2015 10 23 Brother Monzer Talib

Khutbah: Trust in Allah — Lessons from Musa, the Prophet, and Patience

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, we ask for His help, we ask for His guidance, and we ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and the evil of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides, no one can misguide him. Whoever He misguides, no one can find a guide for him.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, there is no partner for Him. He is the first, and there is nothing before Him. He is the last, and there is nothing after Him. He is the first, the last, the apparent, and the unseen, and He is All-Knowing. He knows what enters the earth and what comes out of it, and what descends from the sky and what ascends into it, and He is with you wherever you are, and Allah sees what you do.

I bear witness that our master, our prophet, our leader, our role model, and our beloved Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His messenger, and His chosen one besides His creation, and His prophet. He conveyed the message and fulfilled the trust and advised the Ummah and left it on the white platform — the night is like its day, nothing escapes it but destruction.

And the blessings of my Lord and his peace be upon him and upon his family and his companions, who were truly messengers of mercy and leaders of guidance, and judges of justice, and lighteners of darkness — the victory of the religion of Allah, so Allah helped them, and the greatest religion of Allah, so Allah honored them. Those are the allies of Allah. Surely the allies of Allah have no fear nor do they grieve.

As for Islam, I advise myself and you to fear Allah. As He wrote to us in the Quran, He said:

O you who believe, fear Allah and tell the truth and be on the right path. He will fix your matters and forgive your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and the Prophet, he will be among those who will be successful in the hereafter. I ask Allah to give us success in this life and the hereafter.

Remembering Sister Anisa Khatun

Brothers and sisters, as you heard, there will be a funeral after Salatul Jumu'ah. And when we talk about the funeral — a person who was alive a few days back, or a minute ago — and today it is just a body. People say, "Where is the body? Did you wash the body?" There is no name to be announced, to know where is the funeral, where is the grave. The person is not known by their names anymore.

But Allah has made it special for those who have strived in His way — to be blessed, to be prayed upon upon the Jama'ah. And the Prophet said in the hadith, in the meaning of the hadith: as 40 people prayed on a Jama'ah, in the meaning of Jama'ah — it is sure for him or her.

(Sahih Muslim, Book 11, Hadith 2170)

Sister Anisa Khatun — remember the name and make du'a for her. She is the mother of brother Abdullah Khan. I want to mention the name, because sometimes people say "Janazah upon the sister, Janazah upon the brother" — it is good to know the name so you will mention the name in your du'a. Sister Anisa was alive. She was maybe sick and she had some problems. But she was alive. Today she is not.

A Personal Loss — My Father

Like a week ago, I have lost my father overseas. My father who was my mentor, who was my teacher, who taught me what I know today. What you see today is a sample of a day of him — who taught me to be where I am today. My daughters and my sister — he taught me the Quran, taught me the hadith, taught me the seerah of the Prophet, taught me how to be a good Muslim, and how to raise my children to be what they are today.

But unfortunately, all this knowledge, all this charisma, and all this love — all that love from him — is gone today. All I remember is something that they left behind. A legacy that they left behind. Something that they will stand in front of Allah and say: "O Allah, I have done so and so for my family."

My son told me: "If I will remember one thing from my grandfather, I remember he used to recite the ayaat of Ibrahim." Ibrahim is saying:

"You know what we say and what we hide, and nothing is hidden from You in heaven or on earth." This is the kalima of tawheed — from Ibrahim — to teach it to his children. As my father had taught it to my children.

"Praise be to Allah who gave me on my old age Ismail and Ishaq. My Lord is the one who hears the prayers. My Lord, make me among those who establish prayers on earth, and from my offspring. Our Lord, accept my du'a. Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers until the day when they are resurrected for the counting."

This is the prayer that he told us, and told our children — to the point that all my children have memorized these verses and they recite them. Because this is the highest point of tawheed, of belonging to Allah. He was more worried about his grandchildren than us. He used to pay more attention to his grandchildren because he saw that at least maybe we are praying, we are doing something good. But he wanted to make sure that those children who were raised in this environment got something good in their heart and in their mind.

The Days of Ashura — Victory for the Oppressed

But today I am not talking — and I don't want to talk — about my father. I want to talk about something greater than that. Someone who is greater. Who is the one who taught his companions? Who is the one who taught the tabi'een? Who is the one up to 1,400 years we are still remembering and saying قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ? He is alive with his words between us.

Not only him — but Musa. That's another man, that's another prophet who struggled in his life to deliver the message. We are celebrating the days of Ashura. The day that Allah brought victory to those who are oppressed. Ashura is the day of victory. The Prophet has told us that Allah has saved Musa and his people from the tyrant, from the oppression, from those who are oppressing people — thinking that they will get away with it. But they will not get away with it. Because Allah brought victory to Musa.

