Friday, 25 October 2013

Khutbah: Verily, Din is Ease

Praise be to Allāh, the One Infinite in Wisdom and Knowledge, the Most Merciful and Ever Merciful, the One who created us and moulded us and thus He knows every single one of us better than we know ourselves. And May Peace and Blessings be upon His Messenger and upon his family and companions. To proceed: O you who have believed! Fear Allāh the way He deserves to be feared, and do not die except in a state of submission to Allāh.

Allāh did not create us aimlessly. He created us with a purpose, and that is to worship Him. However, He did not want that worshipping him become a burdensome task. So from His Infinite Wisdom and Knowledge, He set out for us a way of life by which we could worship Him, a way of life best suited to the nature of the human being, a way of life neither too difficult nor too lax, a way of life of moderation. Allāh says:

يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ

"Allāh intends for you ease, and does not want to make things difficult for you" (Qur’ān 2:185)

مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ 

"Allāh does not want to place you in difficulty" (Qur’ān 5:6).

To demonstrate the easiness and practicality of this way of life, He sent to us a human messenger, not an angel, a messenger biologically identical to us, a role model whose example we can relate to and emulate. This was none other than the Messenger ﷺ. And it wasn't just the Prophet ﷺ who demonstrated this. Think about it: if this dīn really was a difficult one, would've it survived to this day? Would the billions of people who have practised this dīn over 1400 years have been able to pass down such a difficult way of life to their children? Hence, we see that dīn truly is easy.

But some of you might ask: why do I find it so difficult at times? Why are there so many rules and restrictions I must follow? Why is it such an overwhelming way of life? The five daily prayers. The food. The ḥijāb. The interaction with opposite gender. The fact that there's rules for everything, even for going to the toilet and cutting your nails. “Why”, you may ask yourself?

There are several possible reasons for this, but only three shall be mentioned. The first one is a lack of taqwā and love of Allāh, combined with laziness. Yes, Islam is an easy religion in its rituals and requirements. But remember, Islam is a religion, a way of life, which by definition entails a commitment to a Supreme Being, i.e. Allāh. Islam is something we have to commit ourselves to. We see that many people who say Islam is "difficult" want an Islam where one has to do nothing; they define "easy" as "doing nothing". However, know that Allāh wants something from you, and that is obedience and commitment. Know that His obedience is easy, though some may find it difficult, however this doesn't mean that obedience in itself is difficult; the problem usually lies within the person himself, within their hearts, hearts which are lacking in taqwā and love of Allāh, hearts lazy and uninclined to the worship of their Creator.

The second reason is a lack of knowledge. People who find difficulty with Islam may have an incorrect understanding of Islam. Or they may not realise how easy the rules of Islam are to follow. E.g., the general principle with regards to worldly things is that everything is permissible unless proven otherwise, not the other way round as some people may have it. Or they may be unaware of wisdom behind certain acts. An example is charity, which apparently decreases wealth. However, Allāh says:

إِن تُقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعِفْهُ لَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ

"If you loan Allāh a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you." (Qur’ān 64:17)

And there's the ḥadīth: "Verily, wealth does not decrease because of charity." (Narrated by Muslim). You won’t find anyone who’s gone poor from giving charity. So realise that behind every command and prohibition there is a wisdom behind it. Without understanding this, practising Islam becomes a heavy burden. However, for some commands or prohibitions, these wisdoms may not be too apparent, like the prohibition for men to wear gold and silk for example. In cases like these, the attitude of the true Mu'min should be one of following the orders of Allāh without question, seeking His pleasure, even though the justification for such orders may not be clear, remembering that Allāh is the One who created us and thus knows us better than we know ourselves and that He knows what is better for us more than we do. If pleasing Allāh is always our aim, then undoubtedly the practice of religion becomes easy, no matter what apparent hardships we may encounter.

The third reason, is the bad environment you’re in. In a society where we are bombarded with ḥarām – foul language, obscene images and videos, interest, alcohol, gambling, ḥarām music –, it does make some sort of sense that practising the dīn becomes hard, even for those who strive to commit to it. But remember that in times like this where practising the dīn becomes difficult, those that do manage to cling on to the Qur’ān and Sunnah await for themselves an immense reward. Remember the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ where he said: “...After you there will come days during which being patient will be like holding on to a live coal. The one who strives during those days will have a reward like that of fifty men who strive as you do.” (Narrated by Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī and Ibn Mājah) And also remember the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ where he said: “Islam began as something strange, and it will return to being strange as it began. So, glad tidings for the strangers.” He was asked: “Messenger of Allāh, who are the strangers?” He replied: “Those who are righteous when the people are corrupt.” (Narrated by Aḥmad). And in another narration, “A tiny group of righteous people in the midst of a large number of corrupted people. Those who go against them are more than those who go along with them.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhī). May Allāh make us from these strangers!
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Praise be to Allāh, Lord of the Worlds, and may Peace and Blessings be upon the Messenger and upon his family and companions. To proceed: O mankind! Fear Allāh, obey Him and do good. Indeed, Allāh is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.

