2014-09-12 - Friday Prayer - Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda

The Struggle of the Early Muslim Community

In Mecca, the Muslim community had actually started to grow and expand quite rapidly due to immensely difficult circumstances. And in that situation many of the Muslims started to experience a lot of oppression and violence and persecution from the majority that was around them. This was a time of very great difficulty for a lot of people — because understand that oppression and violence and how difficult that is for anyone to deal with — but then on top of that try to internalize the idea that someone is being oppressed and being persecuted by, many times, their own family members, the people that they trusted. So there was not only just a violation of life and self and property, but there was a violation of trust. And so it was a very trying and difficult time for many of the Muslims.

And in that situation, as Muslims as we do and as we strive to, they believed that in spite of what was going on around them, what they believed in was the truth — absolutely without a shred of a doubt. This is the truth, this is the reality. And when they presented this truth and reality to the people around them, Allah talks about this, addressing the Prophet ﷺ:

That the people who rejected belief in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ said to the people who believed: which of these two groups — you're basically saying that this is the truth, well we reject this truth — so which of the two groups is better in terms of their situation? Which of the two groups is better in terms of their establishment and connections? Are you really in a position of advantage or privilege? We don't see any benefit coming to you because of this truth that you claim to believe in.

And this is something very difficult to respond to. Because you know what you have is the truth, but you struggle to explain the apparent difficulty of the situation that you're dealing with. So how do you respond to that? Allah provides a different response:

Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ: say — مَن كَانَ فِي الضَّلَالَةِ — somebody who is going down the wrong path in life — فَلْيَمْدُدْ لَهُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ مَدًّا — Allah continues to give them an opportunity, Allah gives them some leeway, Allah allows them some time. And when it refers to Allah in this ayah, it doesn't refer to Him as Allah or as Rabb, it refers to Him as الرَّحْمَٰنُ — the abundantly, the infinitely merciful — allows these people some time.

Out of a mercy upon them. To give them time to sort this out, to work this through, and to be able to make the correct choice and the correct decision. حَتَّىٰ إِذَا رَأَوْا مَا يُوعَدُونَ — until that time comes when they will see what they were told will eventually come to them. Either it will be the punishment of Allah, or it will be the conclusion of the life of this world. Then they will know — soon enough they will know — who really was in a worse position and who was in a weaker position in terms of their establishment and their connection. Who had the weaker backing. So this is the official response.

The Underlying Concern of the Believer

Now we understand this response, but at the same time you have to understand that there is this underlying concern that a believer might have in this situation. Why are we struggling the way that we're struggling? And how do we solve the problems that we are dealing with? How do we go about solving these issues? How do we find the solutions to the issues that plague us — not only individually, not just communally, but globally as an ummah?

And the reason why I decided to talk about this today is because globally speaking, even in our time, in our situation, we deal with a lot of the same circumstances. Throughout the parts of the world that are heavily populated by Muslims, we see so many different issues going on. And so many different — almost on a daily basis — new issues coming about. And it's very confusing, it's very perplexing, and a lot of times it leads people to really fall into some serious doubt in regards to what they believe and what they have.

The Divine Formula for Success — Surah Maryam, Ayah 76

So Allah provides the answer, systematically. This is kind of the infrastructure that Allah provides to us of how to seek out success in this life and the eternal life of the hereafter. Allah in ayah number 76 in Surah Maryam, Surah number 19, provides this answer — this formula for success — both here and in the eternal life of the hereafter.

I'm going to preface this by saying that when you engage in this conversation, what I'm about to say initially is going to sound like very stereotypical religious rhetoric. And people sometimes grow a little tired of it. Anytime there's any problem: make du'a. Yes, make du'a — but are we supposed to do something about the problem? Yes, we are supposed to do something. But we're supposed to do something in the manner and in the way and the formula as laid out by Allah in the Book of Allah, and as implemented in the life of the Prophet ﷺ.

So what does Allah say?

See, what we're looking for is answers to our questions. What we're looking for is solutions to our problems. What we're looking for is clarity amidst all the confusion. And Allah says that He will increase in clarity, in guidance, in solutions, those people who embrace the guidance.

