are turning the other way, turning to Islám in order to find some meaning and purpose to their lives. In a recent newspaper article, a Jewish historian wrote about her reflections about the growth of Islám in the West. She said that while travelling on a train in Brussels, she found herself with a large group of schoolgirls wearing hijab. “The girls smiled at me, and I smiled back,” she wrote, “and I could not help thinking, here is the future of Europe, and I am the past.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Islám is winning the hearts and minds of a many thinking people in the West. Alláh assures the ultimate victory of Islám, and we have no doubts about that. The real question is, what role are we going to play in helping that process along? Will Islám win with our help and effort, or will Islám win, in spite of us? That is what really matters. Are we going to concern ourselves only with our own narrow, selfish lives? – Are we only bothered about our career, our family and our leisure time? Are we not going to seek the good pleasure of Alláh, by serving Islám wholeheartedly, by serving all Allah’s creatures, unselfishly and with enthusiasm?

History shows that the struggle to establish Islám in every age and every land, was often carried forward by small numbers of Muslims, who had cultivated some quite exceptional qualities. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad, sws, and his illustrious Companions, were the most remarkable human beings that ever walked on this planet. Their qualities of faith in Alláh, obedience to His prophet, patience and honesty enabled them to build a world civilization.

Those were Believers who committed themselves and their possessions totally to Islám. For them, there were no half-measures. They did not make any plans without taking into account what pleases Alláh. It was more important for them to know how their plans should fit into the Master Plan of the Master Planner. These remarkable Muslims, the Companions of the Prophet, and all those who followed their noble example, worked hard, and reposed all their trust in Alláh. They feared nothing and no-one except Allah. They are the ones described in these beautiful last 2 verses of Súra Taubah:

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem!

128. Laqad jaaa-akum Rasuulum min ‘an-fusikum ‘azizun ‘alayhi maa’anit-tum harisun ‘alaykum bil-Mu’mineena ra’uufur-Raheem.

129. Fa-in tawal-low faqul has-biyal-laahu Laa-ilaaha il-laahu ‘alayhi tawakkal tu wa-huwa Rabbul ‘alrshil Adtheem!

128. Now has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should suffer. Ardently anxious is he over you. To the Believers he is most kind and merciful.

129. But if they turn away, say: “Alláh suffices me; there is no god but He, on Him is my trust; He is the Lord of the Magnificent Throne.”

These comforting and inspiring verses have helped Muslims in hardship and distress throughout the ages. They should also comfort and inspire us today.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islám, let us remember our beloved Prophet Muhammad, sws, by trying to be like him, and his illustrious Companions, the Sahaaba. Let us cultivate those noble qualities of ‘Imán and Taqwa’, honesty, reliability and integrity of character.  Let our lives be like beacons of light in the spiritual darkness of our present times. Prophet Muhammad sws is described in Sura 45:v16 as “siraj munir,” a lamp spreading light. By following him, we too can reflect light, however dimly, for those who are in utter darkness.

Let us become the True Believers who will end their lives responding to those evocative final verses of Súra Al-Fajr, where Alláh invites our souls in these words:

“fad-ghuleefee ‘ibaadee, wad-ghulee jan-natee.”

“enter you, my devotees, enter you my Heaven.”

Let us pray to Alláh, to help us earn His good pleasure, his ridwaan, to enter His Garden. Let us become worthy inheritors of this great Ummah whose foundations were laid by our beloved Prophet Muhammad, sws. That would be the best way to celebrate Moulood-an-Nabii.

Let us also make a special prayer for those who are busy with exams at this time. Whether it be GCSE’s, A-levels, or university examinations. It can be a stressful time for them and for their families. May Alláh in His infinite mercy and wisdom, help those who are writing exams, to achieve excellent results. May Alláh guide us all and help us all win His good pleasure.

Ameen! Aqeemus salaah!

* This khutbah (friday sermon) was originally delivered at Royal Holloway College, Univ. of London, UK on 31st May 2002

Courtesy of Adamslist

“There is none amongst the believers who plants a tree, or sows a seed, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats thereof, but it is regarded as having given a charitable gift [for which there is great recompense].” [Al-Bukhari, III:513].

The idea of the Prophet Mohammed as a pioneer of environmentalism will initially strike many as strange: indeed, the term “environment” and related concepts like “ecology”, “environmental awareness” and “sustainability”, are modern-day inventions, terms that were formulated in the face of the growing concerns about the contemporary state of the natural world around us.

And yet a closer reading of the hadith, the body of work that recounts significant events in the Prophet’s life, reveals that he was a staunch advocate of environmental protection. One could say he was an “environmentalist avant la lettre”, a pioneer in the domain of conservation, sustainable development and resource management, and one who constantly sought to maintain a harmonious balance between man and nature. From all accounts of his life and deeds, we read that the Prophet had a profound respect for fauna and flora, as well as an almost visceral connection to the four elements, earth, water, fire and air.

He was a strong proponent of the sustainable use and cultivation of land and water, proper treatment of animals, plants and birds, and the equal rights of users. In this context the modernity of the Prophet’s view of the environment and the concepts he introduced to his followers is particularly striking; certain passages of the hadith could easily be mistaken for discussions about contemporary environmental issues.

Three Principles

The Prophet’s environmental philosophy is first of all holistic: it assumes a fundamental link and interdependency between all natural elements and bases its teachings on the premise that if man abuses or exhausts one element, the natural world as a whole will suffer direct consequences. This belief is nowhere formulated in one concise phrase; it is rather an underlying principle that forms the foundation of all the Prophet’s actions and words, a life philosophy that defined him as a person.

The three most important principles of the Prophet’s philosophy of nature are based on the Qur’anic teachings and the concepts of tawhid (unity), khalifa(stewardship) and amana (trust).

Tawhid, the oneness of God, is a cornerstone of the Islamic faith. It recognizes the fact that there is one absolute Creator and that man is responsible to Him for all his actions: “To God belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth, for God encompasses everything [4:126].”  The Prophet acknowledges that God’s knowledge and power covers everything. Therefore abusing one of his creations, whether it is a living being or a natural resource, is a sin. The Prophet considered all of God’s creations to be equal before God and he believed animals, but also land, forests and watercourses should have rights.

The concepts of khalifa, stewardship, and amana, trust, emerge from the principle of tawhid. The Qur’an explains that mankind holds a privileged position among God’s creations on earth: he is chosen as khalifa, “vice-regent” and carries the responsibility of caring for God’s earthly creations. Each individual is given this task and privilege in the form of God’s trust. But the Qur’an repeatedly warns believers against arrogance: they are no better than other creatures.  “No creature is there on earth nor a bird flying with its wings but they are nations like you [6:38]”; “Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of man; but most people know not [40:57]”.

The Prophet believed that the universe and the creations in it – animals, plants, water, land – were not created for mankind. Man is allowed to use the resources but he can never own them. Thus while Islam allows land ownership, it has limitations: an owner can, for example, only own land if he uses it; once he ceases to use it, he has to part with his possession.

The Prophet recognized man’s responsibility to God but always maintained humility. Thus he said: “When doomsday comes, if someone has a palm shoot in his hand, he should plant it,” suggesting that even when all hope is lost for mankind, one should sustain nature’s growth. He believed that nature remains a good in itself, even if man does not benefit from it.

Similarly, the Prophet incited believers to share the earth’s resources. He said: “Muslims share alike in three things – water, herbage and fire,” and he considered it a sin to withhold water from the thirsty. “No one can refuse surplus water without sinning against Allah and against man” [Mishkat al Masabih].

The Prophet’s attitude towards sustainable use of land, conservation of water and the treatment of animals is a further illustration of the humility of his environmental philosophy.

Sustainable Use of Land

“The earth has been created for me as a mosque and as a means of purification.” [Al-Bukhari I:331] With these words the Prophet emphasizes the sacred nature of earth or soil, not only as a pure entity but also as a purifying agent. This reverence towards soil is also demonstrated in the ritual of tayammum, or “dry wudu” which permits the use of dust in the performance of ritual purification before prayer when water is not available.

The Prophet saw earth as subservient to man, but recognised that it should not be overexploited or abused, and that it had rights, like the trees and wildlife living on it. In order to protect land, forests and wildlife, the Prophet created inviolable zones known as hima and haram, in which resources were to be left untouched. Both are still in use today: haram areas are often drawn up around wells and water sources to protect the groundwater table from over-pumping. Hima applies particularly to wildlife and forestry and usually designates an area of land where grazing and woodcutting are restricted, or where certain animal species are protected.

The Prophet not only encouraged the sustainable use of fertile lands, he also told his followers of the benefits of making unused land productive: planting a tree, sowing a seed and irrigating dry land were all regarded as charitable deeds.“Whoever brings dead land to life, that is, cultivates wasteland, for him is a reward therein.” Thus any person who irrigates a plot of “dead”, or desert land becomes its rightful owner.

Conservation of Water

In the harsh desert environment where the Prophet lived, water was synonymous to life. Water was a gift from God, the source of all life on earth as is testified in the Qur’an:  “We made from water every living thing” [21:30].  The Qur’an constantly reminds believers that they are but the guardians of God’s creation on earth and that they should never take this creation for granted: “Consider the water which you drink. Was it you that brought it down from the rain cloud or We? If We had pleased, We could make it bitter” [56:68-70].

Saving water and safeguarding its purity were two important issues for the Prophet: we have seen that his concern about the sustainable use of water led to the creation of haram zones in the vicinity of water sources. But even when water was abundant, he advocated thriftiness: thus he recommended that believers perform wudu no more than three times, even if they were near to a flowing spring or river. The theologian El-Bukhari added: “ The men of science disapprove of exaggeration and also of exceeding the number of ablutions of the Prophet.” The Prophet also warned against water pollution by forbidding urination in stagnant water.

The Treatment of Animals:

“If anyone wrongfully kills even a sparrow, let alone anything greater, he will face God’s interrogation” [Mishkat al Masabih]. These words reflect the great reverence, respect and love that the Prophet always showed towards animals. He believed that as part of God’s creation, animals should be treated with dignity, and the hadith contains a large collection of traditions, admonitions and stories about his relationship to animals. It shows that he had particular consideration for horses and camels: to him they were valiant companions during journey and battle, and he found great solace and wisdom in their presence as the following tradition reveals: “In the forehead of horses are tied up welfare and bliss until the Day of Resurrection.”

Even in the slaughter of animals, the Prophet showed great gentleness and sensitivity. While he did not practice vegetarianism, the hadiths clearly show that the Prophet was extremely sensitive to the suffering of animals, almost as though he shared their pain viscerally. Thus he recommends using sharp knives and a good method so that the animal can die a quick death with as little pain as possible. He also warned against slaughtering an animal in the presence of other animals, or letting the animal witness the sharpening of blades: to him that was equal to “slaughtering the animal twice” and he emphatically condemned such practices as “abominable”.

Conclusion

It is impossible to do justice to the full scope and significance of Prophet Mohammed’s environmental philosophy in this short article. His holistic view of nature and his understanding of man’s place within the natural world pioneered environmental awareness within the Muslim community.

Sadly, the harmony that the Prophet advocated between man and his environment has today all too often been lost. As we face the effects of pollution and overexploitation, desertification and water scarcity in some parts of the world and floods and violent storms elsewhere, it is perhaps time for the world community as a whole, Muslims, Christians and Jews, Hindus and Buddhists, atheists and agnostics, to take a leaf out of the Prophet’s book and address the current environmental crisis seriously and wisely.

http://kalkhausar.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/prophet-muhammed-a-pioneer-of-the-environment/

More than 4000 years ago, in the then city of Ur, a young man by the name of Abram or Ibrahim stole in the temple of Nanna, when the high priests were away attending a town festival and broke all the idols, the false objects of worship and submission, as he thought to himself. This was perhaps, the first act of ideological revolution in a civilized settlement of humans and the first ever expression of the rejection of false gods.

In so far as the archeologists have excavated, explored and unrivalled the history of civilization, the first ever civilization, which has revealed itself was in Mesopotamia (that is in present day Iraq). There were those Sumerian cities on the banks of the river Euphrates. Then some time in the third millennium B.C. a strong man by the name of Sargon conquered the various cities and established the Akkadian empire centered in the city of Akkad or Agade. Then after a few hundred years, when the Akkadian empire was waning, there was a short Sumerian revival and a third Sumerian dynasty came to power in Ur. At the time of Ibrahim (A), there was a king by the name of Ur-Nammu. The Judaic traditions mention his name as Nimrod, although the Qur’an doesn’t give the king any name: simply talks about him as malik (king). This king was very powerful. He gave the world the first ever legal code, 300 years before the code of Hammurabi. He erected Ziggurat (Zaqqarat), the tall structures like the pyramids. This king, also, probably for the first time in human history institutionalized polytheism, idol worship, in violation of what was engrained in human consciousness from day one. There were temples dedicated to sun, the moon and various other objects. The temple of Nanaa was the temple dedicated to moon. This was the temple where the young Ibrahim (A) carried out his act of idol breaking. With this historic act began the battle between Towheed and Shirk in human history. The legends associated with this battle have come to us through the Bible but the Qur’an gives us a wonderful narrative of a dialogue which ensued between the king, who ruled at the time and Ibrahim (A), one, an idol maker and the other, an idol breaker. This dialogue is a masterpiece of logic ever to be found in any literature.

Alam tara ila al-ladhi hajja Ibrahima fi rabbihi an atahullahul mulk.

Have you not seen the one, who argued with Ibrahim about his lord, the one whom Allah had given the kingdom?

Idh qala Ibrahimu rabbi al-ladhi yuhi wa yumit

When Ibrahim said that my Lord is the one who gives life and takes it away

Qala ana uhi wa umit

He replied: “I give life and I take life.”

(Legend has it that the king ordered two prisoners, who were condemned to death, to be brought in. He ordered one prisoner to be executed and pardoned the other one.)

Qala Ibrahimu fa innallaha yati bisshamsi min al-mashriq fati biha min al-maghrib fa buhitat al-ladhi kafar.

Ibrahim said: “ But surely Allah makes the sun rise from the east. You make it rise from the west. The one who talked kufr was thus confounded.”

No discussion, no debate and argument between the greatest philosophers of the world could be as clear and conclusive as in this dialogue given in the Qur’an. It’s beauty and simplicity is astounding.

As we can see, this conflict between the truth and falsehood, monotheism and polytheism, Towheed and Shirk started right at the dawn of civilization and is with us ever since. The Qur’an says that Ibrahim (A) was the imam (the leader) of the mankind. A leader is the one, who sets out to articulate his message; in this case inviting people to believe in one god and to reject false gods. As the history has told us, Ibrahim (A) left Mesopotamia; went to Kan’an, Syria and Egypt (the so called Fertile Crescent), before settling in Kan’an, the present day Palestine. This was the whole world of civilization at that time. Wherever he went, he invited people to Towheed (belief in One God, the creator, the one who gives life and takes life, the one who makes the sun rise from the east, acts which no one else in the universe can emulate, nor have any share in such action. Thus the essence of the kalmia: La ilaha illa Allah, the first element of the Islamic faith was institutionalized and which permeated the consciousness of every human being for all times to come.

Inviting people to Allah, which we call Da’wah is the most important Abrahamic tradition. Also, the breaking of idols as we have seen is another tradition of Ibrahim (A). The battle began with the smashing of idols in the temple of Nanna. You can take it as the manifestation of the first political action. History suggests that Ur-Nammu was the first to establish a kingdom. This action, this battle is never a one-time battle. The conflict is ongoing and eternal. Once you have broken some idols you cannot sit on your laurels, as the idols have a tendency to pop up again and again, at one place or another. Ibrahim’s (A) Sunnah had to be repeated by Prophet Mohammad (S) after he conquered Mekka. He smashed the heads of Lat wa Manat with his own hands. There is a symbolism here. Idols may not be made of stone. The icons of falsehood come in various shapes and forms. Sometimes the idols are ideas of falsehood. Sometimes, they are abstract like tyranny, oppression and injustice. With the smashing of their heads at one time and place in history, they do not disappear forever. They germinate again in suitable circumstance. It is therefore of absolute necessity that the revolutions made by Ibrahim (A) and by Mohammad (S) are kept alive, active and continuous. This continuous revolution is named in the Qur’an: amr bil maroof wa nahi an al-munkar enjoining good and forbidding evil..

