The Three Neglected Aspects of Salafiyyah - Sheikh Navaid Aziz

The Three Neglected Aspects of Salafiyyah

He would pray in the way that Muhammad bin al-Hasan used to pray, out of respect and courtesy for him. To show us that in matters of fiqh, that harshness that we often see today should not manifest itself. But rather it should be an emotion or a feeling of tolerance towards one another.

First Neglected Aspect: Tolerance in Matters of Difference of Opinion

As I mentioned, when it came to matters of bid'ah and matters of shirk, there was no tolerance. For the actual act of shirk and for the actual act of bid'ah itself, there is no tolerance. But for the one that fell into it, based upon their principles, one should be advising, and one should be concerned, and one should try to advise them and guide them.

But at the end of the day, again, it did not expel them from the fold of the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. A third thing I would like to mention when it comes to issues of differing of opinion, is that this subject requires research and knowledge. A lot of the times when we speak about difference of opinion, we may have just heard one of the many opinions that exist. And we go around running and thinking that this is the only opinion that has existed.

But this sort of research is required in order for it to be known — are there other opinions? Did the Salaf hold these opinions? If they did, then those are opinions that are valid, and people can hold them if this is the ijtihad that they make, if this is the opinion that they choose to follow. So we should not be narrow-minded and think that the realm of Islam is just black and white. There is a lot of grey in between that we should be very, very respectful towards.

Second Neglected Aspect: Giving One Another the Benefit of the Doubt

A second aspect of Islam that gets neglected is giving one another the benefit of the doubt. Our predecessors — many, many of them — have stated that if I see my brother doing something wrong, I would give him excuses. A lot of people narrate and attribute it to the Prophet ﷺ that give your brothers and sisters 70 excuses.

To the best of my knowledge, this is not an authentic hadith and is not valid. But the principle behind it of giving each other the benefit of the doubt is extremely valid. We should be giving each other the benefit of the doubt.

They used to say that if I cannot come up with an excuse for him, then perhaps he has an excuse that I do not know of. That is how far they used to give each other the benefit of the doubt. And this is something that needs to be brought back again today.

That if you see your brother or sister doing something dubious, doing something suspicious, where it could be right, it could be wrong — rather than assuming the worst of people, give them the benefit of the doubt. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ actually reprimands us:

That I censure you from having evil suspicion of one another. For indeed it leads to the most evil and vile and lying of speech, if you are not careful.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5143; Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 6214)

Allah in the Qur'an commands the believing people:

O you who believe, stay away from having much suspicion of one another. So if something can be viewed in a positive light, and something can be interpreted in a positive light, then it should be done. Because that is what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his companions taught us.

And this is an element of the sunnah, particularly when it relates to one's akhlaq, that is neglected. And it's very unfortunate that in this day and age, when we should be giving one another the benefit of the doubt, we often forget. And this leads to the break-up of brotherhood, it leads to the break-up of communities, it leads to the break-ups of masajid, and a lot of bad things happen.

Because this is what shaitan wants. When you look at the hadith of shaitan as narrated from the Rasul ﷺ, he tells us that shaitan does not get happy at the one who steals or encourages someone to steal. He does not get happy at the one that encourages someone to lie.

But when shaitan does get happy is when that shaitan is able to separate a man from his wife. That is when the shaitan encourages his shayateen that you've done well, you've done something right. To show us that one of the objectives of shaitan is to separate the ummah, is to separate the community. And one of the tools that shaitan uses is planting seeds of suspicion.

So realize, my dear brothers and sisters, each and every one of us at one point in our lives will be in a situation where we will want the benefit of the doubt. So extend this benefit of the doubt to the brothers and sisters to the degree that you would want it for yourself. The same way you would like to receive the benefit of the doubt, show it to others as well.

Third Neglected Aspect: Spirituality in Islam

The third and last thing that I wanted to address in today's khutbah is the element of spirituality in Islam. Spirituality in Islam is of the utmost importance. Islam did not just come with fiqh, Islam did not just come with aqidah, but Islam came to soften the heart as well. The famous imams of the past — like the likes of al-Bukhari, the likes of Imam Muslim — they dedicated chapters known as Kitab al-Riqaq in their books. The books of heart-softening.

Why? Because in order for our aqidah to be sustainable — meaning to continue to read about it and to study it and to learn it and to teach it — it's not just about knowing theoretically that Allah is above His creation, but it's about knowing that Allah is above His creation and sees everything and knows everything and controls everything. So the way I conduct myself should be all inspired by knowing that Allah is above His creation.

Or knowing that the attributes of Allah — such as mercy — are real should lead me towards having mercy. Because the most merciful has mercy upon those that show mercy. And this is part of that spiritual element that gets neglected.

And that is why when you look at the sciences of Islam of the past, everything was taken holistically. Aqidah was not separated from fiqh. Fiqh was not separated from hadith. Hadith was not separated from usul al-fiqh. All of it was studied together, particularly spirituality. Now everything was meant to bring you closer to Allah. And if it didn't, the Salaf wanted nothing to do with it. Because that is the ultimate goal and purpose of knowledge — to bring you closer to Allah.

And if the knowledge that you have is not making you better in your ibadah, is not making you better in your mu'amalat with your brothers and sisters, is not making you better in your character, then what is the point of that knowledge, my dear brothers and sisters?

So let us refocus on spirituality in Islam. Let us refocus on spirituality according to the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Because we live in a day and age where people have gone over bounds in spirituality, where they look for spirituality beyond the realm of the Qur'an and the sunnah. Or the exact opposite — where while spirituality is present in the Qur'an and the sunnah, we just become heedless of it and focus on the physical aspects of the sunnah, rather than the internal aspects.

The Importance of Dhikr

So now what elements of spirituality can we bring back to our lives? Let us look at the ayah where Allah says:

O you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance. Meaning that throughout the day and the night, as a Muslim, you are meant to be remembering Allah. From the time that you wake up, to the time that you go to the bathroom, to the time that you go to sleep again at night. During all of those times, during the times you interact with one another, your tongue should be busy with the dhikr of Allah. Either something that was legislated by the Prophet ﷺ specifically for that — like going to sleep and like going to the bathroom and like eating, those are specifically narrated — or if you're not doing any of those actions that are specifically narrated by our Rasul ﷺ, then you're busy your tongue with سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ, الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ, and لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ.

The Hadith of the Poor Companions

My dear brothers and sisters, let me share with you one beautiful hadith. The poor companions came complaining to our Rasul ﷺ, and they said:

O Messenger of Allah, the rich companions amongst us — they've run away with all of the rewards. He said, how so? They said that they pray just like we pray. They fast just like we fast. But they give in sadaqah that which we are not able to give.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 843; Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 1239)

And in the version of Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ teaches these companions that at the end of every salah, say سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ 33 times, say الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ 33 times, say اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ 33 times. And anyone that does this, no one will precede you on the Day of Judgment, except for the one that did this, and more than that.

So these companions started getting busy after salah. They started this dhikr. Now, the rich companions found out about it. So again, the poor companions came back, and they told the Prophet ﷺ, Ya Rasulullah, they found out that secret that you told us. Teach us something else, so that we can become better than them.

Then the Prophet ﷺ concluded this discussion by saying:

That that is the virtue, that is the favor of Allah, that He shows to whomever He pleases. Meaning that if Allah has granted you wealth, and you spend it in the way of Allah, and on top of that you're able to fulfill the pillars of Islam, and things more — like performing dhikr — then this is the favor of Allah.

Lessons from This Story

Now what are some of the things that we can learn from this story?

Number one, we learn the importance of competing with one another in going towards Allah. You should not be from those people that has no concern about competing with one another for the sake of Allah. In fact, it was from the attitude of the companions — not only generally, but even specifically with individuals — like we saw between Abu Bakr and Umar. They would race with one another, and compete with one another to do good deeds.

Number two, these companions were concerned about their akhira more than they were about their dunya. Because they complained not that they were poor, or that they were going through hardship — they complained that, Ya Rasulullah, these people have an advantage over us in doing goodness. And that is what our concern should be as well. That rather than competing with one another for bigger houses and faster cars, we should be competing with one another in who pleases Allah more. Because at the end of the day, that is what is truly going to count.

Number three, the Prophet ﷺ, in this version of the hadith, actually shows us that if wealth is used properly, then it becomes a proof for you. However, if wealth is not used properly, then it becomes a proof against you. And that is seen in the last statement, when he says: ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ — that is a favor and virtue of Allah that He gives to whom He pleases.

A lot of people assume that Islam encourages people to be poor. But from this hadith, you see that's not the case. The Prophet ﷺ is encouraging the people that if you have money, spend it in the way of Allah. What is discouraged in Islam is that if you have money, and you don't spend it in the way of Allah — that is what is discouraged. You should not be of those people. But people should strive hard, and work hard, and earn halal money to spend in the cause of Allah.

Reflect on the du'a of leaving the masjid:

O Allah, I ask you from Your virtue and benevolence — because while you're in the masjid, you're not supposed to be doing business. But when you leave the masjid, you're back to this dunya, you're back to seeking your rizq. So you're asking Allah for His favor and His benevolence, to incite in the mind of the believer: go out and seek your rizq. Don't assume that it's just going to come to you. Be active in seeking it.

The importance of spirituality is seen in how connected you are to Allah regardless of your circumstances around you. We saw the poor companions — they were attached to Allah even though they were going through difficulty. And we see the rich companions — they're attached to Allah even though they're in times of comfort and in times of prosperity. So they each used their own means to get closer to Allah. The poor companions sought out the dhikr from Rasul ﷺ. The rich companions did what they could with their wealth and on top of that what they learnt as well.

