The Decline of Faith and Morals Since the Prophet's Era

The Decline After the Blessed Era of Rasulullah ﷺ

The era and the time that Rasulullah ﷺ lived in was perfect from all aspects. All aspects that serve as building blocks of a society — the time of Rasulullah ﷺ was perfect, and the community that Rasulullah ﷺ had developed over the course of a few decades was perfect and at the peak, considering all of those aspects. However, the further we move from the blessed era of Rasulullah ﷺ, it only gets worse.

In all of those aspects, there is a continuous decline, there is a continuous change in all of those aspects of the society. And we do not have to go too far to understand how differences could have occurred, how the change came about after the leaving of Rasulullah ﷺ from this world.

For instance, Anas ibn Malik (رضي الله عنه) narrates:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Hadith 3618)

That the day Rasulullah ﷺ entered Medina, everything in Medina was shining. By the mere presence of Rasulullah ﷺ, everything in Medina was illuminated. However, the day Rasulullah ﷺ left from this world, everything in Medina was dark.

You can see the difference. Anas ibn Malik (رضي الله عنه) says that to the extent that we had not even removed dust off of our hands after burying the Prophet ﷺ, that we could no longer recognize our own hearts. That the state in which the hearts used to be in the presence of Rasulullah ﷺ — it had not even been a few moments — we could see the difference. SubhanAllah.

The Grief of Umm Ayman (رضي الله عنها)

Anas ibn Malik (رضي الله عنه) is speaking about the difference that he noticed, and the Sahaba noticed, within the same day that Rasulullah ﷺ left this world. Another Sahabiyyah, Umm Ayman (رضي الله عنها) — Rasulullah ﷺ would every now and then visit her since she was the nursing mother of Rasulullah ﷺ. To continue this sunnah, Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) told Umar (رضي الله عنه) on one occasion: let us go visit Umm Ayman, just like how Rasulullah ﷺ would visit her.

When they went, as soon as they entered, Umm Ayman (رضي الله عنها) started crying. To console her, Abu Bakr and Umar (رضي الله عنهما) said: aren't you aware of the fact that what Allah has prepared for the Prophet ﷺ in the hereafter is much better? Don't you know that?

So Umm Ayman (رضي الله عنها) replied: I know for a fact that he is in a much better place, much better state than what he could have had in this world. I'm not crying because I'm unaware of that fact. I'm crying because from the day Rasulullah ﷺ left from this world, this universe is now void of revelation. This universe can no longer rejoice the blessings of waḥy which it used to rejoice in the presence of Rasulullah ﷺ.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2454)

The words of the hadith tell us that when she stated this concern of hers, Abu Bakr and Umar (رضي الله عنهما) began to cry as well. These were the Sahaba who could literally feel the presence of waḥy before them. And when the waḥy was removed from amongst them — meaning the Prophet ﷺ left from this world — they said that within a day we could see the difference.

Now me and you, sitting here after 14 plus centuries — imagine what differences could have occurred in such a long era. What changes could have come about between us and Rasulullah ﷺ. And when we ponder over this fact, it is something self-evident. It is not something that requires much explanation when we look around us.

The Celebration of Sin in Our Times

So many things that were regarded as abnormal, so many things that were regarded as immoral just 30 years ago, just 40 years ago, are not only regarded as moral, are not only regarded as normal — but are celebrated. That is the time and era we live in, dear friends. So many things that throughout human history were regarded as bad, were regarded as immoral, are not only regarded as something good — it doesn't stop there. Rather, they are celebrated.

And the month of June is just around the corner. All of the people going to school and colleges — even if you do not go to school and college, just going to a shop to buy your groceries, just a mundane act — you are exposed to things that we wish we would not have to speak about from the minbar. SubhanAllah. Those are the things that we are exposed to on a daily basis. Just in a grocery shop, just going to school, just going to college — we wish we would not have to speak about these things from the minbar. But unfortunately, we have to speak about those things. It is because of the need of the time and era that we live in.

There is utter decline in the understanding of human beings, in the understanding of this society — the whole fabric of this society can no longer be seen. SubhanAllah. Throughout human history, we are not saying that sins were not committed. Sins were committed throughout history. Nevertheless, sin was never celebrated. It was something that was followed by guilt, and people returned to Allah.

The Mercy of Allah and the Door of Repentance

And Allah is so merciful, so all-encompassing, that on a daily basis Rasulullah ﷺ says that Allah spreads His hands during the day so that the sinner of the night can turn to Him. Likewise, Allah spreads His mercy during the night so that the sinner of the day can turn to Allah. And this is the sunnah of Allah until the sun rises from the west. SubhanAllah. That is the sunnah of Allah.

