Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala has give us so many blessings, about which the Quran has stated that if you want to know how much Allah has granted you, you still could not gather and count. There are infinite blessings, without any end and Allah's generosity and His blessings continues to rain down on the human being. Somehow or another Allah always continues to grant blessings. And from all the blessings Allah has given to the human being, the greatest is the Kalimah.
Allah will account for every one of our blessings in the hereafter. We will be questioned for every treasure and gift that Allah has granted us. Allah will ask us how we utilised it and this will be the biggest question in the hereafter.
On one occasion The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was invited by Hadhrat Abu Ayyub al-Ansari Radhiyallahu Anhu. He was a companion, it's a complete event, but I'll just summarise it for you. In that invitation Hadhrat Abu Bakr As-Siddiq was also present in that feast and also Hadhrat Umar and some other companions possibly. So obviously the invitation was given and he prepared whatever he had at home nicely and he presented it. He presented some meat of a lamb and some dates and when this invitation meal took place, then not only Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiyallahu Anhu and Hadhrat Umar Radhiyallahu Anhu had remained hungry for weeks, rather Hadhrat Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself was in hunger, extreme hunger, imagine the hunger at that time. When the food was presented, then first and foremost, Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam stated, that "My daughter, Hadhrat Fatimah Radhiyallahu Anha is also is very hungry from many days", a lot of poverty, and he requested, "Please send some food for her and her children. SubhaanAllah. Imagine here The Imaam -Ul -Ambiya, The Head of the Prophets and look at his condition. He is the Master of the universe, and the Sahabah, the Noble Companies the likes of which you cannot compare, and his daughter, the head of the womenfolk in paradise. This is their condition, that they have nothing to eat. And then the second thing that was discussed, and it is a very important thing for us to understand. Something we should feel and understand, and something we should compare. Because these aren't stories and folktales, I'm not telling you a story. Those people that are alive from within, and have a little bit of strength of Imaan, then after hearing these events, then a person shakes. The objective of sharing these events are so that in these illuminated hours and days, and these times that Allah ta'ala has given us, Allah-willing, our Imaan is strengthened and our consciousness is awakened. May we understand the Quran as the Quran and may we understand the Hadith as the Hadith. May we not take them as story tales, rather Allah ta'ala's message to us. And when a message like this comes, then at least as a minimum, the veins in our body and the hairs on our body should be awakened and we should realise that we are lacking so much compared to this. Listen carefully. When they were about to eat, Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said a statement, that, "my Companions, my followers, these are the blessings which Allah ta'ala will take us to account for in the hereafter. SubhanAllah. And their hands stopped there, how hungry they must've been? And they started to cry. They said "Account for this blessing oh Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam?" There will be reckoning? There will be questioning? And they started to worry. But they were such people who could give an answer for these blessings on Qiyamah. But the greater blessing that they were given, what about the recognition they held for that? What was that blessing that I explained to you?
They considered the Kalimah as a treasure, as a gift of Allah. They thought it was a blessing, and from all the treasures they understood that this was the greatest, the Kalimah. Nobody can imagine, me and you, we're sitting here, we can't imagine. We're sat here, we're enjoying Ramadhan, and we are preparing to go to Paradise, and we are being made distant from Jahannam. For which reason? Go and ask that person who doesn't have this blessing. What is he doing at this moment of time? Does he know, how all the Angels are coming down at this moment of time? It's the night of Jummah that is about to come. And further, beyond that, Ramadhan's precious Ashara, whose value nobody knows, is about to arrive. In the heavens there is rejoicing, in the sky there is rejoicing. Angels are being transferred, and they are preparing them selves, alhamdulillah, this is the blessing that Allah ta'ala has given to us of Imaan.
Doesn't matter how dirty, broken and weak we are, but we believe. May I give everything for this blessing, due to this blessing, Allah ta'ala still hasn't left us empty handed, rather He has invited us and sat us down in His home. He's enabled us to do Dhikr, He's attached us to His Masjid, He's allowed us to hear the Quran, He's allowed us to hear the Hadith, and He's revived and refreshed our Imaan. So we should be awakened now. So if this is the state of the blessing which we will be questioned about and can be answered, what about the blessing of when we say,
We don't consider this as a treasure and a great gift from Allah. Due to this blessing, Paradise will be granted, due to this, our status will be increased, due to this we'll get ranks, and due to this blessing, we will be able to see Allah. Is the blessing of the Kalimah a minor blessing? Today if one of our blessings were removed and our chapati and bread was taken way, we would be so upset. If one blessing was to be reduced from our body, if our one eye stops seeing, what would our state be? One blessing, one gift of Allah, if Allah didn't allow our tongue to work, or the taste was to be lost, or Corona came, we lost taste and were distressed and had to visit the doctor and receive tablets, is this not a blessing? Do we understand now what great blessings these are.
