Responsibilities Brought by the Kalimah - Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed | Islamic Reminder | Jummah Khutbah

The Responsibilities Brought by the Kalimah

Friends anymore, right? You have to figure out, there's a responsibility. You have someone there you have to take care of. That's just the beginning of the responsibilities of marriage.

قَبِلْتُهَا brings all those roles and responsibilities upon the husband and the wife. Similarly, at a much higher level, when a person says:

Responsibilities fall upon the shoulders. And a person from now on says that my supreme commander in chief is Allah azza wa jal.

I report to Allah.

I will never disobey my Lord, even if it means it will bring about the happiness of other people. I will always keep the obedience of my Lord and the pleasure of my Lord first and foremost, because I am a Muslim. I have submitted, I have chosen a life of submission. I have handed my life over to Allah.

Allah azza wa jal says He has already purchased — you're already sold. Allah says, I've already purchased you, your wealth and your life in lieu of Jannah. You are not available — no more vacancy sign that I am ready.

By Allah, the husband and wife also don't have a right upon each other like the right of our Lord upon us. And by Allah, the parents don't have rights upon us similar to the rights of our Lord upon us. Whatever rights the parents have upon us or the spouse has upon us, it is because our Lord has told us that these are their rights upon you. The most rights we have upon us is definitely Allah azza wa jal's rights.

And a person has to submit, a person has to believe, a person has to realize that we belong to Allah azza wa jal. That's why when we pass away, what do we say? When we hear someone passing away, we say:

Indeed, we all belong to Allah and to Allah is our return. What does that mean? That this son who's passed away, this daughter who's passed away, this father who's passed away, this mother who's passed away — he or she never belonged to us in the very first place. They had allowed us to benefit from them for some time. But the actual ownership belongs to Allah. Even our own son or daughter does not belong to us.

The Prophet's Lesson at the Deathbed

The Prophet ﷺ, when his beloved daughter was in pain because her child was about to pass away and she heard about it, and he heard about it, he went to go console her. And he saw her son in the throes of death. What did the Prophet ﷺ do? He consoled her and told her to remain patient and have expectations from Allah.

To Allah belongs what He gives and to Allah belongs what He takes back. Remain patient and have expectations of reward from Allah. Nothing belongs to us. It all belongs to Allah azza wa jal. That is the part of submission that we need to realize — that we submit to Allah azza wa jal in every aspect, to the extent that we don't own our own life.

The Prophet ﷺ — this is one of the first lessons he taught the companions. That when you say:

As soon as you become a Muslim, then from this moment onwards, you are no longer the owner of your life. You are no longer the owner of your wealth. Your bank accounts, your investments, your children, your spouse, your life, your breath — all belongs to Allah azza wa jal. And from now onwards, you must spend that in a manner that is pleasing to Him. And you may not use your life, your health, your wealth, your children in a manner that is displeasing to Allah azza wa jal. That is the basic lesson that the Sahabah were taught from the very first day. That's what it means to be a Muslim.

Freedom of Choice and Its Consequences

My brothers, my friends, you and I have a choice.

Allah says, I'm not forcing you to become a Muslim. Whoever wishes, he may become a believer. Whoever wishes to become a disbeliever — that option is yours. But remember:

Indeed, We have prepared a fire whose walls shall envelop those people who reject My message, who reject the message of My prophets, who reject Me. Allah azza wa jal is saying that. In this dunya, I will not force you to become a Muslim. But remember, I'm warning you — something horrible awaits you ahead.

Another verse of the Qur'an comes to mind, where Allah says:

Do you expect Me to force Islam down your throat? وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَارِهُونَ — while you are disliking it? I shall not do that. Absolutely not.

Allah says:

I will guide only those people who turn to Me. You will only get it if you show the need. If you show your humbleness and humility to Almighty Allah, then Allah azza wa jal will give that Islam, will give that deen. And if a person acts arrogantly in front of Allah —

Allah azza wa jal has no liking for the arrogant ones, for the oppressors, for the sinners and transgressors who choose to stand up in front of Allah and say, "Allah, I don't need you." Those people Allah azza wa jal has no need for.

