(If above player does not work, click Allah's Promises: The Key to Hope and Faith for audio recording of khutbah)
(33:35)
إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
Hadith Qudsi:
On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah the Almighty said:
I am as My servant thinks I am (1). I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.
Another possible rendering of the Arabic is: "I am as My servant expects Me to be". The meaning is that forgiveness and acceptance of repentance by the Almighty is subject to His servant truly believing that He is forgiving and merciful. However, not to accompany such belief with right action would be to mock the Almighty.
It was related by al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah).
Part I
Background for how this topic emergedIn a number of discussions with people recently, online and in person, I have realized there is a lot of hurt, pain and destruction in our community. There is apathy. There is sadness; sometimes real sadness and justifiable sadness. Muslims are contemplating suicide. Muslims are committing zina. Muslims are stealing. Muslims are killing. Muslims are doing a host of things that are problematic in our society. Muslims are calling other Muslims kafirs. Muslims are refusing to give charity. Muslims are refusing to give (thinking of scene from "300"). Muslims are refusing to submit - husbands to Allah and leadership and wives to their husbands. We are in a situation that needs to be addressed. I think we are suffering the most from a lack of faith. The issue is that, when we say “faith,” many of us see it as merely ‘belief’. We see it as believing in Allah, His messenger and all the articles and establishing the pillars. We see that, we believe that, but still, there seems to be some “doubt.” Not overt doubt, but subtle doubt - and it is the subtle doubt that will continue to have us in the predicament in which we find ourselves.
This is what my khutbah will focus on today, faith. However, I am hoping that it will not be about you don’t have enough faith, etc. I don’t want it to be a beat-you-over-the-head-because-our-faith-is-weak khutbah. My goal today is to show that the key to restoring hope and faith is to reconnect with the Qur’an; to show that as we reconnect with the Qur'an, we will see that this thing called faith is a simple thing, if we merely do as Allah says, “believe with absolute certainty.” I am hoping today that we are able to really understand that Allah does not break His promises. He (swt) promises success. He (swt) is the Wise.
To begin the process of understanding what faith means, we should understand who Allah is. The best way to understand Allah is to refer to how He (swt) describes Himself: Al-Haqq, Al-Muqsit (Equitable in Judgement)... (99 Attributes)...
Background for understanding Iman:
Dr. Ismail Faruqi, in his book Al-Tawhid suggests that Muslims should never translate iman into “faith” or “belief” because it implies doubt and probability. I think this is where a Muslim understanding of iman falls short sometimes. We THINK that Allah may protect us, we think that Allah MAY increase us. We see it as a probability and not a certainty. To believe in Allah completely, we have to believe with certainty, and at the same time, understand that it is by His command only. The word iman is derived from the root word amn which means security. This does not give the idea of probability, it gives the idea of certainty. For example, when we say a brother is on lock-down, we are CERTAIN we not going to see him walking the streets after Jumu'ah. This is a similitude of the type certainty were are talking about. Dr. Faruqi says, that iman is not merely a state, but “Iman is something that happens to man, when the truth, the factuality of an object strikes him in the face and convinces him beyond a doubt of its truth." Al- Ghazali describes iman as not going against, denying, contradicting the evidence of reason, but confirming it. These two scholars point to the idea that for a Muslim to claim iman, he has to also claim certainty.
Our beloved brother, Imam Suhaib Webb discusses that translating iman as belief is problematic because it can cause us to miss the key aspects of what Allah is trying to move us toward. He uses a famous hadith of Imam Malik to discuss the concept of iman. It is narrated in Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet (saws) said, “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” This is a simple hadith. We know it. We beat each other over the head with it. Many times we beat each other over the head with it when we are looking for personal gain. In this hadith, the Prophet (saws) is saying that it is NOT possible to have faith, for faith to enter the heart of a Muslim, unless he loves/wants/desires for his brother what he desires for himself (objects, wants, actions, etc). Iman here, in this sahih hadith implies that it must be manifested through action. Belief, in our colloquial and contemporary sense, does not always give off that impression that action is a quintessential part of us having iman.
The often quoted hadith of “Tie your camel” is not an indication that Allah will not protect the camel. That was not the meaning or implication there. There is no suggestion that Allah will not protect us or that if he left the camel untied, it would go astray. This is not the implication. The message of that hadith is a call to action. Man’s faith in Allah is not a passive thing; it is an active thing. He is not telling him to have little faith or to check his faith in Allah; he is telling him to do HIS part and then leave the rest to Allah. This is the essence of understanding what iman should mean to a Muslim.
