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The Story of Ibraheem ibn Adham

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

3 November 2009 Bali, Indonesia

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

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

nawaytu ‘r-riyaadah, nawaytu ‘s-sulook, lillahi ta`ala fee haadha ‘l-masjid.

Ati`ullaha wa ati`u ‘r-Rasoola wa ooli ‘l-amri minkum.

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

Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasooluh.

Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasooluh.

Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasooluh.

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar!

Allahu akbar kabeera wa alhamdulillahi katheera wa subhaan allahi bukratan wa aseela,

la ilaha illa-Llahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu 'l-hamd yuhiy wa yumeet wa huwa `ala kulli shayyin qadeer.

Allah said in Holy Qur’an, Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmaani ‘r-Raheem. ati`ullaha wa ati`u ‘r-Rasoola wa ooli ‘l-amri minkum, obey Allah, obey the Prophet and obey those who are on authority.

Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillahi ‘l ladhee hadaana ‘l-Islami wa ma kunna li nahtadi law la an hadaana ‘ Llah. Alhamdulillah al-ladhee arsala rasoola bil huda bi deeni ‘l-haqq li yuzhirhum deeni kulli wa kafa billahi wakeela wa shaheeda!

Allah (swt) sent His messenger Sayyidina Muhammad (s) with Islam because Islam is wrapping all religions. From the beginning of Sayyidina Adam (a) to Sayyidina Muhammad (s), all heavenly religions were wrapped and brought under Islam because Allah said:

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الإِسْلاَمُ

Inna deena `ind Allahi ‘l-Islam.

The Religion before Allah is Islam. (3:19)

I am coming all the way from the west that you can reach, from California, coming here from Far West to the Far East. From the Far West to the Far East, Islam is very well known and established. From California to New York, Islam is mashaa-Allah always going higher and higher. From New York to Europe, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Copenhagen, Norway, all through Russia, Central Asia, Asia, India, Pakistan, all the way to Turkey, Thailand, Korea, wherever, Japan, all the way to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia—you don’t find a house that doesn’t know about Islam! The Prophet (s) said, “In the Last Days, Islam will enter every tent, dakhala’l-islam kulli wabar wa madar,” which means Islam will enter every city, civilization and all kinds of remote areas that no one knows in deserts or jungles. Now if you go into any jungle or desert or civilization, or any city, people know about Islam.

Who did that? Us? No. It’s Allah (swt) Who sent that mercy, that barakah through Sayyid ‘ur-Rasul, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) to take that message all that way because, He says:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

wa maa arsalnaaka illa rahmatali 'l-`alameen,

We sent you except as a Mercy for humanity. (21:107)

That mercy has to reach everyone; no one is excluded because Allah (swt) says, “We have sent you as a mercy for humanity,” He did not say (individually) for this one or that one. He said for all humanity. It means that rahmah, that mercy, has to reach everyone in his heart; if he knows about it or not, that is something else.

Hidayah min Allah, “Guidance is from Allah.” To make someone know His Way is from Allah (swt). Allah doesn’t accept anyone that does not let anyone know His Way. He gave to the heart of every human being an indication of how he is going to live his life and that is why Allah (swt) has given that mercy to everyone’s heart. That is why Prophet Muhammad (s) said in a hadith, yulidu ‘l-insaanu ila ‘l fitra, “People are born on innocence.” That is why children are innocent; they don’t know anything bad, they are pure. So human beings are born on innocence. Allah (swt) wants everyone to have some of that rahmah that He put in the heart of Sayyidina Muhammad (s).

Look they (jinns) are coming here, unseen ones between the trees. They are listening, taking lessons like we take lessons. These spiritual beings are always wherever there are people on haqq or wherever they see evil power, they come to take the evil power and throw it away and bring rahmah. That rahmah is coming. And one of them, a wali, just appeared. He said, “Tell them my story, it will benefit them,” because this will show how much Allah (swt) created everyone with His love.

There will be a certain moment in their life that he will remember that light that has been in his heart and he will come back to his rushud, his responsibility to be a servant of Allah (swt). He has to think about his life, his work and his future. Dunya is not going to live forever; everyone is going to leave dunya one day. So in dunya there are not only pleasures; there are also responsibilities, to work and to pray. You have to work for dunya and work for akhira. It’s not only working for dunya or working only for pleasure. That light will come to the heart and say, “Enough My servant, enough what you are doing. Come back to normal life, the life of responsibilities.”

