Khutbah I gave today on campus...
Alhumdulillah, I think the khutbah went well even though my sister reminded me of my wierd pauses while im speaking which makes people think im unsure of what im saying.Rabbi shrahli sadree wa yasirlee amree, wahlul 'uqdatam milisaani yafqahu qawli.
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Brothers and sisters, we as human beings are extremely fragile and sensitive creatures. ALLAH swt describes us in surah al Maaarij…
"Verily Man was created very impatient. Irritated when bad touches us and stingy when good touches us..."
We are stuck between a rock and a hard place. We have something bad happen to us and we are irritated with what has come to us. We feel as though we deserve good always and that we do not deserve any type of test of hardship at all, period. But when good touches us, are we grateful? No, instead we hoard that good, do not want to share that good, and do not even think about thanking ALLAH for bestowing upon us that good, we feel as though it is our right to have this good happen to us.
We fill ourselves with pride and arrogance thinking that we can act any way we want, do anything we want to do regardless of its permissibility in Islam, and we consider ourselves self sufficient when it comes to our well beings. If this is how we think then know that we are lying to ourselves.
No human on earth has the right nor the ability to come up with a routine and formula for the salvation of any soul. No human can claim to have come up with the correct methodology of perfecting ones self, Only the creator of mankind and the owner of the souls has the right to command us as to what we need to do if wish for our souls to be safe in the hear after.
Many of us find ourselves extremely weak when we try and confront our vices. We feel helpless sometimes to our desires, we pray for ALLAH to guide us and to help us but many times all we do is ask and we do not take the proper steps to find that answer. Brothers and sisters, ALLAH swt has given us the key to our salvation in both this life and the hear after. He has told us exactly what we need to do if we wish to be in control of ourselves.
If you were to approach almost any scholar of Islam about an issue you are having. Whether its doubts in your belief, difficulty in performing obligatory acts or controlling your desires, the majority of the time the first question that is asked to you is how is your salah? Are you praying consistently? This is because the prayer is the medicine for our sicknesses and the remedy for the diseases of the heart.
ALLAH continues in surah Maarij…
“Verily Man was created very impatient. Irritable when evil touches him, and stingy when good touches him…Except those who are devoted to Salaah. Those who remain constant in their salaah."
It is our prayer and our consistency in prayer that protects our souls and allows us to have control over our desires.
The commandment of prayer is a commandment unlike any other commandment given to us by ALLAH swt. Even its revelation to us was different and was given a higher status than the other commandments of ALLAH swt. ALLAH swt commanded us to fast in the Quran, commanded us to make Jihad in the Quran, prohibited gambling and drinking alcohol in the Quran, but the commandment to pray was different. All these other commandments were sent through Jibreel as and then to Muhammed PBUH, but the commandment for prayer was given directly to Muhammed PBUH from ALLAH swt personally. When Muhammed PBUH went on al Israa’ wal Mi’raaj and was allowed to be closer to ALLAH swt than any other creation including Angel Jibreel, ALLAH swt gave him the commandment of prayer.
The amount of prayers given to Muhammed PBUH initially were not 5 but were 50. Can you imagine us having to make 50 prayers a day? When Muhammed PBUH was given this commandment he took it and as he descended Prophet Musa as saw him and after finding that 50 prayers had been prescribed upon us, he told prophet Muhammed to go back and to have the amount reduced because he knew we couldn’t handle it. So prophet Muhammed PBUH went back. It was reduced to 45 and Musa still said go back. 40, 35, 30…it kept on being reduced until it was 5. Still prophet Musa told Muhammed PBUH to go back because he felt we still wouldn’t be able to handle that amount. Muhammed PBUH told Musa as that he was too shy to go back again, but subhan Allah Musa was right. 5 prayers is still too much on our ummah as many of us are still neglecting to pray our 5 prayers daily.
Verily brothers and sisters, it is our salah that separates us from the non muslims. Muhammed PBUH said [paraphrase] "The difference between a muslim and a non muslim is the Salah."If a muslim denies the obligation to make the daily prayers, he is not only committing a major sin but he is taking himself out of Islam.
ALLAH says in the Quran...
"(The people of Paradise will ask the people of Hell): 'What caused you to enter the Hellfire?' They will say: 'We were not among those who used to pray." [Surah Al-Mudaththir: 42-53]
On the day of judgement the absolute first thing that will be judged of ours will be our prayers.
