Surah Al-Kahf | Part 9 Ayahs 32-44 | Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed | Weekly Tafsir

Opening Supplication & Welcome

Respected elders and brothers, mothers and sisters, dear listeners, dear students — Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

We thank Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala immensely for blessing us on this bitterly cold evening to be in a gathering of dhikr, of tafsir, of learning and teaching, of spirituality in the house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And we ask Allah azza wa jal that through our presence here, He save us from the zamharir of Jahannam — which is the punishment of cold in the hellfire. There is a punishment of heat as well as a punishment of cold, both mentioned in the Quran: zamharira. So on nights like these, we are reminded to seek refuge in Allah azza wa jal from the zamharir of Jahannam.

And just like Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given us comfortable warm homes, warm cars, warm masjids, and warm clothing — whereby although we know it's cold, Alhamdulillah, we don't have to suffer staying outside — there are homeless brothers and sisters out there, and people who don't have the means, or whose electricity has been shut off, who don't have heat. What type of difficulty they must be going through, not only in this country but across the globe. The articles are highlighting right now the plight of the innocent children of Afghanistan in this winter, and the plight of hundreds of thousands of starving kids. I can't even read the article — just by looking at the title, it brings down shivers. A person doesn't have the himmah to scroll down and read it. This is a very bitter cold winter for everyone in those regions as well.

Just like Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, without us being worthy of anything, is saving us from the punishment of cold in this world by keeping us in warm places — we beg Allah azza wa jal that, without any istihqaq and without us being worth it, may He save us from the horrors of Hellfire. May He save us from the horrors of the Day of Judgment, even though we don't deserve to be saved. But just as He has shown His kindness to us today, we say: O Allah, please show us Your kindness on the Day of Judgment and in the Hereafter as well. Ameen, Rabbil Alameen.

The Importance of Gatherings of Knowledge and Dhikr

Alhamdulillah, we've had two great sessions with Mawlana Ahsan, and we covered the section from last week on the very detailed description of Paradise and Hellfire and what Allah azza wa jal mentions. Rasulullah ﷺ encourages — indeed is asked — to sit with those people who remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And if Rasulullah ﷺ is being asked to sit with them, then this is such an amazing reminder for you and I of the importance of seeking out good gatherings: gatherings of knowledge, gatherings of dhikr, gatherings in the houses of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

This is our lifeline. Without this, we cannot survive in this difficult, challenging world. What do we need? We need, on a regular basis — weekly if possible, more than once, multiple times a week — gatherings of knowledge and dhikr, where ourselves, our wives, and our children can attend. Where we can gain the warmth of iman, the warmth of the Quran, the warmth of the nur of iman, which will inshallah allow us to stay, hopefully, on the right track.

So the way He brought us here today, we beg Allah that He allows us to continue attending such gatherings with istiqamah, with steadfastness, on a regular basis. Ameen, ya Rabbil Alameen.

Introduction to the Second Story of Surah Al-Kahf: The Parable of Two Men

We are going to begin inshallah today the second section of Surah Al-Kahf, from amongst the four powerful stories that are the foundations of this surah. We will begin the second story of the four.

The story of the People of the Cave, although it is a story filled with amazing answers to the problems of today, and advice for the future, with many things to reflect upon that we spent weeks on — it is still very nadirul wuqu', rarely occurring. It rarely happens that a group of people live for 309 years, wake up, eat, sleep, and then pass away. This is a very rare occurrence.

But this next story we are covering is different. It happens on a regular basis, every day, all around us. All of us, I think, have probably experienced this story in our own lives. We are either one of these two individuals — hopefully one over the other. And if not, then we have definitely seen in our family, friends, and contacts people who follow the footsteps of one of these two individuals.

So this story is extremely relevant to all of us, in whatever part of our life. For the little ones who are listening, to the adults, to the grandfathers — there is so much relevance in this story. Just ask Allah: Ya Allah, I'm listening to this story probably for the tenth or hundredth time. But Ya Allah, allow me to really get the answers I need. Allow me to hear the message that I need to hear at this moment in my life.

Recitation of Ayahs 32–44

We set forth for them the parable of two men. We gave one of them two gardens of grapevines, and surrounded them with date palms, and placed between them cultivated fields. And We caused a river to burst forth through them. Thus there was for him plentiful fruitage. So he said to his friend in his company, while he was conversing with him: "I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in kinsmen."

Thus he entered his garden while doing wrong to his own soul. He said: "I do not think that this flourishing garden will ever perish. Nor do I think that the Hour of Doom will ever come. And if I am to be returned to my Lord, most surely I shall find far better than this as my destiny."

His friend said to him, while he was conversing with him: "Have you disbelieved in the One who has created you from dust, then from a sperm drop, then formed you as a man? Yet indeed, He is Allah, my Lord, and never will I associate anyone as a partner with my Lord."

"But if only when you entered your garden, you had said: 'Such has Allah willed — there is no power except with Allah.' If you see that I myself am given less than you in wealth and children —"

"Yet perhaps my Lord will give me better than your garden, and send upon this one a firebolt from the heaven, so that it shall become no more than a slippery, leveled plain."

"Or perhaps its water may suddenly become deeply sunken into the ground, such that you will never again be able to seek it out."