That wali is Ibraheem ibn Adham (r), very famous in Sham, Damascus. He is buried outside Sham. He was not an employee, a businessman, and not a normal person. He was a king, but unfortunately, not all kings but many kings, princes and princesses, think they are above everyone. They indulge in all kinds of dirty things, pleasures, and bad desires. Similarly, many people imitate that same lifestyle; they see the king and his children are doing that so they do it, also. That king was of such caliber, from the beginning of his life he was always drunk and womanizing.

He built for himself a tower in his palace. I just remembered now when I said ‘tower,’ I remembered the hadith of the Prophet (s), to build houses one story high and up to three stories high (levels). He (s) never gave permission to build high-rises; he said they are from Shaytan. You don’t want the very high tower of Nimrood; he went up and shot his bow and arrow and said, “I am shooting Allah, the Lord of Sayyidina Ibraheem.” Hasha, astaghfirullah! He shot and hit an eagle and the blood came on his arrow and it fell, and he said, “I killed Allah (swt).” Hasha. So for those who build high-rises, it is not acceptable because the Prophet (s) did not allow that. They were telling me here today that in Bali they don’t build higher than a cocoanut tree. SubhaanAllah. These people are not Muslim but it is thrown in their heart not to go higher than a coconut tree, ten to fifteen meters, it means 3-4 levels, not higher. When you go higher you are coming against what the Prophet (s) said, “No higher than three stories.” So that sultan had a tower, not more than the height of a coconut tree, and on top of that tower he had a bed where he slept looking at the stars at night.

Every night he got drunk, every night with one woman, two women, three women, Allah knows, sleeping with him in that tower, like too many people today. But when Allah’s hidayah comes, nothing stops it. When Allah (swt) wants to guide someone, he brings back that light in their heart and shows him the direct way. Every night Ibraheem ibn Adham had the same routine, that became habitual. What has passed; all this pleasure that he made to himself. Let’s say, all my life was in pleasure but this moment it finished. You don’t feel that anymore. It means when you die you don’t take that pleasure with you; it is gone. You need pleasures for akhira; you need to prepare something for akhira not just for dunya. You need another tower for akhira. If you don’t do it now, when are you going to do it? So wake up, O Muslims, wake up! One day you are going to leave this dunya and you don’t know when. Look at Aristotle Onassis, the richest man in the world. He built his wealth to give to his son, who in front of him, crashed in his helicopter and died!

Ibraheem everyday repeated the same thing and one day he was sleeping and look what happened. He was drunk, counting the stars, 1, 2, 3… then he slept. Then another time 1, 2, 3… then he slept. Then he asked one lady, “Tell me, how many stars?” She said, “I don’t know how many. I am more drunk than you.” This is the life of youngsters today, even if they are married they are like that. This is their example. What is going to benefit them? Nothing. After a while it’s finished. Listen carefully. So, when he was counting, not counting well in this situation, he heard someone walking on the roof. He looked; he was not seeing anyone. He washed his face. He looked and he is hearing but not seeing anyone. Suddenly he saw a man.

He said, “What are you doing here? You don’t know I am the king? How do you dare to come on my roof?!”

That man looked said, “O Ibraheem,” he didn’t say to him ‘Raja,’ he said to him directly, “O Ibraheem.”

The king was shocked and thought, “Who can dare say to me Ibraheem,’ without saying ‘Raja, King Ibraheem?’”

For Allah (swt) no one is king except Him. There are people who make themselves kings.

He looked and said, “Yaa Ibraheem, I am looking for my camel on your roof.”

“O you stupid! How can you find your camel on my roof?”

Then he woke up, no more drunk, because that light began to work in his heart now.

“How you are going to find the camel on my roof, go look in the garden.” He loosened up because when he said, “Go look in the garden,” it means “I am accepting you, so go look in the garden, don’t look on the roof; you may find the camel in the garden.” The camel might slip before he reaches up and break his neck. So when hidayah comes to a king, queen, or normal person, everything before is finished and Allah will forgive by istaghfaar (if you ask forgiveness).

Qul yaa ibaadiy alladheena asrafoo `alaa anfusihim laa taqnatoo min rahmatillaahi innallaha yaghfiru 'dh-dhunooba jamee`an innahu huwa ‘l- Ghafoorur ‘r-Raheem.

Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against their souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Allah forgives all sins, for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (39:53)

Yaa Muhammad (s), allahumma salli `ala Rasoolullah, yaa rahmatu ‘l-li ‘l-alameen, as-salaatu w 'as-salaamu `alayka yaa Rasoolullah, as-salaatu w 'as-salaamu `alayka yaa Habeebullah, as-salaatu was-salaamu `alayka yaa Shafee`-i'l Mudhnibeen, as-salaatu w 'as-salaamu `alayka yaa Maahi, as-salaatu w 'as-salaamu `alayka yaa Taahir, as-salaatu w 'as-salaamu `alayka yaa Rasoolu ‘l-malaahim, allahumma salli `ala 'n-Nabiyy, salloo ‘alayh. (All recite.)

“O Believer, O My Servant, don’t lose hope of Allah’s mercy.” Allah will forgive anyone who repents; but repent! Say astaghfirullah! Astaghfirullah! Astaghfirullah! (All repeat.) Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullahi ‘l-azheem alladhee la ilaaha illa huwa ‘l-hayyu ‘l-qayyoom wa atoobu ‘ilayh. You think that Allah will not forgive when you are calling in one voice, “Yaa Rabbee, forgive us”? Would He say, “No?” He will say, “I will forgive those who come back and ask Me for forgiveness. I will forgive them.” Because we are weak servants. Allah created us and Iblees running on our heads! Like someone in a room with a lion, what will you do? Either you fight the lion and he is going to win on you one day or one day you win on him. So when we are weak we say, “Yaa Rabbee, You are the One Who forgives. You are the Most Powerful One. You created us weak, please forgive us.” Allah will forgive them. Allah will not say, “No.” Id`oonee astajib lakum, “Ask Me, I will answer you.” So if we say, “Yaa Rabbee, astaghfiruka wa ‘atooboo ilayh,” will He say “No, I am not accepting”? One of Allah’s Beautiful Names is “al-Kareem”, the Most Generous. He is Generous in everything and He is Generous in forgiveness!

So that man said, “I am looking for my lost camel.”

“Go to the garden! why are you looking on the roof?”

“No Ibraheem, you are wrong. I was riding it and I lost it here.”

Ibraheem is looking at him strangely, something cannot go in the mind. Correct? Can he find his camel on the tower? Impossible.

“Yaa Ibraheem, it is probable that I might find my camel on your tower, it might be. Allah (swt) may make it easy that I find my camel on this tower, or even on the glass and not one glass is broken. So why did you build this tower? To look at the stars? What benefit are the stars? You are riding a woman and you want to look at the stars?”

This is what he was doing? People are lost today. They need hidayah but they have to ask Allah for it. We are doing the same as Ibraheem ibn Adham was doing. But Ibraheem ibn Adham found someone to wake him up. Allah (swt) knows who that person coming to him was.

He said, “Yaa Ibraheem, there is a probability for me to find my camel here on your roof, but there is no probability ever for you to find Allah (swt) in this situation!”

It was like an arrow to Ibraheem ibn Adham’s heart. He woke up, saying, “What am I doing? I am going to die one day and come to Allah (swt) with this situation?” Immediately he left everything, took a shower and prepared himself for worship, `ibadah. When you go to a hotel and want to wake up early you request a “wake-up call”, and that was a wake-up call for Ibraheem ibn Adham. Every human has a wake-up call in their heart because Allah (swt) created us innocent.

As Sayyidina Muhammad (s) said, y’ulidu al insaanu `ala ‘l-fitra fa imma abbawaahu yuhawwidaanihi aw yunasaraanihi aw yumajjisaanih, “People are born on innocence (in Islam). Either his parents make him Jewish or Christian or Zoroastrian.” He didn’t say, “His parents make him Muslim,” because he is born Muslim. It means at birth all human beings receive in their hearts that light of guidance, that Islam, from Allah (swt). The light of Islam is there, but when they follow another way of religion they will lose that light. Like a pilot light in a boiler; it is always on and when the temperature comes down it will give a wake-up call and the boiler will start. That pilot light is still in everyone’s heart. One day it wake up the boiler, the heart, and send this message to the whole system, “Where am I going in my life?”

Allah (swt) says in the Holy Qur’an, “One leg in dunya, one leg in akhira.” Sayyidina `Ali (q) said, `Amal li-dunyaaka ka-annaka ta`aeeshoo abadan wa `amal li- akhiratika ka-annaka tamootu ghadan, “Do for your dunya as if you are living forever and do for your akhira as if you are dying tomorrow.”

