Surah Al-Kahf | Part 7 Ayah 28 | Mawlana Ahsan Syed | Weekly Tafsir

Opening & Context

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. Mufti Azeem Uddin usually is the one sitting here doing the tafsir. And he wouldn't miss the tafsir unless if he had to. For those who know, he went to go perform Umrah with our final year class and our taqassus class.

But before I came here, he sent me a voice message saying that he's sitting in Masjid al-Nabawi, he's in Madina Munawwara, it's tahajjud time, and he's making dua for this majlis. I said, Allahu Akbar! What can you say after that? So Masjid al-Nabawi, tahajjud time over there, and sitting by the umbrellas, he's making dua for the people in this majlis and for this majlis. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept from him and accept from all of us.

In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Beloved of Allah, our Master, Muhammad ibn Abdillah, and upon his family, companions, and those who follow him.

The Ayah of Today's Dars — Surah Al-Kahf, Ayah 28

After that, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said in His glorious book, after I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan:

"And be patient in your soul with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and in the evening, seeking His Face. And do not turn your eyes away from them, desiring the adornment of the life of this world. And do not obey him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, and he followed his desire, and his affair has exceeded all bounds."

Sadaqallahul Azeem.

The Power of the Qur'an to Transform

This tafsir dars that goes on — I know most individuals look at it as just a program. The fact of the matter is, that if there's one thing that can allow the Muslim ummah as a whole to get close to Allah, and to change themselves collectively, it's the Qur'an. Nothing, nothing in this universe has the power to change the people like the kalam of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. When the Muslims hold on firmly to the Qur'an — the spiritual benefit, the teachings of the Qur'an, the hidayah of the Qur'an — if they follow it, Wallahil Azeem, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will give them a type of honor in this life and in the hereafter that none have seen before.

Why? The example of that are the Sahaba. Look at the Sahaba collectively. What did they accomplish? How did they accomplish it? The Prophet ﷺ, in a span of 23 years — and this is a sign of his prophethood — in 23 years he changed a group of people in such a way, it's a complete 180-degree change. People who were involved in killing, who loved bloodshed, who were involved in fornication, in adultery, in wine and drinking, who used to write poetry about these things and their love for these things. In a span of 23 years, through the Prophet ﷺ, through the Qur'an, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala completely changed them.

When once a tabi'i asked, "Could you please describe the Sahaba?" He said — I paraphrase — they were individuals who would be in the morning speaking, joking with one another, racing one another, practicing archery. And by night they would be ruhban — they would be standing in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, dedicating their night to worship of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Where did that change come from? It's the Prophet ﷺ and the kalam of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Memorizing AND Understanding the Qur'an

Just as the reciting of the Qur'an is very important, there are people unfortunately in our communities who say the goal of the Qur'an is to understand it, not to read it. "Why do our kids memorize the Qur'an? There shouldn't be that much emphasis on memorizing the Qur'an, there should be more emphasis on learning it." No, subhanAllah. The emphasis should be equally on both. Where there's emphasis on memorizing the Qur'an, there must be equal emphasis in understanding the Qur'an.

Then there are those individuals who will recite the Qur'an — they read in the morning, they read in the evening, one juz everyday, two juz everyday, five juz everyday — but they have no idea what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is saying. The Muslim should be one who not only is motivated to memorize the Qur'an, but also to understand it. What Allah is saying to him, what Allah ta'ala is communicating to him.

This is Allah's kalam that He revealed onto the heart of the Prophet ﷺ. It was not easy. The revelation that came down to the Prophet ﷺ — don't think it was easy.

It came down on the heart of the Prophet ﷺ, litakuna minal mundhirin — so that he may be among the warners.

Imam Bukhari rahimahullah — the very first chapter of Sahih al-Bukhari talks about how wahi began. There is a narration of Aisha radiallahu ta'ala anha that she says: sometimes when the weather would be cold, and wahi would start coming down onto the Prophet ﷺ, there would be beads of sweat rolling down from his face, despite the cold weather. That's how difficult it was.

And it comes in a hadith — I believe in Sunan Abu Dawud — where the Nabi ﷺ, one time he was riding on a camel, and wahi started to come down. The camel could not bear the weight of it; the camel had to sit down.

