A polished shade

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

One way Allah has selected to give us knowledge is by telling us things in parables.  For example He talks about a goodly tree; He says;

‘Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable? - a goodly word like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens,- of its Lord.  So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order that they may receive admonition’.  (14:24)

Here Allah is alluding that all good persons are like goodly trees that bring numerous benefits.  Today I want to bring another parable to our attention.  This one is a bit technical and is found in Surah Nur.

Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth.  The parable of His light is As if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed In Glass: the glass As it were a brilliant star: Lit from a Blessed tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though Fire scarce touched it: light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth parables for men: and Allah doth know all things.  (24:35)

What exactly is Allah talking about?  We know that the light of the soul cannot be compared to anything in the universe.  It is a special creation from Allah.  So when Allah talks about His Light, only He alone knows what He is talking about. 

What we can understand it to possible mean is the light with which He created the soul.  That light is pit in something like a niche and over the niche there is a glass.  The light shinning forth is bright as a result of the brightness of the light contained in the lamp. 

What I understand; and please note that I can be wrong because this is very technical and because Allah didn’t specified; I believe that Allah is referring to the human heart.  The soul is placed inside the heart and around the soul is the flesh.  This flesh is like a glass around the soul.  Now heart specialists have said that when the heart is alive and active it is like two waves of electricity that constantly passes through it.  My understanding is Allah has encased that special light of the soul in that organ which is the heart, and as a result it too can become bright and shinning just as a lamp shade. 

Understand that Allah is telling mankind that He has given human beings something that you cannot find anywhere else in the universe.  And this special light is encased in a special organ which has the capacity to become bright and shinning if properly cultured. 

This special light or the soul cannot be contaminated.  It will remain pure and clean.  Nothing can interfere with the soul.  What happens is that the shade around the soul can either diminish or increase the brightness of the permeation.  This was evident in the life of Prophet Muhammad (pboh).  Allah made Jibreel wash the heart of Prophet (pboh) on two separate occasions.  And he is perfect and completely sinless.  When he was going on that blessed night to meet his Lord his blessed heart was washed so that possibly nothing could have diminished the brightness of his shade.

Allah has created a physical body and the soul in two very special ways.  The body was created and soul was a command.  He put the two together forming the complete human personality.  And if both can work together, you can ascend to the highest.  If you can keep your shade polished and shinning; you will be able to experience God in whatever way He bestows. 

On the other hand the nafs is the working of the physical self.  It is energy, like the energy produced by starting a car when the petrol is ignited etc.  The nafs is the energy created by the body.  Because it is energy and because the ruh is refined energy; the nafs can impact upon it.  How?  It can dirty the shade around that special light or keep it bright and shinning.  The nafs works on the shade which as we have identified is the human heart. 

When Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was going on Mir’aj his heart was washed clean.  Remember if you want to meet your Lord the best experience you can have is if you have a bright and clean heart that will allow for the vibration from Allah to be amplified.

Allah says;

No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.  (6:103)

You cannot look at an atom with your naked eyes.  It is not possible except with the aid of instruments.  So too the light of Allah cannot be experienced with the eyes.  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) could not see Jibreel in his true form on the night of the first revelation.  It was only when he was outside the dimension of space and time he could have seen his true form. 

So too you will only be able to experience something of your Lord if you keep your soul bright and shinning.  That is the purpose of zikir and doing good and staying away from evil.  When engaging in evil the energy produced by the nafs causes spots to appear on the shade.  As Allah says ‘they have put stains on their heart’. 

The more stain on the heart the more difficult it is for the light to penetrate.  As Allah says in Surah An'am; ‘It is those who believe and do not clothe up their beliefs with wrong - that are (truly) in security, for they are on (right) guidance.’

Do not focus on and judge others.  Think about the relationship you have with your Lord.  Is my light bright and shinning or is it clothed with darkness.  And that is the mission of life.  Trying to culture and cultivate your personality to allow you special light to grow and permeate your entire body.  How do we achieve this?  People will not help you; it is an individual matter.  Yes if you are with good and righteous people they can be of some benefit in terms of giving you some sort of zeal.  But no one can help you remove and prevent the spots from appearing on your heart.

