The True Meaning of the Title "al-Mudaththir"
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
23 December 2010 Tangerang, Indonesia
Suhbah / Mawlid at Dar al-Islah with K.H. Amir Hamzah
(Translated from Arabic)
Suhbah / Mawlid at Dar al-Islah with K.H. Amir Hamzah
(Translated from Arabic)
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.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.
Awliyaullah have divine news that this year will be full of mistakes, so stay home, continue reading Qur'an, making dhikr and salawaat on the beloved Prophet (s).
O Lord! You are the Generous and we are the weak ones. You are the Strong, so please connect us with Prophet (s) in this life and in the Hereafter. Have him regard and watch our lives and our hearts! O Allah! Unite us in this night with Prophet (s) and make us to see him with our own eyes. If not possible, then kindly allow him to grant us his glance upon us and our lives! O Lord! Don't deprive us from being with him! From being in his presence, guidance, and under his vigilance yaa Allah!
This is a book written by one of the awliyaullah, as some of you might know. It gives a detailed descriptions of the characteristics of Prophet (s). When he was born, he prostrated in sajdah to his Lord. He has many characteristics, some of which are bravery and leadership. As a characteristic of his courage, he fears no one except Allah Almighty! When the angel came to him during his birth, along with Jibreel (a), `Azra`il (a), and others, as well as Maryam (a), Hawaa (a), the wife of Pharaoh, and all who attended his birth, nevertheless, he continued to be in prostration to his Lord.
How come they did not pay attention to the real meaning of "al-Mudaththir"? After seeing Sayyidina Jibreel (a), who came down to him with the Lord's revelation, Prophet (s) said, daththiroonee, "cover me." He was in a state of meditation in the cave of Hira. But do you think, according to some interpretations, that he was trembling from fear of Sayyidina Jibreel (a)? How can we say that he was afraid of Jibreel (a), given that this angel was with him during his birth and in other events in his life? So what is the actual meaning of "daththiroonee"? Allah said in Holy Qur'an:
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ
Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem. yaa ayyuhal- muddaththir, qum fa andhir, wa rabbuka fakabbir.
O you, wrapped up (in the mantle)! Arise and deliver your warning, and your Lord magnify! (al-Mudaththir, 74:1-3)
Dathirooni means "to be covered up by something". When he was asked by Jibreel (a) to read, even though he was illiterate from our point of view, but was not illiterate on other levels, Prophet (s) said, "Cover me with what Allah has adorned me." Prophet asked Jibreel, ma 'ana biqari, "What do you wish me to read?"
Jibreel (a) answered, "With Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem, read from all the secret knowledges about all of the existing Creations; read with these secrets."
Trembling, Prophet (s) said, "O angels! Cover me with all the realities, knowledges, and secrets manifested to me since the Day of Promises."
Prophet (s) said:
Dhahab alhlu 'd-duthoor bil-ujur.
People of dathr (giving),have taken the reward.
So another meaning for daththiroonee, other than the verbal "cover me," is "bestow me with." Allah (swt) is saying, Yaa ayyuha 'l-muddaththir! "O the rich one, to whom Allah granted knowledges not previously open to anyone! Get up and warn!" It does not mean "warn distant persons," but rather it means, "notify the close ones about the esoteric knowledges that have not yet been open to anyone." This is supported by the two verses I read by Shaykh Ahmad al-Rifa`ee (q): "I was in my distant state. I was sending my ghost spirit to go and kiss your hand. But now I have come in your presence to uphold and absorb from your lights, in the presence of the spiritual congregation."
Say, Allahu Akbar! (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar!)
Inna fatahna laka fathan mubeena.
Verily, We have granted thee a manifest victory. (al-Fath, 48:1)
This also means, "We have opened to you a revelation." This verse of Surat al-Fath, is a witness to the verse of al-Mudaththir we mentioned earlier. Shaykh Ahmad Al-Rifa`ee (q) wrote a poem in the event that he would visit the blessed maqam of Prophet (s) in Madinatu 'l-Munawwara, in which he pleaded for Prophet to give him his hand to take real bay`a with Prophet in the state of spiritual distance. Awliyaullah are capable of coming out from their body in the spirit form, to reach anywhere, and they appear in an etherial state. Ahmad Al-Rifa`ee said he used to travel in spirit to the blessed maqam of Prophet (s), before he finally got the chance to visit him physically. Therefore, awliyaullah may transcend the physical in a spiritual state. However, from his Holy Ascension, Prophet Muhammad (s) possesses spiritual as well as physical capabilities, in both states, as exemplified in the Mi`raj.
