Can we see the Prophet (pboh)?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We often say Ash-hadu anla ilaha illallaah Wa Ash-hasu anna Muhammadar Rasuulullaah; I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad (pboh) is Allah's Messenger.

In order to testify definitely that there is no God but Allah we rely upon the testimony of Prophet Muhammad (pboh), because he was taken up in the Divine Presence of Allah.  And Allah says in His Holy Words; 

There is no god but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, (3:18)

So whether we can conceptualised this fact or not we accept it because Prophet Muhammad (pboh); that one who never spoke a lie and who is the most trusted said so.  So we accept it wholeheartedly.

The next part of the declaration of faith is the testimony that Muhammad (pboh) is Allah’s last Messenger.  How can we verify this statement? 

Firstly, Allah tells us this; so we accept it.  It is also necessary for us to experience and to gain knowledge about whatever Allah tells us.  That is why He says; 

Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (with the thought): "Our Lord! not for naught hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.  3:191

What then about the finality of the Messenger?  Every Messenger who came before brought something about the messenger, but they never brought the comprehensive message.  How then can we say with certainty that Muhammad (pboh) is the last Messenger?

Allah says in Qur’an ‘take note that amongst you is the Messenger of Allah’.  And the Qur’an contains the message for all times, not just during the life of Prophet (pboh).  Some scholars interpret this ayat to mean that it is his sunnah that is with us.  They also say the recitation of Al Qur’an is another way that he is with us because he taught us its recitation.

Whilst these are all true the ayat reflects more than that.  For example he is reported to have said: “Whoever sees me in a dream actually sees me”.  What does that mean? 

In other narrations we see that when a person is being questioned in the grave he visits them while the angels are questioning the person.  Physically he is not with us but he still maintains a connection with us.

This is possible why Allah says ‘amongst you is the Messenger of Allah’ 

Understand that you don’t have to wait until the time of death comes in order for you to have vision of the Beloved Prophet (pboh).  If you purify yourself and connect to him, insha Allah you can achieve it in this realm.

May Allah bless us and enable us to connect and attach ourselves to His Beloved (pboh) in this world and the next.

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Our Wasila

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

If you have to meet any important dignitary’s it is necessary that you get all the knowledge of the protocol.  That is just for ordinary human beings; what about the meeting with the Lord?

Allah wants us to approach Him in a particular way.  In order to get this done properly He gives us a command which He says in Surah Maa-idah; 

O ye who believe! Do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto him, and strive with might and main in His cause: that ye may prosper.  (5:35)

Scholars discuss this particular principle in many ways but one thing they all agree on is that if you want to get to Allah you have to follow Prophet Muhammad (pboh).  Why, because he already met Allah and he is already aware of the etiquettes of getting to Allah.

So in essence what Allah is really telling us is; O you who believe; follow the Prophet (pboh).  Make him your wasila.  A wasila is like a middle person; therefore make Prophet (pboh) your means of getting closer to Allah.

We worship only Allah and do not ascribe any partners with Him.  This is something that is very clear to all Muslims.  We can go directly to Allah because He says ‘if you call on Me, I will respond’.  But there are many things which require some bit of information or example in order that we may maximise our capacity and capability in the short period of time.  That is why we need to tread that path that will not waste our time and resources.  That is called Siratal Mustaqeem.

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is the best model and vehicle to take us to Allah.  Because Allah says 

And As one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a Lamp spreading light.  (33:46)

He invites you to go to Allah and to take you along and to show you the path.  The path to Allah is Siratal Mustaqeem; that is the straight path; for which we always pray.  Allah says about the Prophet (pboh); 

So hold thou fast to the Revelation sent down to thee; Verily thou art on a straight way.  (43:43)

If the Prophet (pboh) is on the straight path and we want to get on the straight path; what then do we have to do?  We have to follow him (pboh).  As a result Allah says to us; 

Say: If you love Allah, then follow me.  (3:31)

That is why Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is our wasila.  He is that one who connects us with our Lord.  Why do we need to follow him if Allah gave us a Book of which is guidance?  You will see for example even in the time of the Companions they always looked towards the Prophet (pboh) for help and guidance; even though they were taught the Qur’an directly from him.  One simple example is that he taught us the times for salaat.  Allah commands us to establish our salaat, however nowhere in the Qur’an is the specific period of  timings mentioned.

