Eid Ul Adha Sermon

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

EID UL ADHA SERMON

 By Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

  

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar:

Today is the day of sacrifice.  It commemorates the great sacrifice of Father Abraham, as he was inspired to sacrifice his only son Hazrat Ishmael, because of what he saw in a vision. He told his son:

O my son; I see in a vision that I offer you in sacrifice. Now, tell me, what do you think about it?  The boy replied: O my father, do as you are commanded; you will find me, if Allah Wills practicing patience and constancy. (37:102)

 

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar…

Abraham was prepared to do anything to please his Lord, as Allah tells us in the Qur’an that Abraham became His friend due to devotion and submission.  His entire life did he dedicated to Allah.  He declared the following:

Truly, my prayers and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death; are all for Allah, the Cherisher of the worlds. (6:162)

Because of his conviction that there is only One Creator of the skies and the earth, and that no creature could ever be like the Creator, he was prepared live a life of submission to the Creator.  About his faith Allah says:

Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allah, does good; and follow the way of Abraham, the true in Faith. For, Allah did take Abraham for a friend. (4:125)

The sacrifice which we commemorate today is the climax of his manifestation of sincere appreciation of the favours of the Lord on him.

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar….

Allah tells us in the Qur’an that Abraham is indeed a model for mankind. He did not preach tribalism or racism; he was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but one who firmly believed that no creature could ever be like the Creator.  Allah says:

Abraham was indeed a model, devoutly obedient to Allah; true in faith; and he joined not gods with Allah. He showed his gratitude for the favors of Allah, Who chose him and guided him to the Straight Way. And We gave him good in this world and he will be in the Hereafter, in the ranks of the righteous. (16:120-22)

 

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar…

As a model for mankind, we know the following from Abraham’s life the following:

1. He was very obedient to the commands of Allah; e.g. he took his wife and only son to the barren wilderness of Makkah and left them there alone. He prayed to Allah and was certain that his Lord would take care of them. His prayer was: 

O my Lord, I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House, in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer. So fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits so that they may give thanks. (14:37)

 

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar

When the only son became a teenager, Abraham was ordered to sacrifice him. This he willingly undertook. Allah says:

 Then when the son reached the age of serious work with him He said. O my son, I have seen in a dream that I offer you in sacrifice; Now, what is your view (about this). The boy said: O my father, do as you are commanded, you will find me, if Allah wills; one who has patience. (37:102)

2. He was firm in his belief that creatures cannot help anyone. It is only the Creator who helps. Allah says:

Behold, (Abraham said to his father), O my father, why worship that which does not hear nor see. Such creatures cannot profit you in any way. (19:42)

3. He was firm in his belief that there is only one Creator of the entire universe. Once, he asked his father and the village folks:

Your Lord is the Lord of the skies and the earth. He created everything from nothing. (21:50)

4. Abraham was always grateful for Allah’s mercies on him and his family.

Allah says that he was:

He showed his gratitude for the favors of Allah. Allah chose him and guided him on the Straight Path. (16:121)

5. Abraham submitted completely to Allah. He prayed as follows:

Truly, my prayer, my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah the Cherisher of the Worlds. (6:162)

6. He knew how to persevere with patience. He preferred the fire than to make compromise with the people regarding their practice of idol worshipping. He prayed patiently for a righteous son who would be willing to carry on his mission. Because he was so strong in faith, Allah says about him.

Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allah, does good; and follow the way of Abraham the true in Faith. For Allah did take Abraham for a friend.(4:125)

 

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar…

In addition to knowing about the life of Father Abraham, Muslims are commanded to perform the Haj; and sacrifice an animal.  Allah says:

And complete the Haj and Umrah in the service of Allah. (2:196)

The sacrificial camels We have made for you as among the signs from Allah; in them is much good for you. Then pronounce the name of Allah over them as they line up. When they are down on their sides, eat ye thereof, and feed such as live in contentment and as such ask with due humility. Thus have We made animals subject to you, that you may be grateful. It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Him. (It is your piety that reaches Him) (22:36-37)

 

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar…

As we remember today, the dedication, humility and willingness to submit to Allah by Father Abraham and his family, let us all silently make a promise to ourselves that we will endeavour to live for the sake of Allah and utilize all the gifts He has been pleased to bestow on us for earning His Pleasure in this life and a place in the Garden of Bliss in the Hereafter.

Lessons from the Hajj

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

As we enter the month of Dhul Hajah many people would be journeying to the sacred land in order to perform a fundamental principle of Islam that entails leaving everything and going to do what has been prescribed by Allah.  As such we wish all those who would be making the blessed journey Allah’s blessing, guidance and protection.