Or should I talk about the Prophet who was kicked out of his land — like so many millions of Syrians and Iraqis and Somalians and Afghans and everywhere else? He was kicked out of his land. The Prophet used that example, and he turned around and he looked at Mecca and he cried: "You are the most beloved land to Allah, and you are so special to me." Allah drove him away from that land. But he left it after so many years trying to call people to Islam, call people to guidance.

Even today, immigration and migration is happening by force — either you leave or we will kill you, either you leave or we will torture you, either you leave or we will abandon you. But today we have the example of the Prophet.

Musa at the Sea — Never Lose Trust in Allah

Allah gave the commandments to Musa where there will be nothing in front of him but the sea, and the army of Pharaoh coming forward to crush them and to kill them. And the people of Musa were telling him: "Look at Pharaoh, he is coming behind us, he is going to kill us." But Musa did not believe that. And that is what we should have today — with all these atrocities and the hardship that the Muslim Ummah is going through — we should have that trust in Allah.

Never ever, brothers and sisters, drop that baton. Never ever drop that trust. Never ever drop the guard and say, "You know, it is too late, it is helpless, I am hopeless." Never ever say that. Because you are not in the shoes of Musa alayhi salam. Right there, thousands of people behind him, responsible for them. And he had no clue — Allah did not tell him, "I am going to open the sea for you." He did not tell him anything. He just let him decide for the people of Israel. And he raised his hand and he said:

"By no means! My Lord is with me, He will guide me forward."

How do you have your Lord with you? You woke up this morning — when you go to sleep you say الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, when you have the children, and the wife, and the job, and everything is functioning in your life — you say الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ. What would you do today if you lost your job? What would you do today if you lost your beloved one? What would you do today if you lost your child, your wife, your husband, something very valuable, your wealth? He said: "My Lord is with me. He will guide me."

He took his stick and he hit the water. People started laughing at him. This is how some of us are — "You stop praying in the masjid? Are you still making du'a? Are you still reading Al-Fatihah? Are you out of your mind? Are you crazy? You put the whole world against us!" And yet making a change — these are countries, these are powerful forces. But listen: Allah told him, and the whole sea became two huge mountains. Every portion of it was one big mountain.

"Do not be afraid." People say the first thing they tell you is be afraid — "Something is going to happen tomorrow, something is going to happen to you today. Hide, wait for something to happen. Why me? Let somebody else do it." Why not us making a change?

The Blindness of the Oppressors

Allah is calling upon those who are tyrants — those who are oppressors — they are blind. They don't see the light anymore. All that they see is darkness. All that they see is: "I own you, I own your life." When they challenged Ibrahim alayhi salam — "I will give life and I will take life away" — and they said this man was killed by a baqa, a small tiny insect that got inside his brain and started drilling in his brain. He used to hit himself with a shoe until he died.

Ibrahim alayhi salam met him and said: "How are you going to save and how do you give life?" He said: "Two people are going to be executed, so I will free one and I will execute one — so I gave life." So Ibrahim laughed at that idiot and looked at him and said: "Fine. I'm going to give you something easier to do. Allah brings the sun from the east — go ahead and bring it from the west." He was stunned. He didn't know what to do. Because he could not burn him, he could not do anything — he removed Ibrahim from the land.

But the oppressors are blind. And imagine, if you saw the sea open — would you follow that person? Allah said something beautiful in the Quran: everything is in the Quran. If this person who is blind — even when he was dying, when the water crashed upon him and his army — Pharaoh and his army — he was not even able to say the word Allah. He could have said Allah. But he refused. Even when he was dying, he was arrogant. He said:

"I believe that there is no deity except that whom the children of Israel believed." SubhanAllah! SubhanAllah!

In the Hadith Qudsi, Allah said: "My honor — whoever tries to take it away from me, I will crush him," like He crushed Pharaoh.

And they say the du'a of Musa alayhi salam — it took 40 years for the drowning to happen, not the next day. People say: "I made the du'a today and the zalimeen, they are still there and they are even worse." You know why? Because we are even worse. Because we do not truly believe that Allah will make a change. Because we quit the next day. And Allah does not like those who are quitters.

The Prophet in the Cave of Thawr — La Tahzan, Inna Allaha Ma'ana

The same thing with the Prophet. I just wanted to live that scene — when the Prophet was sitting inside the cave of Thawr, and Abu Bakr sitting next to him, crying and weeping. "Ya Rasool Allah, 15, 18 men, well-armed with their swords and spears, standing outside the cave." The cave did not have an alarm system, did not have a door — it was just a cave. You can go and find it on YouTube to see what it looks like. For the past 1,400 years it has not changed. It was a crawl between two rocks. And he was crying and saying: "Ya Rasool Allah, if they look closer to their feet they will see us, they will spot us."