He taught us how to follow the straight path to get to Allah.  So when Allah says seek the means of approach unto him we can take it to possibly mean; follow the Prophet (pboh) and make him your model and guide.  He is Siratal Mustaqeem.

The next very important point is that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is very concerned for the believers.  Can you imagine how he will feel if we are deliberately going on the wrong path?  And he is connected to us, as Allah says; 

And know that among you is Allah’s Messenger.  (49:7)

And the Qur’an is a message for all times.  Allah didn’t say it was only relevant when he was alive.

Has his mission come to an end or does it still continue?  My dear friends, there are those who keep in constant contact with the Holy Prophet (pboh).  In other places in the Qur’an Allah says he and the angels pray for us; 

And the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, (4:64)

If you want to get close to Allah then get as close to His Beloved (pboh) as much as possible.  Any form of disrespect to him will render your deeds null and void.  Get closer to Allah by showing love and honour for Prophet Muhammad (pboh) and following his way.  Connect to Allah through him and insha Allah you will have no regrets.

May Allah increase our love and attachment to His Beloved (pboh) and through him as our wasila may we attain closeness to Him, insha Allah.

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

The best of peoples

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah tells us in the Holy Quran;

‘Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah’  (3:110)

After Allah sent 124000 Messengers; after He gave so much tangible care and blessings to the previous nations, He then sent Prophet Muhammad (pboh).  And with his coming, we didn’t see any such visible favours.  Of course, generosity flowed from his personality; but compared to how Allah treated the Israelites, for example; He did not treat the Muslims like that.  The Muslims were subjected to a lot of trials in the early stage of Islam.

And in spite of it all, Allah says in His Holy Words, that we are the best of people that emerge from mankind.  Why did Allah say so, and what is it that makes us the best?  There are many reasons; but today we will just touch a few.

Firstly, one tangible reason is that Muslims are the only people that have been given a piece of paradise on earth.  No other nation has this great blessing.  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said “the area between my house and my minbar is one of the gardens of Paradise”.

Another important reason is that, Allah created Prophet Muhammad (pboh) very special.  He was invited to the presence of the Lord on the blessed night of the Mir’aj, and on our behalf; he was able to witness all of the unseen verities.  He is our witness to those things that you cannot experience through your senses.  What are angels, paradise, Hell, Who is Allah?  We cannot get surety of this through our five senses.  But we are sure about, is that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was invited to witness all of these; and because he never told a lie we accept his testimony with full convection.  When Moses delivered the message to his people they use to question him

Allah says;

There is no god but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, (3:18)

We know that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) never told a lie nor said anything out of his personal desires; so if he says there is no God but Allah; we take it.  This is another reason why we are the best of people.  We have been given first-hand knowledge of the unseen verities through the witness of Prophet (pboh).

Another reason, is that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was invited in the presence e of Allah; and he was given a special blessing that night which we call salaat.  Allah gave him a special gift and sent him back to earth; and continues to bestow this special blessing upon him because Allah never changes His habit;

The nature (i.e. the habit and practice) of Allah, is the nature He has bestowed on mankind.  Allah does not change His habit; that is the Straight Way, but a lot of people cannot understand. (30:30)

So Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is a real gift to humanity because he is receiving a special gift from Allah that he distributes to mankind.  This special blessing is received on behalf of human beings and anyone who attaches themselves to him shares in it, even up to today.  No other Messenger was given this special blessing.

When Allah says we are the best; this is one of the reasons why.  Regardless of the time period; so long you are one of his followers and engage in darood you continue to get that special blessings that will coming to you, because of your recitation of the zikr. 

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why he is reported to have said ‘he who reads a single Durood upon me, Almighty Allah blesses him ten times, ten of his sins are forgiven, and he is increased ten times in stages’.

Understand that we are special in the sight of Allah and it is important for us to remain at our best in this world and in the next.  One way of doing this is to send abundant darood on the Messenger; a simple formula that has great returns.

May Allah bless us, guide us and take care of our affairs.

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Al Kauthar: A Divine Gift

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

As a special blessing to the Believers in the Oneness of Allah and the Last Day, Allah gave to them, through His beloved Messenger Muhammad (pboh), Al Kauthar - abundance of good, generosity, overflowing.  Such a blessing was not given to any one before the coming of the Prophet (pboh) and will continue to benefit Muslims in this world and in the Hereafter.

The promise of Kauthar to the Prophet (pboh) was made when the Muslims were few in numbers and Allah had taken back the son of the Messenger, so the detractors of Islam were propagating the belief that Islam will die out after the Prophet’s demise, due to the fact that he was not leaving any male issue behind him to carry on his mission.