Know that whatever life throws at you, you are able to overcome it. Allāh says:

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا

“Allāh does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.” (Qur’ān 2:286)

This is especially true with regards to the dīn; whatever Allāh has prescribed for you, you are able to do it. However, remember that just because this dīn is simple and not burdensome doesn't mean that life will be a breeze for the Muslim. Remember that Allāh will test each and every one of us in one way or another. So even though Islam is easy to practise if you commit to it, your level of commitment will be tested by Allāh.

Remember that Islam is a religion that conforms with human nature; Allāh does not ask us to do what we are incapable of doing. Know that Shayṭān beautifies evil deeds and the following of vain desires, things that are of no benefit to us, whilst presenting good deeds, things that will actually benefit us, as boring and difficult, thus making us lazy. Yet, if one is able to take the first step in overcoming this, he will find out for himself the inner peace that good deeds bring out and how easy they are to perform, and he will be able to see the evils involved in committing sins.

Friday, 18 October 2013

Khutbah: Lessons From the Story of the Sacrifice

Praise be to Allāh who has sent the Qur’ān as clarification for all things, and as guidance and mercy and for the Muslims good tidings. And may peace and blessings be upon the one to whom the Qur’ān was revealed, Muḥammad, and upon his family and companions revered. To proceed: O you who have believed! Fear Allāh the way He deserves to be feared, and do not die except in a state of submission to Allāh.

Among the stories Allāh relates to us to ponder upon is the story of Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) being commanded by Allāh to sacrifice his son Ismāʿil (ʿalayh al-salām) , which can be found in Sūrat as-Sāffāt (37) āyāt 99-111.

This story in a nutshell is as follows: Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) returns to visit his son Ismāʿil, now in his adolescent years, years after Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) abandons Ismāʿil and his mother Hājar in the middle of the desert. Now imagine how happy he is at reuniting with his then only son, the quality time they're spending together, the time they're spending catching up on things. And then Allāh orders Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) to slaughter this beloved son of his. Without question, Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) submits to the command of his Lord. But first Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) decides to consult his son to see what he thinks. His reply? Was it to the tune of, "Dad, I'm not ready to die yet?" "Dad, why do you want to kill me?" No. He replied, "O father, do what you were ordered..." Subhān Allāh, this kind of īmān and taqwā is rarely found nowadays Muslims today, let alone our youths, may Allāh rectify us all. So they both surrender to His Commandment without complaint.

Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) heads to place of slaughter. On the way there, Shayṭān tries three times to persuade Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) not to sacrifice his son. Ibrāhīm's response? He pelts Shayṭān with seven stones at each of these three occasions. So, once Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) arrives at the place of slaughter, he lays down his son and binds him up. He raises the knife. Just when he is about to put the knife down Allāh calls him.

وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَن يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا

“We called to him, "O Ibrāhīm, You have fulfilled the vision.” (Qur’ān 37:104-105)

"You have passed the test". A great test indeed. And at the end Ismāʿil is saved and Allāh sends a ram to Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) to sacrifice in place of his son. Allāh says:

وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ

“And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.” (Qur’ān 37:106)

So what lessons can we extract from this story that we can apply to our own lives?
  • Every one will be tested. There's no M4 or Hume Hwy to Jannah. The road to Jannah has many obstacles. Jannah has to be earned. And one way we can earn it is by passing the trials Allāh tests us with with patience and steadfastness.
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
    “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruit, but give good tidings to the patient.” (Qur’ān 2:155)

    Allāh says that life and death has been created so that He may test us as to who is the best in deed. Even the Prophets, these chosen ones of Allāh, even they were tested. So what about us? Every person shall be tested in one way or another, some with hardship and some with luxury. Some tests will be big, e.g. oppression, some will be small, e.g. someone abusing you.

