2015-03-06 - Friday Prayer - Sheikh Mokhtar Maghroui

Khutbah al-Jumu'ah — Sheikh Mokhtar Maghroui

Truly the best of words are the words of Allah عز و جل, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Sayyidina Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم.

Says Allah عز و جل — which means: again I remind myself and you, O you who have attained faith, be Allah-conscious. Have awe and reverence in your hearts for Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Do that in a way that is worthy of who He is عز و جل. Worthy of His glory and majesty. Worthy of His beauty and majesty. Worthy of His perfection in His beauty and in His majesty سبحانه وتعالى. Worthy of the multitudes of favours and bounties that He سبحانه وتعالى incessantly continues to gift us and to pour upon us — despite our shortcomings, despite our transgressions, despite our rebelliousness. He continues سبحانه وتعالى to give us life. He continues سبحانه وتعالى to provide for us. He continues سبحانه وتعالى to give us a chance upon a chance سبحانه وتعالى.

So let us worship Him. Let us سبحانه وتعالى serve Him in the way He deserves. Strive to do that — for no one will ultimately achieve the status of worshipping Him the way He deserves. It is only merciful love and rahmah from Him that He accepts for us what we do عز و جل.

Allah's Expression Through Creation

Of His سبحانه وتعالى divine will and nature is that He expressed Himself to the creation, to the world. His essence سبحانه وتعالى is beyond the grasp nor the comprehension of any created thing — not even Jibreel عليه السلام, not even the messengers of Allah عز و جل. The essence of Allah عز و جل is beyond everything and everyone. And yet He سبحانه وتعالى expressed to us Himself — though His essence is far veiled from us — He سبحانه وتعالى expressed that essence through His attributes سبحانه وتعالى:

And so on. He expresses Himself through His attributes. And then even His attributes are far beyond us. Every attribute, if you will, is infinite in the scope of the beauty of that attribute, and of the majesty — the jalāl — of that attribute. And so He سبحانه وتعالى projected another projection: His attributes through His acts, through His deeds in the creation — the act of creation, and the acts in creation. They are by which we experience Him سبحانه وتعالى more directly.

In other words, this world, this space-time, all of it and beyond, is the field of divine expression. He expresses Himself to the creation, in the creation, in the field of space-time as we experience it. And so He created us — and we are both soul and body, both intellect and matter, both emotions as well as rational faculties. We are all of those. And those are hidden. How are they expressed? Through our character. And how is our character finally and ultimately experienced by everyone else? Through our deeds — through our words and deeds. And where are those words and deeds of ours established? In society.

Society as the Mihrab of the Believer

Society is the field of expression of what we are inside. Even better to say, as someone said, that society above all is the worshipping place — is a mihrab, is a niche for prayer. This is a mihrab. Society above all is a mihrab, a prayer niche for the seeker of Allah azza wa jal, for the servant of Allah azza wa jal, for the 'abid, for the muta'abbid, for the human being in general. What we are is expressed in the mihrab called al-mujtama' — society. And in society there are all sorts of manifestations, all sorts of people, of human beings, and of animals, and of creatures.

I want to say something here first: that our ancestors, our predecessors of the early Islamic civilizations, understood this — it seems — very well. That society is the manifestation of human character, and of their character as Muslims who believe and have faith in Allah azza wa jal and in His Rasul صلى الله عليه وسلم, and accepted the values of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم as the standards and the norms of their lives, and thus began to manifest them, to project them in society.

In addition to the very important aspects of who they were inside their hearts — of beautiful characteristics — and in addition to the fact that they went to the masajid and stood towards the qiblah in the physical mihrab of salah, in salah with khushu', in dhikr with khushu', in du'a with khushu', in tadabbur — reflection — with khushu', with stillness and internal spiritual quiescence — in addition to that, they also in the larger mihrab of society expressed what they are inside, in their relationship with all creatures.

The Legacy of Waqf: Putting Money Where the Heart Is

The concept of waqf and of awqaf — waqf, trust, you all know — it was wonderful. An expression of living in society and expressing what they are inside in the mihrab of society. For example, many of you know, some of you forgot, some of us forgot, some of you may not know the following: that they had trusts — these are private individuals — trusts, for example, for people who seek knowledge. Trusts, full institutions as trusts, in order to support the students in all their needs, including eating and being clothed and being lodged and learning, that lived for centuries. Those trusts lived for centuries.

Trusts for even people who devoted themselves sincerely to the ibadah of Allah's religion only. Trusts that lasted centuries. They had trusts for hospitals — hospitals that ran on the basis of full trusts. Trusts from families and individuals or a collection of individuals. They had trusts for the elderly — yes, to take care of the elderly. Trusts to take care of the weak, of the handicapped. Trusts that lived for centuries, to express the full inside — the full inside of compassion, of merciful love, of benevolence that stirs their emotions, that defines their inner characteristics — they exemplify that in the mihrab of society by actual acts, emulating, I repeat, from the sincere qalb filled with iman and faith. Their social realities were an expression of their moral and spiritual realities.

Did you know that they even had trusts for the following: if a maid or a servant — in those days, one they used to call a slave — was simply let go by the so-called master, sometimes unjustly, unfairly, there were trust families to take care of those only, to provide for them, to feed them, to educate them, to teach them skills.

Now listen to the next one — it goes in crescendo. They even had funds for the following: if a maid or a servant or a person working for someone rich somehow broke a vessel, broke a plate or a glass or a cup, and they are afraid — there is a waqf just for that. If it happens, come, and we will give you the same exact replica or better, to bring back to that household. A waqf for that.

They even had waqf for the care of stray dogs and cats. And I have seen the remnants of that in Istanbul until now — trust funds for the care of stray dogs and stray cats. And it is not, as they do sometimes in some places, to keep them there and then — what do they say? — "to put them to rest" or something like that. No. This is to care for them until they die naturally. A waqf for that.

The point is — and I hope the meaning is conveyed properly — that those whose hearts were very special truly took society as a mihrab for ibadah. All of their activities in society were an expression of what they are in their hearts. And then even they put their money where their heart was. May Allah bless them. May Allah reward them — as they were our salaf and we are their khalaf. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى grant them the best of rewards, that He would reward khalaf on behalf of their salaf.

The Family: Blueprint of Society

My dear brothers and sisters, all the mihrab elements — that is, this society-mihrab of the elements of society — is family. The reality of the family is also consequential of the reality of the hearts of the elements of that family: individuals, husbands, individuals, wives, individuals, adult children — boys and girls, men and women. Their family first is the first expression into society of what they are. First.

And a family, I would call, is the blueprint of the character of a society. Wouldn't you say? A family is a nucleus which contains the character — the blueprint of the character — of an entire society. Just like a nucleus inside a physical cell contains the blueprint of the physical reality of the entire human being, a family becomes the blueprint of the character of society. What a father is in his or her heart, what a mother is in his or her heart, what a daughter is in his or her heart, what a son is in his or her heart — and by extension the extended family — then so will society be. Society is what we are, each family.

And thus Allah سبحانه وتعالى, who created us and created the concept of family, willed for us سبحانه وتعالى that we take the family as the most serious space in that mihrab of ibadah called al-mujtama' — called society. That we take it very specially. It is a very special space of ibadah in the overall large mihrab called al-mujtama' — society.

So سبحانه وتعالى tells us that first a woman is even created from a man — to emphasize what? That it is one unit. That there would be natural inclination, natural affinity towards one another. That is from me — the mother says, "My son, my daughter is from me," and therefore the love and the mihrab are very special. So if — and it is — Hawwa is from Adam, the woman is from the man — what does that mean in terms of attachment, and what it requires from us? It is much more profound, much greater, much subtler, much greater of a divine expression than to say man is created alone and woman is created alone. Allah could do that سبحانه وتعالى. But what He did in accordance with the sunnah is that a woman came from a man in the original genesis of humanity. And to have an idea of what it should mean to us, think of the baby coming from the mother — "He is from me" — and what that does to her.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى tells us that they are garments — we are garments to one another:

They are garments to you and you are garments to them — that is, women, your wives, and you are garments to them. And a garment is for protection, to keep away the harsh impact of the elements outside, to cover, to protect. Allah سبحانه وتعالى tells us:

That you find serenity and quietude — taskunu ilayha — in whom we find serenity and quietude. And that gharīzah, that internal human drive, is satisfied between a man and a woman. And then Allah سبحانه وتعالى made into that creation — once two come together, a husband and a wife come together, if certain conditions are met as the ulama would say — there would be merciful love between one another, and pure love between each other. And that requires an affinity — an affinity between the two minds and the two souls and the two hearts — not only to find satisfaction and sukoon, which is natural between a man and a woman, but to go beyond that to the level of rahmah and mawaddah. And that is born out of the presence of affinity — spiritually, morally, intellectually — between the two.

We come back to the conditions of the hearts and the conditions of the minds. They would determine then the future of such a natural relationship. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى requires from us that we understand that, that we reflect upon that, and that we preserve His intent سبحانه وتعالى and we promote His intent سبحانه وتعالى. That's why at the end He says: "In that are signs for people who think, who reflect."

The Best of You Are Those Best to Their Families

My dear sisters and brothers, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم says — emphasizing this nucleus of society, this mihrab within the greater mihrab:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Hadith 3895; also reported in Sunan Ibn Mājah, Hadith 1977)

"The best of you are those who are best for their families — spouses and children and offspring — and I am the best of you to my family." The best of you Muslims — now, who is the best of you if you all, mashallah, pray sincerely and fast sincerely and perform the dhikr sincerely, and always add the word "sincerely" at the end — if you do all of those things sincerely and genuinely, who is better and who is best? Here is a standard of assessment: khayrakum, khayrakum li ahlihi. The best of you are those who are best for their families — spouse to spouse, parents to children and vice versa, and relatives to one another — because that is the nucleus of the larger society.

If there is khayr in that family, there will be khayr in society. If that mihrab is corrupt, if the one who stands in that mihrab is corrupt, the congregation will be corrupt — if they listen to them. If the family is corrupt, the masjid will be corrupt, the community will be corrupt, society will be corrupt, the world will be corrupt. And who loses? Human beings lose. We lose, my dear sisters and brothers.

I implore Allah azza wa jal to help me and you be of those who listen to the words of admonition and follow the best of them. My dear brothers and sisters — remind, for reminders are beneficial to those who have faith, to those who have iman. May Allah help me be first, and you, of those, in sha Allah ta'ala.

Going to the Manufacturer for Repair

My dear brothers and sisters, when you have a car and your car, sister or brother, has a problem — has a conflict inside of it — where do you take it? You take it to the specialist of assessing the wrong in the car. And then he will do what he will need to do. And then if that car needs parts, where will those parts be bought from? From the very dealer who represents the manufacturer of the car. Correct? Not somebody else. In other words, the way my car needs to be adjusted and repaired and rectified must be within the guidelines of the manufacturer, and to use the parts of the manufacturer. In that chance at least, I could say the chances are much greater to have a car properly — properly — repaired.

A family with conflicts — where should they go to? If I or you as a family, when we have conflicts, we go to take parts to rectify that family from other than the original manufacturer — then the chances are very big, and very weak, that car would be properly — underline the word "properly" — repaired. Allah created me and created them. Allah is the manufacturer. And when we choose — or when we will not choose — in our conflicts to go to the manufacturer for the parts and for the resolution and the repair, most likely it will not happen, or it will not last.

And yet many of us say, as we are married, we say "in accordance to the book of Allah and the sunnah of Rasulullah." And yet in our conflicts, sometimes some of us — some of us in the letter, and some of us in the spirit, and some of us in both — keep that most distant from us. And you would know, by extension and by analogical reasoning, what the consequences will be, as I mentioned the analogy of the mechanic a moment ago.

So my dear brothers and sisters, Allah knows us best سبحانه وتعالى. I and you and everyone — in that mihrab of family — need to internalize and to commit with resolve to the regulations and the standards of the manufacturer, of the Khaliq سبحانه وتعالى. And conflicts become more serious and unresolvable when one party or both will not sincerely subscribe to that original standard — which is, as I hope is clear, even illogical, irrational, unintelligent, unpractical. Because if you have a Toyota you do not go to Mercedes for parts — you go to Toyota, the manufacturer. May Allah be exalted from all analogies or any anthropomorphic insinuation سبحانه وتعالى.

The Heart: Blueprint of the Individual

And finally, my dear brothers and sisters: as society is the larger mihrab — if you will, the heart of the greater nation and the greater world — family is the heart and the blueprint of society. And the individual is the heart and the blueprint of the family. And what is the heart and the blueprint of the individual? Her heart. And his heart. Your heart. And my heart.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 52; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1599)

"Indeed in the body is a lump of flesh — a mudghah — a small lump inside the human being. If that lump is upright, then the entire person is upright. And if it is corrupt, then the entire person is corrupt." And then you continue — the chain of reaction — to family, to community, to society, to the nation, to the world, to the Earth, to space-time.

My dear sisters and brothers, we therefore — I and you — should learn to commit ourselves to these principles that I know everyone here feels very comfortable with and appreciates and understands at some good level. But we need a commitment. We need to internalize that. To internalize it. Internalize it — in order to readily have it available for actualization, in prosperity or in adversity.

Du'a and Closing

O Allah, we ask You to make us of those who listen to speech and follow the best of it. O Allah, beautify our hearts for You. O Allah, make our families an example — make our hearts more beautiful and more beautiful, by Your mercy O Most Merciful. And make our families a most beautiful example as that mihrab of society. And let our society be a beautiful example of our nation. And our nation of the world.

My dear brothers and sisters, O servants of Allah — Allah commands justice and goodness and giving to the nearest, and forbids immorality. Allah commands justice and goodness.

Second Khutbah — Recitation from Surah al-Jumu'ah and Surah al-Munafiqun