Regarding our blessings that we have, we try our best not to waste any of them don't we? We try our best, we don't want to waste anything that Allah has given. We take injections and medicines for good health, we do things, why? Because we do not want to waste this blessing of health. We have so much worry for our health. My brothers, think about,
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ
The greatest blessing. Imagine how much we need to protect this blessing! Ask those Sahabah who had empty stomachs and would break the fast with just 1 date, all the Companions. SubhanAllah, and to save the great blessing of the Kalimah, to protect it, what did they not do during their life? Yes they would lay down on the fire and their bodies were cut. Why did this occur? What were they protecting? This question arises, what were they protecting? They could've earned the worldly things. Yes. If we have the brains to do so, were they were stupid? Didn't they have intellect and didn't they know how to earn wealth. No, but their Sheikh did not tell them about world, he told them about the Hereafter. The institute which prepared the Sahabah didn't pull them towards the world, rather, he made them pay attention and he said, "look at it from your eyes. This world is going to end. Why are you running after this?" If you protect this blessing which Allah ta'ala has given to you, then when you will be questioned regarding it and you present this blessing, then the doors of paradise will be opened for you.
And it won't be those doors where, someone came and took over the house or the ceiling of the house collapsed, it is lacking of this and that. No. The example of the blessings and the rewards which we will receive in paradise, is that the blessings will increase and continue to multiply and grow in paradise. A single Jannati's beauty will be so intensely beautiful that I don't even have words to describe! Me and you. Say SubhaanAllah. There won't be beards there, don't worry. Don't be beautiful today, tomorrow you'll be beautiful for sure. Keep the beard today in this world and tomorrow in paradise, due to the blessings of this beard, Allah will make you a beautiful young man in return. There will be no old age. You'll have such beauty that the Hur's will run after you and it won't decrease. In this world, a man is youthful and he makes muscles, he does body building and fitness training, he is handsome and then after some time, he gets ill. Then he goes downhill and his age increases and that needle is increasing, 30,40,50,60 years and his body is becoming old and he gets physically frail and his hair becomes white and falls off his body. But in a hadith it states that in the Hereafter everyone will be beautiful and young in paradise. And if we will be beautiful, then imagine the leader of the youth, Imaam Hassan and Imaam Hussain رضي الله عنهم , how beautiful they must be.
We are Jannati inshaaAllah me and you, with the Grace of Allah. Always hope for paradise. So what will be the condition of the people of paradise? When they will come out of their palaces to wander around and they return back, their Hur's will say, "SubhaanAllah, what has happened to you? The beauty of your face has multiplied even more and has become greater.
So everything will be increased with every moment in paradise. Khair. Allah knows what will happen. What are these rewards of paradise given for? What for? If you protect this blessing. Which one?
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
Do you understand now?
So I’m not giving a speech here, rather I’m sitting here and sharing the reality with you about life in the Hereafter and how we can enter paradise. Do you understand what I am saying? This is a discussion which I'm sharing with you. I don’t have knowledge or actions greater than you mashaaAllah and in this gathering there are such great people and respected pious scholars sat here, they can give the speeches on these points but Allah has gathered us so we are just discussing these points during Ramadan. So what should we have concern for? Whatever we receive in the Hereafter, we will only receive it through safeguarding لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
If we protect our Imaan then, it will give us the reward in the Hereafter and these stations.
So how should we protect our Imaan? Should we keep guards. Should we keep a pistol? Should we place a padlock on our Imaan to protect it? No I'm giving a unique point so listen to my statement. Listen carefully, these are the statements of the faqir which I learnt from the Khankah and I’m sharing with you. Extremely precious jewels come out from their mouth. Alhamdulillah. My life was spent as a waste in general, but Allah gave me a massive blessing that a portion of my life was spent in the khankah picking up the shoes of the Wali Allah. And these same statements I learnt and heard, I am sharing with you. There is only one thing which can protect the Kalimah, remember this. If you do not protect your Imaan with that, then you will never be able to safeguard your Imaan.
You can only protect this Kalimah, لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ through your deeds. By implementing upon the Kalimah. Listen to my words. Whoever implements
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ -
Allah's commands
مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
According to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's physical demonstration.
If you practice upon those orders according to the way of the Shariah and the Sunnah, then you are protecting your Imaan. Say SubhaanAllah.
Whoever is immersed in practicing upon those orders of Allah which are compulsory upon him, as well as implementing the Sunnah, as this is also a condition because مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ is the second part of the Kalimah, then he is safeguarding his Imaan. Do you understand?
2 parts. What do we need to correct? We must safeguard our Imaan if we want paradise and how to protect the Imaan? By practicing upon the commands of the Shariah according to the method of the Sunnah. If one does these actions, then when he rises on Qiyamah it will be said that "this person protected the treasure I gave to him and he fulfilled the right of the trust, which is the Kalimah."
The third thing, it is not something easy. Look at the lives of the noble companions, why did they persevere patiently through their difficulties, worries, calamities, starvation and poverty?
