A Woman From Mauritania

A Woman From Mauritania

All praise is due to Allah, and his praise and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam, his family, his companions, and his followers until the Day of Judgment. I bear witness that Allah is the only one worthy of worship and that Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, is his last and final messenger.

A Memory That Defined Me

My dear brothers and sisters, not very long time ago — I was just in high school, at the end of my high school days, maybe five or six years ago. It has been a long time. But I still remember that scene as if it just happened yesterday. It's one of these moments of my life that, in my opinion, defined who I am today.

I was walking into a big office — it's not really an office, it looked like a living room. It was filled with couches and chairs; literally maybe a hundred people could be in that place. It is known to be the office of Sheikh al-Walid al-Sheikh Abdulaziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz, rahimahullah ta'ala, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia at that time — Sheikh Ibn Baz. He was surrounded with his assistants and secretary: writing what he was saying, reading for him letters, giving fatawa, answering, writing, reviewing all the work that a Grand Mufti of his caliber would be expected to be doing. It was in the middle of the week.

So I walked there as just this young man — didn't even have maybe a few hairs on my face here and there. And I sat in front of him. He has a chair in front of him for those who come to visit, to ask questions. So I sat right in front of him. He is blind. Then he asked me about myself, where I'm from, asked me about the city I came from — very genuine, welcoming words. Then I asked him about what I came for — and that's not the point of why I went there to ask him about. But he said to me, "Wait, son, until I find a solution to your request."

So I got to watch what he was doing. And one of the things that happened: a woman had written him a letter from Mauritania. She said:

"Sheikh Abdulaziz, my son is going to college because of the funds that you send to us every year. The funds ended this year, and my son has only one choice — if I don't continue receiving the funds, I will have to let him quit school, because he needs to work to support me and his sisters and his younger siblings. Or you continue supporting us so he can continue going to college and finish his education."

The sheikh looked at his secretary — his name was Abdulaziz as well — and said to him: "Sheikh Abdulaziz, write for them whatever will cover the rest of his study." It was two years. He said, "Write for them the expenses of two years."

His secretary said: "Sheikh, but the account designated for supporting students of knowledge is empty — zero."

Then the sheikh said: "Look at my personal account — the charity that comes from my personal account, not the one related to my office."

Then he said: "Unfortunately, sheikh, it is also zero. You have spent everything."

Then the sheikh said: "Take from my personal account" — the account he uses for his daily expenses. Then his secretary said: "Sheikh, you have nothing there to cover that."

And I was listening to that. I still remember as a young man — I always thought knowledge is about how much you memorize, how much you know, the information you have collected, how smart you are, your ability to learn and receive so much information in a short period of time, your ability to express yourself. I thought that's what knowledge is really all about. And that's what makes you a very distinguished student of knowledge. And that's what the knowledge of Shari'ah is really about.

But that day, I learned something different.

Then the sheikh, rahimahullah, said to him: "Take a loan in my name to pay her for the two years — or whatever the number of years was — and Allah will help me to pay off my debt. This woman has no one else to help her. We, alhamdulillah, have many people who can help us here."

And at that moment I was thinking — who is that woman? He doesn't even know her name. And he said: "It is our duty to help those whom Allah has sent our way to help. Allah did not send her to us for no reason. He knows that I am capable of helping. She is a student of knowledge and he wants to finish his education and he will help his family later on. Make sure that we give her what she asked."

What I Learned That Day

I learned at that time that the greatness of knowledge is not about what you receive — it's about what you give. It's not about how much information you have; it's about how much you care. It is not just about how much change there is in you, as much as this change in you will be transferred to changing people as well.

I understood that day that caring is not limited to proximity or borders — it knows no boundaries.

The Prophet's Character Before Revelation

This incident just reminds me of the prophets and messengers of Allah, and at the top of them, Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Remember when he came back from the cave of Hira, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, after his first encounter with Jibreel. The Messenger of Allah returned with a heart full of fear and confusion. The weight of what he had just experienced poured down on him, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He rushed home trembling at the thoughts of what he had just encountered.

Khadija, radiallahu anha, sensing his distress, enveloped him in her warm arms and embraced him, seeking to soothe his shaking spirit, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. As he shared his fear and uncertainties with her — wondering whether what he just saw was truth, or just a bad dream, or questioning if his mind had played tricks on him, or if he had been subjected to the whisper of the devil — he was confused, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

But with a voice sturdy and filled with unwavering faith in this man whom she had been married to for fifteen years, Khadija, radiallahu anha, assured her husband saying:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3)

"No, by Allah, He will never disgrace you. You maintain family ties, you speak the truth, you support the weak, you help those in need, you generously host guests, and you stand up for justice. And you always help those who need help."

Her words, infused with confidence, served as a balm for his troubled heart, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, grounding him in the reality of his noble character and the divine mission that lay ahead. That moment of profound support marked the beginning of a journey that would change the world forever.

Indeed, Khadija, radiallahu anha, embodies this cosmic principle: that Allah protects those of His servants who uphold justice and benefit others. He does not disgrace them or bring them to sorrow. Allah has instilled in them these noble qualities so that they become worthy of His honor and grace, and worthy of carrying His message.

It is this noble character which was inherent in the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, from his earliest days — existing even before the revelation of Allah had come to him. Therefore, righteous individuals like him are never let down by Allah.

When you examine these admirable qualities that she mentioned about the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you will find a common thread: it is the concern for the welfare of others, addressing the needs of others and fulfilling their requirements. That is the common thing between all the qualities that she mentioned. Family ties are maintained, the weak are supported, the needy are provided for, guests are generously hosted, and hardships are resolved.

These were the qualities of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, before he was even told about what is in the earlier scriptures:

Musa and the Two Women at the Well

And that just also brings me to another image from another prophet, just to confirm that point — which is Musa, alayhi salam. When he left Egypt, his heart was filled with fear and troubled. He went toward Madyan. He said: "Perhaps my Lord will guide me to the sound way."

He came to the water and he found a crowd of people watering their flocks, and he found — aside from them — two women holding back their flocks. He said: "What are your circumstances?" They said: "We don't water until the shepherds dispatch their flocks. Our father is an old man who cannot come to help us." So he watered their flocks for them.

I ask myself — can you imagine you are in this situation? What made Musa wonder and find this scene strange and unacceptable? To see these two women on the side, waiting for all the men to finish. It is his moral integrity — that sees the right of the weak as deserving care and appreciation, not exclusion and neglect. It is the swift response to the call of honor, nobility, and ethical dignity.

You cannot help but be astonished by this scene. A stranger in the land — he doesn't know anyone. Among people who offered no support for him or care for him. He is worried and exhausted, coming from a long journey without provision or preparation, pursued by a merciless enemy. Yet despite his own circumstances, and being preoccupied with his own struggles, he cannot help but be astonished by the lack of morality and nobility in those people — that they would leave two women like that on the side, waiting for them to finish. He cannot take that. He is a noble man.

Even though Musa at that time was not yet a prophet or messenger — and that is the quality of people who deserve to be given the message of Allah.

May Allah make us among those who have the noblest of character. I say what you hear, and I ask Allah for forgiveness for me and for you.

Second Part of the Khutbah

All praise is due to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet.

Indeed, these scenes inform us of a reality: Allah chooses great souls for His message. That is why those who aspire to carry a large share of the inheritance of the prophets must be created with the morals of the prophets, must have a great love for the good of the people, must uphold justice, and must lift up injustice.

These scenes indicate an important truth — that Allah chooses for His great message noble souls. One of the greatest aspects of their nobility is their concern for people, their commitment to addressing their issues, and their diligent pursuit of fulfilling their needs. Their compassion for others makes them a refuge for the weak and the needy. Everyone in distress finds support among them and receives kindness and mercy from them. Therefore, their responsibility to save humanity from misguidance and guide them to the truth resonates within them — because that is their nature. They love to help, so when Allah gives them the responsibility to guide, it simply resonates with the kind of people they already were. Salawatu rabbi wa salamuhu alayhim.

The extent to which we embody the morals of prophethood will determine the fulfillment of our legacy to the prophets. What I mean by that is: if we want to be truly followers and carriers of the message of the messengers — to carry the message of Allah — we have to resemble the characteristics of the prophets and messengers.

These scenes, and many like them in the Quran, are clear evident examples showing us that this is what is required from you: to be a noble person. Because before you become even a noble Muslim, a person of good character — caring means showing up, being present, and expressing genuine concern for others.

A Call to Our Community

My brothers and sisters, I am sharing this reminder today because we are living in a time when we need help. We need to help one another. We need to be ready for each other. We need to stretch our hands to each other. A helping hand can be a ray of sunshine in a cloudy world today.

May Allah make us among those whom Allah chooses to benefit His creation. May Allah protect our community. May Allah protect our community.