Certainty

Allah says:

Worship your Lord until certainty comes upon you. (15:99)

The popular translation of Al Yaqeen is death. So one can translate this verse to mean: Worship your Lord until death comes to you.

The term Al Yaqeen, can mean many things; for example one meaning can be; to worship your Lord, until you realize that He is the Truth, Permanent and Everlasting. He says:

This is because for certain Allah is Truth. (22:6)

As we journey through the phases of life we realize that there are many things that we need to know and always keep in mind. Some of these are:

• The physical body is just a shell.
• It has a life span.
• It can be kept clean and decorated, or it can be damaged and soiled.
• In it is housed the soul.
• This can be polished or kept dirty by the physical shell
• The body is subjected to physical laws, not the soul

·        We are existing because of the Grace of Allah. He says: All bounties are in the Hands of Allah. He grants them to whom He pleases. (3:73)

With certainty comes wisdom. The wise person realizes that he must not be arrogant, and he must not believe that his material possessions can save him for the will of the Lord, nor will it stay with him forever. He keeps on reminding himself of what Allah says: i.e.

Do not walk in the earth arrogantly, because you cannot crush the earth or reach the heights of the mountains. (17:37-39)

Al Yaqeen also enables us to understand that all creatures have a life span, and that our ends are already written.

It helps to always be aware of the fact that Allah can destroy us and the entire universe if He so desires, and can bring a new creation into existence.

One of the beautiful achievements of Al Yaqeen is to experience our closeness with our Lord. The body alone will not be able to realize this as it gets its knowledge through reason and logic.

Allah made this known to us by telling us about the experience of the Prophet (pboh) He says:

So did Allah reveal to His Servant what He wanted to reveal. His heart did not falsify what he saw. (53:10-11)

When a person gets a little of the benefits of Al Yaqeen, he realizes that no one has the power to stop death, and when it comes all material things will remain behind and will be of no use on the onward journey.

Many people will then realize that they wasted the precious gift of life, and they will be returning with very little success for the remainder of the journey. Try not to be among them.

True success is to realize that we are helpless creatures in the Hands of the Lord, and we need to win His Favours in order to dwell in Paradise to live in Eternal Bliss and Peace.

CONSCIOUSNESS OF ALLAH’S BLESSINGS

In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful

A true believer is supposed to remain knowledgeable of several things, all the time. One term used by Allah for staying alert of His blessings on us is called fikr (pondering and reflecting). Allah says:

Then they ponder and reflect. (24:46)

Pondering and reflecting can be in many areas of life including the positive and negative aspects of our thoughts, words and deeds.

As far as the consciousness of the positive benefits from the Lord upon us is concerned, one must keep in mind the following: 

1. Appreciation of the blessings of Allah on us. He says:

If you were to count the blessings of Allah (He is giving to you), you will never be able to number them. (14:34)

On one hand we should be thankful for life and the working of our physical existence, as, in this condition, we can glorify our Lord, recite His Holy Words and represent Him here on earth.

2.  Be grateful of the fact that we have the capability and capacity to be God conscious all the time; and we can glorify and praise Him in many ways and at any time. We should be grateful that, unlike other creatures, we can allow our hearts to engage in zikr, even though we may be busy in material matters. Allah says:

Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides; and contemplate (on the wonders and perfection) of creation of the skies and the earth. (3:191)

A believer must always be aware and conscious of his limitations as a creature of the All-Powerful and All-Mighty Creator of the skies and the earth. Sometimes, some people may want to believe that they are very pious and will definitely go to Paradise.

In the time of the Prophet (pboh, it happened that some of the companions thought that they were as pious as or even more devoted than the Messenger himself. Allah then made it known that the Prophet (pboh) was special and was the model for mankind. In this connections Allah says:

And your personality is of a tremendous nature. (68:4)

Every believer must always be conscious of the fact that he/she has short comings and limitations. One must not forget what Allah says to us in the following verse.

