Compassion and Mercy

Compassion and Mercy

Arshad Gamiet/Royal Holloway University of London/1 Feb 2013

(to hear the audio khutbah, please click here:) AG compassion

“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, peace and blessings on him, 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, an awe-inspired 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 respected Sisters and Brothers,

This Sunday evening, Royal Holloway University will be showing a short film and there will be a discussion in the Chapel, on the Charter for Compassion. This charter seeks to promote Compassion in world affairs. It was drawn up by Karen Armstrong, who has written highly acclaimed books on world religions, including a biography of Prophet Muhammad sws. Today’s khutbah will touch briefly on the subject of Compassion and how important it is in a Muslim’s life.

Dictionaries define compassion as “the deep awareness of suffering in others, combined with a desire to relieve it.” This urge, this desire to relieve the pain and distress of other people, is deeply embedded in our human psyche. Compassion is a natural instinct. It’s part of our fitra, our primordial human nature. Compassion is what makes us truly human. It’s the very opposite of Darwin’s law of the jungle, Survival of the Fittest.  If we walked down the street and we saw and old woman stumbling on the pavement, or a toddler walking into the road towards speeding traffic, we would instinctively rush forward to help. If we stood on the river bank as floodwater rushed by, and  we saw someone shouting and struggling for help, most people would instinctively try to save a life. Some people will even risk their own lives to help others, like the harbour-master who rescued a baby in a pram that fell into the icy water a few days ago. That’s compassion: Caring for the pain and suffering of others, and often disregarding one’s own safety.

We Muslims should know all about compassion and mercy. In our Holy Quran, we learn that Allah has 99 Beautiful Names, asma ul husna. We also know that Allah’s most frequently used names are, Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem: The All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful. Every chapter, every Sura in the Quran [except one] opens with these words: Bismillahir rahmaanir raheem! In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Every action a Muslim takes, from waking up, to opening a door or eating a meal or starting our prayers or getting off the bus or writing an exam, begins with Bismil-Laahir Rahmaanir Raheem , In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. This way, we bring something of heaven to the most routine and mundane parts of our life. This is how we bless everything we do, with Allah’s Holy Names of Mercy and Compassion. Doing so is not just some thoughtless and superstitious habit, like crossing your fingers and hoping to get lucky. It’s a way of reminding ourselves of the high status that Allah has given us, to be custodians, trustees of all that God has created. And just as Allah is strict in punishment, irresistible in might and supreme in glory, He is also al-Ghafuurur-Raheem, the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Muslims who constantly invoke the Holy Names of Compassion and Mercy, must surely, in time, show some evidence of that radiance, that heavenly light in our behaviour, in our relations with people. Why is it then, that some of us can be so harsh, so impatient, so judgemental,?

Some Muslims have chosen to follow a limited selection of Allah’s Names, like Al Jabbar [The Compeller], Al Qahhaar [The Subduer], Al Muntaqim [The Avenger], and Al Mumit [The Taker of Life]. They often forget that although Allah has names of rigour, He also has names of gentleness, like As-Salaam [The Source of Peace], Al Musawwir [The Shaper of Beauty], As-Sabur [The Patient One], and over and above all else, Allah wants us to remember Him as Ar-Rahman, [The Most Compassionate] and Ar-Raheem [The Most Merciful]. Clearly then, Allah wants us to reflect Compassion and Mercy in all our transactions. As human beings we are from time to time likely to be roused to anger, but we should really calm down and be patient, forgiving and merciful. Remember in a famous Hadith Qudsi, Allah describes the very moment of Creation in these words:

“When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: ‘My mercy prevails over my wrath.'”

In another well-known Hadith related by Muslim:

“Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection:

‘O son of Adam, I fell ill and you did not visit Me.’ He will say: ‘O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds?’ He will say: ‘Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you did not visit him? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you did not feed me.’ He will say: ‘O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds?’ He will say: ‘Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I was thirsty and I asked you to give for something to drink, but you gave me nothing to drink.’ He will say: ‘O Lord, how should I give You anything to drink when You are the Lord of the worlds?’ He will say: ‘My servant So-and-so asked you to for something to quench his thirst and you gave him nothing. Had you helped him you would certainly have found that reward with Me.”