In another hadith, which I believe is also in Sunan Abu Dawud, Zaid ibn Thabit radiallahu anhu — this young Ansari Madani sahabi who dedicated himself to the Prophet ﷺ. Nabi ﷺ told him: go learn the language of the Jews. Because when they send a letter, I don't trust them to translate it. In half a month, he learned the language. He was among كُتَّابِ الوَحْيِ — those who used to write the wahi down. He says: one time the ayah came, Nabi ﷺ was sitting next to me. When the ayah started coming down, his leg fell on my leg, and it felt so heavy that I thought my thigh bone would break, would crush.

Can you imagine how the revelation must have been upon the Prophet ﷺ? Yet the Prophet ﷺ, despite how difficult it was, would always be eager, always waiting for the wahi. Because where it was difficult, it was also communication from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That Allah is saying this to me. These gatherings of tafsir — don't consider them as something regular. The majlis of Qur'an, the dars of Qur'an, is absolutely essential.

Shaykh al-Hind's Diagnosis of the Muslim Ummah's Decline

That's why one of our mashayikh of the past, whom we refer to as Shaykh al-Hind rahmatullahi alayh — his name is Mawlana Mahmood Hassan Deobandi. He was wrongly charged with going against the British, and there was a warrant for his arrest. When they finally caught him, they took him to Malta — a small island near Italy — and imprisoned him there for a number of years.

When he finally was released from Malta and came back, in one of his speeches he said: during my time in Malta, I have come to the realization as to what are the causes — the reasons — why the Muslims are facing this decline. The Ottoman Empire had fallen. The Muslims in India are worried. The British colonizers are there. And it's no different today. You look around the world and see what the Muslims are having to face.

He said: I have come to the conclusion that there are two reasons why the Muslims are facing what they're facing.

Number one: they are detached from the Qur'an. They have no idea what Allah is saying to them, what Allah is communicating to them.

Number two: they are engaged in their اختلاف — in opposing one another. Constantly bickering. Forget about one Muslim and another Muslim — brothers, people related by blood, the same blood flowing in their veins, and they are bickering with one another.

I remember one person approached me and said he knew of a family — brothers — engaged in a lawsuit with one another. Why? Because their father in India had a plot of land. He passed away and now they are bickering over who gets it. اللهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا. You are blood brothers. You grew up together. You have the same mother, the same father. And now they go all the way to India to fight about a plot of land.

So if there are two reasons the Muslim ummah is declining: number one, they are detached from the Qur'an. And number two, they are always bickering with one another. Academic اختلاف is different. If you've ever studied the mashayikh of the past — Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi'i, Imam Malik — what's astonishing is they are students and teachers of one another. Imam Abu Hanifa's rahimahullah student Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani is also the student of Imam Malik, and also the teacher of Imam al-Shafi'i. The problem is we don't educate ourselves. We are ready to spend years in public school, middle school, high school, college — but when it comes to our deen, we suffice with Sunday school. Then we wonder why we are so confused.

The point is: the Qur'an is absolutely essential if we want to reform ourselves as individuals and as a community. When we stick to the Qur'an and understand what Allah ta'ala is saying to us, then subhanAllah, you'll find change. If you want to see change at a macro level, it requires macro level change. When Muslims collectively change their attitude — that is when the collective condition of the Muslim ummah will change.

The Virtues of Surah Al-Kahf and the Fitna of Dajjal

This ayah which we're covering — ayah number 28 of Surah al-Kahf. You've already been given some background of this surah. Among the virtues of this surah: a person who recites it on the day of Jumu'ah — in some narrations it says the first 10 ayahs, in some narrations the last 10 ayahs. Scholars say: if you're able to recite the first 10 and the last 10, do so. If you're able to recite the whole surah, recite the whole surah. The one who does this will be protected from the fitna of Dajjal.

And Dajjal is the greatest fitna that humanity will ever have to face. There is no greater fitna, no greater trial, that any ummah, any nation, any generation has ever had to face or will have to face that is greater than Dajjal. Dajjal is the epitome of materialism. What could be more material than one calling himself God? You are made of flesh, bones, blood, and you call yourself God? Allah ta'ala will bestow him with certain abilities. That is a test through which the people will be put in fitna. But those who stick to the Qur'an, those who stick to the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, they will not be deceived.

