A Call Through The Ages

A Call Through The Ages

In the name of Allah, Praise be to Allah. Respected brothers and sisters, we begin in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We send our humble salutations upon the Chosen one, Muhammad, his companions, his family members, and those who follow their footsteps until the Day of Resurrection. Alhamdulillah, Allah has given us the beauty of Iman and Islam.

As Allah says in the Quran:

"I am pleased by providing and giving you this religion which is Al-Islam." And we can understand the beauty by looking at different aspects of our religion, specifically the fara'id of Allah. Starting from the first obligation, daily obligation, annual obligation, and once in a lifetime obligation.

And in every single obligation, every single fardiyah, a person is showing one thing, and that is submission to Allah. Which is what the word Islam is from — the same root word, taslim, aslamna. We submit.

The Submission of Ibrahim

And the greatest submission, as Allah has given us information in the Quran, is the submission of Ibrahim (AS). His submission was so unique, so great, that Allah ordered the greatest creation to come on earth, Muhammad (SAW). Allah ordered him that you also have to follow the same footsteps of this person who submitted to Allah.

Allah says:

"That We have sent revelation to you, O Muhammad, that you also follow the method, the footsteps, the methodology of Ibrahim (AS)." This submission was so great in the eyes of Allah that Allah has made this act an obligatory act — an action that is required for a believer to do, if he is able to do so.

As we are getting closer to the last month in the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah, this entire month and the actions of this month have been established for remembering the sacrifices of Ibrahim (AS). Ibrahim's sacrifice was so great that the effort he made during his time — until now and until the Day of Judgment — people will come and answer to the call of Ibrahim.

The Building of the Ka'bah and the Call to Hajj

A call that goes throughout all ages. In fact, it went to those who didn't come, who weren't present, and it came to those who will come until the last day on this earth. When Ibrahim (AS), as Allah describes in the Quran:

When Ibrahim and Ismail collectively put the foundation of Al-Baytullah, Baytullah Al-Ka'bah. After that, Allah ordered Ibrahim (AS): now invite people to this house. Like a person makes his own house in this world, now he wants to invite people to come and visit his house — a housewarming. Come and see what I have.

Ibrahim (AS) built Baytullah and Allah commanded: this is My house, call people to My house. Ibrahim (AS) answered to Allah: "O Allah, how can I call people when there is barely anyone in front of me and my voice will not reach those who are present in different parts of the world?" Allah replied:

(Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani, Allama al-Alusi, on the authority of Imam Mujahid)

"O Ibrahim, for you is only to announce — to whichever ear it reaches, to whom it reaches — this is My responsibility. We will take care of that."

Ibrahim (AS) immediately answered to the command of Allah and he went up to the mountain of Safa — according to one narration — and in another narration, Jabal Abu Qubais, where he stood up and climbed up. And he made an announcement, which Allah describes in the Quran:

"O Ibrahim, announce to people about Hajj, about pilgrimage. Come to the house of Allah." People who were living at that time in any corner of the world heard the call of Ibrahim. And there were those who said لَبَّيْكَ to the call of Ibrahim, saying: "O Allah, we are present" — or "I am present."

And as soon as a person says لَبَّيْكَ to the call of Ibrahim, Allah writes for him a pilgrimage to His house. Now this call was not only heard by the people who were alive at that time, but it extended to Alam al-Arwah, where all the souls are gathered, and humans will come back into this world.

The Talbiyah Across the Ages

Imam Mujahid (rahimahullah) — as Allama Alusi mentions in Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani — a narration on the authority of Imam Mujahid, who is a great scholar of Tafsir, says: anyone who gave لَبَّيْكَ to the call of Ibrahim before coming into this world, Allah facilitates him to go to the house of Allah. And as many times as a person has said لَبَّيْكَ to the call of Ibrahim, that many times Allah takes him to Baytullah. A person who goes once — his لَبَّيْكَ was only once.

Abdullah ibn Umar (radiyallahu anhu) did 60 Hajj in his life. Allama al-Dhahabi has mentioned this in Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'. 60 Hajj — 60 times he answered the call of Ibrahim. Nu'man ibn Thabit, Abu Hanifa, did 55 Hajj in his life. 55 times he made لَبَّيْكَ to the call of Ibrahim.

And this call is going to continue. And those for whom Allah has written this fortune, they are able to answer to that call.

Lessons for Us Today

Now, taking a lesson from all of this — what we have in the legacy of Ibrahim (AS) — and putting it into our today's action. We are also ordered by Allah to submit to Him. Aslamna. We are submitting to Allah.

When Ibrahim submitted, he made a small call and Allah made the whole world hear it. Today, unfortunately, my actions are so weak that I call upon calls but no one comes. No one answers. And that is what we need to focus on.

Our submission to Allah is going to bring effect on our words when we speak up. And they are going to penetrate into the hearts of people. And that is how Allah brought this amal into existence — started from a call. And that call was built on sacrifice. And that sacrifice made that call to be heard in every single corner of the world.

And we have been called by Allah every single day, every single moment of our lives. And we have to focus on how we answer to the call of Allah.

Du'a

We ask the Almighty Allah to make us amongst those fortunate people who answer to the call of Allah. We ask Allah to grant us the same spirit which was given to Ibrahim (AS). We ask Allah to grant us the ability to value these sacrifices that have been put forward in our religion. And we ask Allah to grant us lessons from it so that we are able to continue our life according to the orders of Allah and the Sunnah of His Habib (SAW).

We ask the Almighty Allah to help those who are going through difficult times — our brothers and sisters in Gaza and other parts of the world. We ask Allah to make it easy for them, remove their difficulties, and bring prosperity and happiness in their lives. And we ask Allah to protect Islam and Muslims around the entire globe, and grant them prosperity, happiness, and strength. And we ask Allah to protect our Iman, to protect the Iman of our children, our generations to come in this world, and make us true Muslims in the eyes of Allah. Ameen.

O Allah, forgive us, the believing men and believing women, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the living and the dead. You are All-Hearing, All-Near, Responding to supplications. O Allah, heal us and heal our sick. Our Lord, accept from us — indeed You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. And forgive us — indeed You are the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful.

O servants of Allah, verily, Allah commands justice, goodness, and giving to those who are near, and forbids immorality, evil, and transgression. He warns you that you may remember. Remember Allah, the Most High, the Most Great — He will remember you. Call upon Him and He will answer you. And the remembrance of Allah is the highest, the most honoured, the most glorious, the most important, and the greatest. And Allah knows what you do.

Aqim al-Salah.