The Messenger (S.A.W.) told us in an authentic hadith , “The first thing the people will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment is prayer, Allah will say to His angels (even though he already knows) : “Look at my servants prayers. Were they complete or not?” If they were complete It will be written as complete. If they were not fully complete Allah will say: “See if my servant has voluntary prayers, If he has them Allah will say: Complete his obligatory prayers shortage with his voluntary prayers.” Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner.” {Reported by Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawood, An-Nisa'i, and Al-Hakim}
None of the remainder of our deeds even matter if our salah is not complete. ALLAH swt will not even judge us further if our prayer is incomplete for this is the gateway to paradise.
If we knew the benefits of salaah and the rewards of salah, there would be absolutely no reason why we would not be constant in our performing our salaah.
Abu Huraira (radhiallahu anhu) states that he heard the Holy Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa salam) say: “Suppose if one of you had a running canal at his door and takes bath in it five times every day, then would any dirt be left on his person? The companions submitted: In such a case no dirt would be left on his person. The Holy Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam remarked “similar is the case of the five obligatory prayers. Allah remits all sins in consideration of these prayers.”
Imagine the mercy of ALLAH swt! Our Lord is so merciful that the sins we commit between our prayers are erased by our prayers themselves. If we are constant in our prayers, is there then any way that we would not go to sleep every night sinless?
In surah al Muminoon ALLAH swt describes His believing servants in 11 ayaat. He swt begins the description of them with the prayer and He ends His description of them with the prayer.
Allah says: "Successful indeed are the believers. Those who are attentive in their prayer. And those who turn away from vain and false speech. And those who give their due Zakaat. And those who guard their private parts - except with their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for they are not to blame in that. But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors. And those who guard and keep to their trusts and covenants. And those who guard their prayers. They are the inheritors - the ones who will inherit Firdaws (highest level in Paradise), in which they will reside forever." [Surah Al-Mu'minoon: 1-11]
It is our prayer that is the defining characteristic of belief. How can we possibly claim to have belief if we don’t even pray 5 times a day? Many people nowadays feel that a person is ‘religious’ if he prays 5 times a day. The 5 times a day prayer is the most basic of foundations of belief and is the starting point of Iman.
Brothers and sisters to have a pure intention and desire to pray is not enough by itself. We cant think that we love ALLAH and want to pray to him so we just stand up and do whatever we think is prayer. We know this from the story of the companion who came and prayed, and after his prayer he went to the prophet PBUH and gave him salaams. The prophet said “Go back and pray for you have not prayed.” This was even though this companion did what he thought was prayer!
Subhan Allah brothers and sisters, the description of this man’s prayer is similar to the prayers that many of us perform on a day to day basis. The companion was not just clapping and doing jumping jacks or something. The companion was rushing through his actions of salaah. He made a very fast bow, he didn’t wait in the ruku’ for too long before he rose and then he made a swift sujood. Is this not how many of us pray every day? Yet Muhammed PBUH didn’t tell the companion to go back and pray better, he PBUH told him to go back for he has not prayed, meaning what he has done is not prayer. This companion had a good intention, yet what he did was not considered prayer because it was not in accordance with the definition of prayer given to us by Muhammed PBUH. Prayer starts with a good intention, and then the next step is the gain the knowledge of how to correctly pray.
If a person wants to worship ALLAH, he can not just say ‘ok, this is how im going to worship ALLAH’. NO! It is only ALLAH who can tell us what it is that we need to do to be worshipping him.
Our daily prayers are what strengthen our imaan, allow us to have control over our desires, and fill us with love for obeying ALLAH’s command. Think about this. Throughout our day, we do with our bodies almost anything we want. Our actions are not limited except for a few things, and other than that we can pretty much go about our day doing as we wish. Yet when we stand for prayer, and we make the opening takbeer, we limit our body’s actions to only that which ALLAH has allowed us to do. During the normal day everything is permissible except that which is specifically made prohibited, but in prayer it is the exact opposite. Everything is prohibited EXCEPT that which is made permissible. Is this not the greatest of subconscious training for us to obey ALLAH! Surely ALLAH swt is the all knower and all seer.