Satan will not want you to achieve this because his light is already out.   So he will want to cover up and extinguish your light.  Thus he will decorate the evil and get you to divert from your mission.  Allah will also test you moments of trials and tribulations; all in an effort to see if you really want to keep your light bright and shinning.  He says He will try you with loss of wealth, with family etc.

This is why Prophet Muhammad (pboh) taught us that the internal struggle is greater than any external battle.  He (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)”.

Passion and desires don’t care about morals, humility and submitting to Allah.  It wants comfort and pleasure.  If you indulge your shade may develop spots on it.  Make every effort to keep your shade bright and clean so that when it reflects is will be attractive that it will give you the capacity to see on that Day when people will be struggling to see the path in complete darkness.  This is possibly why Allah says ‘they have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not.  They are like cattle, - nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning)’.

Keep your shade clean.  The Islamic year is coming to an end; reflect on your past and make a resolution to build and improve upon.  And thank Allah for taking you and guiding you this far.  May Allah guide us, protect us and enable us to always keep of shade polished and clean, 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

The true meaning of 'An Nabi Ul Ummi'

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

One of the descriptions or attribute of Holy Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is that he is An Nabi Ul Ummi.  Normally, the layman may translate it to mean ‘the illiterate Messenger’.  However this is very far from the truth.  Although he did not attend any formal institution of learning, he gave to the Universe a Book which cannot be surpassed.  Concerning the Holy Qur’an Allah says;

Say: “If the whole of Mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of This Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.  (17:88)

Do you then think that he was really “illiterate” as we interpret this word to mean?  Therefore we have to understand what Allah means when He says;

 “Those who follow the apostle, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures):” (7:157)

“So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believeth in Allah and His Words: follow Him that (so) ye may be guided”.  (7:158)

My understanding and explanation of ‘the unlettered Prophet’ is the one who ‘was not taught by anyone’ except Allah.  He never attended any institution; nor sat at the feet of any scholar.  He was never exposed to any academic teaching from any creature.  This is one reason why he is referred to as An Nabi Ul Ummi. 

For example, when Prophet Moses (as) was commanded by Allah to go to Pharaoh to give him the dawah, Pharaoh rebuked him by listing all the things he did for Moses as an infant.  On the other hand no one can accuse Prophet Muhammad (pboh) of him being indebted to them.  When he was a baby Halima took care of him and it was only out of his blessed personality that she began receiving so many blessings.  Then he went to his mother who died shortly after and the same with his grandfather.  No one could say that he owed them or anything of such.

A few other reasons why Allah refers to him as Nabi Ul Ummi are as follows;

1.        He was not taught by any creature yet he gave the Universal Message.  The very first revelation, Iqra, could be translated as read or recite.  So when Jibreel requested of him the first five verses of Surah Alaq; what he was possible asking him to do was to recite that which Allah impressed in his blessed heart.  To read would imply a script of which there was not any.

2.        He was never influenced by anyone.  And as a matter of emphasis Jibreel washed his heart on two separate occasions.  Before him the Arabs were quite barbaric.  They believed heavy in tribalism.  And with his coming he refined them and cultured them.  They didn’t give anything or taught him anything.  It was he who totally refined their personalities.

3.        He was never sustained by anyone.  Allah took care of him just as He did with Prophet Jesus (as) and his mother Mary.  As He says in Surah Dhuhaa:

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

4.       He had no biases for any tribe or nation.  He was fair, clean and clear.  Jesus, for example, came to the Israelites as he said “I came to uphold the Law of Moses.”  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was sent to the whole of mankind.  And he harboured no doubt.  Abraham was questioned Allah as to how He can bring life to the dead.  Prophet (pboh) never displayed anything like that.