Think about it from this perspective. Humanity is bound by time and space. We only think based on time and space. But Allah is the One who created time and space. All of humanity from the beginning till the end is in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as if it's happening all at once. Allah's ilm, Allah's qudra is above everything. Our mind is limited. Our understanding is limited. But every sifah of His — every attribute of His — is unlimited.

He knows exactly at which point He will have Dajjal emerge, just as He knows exactly at which point Qiyamah will come. But for us, we don't know. As every moment goes by, we're getting closer and closer. Maybe we die before that time comes. Maybe we live to see it. That knowledge is known only to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

But that doesn't mean we should not prepare for it. Nabi ﷺ, in his lifetime — if you read the ahadith about Dajjal — the way that Nabi ﷺ taught the Sahaba, the kind of worry and focus he instilled within them, they treated it as if it could happen at any time. In fact, it comes in one narration that every Nabi that came told his ummah about Dajjal.

Allah ta'ala also mentions:

Every nation has a specified time for itself. And when that time comes, it cannot come a minute before, and it will not come a minute after. Like that — the emergence of Dajjal, the coming of Imam Mahdi, the coming of Isa alayhis salam, Ya'juj and Ma'juj — which are also discussed in this surah — all these major signs of Qiyamah each have their appointed time. As every minute goes by, we're inching closer and closer.

Explanation of Ayah 28 — Word by Word

Background: Why Was This Ayah Revealed?

The translation of this ayah is: "Moreover, keep yourself patient in the company of those humble believers who call upon their Lord with devotion, in the morning and in the evening, desiring only His countenance. Nor shall you turn your eyes from the likes of them, desiring the adornment of the life of this world. Nor shall you obey the dictates of anyone whose heart We have rendered heedless of Our remembrance, who thus follows his whims and whose disposition is ever reckless in disregard of the truth."

The background of this ayah is that the individuals who accepted Islam early on were mostly poor — from the fuqara. They didn't have very much. Their clothes were old, tattered, worn. And because of that, the leaders of the Quraysh came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: if you want us to believe in the message you came with, then leave their company. Leave them. Or at least have a separate time for them and a separate time for us. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala revealed this ayah in response.

Classically, with almost all the anbiya, what used to happen is that those who were poor — those who didn't have very much — were often the first to accept the call of the messenger. The reason is because a person who doesn't have very much has nothing to lose; it is sometimes quite easy for him to recognize the truth. The rich, on the other hand, had barriers. For generations in Arabia, no prophet had come to the Arabs since Ismail alayhis salam. Between Ismail alayhis salam and the Prophet ﷺ, there was no prophet. So at some point, shirk and kufr crept in. In the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, there were over 300 idols surrounding or within the Ka'bah.

Now this messenger comes and tells you: these idols that you've been worshipping, that your parents, grandparents, and generations before them have been worshipping — they are all false. And he provides logical reasons. You created them with your own hands! One sahabi narrated his own story from the days of jahiliyyah: I was traveling, I didn't have any idol with me, so I made an idol out of dates and worshipped it. Then when I became hungry — I ate it. Allahu Akbar. How is this your god? You carved it out with your own hands.

Not only that, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala equips every messenger and every prophet with mu'ajiza — a miracle that cannot be replicated by human beings. Mu'ajiza comes from the root أَعْجَزَ يُعْجِزُ — to render something incapable. The mu'ajiza, when it comes, nobody can replicate it.

Take the example of Isa alayhis salam — his birth was a mu'ajiza. Musa alayhis salam — with his staff. Fir'aun gathered an army of sorcerers and magicians. All of them ready to combat Musa. Then Allah said, "Throw your staff down," and all the sorcery and magic they performed was swallowed up. They were experts in magic and sorcery. They realized — and fell into sajda:

"We believe in the Lord of Musa and Harun. We know sorcery, we've studied it, and this is not sorcery." Likewise, the Qur'an is a mu'ajiza. The Arabs knew kalam, they knew sorcery. But when they heard the Qur'an, they were dumbfounded. "This is no sorcery, no magic, no poetry. This is nothing like we've ever seen."

And you feel it too. If you were here at Isha and listening to the imam recite, standing with khushu and khudu:

You have to pay attention, you have to listen. If you're listening, it does something to your heart. This is the kalam of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

I remember one time, myself and a couple of friends were invited to an interfaith discussion. They asked if someone could recite a little bit of the Qur'an. So one of my friends recited Surah al-Fatiha — that's it. After the program, a young college student came up rushing and said: "What is it that you recited? I don't know what you said, I don't know what it meant, but I had tears in my eyes. I couldn't stop crying." It has effect. Any heart that has some purity — that is away from sin — when it listens to the Qur'an, it has an effect.