Perhaps, they were looking at the ways adopted by Father Abraham who prayed sincerely to the Lord to bestow on him a righteous son who was to preserve and propagate the noble mission he started.

The Kuffar were also conscious of the fact that the small number of Believers would be unable to effect economic and political change at that time. This situation could have been a cause for concern, had not Allah made it known that “truth will finally prevail over falsehood”. The Kuffar did not have the foresight to see that Islam was to spread all over the earth.

The Kuffar in Makkah at that time were thinking like the brothers of Joseph, who taught that Joseph was an insignificant little brother and they were a powerful group, so, if Joseph was put away their influence would have prevailed. That was not to be.

So the revelation of Al-Kauthar was an assurance to the Believers that the mission of the Prophet was not going to fail, and that anyone who accepted him as the Final Messenger, was to be successful in this world and in the next. This assurance continues even to this day.

The blessings conferred on the Prophet (pboh) through Kauthar are immense and numerous. Some are:

1.   Believers will be blessed upon entering Paradise as they will be given a drink from Al Kauthar which is a fountain by the gate of Paradise.

2.     Generosity and abundance flowed from the personality of the Prophet (pboh) while he was living amongst the people. For example, as soon as Haleema took him, she immediately felt her bosom was full of milk and she was able to nurse him and her son from then onwards. Also her sick donkey and old camel became energized and they led the homeward journey with the women whom they accompanied to Makkah.

3.     From the time Haleema went back home with him, her animals never suffered for lack of feed, as, her lands were always full of grass to feed her sheep and goats.

4.    The Prophet (pboh) provided many miracles of giving his followers water and even food at times from sources they did not know.

5.      Many companions were cured by the touch of the Prophet (pboh).

6.     All those who sent and are sending Darood and Salaams upon him are blessed in this life and will be blessed in the next.

7.    The Prophet (pboh) will light up the grave of all the believers when they are buried; as he will visit them; and because he is described by Allah as siraajun muneera their graves will not remain dark

8.    On the day of Qayamah he will be looking for those who truly maintained love for and will intercede on their behalf.

Believers should thank Allah for enabling them to be from amongst the brotherhood of those who will be happy to be part of the “spiritual family” of the Prophet (pboh).

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

The Muslim Family

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Islam, the last of the Revealed Religions, gave to the world a concept of a family, which was either not known or practiced before. It informs us that the family began with the entry of the human species on earth, as Allah created Eve out of Adam and from both of them He caused the entire human family to grow. He tells us about this as follows:

O mankind, reverence your Guardian Lord, Who created you from a single nafs; and created from it its mate; and produced from both of them countless men and women. (4:1)

Just as how the children of a husband and a wife vary in color, size, etc. so too, the children of Adam and Eve varied in color, size and tribes as they were scattered all over the earth. Allah says:

O mankind, verily, We created you from a single pair of male and female, and made you into nations and tribes. (49:13)

The Merciful Lord gave every human being a body, a soul and a free will, conditioned by an intention. He gave guidelines for interaction with one another; whether it be the immediate family members or others. The common principles are supposed to be upheld at all times in all places and under all conditions.

So important are these qualities which every human being is supposed to develop, that the Imams in many Mosques all over the world conclude their Friday sermons with reminders to their congregations of the common universal principles for a good and healthy family life. 

When observed it will result in a co-operative and productive community for each one of them. Some of the verses of the Holy Qur’an advising the believers of living a purposeful and united life are:

Verily, Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin. He forbids all shameful deeds, injustice and rebellion. (16:90)

Be loving, kind and merciful to others as Allah is towards to you. (28:77)
 
Do not wrong and be wronged. (2:279)

When these principles are practiced the family as a unit, and society at large, will develop a special outlook of life and a unique life style. They will allow themselves to be bound together as with a rope, and will not be separated; they will be helpful to one another, and will generally make life much easier in the neighborhood.

The Qur’an gives us a beautiful example of the negative impact on society when the family, or the members of the community, do not uphold the principles that bind them together; and the positive result of prosperity when a people live like a united body. All these are found in the Story of Joseph in the Qur’an.

In the beginning the brothers of Joseph were a selfish people desiring only their material benefits. In the process of achieving their goal they did not mind causing hurt and harm to their loving brother, Joseph and did not estimate the impact that harming him was to have had on the father.