In the context of our own history the conquest of Ka’ba did not solve the problem for ever. There was only a respite for a period; then the idols came back and set themselves up in Arabia, in Cairo, Baghdad, and Damascus and in all the other cities of the Crescent. For centuries, it looked as though the Sunnah of breaking the idols was in abeyance. The hands which are made to break the idols were paralyzed. It is only now, it seems that a ray of hope has penetrated the darkness of despair and we have witnessed the so-called Arab Spring, in Tunisia and in Egypt. The struggle continues in other countries. Time and again, year after year, we stood here as khateebs and decried the subjugation, which Muslims suffered and cursed the tyrants, who had terrorized the Muslim Ummah. We had given up hope and thought that the moment of liberation would not arrive at least in our life time but we had underestimated the spirit of our young people. They rose up, first in Tunisia, then in Egypt, in Libya, in Yemen and in Bahrain. However, the biggest challenge we are facing today is how to keep the Spring free from infiltration and contamination. The enemies of Revolution have joined the ranks of the revolutionaries, looking for opportunities to sabotage and subvert. There are ex-colonialists and neo-colonialists. There are demons coming forward wearing the faces of angels. History shows that any gold they have touched has turned into dust. The revolutionaries need not rejoice too soon. They need to be forever vigilant.

Our generation is living through one of the most tumultuous times in history. Only two decades ago, the world was divided into two camps: communism and capitalism. The protagonists of each camp believed in the absolute validity of their beliefs. They believed that their own system was the answer to all the problems of mankind. Then all of a sudden one camp tumbled and disintegrated, making the other camp the master of the whole world, allowing it to be arrogant to the extreme, hitting out in all directions and proclaiming a “new world order”. Soon the surviving camp realized that it was witnessing the second phase of a new world disorder. Communism was gone and capitalism is tattering at the edge of a disaster. It is committing suicide. People have woken up and a world revolution has begun, in New York, in Oakland and in almost every capitol in the world. While the communist system suffered from a lack of incentive and ownership, resulting in low productivity, capitalism gave incentive and utmost freedom to a few people to exploit and plunder. The vulnerability and the misery of the people was a commodity sold for exploitation. The gap between the rich and the poor kept widening and now it has reached a danger point. As we now well know 1% of the people own 40% of the wealth in this country (USA). A recent study has shown that one in fifteen people in America is suffering from extreme poverty. Who is to blame? A presidential candidate, who is a billionaire and happens to be black, has said that if you are not rich it is your own fault!

So, how did this gap between the rich and the poor develop and is widening every day? The answer is not as complicated as some people may think. It lies in the phrase: “redistribution of wealth”. This phrase is associated with socialism i.e. take from the rich and give to the poor. In fact it works both ways. What has happened during the past few decades is that the wealth has flown in the wrong direction: from the poor to the rich. Wages have been stagnant; benefits reduced, unions busted. Globalization has brought extremely competitive labor market. Jobs have been exported. All this has caused the income of the poor and the middle class to drop and the profits to increase, which the employers have refused to share with the employees. There was a time, when they used to share it with the workers and the wages were linked to productivity; not any more. Many corporations, including the pharmaceutical companies do not pay a penny in tax. The GE has paid zero income tax in America. At this time of widespread unemployment, the corporations are sitting on three trillion dollars of cash, which they could invest but are not investing and yet there is a lie being spread that if you give the rich a tax break they would invest that money and the economy would improve.

The oil companies wait for a small upheaval in the Middle East. As soon as it happens they jack up the gas prices. Each increase in the gas prices, while making windfall profits for the gas companies, increases food prices worldwide. As a result, people who are living on the edge of poverty fall off the edge. This is the grand larceny, which goes unpunished, even rewarded under Capitalism. Why are they unpunished? It is because they share some of their loot with the lawmakers.

We are only too aware of how the whole world economy was brought to a ruin by the greed of a few people recently, making scores of people homeless and throwing millions of people into misery, hunger and poverty. As it happened they first sold the so-called subprime mortgages to the unsuspecting, uneducated and vulnerable people; then packaged those toxic assets and sold them to unsuspecting investors. Knowing that these assets were going to fail, they bet against them and made enormous amounts of money. We all know what happened since. The banking system crashed, the whole world economy collapsed, making millions of people unemployed and homeless. What happened to these criminals? Did they go to prison? No. Our government again took our money and gave it to them under the pretext of stabilizing the system, which they used to give themselves bonuses. Goldman-Sachs has set aside $292,000/ per staff member as bonus this year, while millions of people in this country are struggling to make ends meet as a result of their criminal acts.

They threw the Patriot Act at us, setting themselves up as the symbols of patriotism. In fact it is the 1% elite, who are anything but patriotic, the antithesis of patriotism. They include the politicians, legislators, the incumbent presidents and the prospective presidents, who come to you for votes but serve the special interest groups after being elected. They have nobody’s interests in mind except their own. Marx and Engels had declared: “workers of the world unite”. They did not but the capitalists of the world did.

They start wars so that the businesses associated with the war industry may prosper, appealing to your patriotic instinct, designing and fashioning enemies for you, whom you are expected to hate in the darkness of your prejudiced minds, which they have crafted for you. This country of ours sent our sons and daughters to two world wars, the Korean War, the war in Vietnam, two Gulf wars and the Afghan War. What were your interests in those wars? The WWI started because a crackpot Serbian assassinated the crown prince of Austria: Archduke Ferdinand and the major European monarchs declared war against each other. The WWII started as Germany was economically oppressed as a result of the Treaty of Versailles and the German territories were taken from Germany and were given to the adjacent countries, forcing a resurrected Germany under Hitler to go to war to regain those territories. Wars in Korea and Vietnam were fought to stop the Domino Effect, whatever it meant! Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were fought on behalf of an unjust and unlawful state in the Middle East. Can any man in the street say that he benefitted from these wars? Those who benefitted were in the top one percent of the population, the capitalists and the industrialists, who paid the politicians to carry out these operations on their behalf. And of course like the elite members of the Roman Senate they claimed the crown of patriotism for themselves.

This country of ours, founded on the noblest principles of freedom and justice is now flouting justice domestically and internationally. Our prison population is one of the highest in the world. The poor are more likely to be convicted and executed than the rich. The black people, who are only 7% of the population, have a 32% share in the prison population. Our present administration, drunk with unchallenged power has broken every international law. Extrajudicial killing is its favorite pastime. Once in the middle ages there was this Old Man of the Mountains called Hassan Ibn Sabah, who created the act of assassination on the world stage. Centuries later, our government, equipped with drones instead of daggers is staging the same act in a grand finale.

In 2012, the circus of elections begins again. In 2008 the young people in this country were very optimistic. Today, that optimism has evaporated. They are on the streets now to occupy Wall Street and close down Oakland. They do not have any trust in the system or in the politicians. This may be the beginning of a revolution, at least in the thinking.

We as Muslims, have a greater reason to be skeptical. We know that both Communism and Capitalism are not the solutions to the ills of the society. We knew at the outset that these systems would fail. We have a better system, economic, social and political but we do not have a model of this system anywhere in the world today because of the dark ages which have interrupted our civilization.

The big question however is whether we should partake in the political circus of elections which is to come shortly while many honest non-Muslim citizens are rejecting it. I think that we should do well by keeping our distance from this ugly drama of treachery and deceit.

Reflections on the Hajj

Arshad Gamiet/Royal Holloway University of London/Date 4 Nov 2011

“As-salámu ‘alaikum wa rahmatul láhi wa barakátuh!”

“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, – Be aware of Allah, with correct awareness, 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 Brothers and Sisters,

At this very moment, millions of our brothers and sisters are about to complete the rituals of the Hajj, the most important journey in their lives. In this short khutbah I want to sum up a few key lessons for us all to remember about this momentous event. Hajj, the Pilgrimage to Makka, is an epic journey, a journey of a lifetime: It is also the summation of the dramatic story of our Faith, Islam.

It’s a journey that reminds us about our primordial human nature: Fitra. Fitra is our natural state, the way Allah made us. We were born innocent and pure, but we are infinitely distractible. It’s our human forgetfulness that leads us to sinful and shameful deeds.

But Hajj is also about Redemption, divine Mercy and Forgiveness. Hajj teaches us about sacrifice, about loving Allah more than anyone on anything else, just like Nabi Ibrahim, alayhis salaam, did. Prophet Abraham peace and blessings on him, was ready to sacrifice his own beloved son, Ismail alayhis salaam, and earned himself the honourable title of khaleel-Allah, the Friend of Allah.

Hajj takes us on a journey back through time, retelling the moral and spiritual history of humanity. We visit the Kaaba, the first place of worship, built before the first church, or temple, or synagogue. Here we find ourselves at the Baytul-Laah, the House of Allah. It is the home of Monotheism, the cradle of Tawheed,of Divine Unity. Here we walk around the geographical centre of Islam, the Kaaba, centre of our Islamic universe.

Our tawaaf symbolises effort, action, in a constant, circular motion, centred round a fixed and immovable idea of Unity: Tawheed. Unity of belief, Unity of purpose, amidst a diversity of opinions and different starting points. The great plain of Arafat becomes the stage for a dramatic role-play of the very beginning and the very end: Long before time and space existed, long before the ‘big bang’ 14 billion years ago, Allah created your soul and my soul and the souls of every human being that ever was and ever will be. Then He asked them to testify according to themselves, by declaring the First Shahaadah, the First Covenant. This was in the state of metaphysical or pre-Eternal Time. When Allah addressed the assembled gathering of human Souls, he asked them:

“Alasta bi Rabbikum?” “Am I not Your Lord?”

and they all answered together in one thunderous voice,

“Balaa shahidna”

“Yes, indeed, You are! we testify to this, so that we have no excuse on the Day of Judgement to say that we were not aware of this covenant.” [Sura Ar’af 7:172]

The great gathering on Arafat is also a dress rehearsal for the Day of Judgement, Yawmul qiy-yaamah. This is how the entire human race will one day stand before Allah, awaiting the Final Judgement. In our simple ihram clothes, we cannot distinguish anyone’s wealth and social status. No one can see who’s rich and who’s poor; the president, the billionaire, the taxi driver and the farmer all look exactly alike, just like Allah sees us. Allah is only concerned with who is best in their deeds. Who is best in their moral and ethical behaviour… this is what hayaat-ad-dunya, this earthly life, should really be all about: Preparing ourselves for the eternal life after death.

We come to Jabal Rahma: the Mount of Mercy, a low hill rising above the plain of ‘Arafat. Jabal Rahma signifies the central theme of atonement, forgiveness after we’ve acknowledged our sins and pleaded for Allah’s mercy. Here we follow the Adamic role model. Here we stand not simply as Muslims or Believers. Here we stand as Bani Adam, descendants of Adam and Eve. Here is where the first human beings sought forgiveness and this is where Allah forgave them:

“Rabbana zhalamna an fusina wa il-lam tagh-fir lana wa tar hamna lana koona minal khaasireen!” [7:23]

This is the same prayer of Nabi Adam, alayhis salaam, Adam and Eve, Allah’s peace and blessings on them both:

“Our Lord! We have truly wronged our own souls, and if You do not forgive us, we will truly be among the losers!”

Nabi Adam’s epic spiritual journey began from a state of fitra, primordial innocence, purity, and went through human forgetfulness and distraction to commit Sin. But Allah also gave him the ability to recognise his mistake, to regret, to be filled with remorse and to plead for forgiveness, and finally to earn redemption. All this is graphically, vividly recalled on the Hajj. Brothers and sisters, if you have not yet undertaken this blessed journey, make your intention, your niyyat, to do so, inshAllah, ASAP, as soon as possible.

Hajj is truly a journey of a lifetime. Hajj takes us not only on a journey tracing the spiritual history of Islam, it also symbolises the inward journey each and every one of us must undertake, to find our own centre, in the Kaaba of our heart. What desires, what emotions and passions are still circling, making tawaaf around our spiritual heart? The qalb is the locus of our personality. This is our real driving force. Let’s make sure that it is surrounded by loving thoughts of Remembrance of our most Beloved, Allah. It is only when we Remember Allah with love and gratitude that our hearts will ever find lasting peace and contentment.

“Al-latheena ‘aamanu, watat-ma-innul quloobuhum, bi dhikril-Laah. Alaa bi dhikril-Laahi tat-ma-innul quloob” [Sura al-Ra’d, 28]

“Those who Believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the Remembrance of Allah; for truly, in the Remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”

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:

Sub’ 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!

Respected  brothers and sisters,

We say we love Allah more than we love anyone or anything else. Do we really mean it? Do we really love Allah more than we love our families, more than our parents and children, more than our selfish egos? Really? Where’s the evidence? If we really love someone, there’s evidence. There’s phone calls, love poems, text messages and emails. Where’s the evidence of our love for Allah?  Where’s the evidence that we’re constantly seeking His smiling Face, in our prayers, in our Dhikr, and in our lifelong good works?

Prophet Abraham, Nabi Ebrahim, alayhis salaam, had a dream in which he was offering his son Ismail as a sacrifice to Allah. He told his son about the dream, and both father and son, being so devoted to Allah, they both agreed and prepared to follow Allah’s will. But just as the sharpened knife was about to pierce the jugular vein, Allah put a sheep in Ismail’s place. Both father and son proved their love and obedience to Allah. They passed the acid test of sincerity, ikhlaas.

Let us not forget the powerful message here. It’s easy to say, I love Islam, I love Allah and Prophet Muhammad sws. Talk is cheap, but where’s the evidence?. Let us show that we truly love Allah, by coming forward to help with our money, our time and our talent to serve others, to make our neighbourhood, our city and our country a better place, a safer place for everyone. This is the real proof of love for Allah. Serve His creation. Be an agent of His mercy. Do good, as Prophet Muhammad (sws) advised.

“Spread Peace, feed the poor, pray a small part of the night and you will enter Paradise.” [Hadith]

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!

Introductory comments by Marc Manley:

The subject of religious literacy has been paramount on my mind for the past several years. Having stepped up on the minbar, I have had an opportunity to observe the Muslim community, if not from a bird’s eye view, at least from a few inches above the crowd. And one issue that seems to stand out clearly is the need for Muslims to have a foundation in religious literacy. Even just a few days ago, a young student approached me with a candiness I had to admire. He professed that on one hand, he wished to come to know and love the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم but that his main issue was that he was not clear on who the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم was and by proxy, what his Sunnah was. His courage to admit such a difficult quandry is as praiseworthy as it is insightful, for the young brother’s admission is far more common that we as a community might like to admit.

It is my hope in presenting Dr. Jackson’ short work here on the subject of af’al al-Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم that it may help aid those who are looking for a foothold in the long ascent of coming to know and love the Best of Creation صلى الله عليه و سلم. I will also continue to update this article with as many of the direct sources as I can find and make them available so check back from time to time.

Philadelphia, 14th of Sha’ban, 1432AH.

Towards Empowering the Common Muslim

The Prophet’s Actions As a Source for Determining the Status of Things in Islam
By Dr. Sherman ‘Abd al-Hakim Jackson

INTRODUCTION

Praise be to God, the Lord of all being and becoming. Almighty, Compassionate God, we beg of You Your aid, Your forgiveness and Your guidance. We seek refuge in You from the evil that attaches to our souls and from the wickedness that assails our deeds. We believe in You. And we believe that whomsoever You guide, none shall be able to lead them astray. And whomsoever you leave to wander, none shall be able to guide them. Guide us, therefore, our Lord. And hear our testimony: We bear witness that there is no god except God and that Muhammad, the 7th century Arabian, is His servant and His messenger. May God’s blessings and salutations be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad, and upon his Companions, his family and his followers all.

To proceed: It has become a common occurrence among Muslims that in discussing whether a particular action is permissible (halal) or forbidden (haram), the actions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم are introduced as evidence. “The Prophet never did that!,” one often hears as proof that a particular action is forbidden. On the other hand, what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did is just as often pointed to as proof of what a Muslim must do. To most Muslims, this approach represents little more than a firm commitment to “following the Sunna of the Prophet.” In reality, however, this is an oversimplification that may not only cause harm and difficulty but may also amount, in the final analysis, to the opposite of “following the Sunna of the Prophet.”