SubhaanAllah. Because through the company of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam they understood that the way to protect the Kalimah is only through rectifying their deeds and they were firm with this practice. Then we can take this gift to Allah otherwise we cannot take it to Allah.
Due to their safeguarding of this Kalimah, they were ready to bear any calamity and sadness which came there way, but did not step back from this Kalimah. They practiced upon the orders which were issued from the Kalimah, to the extent that their lives would go but they would not abandon their salaah. If the command came to pray at the masjid, not at home then no matter what happened, they would pray according to that. When the command was given and the method was given to do such and such act according to the sunnah and Shariah, "go to such and such place and pray there "I’m giving an example here. So the Sahabah would run where? To the masjid to pray salaah. What is this? This is the safeguarding of this kalimah.
They are accepting and persevering through adopting Allah's commands and when Allah's commands comes, i.e, to pray Salaah, he protects the Kalimah by implementing the command. How does he implement the command?
According to the Shariah and Sunnah of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and what is the command? To pray Salaah in the masjid in congregation. Shariah excuses are present which have been explained but if you don't have a Shariah excuse, you must go and perform your Salaah in the masjid and this is right of the Kalimah, the trust. The command has come. Here the test begins and the hurdles and barrier come in between and there are 2 enemies present when it comes to implementing Allah's order. One is internal, one is external. The external enemy will prevent you from acting upon the commands. "Don’t do it." They are enemies aren't they and they will only prevent you from doing this. They will make excuses. They will make Tabligh. They will give you greed. They will give you fear. They will grab hold of you.
لا خوف عليم ولا هم يحزنون
This is the difference between sadness and fear.
But the person who has Imaan will pass the test.
They will say, " are you leaving your shop to go and pray? Have you gone mad? What will happen to your customers? Why don't you make Qadha of your prayer? Why don't you pray upstairs afterwards?" Yes, is this not happening today? So what happened? He didn't follow the command of Allah according to the laws of Shariah and the Sunnah and consequently he didn't protect his Imaan. And the one who doesn't protect his Imaan, has been looted. Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, that he who leaves Salaah, he is ruined, he is looted, his house is on fire. Why? Because he has gone against one command of Allah. And he broke the protection of his Kalimah. So what does this mean? Whenever we are stood in the world and we want to protect the Kalimah, it is not a joke, it's a very big thing. Why do we play games with the deen? Why do we not understand these points? Why does it make no difference to us? Because when a human being sins repeatedly, then his heart becomes like a rock. This is the sign. That when the command of Allah comes, it doesn't affect his heart and he has no concern for it. "What Amanah (trust) is this? لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ , this is not a big deal, I don’t need to practice." When this recognition ends, then he has got the biggest chronic disease in the universe and inside he has become Abu Jahal and his heart is destroyed and has become dust. The words of the deen don't affect him. He says, "what is this? This is not important for me to practice, I don't need to do this." But he who has the wealth of Imaan inside and he has recognition, he shakes, "this is correct, how can I continue like this in a sinful state, I'm wasting the Amanah Allah ta'ala has given to me of Imaan." So these are the external factors of the world which prevent a man. And secondly, There are 2 enemies inside us, which are the nafs and shaytan. These are 2 strong enemies of a man internally. Nafs, inner soul, ego and shaytan. But shaytan is nothing compared to the power of the nafs. Shaytan is something but nafs is the worst enemy. Allah says in the Quran,
Here Allah says, success is based upon what? Allah hasn't used the word Shaytan. Rather, he who has overpowered and controlled his nafs and has sold his nafs for the sake of obeying Allah's orders, that human being is the successful one. Remember this.
When Allah's commands come, observe both your enemies. Is my external enemy preventing me or my internal enemy preventing me. I'm giving you examples. I'm not criticising anymore, I'm not pestering anybody, I'm just mentioning Allah's orders. So Allah's orders come to keep the beard, but the external enemy will say to you, "are you crazy that you're keeping a beard. People will keep you Mawlana sahib, you're a fundamentalist, you won't get a wife. “Thousand and excuses and hurdles will come in your way. And then nafs and shaytan will stop you from practicing, "you cant keep a beard." SubhaanAllah. So this is the fantastic fight of the believers. This is Mujaahadah. This is the case with Haraam and Halal, purdah and immodesty is the same, music and singing is the same. Wherever Allah's orders come, they implement those commands and abstain from what they should abstain from, then a hundred percent he is safeguarding his Imaan like the Sahabah. The believer who practices his deen should remember this message, whoever stands firm in order to protect his Imaan and the Kalimah, shouldn't look for excuses in the world, he shouldn't look for enjoyment in the world, remember this, in front of us is the example of the noble companions. They didn't look for excuses to leave the practice, every second they knew that they had been given this kalimah as a treasure and that they need to return to Allah with this Kalimah. So company will come, depression will come, calamities will come, remember this, the generation will stop you, people will stop you, society will try to control you, your nafs will control you, your family will try to stop you, they'll try to give you false claims and false promise. One thing will be honest and genuine at that time, what did Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mention about this situation. 'Do this brother, he said do this why are you doing this? We saw him doing this. Why are you doing it? I can give you proof? He's a Wali Allah, you don't need to do this, everything is permissible." After hearing everything just say, "tell me one thing, what did Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said regarding this?" So wherever قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم comes, then, it’s the end of the matter. He says that "this is the deception of my nafs. This is the deception of Shaytan, this path is incorrect."