Prophet (s) said:
On every letter of "laa ilaaha illa-Llah," Allah creates an angel who makes the same remembrance on his behalf until the Day of Judgment. (Sha`arani)
Allah (swt) is saying, "We have opened to you a revelation that is impossible to absorb, so as to inform people about it, and to forgive you, as you are carrying their burdens." So without feeling we are all beseeching the Prophet (s) to carry our sins and intercede for us. This is why Allah is saying, "O Muhammad (s)! I have manifested on you with this opening, to enable you to carry this responsibility."
Inna fatahna laka fathan mubina, liyaghfira lakallahu ma taqaddama min zanbika wa ma ta akhkhar.
We have opened to you a distinguished, distinct opening, so as to absolve you from all previous and future sins that you will intercede on behalf of your ummah. (al-Fath, 48:1-2)
Wa law idh zhalamoo anfusahum. In general, if you commit a sin, you come in the presence of Prophet (s) asking him to intercede for your forgiveness. Allah (swt) is saying, "O Muhammad (s)! When you have opened to them from the inner and outer secrets, they realized their darkness and oppressive natures, so they came up to you, asking for your forgiveness."
Sayyida Rabi`a al-`Adawiya (q) used to say to her Lord, "I am not serving You for the sake of Your reward, nor in fear of Your punishment, but because You deserve being loved and served!"
Whatever knowledges awliyaullah have attained are nothing compared to what was granted to Prophet's (s) of Usool Awwaleen wa 'l-`Akhireen, "Knowledges of Before and After." What we can do is resort to the cave, where Allah (swt) will spread His mercy upon you. "Mercy" is Prophet Muhammad (s), and "the cave" is the heart of Prophet (s)! Therefore, those who seek refuge must go to the prophetic heart.
Similarly, in Surat al-YaaSeen, Allah (swt) is saying:
وَآيَةٌ لَّهُمْ أَنَّا حَمَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ فِي الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ
Wa aayatun lahum anna hamalna dhurriy-yatahum fi 'l-fulki 'l-mashhoon.
And a sign to them is that we carry them and their descendants in a loaded ship. (36:41)
The "loaded ship" is the prophetic heart carrying all the believers. It is said about,"laa ilaaha illa-Llah" in the Book Tabaqat, that Allah (swt) takes the worst servants for His judgment and puts in front of them 99 books, records of all their sins. He commands angels to weigh those records against one utterance of "laa ilaaha illa-Llah," which is heavier on the Scale, and thus they are taken to Paradise! If one remembrance is able to weigh that much, then is it not worthy for us to remember Allah (swt) at least one-hundred times a day?
Shaykh Ahmad al-Rifa`ee mentioned in his du`a that he asked Allah (swt) to show him Prophet's (s) face during the moment of death. I would like to give you good tidings from awliyaullah: Prophet (s) actually appears during these moments and pulls the spirit out with his merciful hands!
Shaykh Ahmad al-Rifa`ee continues, "O imaam of all Messengers! O my Support! You are the dependable door to Allah! O Messenger of Allah! Take my hand, and support me in this life and in the Hereafter! My eyes have never seen and will never see anyone with such pure qualities and characteristics! O my Master! O Messenger of Allah! You are the one whose rank is high with Allah! The sinners have come to you with their sins, seeking Allah's forgiveness!
O Master of the Messengers! O Pure One! You are the highest goal and aim! Allah (swt) has blessed you in every moment and time! O Master of the Messengers! O Pure One! Your slave and servant is waiting with humility at your door! We are ever thankful for your favors, in every moment and time! All my sorrows are relieved with your remembrance! O Opener of the Door! O Capable One! Allah, my Lord Almighty! O my Beloved! Connect me, for the period has taken too long!"
May Allah forgive us and bless us.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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