Sayyiduna Umar (Allah be pleased with him) said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say, “If you relied on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for birds. They go out hungry in the early morning, and return full in the evening." [Tirmidhi] The scholars note that birds do not merely place their trust in Allah: they go out early, and take all means to fulfill their goal.
In speaking with a family member yesterday on this topic, we discussed how in some cases, just like Dr. Faruqi and Imam Webb discussed, we think of iman and faith the way we think of believing in humans. We think it is probable that it may not happen. We unconsciously have adopted the idea of the anthropomorphic god. We attribute humanistic qualities to a Allah. We say we believe, but we doubt it may happen. We doubt it as we doubt a brother who says, “yeah, insha-Allah, I will be there at 6am to take you to the airport.” In your mind, you are telling yourself, “I better put a cab on standby just-in-case”.
I have spent some time going over a little background on faith and helping us understand and internalize what iman means or what it SHOULD mean to a Muslim. We are rapidly approaching Ramadhan and we have been told of the virtues of fasting in this month, etc. We are also in the month of Sha’baan, and we know that the Prophet (saws) increased some of his activities (fasting, etc) in this month. Insha-Allah, we will also use this month to begin reintegrating the Qur’an into our lives so that we can begin the process of restoring hope and faith. As a boost to help us all along the path of re-integrating the Qur’an into our lives, I want to touch on what iman in Allah promises. I want to touch on what the Qur’an promises us if we were to truly have iman.
Rewards in this life:
- Rewards you just for having faith:
(2:143)But God will surely not lose sight of your faith-for, behold, God is most compassionate towards man, a dispenser of grace.
- Rewards in the hereafter:
(4:31)If you avoid the great sins, which you have been enjoined to shun, We shall efface your [minor] bad deeds, and shall cause you to enter an abode of glory. [40] -
Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Mustawrid, from Bani Fihr, said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«مَا الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا كَمَا يَجْعَلُ أَحَدُكُمْ إصْبَعَهُ هَذِهِ فِي الْيَمِّ، فَلْيَنْظُرْ بِمَ تَرْجِع»
(The life of the present world, compared to the Hereafter, is just like when one of you inserts his finger in the sea, so let him contemplate how much of it will it carry.) and he pointed with the index finger. Imam Muslim also collected this Hadith in his Sahih.
Emotional security:
أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
(13:28)
“Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” This is a promise from Him who never breaks His promises. Just yesterday, a friend mentioned to me about a difficult day she was having. I honestly had nothing else to offer but to remind her to turn to Allah’s words. Allah’s words are a shifa’ - they are a healing for our ailments. Literally.
In another khutbah I shall discuss the relationship between the various aspects of man: heart, soul and aql...
Psychological security:
لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ
(3:92)
[But as for you, O believers,] never shall you attain to true piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; and whatever you spend - verily, God has full knowledge thereof.
وَلاَ تَهِنُوا وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
(3:139)
Be not, then, faint of heart, and grieve not: [99] for you are bound to rise high if you are [truly] believers. -
Provisions for our well-being:
مَّن ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً وَاللّهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْسُطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
(2:245)
Who is it that will offer up unto God a goodly loan, [234]which He will amply repay, with manifold increase? For, God takes away, and He gives abundantly; and it is unto Him that you shall be brought back. -
Do we really believe that Allah is the one who provides, or do we sometimes think that it is us or man? Pushing this is step further, how many of us are grateful for Allah’s provisions? How many of us step outside of ourselves when we received Allah’s mercy? I will give you a scenario - you and a brother or sister have an argument. You all have not spoken for years. Then you are in a little difficulty and that brother or sister is available to assist you. Do you, out of pride not accept the help that you have prayed for or does that remind you to be humble and accept that Allah is the one who provides? We see this with our families. As a husband, sometimes I am upset and she may offer me something and out of pride I reject it. Then, what happens is that I end up going to bed hungry. Simple example, but it is still a sign of ingratitude. Or, even simpler. You are NOT in difficulty. Someone offers you a gift. It is not that you could not have gotten the thing yourself, but this is something that Allah sends your way. It is halal and it is good. Do you accept it and begrudgingly thank the person or do you genuinely thank them and reflect on Allah’s mercy towards us? Allah’s asks rhetorically throughout a WHOLE surah, which of His favors will you deny?
Remember, we receive more good than we deserve and we are not given the amount of punishment that we deserve.
مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّئَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
(2:261)
THE PARABLE of those who spend their possessions for the sake of God is that of a grain out of which grow seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains: for God grants manifold increase unto whom He wills; and God is infinite, all-knowing. -
فَقْتُم مِّن نَّفَقَةٍ أَوْ نَذَرْتُم مِّن نَّذْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُهُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ
(2:270)
For, whatever you may spend on others, or whatever you may vow [to spend], verily, God knows it; and those who do wrong [by withholding charity] shall have none to succour them. -
2:272 (Asad) It is not for thee [O Prophet] to make people follow the right path, [260] since it is God [alone] who guides whom He wills. And whatever good you may spend on others is for your own good, provided that you spend only out of a longing for God's countenance: for, whatever good you may spend will be repaid unto you in full, and you shall not be wronged.
Success:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ وَأَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةٌ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
(39:10)
Say: “[Thus speaks God:] [16] ‘O you servants of Mine who have attained to faith! Be conscious of your Sustainer! Ultimate good awaits those who persevere in doing good in this world. And [remember:] wide is God’s earth, [17] [and,] verily, they who are patient in adversity will be given their reward in full, beyond all reckoning!’ ” -
Allah’s Protection:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ
(2:186)
AND IF My servants ask thee about Me - behold, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way. -
اللّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّوُرِ
(2:257)
God is near unto those who have faith, taking them out of deep darkness into the light -
Prosperity:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اصْبِرُواْ وَصَابِرُواْ وَرَابِطُواْ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
(3:200)
O you who have attained to faith! Be patient in adversity, and vie in patience with one another, and be ever ready [to do what is right], and remain conscious of God, so that you might attain to a happy state! -
Allah’s Mercy:
إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَاعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
(4:40)
Verily, God does not wrong [anyone] by as much as an atom's weight; and if there be a good deed, He will multiply it, and will bestow out of His grace [51] a mighty reward. -
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ
(14:7)
And [remember the time] when your Sustainer made [this promise] known: 'If you are grateful [to Me], I shall most certainly give you more and more; [8] but if you are ungrateful, verily, My chastisement will be severe indeed!"'
Hadith Qudsi:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over my wrath.
It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).
May Allah (swt) grant us forgiveness, guidance and mercy.
Part II
Recap
Brothers and sisters, we have a lot of work to do in order to get accomplished the things we hope to get accomplished. If we really look at this thing called Iman, we will see that alhamdulillah, we have started on the road because Allah has blessed us to be Muslim and has blessed us to be fearful enough, or loving enough of him to be here today and to continue practicing this deen. The challenge now is to combat the hopelessness, despair and sadness that has gripped us. Let us push through, renew our iman, modify/improve our understanding of iman and work towards a better self, better families and better communities.
Action Plan:
Concepts that I am advocating - not as a one answer fits all, but as some things that come to mind... Bottom line - it is about faith. I am not speaking about a 5-hour energy boost in a bottle... I am speaking about a lifetime of security that is found in a book. A major part of our faith is believing that Allah is the One who will change our condition once we make the effort to move towards the change. This is another promise of Allah. So, as part of the move to restoring hope and faith, I want us to make SINCERE du'a to Allah for changes needed in our community. I want to make specific du'a for the following:
وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاء عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ
3:169
But do not think of those that have been slain in God's cause as dead. Nay, they are alive! With their Sustainer have they their sustenance, -
Suhaib Webb: “Thus having iman means committing to a program of action. A Muslim who has iman does not merely believe in Allah, he or she commits to follow the commands of Allah in every aspect of life. Iman is key to success in the religious realm, but also in other areas. Good students have a kind of Iman; they believe in their success and as a result, they commit by studying regularly, attending classes, and reading textbooks. Dieters that lose significant numbers of pounds (or kilos) commit to action; they eat healthy foods and exercise every day. Also, they avoid eating fatty or sugary foods that will jeopardize their success. Iman affects not only the actions a person does, but also the actions a person avoids. Iman sounds like so much work, why would anyone be interested in it? The result of iman is aman. Aman is Arabic for safety, protection, and peace. Having iman leads a person towards peace since doubt creates fear and anxiety. Peace, whether the peace of mind of an individual or the global peace that remains an elusive dream, satisfies a need deep in the human heart.”
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/what-is-iman/
Brothers and sisters, what I might be saying may sound very pie-in-the-sky-ish. It may sound like I am telling you of the “spooky type” stuff, but not telling you of the reality. I disagree, I think THIS is the reality. The only reality is Allah. The only way to get to Allah is through faith in Him. The only thing we really have at the end of the day is our faith. It is our iman/faith that will allow us to answer the questions of the grave and give us security in the grave. It is our iman that will allow us to stand in Allah's shade on the day when there is no other shade. It is our certain iman that will give us security in this life and on the Day of Judgement. The pie-in-the-sky approach is not the idea of a firm belief in Allah; the pie-in-the-sky approach is thinking that there is another way to get to Allah. The pen has been lifted and the ink is dry; all we have is our iman.