"I don’t want to follow these paths. There is only one path and that is Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's path. That's the one path of the prophet. That is the path of the Sunnah. Whenever a person's away from the path of the Sunnah, then he has fallen into the prey of Shaytan and his nafs. He cannot understand. This is a big struggle in our lives brothers. This life isn't a game. Your food and drink may be diminished but just remember this world is temporary and only for a little while. I'm coming towards the 3rd and 4th point.
You will definitely receive distress and calamity , tests will come and you can't prevent any of them but they come to see how firm we remain against these challenges. Your life is not according to your own desires, for example, sometimes you do it, sometimes you don't, sometimes you pray salaah, sometimes you leave it, sometimes you go for Tabligh, sometimes you don't, sometimes you recite Quran, sometimes you practice, sometimes you don't practice. You are making your deen according to your desires so how can you succeed and go to paradise. This can never happen. The believer will give up every thing for the sake of Allah. "What is Allah's order over here?" Sometimes there are challenges. We think its very important to work, but Allah's order comes that at this moment, work is not necessary, so do this thing instead at that time.
So what will we say at that time? We are leaving this certain thing as there is no benefit in it and Allah has given a command to do which is this certain action at that time. So now I'm going to do this. The orders of Allah come at different times and in different forms but Allah's preference is what takes precedence. Allah's order. Allah's selection. We can't make something bigger or smaller or more important or less important for us. This is more important and this is not important. We can't classify. Not everything is important all the time. Salaah will not be fulfilled at every single moment of the day, likewise hajj, fasting etc. During general days it is compulsory upon us to feed our souls and sleep, etc. But when Ramadan comes, it is said, these are wasteful things. The order is given to abandon these things, eating etc. So what thing becomes greater? Previously there was an order but it has been lifted now that Ramadan is here, it is more virtuos to remain hungry. This is an example. Who's command do we follow? Allah's. Don’t say, "so and so’s thing is more virtuous lets do that.” Allah has fixed certain timings that at this time such and such worship is more virtuous. It can never be that Allah has chosen Duhr time for himself and you say, "oh it’s duhr time, let me pray fajr salah?" Would you pray in duhr time? No. Because Allah has said that Fajr salaah is at that time which Allah ta'ala has selected for it. "This is its time and there will be a limit for its ending time and after that you cannot read it." Salah, Quran recitation and Sajdah is the same. But if you were to pray Fajr salaah at duhr time, then you'll be given a punishment. A sin. You are destined for Hellfire, despite you praying. So we see here that Allah's order are virtuous in the time He set them to be performed in. Those are the great actions. So today make an intention that you will practice the deen how it should be practiced. Don’t live your life 50/50.
So we have the measurement gauge for everything and those people are the best who learn a little bit of knowledge so they can live their lives according to the deen. That's why you learn knowledge "let me learn the knowledge so its easier for me to practice and so I don't need to keep going to the Mufti for questions, why don't I learn the basic knowledge of deen myself so I can live my life according to the deen." Allah says that such a person is the greatest. To improve his lifestyle, he learns the knowledge, he is greater than the angels! This is the scholar. Have you seen this difference? If I say that "I’m becoming an Aalim to perform speeches, to debate and tell people off, put people down and hold lessons." This is not the correct intention. The true intention one should have is , "I am seeking knowledge so I can distinguish between what is right and wrong, haraam and halaal. What is the order of Allah, so I can practice. What is forbidden so I can abstain." Our whole lives should revolve around protecting our Imaan via our deeds. Say SubhaanAllah. Otherwise I'm sorry to say, this Ramadan is a waste, Hajj is a waste, Umrah is a waste. This is all a drama when we are not comparing our actions to the Shariah requirements. Sometimes Allah ta'ala refused Hajj. There are many events on this. The noble companions did not receive permission. Some great personalities have passed us, Hadhrat Owais al Qarni Rahmatullahi Alayh, was not given permission to meet Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam despite it being such a great deed. It transforms a man into a 'Sahabah.' Why was he prevented? "Because, this is the best thing for you. Your mum is weak. Go and serve her instead." His status wasn't been reduced. He was such a great individual that Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "there's a follower of mine, his name is Qarni, he lives in such and such place." Two great sahabi, Ali and Umar Radiyallahu Anhu were ordered to go to him after Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away and Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had said, "when you go to him, request him to make dua for my Ummah because his duas are accepted. "
SubhaanAllah. He was given the order that it is better for you to serve your mother and not go to meet Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He agreed because he didn't follow his desires. He protected his Imaan and this was done by obeying the commands of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
So our Ramadan and our fasts will be accepted when we implement the orders of Allah. We cut out beards whilst we are in the state of fasting. Tell me. We listen to music, but we are fasting. Now you can judge for yourself regarding your actions, I'm not going to judge I’m not a Mufti. Use your brain to determine which order you are following and which one you are rejecting. Allah is one. Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's orders are one. If you say that, "If I don’t believe in one order of Allah, it is nothing," then how many orders of Allah did Shaytan break? He didn't even break it, he presented an excuse. One excuse. And how many thousands of years of worship did he have?
When Allah created the earth and the humans, He gave an example so we can be reminded that even one of Allah's commands are very precious. That's why He presented the example of shaytan so we can understand and read it time and time again not to be-little, even leaving one command on. We must live our lives like this from morning and evening until death comes.
حَتَّىٰ أَتَانَا الْيَقِينُ
And on this basis there will be difficulties, problems, sorrows sadness.
إن مع العسر يسراً
I've presented to you a small verse. This verse was revealed upon Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam but it was a message for the Ummah. "Oh my beloved don't be distressed. We are watching you and your Sahaba. We are watching your difficulties and sadness. We are watching your children. We are watching your hurdles, everything. But listen to this oh Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and convey this message to your nation that until Qiyamah this will remain your situation. You will be sworn at when you practice the deen, you will be hit with shoes, you will be cursed and degraded, you will be dishonoured but they don't recognise your value, only Allah knows how respected you are. And if you want to earn the best respect, then implement my orders, and if you want to succumb to them, follow them and earn their respect, then there is no one more disgraced of a person in this world and the Hereafter." You can decide for yourself now. Is this your deen or the deen which Allah gave to us? Do you have a choice to do as you please? No. For everything we must first analyse to see what Shariah and Sunnah says regarding it. If we follow this deen, then remember that you won't be burdened. عسر
You will be faced with every difficulty but Allah has given encouragement through this small verse that "don’t worry, difficulty and distress will come, but your Lord promises you that after these problems, ease will definitely come and such ease SubhaanAllah which will come quickly. This is a test and all you have to do is stand firm on the deen through these tests. When you are told to commit Haraam, then don't do it. You'll be in loss or depression but stand firm on this. If you were to do such, then you can't even comprehend what Allah will grant you in compensation as a reward. It was said to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, "don't worry, after hardship comes ease!" This is a consolation to us that Allah's kindness, grace and mercy never leaves a person. It is always with you when you stand firm on your deen. Calamities will come, but keep one thing in mind, you will receive trials but Allah will definitely deliver you to ease thereafter according to Allah ta'ala's selection. Maybe He will make your dunya easy, maybe He will make your hereafter easy. But stand firm on the deen and don't abandon it. If you give up and run away then you have failed and have not fulfilled the promise of Allah. So this is a very great message for our life. My brothers stand firm on the deen, doesn't matter what society you are placed in, doesn't matter what environment you are placed in, we must take guidance for everything from the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Shariah. Wherever you are, never listen to anyone, rather say, "what does Shariah and Sunnah say regarding this matter I need to do it." It doesn't matter how much you have to sacrifice, if you wish to safeguard your Imaan then sacrificing the dunya is nothing compared to the great rewards you'll receive in return. Do you understand the lesson today? Allah says, "my beloved I love your nation so much but they are such that they forget the lesson very quickly. When you're sat in a good environment, for example you have gone for Jama'ah, propagation, the light comes in and when you come back, you become weak again. When you sit in the gathering of a Wali Allah, you get strong and when you leave the gathering, you become weak. Allah say, I know the weakness of the Ummah but I wont let them go to Hellfire. These are your people, I wont let them enter hellfire, in fact, I will prepare paradise for them with every moment. So Allah has prepared us for paradise through giving us this month, which is named Ramadan. There are eleven other months in a year and none of them hold the same status as Ramadan. Why? This month has come to protect us from Hellfire. Not through fasting and praying Taraweeh. There is no worship stipulated for Ramadan besides fasting my brothers. The rest of the actions we were already performing from before, Quran, salah and dhikr were there before and we are still going it now. It has probably increased but there's no new worship stipulated. What is the only new worship stipulated in Ramadan? Fasting. It has come to remind us and make us practice all the things we had forgotten as well as the lesson of remaining firm and steadfast on deen through this test of the world. We must not give up despite what our nafs and shaytan says, we must practice the deen of Allah according to the Shariah and the Sunnah. We are being made to practice here that, calamities and challenges will keep coming but it is Allah's promise that after hardship comes ease. This is the message of Ramadan so you can become strong. How is this so? Allah has given us this message during our fast. In the morning Allah commands us to abandon from food, drink, desires, lying, fraud, deception, music, because this the true fasting person isn't it? Whoever has kept the fast, he will do this and for the one who doesn't compromise and merely leaves food and drink, then it is stated in hadith that such a person can remain hungry and thirsty, his fast won't benefit him. Such a person is stupid and foolish. If you're not going to follow the commands of Allah, then eat and drink during Ramadan. Why are you making yourself look stupid? If you're disobeying Allah and walking around hungry and thirsty, then what fast is that? That's a waste of time. Fast has come to revive the deen. Allah says, the order of mine has come like all my other orders. Go and ask those labourers who work in 45, 40 degrees Celsius temperature, and have no food to eat at Suhoor time besides dry chapatti and water. The rest of the day he works for his children. This