MSH.4 DEC 2009.KHUTBAH.PREPOST.ENG

What is Permitted Is Clear and What is Forbidden Is Clear

Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani

4 December 2009   Burton, Michigan

Jumu`ah Khutbah    As-Siddiq Mosque

 
Ayyuhal mu'minoon al-hadiroon, ittaqullah wa ati`ooh. Inna Allah ma`alladheena attaqoo walladheena hum muh'sinoon.

O Muslims, Believers! Allah (swt) sent the Prophet, Seal of Messengers (s) and created him as rahmatan 'l-il 'alameen (a Mercy to all the Worlds). The Prophet (s) has mentioned everything that we should know and he said, al-halaalu 'l-bayyinu wa 'l-haraamu bayyin. Halaal is clear and haraam is clear and in between are issues that require ijtihaad, different discussions, where it is unclear if it is halaal or haraam. `Ulama have their opinion on these issues. One issue, I'd like to address quickly, concerns eating.

 

Whenever you are eating, angels descend on the food. If you say bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem, Allah (swt) will bless that food and a lot of angels will be descending. That is why when you begin with bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem, that time is considered a time of worship. In worship, everything has to be disciplined as it is when you pray; when you are in qiyaam and ruk`oo and sujood. Same also when we are eating. There are many discussions of this in the ahadeeth of Prophet (s), for example, the discipline of eating that which the hand can reach and not beyond. Make sure to keep that discipline. We have learned from `ulama not to stand up during eating even if a king should enter, because there are angels descending on the food and it is like a time of worship. The only time you may stand up is when those angels who are blessing the food are coming by the order of Allah (swt), if you are beginning with bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.

Another issue concerns keeping focused while praying in a mosque. You must not look behind you or left or right. When the Sahaaba (r) were praying, they never knew who was on the right or left, though they knew people around them personally. Their focus was only on the Prophet (s) and where they were making sajdah. You have no right to look behind but rather towards the qiblah and towards the place of sajdah. When you are sitting and waiting for the imaam to come and the adhaan has been called, it means you are in a position of worship and it is not acceptable to stand for the imaam. I realized that every time an imaam came you were standing. This is against Islamic shari`ah and Islamic behavior. At that moment, you are standing between the hands of Allah (swt). You are there in that Presence and you are worshipping One, and therefore, you cannot stand and look about you; you will be in sin and problems. So make certain you are concerned only with prayer.

 

If you should have beads in your hand, or stones as in the time of Prophet (s), when the imaam stands for khutbah you have no right to touch the beads. It is considered laghaw, unacceptable, during worship. So be sure to keep your discipline. In family or social settings, you may stand to greet those who come; that is considered good adab, manners, but not during worship. All people are equal to Allah (swt) during that time and so you must not stand. O Muslims, it is important for us to know about this as it affects others and they think, "Why are these people standing up?" You bring a question mark in your action. So I hope from now on inshaa-Allah you know that standing in a masjid for prayers is only for Allah (swt) and not for anyone else. 

Allah (swt) has sent the Seal of Messengers, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) to teach the ummah what to do. And the Prophet (s) taught the ummah, in order to acquire the love of Allah (swt) they have to love him (s). So if we are not loving the Prophet, wa 's-salaatu wa 's-salallam, it means we are not obeying Allah (swt). And all Muslims love the Prophet (s) but there are differences in their love, there are different levels of love. Anyone wishing the love of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) must listen to this hadeeth, in Imam Bukhari, the Prophet said:

لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى أكون أحب إليه من ولده ووالده والناس أجمعين

La y'uminoo ahadukum hatta akoonu ahabba ilayhi min waladihi wa waalidihi wa 'n-naasu ajma`een.
None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to me than his children, his parents and all of mankind.

If you love Muhammad (s) it is accepted by the tongue, but if you truly want to be a believer, you cannot say this by tongue alone.

It has to really be by action and what is that action? The proof is that the Prophet (s) must be loved more; that means you have to show belief in Allah (swt) and show real love to Sayyidina Muhammad (s), more than you love your children or your father!

 

That is why the Sahaaba (r) were honored, they were like stars in a dark night. Their whole focus; their minds and hearts were a sacrifice for the love of Sayyidina Muhammad (s). They did everything possible for the love of Islam, because love for Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is love for Islam! Love to Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is love to Allah (swt). He said, "You have to love me more than your children and more than your father and you have to love me more than anyone in this life, more than all people." 

In the story of Sayyidina `Ibraheem (a) when Sayyidina Isma`eel (a) asked, "Who is more generous? You or me?" and Sayyidina `Ibraheem (a) replied, "I am more generous as I gave you up to Allah (swt) as a sacrifice." And Isma'eel (a) said, "O my father, I am more generous. You gave me, you did not give yourself, but I gave my life to Allah (swt)."

 
So what did the Prophet (s) say in the hadeeth after he said, "You have to love me more than your father, your children and all humanity." He said, wa min nafsahillati bayna jambayn, " You have to love Sayyidina Muhammad (s) more than your own self." How much do you love yourself? When it comes to something dangerous, you say, "Myself, myself."

 يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ

Yawma yafirru 'l mar 'u min akheeh wa ummihi wa abeeh.

That Day shall a man flee from his own brother and his mother and his father. (80:33-34)

 

On the Day of Judgment everyone will be running away; from his brother, from his mother and father, from everyone, and say, "Ya Rabbee, nafsee nafsee." This shows how much we love ourselves, we don't say, "Ya Rabbee, take me to Hell and save everyone else." You don't say that, you say, "Myself, myself." Only Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is saying, ummatee, ummatee, "My ummah, my ummah. Do what You want, Ya Rabbee, with me, but save my ummah." So the Prophet (s) is showing how much he loves his ummah and that is why he said, "Ya Rabbee give me shafa`a, to intercede for my ummah." 

That is the taste of real love that Allah (swt) wants to see. We know that we cannot do that, but we must at least struggle to do it. Give thanks to Allah (swt) that He made us Muslims. Don't think you became Muslim because you were so mashaa-Allah, righteous or sincere.

 إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

Laa tahdee man ahbabta inn 'Allaha yahdee man yashaa'u wa huwa a`lamu bi 'l-muhtadeena.

Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way. (28:56)

 

Allah (swt) guided us, honored us and made us Muslim. He blessed us with that rahmah and He loves us more than anyone else,

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ  تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ

kuntum khayra ummatee ukhrijat li 'n-naas, tamaroona bi 'l-m`aroofi wa tanhawna ani 'l-munkar
You were the best ummah, nation, sent to humanity, you call for good and prohibit what is bad. (3:110)

Today we are not calling for good, we are all calling for ourselves. When living happily and healthfully, we run after our own desires, not thinking of real worship to Allah (swt). We pray the five prayers, those of us who pray and jumu'ah, then forget about everything else. You have to thank Me, wa in shakartum la azeedannakum. So remind yourself how much Allah (swt) has given you. He gave you health, gave you breath, gave you a good life and gave you a good family. We have to keep ourselves busy, thanking Him day and night.

وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا 

Wasbir nafsaka m` a 'lladheena yad` oona rabbahum bi 'l-ghadaati wa al-`ashiyyi yureeduna wajhahu wa la ta`daw `aynaaka `anhum tureedu zeenata 'l-hayaati 'd-dunya wa laa tuti` man aghfalna qalbahu `an dhikrina wa 'ttaba`a hawaahu wa kaana amruhu furutaa.

And withhold yourself with those who call on their Lord morning and evening desiring His goodwill, and let not your eyes pass from them, desiring the beauties of this world's life; and do not follow him whose heart We have made unmindful to Our remembrance, and he follows his low desires and his case is one in which due bounds are exceeded. (18:28)

O Muhammad (s), keep yourself patient with those who are always remembering their Lord in the morning going to work and in the evening. They are always remembering their Lord because they want Allah (swt) to be happy with them; for His love only. They want love of Sayyidina Muhammad (s). That is why Allah (swt) said, "Look at them, O Muhammad (s), they are looking for your love." But that doesn't mean sitting all day in the mosque, doing dhikr and being lazy. The verse is clear. They remember Allah (swt) in the morning and in the evening. The rest of the time is work. If you don't find work, take a pick and shovel and do gardening, dust, or do laundry and clean. Don't be lazy.

There is work in the day and work at night, so don't turn your face from it. Allah (swt) likes people who worship at night. Allah (swt) said, tureedu zeenata 'l-hayaati 'd-dunya. Do you want the good things of this life or akhirah? Certainly, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) wants akhirah and that verse is teaching us.

I will not be too long; `asr is coming. O Muslims, always be ready to do as much as you can for the benefit of yourself and your family, and make sure that no matter who comes into the masjid, be sure to keep facing the qiblah. Don't stand up for anyone who comes. Even if the king comes, don't stand while in a position of prayer.

Allahuma salli wa sallim `ala sayyidina Muhammad mafkhara 'l-`arabi wa 'l-`ajam.