- Understanding how Allah’s messenger compared this world to the hereafter:
Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Mustawrid, from Bani Fihr, said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«مَا الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا كَمَا يَجْعَلُ أَحَدُكُمْ إصْبَعَهُ هَذِهِ فِي الْيَمِّ، فَلْيَنْظُرْ بِمَ تَرْجِع»
(The life of the present world, compared to the Hereafter, is just like when one of you inserts his finger in the sea, so let him contemplate how much of it will it carry.) and he pointed with the index finger. Imam Muslim also collected this Hadith in his Sahih.
Emotional security:
أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
(13:28)
“Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” This is a promise from Him who never breaks His promises. Just yesterday, a friend mentioned to me about a difficult day she was having. I honestly had nothing else to offer but to remind her to turn to Allah’s words. Allah’s words are a shifa’ - they are a healing for our ailments. Literally.
In another khutbah I shall discuss the relationship between the various aspects of man: heart, soul and aql...
Psychological security:
لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ
(3:92)
[But as for you, O believers,] never shall you attain to true piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; and whatever you spend - verily, God has full knowledge thereof.
وَلاَ تَهِنُوا وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
(3:139)
Be not, then, faint of heart, and grieve not: [99] for you are bound to rise high if you are [truly] believers. -
Provisions for our well-being:
مَّن ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً وَاللّهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْسُطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
(2:245)
Who is it that will offer up unto God a goodly loan, [234]which He will amply repay, with manifold increase? For, God takes away, and He gives abundantly; and it is unto Him that you shall be brought back. -
Do we really believe that Allah is the one who provides, or do we sometimes think that it is us or man? Pushing this is step further, how many of us are grateful for Allah’s provisions? How many of us step outside of ourselves when we received Allah’s mercy? I will give you a scenario - you and a brother or sister have an argument. You all have not spoken for years. Then you are in a little difficulty and that brother or sister is available to assist you. Do you, out of pride not accept the help that you have prayed for or does that remind you to be humble and accept that Allah is the one who provides? We see this with our families. As a husband, sometimes I am upset and she may offer me something and out of pride I reject it. Then, what happens is that I end up going to bed hungry. Simple example, but it is still a sign of ingratitude. Or, even simpler. You are NOT in difficulty. Someone offers you a gift. It is not that you could not have gotten the thing yourself, but this is something that Allah sends your way. It is halal and it is good. Do you accept it and begrudgingly thank the person or do you genuinely thank them and reflect on Allah’s mercy towards us? Allah’s asks rhetorically throughout a WHOLE surah, which of His favors will you deny?
Remember, we receive more good than we deserve and we are not given the amount of punishment that we deserve.
مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنبُلَةٍ مِّئَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
(2:261)
THE PARABLE of those who spend their possessions for the sake of God is that of a grain out of which grow seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains: for God grants manifold increase unto whom He wills; and God is infinite, all-knowing. -
فَقْتُم مِّن نَّفَقَةٍ أَوْ نَذَرْتُم مِّن نَّذْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُهُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ
(2:270)
For, whatever you may spend on others, or whatever you may vow [to spend], verily, God knows it; and those who do wrong [by withholding charity] shall have none to succour them. -
2:272 (Asad) It is not for thee [O Prophet] to make people follow the right path, [260] since it is God [alone] who guides whom He wills. And whatever good you may spend on others is for your own good, provided that you spend only out of a longing for God's countenance: for, whatever good you may spend will be repaid unto you in full, and you shall not be wronged.
Success:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ وَأَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةٌ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
(39:10)
Say: “[Thus speaks God:] [16] ‘O you servants of Mine who have attained to faith! Be conscious of your Sustainer! Ultimate good awaits those who persevere in doing good in this world. And [remember:] wide is God’s earth, [17] [and,] verily, they who are patient in adversity will be given their reward in full, beyond all reckoning!’ ” -
Allah’s Protection:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ
(2:186)
AND IF My servants ask thee about Me - behold, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way. -
اللّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّوُرِ
(2:257)
God is near unto those who have faith, taking them out of deep darkness into the light -
Prosperity:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اصْبِرُواْ وَصَابِرُواْ وَرَابِطُواْ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
(3:200)
O you who have attained to faith! Be patient in adversity, and vie in patience with one another, and be ever ready [to do what is right], and remain conscious of God, so that you might attain to a happy state! -
Allah’s Mercy:
إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَاعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
(4:40)
Verily, God does not wrong [anyone] by as much as an atom's weight; and if there be a good deed, He will multiply it, and will bestow out of His grace [51] a mighty reward. -
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ
(14:7)
And [remember the time] when your Sustainer made [this promise] known: 'If you are grateful [to Me], I shall most certainly give you more and more; [8] but if you are ungrateful, verily, My chastisement will be severe indeed!"'