And so it was that his fruitage was utterly engulfed. Thus he began to wring his hands over what he had spent therein, for it was toppled, desolate upon its trellises. And he kept saying: "O alas for me — would that I had never associated anyone with my Lord."

Nor did he have any fellowship to help him against Allah, nor was he even able to help himself.

Then and there it became clear that all authority is for Allah alone, the True. It is He who is best in bestowing reward and best in ensuring a blissful outcome.

So this is one ruku' in which this entire journey and story is shared. And inshallah, we hope Allah azza wa jal opens up our minds and our hearts to understand these verses.

The Disease of Ghafla — Heedlessness

The Quran speaks a lot about parables. Through parables, things begin to make sense. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

Allah does not shy away from giving examples, even if it is an example of a mosquito. And the way the Quran uses وَاضْرِبْ — what does daraba mean? To strike. When you strike someone, you jolt them awake. Someone sleeping, you wake them up. So the Quran gives us these parables to startle us, to wake us up from our slumber, to wake us up from the sleep of heedlessness and ghafla.

My beloved brothers, this is the biggest disease anyone can suffer — the biggest sickness, the most horrible state, a state worthy of pity — is the state of ghafla, heedlessness. That a person is being completely misled, far away from the deen, missing out on jama'ah and jumu'ah and the masjid, but doesn't feel empty inside. He doesn't realize that he is really running on an empty tank of gas.

What happens if you don't look at the gauge — if you don't look at the fuel line that tells you how close you are to empty? Sometimes when driving, you're talking, enjoying the drive, and you're not noticing: 5 miles left, 2 miles left, 1 mile left, 0. And you're running on just the extra surplus that's there. And subhanallah, maybe you've been in an experience like that where your car stops — it's done. And now if you stop in a place far away from the nearest gas station, you're going to go through a lot of difficulty, especially on a cold night like this. What caused that? What is the answer? Ghafla — heedlessness. You passed by the gas station ten minutes ago. You could have easily filled it up. But you weren't looking.

There are many who are running very low on spirituality but are not looking at the gauge of spirituality in their life. Although they are near gas stations — near masjids, gatherings of knowledge and dhikr, shuyukh they can benefit from, their own parents — they do not think about the fact that they are running low. And when it hits rock bottom, they may find that their parents have passed on, that they are no longer connected to any shuyukh, that the area they are living in has no active masjid. Now what are they going to do? So before that time comes, all of us should make a habit of constantly looking at the spirituality gauge in our lives. To see: where do I stand? What is my relationship with Allah? How much time did I spend today remembering Allah?

Background of the Parable: Two Men, Two Choices

So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says: Strike for them an example — a parable — of two men. Who are these two men? Their names are mentioned in the books of tafsir. Whether they actually existed or not — Allahu Alam. But it is very likely that they did exist. There is no reason for us to believe that they didn't.

Two individuals, two friends — and some say they were brothers or very close companions. Their father passed away and left behind 8,000 coins. One of them decided to purchase a beautiful home, a beautiful garden, and many other things with that money and enjoyed his life. The other one said: I would rather use this money to purchase a beautiful retirement home in the Akhirah — one that I can retire in forever, not short-lived, but forever. So he spent that money in the path of Allah. Reality is: you cannot eat the cake and have the cake at the same time. He made the decision of having the cake later on. He sent it forth.

Tafsir of Ayah 32: Two Gardens — "We Made It"

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says: جَعَلْنَا — We made for one of them two gardens of grapevines. What is the very important point here? جَعَلْنَا — We made it. He didn't get it on his own. We gave it to him. If only he could recognize this.

These two gardens are not just gardens — they are vineyards. Then around the vineyards, there are huge plantations of date palm trees. That's not sufficient — then between them there are also planted fields. And as though that's not sufficient, rivers and streams flow right through — no dependence on any external source of water. All the irrigation is taking place naturally, without any added cost.

So he has multiple ways of investment returns. If one year the vineyards don't give as much, there are date palms. If that doesn't do well, there are cultivated fields. He's not dependent on any external force of water. Very self-sufficient. Vertically integrated, mashallah. The ups and downs of the market apparently don't affect him because he has diversified his investments. But he just doesn't understand: جَعَلْنَا — We created for him. That part, unfortunately, misses him.

I want you to apply this. Because all of us may not have gardens, but we definitely have sources of income. You may have two jobs, two investments, two rental properties — apply this verse to that. That's what the Quran is. The Quran is about application in your daily life right now.

لَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْئًا — Alhamdulillah, there was no oppression; the fruit came continuously. The earth was very generous to this owner. When was the last time your business said, No, khalas, zero profit this month? When was the last time you worked your twelve-hour shift and the employer said, You're going home empty-handed? Alhamdulillah, we are getting our continuous income — be it more or less. But we're working, we're getting it. That's how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is doing for us. The earth is not oppressing us.

Many of us may not own gardens or think ourselves dependent on the earth — but we are definitely dependent on nature. If there are good crops, things go well. SubhanAllah, it's crazy how the price of one thing affects everything else. When gas goes up, your cup of tea becomes more expensive. Milk goes up, everything goes up. We are solely dependent on nature, and we don't fully understand that.