Istislam — Total Submission to Allah

So one very important aspect of our faith is istislam — submitting ourselves to the will of Allah and whatever Allah throws at us, we take it willingly. Anything. That's called rida bil-qada' — to be happy with the decree of Allah.

As one beautiful statement has been mentioned — it is attributed to a Hadith Qudsi. The wording may not be authentic, but the meaning definitely is:

Whoever is not patient on My tests, and whoever is not pleased with My decisions, then he should go find a lord besides Me. If you're not happy with the way the business runs, you're not happy with our customer service — there are a lot of other stores selling the same thing, move on, go somewhere else. If you don't like the school that you're studying at, go find another place that you are pleased with. And if you don't like the way Allah azza wa jal runs the place and what He's done with you — very clear, you have an option, we'll see you on the other side.

But Allah says: if you want to be a Muslim, then it is the fundamental part of faith to agree with Allah azza wa jal's decisions.

The Du'a of Complete Submission

Nabi ﷺ, a beautiful du'a he taught us:

O Allah, I am Your slave, and the son of Your slave, and the son of Your female slave. Meaning: I am Your slave, my father is Your slave, and my mother is Your slave — we're all slaves. Your decision is fulfilled in me. Whatever decision You make, it comes to pass in my life. Your orders are fulfilled in my life. Meaning, whatever You decide — if You decide today I wake up with pain in my right leg, that shall happen. If You decide that tomorrow I wake up with no pain, that shall happen. If You decide that I wake up making extra money from places where I never imagined, that shall happen. If You decide that today will be a day I shall cry, and tomorrow shall be a day I shall laugh, that shall happen.

Allah is the One who brings smiles to faces, brings tears to eyes, gives life and gives death. A person has to be pleased with Allah azza wa jal and what He does.

The Two Aspects of Rida

So ibra — what counts — is not how much wealth and health we have. That is not going to make your life and my life enjoyable. Rather what counts is how pleased we are with Allah's decision. So you see people who have immense amounts of health, wealth, and children, leading an apparently nice life — but still they are unhappy with the way Allah is running their affairs. And because of this displeasure in their heart with Allah, even though they own all sorts of materialistic things, they lead a hollow life. An empty life. A life that has no benefit. A life that is full of depression.

And there are others who have very little to their name. They may not have any children. They may not be married. They may not have any money. They may not have food to eat for that night. But they have rida. They have pleasure and happiness in their heart with whatever Allah decides. And you will find them to be the wealthiest people — because they are content with what Allah azza wa jal has given them.

Rida has two aspects to it. One is the aspect that we have to strive for, and one aspect comes from Allah. They call it janib wahabi and janib kasbi. One aspect — the kasbi — you have to strive for. Meaning you have to force yourself to say: I am happy with what Allah is doing for me, even though apparently it's not the way I wanted it to go. But I am going to convince myself that this is what Allah has willed for me, and I am going to force myself to accept it.

When a person makes that first step — the kasb — Allah will grant him the second aspect, which is the janib wahabi, the gift from Allah. Allah will then literally fill his heart with iman, fill his heart with nur, fill his heart with happiness. People will be shocked: how come you have a smile on your face? How come you are able to be so upbeat, even in the face of the biggest difficulty? And that is nothing but from Allah azza wa jal.

A Witness to Rida in Action

I have witnessed people whose sons and daughters have passed away young — in car accidents or other types of diseases, sometimes suddenly. We were speaking about this just yesterday — a father burying his son into the grave, lowering his son into the grave. He was a madrasa student in a nearby madrasa. And everyone could not control their tears, crying uncontrollably — the ustadh and the students. But the person was noticing: he said, the father — as he was lowering his son into the grave — he wasn't shedding a tear. How is that possible? Where does that come from?