So what we really need is like what we have here, a majlisu 'dh-dhikr, a gathering, an association of remembrance of Allah (swt) and the remembrance of His Prophet, Sayyidina Muhammad (s). What benefit do we get from such a place? I never expected to come to Bali one day and meet hundreds of people from the Far West to the Far East, but Allah (swt) made it happen because of our host, brother of Shaykh Mahmood, Shaykh Akbar Khan; he made it possible. Sacha’s father made it possible in this place where we are sitting and saying, “This is like Paradise.” Papa Sacha! This also indicates the love of Allah (swt) and the Prophet (s) in the heart of the owner of this house. Why he has to open this house? If there is no love for Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s), he will not spend all this money to have such an event, but that is the real guidance. You can say Akbar Khan is a guided man because Allah (swt) guided him. Allah (swt) gave him from dunya and He will give him in akhira.

I will quote a hadith of the Prophet (s) from Bukhari and Muslim describing such things. Is this Paradise? Does this look like Paradise, ask them? Na`am. But what kind of paradise? This is not even (dips finger in water) a drop compared to the Paradise in Heaven. Not even an atom of resemblance of Paradise that Allah (swt) gives to a Muslim in Heaven. That’s why when you do for your dunya Allah (swt) gives you, but if you do for your akhira, Allah gives you far more and better. You don’t want to find a camel on your roof; you want to find Allah (swt) because He will give you more than a camel. The whole universe becomes a paradise! There is no resemblance, but in dunya Allah (swt) gave to whom He wants, and people are opening their homes to us as Muslims to come and enjoy these majaalis adh-dhikr. Allah (swt) will give them in akhira, and the owner of this house, more and better than this house and all the houses in dunya, Allah (swt) will give a simple human being better in the Day of Judgment and then in akhira.

This is a majlis adh-dhikr, what it is called, inna majaalis adh-dhikri majaalisu ‘l-mala`ika. So in a majlis of dhikr like this majlis, whoever is here, you will see later when hadith continues, even someone who has nothing to do with us, who is not coming for praying or just coming to see someone because he needs something, Allah will forgive him and he will become part of it. This is the majlis. Now, this house is full of angels. They have to come, they have been ordered, and not because of you or me or them. They are ordered to look for such majaalis; they come and encircle all this group, encompass them, circles above circles, above circles, ascending beyond this universe to Paradise. They have to reach the First Heaven.

" إن لله ملائكة سياحين فى الأرض فضلا عن كتاب الناس , يطوفون فى الطرق , يلتمسون أهل الذكر , فإذا وجدوا قوما يذكرون الله تنادوا : هلموا إلى حاجاتكم , فيحفونهم بأجنحتهم إلى السماء الدنيا , فيسألهم ربهم , وهو أعلم منهم : ما يقول عبادى ? فيقولون : يسبحونك , ويكبرونك , ويحمدونك , ويمجدونك , فيقول : هل رأونى ? فيقولون : لا والله ما رأوك , فيقول : كيف لو رأونى ? فيقولون : لو رأوك كانوا أشد لك عبادة , وأشد لك تمجيدا , وأكثر لك تسبيحا , فيقول : فما يسألونى ? فيقولون : يسألونك الجنة , فيقول : وهل رأوها ? فيقولون : لا والله يا رب ما رأوها , فيقول : فكيف لو أنهم رأوها ? فيقولون : لو أنهم رأوها كانوا أشد عليها حرصا , وأشد لها طلبا , وأعظم فيها رغبة , قال : فمم يتعوذون ? فيقولون : من النار , فيقول الله : هل رأوها ? فيقولون : لا والله يا رب ما رأوها , فيقول : فكيف لو رأوها ? فيقولون : لو رأوها كانوا أشد منها فرارا , وأشد لها مخافة , فيقول : فأشهدكم أنى قد غفرت لهم , فيقول ملك من الملائكة : فيهم فلان ليس منهم , إنما جاء لحاجة فيقول : هم القوم لا يشقى بهم جليسهم "

The Prophet (s) said, `an Abi Hurayra qaala, qaala Rasullulahi (s): inna li-Llahi mala`ikatun yatufoona fi't-turooqaat yaltamisoona ahla’dh-dhikr, “Allah has angels that encircle roads looking to find associations of dhikr like this where people are sitting and remembering Allah (swt).”

People might say, “How do those angels go around?” Prophet (s) is saying, yaltamisoona ahl adh-dhikr, yatufoona fi't-turooqaat , “They roam from one street to another, navigating.” You know GPS? If we have GPS, angels don’t have it? They have and they can navigate everywhere. Their GPS can see that light coming from this majlis and immediately they come. They navigate in between. All angels have different ways. They don’t come in a lump sum, they are navigating.