And the Prophet, like his brother Musa alayhi salam, told him:

"Do not be sad. Allah is with us." Can we all say it today? Can we all say it: Allah is with us. Allah is with us.

Brothers and sisters, break that guard of fear in your heart. The only fear is from Allah. Break that fear. Yes, we have to take the means of everything. And the Prophet took all the means — he took a different route, he spent the days here and there. And he used to bring Asma' radiyallahu 'anha with the food. And she was pregnant in her seventh month. She used to bring the food and the drink out of Mecca for five kilometers — so people will not suspect, you know, a pregnant woman doing that.

This is called sacrifice. This is called sacrifice. To teach our children to sacrifice in their life. To teach our children to know that it takes a lot of time and effort to make a change — it is not going to happen in one day.

Brothers and sisters, everybody had a task. Even with that, they arrived on the door of the cave. What do you call that? This is the mashi'at Allah. But the Prophet had the belief. He told them:

This is how Allah gave victory. And Allah has put it in the Quran, in Surah At-Tawbah:

"If you do not stand up today and yesterday for the doing of Allah, for the Prophet, to defend the Prophet — Allah has already given him victory back in the day." So there is a lot of work, brothers and sisters. This is the work.

Allah's Promise of Victory

When Allah has promised the victory — not only to Musa alayhi salam, not only to the Prophet — He said: "Then We will save Our messengers and those who believe in the life of this world. Then We will save Our messengers and those who believe — it is a right upon Us, We have the right to give them victory."

Brothers and sisters, not only that — but Musa alayhi salam was preparing his people for 40 years. He said: "Depend on Him, stand with Him, and pray to Allah."

And then people say: "Why are you praying against the oppressors? Pray for their guidance." I say: well, what did Musa alayhi salam say? After all this atrocity that you see, Musa alayhi salam prayed against Fir'aun. He made du'a against him. Where did "pray for them" come from? Allah is saying — Musa alayhi salam said:

"O Allah, You have given Fir'aun and his people wealth and money in the life of this world — O Allah, waste their money, and lock upon their hearts so they will not believe until they see the punishment from You." And Allah said: "O Musa, your call has been answered."

Be on the right path. Stay trusting. Don't lose focus on Islam, on the deen. Raise your kids to be good Muslims. Raise your grandchildren to be good Muslims. Raise your family. Be part of the community. And do not abandon the community. Don't say "This is not my issue, this is not my problem." It is everybody's problem. But when you said la ilaha illallah, Muhammad Rasulullah — you are part of this Ummah.

There Is No Jannah Without Hard Work

I say this saying, and I ask Allah to forgive me, and He forgives those who ask Him for forgiveness. Alhamdulillah, who guided us to this, and we would not have been guided if Allah had not guided us.

Brothers and sisters, there is no Jannah without hard work:

"You think that you will enter Jannah, when there has not come to you the example of those who passed before you? They were touched by harm, they were touched by trials, and they were shaken." Why? Because:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2450)

"Verily, the commodity of Allah is precious. Verily, the commodity of Allah is Jannah."

Sometimes we are out of patience. Sometimes we are out of ideas. Sometimes we see these people planning every day:

"They plan and Allah plans, and Allah is the best of planners." So that means you also have to plan. The Prophet planned his way from Makkah to Al-Madinah. Musa alayhi salam planned his way and he told his people:

"Depend on Allah and be patient." Why? With these two elements:

"This earth does not belong to these tyrants. This earth belongs to Allah, everything belongs to Allah. Allah will inherit it to whoever He wants from His servants." And then He said: "And the end — al-'aqibah — whether the end of this whole thing or in the Hereafter, it is for those who are righteous."

Closing Du'a

I ask Allah to give us the ability to be patient. I ask Allah to give us the ability to depend on Him. I ask Allah to give us patience, ya Rabb al-'Alamin. I ask Allah to give us the ability to raise our children and our grandchildren. Pray for those children who are not going on the right path, who are not going on the straight path — pray for them every day. Do not give up on them. Nuh alayhi salam never gave up on his children till the day of the flood — he kept praying for them.

Pray for your children. May Allah guide them back to the straight path. May Allah keep us on the straight path. May Allah be merciful upon those who have worked hard in this Ummah of Muhammad. May Allah put us in His path — to follow the path of the Prophet. May Allah forgive us and have mercy on us, and accept from us. That You are the Way and the Path. And repent to us, O our Lord — that You are the Merciful.

"O Allah, do not leave us in a place of sin unless You forgive us. O Allah, do not leave us in a place of sin unless You forgive us. O Allah, do not leave us in a place of sin unless You forgive us."