Compassion is not just an abstract idea. It’s showing God’s love in action.

“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, 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 respected sisters and brothers,

Every human being was created with a natural inclination towards mercy and compassion. Greed and selfishness are not part of our natural state. Greed and selfishness are cultivated. And, heaven knows, we now live in a “must have” culture. From early childhood our senses are steadily bombarded with an endless stream of messages, urging us to buy this, buy that, you  must have this, you must have that. On radio, TV, billboards, junk mail and spam messages in our email, we are urged to be yourself, discover yourself, indulge yourself, because you owe it to yourself”, and so on. Those hidden persuaders, the ad-men, the marketing moguls and PR whiz kids constantly manipulate our egos, and they promote greed and envy as acceptable behaviour. It takes a lot of critical awareness and self-discipline to resist. But we have to take stock, we have to step back and realise that we’re being manipulated. Someone is constantly making money out of our human weakness, our lower instincts.

I don’t have to remind you that the mess out there in the financial markets has a lot to do with human greed. A few people have taken reckless risks with other people’s money.  It’s brought the world into a serious crisis. Islam urges its followers to follow the prophetic examples of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, as well as the earlier Prophets (may Allah send peace and blessings be on all of them). They lived frugally, and their lives were totally dedicated to the wellbeing of others. We should try to do the same. The Prophets are our real teachers and role-models.

In China, 500 year before the Christian Era, Confucius taught that “What you do not wish for yourself, do not wish for others.” Jesus, Nabi Isa, alayhis salaam, said that we should do unto others as we would like them to do unto us. 600 years later, Prophet Muhammad (sws) said that a Believer’s faith is not complete until he desires for others what he desires for himself. These teachings have become known as the Golden Rule, the ethic of reciprocity. This is the basis of the Charter of Compassion, which is supported by all major religions and has attracted thousands of signatories, from all walks of life.

My dear brothers and sisters, we Muslims in Britain are very fortunate. We enjoy a degree of material prosperity, personal and political freedom that is hard to find elsewhere, and especially in many Muslim countries. But with this freedom and wealth comes a big responsibility. Prophet Muhammad (sws) warned us that we will have to account for our wealth, our health, our youth and our opportunities in life. Did we squander these on vanities or did we work hard to serve others less fortunate? The poet-philosopher Jalaluddin Rumi said that “The Way (to Allah) is not by holy robes and prayer beads, but by service to others.”

Some of us may make the mistake of thinking that it’s enough just to drop a few pennies in the collection box to satisfy a guilty conscience. Donations are certainly welcome, but real Compassion is not only about money and material needs. It’s also about giving your time and talent. Right here in our own neighbourhoods, in Britain, we have serious problems that we Muslims can help to alleviate. Even this wealthy, first-world country has its major social problems. Family life is becoming an endangered species. Teenage pregnancies, binge drinking and drug abuse have pushed the UK to the top of the European league table of society under stress.

And don’t let’s fool ourselves. The drug and alcohol problem affects the Muslim community as well. We are not immune to the problems in our wider community. Ask any social worker or Prison Chaplain. Muslims may be 5% of the UK population but we are 10% of the prison population, and 20% of young offenders. With our beautiful religion we should be part of the solution, not the major part of the problem.

Brothers and sisters, let us get involved with our neighbours, let us join local initiatives to help young people and struggling families.  Let us become living examples of Compassion, as “the deep awareness of suffering in others, combined with a desire to relieve it.”

May Allah help us to live up to those Holy Names of Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim, words that all too easily roll off our tongues, but are stripped of their meaning when our actions are bereft of mercy. We  can and we should work hard to become Compassionate and Merciful towards everyone, day in and day out, till the end of our lives. Ameen.

Brothers and sisters, to conclude our khutbah:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ameen.    Aqeemus salaah