 

Allah says in His Holy Words;

 

Such (is the Pilgrimage): Whoever honours the sacred rites of Allah, for him it is good in the sight of his Lord.  (22:30)

 

Allah has prescribed the Hajj as something sacred.  There is no doubt about this fact.  And Allah has prescribed what is call the manasic or the rituals of hajj or all that is obligatory to be done while on that sacred journey.  Those who look at these rituals on the basis of reason and logic will not be able to understand.  Even we ourselves cannot fully comprehend some of the rituals that are done on the basis of reason and logic.

 

However Allah is telling us that we are not all knowing; only He is All Knowing as He says in Surah Joseph; and above everything is the One Who is the Possessor of Complete Knowledge. 

 

Thus whether we understand the Islamic command or not; we do it because only Allah is All Knowing and He knows why He prescribed it.  Allah has for example ordered that anyone who enters Makkah from outside its boundaries must perform the Umrah.  And one of the rituals of the Umrah is to get into a state of ihram; and the ihram is something really different.  Imagine some people possess all the luxuries of life, all the power and status in the respective field and when they are going to Allah’s House; they are commanded to tone down, put on two pieces of unstitched cloth and circumambulate the Kaba barefoot.  What is the rationale behind this?  It is a discipline that Allah inculcated in the believers. 

 

The hajj teaches us some very pertinent things.  A few of these are mentioned hereunder;

 

1)  Firstly, hajj teaches us that we are not great.  Only Allah is Great so do not let your material belongings fool you as it fooled Pharaoh.  Learn to understand that we have to return to our Lord one day and we have to leave all our acquisitions behind.  And it is Allah Who is responsible for our existence. 

 

2)  Allah alone is All Knowing.  Why do I run around the Kaba and run from Mount Safa to Marwah?  We don’t know.  Yes we have a little bit of understanding concerning the rituals but it is Allah Who truly knows.  He knows why He prescribed it.  And we understand that we have limited knowledge.  He says in the ayat quoted above that if we honour the sacred things it is better for us.  Whatever that means; He wants us to show to ourselves that we are really nothing.  One poet composed a poem in Persian about his life experiences and at the end of his journey he concluded by saying “I realise that I am nothing”.

 

And you will realise that when you go to perform Hajj you are really nothing, because if you are not careful at times you can get run over and trampled by those over exuberant.  

 

3)  Reason and logic cannot give us knowledge of everything, no matter how much you rationalise.  How can you rationalise standing up and worshipping Allah five times for the day?  How can you rationalise leaving all your luxury, comfort, family and business and go and run around the Kaba and say ‘Here I come O Allah’.

 

Pharaoh tried to rationalise everything Moses (as) was doing so when Moses (as) threw down his staff and Allah caused it to be transformed into a snake Pharaoh said he was a magician.

 

We are showing to ourselves that we are nothing, unlike Satan.  This is the attitude and spirit we develop because of the Hajj.  We leave everything to go there so it’s not a question of reason and logic but rather faith.  Allah wants us to strengthen our faith and reliance in Him and the hajj directly impacts on this.

 

We do not entertain the thought that if we cannot understand the commandments of Allah that we will refrain from doing it.  We do what is prescribed and with the understanding that the command came from the Lord of the Worlds.  And if He commands us to do it we have no choice.

 

4)  One of the greatest experience of Hajj; it makes us feel and know that we are nothing.  We are insignificant.  We are just another person counted amongst the millions.  Your power and status has no weight.  You move in the same direction as everyone else.  Allah takes you there to show something of His Greatness.  And if you are observant and dedicated you will see the working of your Lord.

 

We cannot rationalise Hajj.  Only Allah knows why He commanded us to do it.  But one thing we understand is that one day, willingly or not, we have to submit to our Lord; first through death and then the onward journey.  And Hajj is a real rehearsal and eye-opener because you leave everything and go there in submission. 

 

Hajj shows us that today we can be up materially and tomorrow you can be down.  Don’t place all importance on the material.  Yes it’s nice to have in order to live comfortable but all that is from Allah’s blessings.  That is why most of the Hajjis return so humble

 

Don’t emphasise the material.  Your Lord is the goal and purpose of your life and you can experience some of it through the spiritual blessing here etc.

 

Understand that we must cultivate humility.  It’s a sin to say ‘I am better’!  And this attitude destroys your spirituality more than you can imagine.  Be careful especially when you’re emotionally agitated as one of the most effective ways of expressing arrogance is through anger and malice to others.

 

One way of honouring the sacred rights is by refraining from the major sins, all for the sake of Allah. 