This small pamphlet is an effort to introduce the common Muslim to the manner in which thefuqaha’ فقهاء (scholars of Islamic law) dealt with the actions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as a source of Islamic law. In so doing, it will not be our intention to present the view of anyonemadhhab مذهب or school (classical or modem), nor to delve into the minor differences among them on questions of detail. The sole aim of this pamphlet is to empower the average Muslim to understand and implement the actions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in a manner that is intelligent and consistent with what the Prophet himself صلى الله عليه وسلم would have intended. To this end, we will look at the views of scholars from all four Sunni schools, as well as some who went beyond the traditional schools. This is in order to be able to present what was generally recognized by Muslim tradition as a whole, instead of privileging the view of one particular scholar from one particular school, time or place.

THE ACTIONS OF THE PROPHET (AF’AL AL-NABI)

Muslim scholars dealt with the actions of the Prophet (SA WS) under the heading of af’al al-Nabi, أفعال النبي literally, “the actions of the Prophet.” Part of what is being conveyed by this designation is the fact that the actions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم are fundamentally different from his statements. While both of these fall within the general realm of his Sunna, the Prophet’s words are recognized as being different from his actions in terms of the clarity and precision with which they convey meaning. This is because. while language is the shared property of the community that speaks it, actions are specific to individuals and may have no meaning beyond the individual who commits them. In other words, every utterance of a language has meaning that is determined and shared by that language’s community of speakers. As such, when speaking a language, an individual can only convey meanings that are recognized by the community as belonging to the words that he or she uses. For example, if I want someone to stand up, I issue the verbal command, “Stand up.” This use of the imperative is a standard, consistent and clearly identifiable way of issuing commands. As such, whenever I use this imperative, it will necessarily convey the wish that an act of standing take place. This is independent even of any intention on my part. If I say, “Stand up,” I cannot claim that what I really meant was “Cheddar cheese tastes good.” If I do, the community will judge me to be mad. This is because the community has already determined the meaning that goes along with these words. And until the community arrives at a new understanding of these words, no one will be able to use them without imparting this agreed-upon meaning or as a means of clearly conveying any other meaning.

Actions, on the other hand, are different. While the words. “Stand up,” take only one form (i.e., the imperative) and convey only one meaning, regardless of who is using them, an actual act of standing up may take many forms and convey many meanings, none of which the community necessarily recognizes or agrees upon and all of which may be unique to the individual actor. A young man, for example, will stand up in a manner that differs from the way an older man will; a shy person will stand up in a manner that differs from the manner in which a confident person will; a female may rise to her feet in a way that is slightly different from the way in which a male does. Most importantly, in all of these cases, the meaning attributed to any of these individuals’ acts of standing is not contained in the act itself but must be deduced from other considerations outside the act. If the doorbell rings, I assume a person stands up in order to answer the door. If another individual enters the room, I might assume that the person stands up in order to greet them; or maybe he or she stands up in preparation to flee, or as a simple gesture of respect. Where, however, there is no doorbell and no other person entering the room, I might not be able to attribute any meaning at all to a person’s act of standing. Maybe they stood up to stretch their legs; but maybe they needed to get a better look at the clock on the wall; maybe they were suddenly hit by a thought that excited them to the point of moving them to their feet.

Unlike words, then, actions are generally far less direct and far less precise in conveying meaning. This is why it is possible to compose dictionaries containing the direct and precise meanings of words, but it is not possible to compose dictionaries containing the direct and precise meanings of actions. In the case of words, silence is the norm while speech is the exception. Thus, we assume that a person only speaks in order to convey some specific meaning. In the case of action, however, movement is the norm, while non-movement is the exception. As such, an action (e.g., moving the chest in and out while breathing) may occur without there being any intention at all to convey any meaning. For this reason, it is often necessary to look beyond the action itself in order to determine what its actor meant by it, if, indeed, he or she meant anything at all. This is why Muslim scholars treated the Prophet’s actions صلى عليه وسلم in a manner that was different from the way they treated his statements.

The books on legal methodology (usul al-fiqh أصول الفقه) all include sections that give detailed instructions on how to decode the Prophet’s statements according to the formal structure of his words and sentences. For example, whenever the Prophet used an indefinite object (in English this would be a word that is preceded by the indefinite article “a” or “an”) in a direct command, e.g., “Feed a poor person,” it was automatically concluded that this command could be fulfilled by a single act of feeding any poor person, male, female, Muslim, non-Muslim. This held as long as there was no other evidence that restricted this feeding, e.g., to Muslim poor persons. On the other hand, no such mechanical decoding could be used in interpreting the Prophet’s actions. As we shall see, unless there was evidence indicating that the Prophet committed a particular act as a means of explaining how to carry out something already established in the Qur’an or Sunna, or as a means of drawing closer to God (qurbah قربة), a Prophetic act such as feeding a poor person might impart nothing more than the permissibility of doing so.

SOME BASIC PREMISES

We may begin with the general statement of the great Spanish scholar of the Zahirite school, Ibn Hazm (d. 456/1063). Unlike the other scholars whose views we will survey, Ibn Hazm is concerned almost exclusively with the claim that it is obligatory (wajib, fard واجب, فرض) to emulate the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in everything he did. Ibn Hazm insists that this is a claim for which there is no proof from the Qur’an or Sunna. He is aware that a commonly cited would-be proof is the verse from suwrah al-Ahzab: “There is for you in the Messenger of God a beautiful example … (La qad kana lakum fi rasulullahi uswatun hasanah … لقد كان لكم في رسول الله أسوة حسنة”. This, however, argues Ibn Hazm, is actually proof against those who claim that it is obligatory to follow every action of the Prophet. For he points out that the verse contains the phrase “for you (lakum لكم).” And, according to him, anyone who has a basic knowledge of Arabic knows that if an Arab says to you “This is for you (hadha laka هذا لك),” this would not mean that you were under any obligation to take it. Rather, you would merely enjoy the right or privilege of taking it, at your own discretion. In the same way, Ibn Hazm argues that what the verse in question really establishes is that, outside of explaining how to carry out duties already established in the Qur’an or Sunna, the Prophet’s actions are simply made available for those who would like to avail themselves of them, at their own discretion.

Beyond this, Ibn Hazm insists that those who argue that it is obligatory to follow the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم in everything he did are both arbitrary and inconsistent in holding this position. For, he argues … such a position leads to nonsense and requires of those who hold it that they make it obligatory upon every Muslim to live exactly where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم lived, to place their feet in exactly the same places he placed his feet, to pray in exactly the same places he prayed, to fast on exactly the same days he fasted, to sit exactly as he sat, and to move in exactly the way that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم made his every move … But no Muslim (scholar) has ever held any of these things to be obligatory¹.

Despite his fiery, confrontational language, Ibn Hazm’s discussion is actually quite instructive. In fact, he provides an extremely important insight into the very meaning of what many scholars who held it to be obligatory to follow the Prophet’s actions may have actually meant by this, and how this may have been mistakenly expanded into a blanket obligation to follow the Prophet in his every action.

Ibn Hazm notes that there is a difference between simply not following the Prophet in his every action and refusing to follow him in his actions as a matter of principle. In the latter case, the implication is that by following the Prophet one may be jeopardizing one’s salvation and standing with God. Thus, in order to preserve and protect oneself, one avoids even the actions of the Prophet, “just to be safe.” Among his examples, Ibn Hazm points to those who refuse to kiss their wives during the fast of Ramadan, despite their knowledge that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kissed his wives. The implication here is that the Prophet’s example is not reliable, and that even if one follows him perfectly, one might not attain salvation in the Hereafter. In other words, despite a man ‘s knowledge that the Prophet kissed his wives during the fast of Ramadan, he will intentionally refuse (tanazzaha ‘an تنزه عن) to kiss his wife because he wants to “make sure “ that he achieves the highest standing with God and that he does not engage in any actions that might earn God’s displeasure². This implies, of course, that the Prophet either had imperfect knowledge of what would attain God’s pleasure or that he intentionally engaged in actions that would earn God’s displeasure. In either case, his example is unreliable, and one is forced, therefore, to devise his or her own foolproof way to salvation.

This, incidentally, is the real meaning of bid’a بدعة (unsanctioned innovation),as explained by one of the most important writers on that subject, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim b. Musa al-Shatibi (d. 790). Al-Shatibi was the author of a two-volume book entitled al-I’tisam الاعتصام (Holding Fast), hailed by many as the best book ever written on the subject of bid’a. In this work, al-Shatibi gives the following definition for bid’a:

البدعة طريقة في الدين مخترعة تضاهي الشرعية يقصد بالسلوك عليها ما يقصد بالطريقة الشرعية

“A concocted manner of proceeding in religion that mimics the scripturally mandated way, with the aim of achieving through this concocted way that which should only be sought through the scripturally mandated way (al-bid’atu tariqatun mukhtara’atun fi al-din tudahi al-tariqata al-shar’iyah yuqsadu bi al-suluki ‘alayha ma yuqsadu bi al-tariqah al-shar’iyah).”³

In other words, bid’a is not simply committing an act that the Prophet did not commit or failing to commit an act that the Prophet actually did. Bid’a is, rather, committing or avoiding such actions as a means of making up one’s own way to God. In other words, the real issue is not whether an act is committed or not; the real issue is the religious value that one attributes to the commission or non-commission of an act. In this context, even Ibn Hazm would insist that it was obligatory to follow the actions of the Prophet⁴. What he meant, however, was that if one wants to attain God’s pleasure, one cannot imagine and seek to make up a more perfect way of achieving this than following the example of the Prophet⁵. This did not mean, as we shall further see, that it was obligatory to do or not do everything the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did and did not do.

The Basic Approach to Assessing the Prophet’s Actions

The overwhelming majority of scholars agreed with the basic outlook of Ibn Hazm, i.e ., that it was not obligatory to follow the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in everything he did. They also agreed, however, that it was obligatory to follow him in some things. Regarding many, if not the bulk, of the Prophet’s actions, however, they held that it was simply recommended (mandub مندوب,mustahabb مستحب) or permissible (mubah مباح) to follow him⁶. On a minority of issues, such as where the Prophet’s actions were deemed to be specific to him, e.g., the number of wives allowed to him, they agreed that following him was forbidden (haram حرام).

Generally speaking, scholars divided the actions of the Prophet (SAWS) into two distinct categories:

1. “Clarifying actions“: These were Prophetic actions whose purpose it was to clarify some duty already addressed in only general terms in the Qur’an or Sunna (bayanan li mujmalin fi al-qur’an wa al-sunna بيانا لمجمل في القرآن و السنة). Regarding these actions, the general rule was that they acquired the same ruling, i.e., obligatory, recommended or neutral, as the thing they clarified. Thus, for example, where the Prophet (SAWS) performs an action as a means of clarifying the obligation to perform prayer, pilgrimage or the punishment for theft, such an action would generally – but not always- be deemed obligatory, like prayer, pilgrimage or the punishment for theft themselves.
2. “Spontaneous actions“:These were Prophetic actions that were not performed for the purpose of clarifying any pre-existing dictate of the Qur’an or Sunna. Rather, the Prophet performed these actions out of personal preference, recognition of a particular community or neighborly need, in response to some unanticipated situation, as a spontaneous gesture of gratitude to God, or for some other reason. Such spontaneous actions were further divided into two basic subcategories.
3. Those that were performed with the explicit intention of “drawing near to God (qurbah قربة).”
4. Those that were not performed with the explicit intention of “drawing near to God.”

Again, there was a general consensus (ijma’ اجماع)that it was obligatory to follow the Prophet’sclarifying actions whenever these were performed for the purpose of clarifying an act established by the Qur’an or Sunna. There was also general agreement, however, that where the action to be clarified was only recommended, it was likewise only recommended to follow the Prophet’s act regarding it. In other words, the general rule was that clarifying actions took on the same status as the thing they clarified — obligatory, recommended or neutral. In pre-modem limes, this was a very simple and straightforward rule. In modem times, however, it has become somewhat problematic, given a certain confusion that has developed around the term “sunna.”

As is well known, there are five legal categories or rulings (ahkam أحكام/s. hukm حكم) recognized by Islamic law. These are: 1) obligatory (واجب wajib, فرض fard), 2) discouraged (مكروه makruh), 3) neutral (مباح mubah), 4) recommended (مندوب mandub, مستحب mustahabb), and 5) forbidden (حرامharam). When God or the Prophet issue a command and it is understood that failure to perform this act incurs punishment in the Hereafter, while performing it incurs reward, that act is said to be obligatory. An example of this would be the five daily prayers. When failure to avoid an act is deemed to incur punishment in the Hereafter while avoiding it incurs reward, that act is said to be forbidden. Adultery would be an example here. When failure to perform an act is not deemed to incur punishment but performing it is deemed to incur reward, that act is said to be recommended. Paying severance gift to one’s divorced wife is said to be recommended in the Maliki school. When failure to avoid an act is not deemed to incur punishment but avoiding it is deemed to incur reward, that act is said to be discouraged. According to the Hanafi school, it is discouraged for women to lead other women in congregational prayers. Acts that incur neither reward nor punishment in the Hereafter are said to be neutral and are often simply referred to as “permissible.⁷”

Now, one of the alternative terms for the recommended (mandub, mustahabb) category is the term “sunna.” In pre-modem times, this was clearly understood. But in modem times, especially in America, many are unable to distinguish between “sunna” as a recommended act — for whose non-performance there is no punishment — and “sunna” as “the sunna of the Prophet” — whose complete abandonment is likely to result bid’a. On this confusion, one who chooses not to perform an act that is merely recommended — which, according to Islamic law, he or she has every right to do — often ends up being accused of having engaged in bid’a or of having abandoned the “sunna of the Prophet.” By right, the charge of having abandoned the sunna of the Prophet should be reserved for those who fail or refuse to follow the Prophet in something regarding which it is obligatory to follow him, or those who abandon his sunna altogether. As for one who chooses, for example, not to pray two rak’ahs before the morning prayer, he or she should not be charged with having totally abandoned the Prophet’s sunna. For there may be many other aspects of the Prophet’s sunna, e.g., witr, that this person practices assiduously. Moreover, if a person has no choice but to offer two rak’ahs before the morning prayer, this would mean that these two rak’ahs were not recommended but rather obligatory.

Turning to the Prophet’s spontaneous actions, here is where the bulk of scholarly discussion occurred. According to the Spanish Malik, scholar, Abu al-Walid al-Baji, there was disagreement in the Maliki school regarding spontaneous actions of the Prophet that he performed for the purpose of drawing near to God. According to al-Baji, the majority held that following the Prophet in these actions was obligatory. Others held, however, that it was only recommended. Al-Baji himself supports the view of those who say that such actions are obligatory, unless there is additional proof that they are only recommended or permissible. As proof, he cites the verse from surah al-A’raf, “… and follow him, perhaps you might be guided,” the verse from surah al-Nur, “let those who go against his affair beware …,” and the verse from surah al-Ahzab, “There is indeed a beautiful example for you in the Messenger of God.” He also points to the fact that the Companions immediately implemented the Prophet’s practice of performing a full ghusl in cases where there was no ejaculation. During the course of his treatment, however, al-Baji points to an important distinction that is taken up by several other scholars, as we shall see.

According to al-Baji, only if there are no indications that a Prophetic act of qurbah was performed as a recommended or permissible act must we accept any obligation to follow it. If we do take as obligatory an action that the Prophet only intended to be recommended or permissible, we are not following but going against the Prophet’s sunna. All of this is another way of saying that not every outward appearance of following the Prophet amounts to a proper act of “following the Prophet’s sunna.⁸” In fact, depending on the religious value attributed to such an outward act of following the Prophet, it might actually amount to an act of bid’a⁹.

As for spontaneous actions that are not performed with the specific intention of drawing near to God, e.g., eating, drinking, walking, putting on clothes, here al-Baji reports that most Maliki scholars held that following such actions was neutral. He notes, however, that some Maliki held such actions to be recommended. Included among such actions, according to them, were such things as eating with one’s right hand or putting on one’s left shoe before putting on’ one’s right one. Al-Baji himself comes out in favor of the view of the majority. He argues that inasmuch as there can be no doubt that there was no obligation to eat¹⁰ or wear shoes in the first place, the most that could be recommended would be the manner in which one ate or put on one’s shoes. In other words, al-Baji’s position was essentially that the Prophet’s having eaten or worn shoes do not render it obligatory or even recommended for us to eat or wear shoes. What the Prophet’s action implies, rather, is that whenever a Muslim does eat or put on shoes, it is recommended that he or she eat with their right hand and to put on their right shoe before putting on their left.

