Go to media page

Hold Fast to the Rope of Allah, Unite and Be Humble

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

23 December 2011 Tangerang

Jumu’ah Khutbah at Masjid al-Istigna

...different in these days. We should unify our ranks and keep to the verse:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُون وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ

Yaa ayyuhaa ‘l-ladheena aamanoo ittaqoo ’Llaaha haqqa tuqaatihi wa laa tamootunna illa wa antum muslimoona w`atasimoo bi hablillaahi jami`ayya wa laa tafaraqoo.

O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam. Hold fast to Allah's rope and don't separate. (Aali-`Imraan, 3:102,103)

The Prophet (s) said, ad-deenu naseeha, “Religion is advice.” … the Prophet (s) remains, guarding the believers, Beneficent and Merciful.

The Prophet (s) said, “Shall I not tell you of the People of Paradise? They are the people of the mosques and they are the weak ones of the Muslims and believers, and they are the poor ones to Allah.” They said, "Yes, O Prophet of Allah!” Al-Mustafa (s) said, “The People of Paradise are every weak, frail ones, but if they were to swear an oath by Allah, He would respond.”

They are so humble and they are not proud. Only Allah is al-Mutakabbir. Believers are humble as the Prophet (s) was so humble. In front of Jibreel, Prophet (s) was a humble learner! Everyone who holds fast to Islam and is humble is one of the People of Paradise, as the Prophet (s) said. Then he asked, “Shall I inform you of the People of the Fire?” May Allah guard us from the Fire and what brings us near it and make us close to Paradise and its bounties! They said, “Of course, O Prophet of Allah!" (and we also say, “Of course, O Prophet of Allah!) Inform us so that we may be far from the Fire and close to Paradise.” And he (s) said, “Every proud person.”

Those who are arrogant towards people regarding what they own and their money, who are so proud, Allah (swt) will clean the Earth of them and put them in the Fire! We ask Allah not to let us be among them and to make us among the humble, as the Prophet (s) said, the People of Paradise are the weak and poor ones of the Muslims.

Ibn `Abbas (r) related that one day a man came to the Prophet (s) and the Companions (r) were sitting with him. That man was one of the great, nost honored ones among his people, and the Prophet (s) said to the Companions (r), “What do you say about this man who passed by us?”(Today we see many like that man, who stand on the minbars and speak as if they know everything, as if they are most honored people, and this hadith shows the reality of this affair.) One man said, “He is from the most honored and respected of people and, by Allah, if he were to propose to a woman, her family would quickly marry their daughter to him, and he would be the first to intercede on behalf of anyone for any worldly benefit as he is noble and honored.” Prophet (s) kept silent. Then another man passed by and the Prophet (s) asked, “What is your view of this one?” The man replied, “He is from the poorest of the Muslims, he owns no wealth or house and has no place to live, he owns nothing from this worldly life, and if he wanted to marry we would not marry our daughters to him, and if he wanted to intercede for anyone's benefit it would not be accepted, and if he said something no one would listen to him (he is of the common people to whom no one gives attention).” The Prophet (s) said, “That poor man is far better than that first rich one, even if the Earth was filled with those like him. That poor one is far more valuable to Allah than the rich, arrogant, ignorant one who purchases people’s loyalty with his money!”

That poor man might be one of those referred to in the hadith, “If he were to ask Allah (swt) for anything, Allah will grant it.” So don't look at (judge only by) the outer aspects of human beings, look only to the realities of affairs, which the Prophet (s) wanted the people to understand through this example.

The Prophet (s) said a word very elegant and light on the tongue:

إنما بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق

innama bu’ithtu li utammima makaarim al-akhlaaq.

I was sent not except to perfect the best of manners. (Bukhari in Adab al-Mufrad)

And to teach the people to praise and thank Allah, and to keep good relationships between each other so as not create enmity, nor to spy on each other, but to be as brothers, as Allah (swt) said in His holy book, “All of you hold fast to the Rope of Allah and unite!” (3:103) Thank your Lord that you live in a nation where there is no war, no explosions, and you are in your homes safe and you have peace in the streets! Thank Allah (swt) for that, and remember what He said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

inna-Llaha wa malaa'ikatahu yusalloona `ala 'n-nabi, yaa ayyuhal-ladheena aamanoo salloo `alayhi was sallimoo tasleemaa.

Verily, Allah and His angels send praise on the Prophet. O Believers! Pray upon him and greet him. (al-Ahzaab, 33:56)

And the Prophet (s) said, “There will come a huge man on Judgment Day and Allah will call his servants to their account and He will call one man who is huge in majesty and size, who considers himself important. That great, fat man (blown up like a balloon) doesn't weigh in Allah's consideration the weight of a mosquito!”

When that huge, fat man and all his deeds will be put in the Scale, none of them will weigh the wing of a mosquito!

O Believers! Be brothers and don’t be arrogant over one another. Death is coming, so you will soon enter a grave smaller than your bed in this life. How then can you then be arrogant and show off? Rather, it is better to humble yourself to others and know you are lower than them..

I seek forgiveness for myself, and good tidings are for those who seek forgiveness. O you who miss the light of his beauty, and those in need of his intercession, pray on the Prophet (s)! Allahuma salli `alaa Muhammad wa `alaa aali Muhammad kamaa sallayt `alaa Ibraheem wa `alaa aali Ibraheem....

(Du`a)

UA-984942-2