  • This brings us to another lesson we can bring out of this, and that is the Mercy of Allāh upon us. Such heavy tests were reserved for the Prophets. These special people were tested in ways we aren't tested. And this is a gift from Allāh to us, that Allāh tests those who are closest to Him the hardest, so that when these people pass these tests, Allāh says to us, "Look at these people." See what they went through? You've got nothing on them. Compare what they went through to what you're going through. You think your school-load or workload is tough? You think that staying away from ḥarām is hard? You think your five daily prayers are hard? Go imagine yourself being commanded by Allāh to kill the person you love the most: your mother, your father. Think your family situation's tough? Think about Ibrāhīm's one at the time. You'll realise, "Man, I've got it easy!" This is Allāh's Mercy upon us.
  • The heavier the test, the greater the reward is if you pass it. Ibrāhīm's life was full of trials and tests, including the test of the sacrifice of his son, and he passed them all. He demonstrated that his love for Allāh was above his love for anything else, even his beloved son. What did Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) get in compensation for this? For a start, his son was saved. He was blessed with another son, Isḥāq. He became the khalīl of Allāh. All the prophets that came after him was from his progeny. He is the only prophet Rasul Allāh ﷺ, the most exemplary of humans, is explicitly ordered to look up to and to take as an example. What an honour for Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām). His name and legacy is remembered and upheld to this day by every single Mu'min, for example in the ṣalāh, during the Ḥajj, and on ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā, when the animals are sacrificed. He is respected to this day not only by the Muslims of this world, but also by the Jews and Christians. Tell me of anyone who was respected more than Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) was. No one. Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) is the most respected person in history.
  • And what about his son, Ismāʿil, who willingly submitted to the command of Allāh to have him sacrificed? What was his reward? Not only was he saved, but he had the honour, along with his father, of building and maintaining the first ever house built for the worship of Allāh, a house venerated and respected to this day by all Muslims around the world. And from his progeny came the best of creations, the master of the children of Adam, Muḥammad ﷺ. Such is the reward of those who truly submit to their Creator.

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    Praise be to Allāh, who has not taken a son and has had no partner in [His] kingdom and has no [need of a] protector out of weakness; and magnify Him with [great] magnification. Allāh is Greatest, Allāh is greatest, there is no god but Allāh, Allāh is greatest, Allāh is greatest, and Allāh belongs all Praise and Thanks. To proceed: O mankind! Fear Allāh, obey Him and do good. Indeed, Allāh is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.

    O Slaves of Allāh! Rearrange your priorities and Allāh will help you.

    وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ ۚ

    “And whosoever fears Allāh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allāh - then He is sufficient for him.” (Qur’ān 65:2-3)

    Put Allāh first before everything else and Allāh will take care of the rest, no matter how bleak the outlook, how impossible things might look to seem. Look to Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) as an example of this: after all, the Prophet ﷺ was ordered to do the same. Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) put Allāh before everything else including his son. However, realise, may Allāh guide you, that you have an enemy waiting in your path. The same way Shayṭān tried to avert Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām) from slaughtering his son, from placing Allāh before anything else, Shayṭān will try to do the same to us. So beware of him, his sneaky tactics and his devilish whispers; indeed, he will present to you sin as a sweet-tasting fruit, but know that whoever eats from this fruit has eaten a poisoned fruit, a fruit that makes oneself eligible for the Blazing Fire of Jahannam.

    Know, may Allāh grant you success in the two worlds, that Allāh wants sincerity and effort from us in our acts of worship. After all, at the end of the day it’s not about the quantity of your deeds: it’s the quality that matters most. As the famous ḥadīth goes, “Indeed, actions are but by intentions”.

    Know that when you perform an act of worship, Allāh looks at whether you worship Him out of your love for Him or otherwise. Many people pray not out of their love for Allāh but because they have to; it's a duty upon them. They pray for the sake of it. Just go to the masjid and observe how many people just want to get things over and done with. This holds true for other acts of worship too. This is not how things should be. When we worship Allāh, we do it out of our love for Him, not only because we have to but because we want to. Indeed, the heart of a worshipper devoid of the love for Allāh is like a book with no writing it: of what benefit is it? Realise that once we worship Allāh with sincerity, full effort and love, you shall see the blessings, the benefits and the rewards of this, just like what we have seen with Ibrāhīm (ʿalayh al-salām).

    Friday, 11 October 2013

    Khutbah: The First Ten Days of Dhu al-Hijjah

    Praise be to Allāh, the One Who made certain periods of times more blessed than others and made acts of worship performed in them worth more in measure, as a Mercy to His servants so that they may exert more effort and be more eager in their endeavours to attain His Pleasure. May Peace and Blessings be upon the one who was sent to inform us of such blessed times, Muḥammad, and upon his family and companions, whom we all treasure. O you who have believed! Fear Allāh the way He deserves to be feared, and do not die except in a state of submission to Allāh.

