20170421- 2nd Khutba -Ustad Ibrahim

Opening — Khutbah of Praise

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَعَلَيْهِ أَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةِ وَالسَّلَامِ. أَمَّا بَعْدُ.

قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ الْكَرِيمِ، بَعْدَ أَنْ أَقُولَ: أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ:

Gratitude for Reaching Ramadan

My brothers and sisters, alhamdulillah — all praise and gratitude belongs to Allah — that He has enabled you and I to reach close to Ramadan. Ramadan is approximately one month away from you and me: one month and six days, perhaps. And we should be grateful to Allah that He has brought us this close, for many amongst us were intending to enter this Ramadan but they didn't even make it halfway through, for Allah willed something better for them. We have been at this point, and only a month and a week is left for us to enter Ramadan. So let us make du'a to Allah:

O Allah, convey us to Ramadan, take us into Ramadan — since You have brought us this far.

The Only Mention of Ramadan in the Quran

The only place where Allah makes mention of the word Ramadan in the Quran is in the ayah of Surah al-Baqarah:

"The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed — a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever of you witnesses the month, let him fast it. And whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days. Allah wants ease for you and He does not want hardship for you, and He wants you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that which He has guided you — and perhaps you will be grateful."

Ramadan — that is how Allah is introducing the word Ramadan: it is the month in which the Quran was revealed. And in any description, the first introduction is the most important introduction about the significance of a month or of anything. Then Allah mentions what the Quran is: a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. Quran is the criterion. So whoever witnesses the month, let him fast it.

Allah Wants Ease, Not Hardship

The amazing part of this verse — I'll begin by explaining to you the ending portion of this verse, for often the ending part of this verse is neglected because by the time it arrives, most of us are either sleepy or exhausted. Allah says:

Allah wants ease for you, and He does not want hardship for you. Now when Allah says He wants ease for you, that implies it would not carry hardship. And if Allah says He does not want hardship for you, that implies there will be ease. Why did Allah make mention by stating both converses — that Allah wants ease for you, and Allah does not want hardship for you? That is the point to ponder over.

In Ramadan, fasting is the easiest compared to any other time of the year. And you and I and everybody else has been witnessing this — that we may end up intending to fast on Mondays, on Thursdays, on Ayyam al-Bid, for example, or on Ashura. However, they are very challenging. Many people do it, but not everybody, and obviously they are not fardh.

Many of us are discussing: "Oh my God, Ramadan this year will be at the end of May and June in Texas — it's a hot month. How am I going to manage work? How am I going to manage the household?" However, each Ramadan, when we enter that month, we know that we make it through. And Allah is reminding me and you:

This hardship, when He makes mention of it, is the eventual hardship when you and I face Allah on the Day of Judgment and are empty-handed. The hardship when you and I face the angel of death and find ourselves empty-handed. The hardship that is eternal — the hardship that every once in a while somebody has to remind us about. And Allah is continuously reminding you and me of it in the Quran. He wants to create ease for me and you so that we make the best use of this month.

Complete the Count — Perfect Your Ramadan

Then He says:

So you could complete the count. It's not only that we enter Ramadan — it's like a conveyor belt and eventually Ramadan will end. And that's what happens: towards the middle of Ramadan we say to our friends and family, "Oh my God, this went too fast — we didn't even realize." On the contrary, Allah wants you and I to count each and every day: how did I spend the first day of fasting? The second? The third? The fourth? All the way to 29 or 30 days. He wants us to perfect the count. He wants us to remember our progress, keep track of our progress.

For if Ramadan passes and we don't notice how it has passed, we don't know where we began and we won't know where we ended. Just like that, many of our Ramadans — decades of our lives' Ramadans — have gone this way, where I haven't been able to keep track of my progress, my proximity with Allah, the building and nurturing of my Iman, the building and nurturing of my Taqwa, how close I have gotten to Allah compared to before Ramadan, or in the first 10 days compared to the second 10 days compared to the last 10 days.

Ramadan, my friends, is knocking at our doors. It has knocked over the past few years and we have prepared for it. However, each passing day and each arriving day should always be different in a believer's life, for a believer is he whose tomorrow is better than his today, whose today is better than his yesterday, and whose yesterday is better than the rest of his or her life. This implies that this Ramadan has to be the best Ramadan of our lives — and the next one even better, if Allah takes us there.