That's why Allah ta'ala says in the Qur'an:

The Qur'an has maw'idah — admonition — for somebody who gives his heart to it, who pays attention to it. For him, the Qur'an will bring change.

The Meaning of وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ

Sabr in Arabic means to restrain oneself, to hold oneself back. That's the meaning of sabr in Arabic. That's why Ramadan is called شَهْرُ الصَّبْرِ — the month of sabr. Why? You have to hold yourself back.

Sabr is also required in worship, in obedience. When you're praying salat, there are times when your mind is going everywhere. You have to bring it back. You feel like, I have to do such and such thing. Let me quickly pray and get it over with. But you have to hold yourself back. Likewise, at the time of sin — when your nafs wants to commit a sin, your nafs is saying go here, do this. You're online and your nafs is inciting you. You're in the car thinking, it's a long drive, let me put on the radio. And you know you're not supposed to. At that time you require sabr — hold yourself back, restrain yourself, refrain yourself from doing that. That is sabr.

So, وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ — hold yourself back — مَعَ الَّذِينَ — with those — يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ — who call their Lord — بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ — by morning and by evening.

"By morning and evening" — this is an expression. We use it in Urdu and in English as well: "morning and evening he's just doing this," "all day long, all night long." It doesn't mean they only worship in the morning and only in the evening. It's an expression meaning their day is constantly occupied with calling their Lord — through ibadah, through dhikr.

Deen Is Doing What Allah Wants — Not What We Want

There are certain ibadah that are fardh and have their times. Prayer is five times. There are certain times when it is makruh to pray — at sunrise, at sunset, and when the sun is at its peak. Fasting has its own times. There are days when you are not allowed to fast — the day of Eid al-Fitr, the day of Eid al-Adha — the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth of Dhul Hijjah. These five days you are not allowed to fast.

Deen in actuality is doing and submitting to the will of Allah ta'ala. A person says to himself, "I'm fasting — let me fast on Eid too." The day of Eid comes — "I've been fasting for 29 or 30 days, I'll fast today too." No. You are getting a sin for it. Even though you're saying, "how could fasting be a sin?" — because Allah did not want you to fast on this day.

The whole hajj is a training for this very idea — you are not in control. You are supposed to do what He wants. When the eighth day comes, you go to Mina and spend the whole day there praying all five prayers. Someone might say, "There's a hadith that praying in Masjidul Haram is multiplied by one hundred thousand — so I'll stay in Makkah." He's not gonna get the reward. Why? Because on the eighth of Dhul Hijjah, if you are performing hajj, you have to be in Mina.

Ninth day — before Dhuhr, you have to get to Arafah. Now look what we find in the hadith: when you are in Arafah on the ninth day, don't pray Maghrib there. Once Maghrib time comes in, head out to Muzdalifah. Someone says: "But we've read in the books of fiqh that it is mustahab to pray Maghrib immediately when its time comes in, and to delay it is makruh. I'll pray right now." No. You are going to pray Maghrib in Muzdalifah — even if Maghrib time is over by the time you arrive. You will still pray Maghrib when you reach Muzdalifah, combining it with Isha.

Deen is what Allah commanded, not what you and I think. When we say Islam, it means submitting yourself to the will of Allah. Allah says stand — we stand. Allah says sit — we sit. Allah says fast — we fast. Allah says don't fast today — we don't fast. That is deen.

يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ — Seeking His Countenance

يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ — they want His countenance. وَجْه in Arabic is also an expression for someone's pleasure. You may have heard: لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ — meaning لِمَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ — I did this for the pleasure of Allah. They don't have any ulterior motive. They don't have any other motive behind their calling upon Allah except the pleasure of Allah. The pleasure of Allah.

In the books of tafsir, the names of these Sahaba are mentioned: Bilal radiallahu anhu, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud radiallahu anhu, Khabbab radiallahu anhu. These were sahaba who devoted their time and energy. They didn't have very much in this life, yet all day long they would be sitting and learning from the Prophet ﷺ. When they were in Makkah, they would be tortured.

