Zhuhr Suhbah
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
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`alaa fee haadha 'l-masjid.
أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Atee`oollaha wa atee`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (Surat an-Nisa, 4:59)
Islam is based on obedience; if we have obedience we will be successful, if we disobey we lose. Allah (swt) doesn’t like those who disobey Him and disobey His Prophet (s). Allah (swt) said:
وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ
Wa maa tuqadimoo li-anfusikum min khayrin tajidoohu `inda’Llah.
And whatever good you put forward for yourselves, you will find it with Allah.
(Surat al-Muzzammil, 73:20)
He said, “Whatever you do of goodness you will find it,” never you will lose it. Anything you do the best for yourself and the best for those around you, you will find it. Allah (swt) has blessed us without us doing anything; He blessed us to be Muslims! That is enough to thank Him day and night that He made us Muslim and made us mu'min. In the ayah “Atee`oollah...” don't think ayaatullah do not talk, because it is said by the Prophet (s) the meaning of the hadith, al-qur’aanu naatiqee, “The Holy Qur'an speaks, it says something,” nutuq, it produces something that people who are open-hearted can hear the Holy Qur'an, because Allah's Words are not dead like our words. Allah's Words are alive and anything alive can speak. So Allah (swt) said in Holy Qur'an, “Whatever you do of goodness you will find it,” and you will not only find a reward for it, but Allah will give you khayran katheera, too much rewards when you do something for Allah's Favor.
“For Allah's Favor” means He wants everyone to look after everyone: the wealthy to look after the poor and the healthy to look after the sick. We are poor and sick, everyone of us is poor and sick. Whatever you are, if healthy you are still sick and if wealthy, you are still poor. “Poor” means in action, in showing worshipness to Allah (swt) and to show satisfaction and contentment with what Allah has given you. Here “poor” is not related to wealth, but not to be poor in Akhirah. Are we going to be poor in Akhirah or not? That is the question mark. We might be poor in not doing the good `amal in dunya. People listen in one ear and lose it from the second ear; you hear it from one ear and drop it out from the second ear as if it doesn't exist. Those who are doing their best for Allah to be happy with them, they will not be poor, they will be wealthy in Akhirah, while dunya wealth will come and go.
Today, and we have repeated this many times, people are only concerned for their education and for their work. For them, is there anything else? But that does not prevent us, and we must make sure that does not prevent us from dropping our education for Akhirah! When Allah calls you to judge you in His Presence, He will not ask you, “What kind of career did you have in dunya?” or, “What did you achieve in dunya?” He is going to ask you what kind of career you had for your Akhirah: did you choose one of His Ways or a road of His infinite number of ways to Akhirah? It is said:
الطرق الى الله تعالى على عدد انفاس الخلائق
At-turuq il-Allahi ta`ala `alaa `adad anfaasi’l-khalaa’iq.
The ways to God are as numerous as the breaths of human beings.
The ways to Allah are on the number of breaths of the Creation, al-khalaaiq, not just human beings, but everything Allah created, on their number, on their breaths. Fish breathe, worms breathe, trees breathe, mountains breathe, jinn breathe, human beings breathe. Everyone is living and breathing and even if not living, still it is breathing, even solids, jamaad, they are breathing, as mountains make tasbeeh to Allah (swt), and everything solid is making tasbeeh, as the Prophet (s) mentioned. Allah mentioned in the Holy Qur'an that the mountain made tasbeeh with Sayyidina Dawood (a). “So which ways have you chosen of the infinite ways that there are to come to Me?”
In Islam, everyone has his way and you will not find two people on the same mind or idea. You choose your way. What have you done for your career for Akhirah to enter Paradise, to be with the Prophet (s), to be with awliyaullah, to see Allah (swt) in Heavens, in Paradise? What have we done? (If you answer) “We made a videotape,” what is the benefit? “We sang a song,” what is the benefit? These are instruments that yes, you can do a videotape, but is that videotape your way to Allah (swt)? Many people do videotapes to show off; they speak nicely and they are eloquent in their speaking, but their ego is big. If that is the intention, it is better not to make a tape and then be questioned, “Why you did not apply on yourself what you have said?”
As mentioned at-taqwaa haahuna, “Taqwaa, God-consciousness, is here, in the heart,” as the hadith:
إن الله لا ينظر إلى أجسامكم ولا إلى صوركم، ولكن ينظر إلى قلوبكم
Inna Allah laa yanzhuru ila ajsaamikum wa laa ila soowarikum wa laakin yanzhuru ilaa quloobikum
Allah does not look at your bodies or your appearances, but He looks at your hearts and your actions." (Bukhari)
Allah does not look at your outer forms, but He looks at your inside. The problem is, everyone wants to be the leader and that cannot be, as the Prophet (s) said:
إذا خرج ثلاثة في سفر فليؤمروا أحدهم
Idhaa kharaja thalaathatun fee safar fal-yu’ammiroo ahadahum.
