20161230-2nd Khutba - Shaykh Hasan Sultan

Praise and Gratitude to Allah

My dear brothers and sisters, all praise and glory belongs to Allah who blessed us, who guided us, who has given us the ability to think, to walk, and has given us the ability to distinguish right from wrong. And for that, we are ever thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for this blessing. Especially on a day where no wealth, no sons or daughters will be of any help except the deeds we earn.

On a day except the one who comes to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with a pure and clean heart. قَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ — a heart that is free from all impurities. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as we gather here in these few minutes, in this precious time, in the best time of the day, in the best day of the week, that we purify our hearts, remove animosity, jealousy, and envy, and hatred, and replace it with mercy, compassion, understanding, and love.

Especially as brothers and sisters, in a time where so many are trying to divide us. So many are trying to split us, whether it's here or overseas. But we control our actions and our intentions.

So as you sit here, brother and sister, purify your intention, purify your heart. And one way to do so is to always be thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and realize that what you have is a great blessing.

In a country where over 98% of people do not believe in Allah the way they're supposed to, we're about 1%, not because we're better than anyone or chosen. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave us hidayah and guidance. So we have a big task ahead of us. We have a big responsibility. That Allah has blessed us, but now He's testing us with blessings. Others are tested in different ways. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is seeing — are we going to be true servants, thankful and show gratitude.

As Allah says:

That when you're thankful and you show gratitude to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah increases you. And here it's not limited to any particular thing. You make du'a:

But here, the increase, when you're thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, is not limited to only knowledge, but everything that is beneficial to us as humans.

So we come with a grateful attitude, a positive attitude, and realize this day, this second you're alive is another second of opportunity that many others don't have, that many others have passed away from. So you're given that extra second, that extra breath of opportunity to remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, to get close to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. When Allah says:

Seek the ways to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And there are many different ways to accomplish that goal. All of us do it within our own capacity, but we have to not have that feeling of relaxation, of stagnation, that it's okay to relax, that tomorrow I'll do it — because tomorrow may never come. Many have said tomorrow before you. Many have said that yes, one day, but that day never came.

The time is now. Your time is now, brothers and sisters, whether you're 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 — it doesn't matter. We all have a mission and responsibility to get closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and make sure that this light of Islam reaches all doors in this country. So together we complete each other.

So then we realize there's no time. If a house is on fire, you're not going to ask your wife, was it because of the dinner or because of what got burned? No. There's no time to argue. You either all get saved or all will burn. You're in it together, brothers and sisters. So once we realize this, all of us are a special component. All of us are special and have potential to be great.

The Example of the Companions

So when we hear the stories of the Sahabah, the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, we realize those are not fairy tales. Those are not bedtime stories, but rather humans who were the worst of people, but Allah elevated them to become the best of people because of لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ.

So in the ayah I mentioned in the beginning, when Allah talks about verily in the alternation of the night and the creation of the heavens and the earth, in the alternation of the night and the day, are clear signs. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about and specifies a group of people — Ulil Albab — people who think and reflect. But they also have another characteristic, and that is that their minds avoid useless information, useless knowledge that is not beneficial in this life or the next.

When Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about the believers and Mu'minun in Surah Al-Mu'minun:

One of the characteristics is that when it comes to vain talk, useless talk, they avoid it. They stay away from it.

The Danger of Distraction in the Modern Age

SubhanAllah, we live in a time where we probably do avoid, especially the younger generation, that vain talk when it comes to circles. But now we have Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and all these different devices that have useless information. Knowledge that will not benefit you, but rather it destroys your attention span, your concentration, your focus, your lack of seeking true knowledge. Why? Because our minds have become programmed to only watch 8-second videos, or 20-second videos, or to read statuses, and so forth, that it becomes hard to sit and listen to a shaykh or to a scholar, or to be a true student of knowledge, or to memorize Qur'an because of these devices. So then we have a role as a family and a responsibility to make sure that these don't overtake us, that you're always in control.