Because he did some qasd. He convinced himself: if this is what Allah willed for my son — to be waiting for me and opening the door of Jannah for me when I go — Allah azza wa jal coupled that with wahabi rida. Allah filled his heart with strength. Allah filled his heart with happiness with whatever situation. And even in that difficulty, believe me, there is enjoyment — because you know every step.

Look at the people who work out. Sometimes they grunt as they are lifting the iron — apparently painful, and it is not just apparently, it is painful, you can see it on their faces, they are grimacing. But there is enjoyment in there. Because they know at the end of this, I am actually building my muscles. There is enjoyment in that pain. When a person has a connection with Allah, then even in difficulty, even in that fast, even though they are so thirsty, in that difficulty there is enjoyment.

But we have to do our first part — the kasb part. We have to earn it. And then Allah azza wa jal will couple it with the janib wahabi. Allah will fill our hearts with rida.

The Du'a After the Adhan

The Prophet ﷺ gave a statement once. He mentioned in a hadith:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 386)

Whoever recites the following du'a when the muezzin gives the adhan — he says: I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah, alone, no partners with Him, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His slave and messenger. And then he says: I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, and I am pleased with Muhammad ﷺ as a messenger, and I am pleased with Islam as my religion — his sins shall be forgiven.

The Story of Umar and the Torah

This same du'a has been mentioned in a story of seerah that you have probably heard. Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه was glossing through the Tawrah, going through its pages and reading an interesting passage. Nearby were Abu Bakr As-Siddiq رضي الله عنه and of course our dear Prophet ﷺ. Umar رضي الله عنه was so focused on reading that passage of the Tawrah that he didn't realize the color of the Prophet ﷺ's face was changing — and he was getting extremely upset. In my presence you are reading another book?

And remember, Umar رضي الله عنه is no random person. He is one of the most illustrious companions of the Prophet ﷺ, and he has been granted a spot right next to him — just a few feet away — till today, and he will be raised from there. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq رضي الله عنه nudged him. When he nudged him and he looked up, he saw the changed color of the face of the Prophet ﷺ and realized his mistake. He went down on his knees and recited this du'a: I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, Muhammad ﷺ as my Prophet, and Islam as my religion.

And the Prophet ﷺ said — you are reading the Torah in my presence:

(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 14736; also referenced in related narrations)

If Musa عليه السلام himself — upon whom this book was revealed — were to be alive today, he would not gain salvation except through my obedience. If Musa عليه السلام, upon whom this book was revealed, were to be alive, the only way of salvation for him would be through my obedience. How can you look for salvation in any other method, or even read another book in my presence?

The Challenge of Our Era: Doubts and Critiques

My brothers and sisters, this point is so important today, this aspect is so important today. As new objections and new questions arise by the day — nay, by the hour — in the minds of the youth and adults alike. Things that we had no problem with before, all of a sudden we are finding the need to critique them. We are finding objections — not only in the minds of the youth, but in the minds of white-bearded adults, in the minds of elderly women, and dare I say, in the minds of educated scholars as well. Doubts about: why is this command of Allah there? Why does the Quran say this? Why did the Prophet ﷺ do this? This doesn't go with what I'm learning outside. The era that we live in — it just is not acceptable. Even though this is a clear verse of the Quran — but why, but why, but why.

My brothers and sisters, this is the challenge of today. This is the challenge of this era. Say it: I am pleased with Allah as my Lord. I may not have the answer to your question. You may not have answers to my question. But do you and I have another Lord that we can go towards? Do you and I have another choice? Do you and I have another lifestyle that is possible through which we can get to paradise? And the answer is absolutely no.

There are no other universities. There are no other businesses on the street that you can choose from. There is only one door to paradise — and that is the door of Rasulullah ﷺ. Whether we like it or we don't, whether we understand it or we don't, whether we comprehend its wisdom or not, the only way for salvation is for you and I to reiterate and to believe.

As Rasulullah ﷺ said, that person has tasted the sweetness of faith who is pleased with Allah as his Lord, and pleased with Muhammad ﷺ as his messenger, and Islam as his religion.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 34)

Why are we not feeling it? It's because these three things may not be within us. Are we truly happy with whatever decisions Allah is making? And are we truly happy with the Sunnah? Are we proud of our Sunnah? Proud of our Islam?