Now that can be a little confusing or perplexing. So when you dig into this, what Allah is saying is that people who start doing what is available to them — people who start acting based on what they can do, what they know they're supposed to do — Allah will continue to open to them further solutions and answers, and facilitate for them the further ambitions that they might have in terms of solving their problems. And I want you to think about the potential of where this community of Muslims, the ummah, is divinely guided and divinely facilitated — and how effective this ummah could become again, in terms of not only just solving our problems, but solving the problems of the world, as our history is a testament that we have done.

The Two Qualities of Righteous Action — الْبَاقِيَاتُ الصَّالِحَاتُ

The immediate implementation of that which Allah tells us about is actions that have two qualities. We need to start taking action. And the action that we need to take, the course of action that we need to choose, needs to have two criteria — two qualities.

Quality One: الْبَاقِيَاتُ — Everlasting

What does that exactly mean? Allah is saying: take action today that has implications that don't just extend the life of this world, or even 10 or 20 or 30, 40, 50 years, but that extend the implications of those actions into the life of eternity — the eternal life of the hereafter. Take action today based on their implications, based on their consequences in the eternal life of the hereafter. That means that our consideration, whenever we consider any course of action, should be: what is the outcome of this? What are the implications of this in the eternal life of the hereafter?

Quality Two: الصَّالِحَاتُ — Righteous

Good, righteous, pious, noble, moral, ethical courses of action. Take courses of action — after considering their eternal implications — that we do not mortgage the eternity for some type of temporary benefit. This is not a part of our framework, because it fundamentally contradicts what we claim to believe. We look at the life of the hereafter. What type of impact in the eternal life of the hereafter? And number two: morality and ethics and God consciousness and piety and uprightness and honesty and trustworthiness and steadfastness.

When we learn, as individuals, as families, as communities, and as an ummah, to undertake those types of actions and courses of action that fit these two descriptions, Allah says:

خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ — It is better according to Allah. See, that's the thing — it's stamped with this divine stamp of approval. It is better according to Allah.

ثَوَابًا — Thawab means the immediate outcome of that action, and the mufassirun — Ibn Kathir, al-Qurtubi, and many other mufassirun — they say that this refers to the outcome in the life of this world. It will be better in the outcome in the life of this world. It will actually prove to be a more effective course of action even here in this world. That's the element of faith and trust in Allah.

وَخَيْرٌ مَّرَدًّا — And of course it will be better in terms of the life of the hereafter, the life of eternity where we have to end up.

The Prophetic Hadith: Practical Steps Toward Guidance

And the Prophet ﷺ, in numerous hadith, helps us to understand exactly how we are supposed to go about doing this. What are the initial steps to realizing these بَاقِيَاتٍ صَالِحَاتٍ, this proper course of action — اهْتَدَوْا — how do I embrace the guidance so that I can receive more guidance from Allah?

Whoever is willing to believe in Allah, Allah will guide their heart. But how do I get to that first step? What is that first step? The Prophet ﷺ in a number of hadith beautifully explains the concept. In one hadith narrated by Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Mu'adh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with them both, the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said:

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1987 — declared Hasan by al-Tirmidhi)

Step One: اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ

First and foremost, start to learn how to think of Allah no matter what situation — where, when, however you find yourself, wherever you find yourself, whenever that may be — in that situation, learn to think of Allah. Now that seems like a very abstract idea to us. We always talk about that God consciousness. Think of Allah all the time, and it seems like a very abstract idea. So somebody says it, we listen to it, and we move about. No — but it's a very practical notion. And I'll present a couple of examples of it to you.

Number one: you know the five times daily prayer that we have? Part of the wisdom of its layout throughout our day — from early in the morning, to noon, to afternoon, to evening, to night time before we go to bed — the practical layout of these five times daily prayer is to constantly remind us of Allah at every step in our day. From waking up and before we go to work, in the middle of our work day, when we're about to wrap up our work, when we reach home in the evening, and then before we go to bed at night. And then see how Allah is constantly in your thoughts. This puts Allah back in the equation. That is taqwa.