If Allah were to take mankind to task for all the wrong they do; He would not leave on the earth a single living creature. (16:61)

On way of knowing our limitations and short comings is to compare our lives with that of the Prophet (pboh). On one hand Allah says about him that he is the universal model for mankind. This is recorded in the Qur’an in the following verse:

And We have not sent you O Muhammad, except as a perfect model for the whole of mankind. (34:28)

Another very important point that we must never forget is the fact that Allah says about him the following:

Your Companion (i.e. the Prophet pboh) is neither astray nor being misled; nor does he say anything of his own desire. (53:2-3)

We must always be conscious of the fact that we represent Allah here on earth, and true representation means that we should try to perfect our lives and morals. We should try to make as much as zikr as we can because that is the only way for us to constantly remember that we are in the presence of the divine all the time. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

All obligations imposed by Allah are clearly marked, and none are exempted from them in the presence of a genuine cause. The only exemption is zikr. Allah has set no specific limit for it; and under no circumstance is one allowed to be negligent of it. 

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.

The Faith of Abraham (as)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The personality and mission of Father Abraham (as) has many dimensions and lessons for us.  Throughout his life he was very much interested in passing on the legacy of monotheism.  However throughout his travels he realised that he was not attracting the people as he would have hoped for and thus prayed to Allah for a righteous offspring to carry on his teachings.

Today we will look at one aspect of his personality which is his total and complete submission to Allah.

Firstly, we need to understand that Abraham, up to his teenage years, did not grow up with his parents.  When he eventually went home to his parents he was surprised to see them and his people worshipping idols.  As a matter of fact his father made and sold idols.  So Abraham had a real problem that manifested in him having many disagreements and theological clashes with his father and his people.

Abraham used to ask his father father! Why do you worship that which doesn't hear, doesn't see, and cannot avail you in anything?”  He could not understand the logic of submitting to something that was created and had no life; something that could not even drive a fly away.  He implored his people to seek sustenance and guidance from the One True God.

We need to understand that Allah is The Sustainer.  Everything comes from Him and whatever we want we should beg of Him.  He once told Prophet Musa (as) “O Musa! Ask Me for everything, even the mending of your shoelace”.

True submission and faith is not easy for a lot of people.  Even amongst the believers; a lot of people say they have faith but don’t really act upon it when they seek assistance from sooth sayers etc. 

Abraham tried to show the people in many ways that these creatures they worshipped cannot help them as they even do not have any power of their own.  And when his verbal reasoning failed he tried another tactic.

A big celebration was planned where everybody in the village would attend for a big feast on the riverbank. After making sure that no one was around, Abraham went towards the temple armed with an axe and destroyed all the statues except one; the biggest of them all. He hung the axe around its neck and left.

How big was the shock when the people entered the temple! They gathered inside watching in awe their gods broken in pieces. They wondered who might have done this.Then they all remembered that the young Abraham preached against their idol worship. They brought him to the temple and asked him “Are you the one who has done this to our gods?” Abraham said: “No, this statue, the biggest of them has done it.”  “You know well that these idols don't speak!" They said impatiently. “Then how come you worship things that can neither speak nor see, nor even fend for themselves? Have you lost your minds?"

Their minds and their senses were telling them that the Truth is with Abraham, but their pride prevented them to accept it, and reject the idols they were worshipping for generations. This they thought would be total defeat. They started yelling at him and shouting: “Burn him! Take revenge for our gods!”

When they decided to burn him Abraham showed no resistance. Even when he was flung towards the massive fire Angel Jibreal appeared to save him.  When Jibreal said that Allah did not command him to save Abraham; Abraham refused the angels help and instead relied soley on Allah.  He knew that Allah will take care of him and in the process was giving his people practical dawah. 

Allah records this in Surah Anbiya

And indeed We bestowed a foretime on Ibrahim his (portion of) guidance, and We were Well-Acquainted with him (as to his Belief in the Oneness of Allah, etc.).When he said to his father and his people: “What are these images, to which you are devoted?”  They said: “We found our fathers worshipping them”.  He said: “Indeed you and your fathers have been in manifest error”. They said: “Have you brought us the truth, or are you one of those who play about?”  He said: “Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Who created them and of that I am one of the witnesses.“And by Allah, I shall plot a plan (to destroy) your idols after you have gone away and turned your backs”.  So he broke them to pieces, (all) except the biggest of them, that they might turn to it.They said: “Who has done this to our gods?”He must indeed be one of the wrong-doers”.  They said: “We heard a young man talking (against) them who is called Ibrahim”.  They said: “Then bring him before the eyes of the people that they may testify”.  They said: “Are you the one who has done this to our gods, O Ibrahim?”  Abraham said: “Nay, this one, the biggest of them (idols) did it.  Ask them, if they can speak!”  So they turned to themselves and said: “Verily, you are the  Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers)”.  Then they turned to themselves (their first thought and said): “Indeed you Abraham know well that these (idols) speak not!”  Abraham said: “Do you then worship besides Allah, things that can neither profit you, nor harm you?”  “Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship besides Allah! Have you then no sense?”  They said: “Burn him and help your gods, if you will be doing.”We (Allah) said: “O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibrahim (Abraham)!”  And they wanted to harm him, but We made them the worst losers.

Allah helps His servants from sources we can never imagine.  Abraham understood that he was at all times living in the presence of Allah and this was later passed on to us.  This is why, when before we pray we recite

Inni -y wajjahtuwajh -e li- 'alladhefat.ara as- samaawaatwa- al- 'ard. hanef(an) wa- maa 'anaamin al-mushriken

"For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him (Who is facing me) Who created the skies  and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah."

People say we pray to the kaba but Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said; When you stand for salaat facing the Qibla understand that Allah is in front of you, and is between you and the Kaba”

We need to understand that we don’t own anything.  Everything is from The Creator.  All He has given is will power; power to channel His blessings on us in a direction of our chose.  Humans are blessed with a little bit of freedom with the knowledge that we will be taeken to judgement one day.

Submit to Allah and let Him take care of everything else.  The entire life of Abraham contains instances and actions where he demonstrated immaculate faith in Allah; from the story we recapped above up until his mature life.  We too should strive to build our reliance and faith in Allah.

It is something easy to profess but when the trials and test come your way, only then can you really test your faith.  Faith in Allah is something you cannot rationalise.  You must culture yourself to always trust and rely on your Lord and know that He will never let you down; just as He took care of Abraham in the most trying of times.

May Allah bless us all to develop faith and trust in Him, similar to the faith shown by His friend Abraham and all His other Messengers, insha Allah.

Transcript of discourse delivered by
Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed
At his weekly Zikir session held at the Hermitage Masjid

Injustice

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

All human beings are supposed to live like one big family.  This is because they all came from a common parent; Adam and Eve.  Allah tells us about this in the Holy Qur’an in the following verse:

Mankind was one single nation, and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. (2:213)

Part of the strategy that Satan uses to create division amongst the human beings is to cause some to be unjust to others.  This is in spite of the fact that Allah tells us to be loving and kind to others as we would like them to be with us.  Allah says:

Do good (to others) as Allah has been good to you; and seek not (occasions to create) mischief in the land. For, Allah does not love those who make mischief. (28:77) 

One way used by Satan to cause people to be unjust to others is to decorate the evil.  Allah says:

Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them. (6:43)

One of the evils that Satan uses to corrupt people is to promote injustice in the dealings of one with the other.  A common form of injustice practiced by thousands of people is to commit fraud by giving short weight and measure.  Allah says:

Woe unto those who commit fraud. Those, who when they have to receive from men exact full measure; but when they have to give by measure or weight they give less than due. (83:1-3) 

Establish weight with justice, and fall not short in the balance. (55:9)

There are many factors which are some of the causes for being unjust in one’s dealings with others.  Some of these are mentioned in the following verses of the Qur’an:

O you who believe, shun as much suspicion (as possible) for lo: some suspicion is a crime (because it involves cruel injustice to innocent people). (49:12)

Some people use their wealth and position to deal unjustly with others.  Allah says;

Do not consume your property among yourselves iniquitously, neither proffer it to the judges, that you may sinfully consume a portion of other men’s goods, and that wittingly. (2:188) 

Injustice is a grave sin, and was condemned by all the Messengers of Allah.  For example Prophet Shuaib told his people the following:

O my People. Give just measure and full weight as justice.  And wrong not people in respect of their goods; and do no evil in the earth as it is corruption. (11:85) 

When people practice injustice, they would have to pay the price for doing so, either in this life or in the Next.


Transcript of discourse delivered by
Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

At his weekly Zikir session held at the Hermitage Masjid

Upholding Justice

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 

Every week, in almost every Mosque in the world, the Imam or Khateeb (Lecturer), in every country of the world, concludes the Friday Sermon with the reminder which is taken from the Holy Qur’an as follows:

Certainly, Allah commands Justice and (participation) in refinement (in all matters), giving from ones material assets to kith and kin; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion. He instructs you that you may receive admonition. (16:90)

The Commands contained in this verse are many and comprehensive. It comprises of justice to oneself, to Allah, to family members, to neighbours and to society at large. It incorporates every aspect of life, individually, collectively and socially.

The first and most important requirement of every individual is to ensure that the principle of justice is given priority and importance in every aspect of life. By so doing everyone will get what is due to him or her. Allah says:

O you who believe, be staunch in justice, witnesses to Allah, even though it is against yourselves, parents, kindred, whether it is for a rich man or a poor man, for Allah is nearer to both of them. So follow not (your) passion lest you lapse from justice; and if you should lapse or fall away, then take note that Allah is well informed of all that you do. (4:135)

A Muslim is not only supposed to be just in all dealings, but is also required to promote this universal principle at all times. Allah says:

O you who believe, stand out firmly for Allah as a witness to fair dealings, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong, and depart from Justice. Be just, that is nearer to Righteousness, and fear Allah, for Allah is well acquainted with all that you do. (5:8)

One of the beauties of the Islamic Way of life is that no one is above the Law. All Muslims must respect and follow the Law. Allah says, to David, and this law is still binding upon us:

O David, We did indeed make you a vicegerent on earth; so you judge between men in truth and justice. Nor do you follow the lusts of your hearts, for they will mislead you from the Path of Allah. (38:26)

Every Muslim is required to abide by the Laws prescribed in Islam as it is the Perfect way of life, and is based on justice. The dos and don’ts are designed to keep us on the Straight Path. Anyone who does not uphold justice will be responsible to Allah and will have to answer to Him on the Day of Accountability. Allah says:

The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrongdoing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice. For such, there will be a grievous penalty. (42:42)

Some people sacrifice justice for personal material reasons. Perhaps they become prey to the temptations of Satan who decorates the evil and make it look attractive. Allah tells us about this in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an. He says:

Fair In the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: women and sons; heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world's life; but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals (to return to). (3:14)

Every right thinking person must aspire to be just to himself, to the rest of mankind and to his Lord in every matter, if he has hopes of passing through the world successfully, and to be rewarded in the Hereafter.

 

 

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed
At his weekly Zikir session held at the Hermitage Masjid

Unwavering Faith

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Prophet Jacob (as) taught his sons one very important principle, after they began to express remorse for their treatment and actions against their younger brother.  He said to them;

 

And never give up hope of Allah’s soothing mercy: truly no one despairs of Allah’s soothing mercy, except those who have no faith.  (12:87)

 

To have real, unwavering faith in Allah is something easier said than done.  Especially when we are faced with moments of emotional unrest.  However we must always remember and be assured of the help from Allah.  He testifies to this in His Holy Words;

 

When comes the help of Allah.  (110:1)

 

We sometimes cannot comprehend Allah’s working and His Wisdom and sometimes we may try our utmost to make a perceived unfavourable situation favourable.  Yes we have to try to seek out goodness and comfort; but remember your Lord is All Knowing and Wise. 

 

Help comes from Allah and no other creature.  Prophet Jacob (as) knew this and therefore didn’t retaliate emotionally to his sons.  He demonstrated immaculate patience and left the situation in the Hands of Allah.  For us this is something difficult to do at times.  To sit quietly and exercise patience when your emotions are running high.  Unfortunately emotional retaliation has the world in the state it is in today.

 

Allah demonstrated His Help and Guidance throughout the life of His Beloved Messenger Muhammad (pboh).  He says in Surah Dhuhaa;

 

Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter (and care)?  And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.  And He found thee in need, and made thee independent.  (93:6-8)

 

And Prophet (pboh) was sent as an exemple for us.  Put your faith and trust in Him and always remember He is the One Who helps.  Yes, it requires patience and this is the advice Jacob (as) gave his sons; SabrunJameelun – patience is most fitting: it is Allah (alone) Whose help can be sought.

 

Whatever Allah has written for you; you will get it.  That has been decreed by Allah and He never changes His Word.  One thing we must try to develop is patience and trust in our Lord.  He is All-Knowing and Wise and nothing escapes His Knowledge.  He will act at the most appropriate time.  Learn to look with interest at the plan Allah has for you.  And if something should happen that may not be entirely favourable there is wisdom behind it.