This basic “clarifying — spontaneous — qurbah — non-qurbah” approach to Prophetic actions is repeated in almost all the major works of legal methodology. The Shafi’i, Sayf al-Din al-Amidi (d. 631), for example, repeals this basic layout. Like al-Baji, he concludes that it is not obligatory but merely permissible to follow the Prophet’s spontaneous actions that he did not commit in an attempt to draw near to God. Unlike al-Baji, however, al-Amidi insists that where the Prophet does commit actions in an attempt to draw near to God, such actions occupy a position between obligatory and recommended, i.e., a little stronger than just recommended but not quite to the point of being obligatory¹¹.

The Shafi ‘i, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606) and his Maliki commentator Shihab al-Din al-Qarafi (d.684/ 1285)¹² also repeat the “clarifying — spontaneous — qurbah — non-qurbah” distinctions, though they add a few minor details¹³. In contradistinction to al-Baji, however, al-Razi holds — and al-Qarafi approves of this — that actions of the Prophet performed with the aim of drawing near to God are only recommended — not obligatory — until proven otherwise.

As for the Hanbalis, according to the famous al-Musawwadah fi usul al-Fiqh (Manuscript on Legal Methodology) of the three great Hanbalis, Ibn Taymiyah (d.728/1328), his father and his grandfather, the dominant tendency in the Hanbali school was to follow the “clarifying — spontaneous — qurbah — non-qurbah” approach. According to them, clarifying actions took on the same status as the act they clarified. Spontaneous actions performed for the purpose of drawing near to God were simply permissible. As for spontaneous actions not performed for the purpose of drawing near to God, there was a difference of opinion among Hanbalis. Some held these to recommended, while others insisted that they were simply permissible¹⁴. Particularly interesting in the case of the Hanbalis, however, is the fact that they are explicit on a point that many others only allude to, namely that Muslims are not required to avoid actions simply because the Prophet never practiced them. In their words, “His having abandoned a particular action imposes no obligation upon us to abandon it.¹⁵”

Outside the four schools, there is the view of the famous al-Shawkani. He also follows the “clarifying — spontaneous — qurbah — non-qurbah” approach¹⁶. According to him, it is obligatory upon Muslims to follow the Prophet in his clarifying actions and to give them the same status as the thing they clarified. He holds spontaneous actions performed by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم for the purpose of drawing near to God to be at least recommended. As for spontaneous actions that do not appear to have been for the purpose of qurbah, al-Shawkani professes that he cannot imagine the Prophet performing such actions. As such, he holds that since there must be at least some element of qurbah in these actions, it is recommended for Muslims to follow them¹⁷. Like other jurists, al-Shawkani notes that if we know that the Prophet did something voluntarily and we follow his action as an obligatory duty, we are not following his example¹⁸. In fact, he insists, if we attribute obligatory status to an action of the Prophet without actually knowing that he treated it as an obligatory act, we are not following his example¹⁹.

In sum, the “clarifying — spontaneous — qurbah — non-qurbah” approach to Prophetic actions was the rule rather than the exception among the major scholars of Islamic legal methodology. There were, of course exceptions to this — as one might expect in any healthy intellectual culture. Yet, upon close examination, even those who diverged from this approach show themselves in the end to be in agreement with its conclusions.

To take one example, the Hanafi jurist, Abu Bake al-Sarakhsi (d.490) does not subscribe to the standard “clarifying — spontaneous — qurbah — non-qurbah” approach. Rather, he simply divides the Prophet’s actions into 1) those that are shared by all humans as a simple function of human nature, e.g., sleeping, bowel movements, etc.; and 2) those that are not a simple function of human nature but relate more specifically to the Prophet’s mission as prophet. Those actions that are merely a function of the Prophet’s humanity are immediately disqualified as a basis for any action by a Muslim²⁰. As for those that were undertaken in his capacity as Prophet, al-Sarakhsi invokes a very simple rule: The basic status of all Prophetic actions is that it is permissible to follow them until some other proof (dalil) is found that would place them in some other category, such as recommended or obligatory²¹. In other words, while it might be obligatory to follow the Prophet on a certain non-clarifying action, such actions will be presumed to be permissible until proven otherwise.

OBJECTIONS AND RESPONSES

Muslim scholars’ approaches to Prophetic actions were both judicious and straightforward. According to the general consensus, only those actions deemed to have been carried out as a means of clarifying a previously revealed injunction were assumed to be obligatory. Beyond that, depending on circumstances, an action could assume anyone of the five legal statuses recognized under Islamic law. The bulk of the scholars’ time was consumed not in explicating this simple rule but rather in responding to would-be objections by those who might argue, as many do today, that it is obligatory to follow the Prophet in everything he did and did not do. This took the form of responding to certain Qur’anic verses or Prophetic hadith. As many of these arguments may still be heard today, I shall briefly review the most oft-repeated and important of these.

Among the most commonly cited Qur’anic proofs are the following:

1. “… and follow him and fear God … ” [6: 155]
2. “… let those who go against his affair beware … ” [24: 63]
3. “… and whatever the Prophet gives you, take it . .. ” [59: 8]
4. “There is indeed for you in the Messenger of God a beautiful example for whomever desires God and the last day … ” [32: 21]
5. “Say, If you love God. then follow me …. ” [3: 31]
6. “Say, Obey God and obey the Messenger.” [4: 59]
7. “So when Zayd consummated his marriage to her. We married her to you so that there would be no shame on the believers regarding the wives of their adopted sons after the latter have consummated their marriage to them. ” [32: 37]

The majority of scholars insist that these verses do not prove that it is obligatory to follow the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in everything he did and that those who rely on such verses have either misconstrued them or seek to force out of them that which they do not contain. They give several responses to these verses, some of them quite complex. For the sake of brevity and simplicity, I will limit myself to the most straightforward of these.

As for the verse, “…. and follow him …,” al-Amidi intimates that even if it could be used to argue that one must follow the Prophet, this would not translate into a blanket- obligation to follow all of his actions as obligatory acts. That is to say, while it might be obligatory to follow the Prophet, this obligation might only be met in some instances by treating certain actions of his as recommended or permissible²². This is the same response that al-Shawkani gives for the verse,“Say. if you love God, then follow me.²³“ Al-Razi also appears to give a similar response²⁴. This is also essentially the argument given by al-Sarakhsi, though al-Sarakhsi adds an interesting twist. He points out that it is important to know how the Prophet himself صلى الله عليه وسلم understood his actions in order to be able to follow him properly. For it is certain, he points out, that the Prophet never drank wine even before it was forbidden by revelation. Yet, no one would be justified in arguing that it was forbidden for Muslims to drink wine before revelation outlawed it²⁵.

As for the verse, “let those who go against his affair beware … “ al-Shawkani points out that the Arabic word “amr أمر” (translated here as “affair”) normally refers to the Prophet’s statements, i.e., his orders, not his actions. In this particular case, however, this is of limited relevance, since, according to the widely accepted rule of Arabic syntax, the “his” in “his affair” should be understood to refer to God, not the Prophet, since God is the most recently mentioned entity..²⁶Al-Razi also argues that “amr” applies more readily to words and commands than it does to actions²⁷. And al-Amidi gives a similar (though slightly more complex) argument²⁸.

As for the verse, “… whatever the Prophet gives you, take it,” al-Amidi gives an argument similar to the one he gave in response to the verse, “and follow him.” That is to say, only if the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم understood his own action to be obligatory would “take what he gives you” translate into an obligation to follow him in these things²⁹. Al-Amidi says that this also applies to the verse,“There is indeed for you a beautiful example in the Messenger of God,” and the verse “If you love God, then follow me.” As for al-Shawkani, he argues that “what (ma ما)” in “what he gives you“applies to his statements, i.e., his verbal commands, not his actions. This is supported by the fact that the second half of the verse reads, “And what he forbids you, desist from it.” Al-Shawkani notes that just as “what” in this part of the verse can only apply to verbal commands, so too must it apply to only verbal commands in the first part of the verse. Beyond this, al-Shawkani insists that one can only “take” commands and prohibitions, not actions³⁰.

As for the verse, “There is indeed for you in the Messenger of God beautiful example,” we have seen the argument of Ibn Hazm above. This argument is repeated by al-Shawkani, al-Amidi, al-Razi, al-Qarafi and al-Sarakhsi. Indeed, it appears to be the standard argument against using this verse as proof that it is obligatory to follow the Prophet’s actions. However, al-Shawkani adds to this that taking the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم as one’s example (al-ta’assi bihi التأسي به) entails attributing to his actions the same status that he himself attributed to them. Thus, one must hold those actions of his that he committed as obligatory to be obligatory, those he held to be recommended to be recommended, and so forth³¹. This is also the argument applied by a number of scholars to the verses “If you love God, then follow me,” and “Obey God and obey the Messenger.” In other words, obedience and following can only be achieved by attributing to the Prophet’s actions the same weight and status he attributed to them.

As for the verse involving Zayd, al-Amidi points out that the most they indicate is that the Community is equal to the Prophet in terms of the rulings that apply to both. In other words, whenever the Prophet is allowed or forbidden to do something, it is assumed that the Community is allowed or forbidden that thing also, un less there is proof that this command or prohibition that was specific to the Prophet³². Al-Qarafi poses a similar argument and adds that technically the verse speaks only of God’s act of marrying the Prophet to Zaynab, not of the Prophet’s act of marrying her³³. In sum, the general consensus is that all Zayd’s marriage to Zaynab proves is that it is permissible to follow the Prophet, not obligatory. Otherwise, all of the Companions who had adopted sons would have been obligated to marry the former wives of their adopted sons.

Besides these verses, those who argue that it is obligatory to follow the Prophet’s every action also point to the practice of the Companions. Several cases of the Companions following the Prophet’s actions are referred to as proof that they understood it to be obligatory to follow him. Examples include the hadith in which the Prophet removed his shoes during prayer and the Companions promptly followed him by removing theirs, the incident at al-Hudaybiyah where the Prophet ordered the Companions to shave their heads but none of them did so, but when he shaved his own head (at the suggestion of his wife, Umm Salamah) they promptly followed suit. Another oft-cited example is the Companions resolving their dispute over the requirement to take a full ritual bath (ghusl) after intercourse with no ejaculation, based on ‘A’ishah’s report that the Prophet took a full bath in such cases. In fact, this particular incident is claimed to constitute a unanimous consensus (ijma’) among theCompanions, which Islamic legal theory holds to be a permanently binding sourced of law.

Scholars of Islamic legal methodology also deal with these arguments. As for the Companions taking off their shoes, it is pointed out that the hadith itself indicates that it was not obligatory for them to follow the Prophet in all he did. After the prayer was over, the Prophet himself asked the Companions, “Why did you take of your shoes?” As al-Sarakhsi points out, had the Prophet made it obligatory upon theCompanions to follow him in everything he did, this question would have made no sense³⁴. As for the incident at al-Hudaybiyah, this was clearly a clarifying action of the Prophet, one that followed a verbal command by him. Moreover, rather than proving that it is obligatory to follow the Prophet in all his actions, what this incident really proves is that the Companions didn’t even understand all of the Prophet’s verbal commands to imply obligation. In other words, even when he verbally commanded them to do certain things, they sometimes took his commands to be recommendations rather than obligations.

Perhaps most interesting of all is an argument put forth by al-Sarakhsi. He notes that if the Companions had understood that it was obligatory to do everything the Prophet did, they would also have held it to be obligatory to avoid everything he did not do. For us, this would mean refusing to speak English or to marry non-Arab women, since the Prophet did neither of these. In the case of the Companions, it would have meant holding all kinds of things to be forbidden that everyone knows were not forbidden. For example, it is known that even before wine was made forbidden the Prophet never drank wine. If the Companions bad held everything the Prophet did not do to be forbidden, they would also have held wine to be forbidden even before revelation forbade it. But this we know not to be the case, as is made clear by the Qur’an itself: “O you who believe, do not approach prayer while you are in a state of drunkenness ….. [surah al-Nisa', 43]“Second, al-Sarakhsi notes, if the Companions had held that it was obligatory to follow the Prophet in everything he did, they would have remained at his side at all times, in order to know what he was doing at all times in order to be able to follow him. But this too we know not to have been the case³⁵.

As for the claim of consensus based on the hadith of ‘ A’ishah, it has been pointed out that the Companions who resolved their dispute over this issue were not all of the Companions. As such, their decision did not constitute a unanimous consensus³⁶. Moreover, as al-Shawkani points out, they followed the Prophet in this case by attributing to his action the same status they assumed him to have attributed to it. They could have just as easily concluded that it was merely recommended to take a full bath in such instances³⁷.

CONCLUSION

There can be no doubt that the Sunna of the Prophet is a binding source of Islamic law and doctrine, second only to the Qur’an. In fact, in terms of its actual authority, the Sunna is actually equal to the Qur’an, as is clearly established by the Qur’an itself: “Whoever obeys the Prophet has obeyed God (—-).” As Muslims, we are thus bound to submit to both the Qur’an and the Sunna. And there can be no question about the status or the Sunna of the Prophet among Muslims.

The question, however, is, “What is the proper way to follow the Prophet’s Sunna?” It is unfortunate that in our times this Question is routinely treated in the most sloppy and cavalier fashion. In fact, many have fallen into the habit of exploiting and abusing the Sunna of the Prophet for purely selfish or ideological reasons. They indiscriminately proclaim that it is obligatory to follow the Prophet in everything he did. And they insist that anything he did not do, we are forbidden to do.

This small pamphlet has outlined the manner in which the great scholars of Islam addressed the issue of how to follow the actions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. We may summarize their general conclusions as follows:

Whenever the Prophet’s action is understood to clarify something already established in the Qur’an or his Sunna, that action takes on the same status as the thing it clarifies. It may be obligatory, recommended or permissible.

Whenever the Prophet’s action is understood to be spontaneous (i.e., it is not clarifying something already established), if the Prophet committed this action as I means of drawing near to God, most scholars hold it to be between recommended and permissible, though some hold It be between obligatory and recommended.

If the spontaneous action is not understood to be for the sake of drawing near to God, the general consensus it that such actions are between recommended and neutral.

Given this perspective of the great scholars of Islam, it is interesting and, indeed, lamentable, that many Muslims today readily acknowledge that one does not have to prayer two or four rak’ahsbefore and after Zuhr, but they will insist that one must wear a turban or eat with one’s bare hands. They allow for the divergence from actions that the Prophet did in an obvious attempt to draw near to God, but they allow for no divergence from actions that he clearly did not do for this purpose. Clearly, this is the result of a desire and attempt to impose upon the actions of the Prophet symbolic and ideological significance that he himself never attributed to them. And it is precisely this tendency that we must dedicate ourselves to eliminating from our personal and collective lives. For only when we commit ourselves to following the Prophet in the manner in which he intended for us to follow him are we likely to earn the pleasure of our Lord and reinvest the Prophet’s Sunna with the sweetness and nectar that it had for the early generations of Muslims.

Islam is a marathon, not a fifty-yard dash. Given the average lifespan of a human being, a Muslim in his or her twenties will have to practice Islam for another fifty years. It is important to understand that different individuals need and are able to make use of different things at different times in their lives. A young man in his teens has little use for a Medicare plan; a woman in her seventies has little use for a four-year scholarship to college. The Prophet, however, was a model for all people for all time. As such, his example might be likened to a medicine cabinet that has the cure for every disease but whose entire contents no individual need consume. A stingy person will not be cured of stinginess by imitating the Prophet’s courage in battle. A lazy person will not overcome slothfulness by focusing on the Prophet’s kindness and civility. A husband who suffers from an inflated male ego will not find an alternative modality of Muslim manhood in the manner in which the Prophet trimmed his nails. We ask God Almighty to direct our minds and our hearts, individually and collectively, to the proper way to follow the guidance sent through His Prophet Muhammad. And we ask Him to protect us from the pettiness of our fragile egos, the treacherous whisperings of our anxiety-ridden souls and the relentless machinations of Satan the accursed. Praise be to God. And may God’s blessings and salutations be upon His servant and His messenger, our beloved Prophet Muhammad, after whom there shall be no prophet, and upon his Companions, his family and his followers all.