And then the second example of this practically that we can start to implement in our lives is the Prophet ﷺ's beautiful practice of the daily adhkar and the du'as the Prophet ﷺ used to recite and read throughout the day — from waking up in the morning, before going to the restroom, exiting the restroom, when leaving your home, getting in your mode of transportation, throughout the day saying the name of Allah, and thinking about Allah, and putting Allah back into the equation. See how that impacts the decisions you make every single day.

Step Two: وَأَتْبِعِ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا

Now, of course we're not perfect. Allah did not make us perfect. We were not created to be perfect here in this dunya. The Prophet ﷺ says:

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4251; Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2499)

In the Arabic language we call this a جُمْلَةٌ خَبَرِيَّةٌ — an informative, factual statement. The Prophet ﷺ is saying: human beings make mistakes. To err is human. You will not be perfect. So when you do slip up, what do you do? وَأَتْبِعِ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا — follow every mistake with a good deed. It will remove it, it will erase it, it will remove the effects of it. And what is one of the most beautiful good deeds? وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِينَ التَّوَّابُونَ — simply being able to recognize the fact that you messed up. And being able to acknowledge the fact that you made a mistake. And saying: Ya Allah, I messed up, please forgive me. Please forgive me. I'm going to try to do it right the next time. I won't make the mistake again.

Step Three: وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ

And this is a lot of times the qualms that people have sometimes about religious rhetoric — that they feel like maybe it's not focused in terms of society and social interaction and practicality. It is not a shortcoming in the deen, it is a shortcoming in our knowledge. Maybe it's even a shortcoming on my part in terms of what I'm presenting to my community. But the Prophet ﷺ says: وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ — interact with people, engage with people in the most beautiful manner possible.

And again, akhlaq — we've relegated it to some formalities. Pleasantries. Smile, say salam, shake somebody's hand. I'm not trying to minimize those things. But we simply understand that's all it is. No, no, no. Allah tells us in the Qur'an, and one of the most necessary things that we need in the world we live in today:

Stand for justice. Be fair, be equitable, be just, be honest, be upright, be trustworthy. شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ — understanding that we are all witnesses before God. Like we will all be held accountable before Allah. وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ — even when it goes against my own best interest. But I will put my own personal interest aside and stand for what is right.

The Hadith of Abu Tha'labah — A Framework for the Community

In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ — a very beautiful hadith. There's actually a story behind it. A companion, Abu Tha'labah al-Khushani, may Allah be pleased with him, accepted Islam, came from his people, he accepted Islam, spent some time learning with the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ sent him back to his people to share the message with them, so that they may embrace and accept the message. And he gave him some instruction about how to teach his people. And this is very important — so how can we start practically implementing this in our lives and start teaching it to our families and communities and the people around us.

He tells him:

(Sunan al-Daraqutni; also referenced by al-Nawawi in al-Arba'in, Hadith 30)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَرَضَ فَرَائِضَ فَلَا تُضَيِّعُوهَا — God Almighty, Allah has mandated certain obligations. First and foremost try to get those things down. We a lot of times focus on the negative and say: how do I eradicate this problem? Without ever thinking — well, am I in a position? Do I have the strength and the fortitude to be able to resist the temptation to go back to the problem? Do I have the ability to be able to remove this from my life? And so you develop your spiritual strength by first doing what Allah asked you to do. Like I talked about before — the five times daily prayer.

Then he says: وَحَدَّ حُدُودًا فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا — and then Allah has set certain boundaries, a very limited number of things: don't harm people, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, don't consume wine and swine. There's a very limited number of things. Recognize those things and then start developing the ability to resist crossing those lines.

And then he says: وَحَرَّمَ أَشْيَاءَ فَلَا تَنْتَهِكُوهَا — then once you've developed yourself to the point, or you've developed the people even around you to the point where they are now doing what Allah asked them to do and they're able to remove themselves from the things Allah has forbidden them from doing — now at this point, recognize where the boundary is and slowly start stepping away from there. Putting yourself in a position to succeed.