 

Believers learn to put their faith in their Lord.  And we are taught to supplicate to Allah regularly and earnestly as He once told Prophet Musa (as), “O Musa! Ask Me for everything, even the mending of your shoelace”. 

 

He says ‘Call on Me and I will respond’.  Then why not do it; especially at times of emotional unrest.  Remember this acronym DAD: Dua-Adverts-Decree.  If something is written to happen to you and you make dua to Allah; He will still allow it to happen but possible in another dimension such as a dream, etc. 

 

Islam establishes in our minds and hearts to put unwavering faith and trust in Allah.  And Prophet Muhammad (pboh) epitomises this.  One beautiful example was when he (pboh) and Abu Bakr (ra) were migrating to Madinah. They hid from those who wanted Prophet (pboh) dead.  When the unbelievers were nearby Abu Bakr (ra) became worried that they would  be caught and Prophet (pboh); realising the fear of Abu Bakr (ra), said to him “have no fear, for Allah is with us”.  Allah records this incident in Surah Tawba.

 

Allah will try us to test our faith, just as he subjected His beloved Messengers to trials and tests. And He may also possible punish us in order to remove the stains and blemishes we may have accumulated over time.  None of us are sinless and it is indeed much better to ‘burn off’ our black spots in this world rather than the hereafter.  This is why we a taught to pray;

 

Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error.  Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us. Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. (2:286)

 

Let us try to develop true faith and trust in our Lord. May He make us firm in this struggle. May He make us from amongst those who will never question His workings and may He always take care of all of our affairs and never leave us to our own command with our limited understanding and knowledge.

 

We ask Allah to forgive us all especially those who have passed away.  In particular we remember our brother, uncle and friend Hakim Mohammed who passed away last Saturday.  Br. Hakim was a student of our weekly zikir sessions, a graduate and eventual teacher of the Markaz al Ihsaan.  We beg Allah to forgive him for any and all of his shortcomings and to purify and sanctify his resting place, insha Allah.

 

 

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed
At his weekly Zikir session held at the Hermitage Masjid

 

Justice To Oneself

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

In almost every Mosque, in every country of the world, the Imam closes his Friday sermon with a reminder to the people with the following verse of the Holy Qur’an. Allah says:

Verily, Allah orders, justice and refinement. (16:90)

Again He says:

Be just, that is closest to piety. (5:8)

To be just is a general, universal command; and it incorporates many dimensions in a person’s life. One of these is justice to oneself.

As the human personality is made up of two dimensions, viz. the physical self i.e. the nafs, and the non-physical self, i.e. the ruh, it is the duty of every person to take care to nurture both of them, by giving to each one of them what is necessarily required to ensure that they grow healthy and strong.

Because the nafs is the energy produced by the working of the physical body, it thrives on the satisfaction of the physical desires. The ruh, on the other hand, can be sustained with deeds and actions relating to spirituality and exercises focusing on God-consciousness. The individual is required to be just too both dimensions of the personality by engaging in permissible physical and spiritual exercises which will result in true representation of Allah here on earth.

The majority of human beings however, concentrate on taking care of the physical self and some do not even think that they need to sustain the spiritual. The unfortunate consequences of such a lifestyle will be a materialistic outlook of life that will benefit the individually, to some extent, materially and it will end with death.

As a representative of Allah here on earth, He wants us to behave like Him in our own humble way. He says:

(Establish) Allah’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind; no change (let there be) in the work by Allah; that is the Upright way, but a lot of people do not understand. (30:30)

Behaving like Allah means to cultivate some of the qualities of the Divine Attributes in our physical lives. These include Glorifying His Holy Name and displaying qualities, like compassion, forgiveness, etc. when relating with fellow human beings.

In addition to the physical manifestation of the Godly qualities in dealing with other human beings, we are required to be just to our souls by keeping them polished, bright and shining.

Many people spend all their time and energy taking of the body, and completely neglect their souls. They spend all their wealth in material things and forget that they must send some for use in the next phase of life. They do not have time for worship, taking care of the poor and needy, only do and eat what is halaal, etc. Such people are neglecting the Qur’anic Command of being just to oneself.

Such people will regret what they did and some of them will ultimately say:

The day when man will see the deeds which his hands have sent forth; and the unbelievers will say: Woe unto me, I wish I was never created. (78:40)

We all should make every effort to nurture and cultivate both dimensions of our personalities, if we are to be just to ourselves. Islam gives us the recipe for so doing, beginning with the five fundamental principles, and extending to all the other dos and don’ts which we are required to uphold if we want to be truly just to ourselves in every possible way.  