End Notes

1. See Ibn Hazm, al-Ihkam fi usul al-Ahkam 8 vols. Ed. A.M. Shakir (Beirut: Dar al-Afaq al-Jadidah, 1403/1983, 2: 8. But see his entire discussion at 2: 6-11.
2. Ibn Hazm, al-Ihkam, 2: 7-8.
3. Abu lshaq Ibrahim b. Musa al-Shatibi, al-I’tisam 2 vols. Ed. A. A. al-Shafi (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-’Ilmiyah, 1408/ 1988). 1: 28.
4. al-Ihkam. 2: 8.
5. This is also probably the context in which other noted scholars, such as Imam Malik, are reported to have insisted that it was obligatory to follow the actions of the Prophet.
6. On these legal categories. i.e., mandub, mustahabb, mubah, see below, p. 10-11.
7. This too, however, is actually an oversimplification, as all acts that fall outside the forbidden (haram) category are technically permissible.
8. On this point, see also Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, al-Mahsul in Shihab al-Din al-Qarafi’s Nata’is al-usul Ii sharh al-mahsul 4 vols. (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah, 1421/2000), 3: 165, 3: 167,3: 177.
9. See above, on al-Shatibi’s definition of bid’a.

10.  This might sound somewhat contradictory, given the well-known ban on suicide in Islam. But one does not have to “eat” in the literal sense in order to survive. One could just as easily survive by drinking liquids or on nutrients supplied intravenously.

11.  Sayf al-Din al-Amidi, al-Ihkam fi usul al-ahkam 4 vols. (Cairo, Nd), 1: 160, but see his entire discussion from 1: 159-73.

12.  See al-Qarafi’s Nafa’is usul fi ‘ilm al-usul and al-Razi’s al-Mahsul, which is included in Nafa’is.

13.  See, e.g., Nafa’is, 3: 157-84, esp. 181 ff.

14.  AI-Musawwadah fi usul al-fiqh, ed. M. “Abd ai-Hamid (Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi. Nd), 186-88.

15.  AI-Musawwadah. 193.

16.  See Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. Muhammad al-Shawkani, Irshad al-fuhul ila tahqiq al-haqq fi ‘ilm al-usul (Cairo: Mustafa Babi al-Halabi, 1356/1937), 35-38.

17.  See Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. Muhammad al-Shawkani, Irshad al-fuhul ila tahqiq al-haqq fi ‘ilm al-usul (Cairo: Mustafa Babi al-Halabi, 1356/1937), 35-38.

18.  Irshad, 37.

19.  Irshad, 37.

20.  We must be careful to remember that even in instances where the Prophet’s action alone would not oblige us to commit any action, this same action may serve as a clarifier of some verbal command of his. In this case, it would be obligatory to give this action of the Prophet the same status as the verbal command it clarifies.

21.  See Usul al-sarakhsi, 2 vols. Ed. R. al-‘Ajam (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifah, 1418/1997), 2: 87-90.

22.  Ihkam, 1: 165.

23.  Irshad, 36.

24.  Nafa’is, 3: 165.

25.  Usul al-sarakhsi, 2: 89.

26.  Irshad, 36. The entire verse reads: “God certainly knows those who slip away in an attempt to escape danger. So let those who go against his affair beware, lest they be visited by a trial or a grievous punishment.”

27.  Nafa’is, 3: 165.

28.  Al-Ihkam, 1: 165-66.

29.  Al-Ihkam, 1: 166.

30.  Irshad, 36.

31.  Irshad, 36-37.

32.  Al-Ihkam, 1: 167.

33.  Nafa’is, 3: 170-71.

34.  Usul al-sarakhsi, 2: 88.

35.  Usul al-sarakhsi, 2: 89.

36.  See, e.g., al-Qarafi, Nafa’is, 3: 171.

37.  al-Shawkani, Irshad, 37.

Arshad Gamiet/Royal Holloway University of London/November 2010

“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,

As the Hajj season approaches, let us consider the story of Prophet Abraham, his wife Hagar and their son, Ismail (may Allah send peace and blessings on them). This amazing family left us a great legacy that is the foundation of the Hajj. Their story is relevant for all Muslims for all times, and there’s a particular resonance for us today, as we shall see.

Nabi Ibrahim’s father was a devout mushrik, an idol worshipper. Despite all his son’s efforts, the father adamantly refused to stop worshipping idols.  When he died he was still in denial of Allah. Nabi Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah, the quintessential monotheist, the Patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, could not save his father. We, too, must accept that we have no real power to influence others, not even our own parents, to accept Islam. Allah chooses to guide whom He pleases.

“May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa lahu waliyan murshida.” [sura al-Kahf 18:17]

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

Our duty is only to share what Allah teaches, without pressure, without clever tricks. Allah is not in need of any of His creatures. We need Him.

Prophet Ibrahim destroyed the idols that his people worshipped, except for one. When the people asked him who did it, he pointed to the remaining idol. They told him the idol couldn’t have done it, so he asked them how is it that they worship something that can neither harm them nor help them! It couldn’t even defend itself from being destroyed! But such is the arrogance of misguided people, that logic and wisdom is wasted on them. Instead of using their God-given reason and logic, they resorted to violence. They tried to burn Prophet Abraham to death. He, on the other hand, was completely calm and unafraid, relying on Allah, and reposing his trust in Allah at all times. Allah commanded the fire to be cool, and thus Ibrahim alayhis salaam, survived.

When He and his wife, Hagar arrived in the desolate valley of Bakka, she repeated asked him why they had come there. He said nothing. Then, when she asked, is it Allah’s wish? He confirmed that it was indeed so. She immediately accepted this, without complaining. Both husband and wife knew that no matter how dire the situation, they were always safe in Allah’s hands.

“Biyadikal khair, innaka ala kulli shay-in qadeer.”

“In His Hand is all Good. Allah has power over all things.” [Sura 3:26]

Later, left alone with a hungry and thirsty infant child, she rushed from hilltop to hilltop in search of water, between Al Safa and Al Marwah. We commemorate this event during the Hajj, in Rami and Sa’i. She ran in desperation, she made the effort, and her effort and her pleading for help from Allah was well rewarded. The water came, in limitless abundance, like Allah’s mercy pouring out to his devoted servants. The Archangel Gabriel, Jibreel alayhis salaam, caused the well of Zamzam to gush pure, clean water from below baby Ismail’s feet, and for thousands of years, day in, day out, 24/7, it still flows today, refreshing and purifying millions of pilgrims. Let us think of Zamzam as Allah’s mercy overflowing, waiting to quench our spiritual thirst, our quest for meaning, our quest for nearness to Allah.

When Allah ordered Nabi Ibrahim to sacrifice what he loved most, both he and Ismail knew what that meant. Neither father nor son had the slightest hesitation. They fully understood what ‘sami’na wa ata’na’ means ‘we hear, and we obey.’ No questions, no lame excuses. Just do it!

At the crucial moment when the sharp-bladed knife touched the jugular vein, Allah caused another miracle: A ram, a sheep, appeared where Ismail patiently awaited his fate. Ismail’s life was spared. Prophet Abraham’s trial was over. Allah wanted to show us, and all generations to come until the end of time, what it means to love Allah, what it means to obey his every command.

Today we still remember that willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. Our Qurbani might be a small symbolic gesture, but the lesson is timeless, and awesome.

As the Holy Quran reminds us, it is not the meat that reaches Allah, it is the taqwa, the piety, the awe-inspired reverence, filled with love, fear and hope.

How many of us will be ready to make this kind of sacrifice? How many of us will be willing to devote our most beloved to Allah? Our wealth, our families, our possessions seem so important to us. But where does Allah fit into our scheme of priorities? Do we really love Allah as much as we should? Is our greatest love reserved for Allah, or do we have more love for what He has created? Here’s some food for thought, my dear brothers and sisters.

“Innas salaatee wanusukee wamahiyaaya, wama ma’tee lil-Laahi Rabbil Aalalmeen. La shareekala wabithaalika umirtu, wa ana aw-walil Muslimeen”

“Surely, my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death is for Allah, Lord of all the Worlds. No partner has He, and I am first among the Muslims” [Sura 6:162]

This beautiful declaration was one of Nabi Ibrahim’s wonderful gifts to us. Every time we recite this prayer, at least 17 times a day, we re-dedicate our lives to Allah’s service. We remind our forgetful and infinitely distractible human nature, where our true priorities lie.

Let us remember with gratitude the awesome debt we owe Nabi Ibrahim and his family. We acknowledge this debt every time we pray, asking Allah to send peace and blessings on Nabi Muhammad and his family, just as he sent peace and blessings on Nabi Ibrahim and his family:

“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,

The Holy Quran reminds us to follow Prophet Abraham, who associated no partners with Allah, and whose way is described as the haneef way. What is the haneef way? Haneef means, to turn away from idol worship, to make no associations with Allah, to incline towards goodness, to be orthodox, to be a primordially upright person. This is the way of Nabi Ibrahim, and all those who worshipped Allah, even during the time of ignorance, the time of Jahiliyya.

Let us, during these momentous days of Dhul Hijja, remember Prophet Abraham, remember who he was and what he lived and died for. His great legacy is still with us today: Love Allah more than anyone or anything else, be willing to sacrifice anything in Allah’s cause, and strive your whole life to be a primordially upright person. Try to be a loyal friend, a loving wife or husband, an exemplary parent, a loving son or daughter, a helpful neighbour and a good, law abiding citizen. This is the haneef way,the way of Prophet Abraham and his family, the millata Ibraheema.

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.”

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…

My Dear Brothers and Sisters

Looking around me I see many of you who, like me, were not born in Britain, although Britain has now become our home. Many of us were raised elsewhere, and we’ve come here to better ourselves. Our individual circumstances may differ but the common theme is that we’ve made a kind of Hijra, a migration. In 2 weeks’ time, we will commemorate, Hijratur Rasool, that original migration of Prophet Muhammad sws and his followers, over 14 centuries ago. They fled from Makka to Madina, from persecution to safety. This momentous event is the starting point of the Islamic era. The subject of Hijra, migration, is also the starting point of some major collections of Hadith, such as the 40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi: The first Hadith in this collection will be familiar to many of us:

“Actions are [judged] only according to intentions, and each [person will be judged] only [by] what he intended. Whoever migrates towards Allah and His Messenger, his migration is towards Allah and His Messenger; whoever migrates for the attainment of a worldly goal or in order to marry a woman, then his migration is[judged] only by what he migrated to.”

Brothers and sisters, some of us may have come here to study or to advance our professions and to increase our personal wealth; others may have come to find a refuge from political violence and oppression. These are perfectly good reasons for migration. But most of all, we must never leave Allah and His prophet out of the picture. The secret of real success in this life is to frame every intention, around a lifelong desire to please Allah and follow the example of his noble messenger, Muhammad sws. Whether or not we make a physical Hijra from one place to another, each one of us has to make a spiritual Hijra, from the misguidance of pleasing our own selfish ego, to what pleases Allah.

Our intention, our niyyat, is crucially important. Muslims must always have a clearly defined intention before we start an action. It becomes our point of departure and our point of reference for the future. Whether we succeed or not is another matter. What really matters is the sincerity of our intention. Sincerity is the key. Intentions and actions are in our hands, but results are not. The result belongs to Allah. He gives success to whoever He pleases. We are only responsible for the intention and the action that follows it. While on the subject, we should also remember that no matter how bad any situation appears to us, we must never despair, never become desperate. Never give up hope of Divine help. Always remember that Allah is in control of everything, all of the time. Despite appearances, History is always in His safe hands:

“Biyadikal khair; Innaka alaa kulli shay-in qadeer!”

“In His hand is all good. Truly He has power over everything.”[ S. Al Imran 3:27]

It’s easy to feel victimized when every day, newspapers, radio and TV programmes constantly deliver bad news about Islam and the Muslims. But we must never lose heart, because this is not a punishment. Did Prophet Muhammad sws and his companions not have the same, and worse, experiences? All of Allah’s Prophets had to suffer the most unspeakable hardships. So, we can take heart from the fact that we’re in good company! It’s a test of perseverance and endurance. We’re being challenged, and we must deal with these challenges in a positive and creative way. Allah knows and sees everything. He promises us victory if we remain steadfast. And He never breaks His promise. As we know, He decides the results of our actions, and He sometimes applies what is known as the law of unintended consequences. He often delivers results completely different from what his enemies intended. He never lets his believing servants down. We can see so often in the history of Islam that all the plots and plans of Allah’s enemies ultimately ended in failure. “The unbelievers plot and plan, and Allah also plans. Allah is the best of planners.” [Sura 8:30]

Allah further reminds us, in several verses in the Holy Quran, that we should:

“Travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who rejected faith.” [3:137, 6:11, 16:36, etc ]

Brothers and Sisters, for every Pharaoh there is a Moses, for every Crusader there is a Salahuddin, for every racist tyrant there is a Nelson Mandela who will rise up and lead his people to freedom. Be steadfast, brothers and sisters: maintain your integrity, even when others around you seem to be losing theirs. Life is full of challenges. It’s a place of trial and tribulation for believers and a paradise for those who have no faith. Right now, you and I could have been having lunch or shopping or watching TV or playing golf or doing something else … but instead, we chose to be here, to remember Allah and to serve Him with love and gratitude. Right now, in this room, while we listen to the khutbah, while we pray and thank Allah and seek His guidance, His angels are surrounding us with their wings and protecting us. We can worship Allah anywhere. Unlike churches that have to be specially consecrated for worship, a Muslim can pray anywhere that’s clean. The whole earth is a mosque.

In Sura Nur Allah reminds us that He, “Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth:” “Allahu nuurus sama waati wa lard…” and further on, He tells us that He has illuminated with a special light and raised the status of those places where His name is celebrated. Today we have set aside a precious hours for Allah. We have set aside our studies, our work, our trade and commerce and our love of worldly wealth, because we aspire for something infinitely more valuable and rewarding. We want to remember Allah and we yearn to be near to Him, and to be welcomed into His Garden, when we die.

Brothers and Sisters, while we are celebrating Allah’s Holy Name, here in this hall, Royal Holloway University is being illuminated by the divine radiance of Allah’s light. We’re here not just casually fulfilling a Friday obligation; we’re thanking our generous Lord, we are returning His love and seeking His guidance and pleasure. This is a lifelong process of purifying ourselves, inwardly and outwardly, Zahir and Batin, Some Muslims get these priorities wrong. They’re more concerned with human appearances than with the human substance. Keeping up appearances, apart from being the title of a well known comedy series, is not a Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad sws. He was not concerned with appearances, but with substance. He was always much more concerned with our inward state. Sincerity, Ikhlaas, is an unblemished state of the heart. He said that within the body there is a lump of flesh, if this is sound then the whole body will be sound and healthy. Truly, he said, it is the heart.

Brothers and Sisters! Let us avoid extremes in our behaviour. Let us maintain a healthy balance, in our lives. Let us strive for aafiyah, so that Allah can always be pleased with us. And when He’s pleased with us, He will help us to overcome all hardships. He will instil within us, a sense of peace and serenity. He will instil sakina, into our hearts.

Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen. Was-salaatu was-salaamu alaa Khairil mursaleen. Muhammadin-nabeey-yil Ummiy-yee, wa-‘alaa aalihee, wasah-bihee, aj-ma’een.

Ammaa ba’ad:

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, wa alaa áli Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”

Part Two:

Sub’ hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual theem.

“All glory is for Allah, and all praise is for Allah; There is no power and no strength except with Allah.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

An important aspect of the Prophetic Hijra was that it brought mutual benefit for the refugees, the muhajireen from Makka, and the Ansaar¸the helpers in Madina. There were no losers. It was a win-win situation. The migrants found safety from persecution, and the helpers found an inspiring leader who resolved their bitter disputes and shaped them into a model community. Until the end of time the Madina period will be held up as the perfect example of a truly Islamic state. Wherever the Muslims went: India, China, Spain, North and South Africa, they brought something of value. They improved the societies in which they found themselves: In science they paved the way for the European renaissance, the rebirth of learning. In Architecture, they constructed buildings like the Taj Mahal that seems to defy gravity. In engineering, mathematics and literature, they left a rich legacy to share with others.