They thought that material strength was the only ingredient necessary for success in life; they never stopped for one moment to ponder on the fact that life is not just for one day, and no one knows what is in store for him or her in the days ahead. They never realized that circumstances can reduce a person from abundant of wealth to destitution. The brothers of Joseph did not take note of a very important principle regarding the daily activities of every human being, i.e. it is very difficult to climb anywhere but it is very easy to slip and fall back to the ground

On the other hand, the outlook of Joseph, was totally different from that of his brothers. He was kind, polite, respectful to his parents, and was a very righteous son who was not selfish. This story brings out two important principles that are extremely necessary in creating unity and harmony in the family and in the society. They are:

1. Sabrun jameelun: to persevere with patience is a beautiful thing.
2. Laa tai-a-su min rawhillah; or laa taqnatu min rahmatullah: do not be despondent with the soothing Mercies of Allah.

Islam teaches that there must be co-operation with one another in doing good and resisting evil. Allah says:

Co-operate with one another in righteousness and piety, and do not co-operate with one another in sin and transgression. (5:2).

Every single believer in Allah has his or her individual responsibilities, as a unit in the family, and as a unit in society. Regarding one’s attitude towards family members Allah says:

Take care, (by educating, molding the personality and helping) your nearest family members. (26:214)

There are many people even in the Muslim Society who are prepared to preach to the world, and are quick to condemn others, but their own near and dear ones are living like the brothers of Joseph instead of the loving and kind, submissive brother of Benjamin.

Because the principles for a healthy united family and by extension the society, are Qur’anic injunctions, they are universal and become part of the Islamic Culture which is universal and are based on divine revelations. As such they remain constant and are binding on every one.

Every parent is expected to transmit the basic fundamentals of this beautiful way of life to their dependents. It begins with total expression of love and compassion for the younger ones and a similar pattern of conduct towards the elders when the child grows up. This is manifested in the prayer which the adult is taught to supplicate for parents. Allah says:

Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, do not say a word of contempt (to them) nor repel them; but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: My Lord, bestow on them Your Mercy, just as how they cherished me when I was small. (17:23-4)

One of the ways in which Islam brought out universal brotherhood is by inclusion of every believer, irrespective of race or color, into becoming a member of the family of believers. 

This is based on the Qur’anic injunction in which Allah Commands them as follows:

O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except in a state of complete submission (i.e. in Islam).And hold fast all of you to the rope of Allah as a community and be not separate. And keep in mind Allah’s blessings on you all, when you were enemies (i.e. selfish and divided among yourselves,) he joined your hearts with love and compassion; so that, by His Grace you became brethren. (3:102-3)

Allah made it known to Muslims that situations can arise in families which may cause disunity; and when removed the family can become, once again, a beautiful unit. Such situations form part of the Message contained in the story of Joseph in the Qur’an.

Through perseverance with patience, Jacob was finally able to get the ten sons to admit that they were wrong, and Joseph finally got them to seek forgiveness from him and from Allah for their treachery against him.

Islam came to unite mankind into one community, irrespective of race and color. Allah says:

Verily, this Brotherhood of yours is one Brotherhood, and I am your Lord so worship Me (alone). (21:92)

As a perfect way of life, Islam established, among other principles, the following beliefs:

In the oneness of the Creator of the universe,

No creature can be like the Creator

A divinely revealed Code of Life applicable to all and not subject to change

A Messenger who is a universal model

In the fact that the goal of every individual should be similar as was ultimately demonstrated by Jacob and his family, when they acknowledged Jacob’s leadership over them. Even then, Joseph himself acknowledged that power and position are gifts from Allah and He may bestow them on whoever He pleases.

While the Qur’an enjoins upon us to try our best to live like one big Muslim family, enjoining good and avoiding evil, Allah makes it clear that whoever should deviate from this principle, it will be to his or her own peril. He says:

Say: shall I seek for (my) Cherisher other than Allah; when He is the Cherisher of all things (that exist)? Every soul draws the consequences of its acts on none but itself; no bearer of burdens can bear the burdens of anther. Your goal in the end is towards Allah; He will tell you the truth of the things where you disputed. (6:164)

The way to success is selfless love, total resignation and sincere dedication; as our beloved Messenger (pboh), demonstrated in his own life; as Allah tells us about him in the Qur’an.   He says:

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

We should try our best to avoid the negatives and uphold the positives if we are to live like one big happy family.

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed