A Message of Hope - Shaykh Sajid Ahmed Umar

A Message of Hope

All praise is due to Allah. All praise is due to Allah, who has made this Ummah strong by its Islam and strong by its faith. To Allah belongs honour, to His Messenger and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, there is no partner for Him. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and upon his family and companions.

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.

O you who have believed, fear Allah and say the right words. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has certainly attained a great victory. Indeed, the most truthful hadith is the Book of Allah. And the best guide is the guide of Muhammad ﷺ. And the worst of things are its innovations. And every innovation is a misguidance. And every misguidance leads to the Fire.

O servants of Allah and O children of Adam, indeed all praises belong to Allah alone. We praise Him and we seek His assistance and guidance. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the adverse consequences of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide. And whomsoever He misguides, then none can guide. And peace and salutations be upon the final messenger, our beloved master and teacher, Muhammad ibn Abdullah ﷺ. I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship besides one Allah, and that Muhammad ﷺ is his messenger.

The Standing Before Najashi — The Story of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib

My dearest brothers and sisters in Islam, a long long time ago, a mighty standing took place between a group of the earliest believers and a just Christian king in the land of Abyssinia. After Rasulullah ﷺ permitted a group of Muslims to migrate there to seek refuge under this just king — because of the persecution they were facing in Mecca at the hands of the Quraysh, because they declared Allah as one and accepted Rasulullah ﷺ as the final messenger — because they were Muslims, because they were believers, they were persecuted, they were oppressed. Their wealth was attacked, their livelihood was attacked, their honour was attacked. And thus they left their land, they left their homes, they left their memories, and they moved to Abyssinia.

Now this created a big problem for the Quraysh, because they had a massive propaganda machine working in Mecca. But with the movement of the Muslims to another land, this caused problems for them because the message of Rasulullah ﷺ would now spread in other places outside of the Arabian Peninsula. Thus they got together and they had a very important meeting — a high-level meeting — and in this meeting they decided to dispatch two of the most prolific envoys: Amr ibn al-As and Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah, may Allah be pleased with them both. This was obviously before they accepted Islam. Amr ibn al-As, may Allah be pleased with him, accepted Islam during the 8th year of the Hijrah, and as for Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah, may Allah be pleased with him, he accepted Islam during the Fath of Mecca — during the opening of Mecca.

So Amr ibn al-As and Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah travelled to the new land of the small group of Muslims, and they travelled with gifts that they knew the Abyssinian king loved. As they arrived, they entered upon the presence of this king and presented him with their gifts, then presented their case as well. They explained that these Muslims who were now under his care and hospitality were a group of rebels who had committed great crimes, and they should be submitted into the care of these two visitors so that they could be returned back to Mecca — so that their evil could be restricted and they could be taken to account for their crimes. Obviously crimes which they believed were crimes, but were not actually crimes.

And Najashi, being a just king, he did not answer this request immediately. Rather he sought a meeting with the Muslims, and when this news reached them, there was a bit of panic. Why? Because Rasulullah ﷺ was in Mecca — he was their teacher and their master and their leader. Who would now speak on behalf of Islam and the Muslims in front of this just Christian king? After shura and mutual consultation, they agreed that Ja'far ibn Abi Talib would be the one to speak. And he presented the case of the Muslims in front of this king with words that should be recorded with golden ink — and they are words that Allah has preserved throughout the ages of Islam, and these words have reached us today.

From the things that he said to this king was: "We were a people that worshipped idols. We practiced polytheism. We were a people that ate the flesh of dead animals. We were a people that practiced immorality. We were evil to our neighbours. We never looked after the bonds of kinship. We oppressed the weak. This is who we were. Then came to us from us someone whose lineage was known to us, whose truthfulness was known to us, whose trustworthiness was known to us. And he taught us to worship one Allah alone. He taught us to protect the rights of the weak. He taught us to be a barrier in front of oppression. He warned us against immorality and taught us good manners, and prevented us from consuming the meat of dead animals."