Almost all of us know the story of Bilal radiallahu anhu. As for Khabbab radiallahu anhu — subhanAllah. Umar radiallahu anhu once saw craters in his back and asked what happened. He said: "O Amir al-Mu'minin, when I accepted Islam, my owner would take me, lay me down on burning hot rocks, and it would be my blood and flesh that would put out the heat. That is what you see in my back." What sacrifices they went through — to study from the Prophet ﷺ while wahi was coming down.

The Fuqara Will Enter Jannah Ahead of Others

From the virtues of the fuqara — it comes in the ahadith that the fuqara will enter paradise decades ahead of everyone else. Think about it: if I give one person $10 and another person $1,000, and ask both to buy certain things — the person who comes back with the $10 receipt has a small receipt. Quick check. But the person with $1,000 has a very long list — I will go through it carefully, every item.

A person who comes on the Day of Judgment and was not given very much in life — no money, barely any food, barely any clothing. How will his hisab kitab be? You had nothing. You worshipped Allah ta'ala for the sake of Allah ta'ala. You didn't care about others' wealth or authority. Go into Jannah. What is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala going to ask them about?

That's why — a person who is blind: is Allah ta'ala going to ask him, "How did you use your eyes?" No. You didn't have your eyes. But for those given eyes to see, ears to hear, money, wealth, health — oh, beware. All of these will be questioned on the Day of Judgment:

"Then you will definitely be asked on that day about the blessings." I gave you eyes — what did you do with them? You ruined them looking at haram. I gave you ears — you ruined them listening to haram. I gave you power and strength — you wasted them in haram. Question after question. But the person who didn't have it will not be questioned.

That doesn't mean a person should now give everything up and go live as a faqir. No. What it means is: look at the position Allah ta'ala has given you. Thank Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and do with what you have according to what Allah ta'ala likes. If Allah has given you wealth, make sure you use it as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala wants. That's why there are so many ayahs and ahadith about those among the agniya who give charity — the reward Allah ta'ala has in store for one who gives without showing off, without expecting favors or praise — purely for the sake of Allah.

وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ — Do Not Obey the Heedless

وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا — Do not obey the one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance. وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ — and why did We make his heart heedless? It is because he follows his desires. وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا — and his matter has transgressed the bounds.

Furut — we use the word in Urdu as ifrat and tafrit, both actually Arabic words. فُرُط means to go beyond the bounds. There are limits that Allah has placed. You have to remain within those boundaries in this life. The one who has gone beyond them has transgressed the ahkam of Allah, has disobeyed Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Do not follow him. Do not listen to what he has to say.

As it comes in another place in the Qur'an:

Deliver the message that has been given to you — but you are not responsible over them. Them believing or not believing is not your responsibility. Each one has been given the choice. You can choose to make a sacrifice in this life, or you can choose not to. You can choose to worship Allah, stand in prayer, recite Qur'an, do dhikr, or you can choose not to.

The Day of Judgment — A Sobering Reality

There is a day when all of us will be collected and standing in front of Allah. That is a reality. Just as you and I are here gathered together — we can see one another — there is a day coming when we will all be standing in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That's terrifying. That's a reality. It's not some fantasy, not some mythology, not a bedtime story. It's real.

"The people will be gathered on the Day of Judgment — barefoot, naked, uncircumcised." Aisha radiallahu anha said: "Ya Rasulullah, won't people be looking at each other?" Nabi ﷺ replied:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3349; Sahih Muslim, Book 39, Hadith 7)

"O Aisha, the matter will be too serious for people to worry about who is naked and who is not. It will be much more terrifying than that."

In one hadith — the long hadith of shafa'ah, of the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ — there will be stages on the Day of Judgment, one after the other. The reckoning will not have started yet. People will be so terrified. You know sometimes waiting for something, anticipating it, is in itself mawt. It is a very famous statement in Arabic:

"Waiting is sometimes more severe than death itself." They will be so terrified that they will go to Adam alayhis salam — you are the father of humanity, please ask Allah to begin the Day of Judgment. He will say, this is not for me, I cannot. Go to Nuh. They'll go to Nuh alayhis salam. He'll say, not for me. Go to Ibrahim. They'll go to Ibrahim alayhis salam — you are Khalilullah! He'll say, not for me. Go to Musa. They'll go to Musa alayhis salam. He'll say, go to Isa. They'll go to Isa alayhis salam. Isa alayhis salam will say: go to Muhammad ﷺ.

