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Despite Being Granted the Highest Honor,

Prophet (s) Showed Humbleness

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

25 December 2011 Jakarta, Indonesia

Suhbah at Orphanage Sponsor’s Residence

(Translated from Arabic)

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh. A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem. Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`alameen, wa ’s-salaatu wa ’s-salaamu `ala ashrafa 'l-mursaleen, Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een.

We praise Him, Exalted Most High for His many favors and especially for the biggest favor,The Guiding Mercy, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad (s) who honored us to be from his ummah, and from his lovers, from the lovers of the Chosen One. Upon all of you who are attending, as-salaatu wa ’s-salaam from Allah to His beloved and from His beloved to you. Any assembly, conference, or invitation is incomplete without salawaat on Prophet (s) and with praises of Prophet (s). Today we seen in most countries with all their many conferences that they do not send any praises on the Prophet (s), instead they neglect his words, and they leave the same as they came. It is said in colloquial Arabic that nothing we say is sweet without remembering the Prophet (s), and we say that we can never get enough of mentioning the Prophet (s), not only that but with Mawlid an-Nabi (celebration of his birth).

الدِّينَ عِندَ اللّهِ الإِسْلاَمُ

Inna 'd-deena indallahi 'l-Islam.

To Allah the religion is Islam. (Aali-`Imraan, 3:19)

Islam arrived by the birth of the Prophet (s), so by this verse of the Holy Qur’an, we understand it to

mean that religion to Allah is following the love of the Prophet (s). The love of the Prophet is the rescue from Hellfire and those who do not love the Prophet (s) are from the people of Hellfire.

The love of the Prophet is obligatory on every Muslim, male and female! The love of the Prophet is obligatory not only on every Muslim, male and female, but also obligatory on angels!

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

inna-Llaha wa malaa'ikatahu yusalloona `ala 'n-nabi, yaa ayyuha ’Lladheena aamanoo salloo `alayhi was sallimoo tasleema.

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

This obligation, to make salawaat on the Prophet, is compulsory on the angels and the Qur'an does not indicate precisely the time frame of those salawaats. Allah (swt) made it general for all times and in all situations, from pre-Eternity to Eternity the angels are commanded to make salawaat on the Prophet (s)!

Most of the shaykhs of the past made eloquent praises and qasidah poetry about the Prophet, but now, indeed a minority of shaykhs praise the Prophet! It's for this reason that most of these qasidahs and nasheeds are written before this time and they are over a hundred years old with all their love to the Prophet (s). There is also a spiritual connection between them and the Prophet, like what happened with Imam al-Busayri (q), who said, "Everyone has an intimacy with the Messenger of Allah (s), either by a handful of his ocean or a sip of his rains." These shaykhs reached a communication to Prophet from heart-to-heart.

So they reached wherever they reached by means of their love and their understanding of the word "inability." They were unable to reach the Muhammadan Reality, so they began to long for it and they achieved what they achieved of overflowing love that made them always dive for more from the ocean of the Prophet’s “handful from the ocean or a sip of his rains.”

Inability or weakness is the attribute of the servant, and Pride is the Attribute of Allah, Most High! So it is not possible for the servant to become proud, no, but it is mandatory on him to humble himself with the attribute of complete weakness or inability in front of the Prophetic Presence and the Divine Presence! Sayyidina Muhammad (s) reached Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa, "Two bows-length or closer," a station that no one can understand or reach, not even in the Hereafter! It is impossible for any servant of Allah, even if he reached to the greatest level of sainthood, for him to reach to the station of Prophet (s) or to attain the knowledge of Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa as that is granted exclusively to the Prophet (s)! The arrival of Prophet (s) to Qaaba Qawsayni aw Adnaa is an astonishing, astounding miracle of the Prophet (s) and despite it’s miraculousness, he said, "O my Lord! Do not leave me to my ego for a blink of an eye or less," showing complete weakness!

If the Prophet (s) displayed the attribute of weakness, then what about those here in attendance or those listening, or the murshids, or those giving advice? It is incumbent upon them to first advise themselves. I have to advise myself that I am nothing, that perhaps an ant is better. An ant is not better in terms of the nobility that Allah (swt) granyed humans with; however, an ant is without any form of disobedience, and we are drowning in disobedience.

قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

Qaalat namlatun yaa ayyuha 'n-namlu 'dkhuloo masaakinakum laa yahtimannakum Sulaymaanu wa junooduhoo wa hum la yash`uroon.

One of the ants said, "O Ants! Enter your homes unless Sulayman and his armies unknowingly trample you." (an-Naml, 27:18)

Qaalat namlatun, “An ant spoke.” Does an ant speak? The Qur'an mentioned that an ant spoke! What language did it speak, Arabic, Syriac, or Bahasa? One ant said, "O Ants!" How did they hear her? When ants gather together, they gather in millions! So how did they have the capacity to hear one singular ant without a microphone? Allahu Akbar! The ant advised the Children of Adam when she said “enter into safety so that Sulayman and his army does not trample you when you don't realize.” What does it mean?

It means humans were in a state of heedlessness: they are heedless. “O Children of Adam! You are in heedlessness! So do not be from the heedless ones! No, be from those with vision, who listen to Allah, the Most High.” One singular ant advises all ants and also humans!

An ant does not see with physical eyes, but she advised all ants: she spoke and they heard and they entered their homes when she advised them, "Enter your homes, unless Soloman and his armies unknowingly trample you!” It means they are in a state of heedlessness, they don't sense or know the realities or understand the subtleties of situations. This made them pitied ones. They don't ask for anything from Allah (swt), but they ask from people, they protest in the streets and they do not enter the mosques to ask from Allah for a change of leadership! Rather, they protest and kill each other. This is not doing Islamic battle in the Way of Allah, this is killing people for the sake of the chair! That is why we are in a state of heedlessness.

O Group of Muslims! We are in heedlessness and need to wake up! To “enter your homes" means “enter your hearts”! It has a subtle, angelic meaning. The home of a person is his heart, which is why Prophet (s) said, “The heart of a believer is the house of Allah.” He also said, "Neither Heavens nor earth can contain Me (swt), but the heart of a believer can contain Me." "Enter your homes" means to busy yourself with contemplatation, as the Prophet (s) said:

تفكر ساعة خير من عبادة سبعين سنة

tafakkarru sa`atan khayrun min `ibaadati saba`een sannah.

To remember Allah (swt) for one hour (contemplate or meditate) is better than seventy years of worship.

Allah (swt) says, "Yaa Muhammad! Do you fear from the people or do you fear from Allah?" The answer is, “Yes! We fear from Allah (swt)!” And it is upon the scholars to fear Allah, the Most High, in their judgments and in their fatwas, not like what they are doing these days, making fatwas by order of the president. The Holy Qur'an does not make rulings by order of the president, it makes rulings by the constitution of Allah, the Most High, and that is in the Qur'an and the hadith. So do not play with the ahadeeth of Prophet (s) and make rulings as you like, so that you can make your leaders happy and take money that belongs to the country!

Allah (swt) sends he best of salawaat and salaam on the Beloved, the Chosen One. Allah the Most High said, "When the Prophet (s) was created, and he was created from the Light of Allah, and he was a Prophet before Adam (a) was created. Allah spoke to him an address,” because the Qur'an is the ancient words of Allah, it is not created. So no one knows the Qur’an’s beginning and it has no beginning because it is not something created!

He says to the Prophet (s), "Yaa Muhammad! Did We not expand your chest? We expanded your chest by giving you what you want!" And what does the Prophet wants? He wants his nation to enter Paradise without account! And Allah Most High says, "Did We not expand your chest? We expanded it for you and gave you what you want." That's why Prophet makes prostration, because Allah (swt) gave him intercession and he prostrates. On the Day of Judgment, he will be the only one in prostration to Al-Haqq!

The proof of the address of Al-Haqq, the Most High, to the Prophet (s) is, "When he was light," or as the other hadith states, "He was a prophet while Adam was between water and clay," or "...while Adam was between soul and body."

الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ

Ar-Rahmaanu `allam al-qur’aana khalaq al-insaan.