The Evil of Sins and the Success of Piety

What was Ja'far ibn Abi Talib trying to present? He was presenting to this king the evil of sin and the success of piety. For sins — O servants of Allah and O children of Adam — removes a person from success and places them into failure. Sins removes a person from a place of happiness and sets them in a place of depression. Sins removes a person from the road of progress and places them into the abyss of failure. Sins is the differentiator between paradise and hell.

He highlights this to the king: that we were wretched, we were sinful, we were no one worthy of being mentioned and remembered. And now we are a people of piety, and because of this piety we are now worthy individuals being sought after.

O servants of Allah and O children of Adam, it is fundamentally important that we recognize the evil of sins. We realize the disaster of the major sins and the harm of the minor sins. And if you fail to be convinced after this introduction, then read in the Qur'an where Allah said:

Allah says: if the people of the towns feared Allah and revered Him and believed, لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم — We would have opened upon them the blessings of the heavens and the earth. And that is success. However, they chose to deny. So We took them to account, and the punishment descended upon them because of that which they used to do — because of their actions, because of their sinful behaviour.

And if you're still not convinced, then read in the Qur'an where Allah says:

Allah says in the Qur'an, He reveals to Muhammad ﷺ: Relate to them, O Muhammad, the parable of the one who received Our guidance. They received guidance, they were taught piety, but he chose to detach himself from piety. And as a result, Shaytan pursued him and his end was an end of disaster and failure — his end was the end of those who ended up in the pits of Jahannam.

Allah says, وَلَوْ شِئْنَا — If We willed, We would have raised him because of the guidance that We revealed to him and sent to him. وَلَٰكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ — But he chose to become a victim of time. He chose to become a product of society, a product of place. Instead of being a servant of Allah, he was a servant of culture. He was a servant of peer pressure. He was a servant of society.

أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ — And as a result, he followed his desires. The example of him is like the example of a dog: if you chase it, it pants; and if you don't chase it, it's still panting. There is no benefit you can bring to this person. Every circumstance for him is the same. He doesn't differentiate between piety and sin. He doesn't differentiate between success and failure.

Allah says: this is the example We relay to you and We reveal in this Qur'an. So relay to them the stories, O Muhammad. Perhaps they may think. Perhaps they may realize. Perhaps they may change. Allah says: wretched is the example of a people that denied the guidance that Allah sent them. And wretched are those who oppress themselves.

And if you're still not convinced from this ayah, then read where Allah says:

Allah says: and the people of Aad and the people of Thamud — We have made manifest to you their dwellings, their homes, what We did to them. They were more powerful people than you. They built more powerful things than you with their hands. Look what We did to them. We have left their dwellings as a sign for you. As for them, they no more exist.

Allah says: فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ — Shaytan beautified for them their sins; beautified for them their misguidance. فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ — He took them astray. He took them off the right path. وَكَانُوا مُسْتَبْصِرِينَ — It wasn't a case that they were ignorant. They had the prophets. They had the message. They had the guidance.

Sins, O servants of Allah, take us backwards. And it's not about the size of the sin. The reality is about the greatness of your Lord who is able over you and capable over you and watches you and hears you. This is the reality, O servants of Allah and O children of Adam. These sins — they prevent the mercy of Allah from reaching us. Not because they are more powerful than the mercy of Allah, but because this is the system of Allah. Sins place us in a particular circumstance and situation. And leaving sins and seeking forgiveness from Allah is a means of breaking away the barrier between us and the mercy of Allah. And when the mercy reaches us, our situation becomes one of success. It becomes one of progress. It becomes one of happiness. It becomes one of paradise.

A Khutbah of Hope, Not Depression

O servants of Allah and O children of Adam — I have not visited this community and this masjid to give you all one-way tickets to depression or first-class tickets into sadness. That is not my aim. And alhamdulillah I have been blessed to stand in front of this congregation on more than one occasion, and the very first occasion I recall speaking to you all about the mercy of Allah. That was a khutbah of hope — and this too is a khutbah of hope.