These include shirk, murder, disrespecting ones parents and giving false statements or witnesses (Bukhari).  One way of honouring Allah and upholding the sacredness of the duties of a believer is to avoid these major sins and giving less importance to the things that Allah has not prescribed.  And the rights of hajj inculcate this.  At the time of Tawaf, Arafat or Sai; you are giving importance to that and nothing of the material.

 

If you honour Allah’s rights as He ordains it, it will be spiritual beneficial above everything else.  It is truly a great blessing and possible this is one of the reasons why the narrations state that after a person performs Hajj it is like they are a newborn babe.  They sins are wiped out. 

 

And after all this we should build upon our spirituality.  Blessings can increase or decrease.  Don’t let your blessings decrease.  Build on it by doing good and staying away from the prohibited and insha Allah, Allah will bless us all. 

 

May Allah make the hajj for those who are going easy and may He accept their effort and sacrifice.  May He also accept the Qurbani from those who will be doing it and may He continue to bless us, guide us and protect us insha Allah. 

 

 

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

The video presentation of this discourse can be accessed at

http://www.youtube.com/markazalihsaan

 

2013 Eid ul Fitr Sermon

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 

اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ ، اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ ، اَللهُ  أَكْبَرُ ،.وَ للهِ الْحَمْدُ

 

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu Akbar, wa lillaahi’l-hamd

Congratulations to all those who were able to keep the fast and observed extra acts of worship during the days and nights of the blessed month of Ramadan. May Allah accept all what was done for His sake during the month.

Dear brothers and sisters, today as you have decorated your outward personalities with beautiful garments; know that your soul is now also decorated as you had your Satan chained for a whole month, because you aspired to observe righteousness during the days and night of Ramadan.  Allah tells us about this in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an. He says:

O ye Children of Adam! we have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, As well As to be an adornment to you. but the raiment of righteousness,- that is the best. such are among the Signs of Allah, that They may receive admonition! (7:26)

 

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu Akbar, wa lillaahi’l-hamd

 

As Ramadan is meant to decorate and purify the body and the soul, all those who kept the fast would have wiped out all the past stains that were on their hearts, they will rise with brightened faces on the Day of Judgment, if they take the care not to soil their hearts with wrong-doing in the future.  Allah gave the good news for striving to please Him, as follows:

One Day shalt Thou see the believing men and the believing women- How their light runs forward before them and by their right hands: (Their greeting will be): "Good news for you This day! Gardens beneath which flow rivers! to dwell therein for aye! This is indeed the highest Achievement!" (57:12)

Brothers and sisters, just as you made every effort to chain your devil during the month by restraining yourselves, and showing patience, keep up the struggle, as Satan took a vow to prevent the progeny of Adam from staying on the Straight Path. He said:

"Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left: nor wilt Thou find, In Most of them, gratitude (for Thy mercies)." (7:17)

Satan will appear on that day dirty and disgraced, and he wants us all to be like him, so Allah warns us to be careful. He says:

O ye Children of Adam! let not Satan seduce you, In the same manner As He got your parents out of the garden, stripping them of their raiment, to expose their shame: for He and His tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them: we made the evil ones friends (only) to those without Faith (7:27)

 

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu Akbar, wa lillaahi’l-hamd

 

Remember all the good that you will do will be kept by your Lord and will be given to you with much more rewards. Allah says:

and whatever good ye send forth for your souls ye shall find it In Allah’s Presence (73:20)

Brothers and sisters, as you grow older you will begin to realize that all material achievements and matters are just for a time, as they are separable, and have limitations. Allah tells us so in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an. He says:

What is with you must vanish: what is with Allah will and we will certainly bestow, on those who patiently persevere, their reward to the best of their actions. (16:96)

Try your best to build a big account with your Lord by giving charity, helping the poor, the needy by giving back to Allah some of the things He gave to you. He calls such charitable acts as goodly loans which He will have to repay. He says:

If ye loan to Allah, a beautiful loan, He will double it to your (credit), and He will grant you forgiveness: for Allah is Most ready to appreciate (service), Most Forbearing. (64:17)

Some people learn the hard way, that after struggling night and day for years and amassing a lot of material assets, they suddenly find that all that they worked for disappeared either by destruction or through natural disasters, etc. Others realized that they wasted their lives, as, at the time of death, they will realize that they are leaving behind all that they have acquired in the world and because they sent nothing ahead of them, they will be destitute in the next life.

