Ghana TV3 Interview, Part 2
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
6 March 2010 Accra, Ghana
Interviewer:
As-salaamu `alaykum and welcome back to "Iqra" (programme). If you just tuned in, my guest today is Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, the American leader of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order. The shaykh has a lot of publications about faith in English and Arabic, and he has articles available at www.islamicsupremecouncil.org. Now, you want to visit this site and read some very important articles written by the shaykh. I’ll just mention a few: “Bin Laden’s Nuclear Weapons,” “Usama Bin Laden: A Legend Gone Wrong,” and “Islam and Democracy: Understanding Shari’ah, Islamic Law, from the Classical Islamic Perspective.” We will mention a few publications of the shaykh: "The Nine-Fold Ascent,” “Who Are the Guides?” “Banquet for the Soul,” “Universe Rising,” and “Pearls and Coral.”
Shaykh, you worked with international organizations to establish the "International Day of the Orphan" as a globally observed day for highlighting the plight of orphans, foster children, and child victims of abuse. Yesterday you were at the Islamic Council for Development and Humanitarian Services with Shaykh Mustapha Ibrahim’s office. Shaykh Mustapha Ibrahim is a very wonderful personality in this country and you saw lots of orphans in the conference room. What was your impression? How did you feel meeting these young people?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
I was really happy and sad at the same time. Happy that someone or an organization is taking care of them, and sad for their feelings, that they have problems and they don’t have someone to go to. They lack the father or the mother or both. So, it is a sad situation. I think you mentioned to me, these are not the only orphans; there are a lot around Ghana.
Interviewer:
That’s right.
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
And there are other organizations the same. So we saw the need for his work and that’s why we sponsored the "International Day of the Orphans." Allah (swt) said in Holy Qur'an, “Don’t remove or destroy the orphan or don’t eat the money of the orphan.” So we tried to establish a day that the United Nations would observe. But unfortunately, when we came forward with that idea we needed at least three Muslim countries according to the United Nations’ charter, to adopt it and then it goes on. So we didn’t find except Malaysia to adopt it.
Interviewer:
So you’re still working on it?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
We’re still working on it, for other countries to adopt it, then it will be a true event, the "International Day for Orphans."
Interviewer:
I noticed in your publications the title, “Banquet for the Soul.” This is a beautiful title, “Banquet for the Soul.” How does the soul have a banquet or enjoy a banquet for the soul?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
If you don't nourish the soul, the soul will die. And if the soul dies, there is no more energy for the body. So the body is like an atom: you have the mass and you have the electrons circumambulating around the mass non-stop at the speed of light. So as an atom has to exist with both of them, also the body has to exist with the soul. If the soul goes out and is not nourished well with the heavenly food, it might be as Allah (swt) said in Holy Qur’an, and as Prophet (s) mentioned in many ahadeeth, the verse:
إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
inna lillahi wa inna `ilayhi raji`oon
We are owned by Allah and to Him we must return. (2:156)
So don’t go poor, go wealthy (in good deeds), because if you go wealthy, then you are happy. If you go poor, you are going to have a question mark.
That’s why Prophet (s) asked the Sahabah (r), "Who is the poor (bankrupt)?”
They said, “Those who have no money.”
He said, “No, the one who has no `amal (good deeds).”
And they said, "Even if they pray and fast?"
And Prophet said, “He has no `amal, when he doesn't nourish the soul.”
(Nourish the soul by) not backbiting, not cheating and not deceiving. These things will nourish the soul in order that you can move with the body.
Interviewer:
When I first introduced you into the studio and I said, “Welcome to TV3,” you acknowledged the number three and said you loved the number three, you were telling me, “It is witr.” For our viewers, what does it mean witr, three?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
Witr is... like when we pray Salat ul-Witr, it is as if we are showing our Lord Allah (swt) that we accept tawheed, because tawheed is the reality of everything, and tawheed must be one, it cannot be more than one. Three is the sunnah of Prophet (s). When you drink, you drink three times. When you eat, eat three times. Not that you eat all day and night. So there is discipline in Islam on how to accommodate yourself in the number of three.