In the real sense of the word an nabi ul ummi, is like a mother.  When a baby is brought into the world he is not influenced by anyone and doesn’t know anything.  It has inherent or intuitive knowledge that Allah allows such as to cry or make signs.  Prophet Muhammad (pboh), in this world, was like a young infant.  He was not influenced by anyone except Allah.  Allah guided and took care of him.

Because he was like this and because Allah says of him that he never said any thing of his own desire; coming from him we have Ummul Qura – The Mother of all Cities and Ummaul Kitab – The Mother of all Books.  Would you then say he was illiterate as how we understand the word to be?

Even today we hear Imams attributing this term to him.  And really you cannot connect this degrading character to him.  He got his knowledge from Allah and no man could accuse him like how the Christian’s fabricate that he borrowed from the Bible.  All he gave was clean, pure and comprehensive.  Even though he was not formally taught he is the one who can take you back to your Lord because he went back to Him in this world.

The point we’re making is that we need to understand what Allah means when he says An Nabi Ul Ummi.  Contrary to the literal meaning and what we understand it to mean it does not truly reflect the meaning contained in the ayats quoted above. 

An Nabi Ul Ummi means he is unique, special and we really cannot comprehend the greatness of his personality.  He is not comparable to any other human being with regard to the contributions made intellectually, spiritually, socially and all the other disciplines. 

One of the spiritual formulas which I give to anyone undergoing difficulties and trying times is to recite as many times the following darood;

Allahumma Salay Ala Muhammad An Nabi Ul Ummi.

And I guarantee that once done you will see the benefits.  This is part of my spiritual formula that I do every day.  It is a real blessing to connect to him.  When we engage in darood we are establishing a special connection with him.  And Allah will bless us accordingly for this special darood which is unique in a lot of ways.  As a result it is very beneficial for us to understand what An Nabi Ul Ummi really means and to connect ourselves to that one who is Nabi Ul Ummi.  And insha Allah, Allah will bless us.

Two questions that arose during the discourse:

1.    What was the role of Angel Jibreel in the life of Prophet Muhammad (pboh)?

His role was to just bring that which Allah commanded him to bring.  He was not a teacher of Prophet (pboh).  Even when he impressed the Quran in the heart of Prophet (pboh) he did not know it.  As Allah says in Surah Rahmaan; It is He (Allah) who has taught the Qur'an (55:2).  Angels don’t question, they simply carry out command of Allah.

2.    Was Khadija influential on him?

She did not really influence him.  She, in fact learnt from him as she first hired him.  She even doubled her profit as a result.  So much came from him and eventually when they got married and she gave him her wealth, he didn’t keep it for himself.  He gave her what was sufficient for her to live and shared out the rest to poor.  In this context he helped her and she in turned acted as a true wife when he discussed things with her.  She fulfilled her role as a special companion as wives are special companions to their husbands.  To say she sustained him is incorrect.

We are talking about our leader and our model who has a special connection with Allah.  He is quite unique and incomparable.  And it’s very sad to see the term illiterate being used to describe a Messenger who is the highest of the high, after Allah Almighty.  May Allah enable us all to have a true understanding of His Beloved (pboh) and may He guide us to strengthen our relationship with him, 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

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

 

Transcript of address given at the Graduation Ceremony

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Dear readers, the following is the transcript of the feature address given by Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed at the Graduation Ceremony of the Markaz Al Ihsaan held on Sunday 29th September 2013.

Congratulations to all those who have received Certificates today. May Allah continue to bless you with love for acquisition of Knowledge that will enable you to earn the best of both the worlds.

 

The acquisition of Knowledge is one of the most sacred of all good deeds and pursuit of it is the best way to become elevated in the sight of Allah and man. Allah says:
 

Say (O Muhammad); Are those who have knowledge, equal to those who do not have knowledge? It is only those who are endued with wisdom and understanding that will really be God conscious. (39:9)

The Merciful Lord wants mankind to be special; to know and appreciate something of His Divine Wisdom; to live with a purpose in life; and to cultivate the correct focus along the journey back to Him.  It was because He created man to know more about Him than any other creature in the universe that His first Revelation to the illiterate Arabs at that time was the Command to learn to read and write, while believing that He Alone is the Creator of the universe. He says:

Read in the name of your Lord Who has created; has created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is the Most Generous; Who has taught by the pen; has taught man that which he knew not. (96:1-5)

When Pharaoh wanted to dominate the Israelites, the first thing he did was to prohibit them from reading their book. After that he was able to get them to forget the Messages from the Lord, and ultimately commanded them to prostrate to him, as he was their god.

Jalaludding Rumi tells us about a conversation between a mule and a camel.  It runs like this: the mule said to the camel; "how it is that when I am walking I find myself stumbling and falling down; and when you walk you never make any false step, nor do you stumble"?  The camel replied that when he walks he looks up and in front of him, not like the mule that looks below its feet and is unable to see the danger that lies ahead. 

Students of the Markaz Al Ihsaan are taught to look ahead with a fixed aim, purpose and focus in life; to know where the pitfalls on the journey of life are and how these can be avoided.  The wise person has to learn how to move along cautiously when confronted with the challenges of life, all the time maintaining refinement of personality and speech; and avoiding inflicting stress and strain on others.  He has to familiarize himself with the Islamic position in every situation; and strive hard to maintain a good connection with the Lord and a good relationship with fellow human beings.

Allah wants believers to develop beautiful personalities based on knowledge and refinement. He says:

Recite what is sent to you of the Book by Wahy, and establish regular prayer, for prayer prevents one from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest; without doubt; and Allah is aware of all that you do. And do not dispute with the People of the Book; except with means that are better and more refined. (29:45-46)

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

Wisdom increases the honor of the noble and exalts a servant as high as to raise him to the land of the kings.

He is also reported to have said:

The best of people is a believing learned man, who does good when sought for, and when the people keep away from him he also stays away from them.

My dear students, as you move along the journey of life, you will realize that graduation marks the end of one part of the journey and the beginning of another.  Make every effort to put into practice what you have learnt; and also teach it to others.  A good way of reminding yourself about part of the mission of life is:

1. Teach what you know;

2. Learn a little more than what you know;

3. Practice what you teach.

 
If you can abide by these simple reminders, Allah will cause your status to be elevated in this world and also in the next. He says:


Allah will rise up, to (suitable) ranks (and degrees), those of you who believe; and who have been granted) knowledge; and Allah is well- acquainted with all ye do.(58:11)

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

Whosoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allah will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Judgment. Whosoever alleviates the lot of a needy person, Allah will alleviate his lot in this world and the next. Whosoever shields a Muslim, Allah will shield him in this world and the next. Allah will aid a servant of His so long as the servant aids his brother. Whosoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to paradise. No people gather together in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book  of Allah and studying it among themselves, without tranquility descending upon them, mercy enveloping them, the angels surrounding them, and Allah making mention of them amongst those who are with Him.

May Allah bless us all with guidance and protection; may He enable us to do His Work for His sake; may He cause us to leave this world believing in His Oneness and to rise with the righteous on the Day of Reckoning.

Abraham's Faith

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Today we will reflect on one important lesson that Allah has preserved in the Holy Qur’an which demonstrates true reliance and submission to Him. 

Pharaoh had everything you could think about regarding material assets.  However none of those things saved him from the wrath of Allah.  On the contrary when Prophet Abraham (as) left Egypt and he was migrating with Prophet Lot (as); he gave Lot the option to chose firstly where he’d like to reside.  Lot selected the area that was very fertile and Abraham went on another route and look at the outcome. 

The people of Lot, because of their material blessings and acquisitions became so diverted and wayward that Allah destroyed most of them, (Sodom and Gomorrah).  On the other hand look at what Abraham did; he planted a small insignificant seed; that being Ishmael and his mother in Makkah.  And they came to rest there with no wealth, no property and no assets, but look at how Allah took care of them and caused them to grow.

