Who Are the Best in Faith?
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
2 April 2010 Burton, Michigan
Jumu`ah Khutbah at As-Siddiq Mosque
Allahuma salli wa sallim wa baarik `alayk, yaa Sayyidee, yaa Rasoolullah, yaa Rahmatan li 'l-`Alameen!
Once the Prophet (s) was sitting with Sahabah and a man came, they didn't know him, very clean, no sign of travelling on his clothes, and he came and asked the Prophet (s) many questions. Sayyidina `Umar said that whatever the Prophet was asked, the man answered, "Yes, you spoke the truth, sadaqta." Yasa'lahu wa yusaddiqahu, he asked him and he believed him. Sayyidina `Umar and the Sahaba were astonished, "Who is that one? They never saw him, he appeared at the door. And that is the first hadith Imam Bukhari (r) put in his collection of the most authentic hadith (Sahih Bukhari). Imam Bukhari (r) would not put a hadith without making istikhaara and he asked Allah (swt) to show him in the dream what is correct and what is not correct. He always saw the Prophet (s) in every dream saying, "I said this hadith and this I didn't say." And then the Prophet (s) would tell him where to put this hadith and under which chapter. And it was in the chapter of imaan that Imam Bukhari put that hadith in, "Kitab al-Imaan". That is the hadith in which Jibreel (a) asked the Prophet (s) about Islam, about imaan, about ihsaan, the three main parts of our religion.
Sayyidina `Umar was surprised and asked the Prophet (s),"Who is that one, yaa Rasoolullah?"
He said, "That is Jibreel (s), who came to teach you your religion, and he came to ask me these questions and they are revelation," and even saying that 'sadaqta' is part of revelation.
The main point is the importance of imaan. After shahadah, praying, fasting, zakaat and hajj, which is the first part in the structure of Islam. And when he asked what imaan is, "What is faith yaa Muhammad (s)," he gave the six pillars of imaan:
قال جبريل للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : فأخبرني عن الإيمان ؟ قال : أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسله واليوم الآخر ، وتؤمن بالقدر خيره وشره ، قال : صدقت
an tu'minu billahi, wa mala`ikatih, wa kutubihi, wa rusulihi, wa 'l-yawmi 'l-aakhir, wa tu'mino bi 'l-qadri khayrihi wa sharrihi.
"To believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His prophets, and in the Day of Resurrection, and in Destiny, the good and bad of it."
These six pillars which are the `aqeedah (belief) of People of Islam (Muslims). Al-`ibadaat is your worship, during the year, the week, the day. So the second part of the question was about imaan, if your `aqeedah is correct or incorrect. So part of the `aqeedah is (the pillars of) imaan, and as much as you are worshiping, that is (an indication of) how much imaan you have in your heart, how much you increase your imaan. I will relate this hadith that shows that you are lucky to be from Ummat an-Nabi (s), lucky and especially the last of the ummah, after 1400 years passed from the time of Prophet Muhammad (s). So increase yourself in worship to Allah (swt).
Allah (swt) said:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ
kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrijati lin-naas, tamaroona bil-ma`roof wa tanhawna ani 'l-munkar.
You were the best ummah that was sent to humanity, calling for what is good and forbidding what is bad. (3:110)
Today, they do the opposite, calling for the bad and forbidding good! All of us do that, (calling for) the ego, the selfishness, the poison. Shaytan has poisoned us in many ways. He is not sleeping and we are! Shaytan is running, active day and night, and we surrendered to our ego, our selfishness. We want to go here and there, and everywhere there is a sin facing us, wherever we go there is a sin in front of us. That is a problem. That is why Sayyidina `Ali (r) said, "Close your mouth and don't look." Many shuyookh said, "Look where you put your feet, not further. If you look further you will make a mistake."
Avoid approaching bad desires. There are good desires that Allah (swt) gave us. Sahabah (r) in their time rode horses, did archery and swimming, and active work to fill their entire day, giving from within themselves, trying to do something in which there was no sin. That is good desire. But for us today, we are running after bad desires. What are bad desires? Discos, movies, boyfriends meeting girlfriends, a lot of lying and cheating, deceiving and fighting with each other. These are bad desires from which we must pull ourselves as much as we can. This hadith will make you content and satisfied at how much Allah (swt) is giving you, this ummah, not because of us, but because of Sayyidina Muhammmad, `abduhu wa habeebuh, `alayhi 's-salaatu wa 's-salaam!
وأخرج البزار وأبو يعلى والحاكم وصححه عن عمر بن الخطاب قال : كنت جالسا مع النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فقال : أنبئوني بأفضل أهل الإيمان إيمانا ؟ فقالوا : يا رسول الله الملائكة ، قال : هم كذلك ويحق لهم ، وما يمنعهم وقد أنزلهم الله المنزلة التي أنزلهم بها ، قالوا : يا رسول الله الأنبياء الذين أكرمهم الله برسالته والنبوة ، قال : هم كذلك ويحق لهم ، وما يمنعهم وقد أنزلهم الله المنزلة التي أنزلهم بها ، قالوا : يا رسول الله الشهداء الذين استشهدوا مع الأنبياء ، قال : هم كذلك ، وما يمنعهم وقد أكرمهم الله بالشهادة ، قالوا : فمن يا رسول الله ؟ قال : أقوام في أصلاب الرجال يأتون من بعدي يؤمنون بي ولم يروني ويصدقوني ولم يروني ، يجدون الورق المعلق فيعملون بما فيه ، فهؤلاء أفضل أهل الإيمان إيمانا وفي إسناده محمد بن أبي حميد وفيه ضعف .
Once Sayyidina `Umar (r) was sitting with the Prophet (s), who asked, anbiyoonee bi afdali ahlu 'l-imaani imaana. He was speaking to his Sahabah and asking a question, also giving the answer, "Tell me who are best of the people of faith, who are the ones that Allah (swt) created that have the best faith?" Isn't it easy to say who has the best faith?
They said, "Yaa Rasoolullah! The best ones to have faith are the angels, al-mala`ikah." That is not strange, as certainly the angels have the best faith as they don't sin.
The Prophet (s) answered, wa maa yamna`ahum min dhaalik wa qad anzalahum Allah manzalatahum allatee anzalahum bihaa. "How are they not going to have the best faith when Allah (swt) created them as a heavenly creation, at a very high level? But there are some others who have more faith."
They said, "Yaa Rasoolullah, the prophets, might be they have more faith than angels?"
Al-ladheena akaramahumullah bi risaalatih wa 'n-nubuwwah. The Prophet (s) said, "Allah (swt) ordered them to be prophets; they are ma`soomoon, infallible, they don't sin, they are prophets." And he said, "How is it going to be the prophets (are most faithful) when they are feeling and receiving the revelation, and seeing the angels and Jibreel (a), and they know that Allah (swt) sent them?"
Of course they are going to have belief, but who else has better belief? Is there anyone more high than prophets? No, but he wanted to show them something important.
Qaala, hum kadhaalik wa yahaqq lahum wa maa yamna`uhum min dhaalika wa qad anzalahumallahu bil manzali 'llatee anzalahum bihaa. "What kept them from having the best faith when Allah (swt) gave them that level of prophecy and that honor; certainly they have to have faith."
Then they said, "Yaa Rasoolullah, ash-shuhadah, the martyrs."
And Prophet (s) answered, Alladheena tashhadoo m`a 'l-anbiyaa, "The martrys that got the shahadah when fighting alongside Prophet (s) and gave their lives for Allah (swt), His religion and His Prophet (s), hum kadhaalik wa qad akramahumallahu bi 'sh-shahadah, bal ghayruhum, "no, because Allah (swt) allowed them to be shuhadah, martyrs, so they knew that. But there are some others who have more faith."
The angels are always under the manifestation of Allah's Beautiful Names and Attributes, they see that. Prophets are under revelation. Martyrs see what Allah (swt) gave them when they were martyred in His way.
Then the Sahabah (r) said, faman, yaa Rasoolullah, "Then who is that, O Rasoolullah?" Then who are these people, better than angels and prophets, in the meaning of how much is imaan important in the hearts?
And Prophet (s) answered, Qaala aqwaamun fee aslaabi 'r-rijaalun yaatoona min ba`dee y'uminoona bee lam yarawnee. "Men (and women) of strong faith who are the best descendants in the loins of those who are pious."
That is why it is important to have pious parents, or the children will be lost. When you are pious and sincere, and your son and daughter see your piety and sincerity, they imitate you as their role model, doing what you are doing. But when you leave them to their desires and say, "I will do this and that for you (as you like)," and take them by your hand to Shaytan, what is going to happen then? They are no longer going to be pious from the pious ones.
So the Prophet (s) said, aqwaamun min aslaabi 'r-ijaal yaatoona mim baadee, y'uminoona bee wa lam yarawnee. "A group of people, who will come after me till the Day of Judgment, from the piety of these men (like the Sahabah), who will believe in me and they never saw me."
When you don't see someone or something, how do you believe? The Sahabah, the angels, the martyrs were all able to see, and the prophets knew that they were coming from the Prophet's ummah, they were receiving revelation. But you mu'mins, one day, and we are in it, coming after Prophet Muhammad (s), yu'minoona bee wa lam yarawnee wa yusaddiqoonee wa lam yarawnee, . "They believe and they never saw me."
There will be, "People coming till the Day of Judgment and they believe in me and they didn't see me. They confirm what I said without having seen me."
yajidoon al-waraq al-mu`allaq fa y`amaloona bima feehi. "They will find papers, skin, (they will find the Qur'an, they will see its papers)."
That means the Holy Qur'an will reach them and they will read it and they will, yu'minoona bimaa feehi, "do according to what Qur'an has said."
That is why a Muslim's constitution is the Holy Qur'an. In your belief is as a Muslim, you have to believe in the Qur'an: read it and follow what it is saying.
Fa-haaulaa'i afdal ahlu 'l-imaani imaana, "They are the best of imaan."
You Muslims never saw the Prophet (s) and still you accepted him! You never saw him receiving revelation and giving it to the Sahabah, and you accepted the Qur'an. So you are the best of Muslims! That hadith is related by al-Haakim and al-Bazzaar.
O Muslims! Time is approaching; we are not left with too much time. And some ask, "How do you know that the time is approaching?" Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur'an:
اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ
Iqtarabati 's-sa`atu w 'anshaqqa al-qamar.
The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder. (54:1)
And that was in the time of Prophet (s)! Allah (swt) was saying that the time is approaching quickly and the moon was split by His order to the Prophet (s), as a miracle for the unbelievers. Allah (swt) at that time said that the Day of Judgment was so near. Allah (swt) was saying, not we. And you don't know if at any moment your life may be taken. Is that not your Day of Judgment, leaving dunya behind and not taking anything with you? Except waladun saalihun yad`u lah, three things you will take with you only, as Prophet (s) said:
Idhaa maata bn' Adamu anqata` `amalihi illa min thalaath, "The deeds of the sons of Adam will be cut except for three." Sadaqatun jaariyyah, "a flowing donation, which is given to a hospital, or a mosque, feeding the poor, or giving to a Muslim school." That is sadaqatun jaariyyah that will be written for you even if you are dead. `Ilmun yantafa`u bihi, "and knowledge which you leave behind and others benefit from it." Writing books on Islamic beliefs that people read and get benefit from. "And a child you leave that is young or old, but will pray for Paradise for you and recite Fatihah on your grave, sending the beautiful words of Qur'an on you that will never stop."
And so, this dunya is only moments. O Muslims! Open your minds and understand that one day we are going to be in the Presence of Allah (swt). You come with nothing; you come to life with no clothes and you leave with no clothes except a sheet to cover you.
May Allah (swt) forgive us.
Du`a.
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