The Materialistic Mindset: Boasting and Comparing Wealth

وَكَانَ لَهُ ثَمَرٌ — He had a lot of fruitage. Thamar is fruit — and also the fruits of labor. All of us, mashallah, enjoy the fruits of our own labor, or the fruits of our parents' labor. Our parents came here with very little, made effort for twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years, and now there are fruits of labor that they, their children, and grandchildren enjoy.

So he was sitting there enjoying the fruits of his labor. Then: فَقَالَ لِصَاحِبِهِ — the wealthy friend tells his companion, who had given away his wealth in charity, and starts rubbing it in. He says: أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًا — I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in kinsmen.

This is the problem. How many times has this conversation been had? People rubbing it in: I'm wealthier than you, I'm more powerful than you, I'm more well-connected than you — and so that makes me more intrinsically superior. When it comes to the issues of marriage discussions, between spouses and in-laws, between business partners — how much is money, money, money emphasized? The qadr, the value of people, is judged based on how many dollar bills they have. This is the sad reality.

There is the famous fable of a wise man who goes to a wedding dressed in very simple clothing. The guards say: This is a royal wedding, you are not invited. Look at how simply you're dressed. He leaves, comes back in his princely gown, is received with pomp and honor, is seated at the front, and when the food is brought, he starts filling his pockets — the internal pocket, the external pocket. People around him are shocked. He says: Because I am feeding the one who is meant to be fed — the one who was invited. The robe is what you care about, not about me. When I came in simple clothing, I was shooed away. So since you want to feed the suit, I'll feed the suit.

This is the story of reality today. People size one another up based on what they have. And hence, the hadith makes so much sense:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 45, Hadith 70 — on the authority of Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه)

Allah does not look at your physical appearance. Allah does not look at your wealth. Rather, Allah looks at the condition of your hearts and the quality of your deeds.

That is what we are not looking at. Because we can't see the condition of the heart — and deeds, we're not worried about that. As long as a man is handsome and charismatic, people gravitate toward him. As long as the way people dress today, subhanallah, that's what determines where knowledge is taken from. This is a very strong and unfortunate attachment.

Show-Off and the Danger of Flaunting What We Have

Now he says, let's go for a tour. People love to give tours of what they own — whether it's their home, their business, or their garden. They want to show off and flaunt what they have.

Alhamdulillah, if Allah has blessed us with something that others don't have, there is no reason for us to show off. When we are very happy to show what we own, we should understand: you may be breaking someone else's heart. Because he doesn't have even a tenth of what you and I may have. By showing him that, my beloved friends, all you're doing is hurting his feelings and making him sad.

There are people who cannot buy new clothes for Eid — millions of people. Now a person wears a beautiful outfit and says: Look what I bought — this one for $200, this one for $100. And that person hasn't been able to get a new pair of clothing in two months. Just think about how you've ruined his Eid. He wants to enjoy Eid, but now when he sees this, it hurts. I wish I had parents who could buy me that. I wish I had the money to do that.

So whenever Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala blesses us with material things, it is not proper for us to show that off to those who have less — because it will, without us even realizing, make them not appreciate what they have, create desire within them, and ruin their day. The aspect of show-and-tell — we need to reconsider it. Is it really necessary to show everything we have? Or are there things we can just keep to ourselves? If someone has more than us, no problem showing something. But be careful about displaying it to those who have less. We need to be cognizant of people's feelings, and not live in our own ivory tower.

Oppressing the Soul — Dhulm al-Nafs

So he enters his garden with his friend, showing it off. Allah says: وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ — while doing wrong to his own soul. He is actually a great oppressor. Why? Because when we are in ghafla and heedlessness, we harm none other than ourselves. When we don't pray, we harm none other than ourselves. When we don't pay our zakah, we harm none besides ourselves. When we don't make dhikr of Allah, we harm no one besides ourselves. So ma'siya — disobedience of Allah — equals oppression upon ourselves.

The Intoxication of the Love of Dunya

Then he said: مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَٰذِهِ أَبَدًا — I do not think this flourishing garden will ever perish. A materialistic mindset. Everything I have is because of my own power, strength, knowledge, contacts. Hence I'm going to rub it in.

Now every person actually 100% knows he is going to die. There is not a single person who says, No, I'm not going to die. What is so shocking is that the love of dunya makes a person so intoxicated — like a drunk man. He cannot see. In the middle of the night he sees the sun. In the middle of the day he says he sees the stars. Something that is worse than the drunkard of alcohol and vodka is the one who is drunk on the love of dunya. Because the intoxication of alcohol will come to an end within twelve hours or so. But the one intoxicated with the love of dunya — his whole life he remains intoxicated. There is no moment of sobriety.

And that intoxication does not allow him to recognize something so obvious — that, my dear brother, you will die and your empire will come to an end. Just like the drunkard cannot see the sun, the one who is intoxicated with the love of wealth simply cannot fathom that his job will end, his investments will go dry, his children will die, his house will dilapidate, and he will die one day. Something as obvious as that, he misses.

You see, subhanallah, people starting new sins at the age of sixty. New businesses at the age of seventy. New pursuits at the age of eighty. No lifestyle change of any sort, even when one has arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes. Why? Because حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا is so strong it does not make a person realize anything.

There is the famous story of a scholar in Baghdad who announced to his students: I have some great news for you — Malakul Mawt has died. The students said: Shaykh, what are you talking about? How can Malakul Mawt die? He said: Did you not hear of this man who just turned eighty years old and today opened a house-warming party for his new palace? The only reason he would do that is because he has definitive knowledge that Malakul Mawt has died. Why else would he do that? He was teaching his students that when people who are that elderly make decisions like this, they are obviously not thinking about death.

And we live in this era of the "longevity movement" — trying to make your skin look younger every year, covering up the white hair, covering up the wrinkles. Which I'm not saying is wrong in and of itself. But the side effect is that when a person looks in the mirror, instead of seeing an elderly face, he sees a rejuvenated face and falls for it. He's supposed to be reminding others of aging, but he's deceiving himself. And when it's old enough, instead of waking up for tahajjud, instead of turning toward tawbah, the realization gets delayed and delayed and delayed.

وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً — I don't think the Hour of Doom will ever come. And: وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا — And even if I am ever brought to my Lord, most surely I shall find far better than this as my destiny.

The Modern Shirk: Partnering Oneself and the Experts with Allah

As Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali al-Nadwi رحمه الله mentions in his tafsir — Faith Versus Materialism — this man was not an atheist. He was not agnostic. Because he speaks of رَبِّي — My Lord. He still believes in Allah. He has doubts about the Day of Judgment, but he still believes in Allah. And that is the form of shirk he was doing: making shirk with himself. That Allah is there, but I am also there. Allah will take care, but I've got to take care of this too.

Anytime anyone says: Allah will take care of your business while you go for Hajj — No, no, what's going to happen to my business? Without me, how is this going to run? You always bring yourself into everything. Without me, how is the house going to run? Without me, how is the business going to run? I know this is fard, but I've got to be there. What have we done? We've done shirk of ourselves with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And this is what this man did. He was not an atheist or agnostic — he believed in Allah — but he did shirk.

What Shaykh Abul Hasan al-Nadwi says so beautifully — he speaks of what he calls the paganism of this era:

He says: this is the modern paganism. Today, material means, natural means, various sciences and their experts — they have become gods and patrons besides Allah. There is so much trust in fellow human beings, in their expertise. And when someone says, "But Allah will..." — Please, don't tell me that. The doctor said there is no shifa. No. Why can't you get yourself to say: I don't care what the doctor said — Allah will give shifa? Why can't you say: I don't care what the lawyer said, the engineer said, the police officer said — I'm going to turn to du'a, to sadaqa, to dhikr, and Allah will take care of my affairs?

So much trust is placed on experts, and we act as though we have a gun to our heads — when there is no one there. It is a figment of our imagination which has overpowered us: that we think the creation has control over us. When they don't. And Allah will treat you based on what you think. If you believe the creation has power over you, then that is what will happen — Allah will throw you to the mercy of the creation. But if you tell yourself: No, the creation does not have power over me; I only go with what Allah says — then watch how Allah handles your affairs.

Like the story of, if I'm not mistaken, Abu Darda رضي الله عنه — when people came one after another saying, Your house is burning! He said, No, my house is not burning. Three people came, a whole neighborhood was on fire, and he calmly said: My house is not burning. Eventually he went back and his house was the only one untouched. Because he had recited the du'a for the protection of the home before he left. He had more certainty in that du'a and that amal than in the eyes of all those people who saw the fire. That is the yaqeen — the certainty — that comes when there is no shirk.

Remember the turning of the hearts. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said:

Know very well that Allah comes between a person and his heart. What does that mean? Before you even wish something from your heart, you need the permission of Allah to wish that. So between you and your irada, between you and your intention, between you and your heart — is Allah. So if someone says, I'm not going to give you this, I'm not giving you a visa, I'm not giving you a job, I'm not giving my daughter or my son — if Allah says yes, no one can say no. You are knocking on the wrong door. You are begging people who have no control over how many times they use the restroom. They have no control over how many times they blink their eyes. Why do you think they have control over your job, your marriage, your sustenance? They don't. They don't even have control over their own affairs. How can they be in control of yours?

The solutions lie in the house of Allah. The solutions lie in our musalla. The solutions lie with dhikr of Allah. The solutions lie with sadaqa. The solutions lie with following the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ. If we try to find solutions elsewhere, we will waste our money, waste our time, and our worries will never go away.

The Response of the Believer

قَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ — His friend said to him while conversing: Have you disbelieved in the One who created you from dust? He started giving him a reminder. He said: look at you — where did you come from? Forget your garden, let's talk about you.

From it We created you, into it We shall return you, and from it We will bring you out once more. You yourself came from the dust. That is your haqiqa. You came from dust and you will return to dust. And you sit here speaking like a Fir'awn, saying you own everything and nothing will ever perish? What type of foolishness is this?

ثُمَّ سَوَّاكَ رَجُلًا — Allah is the one who formed you into a man; you did nothing. لَّٰكِنَّا هُوَ اللَّهُ رَبِّي وَلَا أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا — Indeed He is Allah, my Lord, and I will never associate anyone with my Lord.