But then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala also talks about the concept that the same sky — we see it, we say SubhanAllah. Billions of other people see that same sky and say it was an accident, or it happened by science. For that we're thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that has given us the ability to recognize a reality that exists, that did not happen on its own, but rather by the will and authority of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

So sometimes it's very important that we take these times, especially in our days off, these vacation days, days like this, where you take your family to reflect and ponder. When you go to the park, when you go to the zoo, or wherever you go here in Dallas, it's to focus on these creations and connect the dots to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and realize how great and powerful Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is.

Khushu' in Salah and Seeking Allah Through Patience

This is why in Surah Al-Baqarah, when Allah talks about:

That when we seek Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala through patience and salah, and one of the characteristics and components of salah, in order for it to have an actual impact, is that we have khushu'. And khushu' here has many different interpretations, but it means you are overwhelmed by the remembrance of Allah to the extent that nothing around you distracts you. Another explanation by the scholars is that you get a taste of the next life, you get a taste of meeting Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in your salah, that you realize you're powerless, standing before the most powerful.

You know, when you see somebody famous sometimes, your body becomes numb, you become nervous, right? You know you're going to meet somebody very important, whether in a company, whether in a mall, or whatever it may be. Wa lillahi al-mathal al-a'la. Imagine in salah you're standing before Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the most powerful, and you feel that feeling of numbness. Your body becomes numb. And then you say Allahu Akbar — then you say Allah is greater than anything and everything. You put the dunya behind you. And you have that meeting with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. You're talking directly to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. You're asking Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. You put your forehead on the ground to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, acknowledging we are the slaves of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the servants of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, that without Allah we're not anything.

Without Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, without Islam, without لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ, our life is empty and meaningless. Life without Islam is empty and meaningless, my dear brothers and sisters.

So then you realize — you put your life back in focus, in perspective. You see the skies and the moon and the night and the day, and you realize how everything is in order, that how everything is in a particular system by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah wants us to reflect and ponder, my dear brothers and sisters.

Selflessness and the Standard of the Qur'an

Then we start to realize, in a society where you're always told about yourself — it's about me, me, me. My iPhone, my this, my that. It's never about you. It's about being selfless. And we learn from the story of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ over and over again. It was never about him. It was never about revenge. It was never about promoting the Prophet ﷺ. It was rather always promoting لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ.

And when you make that your focus and life goal, then you don't see your image through the eyes of other people. You don't put your self-worth based on what others think of you, but rather it's a standard and a foundation of the Qur'an and the Sunnah that this is how you base your life upon. So kids are not looking to, you know, put a picture of their one-pack in front of a mirror, or a sister in front of the mirror, seeking the acceptance of others — knowing that Allah says that Allah has fashioned us in the best of ways.

Allah has made us the most beautiful creation. So I have no need or desire for anyone else to tell me so, because I know what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Qur'an. When the Qur'an becomes our foundation, we can't get pushed left or right. We don't compromise our being easily, whether in the toughest of times or the easiest of times or the happiest of times. We always go by that standard.

So brothers and sisters, it's about time that we start to reflect and ponder and not become emotional Muslims. Not become Muslims that are reactionist, but rather proactive. With a new year coming, with a new beginning, a new day, a new opportunity, we must realize all of us must play that role.

Lessons from the Seerah: Building Connections

So we look at the Seerah of Rasulullah ﷺ, and we give some examples.

Number one: one time there was a young boy, four or five years old — the brother of Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him. He had a young brother who lost his bird. And the Prophet ﷺ goes and visits him, takes his time out. Imagine having many households to take care of, running a whole government, many responsibilities. And he goes and visits, and he asks him:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4969; also narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari)

The bird's name was Nughayr. He asked him about his bird. Imagine your child — a son or daughter — who loses their first toy, that experience they go through. And it's not about you buying them a new toy. A lot of times you think buying and giving them more and more will make them happy. But rather, we learn from the Prophet ﷺ in this instance — he asked the young boy about a bird. And the thing is, he gave him a kunyah — Ya Abu Umayr — to build confidence in that young boy. To build confidence.