O my servants who have transgressed your limits, do not become despondent from the mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all of the sins — turn to Allah. Allah says يَا عِبَادِي — O my servants.

In this world, when a person does commit a sin, commits a mistake, then for a moment the people around him do not even want to associate with him. A mother would address a father and say: did you see what your son did? SubhanAllah. That is how we treat people who make mistakes in this world. But even when people have gone so far above and beyond, Allah still says: يَا عِبَادِي — O my servants, come to me.

There was a fabric of society where when people would commit a sin, would slip up, they would turn to Allah. It would be followed by guilt. But today, unfortunately, it is not followed by guilt. But — Allah forbid — it is celebrated. SubhanAllah. That is the time and era we live in. Just to justify the acts that people are involved in, people now celebrate those acts.

And just like whatever fitna that are out there of liberalism — they are all a matter of sin. Just like drinking is a sin. Just like zinā is a sin. Just like backbiting is a sin. All of these acts that surround us outside — they are also a sin. But unfortunately, now they have taken a form of identity. Now they have taken a form of identity. And — Allah forbid — it is leading to taking a form of religion. That is the new religion out there. Everywhere you go, it is not a matter of "let us be happy with what we want to do." No. Everyone throughout the world has to accept these as the values of the time, the morality of the society that everyone must accept.

The Confidence of Salman al-Farsi (رضي الله عنه)

SubhanAllah. Kids going to school and colleges — when they see this, all of the arguments supported by emotion and not intellect — they have to face this. And when they come to the masajid, when they approach the book of Allah, they find that the book of Allah says something different. How do we navigate through such times?

It reminds me of the incident of Salman al-Farsi (رضي الله عنه). Once he was teaching another Sahabi how one should relieve himself — teaching him all of the sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ. A mushrik, a Jew, looked at Salman al-Farsi (رضي الله عنه) and began to make fun of him, began to make fun of the deen of Rasulullah ﷺ. He said:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 262)

What is the type of religion that you follow, that your teacher, your master, your prophet teaches you everything — to the extent that he teaches you how to relieve yourself? His intent was to make fun of the deen of Rasulullah ﷺ.

But Salman al-Farsi (رضي الله عنه) — all of us know how much he had to sacrifice, how much struggle he had to go through to accept Islam. He had true value for his deen. He said: أَجَلْ — Of course! Look at the perfection of my religion. Look at the perfection of my deen. My deen teaches me even how to relieve myself. And instead of taking offense, Salman al-Farsi (رضي الله عنه) began to count all of the sunan that were taught to us by Rasulullah ﷺ regarding how to relieve oneself. SubhanAllah. He enumerates them: that our beloved master ﷺ teaches us that when we relieve ourselves, we do not face the qibla, nor do we have our backs facing the qibla — and he enumerated all of the sunan.

SubhanAllah. These were the Sahaba. They knew what they had to sacrifice to accept deen. So they had true confidence in their deen — which we see our young men and women going to schools and colleges lacking today.

The Fitna of Confusion and the Story of Ashab al-Kahf

Due to the fitan that are out there, we are facing a real identity crisis, a crisis of faith, and a confusion that the 'ulama describe. The word Dajjal comes from tamwīh — deception and confusion — and prior to the fitna of Dajjal, there will be a fitna of confusion. People will no longer be able to distinguish between right and wrong, and what they should follow.

When we are facing such a time and era — where do we seek refuge? What do we look up to? Alhamdulillah, we are not facing physical persecution. Nevertheless, without any doubt, we are definitely facing intellectual and spiritual persecution.

In the time of the Ashab al-Kahf (رحمهم الله), when they were facing such physical, intellectual, and spiritual persecution — a Roman king who had gone away from the deen of Isa (عليه السلام) had introduced idol worship and imposed this new method of worshipping on the entire nation, the entire community. Then the Ashab al-Kahf, a small group of youngsters, were left with two choices: either choose Allah, or choose to live with them and now worship idols. SubhanAllah.

What did they do? They turned to Allah:

O our Lord, grant us mercy from You, and O Allah, guide us in our affairs. And they left the normal environment. They took shelter in a cave, with the intention to reside there for some time — for a day or half a day. But Allah loved their sacrifice so much that Allah made it a miracle for the last person to be born on the face of this earth — such that every single human being, every single mu'min, recites this on a daily basis.

And Rasulullah ﷺ says that whoever memorizes 10 verses from Surah al-Kahf — or in some ahadith, whoever reads Surah al-Kahf — will be protected from the fitna of Dajjal.