Interviewer:
This is a class for TV3. The number three, it is a wonderful number! Shaykh, back in the United States of America, gangsterism is a social problem, and what I see in your profile here, you’re working with the community to end gangsterism. I know how difficult it is to even approach the leadership of the gangs. How do you get around to it?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
When you show them that you trust them, they trust you. This is how gangs work, they build their relations on trust. When you don’t betray them, they are good with you. So we try to send some people whom they can trust, and whom can live with them from the huge community in the United States. We can send some people in every district. If you have many students around and many people working with them, then they go with them in their communities, and they are from the same origin, African-Americans, Filipinos, Mexicans, or whatever they are. So they go among them and build their trust. When they invite me, as one that is a foreigner, they believe that, because they cannot come together but someone from outside can be with them and bring them, whereas their leaders can’t. This is how we work with them, and we brought lots of them to shahadah, to Islam. And they left gangs and bad things they were doing before.
Interviewer:
( ... ) Shaykh, the youth, their are young ones looking up to you to emulate your example, particularly in Islamic spirituality. Do you feel satisfied? Do you have a feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day, of taking spirituality not to the older generation, but to the younger ones that are coming?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
I am not that one who... I don’t know how to answer this question because you cannot give yourself credit; you cannot say about yourself, “I did that.” No, I didn’t do that. It’s the blessings of Allah (swt), and the barakah of Prophet (s), and the support of our shuyookh; we feel they are behind that success. That’s why I take it back all the way to Allah (swt), that when He wants something to happen and it happens; it’s His way, it’s not us. But we are happy with the hadith of Prophet (s) where he says, “If Allah will guide through you one person to Islam, that is better than the whole wealth of this dunya.” So we feel that happiness, because Prophet (s) mentioned that hadith and Allah (swt) mentions many rewards for people who achieve that, whatever it is.Yes, and so it is Allah's Will that guides. So we have to feel that we are ants, we are nothing in Allah’s (swt) Divine Presence. We cannot do anything; it’s Allah’s (swt) Power that does everything.
Interviewer:
We are in the month of Rabi al-`Awwal, the month in which Prophet Muhammad (s) was born. Many are celebrating his spirit and, of course, his demise. What is your own purview of the Mawlid for Prophet Muhammad (s)?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
This is a long discussion, but I can address a question. I can say, where is it mentioned that we cannot celebrate? Show me in Holy Qur’an or in holy hadith! If you don’t have it, then don’t ask me why we are celebrating! We celebrate because Allah (swt) says in Holy Qur'an:
صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect. (33:56)
"Praise Prophet (s) continuously," even day and night by Allah’s order, non-stopping. He didn’t say, “Stop.” Did He say praise (limitedly)? No, He said "continuously.. So if we remember Prophet's (s) birthday, this is worship. And Allah (swt) said to Sayyidina Yahyah in Holy Qur’an,
وَسَلَامٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَيًّا
wa salaamun `alayhi yawm wulida wa yawma yamootu wa yawm yuba`thu hayyan
So Peace on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life (again) (19:15)
And He said about Sayyidna `Isa,
وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا
wa salaamun `alayya yawm wulidta wa yawma amootu wa yawm aba`thu hayyan
"So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"! (19:33)
And when they asked Prophet (s) about the fasting of Monday, he said, “This day I was born.” So that’s why we can do it. Those who don’t do it, it’s okay, it’s up to them, and those who like to do it, they do it. Like for example,
من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها وأجر من عمل بها
“Who does a good thing in Islam and people follow, he will get the reward of it and the reward of whoever does it.”
Why do they object? When just now at the beginning of the broadcast, I asked you, “Who sang that song?” and they showed the chief imaam there. And they were sitting and they were singing and showing his picture. So, is it something new or not?
Interviewer:
Yes, very good, yes, it is new.
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
It is new, so we are evolving and people evolved to this.
Interviewer:
Let me ask you a quick question and it will be a very quick answer because we will run out of time. What is your philosophy of life?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
Philosophy of life?
إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return (2:156)
“Do your best because you are going one day to Allah (swt) and no one is going to look after you there, except shafa’atu 'n-Nabi (s). And we hope that Prophet (s) will intercede for us, because Allah (swt) will give him the shafa’ah to intercede for his Ummah. We know we are sinners, but we are asking from Allah (swt).
Interviewer:
Before we wrap up, I have a few messages here for you, (in Swahili): “Shaykh Hisham, may you live long and be enriched in all things from Milad activity.” (Swahili) “May God enrich you in all things and may you live long.”
Shaykh, please give your advice for the youth in general, Christian youth, Muslim youth, everybody in general, in one sentence.
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
Be good and don’t come against the government. Always, don’t come against your government! When you elect them, you elected them; finished. They are your leaders. Follow them.
Interviewer:
Mashaa-Allah. Thank you very much for coming.
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham:
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