Sheikh Hasan Khalil - Hikma a Great Bounty of Allah(swt)

The Different Types of Age and Maturity

Ayyad is very sound. He is too mature for his age. And you have Umar Infi'ali — reactionary age. You see, someone can react very good, strong at calamities, patient, his reaction is well balanced. And others, not. And you have Umar Ijtima'i — social age — where a person is very sociable. He interacts, he talks, he deals, and a lot better than someone who is very old or older than him. And you have the real age. The real age — all you have to do is look at your license and subtract. When were you born? And subtract that from today. Then you know how old you are. Rather, you know how many years of your life has already gone.

The Brain, the Universe, and the Mizan

When you talk about brain, intelligence — what is the use of this universe without a caliber to know the greatness of Allah? By which you know the greatness of Allah. And that is why Allah said:

Mizan — it's the scale. Applicable for the scale that our deeds will be weighed with. Applicable for the brain where you can judge and balance things out and know right from wrong.

Allah created this universe, gave us a miracle, and you cannot understand a miracle unless you have a tool to understand it with — and that's why He gave us the brain. To understand the greatness of Allah through His creation. So you need two things, complementary to each other: a brain and a universe. And both of them are there. And that is a criteria.

The Gift of Hikmah — Wisdom

When he became strong, when he became an adult, when he is a real man — We gave him hukm. What is hukm? The scholars said: brain. Knowledge, understanding the knowledge, and wisdom. The wisdom — putting the right thing, or doing or saying the right thing in the right place at the right time. Not everybody has that.

Those people who have the hikmah are given a great reward, a great bounty from Allah. Not everybody can do that.

Yusuf, alayhi as-salam — Allah gave him that.

True Blindness — Blindness of the Heart

You see, most of the problems that we have is we don't have the proper vision. Some people think that if I lie, I can be saved. If I deal with haram, I get rich. This is how they see it. And some people think, no — obeying Allah is how you get saved. And this is how you get rich. And Allah told us in the Quran:

Your eyes are not the ones that go blind — you may not be wearing glasses, but that's not how Allah sees vision. Blindness comes from the heart. When you see right as wrong, and wrong as right. And Allah dealt with those people. And He understands them.

In fact, Allah warned us and everyone — especially those people — by telling us how dangerous it is when you see the right as wrong, and the wrong as right. And even when someone guides you, you will not be guided. Because Allah took from you two qualities. He took the ilm and He took the adab. No knowledge and no adab. No respect. No tolerance. No patience. No manners. No etiquettes. Taken away. Punishment.

This is what Allah said:

I'm going to turn people away from My signs. They have the brain, but it's not going to benefit them. Why? Because of their arrogance. When they see any ayah, they're not going to benefit from it.

When they see the road of misguidance — there we go, that's where I want to go. When they see the road of guidance — it's got nothing to do with them. Allah is paving the way. Yes, they're going to be rich. They're going to be strong and healthy. They're going to get everything. Allah said:

When they forgot Us, We opened the doors of this world for them. Any business you get in — boom, you strike it gold. Health — you don't need insurance, it's well taken care of. Healthy, strong, and everything. Family — you got it. Anything you want, it's there. Why? Because Allah is leading you to total destruction — not to forget what is coming for you in the Hereafter.

Fir'aun said, I am your lord. Allah told him: take it. Take Egypt and take the whole world and rule all you want. Qarun — open it. Even the keys — seven strong men cannot carry them for the treasures that he has. So He gave them everything, but He did not give them relief or a cure, because Allah wants to destroy it.

The true blindness, my dear brothers and sisters, is to not see the truth — or to think that the false is right and the right is false — and you act upon that in your life.

What is Hikmah?

Hikmah is to know when to be harsh and when to be merciful. Hikmah is to know when to be generous and when to be frugal. Hikmah is to understand how to deal with a young one and with an adult. Hikmah is how to enjoin good and forbid evil and know what are the results or what is expected from that.

That's the first quality.

Knowledge, understanding of the knowledge, application of the knowledge — he got the wisdom with that. He got that, Yusuf, alayhi as-salam.

The Elevation of the Knowledgeable

You want to know how high the knowledgeable people are? Well, they can get up there, shortcut, because they have a real good GPS. And you know what that is? That is the knowledge of the Shari'ah of Allah. How to get the most rewards in the easiest act? Shortcuts — little work and very high rewards. That is how — or one of the ways — that knowledgeable people go up there, because they know what Allah wants and they know what is more rewarding.

A smart person — maybe just salamu alaykum — he will get more than a person who God knows what he has to go through, just because this person knows when to say salamu alaykum. Maybe that's why the companions, radiallahu anhum, they used to go to the market — to the mall in our terms — just to find people to say salamu alaykum. Going to the mall, what for? Not shopping. You're going to say salamu alaykum to people. Smart, intelligent, easy — they understand what it means.

Allah Loves the Scholars

Brothers, Allah is Al-Alim. Definitely His name is Al-Alim — He loves the ulama. Those people who truly have khashiyah of Allah are the scholars, the knowledgeable people. What is khashiyah? It's not just fear. It is fear that is accompanied with — or resulting from — the glorification of Allah. You know who Allah is. You know His magnificence. You know His highness. You learn and know the qualities, the names, and attributes of Allah — that puts khashiyah in you. Only the ulama can truly have that, not everyone. And that is why Allah said that those people who truly have khashiyah are the scholars, the knowledgeable people, not everyone else.

Did He stop there? Allah said: oh, when he grew up and when he became strong and mature, We gave him power with the knowledge, with ruling, with everything — to Prophet Yusuf, alayhi as-salam — and We gave him the knowledge also. And look what He said:

So you know, brothers, that you lived in 2013 — you know that what Prophet Yusuf, alayhi as-salam, applied and what was applicable for him is applicable for you, whether you live back home or here, whether you are rich or poor, whether you are intelligent or not intelligent — it doesn't matter. What applied at Prophet Yusuf's time applies to your time. What is it?

"Such, We deal with the muhsinin, We deal with the righteous people — We give them the knowledge, We give them the power, We give them the control, and We give them everything that they are looking for, which is the knowledge and the adab. We deliver them."

The Story of Yusuf — Steadfastness in Trials

Prophet Yusuf, alayhi as-salam — he was a free man, he became a slave. A slave — someone buys you and sells you, someone can do anything, a commodity, something that you can do whatever you want to do. As Allah told us:

Look at the situation — someone owns you, a woman who is beautiful and attractive, he is not married, and he is her slave, in her house, no one would doubt anything, and she is the one inviting to the indecency. But this Prophet, alayhi as-salam, Yusuf, alayhi as-salam, lived with Allah. He lived his life — as some of the scholars said — if you are young and you live with the obedience of Allah, Allah will give you the wisdom when you grow old. You will be respected, revered, and you will also be special in the sight of Allah. Just because of what you have done.

Look at what came to his mind:

"I seek refuge in Allah from you, and from everything that you are inviting me to." He has light in his heart. This light shines in the proper time. الصَّلَاةُ نُورٌ — Salah is noor. You pray on time, you have light.

It was said that a woman invited a man for the same thing, and everything was ready. She told him that the doors are all locked. Don't worry, every door is locked. He said, except one door — the door of the sky is not locked. And he fainted.

Yes, good people fall in sins. Good people — Shaytan gives to them sometimes. But:

In a situation that only true men, true believers would handle. And what did the people of that cave do with what Allah put them in? They said: O Allah, if I did that for your sake, save us from death. And what happened to the rock? It moved.

Prophet Yusuf, alayhi as-salam, has the right:

Your husband — you're trying to cheat. You're trying to commit haram. Someone took care of me. Someone took care of me. How can I deal with him like that? Allah, number one, but also that man — you don't deal with him this way.

Can you imagine if any of us here, or anywhere, were put in that situation — how many of us would say ma'adallah? Put that in practicality, brothers. It's not something, oh, just a story we read in the Quran. Reflect on that. Reflect on yourself. How do you deal with that? Do you do the same thing? Some men will, but it is a very hard situation.

Second Part of the Khutbah

الحمد لله، الحمد لله في نعمه ويرفع لكمه، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله.

Such, We deal with those who are good, who are righteous. Muhsinin — you do ihsan with Allah, and you do ihsan with people. These are the people who will be dealt with rightfully by Allah, and you never give up. You never despair. You never say, oh, I'm not getting things. Oh, this life is not going so smooth for me. Maybe if I quit being good, I will become successful. Maybe so. Maybe so — because Allah told us what He does with horrible people. But the righteous people, they will get better than those — it just takes time. It just takes time.

There is a test. There is a purification time that is for you and me, that you have to go through. I don't think anyone was more beloved than Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to Allah. Three years — three years in the alley. Hunger — eating the leaves of the trees. Almost got killed. Pelted with stones and rocks, by slaves, by kids, with everything. What was his resolve?

(From the Du'a of Ta'if — narrated in Sahih Ibn Hibban and referenced in Musnad Ahmad, as well as in al-Bayhaqi's Dala'il al-Nubuwwah)

"If You are not angry with me, O Allah, then nothing else matters." The most that can happen is — die. And what is after that?

So who cares about this life? Who cares, when you are righteous and you believe in the end? But the problem is we don't have that certainty. We think that we're going to just any house. We don't have that certainty. That is the problem — we need the knowledge to get that yaqeen of what is coming after this.