    To proceed: O Servants of Allāh! A blessed season has come upon you, a season the days of which some scholars have deemed to be better than the last ten days of Ramaḍān. We are mid-way through the first ten days of the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, a month which is already considered sacred with Allāh. Allāh says:

    وَالْفَجْرِ ۝ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ

    “By the dawn. And [by] the ten nights.” (Qur’ān 89:1-2)

    Most scholars hold that the ten nights Allāh is taking oath by in these Verses are the first ten nights and days of Dhū al-Ḥijjah. Now Allāh doesn't just take oath by random things; He takes oath by things of significance to man. And so Allāh's taking oath by these ten days demonstrates the significance of these days and their superiority over other days.

    To further explain the significance of these ten days, the Prophet ﷺ was reported by Ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiya -Llāhu ʿanhu) to have said, “There are no deeds as excellent as those done in these ten days." They (the companions listening) said, "Not even jihād?" He, peace be upon him, said, "No, not even jihād except a man who goes forth endangering his life and wealth and does not return with anything.” (al-Bukhārī)

    So Dear Muslims! Recognise the significance of this season, a season springing with blessings and opportunities for the believer, and ensure that you eat from its sweet fruits before they run out. Amongst the best ways one can do this is by fasting, as mentioned in a ḥadīth qudsī where Allāh says, “All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it.” (al-Bukhārī) It was reported by one of the wives of the Prophet (raḍiya -Llāhu ʿanhā) that the Prophet ﷺ would not miss fasting the first nine days of Dhū al-Ḥijjah. If you are not able to, then at least fast three of these days, for then you will have fulfilled the sunnah of fasting three days in a month, a great sunnah which if performed every month counts as if one has fasted continuously, as is narrated by Muslim. And if you are not able to, then at least fast the Day of ʿArafah, the greatest day of the year, the day when Allāh perfected His Religion, a day which if one fasts it, his sins of the previous and the following year are wiped out, as was narrated from the Prophet ﷺ by Muslim and al-Tirmidhī.

    O Servants of Allāh! Recite abundantly the tahlīl (lā ilāha illa -Llāh), takbīr (Allāhu akbar) and taḥmīd (al-ḥamdu liLlāh) during this time, for as the Prophet ﷺ said, “There are no days that are greater before Allāh or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him, than these ten days, so recite a great deal of tahlīl, takbīr and taḥmīd during them.” (Aḥmad)

    Brothers and Sisters! The example of these ten days is like the traveller in the harsh desert who, to his
    delight, sights a blossoming tree after journeying for days on end. Be of those who rest in its cool shade and eats from its sweet fruits, and not like the fool who merely passes by without benefiting from it.
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    Praise be to Allāh, the One who has ordered us to His obedience and forbidden for us His disobedience. May Peace and Blessings be upon the best of creations, Muḥammad, and upon his family and companions.
    To proceed: O slaves of Allāh! Fear Allāh, obey Him and perform the good. Indeed, Allāh is with those who fear Him and those who do good.

    Know that amongst the characteristics of a Muslim is that he hastens to do the good. However, we may at times find ourselves procrastinating in our acts of worship, putting them off. For example, with ṣalāh, when the time of ṣalāh comes, we tell ourselves, “just wait a bit more. Delay the prayer a bit.” Especially with Fajr Ṣalāh: when the alarm goes off, we hit the snooze button and tell ourselves, “Just five more minutes”, and then put our heads back on the pillow. Or for those who don’t pray regularly—may Allāh guide us all to fulfil His commandments—they say to themselves, “I'll start praying when I'm a bit older.” This is not the attitude of the Muslim. Know that procrastination, putting off doing things to a later time, is a tool of Shayṭān by which the slave becomes lazy to worship his Lord, a tool whereby he is caught up in the delusion that he still has plenty of time left. And by the way, it's funny where when it come to sin, we tell ourselves, “Don’t worry, just do it for now, you've still got plenty time to repent to Allāh and seek His Forgiveness.” But remember, O slave of Allāh, that death may overcome you at any time. So instead of putting off good deeds and hastening in bad deeds, let us all hasten to do the good and strive to avoid the evil. Let us make sincere efforts to start this from now, during these blessed ten days, in order that Allāh place barakah in our efforts and allow us to maintain them for good. And I remind you once again, O slaves of Allāh, to make the most out of these ten days and not to delay your efforts in drawing nearer to your Lord, the Almighty. After all, it may be that you may not live to see another such blessed season.