This is important for us to keep in mind.  Some people believe that in order for you to be a righteous person you must have plenty of wealth in order to give charity, etc.  Whilst charity is important and beneficial, it does not only equate to material wealth.  You must have a good heart, you must be compassionate, and you must not harbour hate and malice and things of that nature.  These are things that are more valuable.  The lesson that we can take from Prophet Abraham is that of true submission.

Abraham had such faith in Allah that when he was young and the people decided to throw him into the fire; while he was being flung into the fire, Angle Jibril flew to him and asked ‘do you need any help’?  Abraham replied, ‘from you?  No, HasbiyAllahu wa nimal wakeel’ - Allah is my availed and protector and the best of aids.

And the fire had the opposite effect.  All those who gathered to look at Abraham’s fate were burnt to death because of the extreme heat from the fire, and inside the fire Abraham was so comfortable that he actually slept.  This is a real eye opener for the people at that time and even for us.  It demonstrates the work of Allah on one hand and the faith and trust in Him on the other. 

Prophet Lot selected the area he wanted to go to and Abraham gave no objections.  And look at who prospered and whose legacy lives on. 

Understand one thing; if you put your faith and trust firmly in your Lord, He will take care of you.  A lot of people can’t understand this.  They say you must have faith in Allah but you have to act.  This is true to an extent.  Allah says ‘and when the prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah: and celebrate the praises of Allah often (and without stint): that ye may prosper’.(62:10).  But we must understand that everything is dependent on Allah, even our ability to act.

Keep one thing in mind at all times; your Lord will never let you down if you have your faith and trust in Him.  Yes He will try you; Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said ‘Verily if Allah loves a people He tries them (with trials”).  He will try us but we must beg Him to make the trials easy for us.

Abraham went through so many trials but he knew one thing that is Allah will never let Him down.  And he knew that creatures could not have helped him. 

We say this ever so often to remind ourselves that we must have true unwavering faith and trust in Allah. 

Look back at some of the trying issues you would have been faced with and look at how Allah resolved it; sometimes in manners that we may not have seen coming.  We don’t know; only Allah is All Knowing. 

Our spiritual exercises that we engage in every week will help us to strengthen our faith and reliance on our Lord.  Always remember whatever Allah has decreed for you will come to pass But as Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said “Dua adverts decree”.  For example if a difficulty was decreed to you and you sincerely made dua Allah to alleviate and lessen the burden of trials the decree will comes to pass but in another dimension.  It can come to pass as a bad dream etc.

Dear friends, always remember that we have no say in our lives; it is only Allah that can help.  We can do such things that will help us as we go along, for example sending darood will bring barakat for you; if you give charity it can help you.Keep this in mind and remember if you live like this, with real faith in your Lord, He says

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Day (behold), ye prefer the life of this world; but the Hereafter is better and more enduring.  (87:16-17)

Some people interpret it to mean only the hereafter but here it means in this verse later in your life as well.  If you are trying to get close to your Lord; He will take care and never let you down. 

Getting close to Him also means getting peace of mind.  To understand that even though you are faced with tests and trials, Allah will open a way out of them for you and He knows what is best for us.

Abraham’s lesson is a lesson of faith, reliance and submission in Allah; no matter what the condition; and we sincerely beg Allah to grant us reliance and trust in Him just like His Khalilullah, insha Allah.

May Allah enable us to develop and culture true faith, trust and submission in Him, especially when we are faced with trying times and difficulties?  May Allah bless us all, guide us and always take care of our affairs, insha Allah. 

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Turning to the Creator and not the creature

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The pinnacle of belief is what Allah says about His Holy Prophet Muhammad (pboh); that is he never said anything out of his own desire.  Everything was on the basis of Divine revelations.  Because of this we can conclude that Prophet (pboh) had complete faith and trust in Allah.