is 80% of our people in the Muslim countries who struggle. We are sat here, just a few people here, who will leave from here and enjoy a cold glass of water, some dates and some food and we consider ourselves great Muslims for fasting. Go ask that faqeer, that beggar, that poor man whose children have no cold water to drink in the evening. You may not have experienced a fast in heat but I have. In the evening time or not even in the evening, but rather the morning after 10am, their tongues are dry and stuck to the palates. I have kept fasts like that in my childhood in 70,80,100 degree temperature. My city Multan is very hot. So brothers, you will realise at that time when the labourer works all day long to earn bread and then he is grateful to Allah, how is he thankful to Allah? By keeping a proper fast, he has kept the beard, he prays salaah, he fulfils the orders of Allah, he is the true fasting person. What is this definition that we abstain from and eating and drinking through the day and then we are a ‘fasting’ person? This is not the definition of fasting given by Sharia. The true fasting person is he who from morning until evening he obeys Allah's orders completely just as He has ordered. Not that you are hungry and thirsty but you're watching a cricket match, football match, you're passing time here, gossip, backbiting, mocking someone, and then maybe he opens the Quran to recite a few pages. Keep on reading Quran then! The Quran says there are many people who I curse while they recite me and fail to implement upon me.
They kiss and touch the Quran with their foreheads. Why are you touching the Quran with your forehead? What Quran are you reading?
What expectations and hope are you keeping from doing this? The Quran is giving a message to save yourself from sin. Improve your appearances, improve your attire, adopt modesty, abandon lying. The Quran hasn't come for us to read, rather, so we can implement upon its order. Say SubhaanAllah. And you continue to recite it. One small verse I recited to you and the whole deen is encompassed within in.
إن مع العسر يسراً
Don't be scared. Stand firm just like my Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his sahabah did. A similar tough time will come upon you but don't keep such a fast where you're sinning whilst in the state of hunger and thirst. Keep such a fast where you don't commit even one sin so in the evening you can be classed as a fasting person. Do you understand what I'm saying or not? Has anyone kept such a fast? This is the true fasting. Reflect over your own actions and your appearances and then look at your hunger and thirst. Tell me. Its a straight forward deen. This is not deceit. We deceive ourselves. Whenever the order arrives and you are sinning, what does Allah say, "you are oppressing yourself." You are deceiving yourself. You are committing fraud against yourself. What an oppressor you are! You are deceiving yourself? How foolish are you that you sin and reassure yourself that you are a Jannati but you don't understand what the Quran and Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are informing you. "No this is not true. I'm fasting. I'm a Jannati. Allah is giving me good news." Then you will understand when you die. So what have we deduced? That when we stand firm on deen, calamities will come but this is deen. Don't practice anything against Shariah and Sunnah. We are fasting and the lesson is being revised that we must not eat, drink, no lust, no lying, no cutting of the beard, no watching TV, no listening to music, no singing, we’re not going to do anything now, because we are fasting. Otherwise this is not the fast. When you fast and abstain from all these things, what happens is, one day, two days, three days pass, Allah says that distress will come, you'll feel hungry, thirsty, you feel like going to your wife and children, you want to listen to music, you want to sing, you want to do everything but you are standing firm on the deen, that I don't want to spoil my fast. And he is hopeful of what?
إن مع العسر يسراً
No problem, inshaaAllah Ramadan will pass, and then the enjoyment will come. If I leave food and drink in the morning for at least these 9,10 hours, after that I can eat and drink. I will receive ease after this. This is the practice of the deen. If you spend your life like a fasting person and you tell yourself "don’t worry, very soon the evening will come, my trials will end, just like the fast ended, similarly, I wont leave this deen and won't go against the orders of Allah. I will implement them and I will persevere. I will endure no matter what comes by way because what is the glad tidings after this? SubhaanAllah
The good news will come, راضية مرضية , when I depart from the world, then an announcement will be made that, "your Lord is pleased with you." Do you want to please your Lord? Yes? So follow this formula. Alhamdulillah and every part of your deen will pass through your lives and we know that after this, we will receive very great news. Endure the difficulties and imitate the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to the highest grade. Imitate the deen to the highest grade. Increase your hope. Encourage yourself. Keep courage and determination and you will receive the deen and the reward. There is no differentiation of area or region and no sahabah were told that they can practice here, but cannot practice there. No. wherever Allah sends you in the world, hold up the flag of the Shariah and the Sunnah that I am going to live my like this. If Allah sends us to Spain, what will we do? We will go to Spain. We will put up a flag that we are living here, we eat, we sleep, we earn here, but our entire life will be spent in obeying the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's orders. On their heads will be turbans, they will have the beards, they will have Islamic appearances, but they will practice in the world, they'll do business, they'll become doctors, they'll become, engineers, they'll do everything, but they will not change their appearances and lifestyle internally and externally. We will not change. And whatever difficulties come, they are rewards for us. Why will the calamities come? Because we are protecting our Imaan and our deen.