The Believers and the Sinners Are Not Equal

The ayah that is so hopeful — that keeps me going all the time — is the saying of Allah:

Wallahi, if you just reflect on that ayah — just understand the meaning. Good people, bad people. Allah is saying: are those people — the bad people — thinking that on the Day of Judgment We are going to equate them with the believers and the righteous? What an awful judgment. What an awful judgment.

Think about it: you have a boss you work for. Someone comes on time, does his job, is obedient, perfects everything. And someone doesn't come on time, is disobedient, doesn't like his work, no honesty, nothing — is he going to deal with them the same? You don't accept that in real life. Do you think that Allah is going to deal with those the same way? Do you think you need someone else to defend you when you're doing right?

Is it not sufficient that Allah will take care of you? Allah is there — He will protect you, He will take care of you, He will love you, He will do anything.

This is your ayah that you always want to keep in your mind — when you go to sleep, when you wake up, when you work, when you walk, when you do anything. Such, the way I dealt with Prophet Yusuf, alayhi as-salam.

The End of Yusuf's Trial

What was the end? He said to the Aziz of Misr:

Make me in charge of all of these treasures. Hafidh — I'm trustworthy, I'm not a liar, I'm not a cheater, I'm not a thief, I'm honest, I'm up to it, and I'm Alim — I have knowledge. I know Allah. I know right from wrong. I know what it takes to be in charge even in worldly affairs.

We firmly established him on earth. And look what he said when his brothers came — those brothers who did the impossible to harm him. They wanted to kill him. They put him in the well. He was a slave for years and years because of them.

Allah rewarded us — yes, 15 years or so in jail. That's a profit.

That's the result — that's the time that you need to have, for those people who are rushing things.

Have taqwa — not only taqwa, have patience. Don't expect things are going to change so quickly for you. But those who know Allah — it would not matter to them, because their pleasure is in the heart. They know it, they see it. They may look depressed, they may look like nothing is there, but the satisfaction is there.

Have taqwa, and have patience, and Allah will pay you. You get your check — and your check is that Allah will be with you. He will smooth your life, He will make happiness in your heart.

Dunya Runs After the Righteous

Dunya — you run away from it? Brother, come on, let's do this one. No, no, no. Jumu'ah prayer, brother, I need to go to the khutbah from the beginning. Not with the imam standing here and we got one third of the masjid — mashallah. Where is the other two thirds?

Oh, I'm too harsh now — probably I'm going to be tagged and emailed and all of that. No, sheikh, you have to be easy with... No, brother — sometimes you be easy once, twice. But that's not hikmah. Hikmah is to know when to be harsh and when to know to be easy. Easy all the time doesn't produce good.

Picture yourself — every time the police stops you: "Oh, you're going 120 miles an hour in a 30 mile zone." "Okay, you're forgiven, you can go ahead now, this time." You do it again: "Oh no problem, just stopping you to make sure that you have a driver's license. Good, you're wonderful." It doesn't work. Wallahi, it doesn't. Wallahi, I would be cheating you and I would be fooling you if I didn't tell you this.

A person comes to you to do business at the time of khutbah — you tell him, no.

You're patient on that — and I guarantee you, wallahi, some people told me: I closed the pharmacy to go to salah, and the person who wanted to come, came, and I was closed. He went to another pharmacy to buy the medicine. They did not have the medicine. He came back and waited for me until I finished the prayer.

Rizq, brothers — do you remember? It is written. It is written before you were even born. But it takes faith.

Sa'adah versus Ladhdhah — True Happiness versus Fleeting Pleasure

Brothers, the scholars differentiated between sa'adah and ladhdhah. Ladhdhah is pleasure. And sa'adah is real happiness.

They said: ladhdhah comes when you do something you like — your desires, you fulfill them, you get some pleasure. You take a sip of something you like, you taste it — that's ladhdhah. Sa'adah comes when you give up the things you like for the sake of Allah. Then you have a permanent good feeling. Permanent — you walk, chest expanded, eyes are happy, face is smiling all the time.

Just like some people say: Sheikh, you don't have any problems — you're smiling all the time. And I say: brother, I don't have much cash to pay, so I'm giving cash through my smile. That's the difference between my manners and the manners of those people who are not believers. So you don't compare. You don't say, mashallah, they have more manners than other people. They may. We should have more. But I do it for Allah — they do it for cash. And most people do that.

The Importance of Coming to Jumu'ah on Time

To come, brothers, to Jumu'ah late — wallahi, it is not fitting for you. Wallahi, it's not fitting. Whatever business you have, close it. And if you have somebody working for you, bring him with you and pay him for that time to come. This is taqwa. This is patience, and this is success. You just need to practice it.

Closing Du'a

We ask Allah to make us from those muttaqin. We ask Allah to make us from the righteous. We ask Allah to forgive our shortcomings. We ask Allah to forgive our shortcomings. We ask Allah...