This Ummah is not an Ummah that brushes issues under the carpet. We are an Ummah of progress. We call a spade a spade — and not a very big spoon. That is what this Ummah is. It's not a case of not highlighting issues, realities, problems — it's a case of highlighting them so that we can look for solutions. This Ummah has to be the Ummah of progress. This Ummah has to be the Ummah of success. This Ummah has to be that which happens to things — it cannot be the Ummah that things happen to.

Our master and leader Muhammad ibn Abdullah ﷺ — he happened to the world. The world was in a very dark place; he happened to it, he changed it. And this Ummah — you and I — we collectively carry his legacy. For after him, Allah did not transfer the legacy of prophethood from the shoulders of one man to the shoulders of another man. Rather Allah transferred it from the shoulders of one man to the shoulders of an entire Ummah, an entire nation. That nation includes yourself and myself.

O servants of Allah and O children of Adam, we cannot by any means or way or form exit ourselves from carrying our share of the responsibility, for this responsibility is a weighty one. And if we opt out, we have only made the weight of this responsibility heavier on those few left who have opted in. We collectively carry this legacy, and thus Allah declared us as the best of all nations.

The Danger of Becoming Desensitized to Sin

It is sins that we have to stop first, O servants of Allah. None of us are perfect, but it's not about living life as a robot where you merely exist in life — it's about living through life where you are aware of your circumstances and situations. We cannot be that Ummah that is desensitized to harm, desensitized to sin — such that when something sinful exists and is in place, not even a scratch comes on our hearts. We have to be aware of these realities. If we are not feeling the hurt of evil on earth, then we have opted out from carrying this legacy that Allah has placed on our shoulders.

Yes, sometimes we can stop wrong with our hands, and sometimes we can't — we can only stop it through dialogue. And sometimes we can't even do that — we can only stop it with our hearts. The question is: how many of us fight sin, fight retrogression, with our hearts? Is it a case whereby sin is so widespread that we have become desensitized to it and start falling into it?

During last month we heard much about Isa, alayhi al-salam, and Allah tells us about the nations before us — Banu Isra'il — who were cursed upon the tongue of Dawud and Isa ibn Maryam. Why? Because there were sins taking place, there was lack of piety in existence, but they never felt the need to stop it. They became desensitized to its presence. And what happened as a result? They started practicing those sins themselves. Allah tells us that they are a people cursed upon the tongues of their prophets. What about yourself and myself?

O servants of Allah and O children of Adam, we know that there will be a meeting — insha'Allah — between us and Rasulullah ﷺ on the Day of Qiyamah, when we attempt to drink from his blessed basin and pool. Which group do you want to be from on the Day of Qiyamah? The group that is turned away — that becomes a means of the distress of Rasulullah ﷺ — that he calls out to the angels and says, "These people are from my Ummah," only for the angels to turn back and say, "You do not know what they did after you." Which group do you want to be from? This is an answer that only you can provide, and it is an answer that is provided through action.

The Door of Repentance Is Always Open

O servants of Allah and O children of Adam, may Allah forgive our past and inspire our futures. This is not a khutbah of depression. It is not a khutbah of sadness. Rather it's a khutbah of action and a khutbah of hope. Why? Because alhamdulillah — we are all alive. We are all breathing. And as long as we are breathing, we have time to act. We have time to turn to Allah.

There is no need to be sad. There is no need for you to be a victim of Shaytan's whispers — "What hope do you have? This is your age. This is how many years you spent sinning." There is no need for all of that. It just needs one sincere return back to Allah. It is Allah Himself who said:

(Hadith Qudsi — Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3540)

O son of Adam — if you sinned and sinned such that your sins reached the surfaces of the skies where you find the highest of clouds, that is how many sins you did — and then you turned back to Allah once sincerely, Allah says: I will forgive your sins for you, and it won't even matter to Me.