What will history have to say about our present-day contribution to British society? Will our legacy be something more substantial than doner kebabs, chicken tikka and ghulab jamun? Britain has many serious social problems: Juvenile crime, teenage pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse, and broken families, to name a few. We Muslims can show by our personal example that there is a better way to live. Islam offers good guidance and a siraat al Mustaqeem, a straight path to Allah’s good pleasure. The Messenger of Islam came as “Rahmatul lil-aalameen,” “A mercy unto all the worlds.” We have no right to keep his message to ourselves only. We have a duty to share his message.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad sws is also described in the Holy Quran as “Uswatul Hasanah” the best of role models. By following in his illustrious footsteps, we must aspire to become good examples for others. Brothers and Sisters, we have to make a start somewhere. Let’s de-mystify Islam. Let’s cultivate good relations with our neighbours in the wider community. Invite them into our homes. Invite them to our Friday prayers. Let them also hear the khutbah and observe how we do our prayers. Let them see with their own eyes that Islam as lived by 99% of Muslims is quite different to the stuff of mass hysteria that’s promoted in the tabloid press.

Many British people are already more than halfway towards Islam, but they don’t know it. They love fairness and justice, they are clean in their personal habits, and they are honest in their business dealings, truthful and generous hearted. Just look at the number of charities and good causes that they promote in this country. Many British people are in some aspects of their behaviour, closer to Islam than some of us Muslims are! The only thing that’s missing is the kalima shahaadah… the Declaration of Faith. Islam is not a million miles away from where most decent, truthful and good hearted British people are. It’s often just one more step to go… to acknowledge that there is no god but Allah, and to bear witness that Prophet Muhammad sws is His final Messenger. So, my dear fellow Muslims, let’s help, not hinder our neighbours on their way to Islam!

Another point, let’s promote unity amongst ourselves by avoiding harsh criticism of other Muslims, simply because they don’t share our particular interpretation of Islam. Let us be more inclusive rather than exclusive in matters of faith. In our liberal secular world these days, it’s quite an achievement to have any religious faith left at all. Let’s not be harsh and judgemental. It doesn’t matter whether the person next to you is a Sufi or a Salafi, a Sunni, Shia, a Deobandi or Brehelwi, an Ahle this or Ahle that. Live and let live. Let Allah be the judge. He knows who truly worships Him and who worships their own egos. Let’s not do Shaytaan’s work for him, by promoting division and dispute amongst ourselves. We read in Sura Al-Imran:

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

“And hold fast, all together, to the rope of ALLAH and not be divided; and remember the favour of ALLAH which HE bestowed upon you when you were enemies and HE united your hearts in love, so that by HIS grace you became as brothers; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire and HE saved you from it. Thus does ALLAH explain to you HIS commandments that you may be guided.” [3:104]

Brothers and sisters, let’s return to the quintessential spirit, the true spirit of the Hijra. Let’s journey away from ignorance towards Allah’s wisdom. Let’s migrate from the oppression of worshipping the false gods of our own egos, towards the eternal truth, the safety and security of worshipping Allah alone. This is the message of Tawhid, the message of Divine Unity.

Now, 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!

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,

AS-SALAAMU ALAIKUM, WA REHMATUL LAAHI WA BARAKAATUH,

In the last Khutbah, we discussed that in light of the recent cartoon conflict the we revisited the honourable and exalted status of Prophet (SAW). We therefore concentrated on how eminent non-Muslim had rated SAW most highly and given due recognition to his greatness.

We also felt that the many dimensions and multi-facets of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was a vast topic and required many Khutbahs. So in today’s Khutbah we will discuss his exalted status strictly in the eyes of ASWT. So with this in mind, today, Insha Allah, we will select some ayats from the Quran and hadiths from Sihaah Sitta, namely, Bukhari, Muslim Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Nissaaee, .and Tirmidhi.

First of all, Surah 9, AT TAUBA, Ayat 24, wherein Allah says:

“O Holy Prophet (SAW) say to the believers, if your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your clan, the wealth that you have earned, the business in which you fear loss and your chosen houses are more dear to you than Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Jihad in his cause then wait until Allah brings forth his command punishment.”

This command of Allah together with hadith from both Bukhari and Muslim that, ‘None amongst you can be a true believer until his love for me is greater than the love he holds for his parents, his children and everyone else.’ Categorically proves that loving Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is part of the eeman.

In Bukhari, it is related by H. Anas (RA) about the man who came to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and asked, “When will the day of Qiyamah come?” Prophet Muhammad (SAW) asked “What have you prepared it ?” And the man said, “I have not prepared for it with a lot of Salaat, as Saum or Sadaqah, but I do love Allah and his Prophet (SAW).” The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said to him, “ANTA MAA’AA MAN AH BABTAA, you will be with the ones you love.”

Indeed even Allah has said in Surah 4, Annisa Ayat 69:

“And he who obeys Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (SAW) he will be with those whom Allah has favoured, the Prophets, the Siddiqeen (the sincere, lovers of truth), the Shuhada and the Saaleheen (Righteous, pious people who do good). Oh my brothers! Therefore do not be disheartened by the trials and the tribulations of the Duniya and think of your noble station that insha Allah, ASWT has destined for you.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is also the Prophet of SHAFAA-AAH or Intercession [as he will intercede with Allah on the Yawm al Qiyamat. He is also the Prophet of the Makaam-e-Mehmud, as Allah has addressed him in Surah 17, Al-Israa Ayat 79, saying:

“Soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has reported that ,

“I will be the first to be resurrected from the qabr and the pre-eminent among the descendants of Adam (AS) on the Yawm al Qiyamat. I will also be the first intercessor and the first whose intercession will be accepted (by Allah on the Yawm al Qiyamat” (Rawaa-hu Muslim).

During the Cartoon crisis, the great love shown by the Muslim Ummah for the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) brings to mind the profound affection the Sahaabaa held for him. One of the Muslims’ enemies at the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) time, `Urwa ibn Mas`ud Ath-Thaqfi, said to his people , “O people! Wallahi, I have been to the kings and to the emperors of Persia and the Byzantine empire and to the Negus of Abyssinia, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad (SAW) is respected by his Sahaabaa. Wallahi, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them, who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed wudu, they would struggle to take the remaining water of his wudu; and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of respect” (Rawaa-hu Bukhari).

Prophet (SAW) said I have been referred to by 7 names in the Holy Quran : Muhammad, Ahmad, Yaaseen, Taaha, Muzammil, Muddathir, and Abdullah. The fact that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has so many names and attributes is again a reflection upon his numerous skills and qualities.

H. Abu Huraira (RA) relates that the Sahaabaa asked “Ya Rasulal-laah, when were you granted Prophethood? Prophet Muhammad (SAW) replied, ‘I was granted Prophethood before the creation of Adam (AS)’ “. (Rawaa-hu Tirmidhi). By reading this hadith, it is clear that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the first to be granted Prophethood.

Allah has said in Surah 5, Maidaa, Ayat 15:

There has come to you a Noor from Allah, and a Manifest Book. Now notice brothers, 2 separate entities are mentioned here, the first is the “Noor”., followed by a book meaning the Holy Al Quran.

In this verse, the word Light has been explained by a number of classic Quranic exegetes as follows:

First of all, H. Abdullah Ibn Abbas (RA) said that the Noor mentioned in the verse is in fact Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

H. Jalal al-Din as-Sayuti (RA), wrote in his “Tafsir al-Jalalayn”, (reference – 139): “It is indeed the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)”.

Incidentally, H. Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (RA) was a Mujtahid Imam, who had taken knowledge of Fiqh and NAHW (Arabic grammar) from a large group of Shaikhs.

Indeed, K’aab bin Zuhaair (RA), Abdullah bin Rawaaha (RA) and H. Abbas ibn Abdul Mutallib (RA) all whom wrote Naats praising the character of SAW. Above all, who can ever forget H. Hassaan bin Thaabit’s (RA) following immortal couplets. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself used to ask H. Hassaan (RA) to read these Naats to him. (Rawaa-hu Bukhari wa Muslim.)

WA AHSANO MIN KA LAM TARAHU AYNI, YA RASOOLALLAH
My eyes has never seen anybody as handsome as you Ya Rasoolallah (SAW).

WA AJMALO MIN KA LAM TAALEDI IN NISAAOU, YA RASOOLALLAH
‘By Allah, no woman has conceived and given birth to one like you, Ya Rasoolallah (SAW).

KHULIKTA MUBARRA AM MIN KULLE AYBIN, YA RASOOLALLAH
O Holy Prophet (SAW) you have been created free from defects.

KA ANNA KA QAD KHULIKTA KAMA TASHÂAU, YA RASOOLALLAH
It is indeed as if you have been created just as you had wished.

H. Abbas (RA) recited to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), when he returned from the Battle of Tabuk.

WA ANTA LAMMA WULIDTTA ASHRA QATIL ARD WADHAA’AT BI NOORI KAA AL OOFOUQO

The entire earth was illuminated when you were born and the skies were illuminated by your noor.

FA NAHNU FI ZAÂLEKA AD DIYAÂ’I WAFI NOORI WA SUBUL AR RASHADI NAKHTARIQ

Now we are in the light of that same noor of yours travelling along the correct path of SERAA TUL MUSTAQIM.

In later years, Imam Al Aazam, H. Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) wrote,

ANTAL LAZEE LO LAAKA MAA KHULIQA IMRU’UN; KALLA WALA KHULIQA AL WARAA LAU LAAKA

If you had not been created than nobody would have been created. In fact, if you had not been created then nothing would have been created at all.

WAL LAAHI, YA YASEEN MITHLUKA LAM YAKUN; FIL AALAMEENA WA HAQQI MAN AMBA’ KAA

O Yaaseen! I swear by Allah, there is nobody like you in the entire universe! I swear to this by Him (ASWT) who granted you Prophethood.

Brothers as you are well aware, in reality, there is no-one who can help you overcome the trials of this world, except Allah, because everything is under His Will and Control. This is the realisation of enlightened souls, meaning the Muttaqin. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) , is a perfect example of the truly enlightened and conscious soul. Notice I said that in the present tense because he too is as Allah has said in the Qur’an, Ayat 2, Surah Al-Ahzaab (33): 21

“You have indeed In the Messenger of Allah, a beautiful example.

We live in an era of hypocrisy amidst Nasaara and Yahood, and when we disagree, of course Allah well knows those who are true in EEMAN really are, and those who are Munaafiq. For example, ASWT forewarned us in Ayaat 11 of Sura Al Baqara, where we read:

“WA ITHAA QEELA LAHUM, LAA TUF SIDOO FIL ARDI, QAALOO INNAMAA NAHNU MUSLIHOON”

“And when it is said to them, make no mischief on earth, they say, why, we are only ones that put things right.”

“ALAA INNA HUM, HUMUL MUFSIDOONA, WALAA KIN LAA YASH-’OROON.”

“Surely, they are the ones who make mischief, but they do not realise it”

So in these troubled times, it is now more important then ever, to remember two things: Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’s Good Character and his merciful and generous heart. For example, in the Hadith, we find one of his best known quotations:

“I have been sent to teach good character.”

The Holy Quran confirms this in Sura Al-Ahzaab, Ayaat 21, where we read:

“LAQAD’ KAANA LAKUM FEE RASOOLIL-LAAHI USWATUN HASANAH…”

“You have, indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, a beautiful pattern of conduct, for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Yawm al Qiyamah, and who engages much in the praise of Allah.”

On the plain of Arafaat, on the Mount of Mercy, Jabal Rahma, he delivered his final Khutbah. Here he reminded the Muslims that his life was coming to an end, but if they held fast to 2 things they would never go astray: one is the Holy Quran, and the other his Sunnah, the living example of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

To this day, 1,400 years later, the essence of Islam has been preserved in those 2 sources, and Insa Allah, they will remain so utterly central to our Muslim identity and experience until the end of time.

Prophet Muhammad (SWS) was not a man of theory, but a man of action. The best way to honour our beloved Prophet (SAW) will be to set our own life style based on his good character and his generous heart. We must also put in practise, Uswatul Hasanah ” the “perfect example” into the challenges we face in our own lives today.

This is because all the wisdom of Quran and Hadith is absolutely of no value unless someone studies it and lives by it. We Muslims must make it work, as our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) did. Islam must become a living reality in our own daily lives.

The Holy Qurán says: “KUNTUM KHAIRA UMMATIN UKH-RIJAT LIN-NAASI TA’ MUROONA BIL MA’ROOF, WATAN HAUNA ‘ANIL MUNKARI WATU’ MINOONA BILLAAH”.

It describes the followers of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the “best community sent forth for mankind. You enjoin what is right and you forbid what is wrong, and you believe in Allah.”

The message of Islam through the living example of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) offers a way out of this darkness for Ummah. May ASWT, help us to fulfil this noble cause. May Allah help us to study the Quran and the life of His Prophet Muhammad (SAW), so that our lives can become illuminated by that divine light that leads us to his garden of Jannatul Firdaus.

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 (SAW) 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. 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. (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,

In the light of the recent cartoon conflict the topic of today’s Khutbah is about the honourable and exalted status of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The many dimensions and multi-facets of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is a vast topic and will require many khutbahs and even then it will not be enough to do full justice. So in the short time we have today, we can only focus on a few essential points.

To every Muslim on this planet, irrespective of cultural, geographical and political differences, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is Allah’s greatest creation. A thousand million Muslims however, do not require any surveys, lists or research to arrive at this conclusion. It is a non-negotiable article of eemaan and please note that I use the present tense when I say he is Allah’s greatest creation. But what of the non-Muslims?

So in today’s Khutbah we will concentrate on how eminent non-Muslim has rated Prophet Muhammad (SAW) most highly and given due recognition to his greatness and then in the next Khutbah we will discuss his exalted status strictly in the eyes of ASWT. So in the next Khutbah, Insha Allah, we will select some ayats from the Quran and hadiths from Sihaah Sitta.

So during the cartoon crisis, ordinary people and intellectuals throughout the world became preoccupied with the campaign for and against the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The event also had an impact on the attitudes of governments.

There was a strong condemnation on the ridiculing of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

New Web sites and special pages on the Internet had been specially launched to cover the events and facilitate ways of protest against the anti-Prophet cartoons.

There was also a wide-scale interest in the event shown in ordinary conversations, mobile phone text messages, personal e-mails, and signs on walls and cars.

The events was the subject of ideological discussions within the framework of dialogue of civilizations and respect of creeds and religious sanctities as essentials of basic human rights.

The events influenced Muslims’ emotions and attitudes so much that it caused them to contemplate on the, Azeem, great status of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that they have in their hearts.

After all in Surah 21st, Al Anbiya, Ayat 107 had ASWT not described him by saying:

WAMAA ARSAL NAAKA IL LAA REHMATAL LIL AALAMEEN

“And we have not sent you, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), but as a Mercy for all the aalameen”

Meaning all the universes, creatures, peoples. Notice the tense in the Arabic grammar together with plurality and the universality of this great ayat.

Now Michael H. Hart, a Christian American, astronomer, mathematician, lawyer and scientist, after extensive research, published an incisive biography of the 100 most influential people of all time. The biographical rankings with explanations describes the careers of religious and political leaders, inventors, writers, philosophers, scientists and artists.

From this research; which included illustrious personalities such as H. Isa (AS), H. Musa (AS), Caesar, the Wright brothers, Napoleon, Shakespeare, Columbus and Michelangelo; Michael Hart rated Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as number one.

He concluded the biography with the words:

“It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitIes Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.”

So today I will present to you synopsis on Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Michael Hart’s book entitled “The 100″.

Brothers, as you know during the era of Jahiliyya, when the world was awash in rivers of blind prejudices and nonsensical ignorances, Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) divine message and glorious teachings became the purging torrents of spiritual enlightenment.

Now let’s see what Michael Hart says in his book and I quote him verbatim:

“My choice of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels.