The All-Merciful. It is He Who has taught the Qur'an. He has created Man. (Surat ar-Rahmaan, 55:1-3)

Whom did Allah (swt) teach? He taught Prophet (s) the Qur'an the day He created him, and dressed him from “indescribable Lights,” from the Lights and Holy Words of Allah Most High, Prophet (s) was dressed. It means He dressed him with the Qur'an. That's why it is said that his manners were Qur'anic and he was a walking Qur'an!

Despite this, the Prophet (s) displayed the attribute of weakness, and he took Angel Gabriel (a) as a guide even though it is possible for him not to take any guide. Even in the migration from Mecca to Madinatu 'l-Munawwara, upon its dwellers be the best salawaat wa salaam, he took a guide. Also, he ascended to the Heavens and journeyed through the Earth and he took Gabriel (a) as a guide. How is it not so, when he is “the Prophet Who Ascended” that he couldn't go from Mecca to Madinah without a guide? He took a guide so that he can teach the ummah, “You must follow the imaams, the shaykhs, the saaliheen.”

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

yaa ayyuha ’Lladheena aamanoo ’ttaqoollah wa koonoo ma` as-saadiqeen.

O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are pious (in word and deed). (Surat at-Tawbah, 9:119)

So it is a duty on us and on everyone to be pious, to hold piety to Allah Most High, and to fear and love Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s).

I end with this and inshaa-Allah we will meet again. Salawaat and salaam on the Beloved, the Chosen One (s), and upon all who are attending and upon those who made this program today, especially the owner of this place. We thank him very much, and all the contributors, the orphans, the boys and the girls. Inshaa-Allah we will see you next year. Wa ’s-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.

(Du’a)

Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem. Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`alameen, wa ’s-salaatu wa ’s-salaamu `ala ashrafa 'l-mursaleen, Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een. Praise and blessings be upon the most honored of messengers, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and upon all his Companions and his Family.

O Allah! By the coming of Your Chosen Prophet (s), Your pleased Messenger, and by his noble Companions (r), and by Your noble saints (q), we ask that You not leave any sin in this gathering except to forgive it, nor any debt except that You compensate it, nor any ill person except that you cure them, nor any needs of dunya or akhirah except that You make it easy, yaa Rabbi ‘l-`alameen!

O Allah! Make our matters easy, and recompense all our debts, and open up our hearts, and stabilize our feet (on Your Way), and grant us victory over every form of unbelief. And send salawaat and salaam on Sayyidina Muhammad, a salawaat that would rescue us from calamities and disasters,

and by means of which You satisfy all our needs, and purify us of all bad deeds, and raise us up to You to the highest levels, and grant us to reach the highest of our aspirations in this life and the Next.

O Allah! Unite us with Your Beloved, the Chosen One, in dunya before akhirah, and in akhirah. O our Lord! O Allah! Unite us with the prophets, martyrs, the righteous, and the Best Companions. O Allah! Keep us at the threshold of Prophet (s), in his love. O our Lord! Accept this request from us, as verily You are The Pardoner, verily You are The Forgiver. Fix our situation and the situation of all Muslims, yaa Rabbi 'l-`alameen. O my Lord! O Allah! The Muslims have are a sad situation, so, O my Lord, O Allah, with Your Power and Might, with Your Greatness, with Your Love to Prophet (s), lift from us oppression, O my Lord!

O Allah! Lift from Islam this oppression, yaa Rabbee, yaa Allah! Verily You can do anything, and are quick to answer. Wa sallallahu `alaa Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa `alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een. Subhaana Rabbika Rabbi 'l-`izzat amma yasifoon wa salaamun `alaa mursaleen wa 'l-hamdulillahi Rabbi' l-`alameen. al-Fatihah.

“The All-Merciful taught the Qur’an, then created humans.” And it is also said that Qur’an was walking! (...) And even this, Prophet (s) was showing his humbleness and took Sayidina Jibril (a) as a guide even though he didn't need one! Even when he went from Mecca to Medina to go with a guide (...) he went all the way to heavens, he couldn't go to Medina? That was to show us:

So all of us need taqwa, piety and fear, and love to Allah (swt) and love to Prophet (s). I will end with this and inshaa-Allah will we come again to meet you and will again recite salawaat on Prophet (s). We thank the host and the owner of the house, and all the guests and all the orphans who made such beautiful qasidas and inshaa-Allah we meet again next year!

Wa `alaykum salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

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