Take-home message: let us not associate ourselves with Allah. Let us not associate the means of this world or the specialists of this world with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Let us ask Allah for assistance and help before taking anyone else's opinion. That doesn't mean we don't take assistance from people — no. But first and foremost, the most powerful source of guidance for all of us is our Lord Almighty, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, in light of the Quran, the Sharia, and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

Mashallah, La Quwwata Illa Billah — The Believer's Shield

Then another beautiful point. Who says it is haram to have a garden? It is not haram to own many investments. It is not haram to have a beautiful comfortable home or a nice car. What is absolutely reprehensible is that you attribute it to yourself and say: This is my own, hence I don't need to bow down in front of Allah. That's the problem. Even if you had a bicycle and a hundred-square-foot tin home, and you had this type of attitude — that would still be haram. The issue is not about the amount of what we have. The issue is the attitude we have.

And usually, the more material things a person has, the more materialistic he tends to become. That's why they say one of the greatest fitnahs is when Allah gives you from all directions — from above, below, left and right. When you start getting from everywhere, that becomes a very big test. With increased wealth and increased power, as you rise to managerial level, director, vice president, and so on — it can be very intoxicating and a very big imtihan from Allah. If it gets to your head, it's very dangerous.

Think of a swimming pool. In a bathtub, it's not much fun but you can't drown. In a small children's pool, it's a bit more fun. In a deeper, larger pool — more fun, but the chance of drowning increases. In the ocean — incomparable, but the odds of drowning are also very high. So more wealth and more power — mashallah, wonderful — but with that, there is also a higher chance of becoming a slave to the material world, of forgetting Allah, of attributing success to ourselves and our education, and losing everything that matters.

When you ask for wealth — there's nothing wrong with that. But ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for wealth that is mubarak, that is blessed. Ask for increase in wealth with barakah and 'afiyah. Because excessive wealth without the blessing of Allah can actually become very harmful.

There is the story from the time of the Prophet ﷺ of a man who came to Rasulullah ﷺ and kept insisting that he make du'a for barakah in his livestock. Rasulullah ﷺ was reluctant and said no, but the man kept insisting. Eventually, Rasulullah ﷺ relented and made du'a for more wealth. That du'a was accepted — but it was a curse. This man used to live right next to the masjid of the Prophet ﷺ and came multiple times a day. Now his livestock increased; he needed bigger pasture land, had to move further from Madinah. His attendance at the masjid dropped from multiple times a day to once a day, to once every few days, to once a week, and even less. He was now deprived of visiting the Prophet ﷺ even though the Prophet ﷺ was alive and in Madinah — the greatest blessing of that era. When Rasulullah ﷺ sent a zakat collector to him, the man refused, saying: This is all my own, why should I give zakat? The zakat collector returned, and Rasulullah ﷺ said: that is enough — we will not go back to him.

After the Prophet ﷺ passed away, this man tried to give his zakat to Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said: Rasulullah didn't accept it, I am not going to accept it. He tried under Umar رضي الله عنه. Umar رضي الله عنه said: Rasulullah didn't accept it, Abu Bakr didn't accept it — who am I to accept it? He tried under Uthman رضي الله عنه. Uthman رضي الله عنه said the same. He died in that state. And the verses of Surah at-Tawbah were revealed about him:

And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah: "If He gives us from His bounty, we will surely give in charity and be among the righteous." But when He gave them from His bounty, they became stingy with it and turned away. So He penalized them with hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day they meet Him — because they broke their promise to Allah and because they used to lie.

What could be the worst punishment than this? Allah replaced his iman with hypocrisy. May Allah protect us from falling into this. That is what a materialistic lifestyle leads to — a person just wants more, more, more.

So, my dear beloved brothers and students — don't ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for a billion dollars, a million dollars. Don't ask for that. Ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for halal rizq with 'afiyah and barakah. There is a joke: a man was sitting in jail and someone asked him, What are you in here for? You didn't hurt anyone. He said: I asked for the wrong du'a. I was going through difficult times and said: Ya Allah, just give me two free meals a day. That's all I want. He said: I'm getting two free meals a day here. He didn't say: Ya Allah, give me two meals a day with 'afiyah. So that's why we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for wealth and sustenance with 'afiyah and barakah.

Mashallah La Quwwata Illa Billah — The Words of the Believing Friend

Then the believing friend says: You're showing off this garden to me — alhamdulillah. But why don't you just attribute it to Allah? There is nothing wrong with having it. The issue is: why do you attribute it to yourself?

If only when you entered your garden, you would have said: "Such has Allah willed — there is no power except with Allah." If you had said that, everything would have been fine. Do you not see that I have less wealth than you and fewer children? But inshallah, I will be better off than you — because I have iman, and I am leading a life according to iman, and you are not.

My beloved brothers and sisters, this is another point to highlight. We covered previously وَلَا تَقُولَنَّ لِشَيْءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلٌ ذَٰلِكَ غَدًا إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ — Do not say about anything that I am going to do this tomorrow, except that you say: "Inshallah — if Allah wills." We talked about the benefits of inshallah — making our life contingent upon the will of Allah. That is our strength. And this — mashallah, la quwwata illa billah — is another powerful statement we should say regularly. Not as empty taqiya-kalam — just habit. Think about what you are saying.

Mashallah should be said when you look at your own car, your own home. When you walk back home today, when you sit in your warm car: Mashallah, la quwwata illa billah. I have this because Allah willed it. Not because I beat the market, not because I am smart. Mashallah, la quwwata illa billah. No power for me to gain any wealth, no power for me to do any deeni work, except with the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

You see this written in people's homes on plaques. In the masjid, in the seminary — it is printed to remind us that whenever we see something beautiful, we say mashallah, la quwwata illa billah. By doing so, we are also protecting those blessings — inshallah — from 'ayn, from the evil eye and jealousy. Because what you are saying is: Ya Allah, this is not mine — it is Yours. And I want You to protect it. Like Abdul Muttalib said regarding the Ka'bah: Ya Allah, these are my camels — I'll take care of them. The Ka'bah is Yours — You protect it. And Allah azza wa jal sent the army of Ababeel to destroy Abraha's army. That should be the attitude we have for all our belongings.

The Destruction of the Garden — Divine Warning

The believing friend says: Yet perhaps my Lord will give me better than your garden, even though I have much less wealth than you. And what may happen because of your arrogance? A firebolt from the heaven could come and destroy it all, and your huge garden will be leveled to the ground and become slippery — meaning nothing will even grow anymore. صَعِيدًا زَلَقًا — so slippery that even if you plant a seed, the water washes it off. The business falls apart and no matter how many times you try to re-establish it, you cannot. أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَاؤُهَا غَوْرًا فَلَن تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُ طَلَبًا — or perhaps its water will sink so deep into the ground that you will dig and dig and never reach it again.

And so that is exactly what happened. As the believing friend said it might, Allah azza wa jal decided to punish him. A firebolt came and destroyed everything. And what happened to the garden owner? He sat there يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ — wringing his hands. Oh, how much money I spent on this! My entire life went into this garden, this business, everything. خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا — toppled, everything fell over. And he said: يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا — I wish I had not committed shirk. What shirk did he do? Shirk with himself and with the means of this world. He was not an idolater who sat there worshipping idols. He made shirk with himself and the material means of this world.

He had no one to help him against Allah. He had no army to assist him, nor could he assist himself. And this is why this surah is so effective in protecting against the fitan of the Dajjal — because the Dajjal's primary weapon is materialism, is making people worship the means and forget the Creator.

All Authority Belongs to Allah — Always

هُنَالِكَ الْوَلَايَةُ لِلَّهِ الْحَقِّ — Then and there it became clear that all authority is for Allah alone, the True. What does walaya mean? Authority. All authority belongs to Allah — not only then, but for all time. But Allah uses the word hunalika — then and there. Why? Because it is only when incidents like this happen, after a person loses everything, that they realize: I was never in control in the first place. I wish we had figured this out long ago. If we had realized this earlier, we wouldn't have been in this mess.

Similarly, there is the ayah from the 24th juz:

To whom does the kingdom belong today? To Allah, the One, the Prevailing. It belongs to Allah today too. But that will become universally apparent on the Day when everyone will have died, the trumpet will be blown, and the question will be asked — and it will be obvious to all that the kingdom belongs only to Allah. It always belonged to Allah from the very beginning. But the materialistic lifestyle doesn't allow us to acknowledge that. So it is better if we recognize it right now.

هُوَ خَيْرٌ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبًا — Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is much better than any of the people of this world in giving us reward, and in ensuring a blissful outcome.

So this is a quick journey through this ruku'. Whatever we can benefit from is good — and more than enough has been shared that can be of benefit to us in terms of trust in Allah, ascribing all of our successes to Allah, and not allowing the means of this world or our own ana — our ego — to come between us and Allah.

Today, the forces of batil are becoming stronger and stronger, and Muslims are getting weaker everywhere. So this ayah is very important — we must ensure, as much as possible, that we bow our heads in front of none other than Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. No matter how strong the external force may be, no matter how strongly batil seems to be progressing — we cannot be swayed by it, cannot be scared by it, cannot be affected by it. We say: I am afraid of none besides Allah, and my loyalty is with none besides Allah.

Reflections on the Journey to the Haramayn

As I had promised, let me share a few words. Alhamdulillah, we went for a week to Makkah al-Mukarramah and Madinah al-Munawwarah for ziyarah — some of my brothers who were with me on that journey are sitting here as well. We went with our seventh-year 'Alim course students who are graduating inshallah ta'ala in the next six months — ten boys graduating inshallah this year — and some students from last year who couldn't go due to COVID.

The purpose of our journey was to spend time in the blessed lands of Makkah al-Mukarramah and Madinah al-Munawwarah, and then to travel onwards to South Africa to visit our teachers and our alma mater Dar al-'Uloom Zakariyya, and to visit other mashayikh there. As I routinely express, visiting scholars, institutions of knowledge, and mashayikh is something very important for us and for our children to witness. However, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala willed otherwise — the flights to South Africa were cancelled due to the new variant, and we were unable to travel there. We hope Allah opens up ways for the boys to go visit our teachers, who are getting older by the day. But the blessing in disguise was that, alhamdulillah, we were able to spend an extra four to five days in Madinah al-Munawwarah — more days than I had ever spent there before.