Of humble origins, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) founded and promulgated one of the world’s great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive. The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centres of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Prophet Muhammad (SAW),

however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in Southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centres of trade, art, and learning. Orphaned at age six, he was reared in modest surroundings.”

Michael Hart then goes on to describe in detail Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) biography in quite a detail and as you are AS-HAAB AL ILM, I will skip these details and go over his concluding remarks which are quite lengthy:

“Although he passed away in 632, unified by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for the first time in history, and inspired by his fervent belief in the one true God, these small Arab armies now embarked upon one of the most astonishing series of conquests in human history.

To the northeast of Arabia lay the large Neo-Persian Empire of the Sassanids; to the northwest lay the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman Empire, centred in Constantinople. Numerically, the Arabs were no match for their opponents. On the field of battle, though, the inspired Arabs rapidly conquered all of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. By 642, Egypt had been wrestled from the Byzantine Empire, while the Persian armies had been crushed at the key battles of Qadisiya in 637, and Nehavend in 642. But even these enormous conquests- which were made under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) close friends and immediate successors, H. Abu Bakr (RA) and H. Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) did not mark the end of the Arab advance. By 711, the Arab armies had swept completely across North Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. There they turned north and, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, overwhelmed the Visigothic kingdom in Spain. For a while, it must have seemed that the Muslims would overwhelm all of Christian Europe. Nevertheless, in a scant century of fighting, these Bedouin tribesmen, inspired by the word of the Prophet, had carved out an empire stretching from the borders of India to the Atlantic Ocean – the largest empire that the world had yet seen. And everywhere that the armies conquered, large-scale conversion to the new faith eventually followed.

Now, not all of these conquests proved permanent. In Spain, more than seven centuries of warfare finally resulted in the Christians reconquering the entire peninsula. However, Mesopotamia and Egypt, the two cradles of ancient civilization, have remained Arab, as has the entire coast of North Africa. The new religion, of course, continued to spread, in the intervening centuries, far beyond the borders of the original Muslim conquests. Currently, it has tens of millions of adherents in Africa and Central Asia, and even more in Pakistan and northern India, and in Indonesia. In Indonesia, the new faith has been a unifying factor. How, then, is one to assess the overall impact of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on human history?

Like all religions, Islam exerts an enormous influence upon the lives of its followers. It is for this reason that the founders of the world’s great religions all figure prominently in this book. Since there are roughly twice as many Christians as Muslims in the world, it may initially seem strange that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has been ranked higher than Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ). There are two principal reasons for that decision. First, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) did in the development of Christianity. Although Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) was responsible for the main ethical and moral precepts of Christianity (insofar as these differed from Judaism), St. Paul was the main developer of Christian theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of the New Testament. Prophet Muhammad (SAW), however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith, and in establishing the religious practices of Islam.

Moreover, the Muslim holy scriptures, the Quran, a collection of certain of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’s insights that he believed had been directly revealed to him by Allah. The Quran, therefore, closely represents Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) ideas and teachings. No such detailed compilation of the teachings of Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) has survived. Since the Quran is at least as important to Muslims as the Bible is to Christians, the influence of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through the medium of the Quran has been enormous. It is probable that the relative influence of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on Islam has been larger than the combined influence of Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) and St. Paul on Christianity.

On the purely religious level, then, it seems likely that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has been as influential in human history as Jesus (Isa (AS). Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) unlike Jesus (H. ISA (AS) ) was a secular as well as a religious leader. In fact, as the driving force behind the Arab conquests, he may well rank as the most influential political leader of all time. Of many important historical events, one might say that they were inevitable and would have occurred even without the particular political leader who guided them. For example, the South American colonies would probably have won their independence from Spain even if Simon Bolivar had never lived. But this cannot be said of the Arab conquests. Nothing similar had occurred before Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and there is no reason to believe that the conquests would have been achieved without him.

(Incidentally, brothers, here, Michael Hart is referring to the 19th century South American independence leader Simón Bolivar who lead the fight for independence for what is now known as Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia, he is referred as a hero in these countries and throughout much of the rest of Hispanic America. Bolivar is known as “El Libertador”, which means The Liberator in English.)

The only comparable conquests in human history are those of the Mongols in the thirteenth century, which were primarily due to the influence of Genghis Khan. These conquests, however, though more extensive than those of the Arabs, did not prove permanent, and today the only areas occupied by the Mongols are those that they held prior to the time of Genghis Khan.

It is far different with the conquests of the Arabs. From Iraq to Morocco, then extends a whole chain of Arab nations united not merely by their faith in Islam, but also by their Arabic language, history, and culture. The centrality of the Quran in the Muslim religion and the fact that it is written in Arabic have probably prevented the Arab language from breaking up into mutually unintelligible dialects, which might otherwise have occurred in the intervening thirteen centuries. Differences and divisions between these Arab states exist, of course, and they are considerable, but the partial disunity should not blind us to the important elements of unity that have continued to exist. We see, then, that the Arab conquests of the seventh century have continued to play an important role in human history, down to the present day. It is this unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to be considered the most influential single figure in human history. “ Here concludes Michael Hart’s quote who as an outsider saw Prophet Muhammad (SAW) not as a man of theory, but a man of action.

So returning to the cartoon controversy, we must seek the hikmah of ASWT in the events that transpire around us. In essence, the campaign against the Prophet (SAW) jolted the Muslim community and had a profound impact on Muslims’ spiritual and worldly lives.

Muslims have bitterly realized what it means to have their deen and sanctities insulted. We must teach our children to say, “Wa kafaa bil-Laahi shaheedaa” meaning, “And enough is Allah for a witness.”

For my personal view and opinion I would like to quote, a well known hadith from both Bukhari and Muslim whose Raawi is H. Anas (RA).

“The Holy Prophet (SAW) said, ‘None amongst you can be a true believer until his love for me is greater than the love he holds for his parents, his children and everyone else.’

Upon hearing this H. Umar (RA) said, ‘I swear by Allah who revealed the book (Quran) to you! You are indeed dearer to me than even myself’ to which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) replied, ‘Umar (RA) your eeman is complete.’”

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 (SAW) 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. 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. (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,

AS-SALAAMU ALAIKUM, WA REHMATUL LAAHI WA BARAKAATUH,

In today’s Khutbah we hope to enlighten you by reproducing below two articles on the question of how Islam spread which is related to the topic of a prejudicial view that is deeply entrenched in the Western psyche that relates Islam to Violence. At the root of this prejudice is the erroneous belief that Islam had spread through the Sword. If by this means that people were threatened with death unless they embraced the religion, there is very little ‘historical evidence to support this contention.

The first article is by world renowned Dr. Chandra Muzaffar who the President of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST). He is a Malaysian political scientist who is considered a symbol of intellectual activism.

The second article is by world renowned Mr. Uri Avnery, a leading Israeli intellectual associated with the human rights group, “Gush Shalom”.

Before people start thinking why I am including an article by a Jewish journalist, writer, peace activist in a Khutbah, I think it is only appropriate to say a few words on his biography which is as follows:

But brothers, these are very thought provoking articles that leads you to think that why weren’t these good articles written by our so called Muslim Ulama and scholars?

• Between 1950-1990 for a span of 40 years, Uri Avnery was the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, “Ha’olam Haze” news magazine.
• He served a massive 3 Terms as member of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) (1965-1969, 1969-1973, 1979-1981).
• In 1975 he was the Founding member of the Israeli council for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
• In 1993 he was the Founding member, “Gush Shalom” (Peace Bloc), Independent Peace Movement.
• Since 1948 has advocated the setting up of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
• At the time, the Muslims awarded him the Honorary citizenship of Abu-Ghosh near Jerusalem, for his part in preventing the eviction of the village, awarded 12.12.53

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SWORD – by Dr. Chandra Muzaffar

It was Albert Einstein who once noted that it is easier to split the atom than to crack a prejudice.

Although it is true Muslim rulers and generals conquered territories but often the conquered inhabitants were allowed to retain their religion or belief. In fact, until the middle of the eighth century”, in the words of the British writer, Karen Armstrong, Jews and Christians in the Muslim empire were actively discouraged from conversion to Islam, as, according to Quranic teaching, they had received authentic revelations of their own. In many instances, it was only after political authority had been securely established that the masses voluntarily adopted the religion of their new rulers. This is something that has happened in almost every religion. After the emperor Asoka became a Buddhist there was a huge influx, his subjects to his new religion. In the case of Islam trade also played an important role in the spread of the faith especially between the 8th and 15th centuries. Traders assumed the mantle of missionaries. Some historians have observed that the honesty and integrity of these traders attracted a lot of people to their religion. In Southeast Asia, as in East and West Africa, trade was perhaps the most effective channel for the propagation of the religion.

An even more influential factor in the spread of Islam in the early centuries was of course Islamic mysticism or Sufism. Across North Africa and Central Asia, in various parts of the Indian subcontinent and most parts of Southeast Asia, the gentle persuasiveness of Sufi preachers with their message of virtue and compassion culled from the Quran made a huge impact upon culturally diverse communities.

Perhaps more than any of these influences, it is the socio-political and socio-economic environment that prevailed in various parts of the world in the centuries immediately after the advent of Islam that explains its rapid and dramatic growth. In settings dominated by hierarchical and often oppressive structures, the egalitarian justice offered by Islam came as a breath of fresh air.

As the famous H.G. Wells put it, Islam prevailed because it was the best social and political order the times could offer. It prevailed because everywhere it found politically apathetic peoples, robbed, oppressed, bullied, uneducated and unorganized and it found selfish and unsound governments out of touch with any people at all. It was the broadest, freshest and cleanest political idea that had yet come into actual activity in the world and it offered better terms than any other to the masses of mankind.” It was, partly because of what it offered humankind, that even when Muslims were conquered, their conquerors eventually adopted the religion of the conquered. Thus, the descendants of Hulagu, the Mongol conqueror of Baghdad in the 13th century, chose to embrace Islam. In this regard it is significant that Islam today is spreading most rapidly in societies where Muslims are in a minority, in North America and Europe-and not in Muslim majority countries where they exercise power. What all this shows is that the allegation that ‘Islam had spread by the sword’ is perpetuated for a purpose. Before we examine the motive, it should be emphasized that the Quran is perhaps the only religious text that explicitly prohibits coercion in matters of faith.

Here Dr. Chandra quotes Ayaat 256 from Surah 2, Baqara:

Translation: Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.

It also acknowledges religious plurality in the oft quoted verse, Surah 109, Al Kafirun, Ayaat 6:

Translation: “To you your Deen; to me, mine”.

This is why for a period of time in the Ottoman empire, if a Muslim coerced a Christian or a Jew to convert to Islam, he was put to death.

If this is the Islamic position on forced conversion in theory and in practice, why has the lie about the sword and violence persisted for so long? The elites in the West who for the last few centuries have exercised over whelming influence on the thinking of the rest of human kind have succeeded in transferring their terrible guilt about perpetrating unspeakable violence upon people everywhere through perpetual wars, conquests and persecutions on to their adversaries. Thus their enemies have become the epitome and the embodiment of their own violence. Islam and Muslims- the perennial nemesis of the West- have borne the brunt of this transference of guilt.

There is no better example of this than the crusades blessedly the popes. When the crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099, they massacred 30,000 Muslims and Jews. Contrast this with the compassion and magnanimity of the illustrious Saladin when he recaptured Jerusalem in 1187.

He not only protected the Christian community-along with the Jews but also their places of worship and yet medieval Christian literature it was the Muslim who was portrayed as a blood thirsty warrior eager to embark upon Holy wars. The truth is the term ‘holy war’ does not even belong to Islam. As the Austrian Catholic philosopher, Hans Koechler points out, that literally, “holy war” is the translation of the Latin term bellum sanctum which was used to describe a “crusade” against the Saracens in the Middle Ages; thus, this notion was part of the doctrine of the Roman-Catholic Church over many centuries.

The crusades are but one gory entry in the long and sordid catalogue of violent conquests associated with elites in the West. There was the merciless slaughter of perhaps 30 million indigenous peoples of the Americas and Australasia. It is sad that in each and every one of these colossal catastrophes the Church had some role or other. At the same time however there were some notable Christian figures who spoke out against the monumental crimes committed in their name.

Nonetheless in, the course of reacting to oppression and subjugation, it is undeniably true that a fringe within the Muslim community has also indulged in horrendous acts of violence. murdered innocent people in total violation of unambiguously lucid Islamic principles. Their deeds have only helped to reinforce prejudiced stereotypes about Muslim violence.

The second article quoted below verbatim is by world renowned Mr. Uri Avnery, as we said before:

Since the days when Roman emperors threw Christians to the lions, the relationship between the emperors and the heads of the church have undergone many changes. 

Constantine the Great, who became emperor in the, year 306 – exactly 1700 years ago – encouraged the practice of Christianity in the empire, which included Palestine, Centuries later, the church split into an Eastern (Orthodox) and a Western (Catholic) part. In the West, the Bishop of Rome, who acquired the title of Pope, demanded that the emperor accept his superiority. – The struggle between the emperors and the~ played a central role in European history and divided the peoples, It knew ups and downs. Some emperors dismissed or expelled a pope, some popes dismissed or excommunicated an emperor. But there were times when emperors and popes lived in peace with each other. We are witnessing such a period today, . Between the present Pope, Benedict XVI, and the emperors of today. There exists a wonderful harmony. Last week’s speech by the Pope, which aroused a worldwide storm, went well with Bush’s regime.

In his lecture at a German university, the 265th Pope described what he sees as a huge difference between Christianity and Islam: while Christianity is based on reason, Islam denies it. While Christians see the logic of God’s actions, Muslims deny that there is any such logic in the actions of Allah. .

As a Jewish atheist, I do not intend to enter the fray of this debate. It is much beyond my humble abilities to understand the logic of the Pope. But I cannot overlook one passage, which concerns me too, as an Israeli living near the fault-line of this “war of civilizations”,

In order to prove the lack of reason in Islam, the Pope asserts that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) ordered his followers to spread their religion by the sword. According to the Pope, that is unreasonable, because faith is born of the soul, not of the body.

How can the sword influence the soul? To support his case, the Pope Quoted – of all people – a Byzantine emperor, who belonged, of course, to the competing Eastern Church. In the 14th century, Emperor Manuel Palaeologus told of a debate he had – or so he said (its occurrence is in doubt) -with an unnamed Persian Muslim scholar, In the heat of the argument, the emperor (according to himself) flung the following words at his adversary: .Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman such as command to spread by the sword the faith he preached’. These words give rise to three questions: (a) Why did the Emperor say them? (b) Are they true? (c) Why dld the present Pope quote them?

When Manuel II wrote his treatise, he was the head of a dying empire. He assumed power in 1391, when only a few provinces of the once illustrious empire remained. These, too, were already under Turkish threat. At that point in time, the Ottoman Turks had reached the banks of the Danube. They had conquered Bulgaria and the north of Greece, and had twice defeated relieving armies sent by Europe to save the Eastern Empire. On 29 May 1453, only a few years after Manuel’s death, his capital, Constantinople (the present Istanbul ), fell to the Turks, putting an end to the empire that had lasted for more than a thousand years.

During his reign, Manuel made the rounds of the capitals of Europe in an attempt to drum up support. He promised to reunite the church. There is no doubt that he wrote his religious treatise In order to incite the Christian countries against the Turks and convince them to start a new crusade. Tpe aim was practical, theology was serving politics.

In this sense, the. quote serves exactly the requirements of the present Emperor, George Bush II. He, too, wants to unite the Christian world against the mainly Muslim “Axis of Evil”. Moreover, the Turks are again knocking on the doors of Europe, this time peacefully. It is well known that the Pope supports the forces that object to the entry of Turkey into the European Union. Is there any truth in Manuel’s argument?

The pope himself threw in a word of caution. As a serious and renowned theologian, he could not afford to falsify written texts. Therefore, he admitted that the Qur’an specifically forbade the spreading of the faith by force. He quoted the second Sura, Verse 256 (strangely fallible, for a pope, he meant Verse 257) which says: “There must be no coercion in matters of faith.

How can one ignore such an unequivocal statement? The Pope simply argues that this commandment was laid down by the Prophet (SAW) when he was at the beginning of his career, still weak and powerless, but that later on he ordered the use of the sword in the service of the faith. Such an order does not exist in the Qur’an. True, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) called for the use of the sword in his war against opposing tribes – Christian, Jewish and others – in Arabia, when he was building his state. But that was a political act, not a religious one; basically a fight for territory, not for the spreading of the faith.