So this teaches us that some of us may be rich, some of us may be poor. Those of us that are rich have a higher accountability with Allah to spend in His sake and to also make sure that our other aspects are in balance as well — like our salah, like our dhikr.

My dear brothers and sisters, the essence of spirituality is getting closer to Allah. Remembering Allah and being conscious of Allah so much so that not an action is made by the slave except that it reflects first — is this action going to be beloved or hated by Allah? And if it is beloved, they continue with it. And if it is going to be detested, then they would leave it.

Second Part of the Khutbah

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَمَنْ وَالَاهُ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ

Let me recap the three points we discussed in the first part of the khutbah. So we were discussing neglected aspects of Islam or neglected aspects of the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

The first thing we discussed is being tolerant towards difference of opinions, particularly in fiqh. And we mentioned that there is no tolerance when it comes to bid'ah or to shirk. However, if someone has fallen into that, then that falling into a mistake is not enough to expel them from the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

Number two, we discussed the importance of giving one another the benefit of the doubt. Because the Prophet ﷺ taught us that the most vile and lying of speech is that which is based upon suspicion. And Allah commanded the believers to stay away from suspicion. And we should try to come up with the benefit of the doubt for one another. And if we cannot come up with an excuse, then understand that perhaps your brother or sister has an excuse that you do not know of.

And the third thing we discussed is the importance of spirituality in Islam as is taught by the Qur'an and the sunnah. Simple things like busying ourselves with the dhikr of Allah. Simple things like using our wealth to get closer to Allah. Simple things like competing with one another for the sake of Allah. These are all elements of spirituality that are neglected and need to be revived.

The Shortness of This Life

My dear brothers and sisters, what I want to conclude today's khutbah with is that shaitan deludes us into thinking that the life of this world is very long. He makes us think that we will live forever. So keep chasing this dunya — that's what he keeps telling us. But the reality is none of us know when we are going to die. You could be healthy today and sick tomorrow.

And just as I came into the masjid today, subhanAllah, there was a brother that had mentioned that his father is being tested by cancer and that he had surgery today at 1 o'clock. And his dying words to his son — or his possible final words to his son — was: make sure you go to the masjid tomorrow and take care of the masjid. Because that's what he knew his sadaqah jariah was. And the son's response to this was: my father, say your shahada and perfect your tawheed before you die.

And these thoughts were just going through my head, subhanAllah, the whole time since I heard this till I stepped onto the minbar. That how many of us will be this fortunate that before we die, we have someone to encourage us to say لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. And to remind us of the perfection of tawheed. And how many of us will be in that state that we can say, oh my son, go and take care of the masjid because this will be my sadaqah jariah.

So this shows us that these brothers, they didn't come into that situation by accident. It was a plan of Allah, but they fostered that plan of Allah. So let that be a reflection — that we want to make sure when we're passing away, we have brothers and sisters that are there to remind us of Allah and to say لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. And I pray that Allah grants us all the tawfiq to say لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ before we die. Ameen.

Sadaqah Jariah and Its Importance

And we also want to be of those individuals that have planted the seeds of sadaqah jariah — meaning that even after we pass away, we have the opportunity to incur that reward. The Prophet ﷺ summarizes this subject by saying that only three things will benefit you after you die:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 13, Hadith 4005)

Either knowledge that you have left behind, either a sadaqah jariah that you have given — like the building of a masjid, or a place where people can stay when they're traveling, or the building of a madrasah; all of these things are sadaqah jariah. And then he concludes by saying: a righteous child that will make du'a of istighfar for their parents. Meaning that our own children are perhaps the greatest source of sadaqah jariah.

So a lot of the times, particularly the men — and I'm addressing the men here right now — is that we get so busy in other aspects of Islam, that we tend to neglect our own children. When the Prophet ﷺ is teaching us that perhaps the greatest sadaqah jariah we may ever have is our own children. So rather than racing and doing deeds in public that can be seen, know that Islam is also very encouraging of taking care of one's own children. That you should try your best to teach them, try your best to educate them, try your best to give them the tarbiyah that they need to survive in this world. And that's going to happen by you leading the example of a good Muslim.

My dear brothers and sisters, let me summarize that one point again. And that is that the life of this world, contrary to what shaitan makes us think, is very short. And you want to make sure that anything you want to present to Allah, you're preparing for that from now. Because if you leave it till tomorrow, tomorrow may never come. So plant the seeds of sadaqah jariah today. Live a good life, so that Allah can grant the ending to your life to be good as well.

I pray that Allah forgives us for our sins and shortcomings. And that Allah makes us of those whom their sadaqah jariah is accepted. And that Allah makes us of those that implement the Qur'an and the sunnah in all aspects of our lives.

Du'as

وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ وَسَلَّمَ وَبَارَكَ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ. قُومُوا إِلَى صَلَاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمْكُمُ اللَّهُ.