In the Holy Qur’an, Allah categorizes man into three groups.  Those who believe in the Oneness of Allah, those who reject His Oneness and those who openly say they believe but in reality they don’t; i.e. the munafiq or hypocrites.

Amongst the first category, i.e. the believers, they are further categorized.  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said “Imaan (faith) increases or decreases”.  Now we are going to look at a practical example of this hadith as it pertains to us.

Allah says in Surah Hajj;

There are among men some who serve Allah, as it were, on the verge: if good befalls them, they are, therewith, well content; but if a trial comes to them, they turn on their faces: they lose both this world and the Hereafter: that is loss for all to see!  They call on such deities, besides Allah, as can neither hurt nor profit them: that is straying far indeed (from the Way)!  (Perhaps) they call on one whose hurt is nearer than His profit: evil, indeed, is the patron, and evil the companion (or help)!  (22:11-13)

Some believers have faith in Allah but it fluctuates.  They are like sitting on a fence when it comes to belief in the greatness of Allah.  Allah is saying in the ayat above that if good comes to them they are most contented and happy.  But if a trial comes to them they become agitated, disappointed and nervous.  And out of this emotional unrest they become so desperate to alleviate the trial that they go to other sources for help instead of the Lord of the worlds.  Allah says about such that they are losers in both worlds.

Allah is The One who cures, helps and protect us.  We call on His Beautiful Names and Divine Attributes yet the last thing people do when they are undergoing some sort of difficulty is to turn to Him.  It demonstrates the level of faith they have.

For example whenever a person gets sick they would visit a doctor because he understands something of the working of the human body.  That is all well and good; but keep one thing clear, cure comes from Allah and not the doctor.  The same medicine that can cure you of some ailment may not work on another who shares the same ailment.  It is Allah Who allows and grants cure etc.

The sincere and true believers turn to Allah first and then seek some way of dealing with the stressful matter knowing full well that it is only Allah Who can grant a positive conclusion.  Those with little faith will run by all the creatures for help and not The Creator.  And sometimes after they’ve realised that all their efforts are proven futile then they will leave the matter to Allah.  This is not the way of expressing true faith in our Creator.  Turn to Him first and not last! 

This is also one reason why He sent His Beloved (pboh); to show how to have true faith in the Allah.  And his entire personality demonstrated this, from his childhood to adulthood.  For example Allah says;

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.  (93:3-8)

The real advice and message I wish to put forth is to have true, unwavering faith in the Creator.  It is not easy especially when you are faced with trying moments.  Put your faith and trust in Him and after you can seek help from His creatures knowing full well that all help, cure etc. comes through Allah and He can choose to bestow His mercies through whatever medium He chooses.

Insha Allah, He will appoint a way for you to get pass the difficulty and tests.  He is so Great that He listens to all of His servants at one and the same time.  This is part of His Greatness.  He doesn’t put you on-hold when you supplicate to Him.

He says in His Holy Words; ‘Call on Me and I will respond’.  Talk to your Lord especially in the trying times.  A lot of people don’t know how to communicate with Allah.  Talk to Him and seek His Help and Guidance; and rest assured He listens to us all.  He is most Compassionate and He truly loves you.

This is part of the perfection of our faith, i.e. to have unwavering trust in our Merciful Lord.  Yes, He will test you and there will be times of difficulty and anxiety, but always remember that if you put your faith and trust in Him, He will never let you down.

May Allah enable us to be from amongst those who will have strong and steadfast faith, trust and reliance in Him, and may He take care of all our affairs in this world and the next.

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

The video presentation of this discourse can be accessed at

http://www.youtube.com/markazalihsaan

The favour of Allah on the believers

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Many times you hear me emphasise that we are specially blessed; and today I wish to highlight one ayat of the Holy Qur’an in which Allah alludes to this.  He says in Surah Imran;

 

Allah did confer a great favor on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error.  (3:164)

 

In Surah Fatihah we ask Allah to join us with those on whom He has bestowed.  It contains the same root as the ayat quoted above.  Before expounding on the blessings and favours Allah has bestowed upon us through the personality of Prophet Muhammad (pboh), we need to understand the dua that Prophet Abraham (as) made to Allah after he and Ishmael (as) finished reconstructing the Kaba.  Abraham prayed;

 

"Our Lord!  Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, and sanctify them: for Thou art the Exalted In Might, the Wise.  (2:129)

 

In others places in the Qur’an Allah records where He answered Abraham’s prayer.  But specifically in Surah Imran Allah is telling us that He has been very favourable to the believers by sending the Messenger (pboh).