So first things first — keep making du'a that Allah takes us into Ramadan, somehow drags us inside Ramadan. We do not know the number of our days. And if He doesn't take us into Ramadan, that is His wish, that is Qadr — there is no misfortune in that. However, there is an opportunity to bag tons of virtues in a short period of time, tons of barakah in a short period of time, that I know I have wasted in my life so far. So we should make du'a for Allah to grant us this clear treasure of the virtues of Ramadan this Ramadan.

Ramadan: The Month of the Quran

The point being that Allah introduces Ramadan with the mention of the revelation of the Quran, and then He mentions fasting. It is important that whoever witnesses this month must fast. Quran is what Allah connects with you and me. Quran is the Kalamullah. And Allah says:

Why would Allah make mention of Quran in Ramadan if it were not especially important in this month? This month comes with ease, as Allah Himself says. Shaytan has been chained in Ramadan. It is easy to focus on our Salah. It is easy to do the tilawah of Quran. It is easy to engage in any act of worship.

On a regular day, if I grab a Mus'haf, I'll read an ayah or two or a page or two and I'll start yawning. One of the best sleeping pills! Shaytan has trained many of us: we open up a Mus'haf, we open up a hadith, we want to read tafasir and commentaries — and what happens? Shaytan reminds us of other things.

And Quran has rights over you and me — more than the rights of our family over us. Quran has rights over our families, our children, our parents, our Ummah at large. And the Quran itself tells us those rights in different places.

The Five Rights of the Quran

1. Al-Istima' — Attentive Listening

The first right of the Quran is al-Istima'. Al-Istima' is listening attentively — it is not just hearing or casually listening. Hearing in Arabic is sama'a / yasma'u, but this is al-istima' — listening to Quranic recitation attentively. And Allah says in the Quran:

When the Quran is recited, listen to it attentively and remain quiet, so you may be shown mercy. Listening attentively does not only mean hearing and enjoying the sound of it, but extracting the message from it — and what is that message? It starts with Tawheed. It starts with obedience of Allah — complete, total submission to Allah and His Messenger.

Surah al-Mulk mentions the regret and sorrow of the people who will be thrown into Hellfire — may Allah prevent us from being among them or even close to them. The people of Jahannam would say: "If only we would have listened, or we would have reflected and thought — we would not have been from the people of the Fire."

Right now there is hardship — or at least apparent hardship — however that hardship will go and it will vanish, but the ajr will stay. It will follow you to the grave, follow you to the Day of Judgment, and follow you inside Jannah. For in sinning there may be momentary pleasure — I may enjoy a few moments of my life displeasing Allah, and while doing so I may not even be aware, because the moment I start enjoying those pleasures they envelope, cover, and conceal my guiding principles, enabling me and you to forget Allah. As soon as we step out of it we remember Allah, we do istighfar — and that is fine, istighfar is the key. However, this temporary pleasure we get from sinning will go the moment the sin is over, but that sin will stay with you and me — to the grave, from the grave to the Day of Judgment, and from the Day of Judgment to the Hellfire.

Hardship is temporary; rewards are permanent. Pleasure is temporary; sin accompanies you — and we don't know whether we get a chance to seek forgiveness and repent to Allah. May He give us that opportunity right now — after the salah — to repent, seek forgiveness, and ask for guidance. For many a time when you and I sit for du'a, we are wordless, we are speechless — we don't know what to ask or what du'a to make. The same typical things you and I make du'a for:

That's awesome — whatever you want in life, make du'a for that. For your forgiveness, make du'a for that. Because most people, when asked why they are not fulfilling the rights of the Quran, say: "I don't have time." Shouldn't that be the very reason we should be worried about fulfilling the rights of the Quran — because we don't have time? That is the key. That is the essence. That is the thought that should bother me and you and rob us of our sleep.

2. At-Tilawah — Recitation with Following

The second right of the Quran is at-Tilawah. The standard translation of the word tilawah in languages other than Arabic — such as Urdu — is "recitation." But tilawah, from the root talayatlu tilwan, is not just any recitation. It carries an element of following — reading with following, reading with obedience, reading with action, reading with an intention to use whatever you are reading in your lives. And Allah talks about tilawah in the Quran:

He says: those to whom We have given the Book, they recite it as it ought to be recited — they recite it giving it its right, what it is due.

3. Al-Hifz — Memorization

The third right of the Quran is al-Hifz — memorization. Alhamdulillah, Allah has been really kind and has blessed this community with many huffaz. However, the intention here is not necessarily to complete the entire memorization of the Quran — rather, it is to do your level best. Allah has created different memories for you and me, which is why al-hifz is not obligatory for every individual.