Aqoolu qawli hadha, wastaghfirullah lee walakum, fastaghfiroohu yaghfirlakum, innallaha ghafoorur raheem.
Alhumdulillah, wassalaatu wassalaam ‘aala rasulillah, wa ‘aala aalihee wa sahbihee ajmaeen.
Brothers and sisters, yesterday we just ended the greatest month of all months of the year. In this month we prohibited ourselves from more things than are prohibited for us throughout the year. Many people will say that we ‘starved’ ourselves this month, when to me it is exactly the opposite. 11 months of the year we starve ourselves and this month we feed ourselves more than we do the rest of the year. 11 months of the year we feed ourselves physically and neglect our soul. We are worried more about our physical cavity than we are about that which this cavity holds. But for one month, we neglect our physical body feeding it only that which it needs to operate, and we binge on food for our souls.
In this month we pray more than we pray any other time of the year. Can you imagine if we stood up throughout the year in prayer during the night like we do in Ramadan what kind of people we would be?
Many of us give ourselves absolutely no credit in the good that we accomplish during the month. Instead we say ‘aww man shaytaan was locked up and that’s how I was able to do good, and now that hes back im doomed.’ This is not the right attitude, for it is our dutifulness to ALLAH that allowed us to have this huge boost in Iman during Ramadan.
Our consistency in prayer will keep us happy and satisfied with whatever happens to us in this world. When some evil touches us, we will remember ALLAH and ask for forgiveness for our sins and strength in handling the hardship. And when good touches us we will be thankful to ALLAH and we will worship ALLAH even more because we know that it is ALLAH who blessed this good upon us.
The Sahaba of Muhammed PBUH ibn Zubayr ra had a disease in his body that required his foot to be ampuated. He told the surgeons not to give him anything to numb him, but to take his leg as he was praying. Subhan Allah, we can not even imagine the type of khushu' this companion had as he transcended his physical body and was in another world in his salah. The same day that his foot was amputated, one of his seven sons fell off the roof and died. Companions came to visit ibn Zubayr and said that they didnt know if they should give him condolences on his foot or his son. Ibn Zubayr said "I have many limbs and ALLAH only took one, and I have 7 sons and ALLAH only took one."
Subhan Allah, this companion was content with anything that ALLAH gave him. If anything bad comes to us we should be happy and realize that this is an expiation of our sins. And if anything good comes to us we should realize that this might be a test and we must be grateful for this good and thank ALLAH for it.
Consistency in our prayer will be what strengthens us enough to carry on with the commandments of ALLAH swt. Many of us have trouble implementing ALLAH’s laws in our lives and we find it difficult to do certain things required of us. These things brothers and sisters will be welcomed by us if we are consistent in our salah. These commandments are fruits on the tree of Iman which is firmly rooted in Salah. The salah purifies our souls to the point where we will love to do what is good and hate to do what is evil. Sisters having trouble with wearing hijab, this hijab will be a fruit on your tree of iman. Brothers having trouble quitting smoking, quitting will be a fruit on your iman tree. Consistency in the prayer is what allows us to overcome our vices and to be pure in our worship of ALLAH swt.
Finally brothers and sisters, the salah instills in us the taqwa of ALLAH swt. The word salaah itself comes from the root word which means to connect. We connect with ALLAH every time we pray, and this increases us in love for ALLAH and God consciousness.
A scholar once said “It is impossible to know ALLAH but that you love him, and it is impossible to love him but that you do not remember him, and it is impossible that you remember him but that he forgives you, and it is impossible that he forgives you but that He loves you.”
How can any claim to love ALLAH, but that they worship him the way that he has instructed us to worship him?
May ALLAH make us among those who worship him in the correct way
May ALLAH increase in us the taqwa of ALLAH
May ALLAH make us among those whom He loves
May ALLAH instill in us the love for salah, and the knowledge of it
Rabbanatina fiddunya hassana, wa fil akhirati hassana, wa qina adhaaban nar
Rabbana la taj’alna fitnatal lil ladheena kafaru waghfir lana rabbana, innaka antal azeezul hakeem
Rabighfirlee wa li walidayya wa liman dakhala baytiya muminaa, wa lil mumineena wal muminaat, wa la tazididhaalimeena illa tabara
posted by Iboo LaL @ 1:22 PM
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