The Pride of Abu Darda رضي الله عنه

As Abu Darda' رضي الله عنه — if I'm not mistaken — when someone commented to him and said, "Your Nabi, by God, he teaches you everything — what is this? He's teaching how to go to the bathroom?" And then what did he say? He said with such honor and pride: "The Prophet ﷺ most definitely yes — the Prophet ﷺ teaches us everything, including how to relieve ourselves. Yes! He doesn't look down upon me — I'm proud. He tells me what direction to face, how do I wash myself after number one, number two. He taught me everything." He faced the Mushrikeen with much pride and said: "I am proud that I call him my Prophet ﷺ, a fatherly figure, a spiritual father who has taught me how to even use the bathroom — and most definitely taught me everything else."

My brothers and sisters, that pride in Islam, the happiness with Islam, the happiness with the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ — listen, until we don't have that, our faith is incomplete, totally incomplete. And day by day the doubts will only increase, questions will only arise, and you and I may not have answers for that — because these come from Shaytan.

The Internal Struggle — Rida in Difficulty

I'll end with this. The issue is not about what we have or what we don't have. The issue is internal. As we're going through difficulties in this country of some sort — whether financial difficulties, or Islamophobic difficulties, etc. — a person may ask themselves: why is Allah doing this to me? Remember, the issue is not about what you have and what you don't have. It is your optimism or pessimism. How do you approach it?

As we grieve today over the approximately one hundred boys who passed away and were made shaheed a few days ago in Afghanistan, from a bomb that landed on a madrasa where approximately a hundred boys were graduating from their hifz, their completion — wearing their turbans and their thobes and kurtas, receiving their certificates. A hundred boys approximately. And the whole madrasa was leveled. All the boys were killed, the teachers were killed, the fathers were killed. And you cannot even imagine what type of grief those mothers are going through now — three days ago this happened, and many of you didn't even hear about it.

But I haven't met them, yet I can safely say this statement: that those mothers have not lost faith in Allah. That those mothers are saying — these children will be waiting for us at the Hawd al-Kawthar. These children will be waiting for us on the Sirat. These children will be waiting to welcome us in Jannah. They lost everything; they were poor in the first place. Now they lost their young innocent boys. But I guarantee you it hasn't shaken up their faith. I guarantee you none of those mothers there has become an atheist in the past three days.

My brothers and sisters, it's not about what comes at you. It's internalizing — what do we have inside us? If iman is inside us, then no matter what comes our way, it will only make us stronger. And if iman is weak inside, then the smallest of things will make you upset, and the smallest of things will make you say: why me? Why us? What have we done wrong?

You and I cannot change what happens around us and what happens to us. But what you and I are responsible for is how we interact with the decisions of Allah azza wa jal. And that has to be with rida — pleasure, happiness. Ya Allah, if this is what it is, I have no God besides You. I'm not choosing another Lord besides You. I'm only holding on to Your door and the door of Rasulullah ﷺ. And the only way to do that is to be pleased with Your decisions.

Du'a — Closing Supplication

I pray to Almighty Allah azza wa jal that He fills our hearts with the pleasure and happiness with our deen, pride over our deen. I ask Allah azza wa jal to make us genuinely content with every aspect of our faith and content with every teaching of the Prophet ﷺ. I ask Allah azza wa jal to make every one of us inspired by the Quran and Sunnah, and to allow us and grant us the ability to inspire others. I ask Allah azza wa jal to make you and I walk in the Quran and walk in the books of hadith.

I ask Allah azza wa jal not only to grant patience to those mothers and fathers who lost their children over there in Afghanistan and to grant them the highest rewards, but also all those brothers and sisters throughout the world who are going through any level of difficulty — may Allah azza wa jal also grant them patience, and may Allah reward them in full after He has granted them the ability to bear it.

I say this and ask Allah's forgiveness for me and for you.