Yes — it doesn't matter to Allah. I will forgive your sins. Don't reduce the majesty of Allah. Our piety doesn't increase the majesty of Allah. He doesn't need us — we need Him. He is perfect from ever, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, and He is perfect forever — رَبُّ الْعِزَّةِ وَالْجَلَال، الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّار، الْأَحَدُ الصَّمَد، الَّذِي لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَد. It is easy for Allah to forgive us — it is nothing for Allah. لَغَفَرْتُهَا لَكَ — I will forgive your sins for you. وَلَا أُبَالِي — And it is nothing for Me. It won't matter to Allah.

(Hadith Qudsi — Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2759)

It is Allah who said: O son of Adam, you sin throughout the day and throughout the night, but it is Allah who forgives all sins — so seek forgiveness for your sins. Does Allah say "and I will consider forgiving them"? No. Allah says: seek forgiveness for your sins, and consider yourself forgiven. SubhanAllah. Do not ask Allah for forgiveness and then doubt — maybe Allah forgave me, maybe He didn't. No. Seek forgiveness sincerely and believe that you are forgiven. May Allah grant us the ability to act.

The Root of All Sins — Ibn Taymiyyah's Analysis

O servants of Allah and O children of Adam, Ibn Taymiyyah, rahimahullah, says that the source of all sins are two: number one, the sickness of doubt; and number two, the sickness of misconception. Every sin in existence goes back to one of these two. It's either the person sinning has a love to follow their desires, or they believe they are doing something right when they are actually doing something wrong — they are misconceived about the instruction of Allah and the teaching of His Rasul ﷺ. The antidote to both these matters is iqra — is read — is ilm. Knowledge is the cure for both these sicknesses.

Upcoming Programs

And thus alhamdulillah, as part of the efforts of this masjid, they have asked me to participate with them in running two days of lectures and programs designed for community development, adult development, and youth development as well — to assist us on to the road of progress, to bring to us some perspective, to help us in the months and years ahead. May Allah preserve us in His obedience.

This Jumu'ah is a start. Then the second program will be tonight at 7:30pm at Muhammadi Masjid in Alum Rock, where I will be talking about the reality of us as an Ummah and the three keys to success — three teachings that Rasulullah ﷺ left the Sahabah to help them remain diligent in carrying the legacy of Rasulullah ﷺ. Please join me there with your children as well, because in the presentation I will have something for them to take forward before the schools open again insha'Allah.

Then the program after that is tomorrow from 1pm to 5pm. It is a workshop dedicated for parents and children, to assist the parents and children in helping each other make better decisions. Many of the youth come to me asking for marriage advice when they don't even know how to understand whether the prospect in front of them is the right prospect for them. They come to me for advice asking for assistance in how to choose subjects for the A-levels, asking me for advice on how to choose the degrees that they should go into. A lot of the time, when people make wrong decisions and they become depressed, sin becomes easier for them. So this is a 4 to 5 hour program insha'Allah that will run here at GLM, dedicated to practical ways to help us better make decisions — as parents and as youth who are making big decisions in their lives. The masjid tells me that for the workshop tomorrow you need to visit their front desk for details or sign up via the masjid website.

And finally, tomorrow at 8pm insha'Allah I will be delivering the Saturday evening lecture related to Isma'il, alayhi al-salam, with an attachment related to the way forward for Muslims in the 21st century.

May Allah make our time together one of barakah, ameen — one of blessings, one of knowledge that leads to growth. Because transformation can only happen from knowing to growing. May Allah accept from us all, ameen.

Du'a

O Allah, rectify the conditions of the Muslims in every place. O Allah, protect us with Your protection with which You protect Your servants. O Allah, forgive us all our sins — their small and great, their hidden and manifest, their intentional and accidental. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

O servants of Allah, indeed Allah commands you with justice and good conduct and giving to relatives, and He forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.