فإذا فرغت فانصب , وإلى ربك فارغب
Then what did Allah say. "Oh my beloved, don’t worry, you are engaged in propagation, you are practicing, you are persevering, don't worry. I will give you the sweet ending what you need to do." The Qurans is telling us this. فإذا فرغت فانصب tell your Ummah that when you struggle and calamity befalls you فإذا فرغت فانصب , وإلى ربك فارغب , then come and do my dhikr in isolation.
Remember me. I'm not saying this. I put my hands up. Who is saying this? Who is Allah telling? When you work hard and make effort ألم نشرح لك صدرك
We opened your heart, go and do the work of the deen. I have sent you to the world. You have a team prepared, the Sahabah, you persevere through the difficulties. But convey a message to them that don't worry. The light will come, but until that time, seek the support and guidance. Which is what? Go in to seclusion after your propagation. When calamities befall you, don't distress.
فإذا فرغت فانصب
Turn back to your Lord. Remember Him and Allah will grant you ease and comfort.
Don’t abandon the deen in order to be safeguarded from calamities, rather run back to Allah.
فإذا فرغت فانصب , وإلى ربك فارغب
When difficulties come, we should return to Allah immediately, especially those who do Tabligh. In Raipur there was a khankah, our pious predecessor, Hadhrat Sheikh Zakariyyah Rahmatullahi Alayh's paternal uncle,
Hadhrat Ilyas Rahmatullahi Alayh, whenever he would return from Tabligh, he would go straight to the Khankah and spend time doing dhikr there. Why? Because he would act according to the Quran. They would engage in great work of deen, propagation and Da'wah so just like Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was given the command that after leaving the difficulties of the world return back to Allah so your Imaan can be strengthened, they would also follow suit.
Because when you go and do the work of deen, it is not easy. Today it is easier for us. But in the earlier days, when they began propagating the deen they were beaten up, they were sworn, cursed and scolded at. Whoever stands up for the deen, he is not faced with ease. You're looking at me thinking it is very easy but upon my heart there are many wounds which many of you have given. Say SubhaanAllah. It is not easy to do the work of the deen. It’s not an easy thing. Yes. Ask my heart what wounds there are are, but SubhaanAllah, فإذا فرغت فانصب when I sit in the Remembrance of Allah, then I forget everything. If Allah has prescribed this action to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said, "don't worry," then imagine how angry Allah must've been when the people caused distress to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, swore at him, threw waste on him, imagine how angry Allah was at that time but Allah said, "do not leave the work of the deen, you are extremely beloved to me. I love you so much. Nothing can compare to the love we have between us but remember one thing. Don't ever leave your work. Do not wilt. Do not shake. I'll tell you a secret, just keep on remembering me. Keep doing my dhikr."
So what difference does it make if one engages in dhikr? Listen ahead. SubhaanAllah. Allah has given us two Asharah of Ramadan so far and has made us practice, Mujaahadah. After that, the 3rd and final Asharah is the يسر which came after the ;عسر the ease which came after the hardship. Now reward has come. Allah made us do effort during the first two Asharah. We worked hard. Allah says, "now I change it and the final Asharah is different." Look at Allah's principle. It's the same month of Ramadan but these last 10 days are different. Now you will receive the rewards for your hard work. Just like a person who will struggle lifelong and in the Hereafter, Paradise will be decorated for him, he worked hard and protected his Imaan, so the doors of Jannah will be opened for him. That's why Allah keeps the same principle in Ramadan by making us practice and work hard in the first and second Asharah and in the last 10 days he gives the reward. What reward does He give? There is such a night during the last 10 days. SubhaanAllah. What is in this night? 1 night is greater then 1000 months. The is the reward. Who is this reward for? Not for those who have kept the fast but they are not fasting people. Its for those people who kept the fast and are true fasting people. Say SubhaanAllah. Laylatul Qadr is for them. I swear by Allah in this mosque that the person who kept the fast then definitely he will attain Laylatul Qadr. Whoever has kept it and I have given you the definition of the fast. So Allah says this is the reward and when will I give it? I wont just give it like this. I desire my servant to be alone and I shower the rewards upon him, so he is in i'tikaaf SubhaanAllah. So the greatest worship of these final 10 days is what? Seclusion. And alongside it, the Dhikr of Allah. SubhaanAllah. These are 2 worships. There is nothing else to do in these 10 days. You can sleep and do what you want. Allah says go and just do one action. Ask from me and continuously ask from me, you are receiving the rewards. This is the way and this is the Asharah of asking and receiving from Allah. We need to open up our treasure chest and ask Allah in isolation. There are 2 types of isolation. Whoever Allah grants the ability, and he is capable, he has no excuses, he has no affairs he can sit down with ease, then he is commanded to perform i'tikaaf in the corner of the masjid. He has received seclusion. And then what do you do? Wait on that night and open out your cloth and keep asking Allah, "Allah grant me this, Allah grant me this.' Wallahi whatever you ask for, Allah will grant you. And then Laylatul Qadr will come and you will receive all of its blessings. What a great worship we have been given. Seclusion and dua. And for those who can't perform I'tikaaf? Those who have a Shariah excuse, those engaged in Tabligh, work of the deen, deeni affairs or other valid reasons, he wants to sit on i'tikaaf but he can't, or if he has some reasons that he can’t but he wants to get the reward. Whoever wants the reward should sit in i'tikaaf and everyone should sit in i'tikaaf. Go wherever Allah invites you but those people who it is difficult for and they are occupied in other things, or other things are more important, then he also has seclusion. There are 2 types of seclusion. One is with the curtain to detach yourself from the world and the other is to seclude yourself with your heart. Being alone. So Allah says adopt the seclusion of the heart and be alone and perform Muraqabah. Do you understand Muraqabah? Learn Muraqabah from a Wali Allah who is a Naqshbandi teacher. Who will teach you Muraqabah. What is Muraqabah?
