Fajr Reminders - Mahmood Habib Masjid and Islamic Center

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Video of the reminder: https://youtu.be/vrNFNQp3Zdg Links mentioned: https://yawarbaig.com/confusion-about-kindness http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/28/ep.wrong.side.surgery/index.html http://national.news21.com/2010-2/plane-crashes-avoidable-with-safety-measures-ntsb http://www.stratoserve.com/2011/05/jack-welch-ges-4-p-and-one-e-curve.html

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The month of Muharram is a great and blessed month. It is the first month of the Hijri year and is one of the sacred months about which Allahﷻ says: إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِى كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ Tawbah 9: 36 “Verily, the number of months with Allahﷻ is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allahﷻ on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred, (i.e. the 1st, the 7t , the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion…” Abu Bakrah (R) narrated that Rasoolullahﷺ said: “… The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhu al-Qa‘dah, Dhu al-Hijjah and al-Muharram, and Rajab which comes between Jumada and Sha‘ban.” (Bukhari) Allama Ibn Katheer (RA), regarding this Ayah, explains, “Allahﷻ has chosen elites from His creation: from among the angels He chose Messengers, from among mankind He chose Messengers, from among speech He chose remembrance of Himself (Dhikr), from among spaces on earth He chose the mosques, from among the months He chose Ramadan and the sacred months. So, venerate that which has been chosen by Allahﷻ, because people of understanding and wisdom, respect that which has been chosen by Him”. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer) Abu Hurairah (R) said that Rasoolullahﷺ said, “The best fast after Ramadan is in the month of Muharram.” (Muslim) Rasoolullahﷺ encouraged fasting during the month of Muharram, particularly on the 10th day, called Ashoora, as a means of seeking Allahﷻ's mercy and forgiveness. In Fiqh As-Sunnah, Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq (RA) states: Abu Hurairah (R) reported, “I asked Rasoolullahﷺ, ‘Which Prayer is the best after the Fardh Prayers?’ He said: ‘Prayer during the middle of the night.’ I asked: ‘Which fasting is the best after that of Ramadan?’ He said, ‘The month of Allahﷻ that you call Muharram’.” (Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Dawud) Rasoolullahﷺ said, “Fasting the day of Ashoora (has great merit), I hope that Allahﷻ will accept it as an expiation for (sins in) the previous year.” (Muslim) Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (RA) said, “When Rasoolullahﷺ fasted on the day of Ashoora and told the people to fast, they said, “Ya Rasoolullahﷺ this is a day that is venerated by the Jews and Christians.” Rasoolullahﷺ said, “Next year, if Allahﷻ wills, we will fast on the 9th day (also).” But by the time the following year came, Rasoolullahﷺ had passed away. (Muslim). So let us fast on 9th and 10th. Rasoolullahﷺ said, “One who generously spends on his family on the day of ‘Ashoora, Allahﷻ will be generous on him for the entire year.” (Tabarani) Regarding this, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (RA) narrates that Sufyan Ibn Uyayna (RA) said, “I have practiced this (spending on the family) for fifty or sixty years and have found nothing but good in it.” (Lata’if al-Ma‘arif) The day of 'Ashoora was known to the Quraysh and to Rasoolullahﷺ in Makkah, and the Quraysh used to venerate it and fast on that day. It is believed that Nuh (AS)’s ship reached land on Mount Judi, and Musa (AS) led his people out of the slavery of Firawn on the day of Ashoora. The Quraysh venerated this day and considered it holy and used to change the cover of the Ka’aba on 10th of Muharram and would fast and pray specially on that day. Rasoolullahﷺ fasted it with them during his life in Makkah. روى الشيخان عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: كانت قريش تصوم عاشوراء في الجاهلية، وكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصومه، فلما هاجر إلى المدينة صامه وأمر بصيامه It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (RA) said: Quraysh used to fast on 'Ashoora during the Jahiliya, and Rasoolullahﷺ used to fast on (that day) too. When he migrated to Madinah, he fasted this day and ordered that this fast be observed. When the month of Ramadan was enjoined, he said: “Whoever wishes may fast on (this day) and whoever wishes may leave it.” (Bukhari, Muslim) Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) narrated that the people of the Jahiliya used to fast on the day of 'Ashoora, and Rasoolullahﷺ and the Muslims fasted it before Ramadan was made obligatory. When the month of Ramadan was made obligatory, Rasoolullahﷺ said: “Ashoora is one of the days of Allahﷻ. So, whoever wishes may fast it and whoever wishes may omit it.” (Muslim). Muharram serves as a time for self-assessment and repentance. It is a reminder for us to reflect on our deeds, seek forgiveness for our sins, and strive to improve ourselves as individuals and as a community. Having said that, I remind myself and you that the time to change is as soon as we realize our mistakes and not wait for some auspicious month or day. We don’t know when we will die and so let us hasten and hurry to cleanup our act and get our lives in order so that we can meet Allahﷻ seeking His Mercy. The Battle of Karbala was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram 61 AH) between the army of the second Umayyad Khalifa Yazid I (r. 680–683) and a

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Ayaat supporting the authority of the Sunnah وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓإِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌ يُوحَىٰ Najm 53: 3-4 Nor does he speak of his own whims. It is only a revelation sent down ˹to him˺. وَمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ فَٱنتَهُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ Hashr 59: 7 Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, leave it. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment. مَّن يُطِعِ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ ٱللَّهَ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا Nisa 4: 80 Whoever obeys the Messenger has truly obeyed Allah. But whoever turns away, then ˹know that˺ We have not sent you ˹O Prophet˺ as a keeper over them. قُلْ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيْكُم مَّا حُمِّلْتُمْ وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا۟ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ Noor 24: 54 Say, “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. But if you turn away, then he is only responsible for his duty and you are responsible for yours. And if you obey him, you will be ˹rightly˺ guided. The Messenger’s duty is only to deliver ˹the message˺ clearly.” لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِى رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلْيَوْمَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَ وَذَكَرَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا Ahzab 33: 21 Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often. قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ A'al Imraan 3: 31 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If you ˹sincerely˺ love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا Nisa 4: 65 But no! By your Lord, they will never be ˹true˺ believers until they accept you ˹O Prophet˺ as the judge in their disputes, and find no resistance within themselves against your decision and submit wholeheartedly.

Last week I told you that Allahﷻ prohibited sadness. That sounds unreasonable and you may say, ‘I don’t want to feel sad. But I do. So, why is sadness prohibited?’ We are conditioned to see emotions as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘positive’ or ‘negative’. The reality is that emotions are value neutral. They are neither positive nor negative. But what we do with emotion can make it positive or negative. So, while we don’t have control over the emotion, we have total control over what we choose to do thereafter. For example, people say, ‘Don’t get angry.’ That is as unreasonable as saying, ‘Don’t feel hungry or thirsty.’ In Ramadan we feel hungry and thirsty, but we choose to ignore it to please Allahﷻ. We may feel angry with someone, but we choose to control our anger for the same reason. Someone may come to us with gossip, or we may have the urge to backbite someone, but we stop ourselves because backbiting is destructive and like all destructive things, is Haraam. In the case of sadness and grief, to feel it shows that we are human and that our hearts are alive. But to allow ourselves to get bogged down in it is our choice. We can equally easily choose to break out of it. For example, upon facing bereavement, we can either fall into depression or despair. Or we can choose to be grateful to Allahﷻ for having granted us the company of that friend for the duration that we were together. We can recall and relive the beautiful memories of our time together and pray for them and give charity to benefit them. If we lose our job, we can choose to see it as an opportunity to become entrepreneurs which most people in jobs declare to be their aspirational goal but do nothing to achieve it, until one day they find themselves looking at their office building without their passkey. If we face a financial loss or lose a relationship which is far more serious than financial loss, we can choose to analyze what went wrong and learn lessons from it to prevent it happening a second time. In all these cases and more, we will feel sad, but what we choose to do with that will spell the difference between happiness and gaining wisdom or wasting a life opportunity. Sadness is prohibited for two other reasons. When our sadness turns morbid and is more than is normal in a situation, it means that we have not recognized the truth of the matter. And that truth is what Allahﷻ told us: مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقٍ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوٓا۟ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ Nahl 16: 96 Whatever you have will end, but whatever Allah has is everlasting. And We will certainly reward the steadfast according to the best of their deeds. How can you grieve or regret losing something you didn’t own in the first place? It was not yours. So, how can you say that you lost it? You had been given that person or situation or experience or thing in trust as a gift temporarily. When that period ended, it went back to its real owner, Allahﷻ, who is also our owner and to whom we will also return. When we remember this, loss turns to gain and sadness to gratitude. We become thankful for what we’d had, instead of feeling sad for what we think we lost. The second bigger problem with prolonged sadness is that it takes away the desire to go forward in life. If you allow yourself to fall into that trap, you become morose, withdrawn and depressed. This is unique to sadness. With other emotions which are considered negative, it doesn’t happen. Anger can energize you to solve a problem or to ensure that a criminal is punished. Fear is a universal motivator to greater effort and in the right dose, it brings the world around you, alive. I recall with great happiness my wanderings in Indian and South American jungles, home to tigers, leopards, bears, elephants, jaguars, anacondas, and other highly dangerous animals. But being in the forest always made me feel more alive, aware, and appreciate my surroundings and gave me tremendous confidence in my own ability to survive. As you can see, I did. The presence of danger is a great motivator because your life is at stake. You will never have that feeling when you look at the same animals in a zoo. Fear also motivates those who compete in extreme sports or even in polo or steeplechases. There is real danger of serious injury, even death. But it motivates you to develop expertise and win. This is what motivates entrepreneurs to take risks. It is the possibility of loss which paradoxically motivates a person to put himself in a situation where it may become real. It is a race against odds which is so heady and exciting. Ask anyone who is about to start a very difficult and potentially life-threatening climb up a mountain if he feels any fear. He does. But that not only motivates him but keeps him safe. Those who have no fear, die. This will suffice to show how different so-called negative emotions have positive effects. The exception is sadness. Sadness, if you allow it, drags you down into a s

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be no money (to compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to his oppression which he has done, and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him." حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ بْنُ أَبِي إِيَاسٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ مَظْلَمَةٌ لأَحَدٍ مِنْ عِرْضِهِ أَوْ شَىْءٍ فَلْيَتَحَلَّلْهُ مِنْهُ الْيَوْمَ، قَبْلَ أَنْ لاَ يَكُونَ دِينَارٌ وَلاَ دِرْهَمٌ، إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ أُخِذَ مِنْهُ بِقَدْرِ مَظْلَمَتِهِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ حَسَنَاتٌ أُخِذَ مِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ صَاحِبِهِ فَحُمِلَ عَلَيْهِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ الْمَقْبُرِيَّ لأَنَّهُ كَانَ نَزَلَ نَاحِيَةَ الْمَقَابِرِ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَسَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ هُوَ مَوْلَى بَنِي لَيْثٍ، وَهُوَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، وَاسْمُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ كَيْسَانُ‏.‏Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2449

We live in a paradoxical world. We are knowledgeable about the earth but are burning it up at a pace which is out of control. We are knowledgeable about health but disease, especially mental illness is in rampant proportions. We collectively have enormous wealth, but its distribution ensures that vast populations are deprived, even starving, while a few live in luxury. We have moved from physical conquest of countries to proxy wars which can provide never-ending ROI for weapons manufacturers. It is not a war to conquer land but to achieve macroeconomic goals while making profit for both sides. The devastation of cities and nations is an opportunity for contracts to rebuild which means more profit. The deaths of civilians is collateral damage mourned only by their families. The fastest spreading religion in our world is Materialism and its presiding deity is money. It runs on the illusion of fiat currency, its temples are banks, and its high priests are those who manipulate interest rates to enrich and impoverish people and nations at will. In our world, sin is good, greed is virtue, cruelty is nobility, anything that makes money for those in control is good, lying is the biggest talent, and truth is evil. We are living in a stupor in a 3-D surround sound theatre, wearing virtual reality glasses and anyone who tries to wake us up to the reality of our lives, is brutally silenced, so that it becomes a salutary warning for others. We have assets. What we have lost is our moral compass. We are like a very powerful car speeding downhill without brakes. Our speed is exhilarating, but the end is obvious and inevitable. The rise and fall of civilizations is not based on how much wealth they have but on how it is used. That depends on their values. Values decide how assets are used. That is destiny and it is in our hands. The biggest casualty of this state of affairs in our brave new world is the almost total collapse of credibility. Today we trust nobody, believe nobody and suspect everyone. Politicians, religious leaders, business heads, teachers, media, doctors, attorneys, parents, spouses, children, and elders; we don’t believe any of them. We are constantly looking for second opinions in the name of trying to be accurate. The truth is that we do it because we don’t believe anyone. Our society feeds us a constant diet of bad news, usually exaggerated. We never hear or think about the enormous good that there is in our world today. The result of this way of life is stress, anxiety, and depression. You can’t live in a constant state of fear. And its effect shows. There is a solution to all this and that is to rebuild our faith. To return to the standard that was taught and exemplified by Rasoolullahﷺ. A standard of life that was birthed in a society very similar to ours with similar materialistic motivations. He taught us how to deal with it in practice. His time and life were the pilot project, proof of concept that Islam works. His way, the Sunnah proves that Islam is not merely a theory, philosophy, or concept, but like Judo or Aikido, Islam is a practice. Like all practices, it must be practiced if you want to benefit from it. Merely knowing about it or having academic discussions is of no use. Allahﷻ drew our attention to it and called Rasoolullahﷺ and his way, the best choice for anyone who looks forward to meeting Allahﷻ and the Day of Judgment. If we follow him we will benefit. So, do values matter? Think of values as a life jacket. The time you need to hold onto it and wear it openly is when you're in the flood. When you're on dry land it doesn't matter. But when you're caught in a flood, in danger of drowning, that’s when you need those values most. We need to hold onto our values especially when things are difficult. Sometimes people ask, “Why should I do it when nobody else is doing it?” I say, “I should do it especially when nobody is doing it because if I don't, there'll be nobody else doing it.” As they say, “If not me, then who?” In the end, it's not about them. It's about me. It is my life and only I will answer for my actions. Allahﷻ said: كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ A’al Imraan 3: 185 Every soul will taste death. And you will only receive your full reward on the Day of Judgment. Whoever is spared from the Fire and is admitted into Jannah will ˹indeed˺ triumph, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment. In this Ayat-ul-Kareema Allahﷻ mentioned four things. That this life is finite, and we will all die. Whatever material we have will be left behind but how we got it and what we did with it will go with us. That the final reckoning will be on the Day of Judgement. No matter who thinks that they got away with murder and worse, will pay the price in ful

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My brothers and sisters, we are living in difficult times which are testing us in ways that at least I had never imagined. On the one hand Allahﷻ has kept us and our families safe and well in this land. On the other hand, we are seeing every day what is happening to Muslims and other innocent people in country after country. That can’t leave us unmoved and uncaring. I am always at a loss to answer a simple question when someone asks, ‘How are you?’ I say Alhamdulillah I am well, but my heart is heavy. This sign of a heavy heart which I know I share with all of you is the sign that our hearts are still alive. Because it is the ability to feel pain, not pleasure, which is evidence of life. So, we thank Allahﷻ that we feel the pain of others and make dua for relief for them. However, that makes the heart sad. That is the topic of this Khutba – Don’t be sad. The Muslim is one who complains only to Allahﷻ and he tells only Allahﷻ about his fears and seeks help only from Allahﷻ and lives to please only Allahﷻ. That is why he can rely on help from Allahﷻ because he is constantly connected to Allahﷻ. The word (الحزن) sadness does not appear in the Qur’an except in the form of forbidding it, as in where Allahﷻ commanded: وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ A’al Imraan 3: 139 Do not falter or grieve, for you will have the upper hand, if you are ˹true˺ believers. Or in the form of negating, as when Allahﷻ said about people of Jannah: إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ Ahqaaf 46: 13 Surely those who say, “Our Rabb is Allah,” and then remain steadfast—there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve. The reason for this is because there is no benefit of sadness in the heart. Rasoolullahﷺ sought the protection of Allahﷻ from worry and sadness. اللهمّ إني أعوذ بك من الهم والحزن Ibn Al Qayyim رحمه الله said, “Sadness weakens the heart and diminishes determination and wanting to go forward.” For this reason, be happy, optimistic and always think well about Allahﷻ. Have trust in what Allahﷻ can do and depend on Him alone. That is Tawakkul which Allahﷻ gifts to those who live a life of Taqwa. Tawakkul is the reward of Taqwa. Allahﷻ created us with a nature that seeks certainty and dislikes ambiguity and uncertainty. That is what anchors and is the fount of all laws, rules, government, order, culture, manners, which form the fabric of society. Without the drive for certainty, we would have anarchy and chaos. But Allahﷻ didn’t give us knowledge of or control over our future. That produces worry, anxiety, fear, sadness, even despair. And that is Haraam. Ibn Al Qayyim رحمه الله said, “Don’t ruin your happiness with worry, and don’t ruin your mind with pessimism. Don’t ruin your success with deception and don’t ruin the optimism of others by destroying it. Don’t ruin your day by looking back at yesterday. If you think about your situation, you will find that Allahﷻ has given you things without asking, so have trust in Allahﷻ that He doesn’t prevent anything you want except when there is goodness for you in that prevention. You could be sleeping, and the doors of the Heavens are being opened with duas being made for you. SubhanAllah: perhaps from someone poor whom you helped, or someone sad whom you brought joy to, or someone passing by, and you smiled at him, or someone in distress and you removed it. So don’t ever underestimate any good deed.” One of the righteous predecessors said, “When I make dua to Allahﷻ for something I want, and if He gives it to me then I’m happy once but if He doesn’t give it to me then I’m happy ten times because the first was my choice and the second was Allahﷻ’s choice.” Shaikh Saadi Shirazi (رحمه الله), the great Farsi poet and one of the most influential thinkers, scholars, and philosophers of all time, the author of Bostaan and Gulistaan, said, very simply, “Life is short so don’t shorten it with worries, grief, and sadness.” The cure for sadness is to reflect on the Sunnah of Allahﷻ. Think about when Allahﷻ helped the best of His creation, His chosen Prophets and Messengers. Take the case of Ibrahim (AS). When did the help of Allahﷻ come, when he was put into the cup of the trebuchet? When did Allahﷻ’s help come for Ismail (AS) when he was being slaughtered? When did the help of Allahﷻ come for Yusuf (AS) when he was thrown into the well by his brothers? When did the help of Allahﷻ come for Musa (AS) when he was in danger of being killed by the soldiers of Firawn? When did help come for Isa (AS) when they wanted to crucify him? When did the help of Allahﷻ come for our own beloved Prophet Muhammadﷺ at Ta’if, and when he was in the cave of Thaur? When did the help of Allahﷻ come in Badr? When did it come in the Gazwatul Ahzab or Khandaq? So, have faith in Allahﷻ and know that if we are on the right path, the help of Allahﷻ is certain. When that help will come depends on the One

He was Khaleelullah. And Allahﷻ loved him, so He tested him. In each test, by the help of Allahﷻ, he proved true to his Covenant with Allahﷻ. So, Allahﷻ gave him the job of building His House, the Ka’aba. Allahﷻ said: وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَٰهِيمَ مَكَانَ ٱلْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِى شَيْـًٔا وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْقَآئِمِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ وَأَذِّن فِى ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ لِّيَشْهَدُوا۟ مَنَـٰفِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَـٰتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ فَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا۟ ٱلْبَآئِسَ ٱلْفَقِيرَ Hajj 22: 26-7 And ˹remember˺ when We assigned to Ibrahim the site of the House, ˹saying˺ “Do not associate anything with Me ˹in worship˺ and purify My House for those who circle ˹the Ka’bah˺, stand ˹in prayer˺, and bow and prostrate themselves. Call ˹all˺ people to the pilgrimage. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel from every distant path. So, they may obtain the benefits ˹in store˺ for them and pronounce the Name of Allah on appointed days over the sacrificial animals He has provided for them. So, eat their meat and feed the destitute (poor). The Hajj is the story of Ibrahim (AS) and his family and the tests that they faced and passed. Allahﷻ loved this so much that He made their actions, the rites of the greatest act of worship, the reward for which is total forgiveness. Allahﷻ made Hajj Fardh on all those who can afford it. إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِى بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ فِيهِ ءَايَـٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَـٰتٌ مَّقَامُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمَن دَخَلَهُۥ كَانَ ءَامِنًا وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ حِجُّ ٱلْبَيْتِ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ A’al Imraan 3: 96-97 Surely the first House ˹of worship˺ established for humanity is the one at Makkah—a blessed sanctuary and a guide for ˹all˺ people. In it are clear signs and the standing-place of Ibrahim. Whoever enters it should be safe. Pilgrimage to this House is an obligation by Allah upon whoever is able among the people. And whoever disbelieves, then surely Allah is not in need of ˹His˺ creation. The reciting of Talbiya declares that we are ready to obey Allahﷻ without question, because we know Allahﷻ and love Him over anyone else. Then we don the Ihram. Men in two pieces of unstitched cloth, nothing else, to remind ourselves of our reality and how we will be dressed when we leave this world. Shorn of all our worldly symbols of wealth and status. This reminds us of the true brotherhood of faith in which the single adhesive is our connection with Allahﷻ. Everyone reciting the same Talbiya, everyone making the same declaration, everyone seeking the same goal, the Ridha of Allahﷻ. True brotherhood that transcends all boundaries of color, race, tribe, and social rank. It reminds us of how we will be gathered before Allahﷻ on a Day where everyone will get justice. We ask Allahﷻ for Mercy. Then we go to the next stage of making Tawaf of the Ka’aba and praying in the place of Ibrahim (AS) which Allahﷻ made a place of worship. We follow in the footsteps of our mother, Hajar (AS), the wife of Ibrahim (AS) and emulate her actions of climbing the two hills of Safa and Marwa and running between them in the valley. She did it because she was looking for help for herself and her infant son. We do it because she did it. The actions of one woman became the rituals of worship, performed by every Haaji of every race, from every part of the world for five thousand years; by all the Prophets and Messengers, including Rasoolullahﷺ. These actions demonstrate the essence of Tawakkul of Hajar (AS). That Tawakkul doesn’t mean to do nothing and wait for victory. It means to make effort but to rely on Allahﷻ for the result. Our arms and legs and back are tired but the heart is at peace. In Hajj Allahﷻ reminded us about the final and greatest test that Ibrahim (AS) and Ismail (AS) faced. One at an advanced age when he was finally blessed with a son that he had been asking Allahﷻ for, for decades. And the other as soon as he was old enough to walk with his father. Allahﷻ told us: فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ ٱلسَّعْىَ قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ فِى ٱلْمَنَامِ أَنِّىٓ أَذْبَحُكَ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَىٰ قَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ ٱفْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ Saffat 37: 102 Then when the boy reached the age to walk with him, Ibrahim said, “O my dear son! I have seen in a dream that I ˹must˺ sacrifice you. So, look (in your heart), what you see.” He replied, “O my dear father! Do as you are commanded. Allah willing, you will find me steadfast.” I always marvel at this conversation between a 90-year-old father and his little son who is seeing his father for almost the first time. He was raised by his mother in an alien environment, among strangers who didn’t even speak their language. Yet w

Our Deen Islam is based on one thing only and that is trust in the truthfulness of our Prophet Muhammadﷺ. We believe that the Ayaat of the Qur’an are the speech of Allahﷻ because Muhammadﷺ said so. That is why we treat the Ahadith of Rasoolullahﷺ with so much reverence because they were also said by the same person, i.e., Muhammadﷺ, who recited for us, the Word of Allahﷻ. It is a measure and proof of his truthfulness that he never claimed his speech to be the Word of God – Kalaamullah, even though Allahﷻ said about the speech of Muhammadﷺ: وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ - إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌ يُوحَىٰ Najm 53: 3-4 Nor does he speak of his own volition. It is only a revelation sent ˹to him˺. Allahﷻ commanded us, Believers, to obey Muhammadﷺ unquestioningly. وَمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ فَٱنتَهُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ Hashr 59: 7 Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, leave it. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment. Allahﷻ didn’t restrict obedience to Rasoolullahﷺ to worship alone or anything else. He gave a blanket command and ordered us to obey Rasoolullahﷺ in every matter and warned us of His punishment if we didn’t obey Rasoolullahﷺ without question. Let us remember that Islam means submission and it is only obedience which makes us Muslims. Finally, for the purpose of our discussion here, Allahﷻ declared on oath by Himself that we can’t have faith until we accept the rulings of Rasoolullahﷺ in all matters wholeheartedly without any resistance to them in our hearts. فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا Nisa 4: 65 But no! By your Rabb, they will never be believers until they accept you ˹O Prophet˺ as the judge in their disputes and find no resistance within themselves against your decision and submit wholeheartedly. Based on this our scholars from the Sahaba onwards have always taken the position that anyone who denies a Sahih Hadith or refuses to accept a ruling of Rasoolullahﷺ, has committed Kufr and has left Islam. https://islamqa.info/en/answers/115125/ruling-on-one-who-rejects-a-saheeh-hadith That is the light in which we must see the following Hadith of Rasoolullahﷺ: عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ سُنَّتِي فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي Abdullah ibn Amr (RA) reported: Rasoolullahﷺ said, “Whoever does not desire my Sunnah is not a part of me.” (Sunan Ibn-Abi Asim) Hadith Sahih (Al-Albani) For those who love His Messengerﷺ and emulate him, Allahﷻ promised: قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ A’al Imraan 3: 31 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If you ˹sincerely˺ love Allah, then emulate me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” Finally, Allahﷻ said about this Deen of ours Islam: ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًا Ma’ida 5: 3 Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your way. About when this Ayah was revealed, we have the narration where a Jew said to 'Umar ibn Al Khattab (R), 'O leader of the believers! There is an Ayah in your Book (Qur’an) which is read by all of you (Muslims), and had it been revealed to us (Jews), we would have taken that day (on which it was revealed) as a day of celebration." 'Umar Ibn Al Khattab (R) asked him, "Which Ayah is that?" The man replied: "This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." [Quran 5:3]. 'Umar (R) replied: "No doubt, we know when and where this Ayah was revealed to Rasoolullahﷺ. It was the day he was standing at 'Arafah on a Friday." [Bukhari & Muslim] Both being Eids. This is evidence that the Ayah declaring that Islam is complete was revealed on Yawm Al Arafah which is the 9th of Dhul Hijjah. Therefore, it is a part of our Creed to believe Islam to be complete and to believe that Rasoolullahﷺ completed his responsibility of conveying the Message of Islam by word and deed; by teaching it and demonstrating it in his life. We believe that he didn’t leave anything out and so there is no scope for anyone to add anything or change anything in Islam. Rasoolullahﷺ shut the door to all innovations in Islam and declared that all innovation is misguidance and will be in the Fire. We hear this Hadith in almost every Juma Khutba in every masjid. عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ يَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَيُثْنِي عَلَيْهِ بِمَا هُوَ أَهْلُهُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