Someone may say, “How can that be?” You have a telephone? See this telephone? Now he goes to Malaysia. What happens? It roams. Coming from Malaysia here (Bali, Indonesia), so now? This machine can find you; they know where you are. Go to America, they know where you are. We call it “roaming”. So Sayyidina Muhammad (s) said 1400 years ago, “There are angels roaming.” They know where you are. Now technology came up with something that can indicate where you are. They know Sacha is sitting here and Mahmood Khan is sitting here. Through high-definition satellite they have pictures; now they can see him, where he is sitting and how far from you he is sitting. They can indicate everyone, how far from each other. Every spot they can spot on Earth.

You think angels cannot do that? Sayyidina Muhammad (s) said it 1400 years ago, that Allah (swt) has angels who roam the streets and they look for such associations and when they find them, they sit with them. Now they are sitting with you. You cannot see them but they are sitting with you. The Prophet (s) said, fa ‘idha wajadu qawman yadhkuroon Allah ta`ala tanaadaw hallummu ‘ila hajatikum, “When they see a group of people sitting, they sit with them and they say, ‘We are coming to give you what you need, what you want. Ask us and we’ll present it.’”

So ask Allah (swt) for anything now and Allah (swt) is watching now! I am going to continue this hadith and you will understand why. You can ask, Allah (swt) will give. First you may ask, “Yaa Rabbee give me, khayran ad-dunya wa ‘l-akhira, the best of this dunya and the best of akhira.” Then ask for shifa`a and toolu ‘l umr, “Cure from every disease and a long life.”

So it’s nice, it’s good and we have to be happy that someone asked us to come to his house and hosted this meeting. It is good for the owner of this house and all here, and on top of that Allah (swt) is rewarding. The Prophet said, yahufunahum bi ajnihatihim il as-samaa ad-dunya, “They come and with their wings they are rubbing you.” They sit with you and are touching you and they go in circles all the way up to sama`a ad-dunya, First Heaven. Millions and billions of them and go to the First Heaven, which means beyond the universe.

Sacha, you know our galaxy is comprised of 80-billion stars. They have found more than 6000 galaxies. Every galaxy is another 80-billion stars. There are stars 2-billion light years away so that means how far does the universe go. All theses angels go beyond to the First Heaven. They are around us, and how many, and what do the angels do? They make dhikrullah. So those angels, sitting with you tonight go all the way up to Paradise. It is written for all of you.

And then the Prophet (s) said, qaal fa yas’aluhum Rabbuhum wa huwa `alamu bihim ma yaqooloon ‘ibaadee and Allah will ask them, “What are My servants saying?” What are we saying now? Allah will ask the angels. So we must have a good dhikr association, in order that they say good and not, “Yaa Rabbee, Your servants are in discos, or with this one or that one.” It is better to say, “Yaa Rabbee, Your servants are remembering You.” The Prophet said, qaal, yusabbihunaka yukabbirunaka yuhmmidunak, “They are glorifying You, saying takbeer for You, and they are praising You.” This is what we are doing now.

And Allah asks the angels, fayaqool, ha ‘r-raawnee, “Did they see Me?” And the angels will say, “Yaa Rabbee, they didn’t see You.” And Allah will say, fa yaqool kayfa law raawn, “What will happen if they see Me?” Qaal, fayaqooloon law raawnaka kanoo ashadda laka `ibaadatan wa ashadda laka tamheedan wa tamjeedan wa akthar laka tasbeehan, “If they would have seen You, yaa Rabbee, they would have made more ‘ibadah day and night, glorifying You and praising You. They would never stop even for one moment, except saying, ‘Yaa Allah, Yaa Allah, Yaa Allah, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar!’”

Qaal, fa yaqool ma yas’aloonee, “What are they asking Me? What do they want?” I’m asking now ourselves, what do we want from Allah (swt)? What do you want? And they said, “Yaa Rabbee, yas’aloonakaa ‘l-Jannah, they want Your Paradise.” It means they want Your happiness, they want Your satisfaction with them, they want You to forgive them. Yasaloonaka ‘l-Jannah, look, two words but they have a big meaning. This is the eloquence of the Prophet (s). “They want your Paradise,” that means every `ibaadah comes out of Paradise. Allah (swt) says, wa ‘r-raawha, “Did they see My Paradise? They are asking Me for Paradise, did they see My Paradise?” They said, yaqooloon, laa wallahi Yaa Rabb, “Not really, yaa Rabb, they didn’t see it.” Allah says, fayaqool fakayfa lawannahum raawha, “How are they going to be if they were to see it?” They said, yaqooloon law annahum raawha kanoo ashshadda `alayha hirsan wa ashshada laha talaban wa `azhama feeha raghaba, “If they had seen it, they would have asked You more aggressively, in the best manner possible, they would have requested You, begged You to give that Paradise for them.”

Then Allah (swt) continues asking, fa mimma yataawwazoon? “From what are they seeking refuge, of what are they afraid?” They said, “They are afraid, yaa Rabbee, from Your Hellfire. They don’t want to be burned in Your Hellfire, they don’t want to be punished.” That is why they are coming together, sitting together, making dhikrullah, eating food together, making haseelatu ‘r-rahmee, the relationship. He said, “Did they see My Hellfire?” Fa yaqooloon, laa wallahi yaa Rabb ma raawha, “No they didn’t see it.” Allah said, fa kayfa la raawha, “What would happen if they were to see My Hellfire?” Fa la raawha kanoo ashadda minha firraaran wa ashaddu laha makhaafatan. “They would be running away, they would stop doing everything haraam. They would not do anything that You don’t accept.” Because if they were to see it, they would know there is no way to run away but to enter it and get punishment, if they are living their life as they are living.

Now comes the answer from Allah (swt). What do you think Allah (swt) said according to the hadith of Prophet (s)? Did they see You? No, they didn’t see You. Did they see My Paradise? No they didn’t see. Did they see My Hellfire? No they didn’t see it. If they saw Me they would be praying more. If they saw My Paradise they would have asked more. If they saw my Hellfire, they would run away. Are we something like that here in this meeting now? In this dhikr majlis, this association, we are coming for something like that, for asking Allah (swt) to see His Paradise, asking to see Him, asking to run away from His Hellfire, asking Him to forgive us. Is it not? So what Allah (swt) will say, qaal yaqoolullah fa ashhadukum annee qad ghafartulahum, that, “You witness, O My angels, I have forgiven them. No sin on them, I forgave them completely.” This is what will happen. That is why you should come for such gatherings, everyday you should come. I am sure that everyone would like to host a gathering so that they may come into their house and turn it into a paradise by doing that majlis adh-dhikr.

From all the billions of angels, one says, “Yaa Rabbee, this is one who is not from these ones,” fa yaqoolu malaku min al-malaaikatu feehim fulaan laysa minhum, “There is someone who is not from amongst them,” inna ata li-haajah, “But he came because he needed something from someone.” For instance he needed a telephone or money and then he went. He was not with them but he came and sat in the association. So what would happen to that one? Allah (swt) will say, humu 'l-julasaa laa yashqa bihim jaleesahum, it means, “They are a group of people and if anyone comes even not from them, I will forgive them.” So, such a gathering is a blessed gathering and it will take away all sins that went before by Allah’s rahmah. The mercy that He sent to us through His Prophet, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) will take all the sins as according to the hadith. So we must always keep hope that at any moment we have done something wrong, we repent immediately after it, saying, yaa Rabbee, astaghfirullah, “O my Lord, I repent!” Pray two rakaats and ask for forgiveness. Allah (swt) will forgive.

O Muslims, don’t lose hope from Allah’s forgiveness but come to Him. There is a hadith of the Prophet (s) that Allah (swt) said, “If My servant approaches me by one hand, I approach him by one arm, and if he comes to Me walking, I come to him running.” Come to Allah (swt) walking, slowly, no problem. Like a child, one-year-old, walk and fall, walk and fall. No problem, keep walking and falling. When you fall you repent. But slowly open your mind. One day you are going to be like Ibraheem ibn Adham. We hope that Allah (swt) opens our hearts and guides us to leave those bad desires and look only for good desires.

For every Muslim, Allah gave a balanced day: eight hours for sleep, eight hours for work and eight hours for his family, worshipping, because spending time with family is like worshipping. So eight hours sleeping, not disco all the night; you come fajr time drunk already, you don’t pray, you don’t do anything. Eight hours work; don’t be lazy. Shaytan is teaching us to be lazy. One day you wake up, already you are 70-years-old and you don’t see anything except laziness in your face. Allah (swt) is going to question you; “I gave you 24 hours: 8 hours to work, 8 hours to worship, and 8 hours to sleep. Did you balance your system with that or not?”

May Allah (swt) accept from us this majlis and bless us with the blessing with which He blessed His Prophet (s), and make us good servants for Him and make our parents to be happy with us, our children to be happy with us, and that we will be good people in the community and society.

Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.

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