Hadith Qudsi:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over my wrath.
It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).
May Allah (swt) grant us forgiveness, guidance and mercy.
Part II
Recap
Brothers and sisters, we have a lot of work to do in order to get accomplished the things we hope to get accomplished. If we really look at this thing called Iman, we will see that alhamdulillah, we have started on the road because Allah has blessed us to be Muslim and has blessed us to be fearful enough, or loving enough of him to be here today and to continue practicing this deen. The challenge now is to combat the hopelessness, despair and sadness that has gripped us. Let us push through, renew our iman, modify/improve our understanding of iman and work towards a better self, better families and better communities.
Action Plan:
Concepts that I am advocating - not as a one answer fits all, but as some things that come to mind... Bottom line - it is about faith. I am not speaking about a 5-hour energy boost in a bottle... I am speaking about a lifetime of security that is found in a book. A major part of our faith is believing that Allah is the One who will change our condition once we make the effort to move towards the change. This is another promise of Allah. So, as part of the move to restoring hope and faith, I want us to make SINCERE du'a to Allah for changes needed in our community. I want to make specific du'a for the following:
- Children of zina - Not let them suffer the ills that may befall them because of their parents’ poor judgment. Help them find a way to integrate into the community and be productive, God-fearing members
- Parents who engage in zina - Help them find the means to increase their love of your mercy and fear of your punishment. Direct them to repentance. Help them to understand that their actions have far-reaching consequences
- Imams and leadership - Help them see the importance of being responsible with their financial charges and responsibilities. Help them have humility to admit when they have made errors and to repent to you and apologize to the people when mistakes have been made.
- Community under the leadership - Help them to have the patience necessary when their leadership makes mistakes and err while they are on Allah's straight path
- Men who beat and oppress their wives - Lead them to a sincere taubah for to you and a love of your mercy, an understanding of their trust (amanah) and a fear of your retribution for their oppression. Forgive them and help them understand that what they are doing is a violation of the rights of the wife, of humans and of your dictates. Let them stop this oppression (mental, emotional, physical) and guide them to YOUR path.
- Brothers and Sisters who have died - As we look around, we see that many of our brothers and sisters who were with us last Ramadhan, are not with us today. Let us make sincere du’a for them. Let us worship Allah as He should be worshipped so that our du’a for them will be accepted and that they - and we - will be granted entry into Allah’s paradise
وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاء عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ
3:169
But do not think of those that have been slain in God's cause as dead. Nay, they are alive! With their Sustainer have they their sustenance, -
Suhaib Webb: “Thus having iman means committing to a program of action. A Muslim who has iman does not merely believe in Allah, he or she commits to follow the commands of Allah in every aspect of life. Iman is key to success in the religious realm, but also in other areas. Good students have a kind of Iman; they believe in their success and as a result, they commit by studying regularly, attending classes, and reading textbooks. Dieters that lose significant numbers of pounds (or kilos) commit to action; they eat healthy foods and exercise every day. Also, they avoid eating fatty or sugary foods that will jeopardize their success. Iman affects not only the actions a person does, but also the actions a person avoids. Iman sounds like so much work, why would anyone be interested in it? The result of iman is aman. Aman is Arabic for safety, protection, and peace. Having iman leads a person towards peace since doubt creates fear and anxiety. Peace, whether the peace of mind of an individual or the global peace that remains an elusive dream, satisfies a need deep in the human heart.”
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/what-is-iman/
Brothers and sisters, what I might be saying may sound very pie-in-the-sky-ish. It may sound like I am telling you of the “spooky type” stuff, but not telling you of the reality. I disagree, I think THIS is the reality. The only reality is Allah. The only way to get to Allah is through faith in Him. The only thing we really have at the end of the day is our faith. It is our iman/faith that will allow us to answer the questions of the grave and give us security in the grave. It is our iman that will allow us to stand in Allah's shade on the day when there is no other shade. It is our certain iman that will give us security in this life and on the Day of Judgement. The pie-in-the-sky approach is not the idea of a firm belief in Allah; the pie-in-the-sky approach is thinking that there is another way to get to Allah. The pen has been lifted and the ink is dry; all we have is our iman.
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