So our young brothers and sisters — we shouldn't look at them as just kids, or say they're the leaders of tomorrow, because in reality, they're the leaders of today. If your son or daughter is 13 years old, 14 years old, and was to die today, my dear brothers and sisters, they'll be judged as adults. They'll be asked as adults. They'll be questioned in the grave by Munkar and Nakir as adults. So we need to stop treating them as kids, but rather put thoughts in their minds and realize that we need responsible young adults who can pave the way and be the leaders of our masajid and our institutions, in our public schools, in the MSAs, in the colleges. That we empower them — not with overconfidence, but put the right type of confidence and knowledge and the tools and resources so they're able to go out to society outside of the masajid. From the moment they step into their cars to the moment they reach their schools or jobs, they're proud of their identity. But before that, they have to understand what their identity is.

So the Prophet ﷺ built a positive association with this young boy. And he'll never forget that. And a lot of times we think Islam is telling a bunch of ayat and ahadith, telling people they're wrong, finding the shortcomings in others. Rather, understanding is building that connection — as a father with your son or daughter. Because you never want it to come to a time when your son's 15, 16 years old and you try to build it then. At that time, you ask your son, "How was your day?" He says, "It was good." "Where did you go? What are you doing? Who are you with?" — it's like an FBI interrogation. That connection is lost.

This is why these moments, days like this, are not days to waste. These days only come for a very short time. This time you have with your family — you never know when you're going to have it again. Take advantage of these moments. Take advantage of these times, my brothers and sisters. Because the freedom you have today, you may not have tomorrow. The house and car you have today, or the masjid — you never know what's going to happen. Never take what you have for granted.

This is why that mindset of a Muslim is that there's no day to relapse. That's why the Prophet ﷺ told his wife Khadijah — there's no rest after today. He realized what was coming before him. It was not going to be easy. But he knew he had to build and start with his family and those close to him and build that solid foundation.

Wisdom in Da'wah: Knowing Your Audience

Another thing, brothers and sisters, is that when we give da'wah and call others to Allah ﷻ, we must be able to understand the person we're talking to, the group we're addressing. People work at different levels. So whether you're talking to an atheist, a Buddhist, or somebody who's thinking about leaving the religion altogether, we should be able to approach people in the right way. And half of knowledge is to know when you don't know. Not to speak when you don't know. It's to say, "I don't know," and direct people in the right direction.

So the Prophet ﷺ during the Battle of Badr sent one of the companions to find out how many soldiers the Quraysh had. The companion interrogated a young boy from them and he wasn't able to give the answer directly. The Prophet ﷺ asked him a very simple question: "How many camels do they have?" The young boy said, "Between nine and ten." The Prophet ﷺ said, "They have around a thousand men." He didn't even have to ask the question to get the answer. He realized the psychology of the Arabs was that every camel represented a certain number of men, and that the young boy could remember something small in number but big in size. So he asked the question and got the answer without having to ask it directly.

You know, when you get to that level — when you build a level of communication with your wife, with your children, where you're able to have those kinds of conversations where being kind is normal, where sitting at lunch at a public school and being nice to your siblings is a normal thing, being nice to your wife is a normal thing — where we're able to communicate without arguing, with trust in each other, with these solid principles of trust, loyalty, and communication. Where yes, you're going to have those days where you disagree as a family, as a community, as individuals. But you realize the foundation of لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ overpowers everything. So you get angry for Allah and you're happy for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Breaking Internal Walls: Unity and Brotherhood

So we learn from the Prophet ﷺ that he interacted with his community, and with the youth of the community, on a consistent basis. So then when you have people like Usamah ibn Zayd, who was 16 years old leading an army of giants, they followed. They had confidence in the young Sahabah. Years before that, they were burying their own daughters alive, having no respect for each other. But now they tore down all those imaginary walls of nationalism and tribalism — Black and white, Asian, Arab, not Arab — they put all that to the side. They realized there's a bond that can never be broken. And that bond is لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ.