However, our five daily prayers — throughout our lives — cannot suffice if we confine ourselves to only قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ and قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ — seven days a week, thirty-five prayers a week. Ask yourself: what am I confining myself to, in receiving Allah's reply to اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ? قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ, قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ, قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ? Or perhaps إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ? Or the last quarter of Juz' 'Amma?

That is fine — every portion of Quran is equally important. However, if you look at the institution of Salah, it is a tarbiyah mechanism that Allah has instituted. It is the mandatory eligibility criterion for me to claim that I am a Muslim. It is the first right of Allah over me that I will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment. When we recite a portion of Quran in salah, that is the word of Allah — through our tongues, but it is His word.

So make it a point this Ramadan to memorize more and more of the Quran. Make a target. At minimum, Juz' 'Amma should be memorized — let that be your first intention. Memorize Juz' 'Amma, if not in this Ramadan, then within the next five months. Set yourself a milestone.

Many people find memorization tough. The minimum you could do: take each ayah slowly, repeat it 10 times. If you are not that good at recitation, pick a well-known qari who is good in tajweed but has a slow recitation. Alhamdulillah, we have our apps, our cellphones, our computers — Quranic memorization tools. Set it to repeat, listen 10 times, read it 10 times, then switch to the next ayah. Then recite them combined. Then utilize your salah and your nawafil to practice what you have memorized.

For a student of knowledge, the best revision tool for the memorized portion of Quran is the Salah. Even if we memorize 3 ayahs at a time, that is a start. Set yourself the memorization target, because Allah says in the Quran:

Allah is saying: rather, there are clear signs — clear ayahs — in the breasts, in the hearts, of people who have been given knowledge. And we make du'a to Allah to make us from those people of knowledge.

4. At-Tadabbur — Reflection and Pondering

The fourth right of the Quran — and it is often the most neglected right — is at-Tadabbur: reflection and pondering over the Quran. Many of us are careful about listening to Quran and recitation, and huffaz are being produced year after year. But at-Tadabbur is often left behind.

Allah Himself mentions it in the Quran:

This is a blessed book which We have revealed to you, O Muhammad, that they might reflect upon its verses.

We have made Quran easy for remembrance, for reminders — is there anyone who would seek a reminder?

Learn to reflect over the Quran. Do the tadabbur of Quran — think and ponder. Read tafasir, read commentaries, and apply the teachings of the Quran. It is first-hand — it is a word from Allah. No second thought: apply it in your lives. It is universal until the Day of Judgment. Nothing in the Quran is invalid.

5. Al-'Amal — Action and Implementation

The fifth right of the Quran is al-'Amal — action. This is the very purpose of the Quran's revelation. Allah says:

Those who listen to the speech — and that qawl is the Kalamullah — and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allah has guided, and those are the people of understanding.

And al-'amal cannot be neglected. Allah says at the end of Surah al-Zalzalah:

As for the one who does an atom's weight of good — shall see it. And as for the one who does an atom's weight of evil — shall see it, shall find it.

And al-'amal cannot be done justice without the Quran. The Quran is full of commands for 'amal:

To prevent yourselves and myself from loss, 'amal is the key — after belief. So it is not just listening to what we have discussed.

Closing — A Call to Action

First I advise myself and then you. I make du'a to Allah that whatever we have learnt may be food for thought and an impetus for nurturing our Taqwa — and for looking into our own hearts: how are they now, and where do we want our hearts to be? Where do we want our 'amal to be, our tadabbur to be, our taqwa to be — throughout Ramadan.

Maximize. You can shut your cell phone apps in Ramadan. You can shut WhatsApp, you can shut everything from the media — you won't lose anything. But if you lose Ramadan — for Jibreel, peace be upon him, said "Ameen" and cursed the person who finds the month of Ramadan and fails to seek his or her forgiveness.

May Allah make us of those who are successful — who are مُفْلِحُون, who are those who ponder over the Quran, and who are أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ — the people of understanding that Allah is talking about in the Quran. May He make us understand the Quran and may He make us fulfill the rights of the Quran.

We spoke of the five rights of the Quran: Istima' — attentive listening; Tilawah — recitation with following; Hifz — memorization; Tadabbur — reflection and pondering over the Quran, thinking over how the entire Quran is arranged, why each ayah says what it says; and finally 'Amal — the essence of all of them. And 'amal cannot be neglected.

أَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ — Establish the prayer.