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Pruning the human personality

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

One of the greatness of the mission of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is that he was able to help and teach us how to trim off all the unwanted habits and desires of the human personality.  This process is referred to as Tazkiyah nafs or purification of the baser self.

Prophet (pboh) was commanded to rehearse the Signs of Allah, to teach the people everything about the working of the Allah; to sanctify them and to teach them the wisdom of the Book, etc.  His mission therefore is to develop the entire all round personality of a believer and to make him a true representative of Allah on earth.

Now the nafs has some peculiar habits and qualities.  Because the nafs is the energy produced from working of the human’s physical self, it is inclined to all things material.  At its baser self; the nafs does not care about moral etiquette etc.  Instead it just wants pleasure, comfort and all the materially attractive things. 

But the nafs is one of the ideal dimensions of the personality that Allah has given to man to represent Him on earth; because it is through the nafs we can display the Divine Attributes of Allah in our finite way; such as generosity, kindness, compassion etc.  The ruh, which is the other dimension of the human personality, cannot be contaminated.  The ruh is connected to the nafs, thus the nafs can impact upon the ruh and the ruh can also affect the nafs.  Both entities are energies.  One is energy that came from the command of God and the other is energy that comes from the working of the physical body.

Now if the energy that is generated from the physical body is pure energy it will coordinate positively with the ruh and through this you can achieve real peace inside of you.  If however, the nafs emits negative energy; it will be a direct contradiction with the ruh and you will not have peace.  And we see this ever so often; some people have all the wealth and status in the world and still they suffer from a lack of peace.

All of us would like peace and the only way of achieving it is to prune or trim out the unwanted desires and habits from our personalities.  This however is an individual matter and no one can do it for you.  This is the real jihad.  Why do I call it a jihad?  Jihad which usually connotates to fighting against some evil; thus we are fighting the negative energy that is being generated inside of us.  Possibly this is why Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said “I have returned from the small Jihad (Jihad Asghar) to the big Jihad (Jihad Akbar)”.  The Sahabas enquired “what is the big Jihad?”  Prophet (pboh) said “the Jihad al nafs (inner desires).”

To take it a step further; when Allah cursed Satan for his disobedience, Satan vowed that he would openly attack the progeny of Adam.  So before we came into this world we had an open enemy.  And the base ingredient of losing the battle against Satan is to follow his handiwork and Allah specifies the handiwork of the devil as being intoxicants and games of chance. 

And today society is in a downward spiral because of the prevalence of drugs, alcohol, and greed.  So we see the tangible manifestation of the workings of Satan

For those who do not succumb to the devil’s handiwork he uses a different strategy.  He works on your intentions and desires.  Look at how he got Adam and Eve to disobey Allah in the Garden of Eden.  Can you imagine how long he would have worked and played on the mind of Eve to get her and thereafter Adam to abandon their obedience and obey their baser desire?  The same goes for us.  Every day is a new battle. 

We need to humble ourselves and understand that Satan is our open enemy.  Let us sincerely try our best to purify our intentions and desires so that our nafs will only be producing positive energy.  The choice is ours.

Material possessions and acquisitions are nice as it can enable us to have a comfortable stay in this world however one day we will all inevitably leave everything behind.  Create that right balance that allows you time to work for this world and also the hereafter.  What we’re leaving behind must always be secondary; what we are sending in front of us is really important.  Am I sending beautiful, positive things that my Lord will be pleased with or am I sending things that will drag me in the abyss?

Whenever we recap topics like this is always nice to reflect on the As'hab us-Suffah or the founding sufis as they referred to.  They lived in the Prophet’s (pboh) mosque and were only engaged in worldly matters out of necessity.  And later when the Prophet (pboh) left this world they were the ones that really spread Islam all over the continents.  And if we looked at some of them, they had all the power and status one could want before they went to live with the Prophet (pboh) in his mosque.  Why did they pay so little heed to this world and gave up everything they would have worked for?  It goes to show that not everything can be deduced through scientific reason and logic and material assets.

We beg Allah to forgive us all, to bless us and to guide us so that there will only be positivity emanating from our personality, insha Allah.

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed