The following discourse was delivered on the 10th may 2008 at Masjid Hamzah, Ashton under Lyne.
After praising Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) and sending salutations upon the best of creation, his family, friends, and the Muslim Ummah, those who have passed away, and those who are still living, we begin.
He (Da’makath’Barakathu’hu) said:
We begin with the name of Allah the Exalted, as mentioned before, the Sunnah of the beloved Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) was to recite the last three chapters of the Holy Quran three times each. Our mother Aisha (Radiyallahu ‘anha) reported in Tirmidi (Book of Hadiths) that when the beloved Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) used to lie down on the bed, he (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) would raise his hands and recite the last three chapters of the Quran three times each. Then he would blow on his hands and wipe his entire body. You also do the same, as when one is sleeping, we are prone to the devil and his evil. When one does this, he is seeking the refuge of the Almighty, the One who provides for the entire creation. Secondly, if the best of creation used to do such actions, do you not think that we need to do this as well, as we are more in need to be protected from the devil?
The verses we recited in the beginning are very indicative for Muslims. As Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) says, “O you who believe…” Now, this is not for the non-Muslims but for us. When Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) sometimes addresses us in this manner, it is out of love, as the one who has believed in Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) becomes His beloved, compared to the non-Muslim. He (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) continues, “O you who believe, do not make your children, family, wealth as a means for you to forget the remembrance of Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala). Do not make them a means for you being cursed to hell.” In another verse, Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) says, “Indeed, your children and wealth are a test for you.” Now, you and I should think a little and see …the one who is earning a living and not offering his salah (prayers) or other injunctions of the Deen (way of life – Islam), then we should think and see if we fall into this category highlighted in this ayah. As Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) mentioned in this verse that this is the cause for many people not offering the obligations of the Deen. He (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) continues to say, the one who has delved into this should repent and turn to Him (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala). Secondly, He (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) says that the people who have fallen into this category and do not turn to Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) are the worst of the people.
People say, we need to do this and that for our children, we need to educate them, marry them off, and therefore they miss the obligations of the Deen. How sad it is for a person to destroy his Deen for other people. People are selling drugs and are not fulfilling the rights of Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) and His beloved. These people are lower than the animals and are in very dangerous situations. We must think for a little and see; Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) has said these, the love of the children, wealth, the love of women, are a test for us. The human body that Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) has given to us can be used for good things as well. We tend to use it for evil, but Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) says that our body, money, and our life should be used for Allah only.
Like you have come here now, to listen to the advice and to remember Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala), this is a form of spending in the way of Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala). Spending in the way of Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) does not only mean in terms of money but also a person’s time and abilities.
In a Sahih Hadith, the Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) is reported to have said, “The one who commits a sin, the angel who usually writes the sin is commanded not to write down his sin for six hours. Within this time limit, if the servant of Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) repents to Him and then changes his ways, that sin which he committed is never written.” Imagine the mercy of the Almighty.
The blessed one (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) has said, “The one who commits a sin and then repents to Allah, he is more beloved to Allah than the one who worships all night.” But remember not to fall into this trick of the devil that, when one commits the sin, he goes on to do others from one sin to another, know that the first sin, which you had committed, is not yet written down. This is a chance for you to turn to Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala). Within the time period that is given, if a person does not repent to Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala), then only one sin is written. In turn, if a person does a good deed, then not one good deed is written but ten. The first one is used to expiate the sin which one may have committed; the rest of the nine are written down for the good deed. The sin, when one commits, cannot be written down until the angel on the right gives permission for the one on the left to do so. The one on the right is like a leader angel, and the one on the left is like his assistant.
The second chance that Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) gives to His creation (look at how merciful the Almighty is) is until death, and the third is the time before the end of time, before the time the sun rises from the west.
Time, a creation of Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala), near the day of judgment, the hours of the days will be very long; the normal 24 hours will be extremely long that even the non-Muslims will begin to think, “What is happening to us? What is happening to the world?” The Muslims will begin to run to the mosques out of fear of what is going to happen. People will be very frightened, not knowing what will happen; the non-Muslims will be totally confused and not know what to do. Some people when this time comes will then try to repent to Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala); this will be too late. Remember the beloved Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) has informed us what to do even at those times of fear, confusion, and total despair.
In those times, Satan will also begin to think of repenting to Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala), the leader of all the devils. He will fall in prostration, and all his followers will ask their leader, “What are you doing, our master? We worship you.” He will then say, “My time has come now, I will be destroyed. In the last hope in the mercy of Allah, I thought of repenting to Him (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala), but this will be too late.” Just imagine, Satan himself will realize one day, but my brothers, remember we still have the time.
This is what the Awliyah have taught us. Hazrat Imdad Ullah Muhajir Makki has said for two years the great Wali Syyidina Abdul Qadir Jilani used to do the Tharabiyah (purification of the heart) of the people. The great saint of the Indian subcontinent Hazrat Thanvi used to do the same; he himself did his Tazkiyah after graduating from the madrasah. He did not see fit to say, “There is no need for us to do Tazkiyah (purification of the heart), we have knowledge of the Deen.”
One of the saints has said that the devil ties three knots on a person: in the morning when he tries to perform his obligations of the Deen, when we find it very difficult to get up for Salah, etc. The first one is broken when a person wakes up with the name of Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala), the second is broken when someone gets up and then performs Wudu, then the third one is broken when one reads the Salah. He then went on to say that the devils that are with us, the personal devils with us, will be manifested near the day of judgment. We will begin to see them, the one who makes us commit the sins and makes us do evil things.
This is why we cannot call anyone a Kafir or a non-Muslim, as we do not know when they will accept the truth and become a Muslim. A person may accept Iman just before he dies; we are not allowed to call anyone a hypocrite, as we do not know the inner self of a person. One of the companions who on the battlefield got the upper hand of the non-Muslim, was about to kill him when he (the non-Muslim) said the testimony of Islam. But despite this, the companion of the Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) still killed him. When the blessed Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) told him what happened, he gave a detailed account of the events and even told him what he did. The Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) was very displeased with him; the companion further said, “I wished that I was not a Muslim until then.” He (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) said, “Did you cut open his heart and see whether he said it with the truth or not?”
The advice we hear and are saying is for both of us; so if you find anything wrong with us in what we say, then say it to us in front of us and not behind us. Whether you are listening at home, if you find anything wrong with what is being said, then come and let us know.
When the Munafiq of Madina had put slander on the mother of the Muslims, Aisha (Radiyallahu ‘anha), of the event which occurred with the companion called Uthman (Radiyallahu ‘anhu), the blessed Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) sought the advice of the companion called Umar (Radiyallahu ‘anhu). He asked Umar, “O Umar, what do you think of this fitna?” He said, “Ya Rasulallah, the Nikah which you did, did you do that out of your own will or was it Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) who commanded you to do so?” He (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) replied that it was the Lord of the worlds. He then said, “Ya Rasulallah, if the Lord of the world commanded you to marry someone, I do not think that they will do such a lowly thing and shameless thing.” Such a person once asked Hazrat Ubaidah (Radiyallahu ‘anhu), “Is my name amongst the names of the Munafiqs which the beloved Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) told you?” As Hazrat Ubaidah (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) was the secret bearer of the Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam). Such a person like Umar (Radiyallahu ‘anhu), who was guaranteed Jannah in this world, was still inquiring. So this just goes to show that we all need to be fearful of what we do and regarding our end and to be told of what wrong we are doing.
The Prophet (Salla’hu Alihi wa Sallam) is also reported to have said that, “If you have committed a sin…” as we are human beings, we will commit sometimes, but this does not give us the permission to do so. But “when it happens without intention, then do a good deed straight away, in place of the evil you had done.” So that we can redeem ourselves. Look at the mercy of the Lord of the worlds, how He wants to forgive us.
May Allah (Subhan’Allahu wa Ta’ala) enable us to practice upon the teaching of this.
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