One of the reasons why Surah al-Kahf is prescribed as a means of protection from the fitna of Dajjal is because of the story of the Ashab al-Kahf. That when they were facing such trials, what did they do? What is the lesson for us?

Allah mentions in the Quran that just like how they left their normal environment to protect their iman — they left their normal environment to take shelter and seek refuge in a cave. When they went, the only concern they had was their hidayah. Therefore the 'ulama say, regarding the people of the cave: when they went, what did they take with them? The only thing they took with them was al-Raqeem — the tablets they had received from the scripture of the time, the scripture of the Prophet of the time. When they left, the only concern they had was their hidayah. "Now we are leaving the normal environment of shirk — let us focus on hidayah." And a means of hidayah was the book of the time that they took with them.

Our Cave: The Masjid and the Quran

The 'ulama say: just like how the Ashab al-Kahf resorted to a cave to protect their iman and turned towards the book of Allah to protect their iman — of course, it is not the time for us to leave our normal environment and all unanimously take shelter in a cave. No one is saying that. But what is the cave for us?

The cave for us is the masajid. Connecting ourselves to the environment of the masajid — which is conducive for iman. The environment outside, whether we realize it or not, has an effect on our iman, has an effect on our ruhaniyyah and spirituality. The environment that is conducive for iman is the environment of the masajid.

The second thing we have to do in order to ensure that we can — inshallah — protect ourselves from the fitan that are out there, and much of what we will see in the entire month designated for the celebration of sins — SubhanAllah — is to connect ourselves to the Quran.

As one of the greatest muhaddithīn of the last century said — when he was in prison fighting against the British for many years — he said: when I had time in the prison, I was reflecting over the decline of the ummah. What has caused such a decline? He said: I have come to a conclusion that there are two things that have caused such a decline in the ummah. One is the infighting between them, and number two is their detachment from the Quran. When they attach themselves to the Quran, then — inshallah — they will be on the rise, just like how the Sahaba were on the rise.

That Rasulullah ﷺ when he left from this world said: I am leaving two things between you — the book of Allah and my sunnah. As long as you hold on to those two, you will remain on hidayah. When you forsake any of those two, you will go astray.

Just like how the Ashab al-Kahf demonstrated to us: no matter how tough the times get, hold on to the proper environment that is conducive for your iman, and hold on to the book of Allah — waḥy — and inshallah, you will be able to protect your iman as well.

Du'a

I ask that Allah grant us all the tawfiq to never fall prey to our carnal desires. May Allah protect us all from the fitan and the trials of shahawāt and shubuhāt. Ameen.

Announcements

Please stand up, fill up the gaps, move up, and we can pray our sunnah now. If you see any gap in front of you, please move up. Before you start your sunnah, please move up. JazakAllah khair.

Please pass the donation boxes from left to right. Donate generously. Sadaqah wards off calamities and draws the mercy of Allah. Rasulullah ﷺ says in a hadith: charity given on the day of Jumu'ah carries greater reward than any other day. Please pass the donation boxes from left to right.

The graduation ceremonies for Tahfiz, Tajweed, and Qira'at will be on the weekend of Saturday, June 8th. All enrolled students and their families are invited to attend to support our graduating students.

Summer Programs: Darussalam offers summer programs for the entire family. We know that there are many of you who are eager to taste the sweetness of Islamic knowledge but do not have the opportunity to do so on a full-time basis. That's why we strive to provide a variety of courses that fit your schedule:

• Tamheed, Summer Deen Intensive, and Arabic Essentials — for young adults and older brothers and sisters, 14 and above.
• QIS (Quran, Islamic Studies, and Sports Camp) — for kids, boys and girls, ages 6 to 13.
• Therapy for Tots — kids and youth, boys and girls, ages 4 to 5.

Register at masjidbs.org/summer before seats are full.

Many Muslims — nurture your little one's love for the deen in a welcoming space by joining our fun-filled sessions for moms and kids every Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., ages 0 to 5. Sister Saeed Banqur Hall, Lower Level Seminary Building.

Weekly Programs: Team Fajr will resume tomorrow. Fajr Iqamah is at 4:45 a.m. Tuesday Tafsir will continue after Maghrib Salah — Surah Ghafir continues. Weekly Salawat and Khatira every Thursday after Maghrib Salah.

Du'a Requests: Please make du'a for the Muslims of Palestine. Muhammad Arif, 8 years old, is going to have surgery — please make du'a for him. One of the brothers from the Bensonville community had a stroke — please make du'a for him as well.

May Allah grant complete shifa to all of the sick brothers and sisters. And may Allah relieve our brothers and sisters in Palestine and all the Muslims throughout the world. Ameen.