The treatment of other religions by Islam must be judged by a simple test: how did the Muslim rulers behave for more than a thousand years, when they bad the power to “spread the faith by the sword”? – Well, they just did not.

For many centuries, the Muslims ruled Greece. Did the Greeks become Muslims? Did anyone even try to Islamize them? .the contrary, Christian Greeks held the highest positions in the Ottoman administration. The Bulgarians, Serbs, Romanians, Hungarians and other European nations lived at one time or another under Ottoman rule and clung to their Christian faith. Nobody compelled them and all of them remained devoutly Christian. True, the Albanians did convert to Islam, and so did the Bosniaks. But nobody argues that they did this under duress.

In 1099, the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem and massacred its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants indiscriminately in name of the gentle Jesus (AS). At that time, 400 years into the occupation of Palestine by the Muslims, Christians were still the majority in the country. Throughout this long period,. no effort was made to impose Islam on them. Only after the expulsion of the Crusaders from the country, did the majority of the inhabitants start to adopt the Arabic language and the Muslim faith – and they were the forefathers of most of today’s Palestinians. . There is no evidence whatsoever of any attempt to impose Islam on the Jews. As is well known, under Muslim rule the Jews of Spain enjoyed a bloom the like of which the Jews did not enjoy anywhere else until almost our time. Poets like Yehuda Halevy wrote in Arabic, as did the great Maimonides. In Muslim Spain, Jews were ministers, poets, scientists. In Muslim Toledo, Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars worked together and translated the ancient Greek philosophical and scientific texts. That was, indeed, the Golden Age. How would this have been possible, had the Prophet (SAW) decreed the “spreading of the faith by the sword”? .

What happened afterwards is even more telling. When the Catholics reconquered Spain from the Muslims, they instituted a reign of religious terror. The Jews and the Muslims were presented with a cruel choice: to become Christians, to be massacred or to leave. And where did the hundreds of thousand of Jews, who refused to abandon their faith, escape?

Almost all of them were received with open arms in the Muslim countries. The Sephardi (“Spanish”) Jews settled all over the Muslim world, from Morocco in the west to Iraq in the east, from Bulgaria (then part of the Ottoman Empire) in the north to Sudan in the south. Nowhere were they persecuted. They knew nothing like the tortures of the Inquisition , the terrible mass expulsions that took place in almost all Christian countries, up to the Holocaust.

Why? Because Islam expressly prohibited an~ persecution of the “peoples of the book”. In Islamic society, a special place was reserved for Jews and Christians. They did not enjoy completely equal rights, but almost They had to pay a special poll tax, but were exempted from military service – a trade-off that was quite welcome to many Jews. It has been said that Muslim rulers frowned upon any attempt to convert Jews to Islam even by gentle persuasion – because it entailed the loss of taxes.

The story about “spreading the faith by the sword” is an evil, a myth that grew up in Europe during the great wars against the Muslims – the reconquest of Spain by the Christians, the Crusades and the repulsion of the Turks, who almost conquered Vienna. I suspect that the German Pope, too, honestly believes in these fables. That means that the leader of the Catholic world, who is a Christian theologian in his own right, did not make the effort to study the history of other religions.

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 (SAW) 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. 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

It was indeed a great mercy and blessing from Allah (SWT) to have sent Nabi Muhammad (SAW) in the year 571 AD. At that time in history, the state of religion, society, politics and morality was indeed pathetic!

These few people who still clung to the moral and religious teachings of the previous prophets had by then either shut themselves up in monasteries or had gone into the wilderness. By the year 571, the forces of truth, justice, morality, decency and spirituality had lost the battle against falsehood, injustice, immorality, indecency, corruption, oppression and materialism.

Allah SWT describes this period in the Holy Qur’an:

“Corruption (mischief, oppression, exploitation, disintegration) had appeared on land and sea (because) of the evil which men’s hands have done, so that he (Allah) may make them taste some of their deeds, in order that they may turn back (from evil)”. [S.30:v41]

At that time, the Roman and Persian empires were the two superpowers in the world. The Romans worshipped many gods while the official religion of the Persians was fire-worshipping. In addition, these two civilisations were morally corrupt and their populations wallowed in the vices of their corruption and decaying civilisations.

By the 6th century, the teachings of Nabi Musa were narrowed down to a tribalistic doctrine and its followers claimed to be the only chosen people of Allah.

By this time, the followers of Nabi Isa (AS) had made him a ‘son of God’ and the original teachings of Nabi Isa were limited to the barest outlines.

By this time, the very Ka’bah in Makkah, which was raised by Nabi Ibrahim (AS) exclusively for the worship of Allah, was infested by all sorts of idols that people worshipped. Shirk of the worst kind was practiced inside, outside, around and on top of the Ka’bah itself!

Allah tells us:

“Travel through the earth and see what was the end of those people before you: most of them were idol-worshippers.” (30/42).

It was therefore in such a godless atmosphere that Allah (SWT) in his infinite mercy and wisdom decided to intervene and once again give mankind another chance to reform and come to their senses. In so in the year 571 AD, the last and final prophet of Allah to mankind was born. His mission was to teach, guide and lead mankind out of the darkness of superstition and kufr into the light of knowledge and Eemaan.

As Allah confirms in the Qur’an:

“A, L, R (Alif, Lam, Ra), (This is a book) which we have revealed unto you, so that you may lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into the light – by permission of their lord – to the way of him, the might, the praised.” (14/1)

And so, Jamatul Muslimeen, with the teachings of the Qur’an and his own excellent example and perfect personality, Nabi Muhammad (SAW) set about with his mission of reforming society and bringing hope from despair.

Allah tells Nabi Muhammad (SAW) to say to mankind:

“Say: Oh my slaves who have transgressed against their own souls! Do not despair of the mercy of Allah… Verily, Allah will forgive all sins… Verily, he is the forgiving, the merciful.” [s39:v53]

And so, Jamatul Muslimeen, Rasulullah (SAW) started to call people towards the Tawheed of Allah. He did so with complete Eemaan and conviction. He called to this deen of love, brotherhood, compassion, justice, equality, dignity, honour, hope, tolerance and mercy.

As we know, in the process of Da’wah Ilallah, we had to face tremendous hardships, opposition, persecutions and insults, because people were reluctant to give up their positions of power and influence and vested interests.

They made all sorts of silly excuses. Allah tells us in the Holy Qur’an:

“And they say: what sort of a messenger is this, who eats food and walks in the markets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him to be a warner with him? (25/7)

But Allah answers them and says:

“And the messengers whom we had sent before you (O Muhammad), were people who ate food and walked through the markets.” (25/20).

But Allah preferred to send human beings like ourselves and not angels. Angels are different in nature. Only a human being can best understand, share and communicate with other humans. However, in spite of tremendous opposition, the prophet of Islam transformed his society.

Examples:

1. Arabs gave up wine, gambling, and raised the status of women.
2. Eemaan gave Muslims dignity, confidence in themselves – Slaves were freed.
3. Love and brotherhood in society – racism was abolished, former slaves became rulers.
4. Former enemies were transformed into the bravest defenders and champions of the deen. Eg. Khalid Bin Walid.
5. Amr Ibn Al As – went to Abyssinia to demand the return of the Muslims to Makkah. As a Muslim, he opened up Egypt and the whole of north Africa for Islam.
6. Many people laid down their lives for the prophet and Islam.

Approximately 100 years after the death of the prophet SAW, the Nur of Islam stretched from Andalusia (Spain) in the West, across north Africa, Arabia, Iran, Bukhara, India up to the borders of China in the far east! That was the success of the prophet’s (SAW) mission.

Today the worlds is once again steeped in immorality, shirk, corruption and fasaad. The old idols are now replaced by new icons such as money, pop-stars, sports-stars, etc. and the temples are where they are worshipped are the vast stadiums and gambling complexes. Very little time is left for the worship of Allah – the real benefactor of mankind.

We know that the Nabi Muhammad (SAW) is not with us anymore, but he has left for us the Qur’an and his Sunnah. It is for us to study it and practice upon it and it will be enough for our success in dunya and akhira insha’Allah.

Jamatul Muslimeen, in conclusion, let us remember these beautiful words of advice from Nabi Muhammad (SAW):

“…verily, the best speech is the book of Allah, and the best guidance is that of Muhammad (SAW)) and the worst affairs are innovations in deen – and all innovations in deen are misleading.” (Muslim)

The Holy Qur’aan reveals (33:21): الأحزاب

لقد كان لكم فى رسول الله أسوة حسنة لمن كان يرجو الله و اليوم الآخر و ذكر الله كثيرا

“You have good example in God’s Apostle for anyone who look God and the Last Day and remembers God always.”

Today, I am thankful to Allah who has guided me to share with you over the next few khutbas some unique aspects of the Character and Seerah – record of life of the Prophet (s). In doing so, I sincerely pray that as many of us – including myself – will start a process of change to acquire many of these character traits of our beloved prophet and apply it – starting with ourselves. As we change to the better, people – Muslims & non-Muslims alike will see the positive change & will hopefully start to come home to Islam to La Ilaha Illa Allah – Muhammadun Rasool Ullah.

Prophet Muhammad received the mission on approx. February 12th, 610 AD. He was the last and the seal of all Prophet (33:40)

ماكان محمد أبا أحد من رجالكم و لكن رسول الله و خاتم النبيين و كان الله بكل شىء عليما”

The Prophets of God

Prophet Muhammad (s) provided a model of how man (m/f) should live individually and within the society.

The truths revealed to and taught by Prophet Muhammad stresses that this world did not spring up by itself, but was created by one God – Allah, who continues to watch over it. All men (Males & Females) are His servants, and responsible to Him for their actions. Death is not the end of man’s life, rather it is the beginning of another permanent world, where the good ones will enjoy the bliss of paradise and the wicked ones will be in raging hell fire.

God – Allah revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (s) that life in this world is not the only life. It is not but a very small fraction of a continuum into the eternal life after we depart from this world. From that moment on, life took on a new meaning.

Prophet Muhammad changed the tide of human history and captured the imagination of the world, by the will of God – Allah. He taught the religion that is based on:

• The worship of an immortal God,
• Reality not superstition,
• Teaching man (m/f) to conquer nature instead of worshipping it thus paving the way for the scientific era.
• Giving political power to the people and not keeping it in the hands of one hereditary monarch or chieftains.
• Showing the people of the world – through the example of the Prophet (s) – how to live, cooperate and work together in justice and peace and not in cruelty and oppression.
• Teaching that: if man (M/F) fears displeasing and disappointing God there is nothing else one can fear;
• And that if one rises above negative impulses and pessimism, one can win over everyone, even his enemies and if one sacrifices this world for the next one will eventually have the best of both worlds. من تفاءل بالخير وجده

His preaching mission extended over 23 years. Prophet Muhammad was entrusted with propagating God’s words & message to others. It was this role that brought him on a collision course with his fellow country men and women. All forms of adversity – from the pain of hunger to the trepidation of battle – were inflicted on him. Yet through the 23 years of his mission, he always remained just and circumspect in his actions. His conduct was governed by his fear of displeasing God. During this mission he changed the history of Arabia & laid the foundation for a permanent change in world history.

Within 100 years this revolution has caused the decline and then the vanquishing of the Persian Sassanian and the Byzantine Empires. Islam swept through:

• From Iran and Iraq to Bukhara, Uzbekistan in the east,
• Syria, Palestine, Egypt and then North Africa to the West.

Contrary to the claims we hear today, the process of Islamic transformation of world history came with the objective of intensifying and confirming God’s revealed religions of Islam to Abraham, his off springs Ishmael and Isaac and their descendents Moses (Judaism), Jesus (Christianity).

This Process of Islamic transformation, 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 people.

And the big question is: How did he (s) and his well trained believing companions and students do it? How in a very few years with very little human losses he was able to achieve all of this? Let us look at his character hoping that many of us – and that I will be the first – to emulate his character.

Prophet Muhammad’s Exemplary Conduct:

Prophet Muhammad had a perfectly balanced personality. He was tolerant, truthful, and magnanimous. He presented the highest example of human nobility. He disciplined himself to stay aloof and away from all quarrels, quibbles and disputes. He never indulged in foul utterances and abuse. He was called the truthful and trustworthy (Al-Sadiq – Al-Amin.)

He had every opportunity to live a comfortable life and even become the king of Arabia but he refused it in order to establish the new world order of Islam in pursuit of the truth of God.

He once said (Ibn Habban): a person should have some special moments:

• A moment of communion with God – Allah,
• A moment of self-examination,
• A moment of reflection over the mysteries of creation, and
• A moment which he puts aside for eating, drinking and enjoying.

Prophet Muhammad (s) was the example of Humility & Forbearance. Let us Visit Some of Stories from the Seerah:

Prophet Muhammad (s) lived among others as an equal. No bitter criticism or provocation would make him lose his composure and no praise should make him vain.

He (s) lived in such an awe of God that he was always an example of humility and meekness. He spoke little. He walked in a way that suggested his reverence and humbleness for God. Criticism never angered him. When he used to put on his clothes, he would say: “I am God’s servant, and I dress as befits a servant of God.”

He was very sensitive about relating and referring back all things to Allah God. Once a companion started to say: “If it be the will of God, and the will of the Prophet.” The Prophet showed his disappointment when he heard this and said: “are you trying to equate me with God?” One should say: “If God alone will.”

Towards the end of his life, his Egyptian wife, Mariyah Al-Qibtiyah bore him a beautiful child Abraham around the end of the 8th year of Hijra. When Abraham was a year and half in the 10th year of Hijra (January 632 AD), he died. The prophet (s) wept on the death of his son. In his deepest grief, he uttered these words: “Allah knows, Abraham, how we sorrow at your parting. The eye weeps and the heart grieves, but we will say nothing that may displease Allah.” The death of Abraham happens to coincide with a solar eclipse. People from ancient times believed that solar and lunar eclipses were caused by the death of some important person. The people of Madinah began attributing the eclipse to the death of his son Abraham. This caused the prophet a great displeasure. He gathered the people and in his address to them he said: “Eclipses of the sun and the moon are not due to the death of any human being; they are just two of God’s signs. When you see the eclipse, you should thank God and pray for God.”

On one of his journeys, the group embarked on roasting a goat. One volunteered to slaughter the animal, another to skin it, and another to cook it. The prophet (s) said that he would collect the wood. His companions protested. “Messenger of God, we will do all the work.” He responded: “I know you can do it all. But this amounts to discrimination, which I do not approve of. God does not like His servants to assert any superiority over their companions.”

Abu Dharr Al-Ghaffari, one day was sitting next to Muslim who was black. He addressed him as “black man.” The prophet (s) was very displeased and said to Abu Dharr: “whites are not superior to blacks.” Abu Dharr became conscious of his error. He cast himself to the ground in remorse, and said to the person he offended: “stand up and rub your feet on my face.”

He once saw a rich Muslim with a loose and flowing garment, gathering it up so he maintains a distance from a poor person sitting next to him. He told him: “are you afraid that his poverty might cling to you?”

Three years after migration to Medina, Makkan opponents mounted an assault against the newly emerging Muslim community and the battle of Uhud took place. In the beginning the Muslims had the upper hand till mistakes were committed in the battle field that caused the Makkans to attack from the rear. The Prophet was left alone, encircled by the armed forces of the enemy and they advanced on him. The Prophet started calling his companions. Abdullah ibn Shahab Zuhri through a stone at the Prophet and injured his face and he started bleeding profusely and fell down. When the companions found the Prophet he said: “how can people who wound their Prophet ever prosper? Even with this light objection Gabriel was ordered by the God to descend down with Sura 3:128 “It is no concern of yours whether He will forgive or punish them. They are wrongdoers.”

ليس لك من الأمر شىء أو يتوب عليهم أو يعذبهم فانهم ظالمون

The Prophet realized and he started praying, as Abdullah Ibn Masoud relates the prayer: “Lord, forgive my people, for they know not what they do.”

اللهم اغفر لقومى فانهم لايعلمون

* This khutbah was first delivered at the Islamic Center of S. California on 24 November 2006. 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

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