MSH.23 APR 2010.Khutbah.PREPOST.ENG

Fitna Amongst Muslims Has Become Commonplace
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
23 April 2010     Burton, Michigan
Jumu`ah Khutbah at As-Siddiq Mosque

A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.

O Muslims, believers! Allah (swt) did not leave anything but He sent it and revealed it to us through Sayyidina Muhammad (s) and if anyone says we need a reformation of religion, we say that Allah (swt)'s religion cannot be reformed. What Allah (swt) said is our way; what the Prophet (s) mentioned is our way. And our way is that of Ahlu’l-Sunnah wa’l-Jama`ah, the people of mainstream. But, unfortunately, the people of mainstream have been ignored these days and they have been given a hard time to practice their ways and to call people to their ways. And the way of Ahlu’l-Sunnah is the way of Sahabah (r) as the Prophet (s) taught them, the way of Imam Abu Hanifa (r), Imam Malik (r), Imam Shafi`ee (r), and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (r). These are our ways and that is who we follow!

And Prophet (s) raised Sahabah (r) to purify their behavior. It is not just to pray and fast, but to polish our behavior, from being stubborn and backbiting and supporting baatil against haqq; that is not the way of Ahlu’l-Sunnah wa’l-Jama`ah. Prophet (s) spent 23 years to raise the Sahabah to a level of purity and their teaching was going from one generation to another. Today we have to follow what Prophet (s) came with, in order to save ourselves. Prophet (s) said in one hadith:

. الا اخبركم بايسر العبادة واهونها على البدن؟ ايسر العبادة الصمت

ala ukhbirukum bi aysar al-`ibadah wa ahwanahaa `ala al-badan? aysara al-`ibadati as-samt.
"Do you want me to tell you the easy way of religion?"
He is giving the easy way for us.

اجعل لسانك رطبا بذكرالله

For example, one Sahabi (r) came to Prophet (s) saying, qad kathurat `alayya shara`i al-Islam. "Shari'ah of Islam is hard on me; give me something easy."

Prophet (s) said, "Keep your tongue wet with Allah (swt)'s dhikr."

That is besides the obligations. So when you do dhikrullah there are angels that come with each Name, manifesting that Name and polishing your heart as much as you recite. 

And Prophet (s) said, from Safwan bin Saleem (r), `ala ukhbirukum bi aysar al-`ibaadah wa ahwanaha `ala 'l-badan. And he asked, "Can we keep it or not?" I don't think we can keep it; if we can keep it we will be inheriting the secret of that hadith from the Sahabah (r). And what is it? As-samt. "Don't talk, keep silent." If you talk you put yourself in more problems. When you leave them alone, let them say whatever they say and you don't bother, that is the easiest way of worship, then you don't open confusion. Unless you are on haqq and you are sure that it is damaging the community and damaging Muslims, then you have to stand up for haqq. But for yourself, then as much as you like to say, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) said, "Keep quiet." Can you keep quiet? That is the biggest issue. And the other word is husn al-khuluq, to be a role model and show good moral character. 

In the time of the Prophet (s), did he appoint a khalifah? Were Sahabah speaking about who is going to be after Prophet (s)? Was anyone from Sahabah (r) claiming , "I am his khalifah."? His head will be chopped! No way! Because it is not adab, respect, to say, "I am khalifah of Prophet (s)." Sahabah (r) were not daring to say that they are khalifah of Prophet (s), from Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (q) to Sayyidina `Ali (q)--because it is bad adab. If you say this, it is as if you are saying, "The Prophet (s) is dying."

 

And Sayyidina `Umar (r), when Prophet (s) really died, took his sword and said, "If anyone is saying there is a khalifah after Prophet (s), I will cut off his head!" His mind was not accepting it, and he was not able to believe Prophet (s) died. He was not able to take it, until Sayyidina Abu Bakr (r) said to him:

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ

wa maa muhmmadun illa rasool. qad khalat min qablihi 'r-rusul. afa in maata aw qutil anqalabtum `ala aa`aqaabikum
Muhammad is no more than an apostle: many Were the apostle that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then Turn back on your heels? (3:144)

"What it says in Holy Qur'an: 'The Prophet (s) is like other messengers who died before, although he is the Seal of Messengers. And if he died or is killed, will you turn back?' If you say 'no' (that he died), you are going to make confusion." And Sayyidina `Umar (r) read that ayah and said, "Yaa Abu Bakr! Since I became Muslim I have been reading the Holy Qur'an and I feel that I have never read that verse."

 

He could not believe that Prophet Muhammad (s) died because for him, in reality, he was not dead. And for sure Sayyidina Muhammad (s) cannot die; he is alive. But in physicality Allah (swt) took him to be near Him. He sent Jibreel (a) and `Azra`il (a) and they asked, "Do you want to stay or go?"
Prophet (s) said, "I will go to ar-Rafeeq al-`ala, the Highest Companion."

And that was after the verse:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا

 al-yawma akmaltu lakum deenakum wa atmamtu `alaykum ni`matee wa radeetu lakumu 'l-islaamu deena.
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.." (Al-Ma'idah 5:3)

So it was not for any Sahabah (r) to say, "I am khalifah." Do you know the responsibility of that position? First of all, you will feel the great shame to say such a thing!

أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاء اللّهِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Alaa inna awliyaullah la khawfun `alayhim wa laa hum yahzanoon.

Verily the Friends of God, they have no fear on them, nor do they grieve. (10:62)

The awliya, saints, are inheritors of Sahabah (r). If you reach such a one you cannot say to his face, "I am your khalifah," as if to say, "I came to replace you," or as if you wish he were dead! So what did he say? husnu 'l-khulooq. "Show respect and good manners to your elders." Be a good role model for others, show humility, and show respect. Can you say to your father, "I am your khalifah." He might slap you or you might die before him! To say that is as if you want to inherit from him or take his place. That is something you cannot say about an elderly person, a wali. Better to as-samt, keep quiet. If asked a question, then answer. And (Allah said):

وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَى بَيْنَهُمْ

wa amruhum shoora baynahum,
Consult with each other to get an answer. (42:38)

Other than that, look at yourself. 

What do the animals, the sheep do every day? You see their heads are down. Do you see their heads up? No, they are busy eating; this is their tasbeeh. They keep to themselves. Goats keep their heads down, they don't raise their heads. But do you see human beings doing that, raising their heads? Yes! They are arrogant. Whatever turban you put on your head, you are nothing. 

Prophet (s) asked Abu Hurayrah (r):

   ألا أخبركم بخيركم من شركم"  قال : فسكتوا ، فقال ذلك ثلاث مرات ، فقال رجل : بلى يا رسول الله أخبرنا بخيرنا من شرنا ، قال  "خيركم من يرجى خيره ويؤمن شره وشركم من لا يرجى خيره ولا يؤمن شره.  رواه الترمذي

alaa ukhbirukum bi khayrikum min sharrikum?fasakatoo. Faqaala dhaalika thalaatha marraat. Faqaala rajulun: balaa ya rasoolullah, akhbarna bi-khayrinaa min sharrinaa. Qaal: khayrukum man yurja khayruh wa yumin sharruh. Wa sharrkum man laa yurja khayruhu wa laa yumin sharruh. (Tirmidhi)
"Do you want me to tell the best among you, from the worst?"  He said that three times. Then a man said, "Yes, O Prophet of God, tell us who is our best one from the worst." He said, "The best of you is the one whom everyone expects goodness and feel safe from his badness. And the worst one of you is the one whom no one expecgts goodness and no one feels safe from his badness."

The good one is the one from whom you quench your thirst. He is the one always giving, not taking, not cheating. And that person you will trust; he will not harm you, as he is a gentle one. And what is better than a guide that guides you with generosity and gentleness and keeps you away from problems? That one will make you nearer to Islam, unlike a scholar who doesn't bring you to Islam. And the worst of you is the one who doesn't give you anything you like, who has no khayr, who cares only for himself and those around him if they are building him up. It is like having slaves and you put them in dungeons. Wa laa yumin sharruh, You cannot trust when he wants to harm you.

Today, Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah have been attacked by those who harm the religion because of extreme ideology. It has penetrated the religion, putting in confusion. We ask Allah (swt)  to open our hearts. You can see this in the last five years in many, many Muslim countries. Algeria is having a Sufi conference every year, Morocco has a Sufi conference every year, as well as Pakistan. We received an invitation for a Sufi conference today and I received from Egypt an invitation for a Sufi conference. Syria invited us to a Sufi conference, Jordan invited us to a Sufi conference and from England, from London, an invitation came for a Sufi conference. They want to show that with Sufism you bring back peace. If you go to Africa, in the north and in the middle, 95 % of Muslims are from tariqah, from different Sufi Orders. If they don't believe us, go and check. And those creating the fitna are only 5%, and we ask that this fitna will stop. May Allah (swt) bring Muslims together against this fitna.

In Somalia, 592 graves of awliyaullah were destroyed by the Shabab; in Somalia, 592 shrines with their mosques. And not only that, go to Pakistan today, where everywhere there is an `alim from Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jama`ah who they are trying to assassinate and similarly in most Muslim countries, but we don't want to go into politics.

وَقُلْ جَاء الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا

Qad jaa al-haqa wa zahaqa al-batil inn al-baatil kaan zahooqa.

And say: "Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish." (17:81)
Falsehood is perishing and going, and Truth is coming up.

(Arabic portion of khutbah.)
(Du`a.)

End of holy khutbah.