The Transcendent Mercy of Allah — A Hadith Qudsi

And in the pursuit of all of this, what do we find comfort and solace in? Because a lot of times when we talk about this — where we're supposed to be and what we're supposed to do — we get overwhelmed. But we're not supposed to feel overwhelmed, because we have to remember who we're dealing with. Our interaction, our transaction is with Allah. The Prophet ﷺ in a beautiful hadith Qudsi, a sacred tradition, narrates that Allah Himself says:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6491; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 131)

Allah has decreed what is good and what is bad. He records our good and our bad deeds. ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ — but then Allah explains. See — when a person makes up their mind to do what is right and recognizes and identifies what is the correct course of action, but then isn't even able to follow through with it — Allah writes down a complete reward for that person. When somebody recognizes what is right and now they are in a position to succeed and they are able to follow through with doing what's right, Allah writes down tenfold, seven hundredfold, and thousands of fold beyond that the reward of that deed.

But on the flip side — where somebody, unfortunately due to a lack of knowledge or due to a lack of diligence, chooses the wrong course of action but then doesn't follow through with it, is able to resist at the last minute — Allah records a good deed for that person for staying away from what's wrong. And even if a person goes and falls into that wrong course of action, Allah only writes down one wrongdoing on behalf of that person.

This is who we're dealing with. This is the mercy — the transcendent mercy — of Allah.

The Path Forward for the Ummah

We as an ummah, more than ever before, need to fortify ourselves and we need to solve our problems. But that begins by first understanding what Allah wants from us. What is the correct course of action? And learning that and understanding that and identifying that — starting with very small baby steps on a daily basis in our lives. And then the bigger problems that we have that seem insurmountable, Allah will carry us there with His divine mercy. And Allah will facilitate that for us and make it possible for us. We'll be divinely guided in those solutions. But we can start now, we can start today, by solving our own problems. By every single day starting to identify what is right and wrong, and making an effort to choose that proper course of action.

Second Part of the Khutbah

الحمد لله رب العالمين، والعاقبة للمتقين، والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين، وعلى آله وصحبه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

Very quickly, just to wrap things up. There were a couple of things that I specifically wanted to mention.

When we talk about our problems, and it is something that concerns all of us — definitely we need to start taking action in regards to what we can do immediately in terms of doing what Allah has asked us to do, and then Allah will facilitate bigger and better things for us. We can start becoming the solution to the world's problems, as our history is a testament to the fact that we've done before as an ummah. But we need to start walking down and treading that path.

And in light of that, I just wanted to again reiterate and mention — we hear about this all the time — that all throughout the world wherever there is difficulty and suffering, may Allah alleviate their suffering. And may Allah make things easier for them.

One specific request I was given — and there are truly tragedies all throughout the world, not to minimize or take anything away from anyone wherever anyone might be suffering — but just over the last couple of days we got to hear about the floods that happened in Kashmir and some of that region. May Allah make it easier for them. And may Allah protect them and grant them safety and security.

Another very personal thing to our community — because a lot of times we don't necessarily pay a lot of attention to what's going on within our own community. A very personal thing in our community that a lot of brothers and sisters, maybe some friends and relatives and loved ones of our own, are really distressed about over the last couple of days. Many people have been denied or are still waiting on their hajj visas coming through. And it's a great difficulty for a lot of people. So many people made so many sacrifices to be able to fulfill such a noble obligation and be able to visit the house of Allah. So we make du'a for them — may Allah bring their visas through. And may Allah accept them. Acceptance is the main thing. May Allah accept them to visit His house and fulfill this faridah, this obligation.

And so may Allah grant us all the ability to practice everything that was said and heard.

وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى النَّبِيِّ الْكَرِيمِ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:

ادْعُوا اللَّهَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ، وَادْعُوهُ يَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ. وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ، وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ.

Announcements

Brothers and sisters, I have just a few announcements. A brother here, Dr. Khalid Mustafa — his mother, Taqir Mustafa, passed away. Please make du'a for her and her soul.