The Need to Visit the Haramayn More Frequently

My main reflection from this journey is the importance of visiting the blessed lands again and again. There are some of you sitting here who have visited five times. There are some who have visited once. And there are some who have never visited. Those who do not have the financial means at all — alhamdulillah, coming here to the dars is your umrah for now. But those who have the financial means to go for holidays to Florida, California, Hawaii, the Bahamas, the Maldives — and yet have not gone for umrah — this is a very sad state.

There are so many who go to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh on a regular basis — they literally fly over the Haramayn — but have never had the tawfiq to stop by even once. Think about that.

And there are all sorts of deceptions of Shaytan. A person can live with a $20,000 car but says he needs a $90,000 car. He can live in a three-bedroom home but wants six. He is always living above his means, more than he needs. But if someone finds himself going for umrah more than once in his life, all of a sudden people in the community say: Look at the extravagance over there. What type of double standards are these? When people spend $200,000 on a wedding, no one says anything. On the contrary, they can't wait to attend. But when a person wants to go for hajj every year because he has the means — people unfortunately say: بھائي، کسی غریب کی شادی کردنا — Why don't you use that money to get a poor person's daughter married? I agree, that is a great cause. But why not suggest that the $200,000 wedding be scaled back, and 2,000 people can be helped with that money? No one says that. Only when money is spent on the matters of deen does this conversation suddenly arise.

This is a deception of Shaytan. What I understand from my teachers is that now is the time to visit the Haramayn ash-Sharifayn as much as possible, for multiple reasons — some I can share, some I cannot. But one reason I can share is: the corrosive effect of materialism is so much greater now than before. We are all being affected by the materialistic Dajjali era more than we were before. So we need more detox more often than previous generations did.

As one of the extreme scholars we heard speak in Madinah al-Munawwarah mentioned: there was a time when everyone who stood in line to say salam to the Prophet ﷺ would have rivers of tears flowing down their cheeks — every single person would be shaken, trembling, crying as they walked forward. And now, in a hundred people, you will not find one crying. In a hundred people, ninety-nine have their cameras out, taking live video — one hand holding their shoes, one hand holding the phone — and they cannot even say salam properly. The mind is occupied with architecture and angles and recording. This is the effect of smartphones. And as that scholar pointed out, it is the presence of the smartphone that has, in large part, diminished the sacredness of umrah and hajj.

And now you cannot even enter the Haram complex without a smartphone — you must have a specific app. Before the masjid entrance, at any hotel, you must have it present. The world is becoming entirely dependent on technology, to the extent that even the Haramayn ash-Sharifayn cannot be visited without one. But the idea is: people used to go once in a lifetime and it would be a life-changing experience. But because of the overwhelming materialism of today, one trip may no longer do the full job. We need multiple trips, more often.

My suggestion is that those who can afford a $1,000 to $1,500 trip should make this their priority over a family vacation to a popular holiday destination. A spiritual vacation — a change of routine, away from cooking and your daily life — is still a vacation. And it will be far more beneficial. Try to go as often as you can. As the hadith mentions:

(Referenced in various narrations — the one who does not perform hajj and 'umrah once in every five years has been disloyal to the Prophet ﷺ)

The one who does not perform hajj and umrah every five years — فَقَدْ جَفَانِي — has been disloyal to the Prophet ﷺ. So try to visit every year if possible, if you have the means. If not, every other year. December holidays are coming — now is a good time to plan.

COVID is not going away; we said that a long time ago. It is the world we have to get accustomed to living in. New booster shots, new variants, new challenges — say Bismillah and go. Do your salatul istikhara, salatul hajah, and then go, inshallah. People are traveling. Businesses haven't stopped, vacations haven't stopped, weddings haven't stopped. Why should the name of visiting the house of Allah — Makkah and Madinah — suddenly give rise to all sorts of hesitation? As long as flights are open, I would definitely encourage going. We do not know when the country may close again. While there is an opportunity, please go yourself and encourage others as well — and if possible, even Masjid al-Aqsa.

What We Visited — Badr, Bi'r Ruha, Hudaybiyyah, and More

When we visited these blessed lands, we didn't only visit Makkah and Madinah. Alhamdulillah, we also had a chance to visit Badr — which most people do not visit, even though it is on the way between Makkah and Madinah and you can stop there easily. We prayed in Masjid al-'Arish — the place where Rasulullah ﷺ raised his hands and made du'a for hours, until Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said: Please rest, Allah has accepted your du'a. Across from it is the graveyard where the Sahaba are buried. The wall has been removed due to ongoing construction, and you can walk right into the graveyard. And where the disbelievers — Abu Jahl and his likes — were killed and buried, bathrooms have been built in that same area. Subhanallah.

On the way to Badr is Bi'r Ruha — a well at which seventy Prophets stopped to drink water. This is on the route from Sham to Madinah al-Munawwarah. This is the same well that Isa عليه السلام will also drink from upon his return. And hence, until today, although so many historical landmarks have been destroyed, this well remains completely untouched. The water has a very distinct and unmistakable different flavor — you don't have to second guess. The whole group was able to stop there, make wudu, and drink from it. And there are brothers in Madinah who go weekly to fill up water from there, because Rasulullah ﷺ drank from it — and most times that Rasulullah ﷺ drank from a well, he would spit back into it for the sake of barakah.

In Makkah al-Mukarramah, we were also able to visit Hudaybiyyah. The entire story that we covered in the tafsir of Surah al-Fath came back to life there — watching the place where the pledge of allegiance was made, and the whole historical background of that event.

I want to emphasize: in Makkah and Madinah, you need to go with scholars and 'ulama. This is an oral tradition passed down through generations. Because right now, unfortunately, many changes are happening and the majority of historical landmarks have been destroyed. So you need someone who has learned it from someone — who knows that before this Hilton came up, what was there. Before this restaurant, what was in that location. A lot of historical narration can only be conveyed through someone who carries that knowledge.

We also visited Uhud, and the route toward it where various incidents occurred. And another amazing place was Masjid al-Fath — part of the Sab' Masajid — which is the site of the Battle of the Trench, which we also covered alhamdulillah in the tafsir of Surah al-Ahzab.

Masjid al-Fath and the Du'a of Wednesday After Dhuhr

In that very difficult battle, Rasulullah ﷺ made du'a to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He began making du'a on Sunday, asking Allah to destroy the various factions that had gathered against the Muslims. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday — and then on Wednesday after Salatul Dhuhr, the du'a was accepted. The wind was sent down, the enemy's tents were completely uprooted, and the army was sent flying back to Makkah.

Jabir رضي الله عنه — you remember the story of Jabir from the Battle of al-Ahzab, and from the tafsir: he was the one who hosted approximately 1,400 to 1,500 Sahaba at his home. He had told Rasulullah ﷺ he had some food and invited him. Rasulullah ﷺ told the whole army: Let's go over for lunch at Jabir's. Jabir came running home and said to his wife: Ya Allah, I only have food for four or five people — and everyone is coming! His wife said: Did you tell him how much food we have? He said: Yes. She said: Then don't worry about it — that's his problem. If he knew how much food we had and still called them all, then why are you worried? He knows what he's doing. They all came — Rasulullah ﷺ said, Don't remove the cover from the gravy — kept on making the bread, kept on serving — and all 1,400 Sahaba ate and left, and there was still plenty.

Jabir رضي الله عنه says: we learned from this that because Rasulullah ﷺ's du'a was accepted on Wednesday after Salatul Dhuhr, we make it a practice that every Wednesday, whenever we have a pressing problem, we go to Masjid al-Fath — which is a small masjid on a small hill, a very short climb — and we make du'a after Salatul Dhuhr. And Allah accepts our du'a.

I want to share a story related to this. Our group leader and tour guide in Madinah — who has taken our groups many times — lost both his mother and father to COVID. His father was also the elder brother of my teacher. May Allah grant them both maghfirah.

When his mother passed away, there was a rule in Madinah — in place for seven months — that no COVID patient's body was allowed to be buried in Jannatul Baqi', and no COVID body was allowed to have the janazah prayer performed in Masjid al-Nabawi. The family went to every ministry, pleading: Please make an exception, please change the rule. No one listened. Seven months — the rule had not changed for anyone.

SubhanAllah. So then, what happened? All the siblings went to Masjid al-Fath on a Wednesday and made du'a. The very next day, the declaration came — the rule was lifted. His mother became the first person whose body was allowed to be brought into Masjid al-Nabawi, and the first COVID body to be buried in Jannatul Baqi'. SubhanAllah.

We had the chance, alhamdulillah, to go twice to Masjid al-Fath and make du'a there. So remember — next time you go to Madinah al-Munawwarah, try to ensure you have a Wednesday available, and go visit Masjid al-Fath after Dhuhr.

Duas Made on Your Behalf — and a Final Encouragement

Alhamdulillah, I want to tell you that we made lots of du'a on behalf of the entire Dar al-Islam community. A majority of my time was spent making du'a for all of you — for this community, for the volunteers, for the musallees, for the attendees of all our programs, for the students, for the patrons, for the donors, for the well-wishers. Alhamdulillah, lots and lots of du'a. And lots of salam was sent to the Prophet ﷺ on behalf of all of you.

So I request and encourage every one of you to make niya, inshallah, to try your best to save up money and to make the intention of going and visiting the Haramayn — not once, not twice, but as many times as you can.

We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to accept our journey and your journeys — past and future. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept all the du'as that were made in this past journey on behalf of all of you. May He accept our sitting here and listening here. May He allow myself and all of you to practice whatever was shared. May He allow us to propagate it to others as well.

Announcements

A very kind reminder, inshallah: December 25th to 28th will be our annual Winter Intensive. Please do not forget to join us. InshAllah there will be the Winter Intensive from the 25th to the 28th. And there is also an umrah group leaving the night of the 28th — so after the Winter Intensive, you can join the group if you wish to go right afterwards. I invite people from across the country who are listening to please encourage family and friends to book their tickets and make arrangements. The schedule is finalized, alhamdulillah, and will be on our website. There will also be a children's program as well as the main program.

Also, on the way out, please enjoy the tea and cookies and make du'a for our students and volunteers who are making khidmah for all of us.