Allah warns us to be careful about our focus and purpose of life. He says:

O men! Certainly, the promise of Allah is true. Let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the chief Deceiver deceive you about Allah. (35:5)

Allah also says:

Is He, then, to whom the evil of His conduct is made alluring, so that He looks upon it As good, (equal to one who is rightly guided)? (35:8)

 

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu Akbar, wa lillaahi’l-hamd

 

Dear brothers and sisters Allah has given every one of us the capacity to know good from evil, and the capability to be able to choose. Ramadan assisted us to make the correct choices. Do not go back and do the things that will not be of benefit to us on the onward journey. Remember good and evil cannot mix. Allah says: 

The blind and the seeing are not alike; nor are the depths of darkness and the light; nor are the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun: nor are alike those that are Living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but Thou canst not make those to Hear who are (buried) In graves. (35:19-22)

Now is the time to listen and take action.  Take care that you do not now soil your beautiful personalities with wrong doing, in order that you will rise with the righteous on the Day of Judgment in the Companionship of the Prophet, the Martyrs and the Righteous.

May Allah forgive us all and guide and protect us so that we will be pleased to meet Him on that day and He will be well pleased to entertain us.

EID MUBARAK

Moon Sighting for Eid ul Fitr 2013

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

"Based on the fact that the moon was not sighted in Trinidad, and the evidence that came from Guyana was disputed by some of the organizations in Guyana; and after extensive consultation with local Ulooma, we have taken the decision to complete the month of Ramadan with thirty days and celebrate Eid ul Fitr on Friday 9th August 2013.  We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to the community, and pray to Allah (swt) to forgive us for any shortcomings on our path".

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed


 

New Year Resolutions

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

As we mark the start of the new Gregorian year, I have made certain resolutions.  Some of you would have already received them via email but I would like to remind firstly myself and you about them.

Firstly; I have realized that another year has come to an end.  This means that I have one year less to live as the day of departure is fixed by the Lord.  Therefore I must make proper and constructive usage of the time I have left.

1.       I will try to increase my love for my Lord.

Allah says but those of faith are overflowing in their love for Allah (2:165).  Everyday try to love your Lord more and more.  As Muslims we must always aspire to please Allah as much as possible.

2.       I will try to meet and greet Him more regularly.

How can we meet and greet Allah?  Through the institution of salaat.  In salaat we meet Him, greet Him and talk to Him.  So the greater your desire to get closer to Him the more optional prayer you should offer.  You won’t look only at the compulsory but those optional ones that are mentioned in the Qur’an and found in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pboh). 

3.       I will try not to displease Him in any way.

If you are in the presence of someone honorable and respectable, would you want to misbehave?  Of course not!  And at all the times we are in the presence of the Merciful Lord.  In other worlds; try to become more God conscious.  Always keep in mind that Allah is looking at you; and if something displeases you don’t react negatively or in a manner that Allah won’t like.

4.       I will practice loving who He loves dearly - the Prophet (pboh) and the pious ones.

If I want to be close to Allah then it would be prudent to love that which He loves.  And Allah loves Prophet Muhammad (pboh) and His sincerely pious servants.

5.       I will avoid what He does not like.

If I wish to gain closeness to Allah then I should abstain from those things that would take me further away from Him.

6.       I will help my brethren as much as possible.

Allah says; except such As have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and constancy (103:3).  Help others, regardless of race or religion, all for the pleasure of Allah.

7.       I will try to maximize the use of my time through proper time management.

I understand that my time here is fixed; therefore I must make best usage of it if I want to return to and have a pleasant meeting with my Lord.

8.       I shall try to increase my dependency on Him, and less on human beings.

Allah sent us here and provided for us; therefore we must to turn to Him.  If we rely on Him, He will never let us down.  We must then work hard to develop a stronger bond with Him.

9.       I shall promote the philosophy of Ihsaan in all matters.

What is the philosophy of Ihsaan?  Not to curse, nor degrade, nor backbite.  To love for another what you’d love for yourself.  To conduct yourself in a refined, exemplary manner.

 

We will all try our best to manage our time, to do righteousness, to please Him, to get close to Him, to demonstrate supreme love for Him. 

Don’t love this world more than Him.  One day we will have to separate from it.  We know that our Lord is All Wise, so whatever He is allowing to happen to us there is wisdom and reason behind it.  Always remember the story if Joseph (as).  All the trials and difficulties he underwent were stepping stones for the achievement of his purpose and mission.

The real basis for successful living is to have total faith in Allah.  The manifestation of success is to put Allah first in all matters.

So as we begin this New Year let us try to increase our faith and dependency on Allah.  Communicate, with Him more, thank Him more and praise Him abundantly.  May Allah bless us and guide us all, insha Allah.