This is a reality. Nabi ﷺ was given knowledge — and he is informing from that knowledge which you and I do not have access to. What happens after death? What happens in the grave? What happens on the Day of Judgment? Allah gave that knowledge to the Prophet ﷺ and he is informing you.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 660; Sahih Muslim, Book 5, Hadith 2248)

Seven will be under the shade of Allah's Throne when there will be no other shade except the shade of Allah. This is a reality. This is a fact. It will happen. Are we prepared for it?

The Importance of Sabr and Sacrifice

My dear respected brothers — I say this for myself first and foremost — this life is very short. Be ready to sacrifice. Be ready to make qurbani for the sake of Allah. If that means sacrificing some things of the dunya for the sake of the akhirah, do it. It may be difficult. You want to see things your heart desires — stop yourself. You want to listen to things you know are disliked by Allah — stop yourself. You want to engage in things you know Allah is displeased with — hold yourself back. For the sake of Allah.

Is it difficult? Absolutely. I don't disagree with that. But are we not ready to make sacrifices for the sake of Allah? Those individuals were ready to let their blood shed, to give up their actual lives for the sake of Allah. Are we not ready to give up these things that are disliked by Allah? We have to prepare. We have to make those sacrifices.

And I tell you, on the Day of Judgment, those sacrifices will bear fruit. When the person goes into Jannah and sees the manazil — the ranks — and is told, "This is your rank because of the sacrifices you made."

"Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." We will not quantify the reward of those who are patient. Hold yourself back.

The Importance of Righteous Company (Suhbah)

From here we learn the importance of the suhbah of good company. Allah commanded the Prophet of Allah — the Prophet himself, who is the marqas, the center, the pillar that everyone comes to — Allah commanded him: be with them, those who call Allah. And it comes in the hadith that Nabi ﷺ used to say after this ayah:

"All praise belongs to Allah, who placed in my ummah those whom Allah commanded me to be with." These masajid, these madaris — these are our strongholds. They give us encouragement, energy, and motivation to learn the Qur'an, to follow the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

At one point in time there was nothing here — no masjid, no madarsa. Today, subhanAllah, there is a masjid here, a madarsa where students are learning the Qur'an and the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ. We cannot imagine the kind of nur — spiritual nur — that is spreading because of that. It is a great fortune for us that we are here witnessing this.

Don't take it for granted. Sometimes when you are exposed to something a lot, even if it's good, you become desensitized to it. Don't desensitize yourself to this. Every day remind yourself: what a great ni'mah of Allah. I have to come, I have to pray here, I have to try to benefit, I have to do whatever I can.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant us tawfiq. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive our sins. May He grant us ilm and taqwa, grant us ma'rifah and maghfirah, grant us ikhlas and ihsan.

وَآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Du'a

Ya Allah, forgive our sins. Ya Allah, any sin that we have committed — Ya Allah, whether it be minor, whether it be major — Ya Allah, forgive them all. Whether they were committed openly or whether they were committed in privacy — Ya Allah, we ask that You forgive all of those sins.

Ya Allah, we ask that You accept whatever good deeds that we do. Ya Allah, we ask that You grant us tawfiq to do more good deeds. Ya Allah, we ask that You give us the tawfiq to sacrifice for Your sake. Ya Allah, whatever difficulties we may be facing — as individuals or as a community — Ya Allah, we ask that You aid us, that You help us. Whether it's related to our families, our parents, our wives, our husbands, our children — Ya Allah, whatever they may be, provide a solution for us. Ya Allah, if it is related to finances, make it easy for us.

Ya Allah, when the final hour comes for our death — when the final moment comes — Ya Allah, grant us tawfiq that we say لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ. Ya Allah, raise us on the Day of Judgment among the salihin, among the anbiya, among the siddiqin — Ya Allah, among those whom You love. Ya Allah, allow us to enter Jannah with these individuals. Ya Allah, do not allow us to get close to Jahannam. Ya Allah, save us and protect us from Jahannam.

Ya Allah, grant us tawfiq. Protect us from the fitna that are to come — the fitna of maal, the fitna of hubb al-dunya, hubb al-jah, the fitna of Dajjal, the fitna of Ya'juj and Ma'juj — Ya Allah, whatever they may be, protect us, our children, our families, and our progenies to come.