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Laziness Is Unacceptable in Tariqah

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

12 November 2009 Fenton Zawiya, Michigan

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

As-salaat wa 's-salaam `alayk yaa Sayyidee, yaa Rasoolullah, yaa Rahmatan li '-`alameen. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. SubhaanAllahi wa bi-hamdihi. Laa ilaaha illa-Llah wahdahu la shareek lah. lahu'l-mulku wa lahu'l-hamd wa huwa `alaa kulli shayin qadeer.Inna al-hamda wa'ni`mata laka wa'l-mulk la shareeka lah wa laa n`aboodoo illa iyyah mukhliseena lahu'd-deena wa law karihal-kaafiroon.

We are asking Allah (swt) to keep us on the Right Way, on the Right Path. There are too many people around the world and everyone has his own way of thinking and his own way of believing. We are not going to criticize anyone, but we are going to say, “O Allah, yaa Rabbana, kama qult fee Suratu ‘l-Fatihah, ihdina 's-siraat al-mustaqeem, as you say in Suratu ‘l-Fatihah, guide us to the Right Path, the Path of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), the Path of Sahaabatihi 'l-kiram (r), the Path of awliyaullah, the Path of pious and sincere servants of Allah (swt).

When someone travels, he can see the different ways of approach and can see those who are thirsty in the Way of love for Allah (swt) and Prophet (s). It is very amazing to see thousands of people who are seeking to please Allah and to please Prophet. Even in movies they cannot show what you can see in reality in these countries, especially in Indonesia, of their love to Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s). It is not 100, 500, 1000, or 5000 people at religious gatherings, we are speaking about 10,000 attendees and above. They come from different districts when they hear there is a celebration of Prophet’s birthday and they sit for hours and hours waiting for the reciters to arrive. You can see the tears in their eyes, their emotions and their strong love for Sayyidina Muhammad (s). When his holy name is mentioned they stand in respect. (Mawlana stands, recites salawaat.) As-salaat was-salaam `alayk, yaa Rasulullah! As-salaat wa 's-salaam `alayk, yaa Habeebullah! They stand out of love, and we say, “O Allah, give us that feeling, to try to follow the way of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), as we are weak servants.”

If we are weak Allah knows, but if we are pretending and only saying by tongue that we are weak, Allah knows, and if we are lazy Allah also knows. “Weakness” doesn’t mean “laziness”; weakness means it is no problem to move like an ant, but an ant is not lazy, it is moving. As it is moving with its weakness, a tiger is moving with his speed. So if we are not tigers and lions, there are tigers and lions between awliyaullah that have zeal and strong power to move forward very quickly towards Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s). Of course there are! And there are people who are lazy, but laziness must not say to you “sit.” At least show movement like an ant. Then Allah will say, “At least My servant tried his best but he didn’t succeed. He is not like the a lion, a tiger or a rabbit who runs fast. My servant tried. He is like an ant, but still an ant is from My Creation and My ant is trying as much as it can, as My servant is trying.” Since he is trying and not sitting, Allah (swt) is the One who forgives, and easily we get Allah’s forgiveness. So it is important for us to know that laziness is unacceptable.

I said to them in Indonesia where there are thousands of Mawlana’s students, where are they when Mawlana is live on the Internet? Where are they when Mawlana is broadcasting live? It is surprising that you don’t see too many people around the world watching. How many times have we said that? It is not only there but it is everywhere, and they say, “O we want to see Mawlana, we want to visit him.” But when Mawlana comes to their homes live through the Internet they are not showing any importance; only some show importance. Where are these thousands upon thousands of followers? I don’t want to name any countries, as there are too many countries, so I will only name the countries watching the most. In the US there are around 100, in the UK 50, and in the Netherlands, France, Spain and in the rest there are less.

It is surprising that people are not interested. Now it might be, as we know from the numbers, that there are many people who watch later, within 24 hours of the live broadcast, but it is not enough to watch later. Where are the rest of the people who didn’t watch later? So we say, “O Allah, guide us and keep us moving, running towards Your door and the door of Sayyidina Muhammad (s).” Mawlana is calling you to love of Prophet (s) and I am hearing mostly every lecture and sometimes I am traveling or going and I cannot reach the Internet so we cannot see, but generally Mawlana is calling for love of Sayyidina Muhammad and love of Allah and not for love of dunya.

I think that will be a big provision that when we leave dunya, we can take with us to the grave and I say, “Yaa Rabbee, don’t punish us in the grave!

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ

Yawma la yanfa` maalan wa laa banoon ill mana ata'Llaha bi-qalbin saleem,

The day when none will benefit you, neither children or money, except one coming to Allah with clean heart. (26:88-89)

Do we have clean hearts or not? What will benefit you is coming to Allah with pure, clean hearts. Unfortunately running in this dunya too much keeps us away from our hearts to be clean. That is why sincere and pious people very rare; you can count them on your fingers. In history they were not too many, and compared to the billions of human beings, they are not too many. They always call you to Allah (swt) and they try to avoid the dirtiness of this dunya.

Shaytan is blending this dunya with a lot of syrup. He gives you a colored drink and says, “O, this is the best I get for you people, orange, pineapple or mango juice,” but inside he filled it with his own reflection of his own bad characteristics. So it is all that nice-colored juice, water mixed with sugar and put some color and flavor and you drink it. What are people drinking? On top of that, what does Shaytan do? He fills it with his own bad behavior and characteristics. It is fully polluted. So he is blending dunya with all he can pollute with it. And Allah is giving you 100 percent pure fruit juice of Heaven and saying, “Come and take this one, it is 100 percent pure, heavenly fruit and this one is polluted by Iblees and his devils and demons.” And Allah said in the Holy Qur’an:

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا

fa alhamahaa fujooraha wa taqwaahaa.

And (the self's) enlightenment as to its wrong and its right. (91:8)

What do we say? “Take the bad one—it is nice, blended. This one is not blended, it has no flavor. No, I want the one Shaytan blend!”

So we have to be very careful with what we are doing in our lives. If we choose Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s), for sure we will be saved although we might struggle a lot. Sayyidina Adam (a) was making sajdah to Allah and he is happy Allah gave to his forehead the light of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) and Allah taught him all kinds of knowledge. Still, what did he do? He accepted what the cursed one recommended for him, he accepted to eat from the forbidden tree! So in the way of Allah and His Prophet you are going to struggle. They say, al-mashaqa `ala miqdaar al-mahabah. “The amount of difficulties in the Way is according to your love of Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s). If you have more love, more difficulties will come. Allah is testing you and rewarding you at the same time.

Shaytan will try his best to prevent you from running after Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s). He doesn’t like you to love Allah and His Prophet; he likes you to love him.

Mawlana is calling to love of Allah and love of Prophet. Awliyaaullah are calling to love of Allah and love of Prophet (s). Imams are also calling to love Allah and love Prophet (s). Sahaba called people to love of Allah and love of Prophet. Sayyidina Muhammad is calling to love of Allah and Allah is ordering us to love Sayyidina Muhammad! Love to Prophet is coming from Allah (swt). Prophet also wants you to love him!

O mu’min, O Muslim, love of Allah (swt) and love of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is important. This is an introduction to encourage ourselves and to encourage you to stay on the Right Path. May Allah forgive us and may Allah bless us.

Wa min Allahi ‘t-tawfeeq, bi hurmati ‘l-Fatihah.

Allahumma salli ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammad hatta yarda Sayyidina Muhammad.

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