If you are three on a journey, choose one as your leader. (Abu Dawood)
If you are three (or more) then make one your ameer. So it means there is one ameer on every group for people to listen to, not to listen to himself or herself, but to listen to what Allah wants. So if we are not choosing one way and following it all the way to the end, we are bankrupted, we have nothing.
The Prophet (s) asked the Sahaabah (r), “Man al-muflis? Who is bankrupted?” and immediately they thought of dunya. The Prophet (s) came for Akhirah not for dunya. “I came not to build your dunya, but to build your Akhirah.” They said, “O, that one who has no money,” and today people, their most hamm, worry, is how much money you have. Do you have enough or you don't have enough? If you are in Allah's Way and Allah gives you, no problem. You are not muflis, because you are on His Way and Allah can give you as much as He likes. Allah will throw on you from every part, because you are on the Straight Way.
The Prophet (s) asked, “Who is the poor?” and they said, “The one who has no money,” and that is how the thinking is. Today if they ask are you poor or wealthy, you have to define for them what is poverty and what is wealth. This is the main concern today of everyone: education and money. Is there anything else? Yes, Allah didn't prohibit you to do that, Allah wants you to do that. He said:
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbanaa atinaa fi ’d-dunyaa hasanatan wa fi ’l-akhirati hasanatan wa qinaa `adhaaba ’n-naar.
Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire!" (Surat al-Baqara, 2:201)
O Allah! Give us in dunya hasanaat, but don’t forget, wa fi ‘l-akhiraati hasanaat. He added to that wa fi ’l-akhirati hasanatan, “Goodness in Akhirah,” and you are in need for Akhirah hasanaat more than for dunya as there is punishment, there is a fire and in dunya there is no punishment, you are free, but in Akhirah you are not free. As soon as Allah calls you, He takes the trust that He put in you, that is the soul. He owns it and the body is put in dirt, in a grave. Then, you are in need for akhirati hasanatan more than for dunya.
So what are we doing for Akhirah? Prophet (s) asked, “So what do you have? Man al-muflis?” The one who has no money? That is dunya. He said, “Al-muflis man laa `amal lahu, the muflis, bankrupt one, is the one with no `amal.” We say to each other, “How do we have no `amal when we are praying and fasting and making Hajj, doing zakaat?” Yes, that is true, but we have to listen to what the Prophet (s) is saying, not to what our ego is saying, as Allah (swt) said:
فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ
Fa laa tuzakoo anfusakum.
Don’t praise yourself. (Surat an-Najm, 53:32)
He said, “Don’t praise your ego.” The Prophet (s) said, “The one who has no `amal…” but someone may think, “I am doing everything, I am not missing my prayers.” You are tumanin, are you asking reward from Allah for that? It is your obligation to do that, like you eat and drink; everyone is waiting in Ramadan to break fast, and your obligation to your body is to eat and drink in order to be healthy, and your obligation is to pray and fast to be healthy. The Prophet (s) wants to polish the Sahaabah (r) and through the Sahaabah to polish us!
He said, “No, the poor person is the one with no `amal.” And they said, wa in saama wa in salla, “Even if he prays and fasts?”
Look, the Prophet’s saying is like a sword on people’s heart, in order not to raise their heads and say, “O, we are here!” Always the ego wants to stand up fiercely. He said, “Even if you pray and fast you have no `amal.” So what to do then? He said in another hadith, “Don't backbite, don't oppress others.” The main issue is not to go into your house and sit with your wife and talk too much, or the wife talks too much, and the children talk too much about other people (backbiting). Concern yourself with your self, don’t look at those around you, don’t look up as you will get tired, but look down you will be happy. Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur'an:
ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِأً وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ
Yanqalib ilayk al-basaru khaashiya wa huwa haseer.
Your sight will return to you weakened and made dim. (Surat al-Mulk, 67:4)
What happens when you look at the stars? Your vision wherever you are looking comes down, you cannot reach that far, so you become regretful, thinking, “O! How can I reach the stars?” You see yourself that you are nothing. Although you are nothing, Allah made you everything! Allah made you better than stars, made you better than the universe, made you better than dunya, made you better than angels when He said:
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ
Wa laqad karamnaa Bani Adam.
We have honored the Children of Adam. (Surat al-'Israa, 17:70)
Allah honored human beings, Allah honored us! If someone honors you, you will always be grateful to him. Allah (swt) gave you life, so why are you not grateful? Why argue at home? If your husband talks too much, keep quiet. If your wife talks too much, keep quiet! Don’t be like a tiger or lion and when anger comes you want to attack immediately. That is not the character of a muhsin, a Muslim and mu’min, but that is the character of Shaytan as he wants to take us away from the way Allah wants us to go in.
So when the Prophet (s) asked, “Who is the bankrupt one?” and they said, “The one with no money,”
he said, “No, I am not looking at dunya, but looking at Akhirah.” He said, “The one who has no `amal (is bankrupt).” They said, “Even if he prays and fasts?” He (s) said, “Even then he has no `amal, because he oppressed other people, he backbites and spread rumors against other people.”
Allah doesn’t like that. To keep quiet is better. Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (r) put a stone in his mouth for seven years when the Prophet (s) mentioned that hadith and other ahadith because he was so worried! He put a stone in his mouth all year round in order not to talk in order not to open his mouth except when he prays and when he eats. We are not putting stones in our mouth, but we are stretching our tongues as much as we can in order to speak more and say more.
Then Jibreel (a) came to the Prophet (s) and said to the Prophet (s), “Tell Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) to take that away as Allah has made him to be ‘as-Siddiq,’ so take the stone out of his mouth.” So Prophet (s) ordered Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq (r) to take those stones away. For seven years he was hiding himself, not telling anyone, putting a stone in his mouth in order not to talk.
لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَة ٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرا
Laqad kaana lakum fee rasoolullahi uswatun hasanatun liman kaana yarjoo’Llaaha wa 'l-yawma 'l-aakhirah wa dhakara’Llaaha katheera.
Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and (who) remembers Allah often. (Surat al-Ahzaab, 33:21)
Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur’an, “In the Prophet (s) you have the role model.” He taught the Sahaabah (r) and with one hadith, Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (r) stopped talking. Also, Sayyidina `Ali (r) said, “If you want safety, zip your mouth, don’t talk,” because as soon as you open your mouth you make sins, so zip it, don’t talk except for your work. If you are a doctor you work, if you are a lawyer you work, or if you are an employee you work. To speak for work is okay, but not to backbite this one and that one, or then you will be bankrupted.
Why do we come here? Because here is a House of Allah and in the House of Allah mercy, rahmah, will come. There are too many [such Houses of Allah] around, you can go anywhere, but wherever your heart is attracted stick to it, as there is something different than what you find elsewhere.
In this place there is the barakah of awliyaullah. Not one night passes except that a wali will come, pass by here and prays two raka`ats and go, but he leaves back the tajalli. Awliyaullah planted their spiritual powers in places that they visit and this place was visited by a great wali, Sultan al-Awliya, he left his barakah and went. So keep Allah's Way, and keep the Prophet's way and both ways are the same.
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا
Wa maa aataakumu ’r-rasoolu fa-khudhoohu wa maa nahaakum `anhu fantahoo.
Leave what Prophet (s) forbade and take what he ordered. (Surat al-Hashr, 59:7)
Whatever the Prophet (s) brings you take it; it means Prophet’s order is coming from Allah (swt) and whatever he prohibits, stop doing it as it is an order by Allah (swt). Whatever the Prophet (s) brings is from Allah. So make your Akhirah life successful by stopping backbiting. Everyone of us backbites. This one (mureed), I never heard one word from him, not praise, not complaint. I only ask, “How are you?” and he says, “Alhamdulillah.” I knew him how many years, for twelve years, and he never complained but only one time, because he was fed up with that. (Another mureed) we never heard him complain, and many others also, without mentioning names. He doesn't say, “I heard this, bad or good,” because his mouth is zipped. Did you hear him say one word? We don’t know how well he is doing, how bad he is doing, how he is with his wife. I never heard his wife complaining, she never complained. Mashaa-Allah, both of them Allah granted that they do not complain. It is rare to find people like that. May Allah (swt) make us not complain and make us content with what He gave us! He gave us everything, which means He gave us a good life: sometimes it is up and sometimes down, that is okay, but in general it is a good life.
May Allah (swt) give us a good life and make you have a good life, to be with the Prophet (s) in this life and in the Next Life! Can you be with the Prophet (s) in this life? Yes. It depends on how much you are mujtahid, striving in the Way of Allah (swt), and you will reach a point when you will enter the city of Prophet (s), as mentioned in the hadith:
أنا مدينة العلم و علي بابه
Anaa madinatu 'l-`ilmi wa `Aliyyun baabuha.
I am the City of Knowledge and `Ali is its Door (or Gate). (al-Haakim, Tirmidhi)
If you keep in the love of the Ahlu ‘l-Bayt, you will reach the door, the door will be opened. Never is the door of the Prophet (s) closed! May Allah (swt) open for us that door as soon as possible, especially on Laylat al-Qadr, which is coming and for those who fasted (started Ramadan fast) on Tuesday it will be Saturday, and those who fasted Wednesday it will be Sunday evening. Whatever day, we will bring the Holy Hair of the Prophet (s) to make ziyarah for it inshaa-Allah.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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