And I emphasize that, my dear brothers and sisters, because a lot of times we hear about the walls being built around us. But a lot of times we have walls within ourselves that we need to break down.

You know, one of the things I do in Tampa is I'm a middle school and high school Islamic studies teacher. I was teaching the senior boys, and they asked a question about spending time. They were talking about how in Ramadan many people spend 6-7 hours in hookah lounges right after Taraweeh. And the idea is they're asking about marriage. And I said SubhanAllah, you guys at this age fantasize and think about getting married. And then when people actually get married, and actually have a wife — an institution in Islam — they don't spend time with their wife. They'd rather spend 6 hours outside of the house, wasting their time playing cards. And then you ask, why is there a lack of communication? Why are there so many marriage problems? Why are all these things happening? The answer lies within us, brothers and sisters. We waste our time doing things, not realizing what we have is so great. We're seeking something outside, seeking the pursuit of happiness, not realizing what we have in our house is the best thing. Not realizing those kids of yours, when they smile in your face — it's priceless. That dinner you get in your house — never take it for granted. There are many that don't get that. That you're able to walk and sit and relax.

Overseas, many people are wondering: are they going to be bombed today or not? Are they going to have a meal the next day? How are they going to cover themselves in the cold? So we're being tested the opposite way. Because they know their enemy. Their enemy is clear. Here, the Shaytan comes from many different angles.

And this is why you realize in the Qur'an, when Allah addresses Adam alayhis salam, He doesn't just tell Adam not to eat from the tree. He says:

Don't even go near it. The same thing about zina:

He didn't say don't do it yourself. He said avoid everything and anything that will lead to the disobedience of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Because then we realize that it's not just about halal and haram. Islam is a way of life that teaches how to use the bathroom, to how to run a business, to how to have a relationship, to how to interact and how to agree and disagree.

So then you realize that this is so powerful, that it's bigger than you and me. So then you realize that these moments you have — that six hours you have — is not something you can waste easily. You can't just throw it away. And then ask the world, why do you not feel sorry for us? No. We have to remove these walls.

Appreciating Your Community's Blessings

SubhanAllah, I came here a couple of days ago — I'm visiting from Tampa — and SubhanAllah we saw the gym here. It's a great blessing you guys have, and the activities you have, and the mashayekh and scholars you have in your community. And a lot of times what we tend to do is, we go to conferences and places — that's good. But what we realize is that what you have here is great. That there's not really much need to go outside if you're going to take advantage of the resources we have here.

SubhanAllah, you know, I'm a principal of a weekend school. We had many refugees come from Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia. And our court is an outdoor court that hasn't been remodeled in 20 years and has many issues. But they were so happy. It was the best thing they had seen. They appreciated the basketball court. They appreciated the run-down soccer field — they were so excited. Simple. SubhanAllah. Even when it came time for lunch, many wouldn't eat because they didn't have money to pay for it.

Because buildings are only valuable because of the people that come to them. The Prophet ﷺ spent 13 years building companions, personalities. So there was no need to do a fundraiser for Masjid Quba. Why? Because he realized there were youth who could build it on their own, with their own hands. They realized the importance of having a place to remember Allah ﷻ. And when we train and love our kids and teach them the importance of Islam, instead of buying LeBron shoes or a jersey or a video game or a PS4, they say, "Baba, no, no. This $400 — $100 for the masjid, $100 for the library, $100 to those refugees overseas, and $100 for the activities going on in our school." Their mindset changes. And when a father sees his son or daughter give for the sake of Allah, of course he'll give. And he'll give and invest. Why? Because he sees how it affects his kids.

So we have to build that connection. The problem is never money and resources. Trust me, that's not the problem. We have the resources. We have the minds. We have the professionalism. We have the ability. The issue is building it in use and practice. And sometimes that takes sacrificing that TV and that extra leisure time, working on putting that mindset in place. And then you'll have strong families. These families make a community.

So then when somebody says something on TV about Islam and Muslims, you're not affected by that as much. We're not put into fear, not realizing we're not second-class citizens. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has blessed us to be citizens of a country that Allah has created. And Allah has given us the ability to work here. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given us the ability to be successful. No one else. Allah can take it away at any time, and He can give it at any time. And once you realize that everything is in the hands of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, then you keep moving forward and not looking back.

Commanding Good While Working on Ourselves

My dear brothers and sisters, Allah says:

Do you command people with righteousness and birr and forget about your own selves? And Allah says, do you not reflect and think?

SubhanAllah, a lot of times the word ta'qilun — its opposite is being jahil, or ignorant. And a lot of times it's translated as ignorance. But the reality is, if you look at Abu Jahl — who during the time of the Prophet ﷺ was the biggest enemy of Islam — he wasn't really ignorant in the sense that he didn't have knowledge. He knew the truth. He understood the Qur'an better than probably all of us did, or will. He understood the Arabic language. So ignorance wasn't his issue. It's that he had an emotional bias that prevented him from making rational decisions. So even though he knew the truth and he saw the truth and was around the truth, it didn't reach the heart.

So as we said in the beginning, when we reflect and ponder on the things around us — we see the sky, we see the things around us, and we realize that this is all from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And then when you see through the eyes and the lens of Islam and the example and the standard of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, everything starts to make sense. You don't say, "Why is this happening?" You understand that this is all from Allah.

And then in one of the hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, in which the interpretation goes that everything that happens to the believer is khair — is good.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2999)

You may say, "How is that?" Because everything comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And you realize any shortcomings are from ourselves — that something happened because Allah has given me a sign. I was in ghafla, I was in heedlessness, I was asleep. And it's time to wake up and realize: I can't do this again. We can't do the same thing and expect a better result.

Planning for the New Year: A Call to Action

So then, brothers and sisters, as we start — SubhanAllah — a new year and a new time to reflect and ponder, just realize it's not the time to get into arguments about holidays and celebrating holidays. It's not a time to argue about things that divide people. But rather, leave that for the scholars. What we need to focus on is realizing that these times, these days we have, we need to plan. Because if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. What happens is we just live life day by day, not realizing what we want. So plan your life. Set goals for yourself, for your family. What things you want to avoid. How you want to make this a better year — for your community, for yourself as an individual.

But more importantly, brothers and sisters, realize that all of us together — we complete each other. And we need each other, and we need to work together. And realize that even this masjid, as big as it is, is small in comparison to the size of the community. So then we need to make sure we're involved in all the programs — the religious programs, the activities, and everything that's announced. And if something's not reaching some part of the youth, we develop something for it.

The Du'a of Those Who Came Before Us

I'll end with this story. I was invited to speak at a fundraiser for economic relief a couple of weeks ago. And one of the speakers made an interesting point. He said, hundreds of years ago, 25% of the slaves that came to this country were Muslims. And they were not allowed to practice their religion. In places like Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and other states, as they were being tortured, there is a story in one of the books that they would make du'a for the generations that come later — that they would worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That if they were not able to do it, the generations after them would. And we are the answer of that du'a, my brothers and sisters.

We're sitting here. Somebody made du'a. Somebody sat in these places where there used to be forests and trees, and he made that du'a and depended on Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And we're the answer of that du'a.

And the thing is, sooner or later, our kids will be adults, and they'll have kids, and generations will come. Many of us came from generations with a thousand years of Islamic history. And we come to this country, leave everything behind, and start a new beginning in our lives. Don't underestimate the power of du'a, sincerely made towards Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — that a hundred years from today, people will be praying in this masjid because of you. Because of your efforts, that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has put barakah in — because you did it with a pure and clean heart.

So don't underestimate this. A thousand years from now, people will be making du'a for you. So the sound will not come and go. It will not be something studied only in history books. They won't say, "This is what it used to be in America." But rather they'll say, "This is how it started in America" — because of the work of us, brothers and sisters, from the tawfiq of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So never, never underestimate your power and your potential.

Closing Du'a