 

And exactly what was the mission of the Messenger?  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) had a specific function.  He was commanded to rehearse the Signs of the Lord, and teach the people everything about the working of the Allah; to sanctify them and to teach them the wisdom of the Book, etc.

 

A few of the favours that Allah has blessed us with, that wasn’t given to the previous nations, are;

1) He made the Kaba the Qibla.  He has unified the system of worshipping.  All believers are like one big family, with one common direction in worship.. 

 

2) He has made Makkah a sanctuary.  Unbelievers are not permitted to enter the sacred city.  Theologically specking if you are at the Kaba you are safe.  Safe from capture, safe from revenge etc.  There are a lot of etiquettes that pertain to the sanctity of Makkah.

 

3) The Messenger (pboh) came from amongst them.  Abraham left baby Ishmael at the Kaba when the land was barren.  And look at what grew out of that place.

 

4) The progeny of Abraham through Ishmael, learnt to appreciate the blessings and gift from Allah.  Unlike Israelites who instead of being thankful for the many favours from Allah, they showed discontent; and for example asked Moses (as) to pray to Allah for a change in the food they received.  In another occasion, when Allah parted the sea and saved them from Pharaoh; as soon as they were safe they requested Moses to make idols for them to worship.

 

This was not the case with the believers who were at all times appreciative for whatever blessings came from Allah.

 

5) The believers learnt to apply the law in their daily lives through the teachings and guidance of Prophet Muhammad (pboh). 

 

6) Through Prophet Muhammad (pboh) we learnt Tazkiyah nafs; purification of our nafs.  How to purify your personality and engage in zikr.  Which other faith has this.  Some of them meditate such as the charismatic movement and those who engage in yoga, but what do they do.  In reality they sacrifice part of their lives in order to achieve this.  Believers don’t do this.  We live and carry on as normal and at the same time engage in the purification of our nafs.

 

7) When Moses and Jesus wanted to communicate with Allah they had to climb a mountain.  Muslims don’t have this.  We have a blanket appointment to meet with, and communicate with our Lord through the institution of salaat.

These are just a few of the special favours that Allah has given to the believers.

 

Keep in mind that all of us have a special mission.  We connect Islamically from our ancestors and need to transmit the teaching to the next generation.

 

At the time of Prophet Muhammad (pboh) his detractors thought that his mission would grind to a halt because he didn’t have a male offspring.  Whether you have children or not you can still pass on the legacy.  Abraham and Zakariyah knew the importance of passing on the legacy that they specifically prayed to Allah for an offspring to continue transmitting the message.

 

Although the Prophet (pboh) did not have any male offspring, Allah gave him many spiritual children—all of us. He says that the Prophet is closer to the believers than themselves, and his wives are their mothers.

 

Allah has truly been merciful and favourable to the believers.  And our message is not adulterated.  The Hindu faith for example got inspiration though the Rishis who gave the pure message, but unfortunately it was not preserved.  Look at Allah’s favour to us.

 

We need to be conscious of all these blessings Allah has been so merciful to bestow on us.  He has sent a messenger to show us the way to develop our personality in the way required of the progeny of Adam; a way that will successfully take us back to our Lord.

 

May Allah continue to guide us and bless us and enable us to understand the numerous blessings He has showered upon us.  And may we always be thankful and be from amongst those who will successfully impart the true teachings to the next generation.

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

The video presentation of this discourse can be accessed at

http://www.youtube.com/markazalihsaan