MSH.1 MAY 2010.ASR.PREPOST.ENG

We Are the Best Ummah!
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
1 May 2010    Singapore
Asr / Mawlid and 2nd Suhbah

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillahi Rabbi 'l-`alameen was salaatu was salaam `ala ashrafi 'l-mursaleen, Sayyidina wa Nabiyyina Muhammadin wa `ala aalihi wa saahbihi ajma`een. Ayyuhal mu'minoon al-haadiroon, ittaqullah wa ati`ooh. Inna Allah ma`alladheena attaqoo w 'alladheena hum muhsinoon.

 
O Muslims and Believers! I would like to thank the organizers who have invited me to give a short speech, to you and to myself. Allah (swt) honored us to be from Ummat un-Nabi, `alayhi afdalu 's-salaata was-salaam. And He guided us and made us Muslims. Allah said in Holy Qur'an:

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

Innaka laa tahdee man ahbabta wa laakinna Allaha yahdee man yasha’u wa huwa a`lamu bi 'l-muhtadeen.
It is true you will not be able to guide every one whom you love, but Allah guides those whom He wills, and He knows best those who receive guidance. (28:56)

Allah (swt) will guide whom He likes and you have been guided, all of us, to the way of Allah and to the way of His Messenger, Sayyidina Muhammad, `alayhi afdalu 's-salaata was-salaam! When it comes to speaking about Prophet (s) and I am in a Mawlid like this one, celebrating and remembering the love of Sayyidina Muhammad, `alayhi afdalu 's-salaata was-salaam, I feel shy to speak and words don't come. Because whatever we say, no one can give the full rights to Sayyidina Muhammad, `alayhi afdalu 's-salaata was-salaam. The heavens and Earth, the universe where Prophet (s) went into Mi`raj, cannot give the proper rights to Sayyidina Muhammad, `alayhi afdalu 's-salaata was-salaam. Only Allah, the Creator, gave the full rights to Sayyidina Muhammad and is still giving and giving and giving to no end! We are lucky, as Allah (swt) said in Holy Qur'an:

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ       

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)

And He (swt) said it in the past tense, kuntum, "you were." Where were we? It means from the day when Allah (swt) created us as souls in His presence, we were there, calling for what is good and preventing what is bad.

O Muslims! I am seeing that we have not given the full rights to Sayyidina Muhammad, `alayhi afdalu 's-salaata wa 's-salaam. Allah (swt) said in Holy Qur'an:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Qul in kuntum tuhibboona Allaha fattabi`oonee yuhbibkumu Allahu wa yaghfir lakum dhunoobakum w 'Allahu ghafoorun raheem.
Say (O Muhammad): "If you love Allah, follow me. Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (3:31)

We have to follow the footsteps of our Prophet (s). And we are happy in this country, because we are seeing a lot of people covered, women and men. Not only do the ladies have to cover, but also the men have to cover with a hat or turban.

‏ العمائم تيجان العرب‏ فإذا وضعوها وضعوا عزهم,  و في لفظ: وعز العرب، ‏

Al-ama'imu tijaanu 'l-`arab, fa idhaa wa`oohaa wada`oo `izzahum. (and in another narration) wa `aizzu 'l-`arab.” 

Turbans are crowns of Arabs, means Muslims, and who put them up, Allah (swt) will raise. And who put it down, Allah (swt) will put downTurbans are the crown of the Arabs (i.e. Muslims). Whoever took them off, Allah lowered their honor." (ad-Daylami in Musnad al-Firdaws)

May Allah (swt) forgive us. May Allah bless us. May Allah support us. May Allah protect us. May Allah show us with the love to Sayyidina Muhammad, `alayhi afdalu 's-salaata was-salaam.

Aqoolu qawlee haadha wa astaghfirullahi 'l-1adheem lee wa lakum wa li-saa'iri 'l-mustaghfireen fa yaa fawzan li 'l- mustaghfireen, astaghfirullah.

Was-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.