Your hands are busy in the dunya but your heart is attached to Allah. You are with Allah at that time and this is a great isolation. A great seclusion. People think he is talking with us, sat with us, smiling, he is with his wife and children but he's not there. Where is he? He is with Allah. This is called Muraqabah. This is the high grade dhikr of Allah. You stop the tongue, no speaking, but your heart is attached to Allah, you are doing dhikr. Life passes. We become old and are going to the grave and no one knows what Muraqabah is. No one knows how many Lataaif they have within them. They read the Quran and hadith and seek knowledge but they don't know how many Lataaif we have within us. The positions where you learn the name of Allah and the Lateefah call out to Allah. I swear by Allah that if the Wali Allah makes the lataaif alive, then every atom, every inch inside you, starts saying "Allah, Allah, Allah." I swear in this masjid during Ramadan and I say this clearly that so many treasures are present within us. We've studied Bukhari Shareef, Sahih Sittah, we've memorised the entire Quran, yet we haven't studied our souls. We have not understood our inner state so how will we meet Allah? There are parts of our body and treasures within which Allah ta'ala has given the Mashaikh the knowledge of. Allah has made the Lateefa apparent to them. It's not something small. There is a whole class of Mashaikh which run the world and they introduce you to Allah. There are treasures within us and each part of the body call out, "Allah, Allah Allah." This is not a drama which we sit and perform. I swear by Allah those who sit with me, every single one of his Lataaif call out to Allah. When we engage in Muraqabah, we are silent, our heads are lowered but our Lataaif within us are calling out Allah and this is called Muraqabah-e-Dhikr. But we say "I don’t need this. I’m not going to succeed with this. I don’t need to do Dhikr." What a great loss for a human being! Allah has caused the rivers and oceans to flow in front of our houses but due to our pride and deception we don’t want to submit and drink the water from the fountains. Because we don’t want to bow down. "We are this. We are this. We don't need to submit. We don't need to drink the water." This is the pride which shaytan had.
A human being is he who adopts even a little bit of knowledge which will introduce him to Allah and make Allah happy and he submits to that person, the Sheikh, and says "oh teacher teach me the knowledge." Ask Imaam Ahmad Bin Hanbal Rahmatullahi Alayh a great sheikh. He went to a villager, an old man and he held on to the ear of the man's horse and took it along, and he himself was the Imam, the Imam of his time, such that the King would stand up in respect for him and there he is taking the horse along. Someone asked him, "Hadhrat , you are a great scholar and you are walking alongside this faqeer who is on the horse. He laughed and said, "oh foolish person, it is due to him I became an Imam. He is my teacher. If he didn't give me the understanding of my Lord, then where would I be? I have studied the books, I have studied the Quran but he introduced me to my Lord so I could understand what is within me."
من عرف نفسه عرف ربه
"Whoever recognises himself, has recognised his Lord." [Ḥilyat al-Awliyā’ 10/208]
Brothers, we don't do anything. We listen to drama and listen to speeches. We don’t implement anything.
"By action, life may become both, paradise and hell."
This is not a speech I told you in the beginning. What is this? This is a discussion between us. If you like my words and understand them, then try to practice upon them. Don't waste the time just by listening. These are moments of Ramadan. I'll repeat and summarise that the objective of our life is what? The biggest treasure Allah has given us is what? Say it loudly. The Kalimah. How do we safeguard it and present it to Allah? Through our deeds. Which deeds? Implementing Allah's orders according to the Shariah and the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Your fast is according to the Shariah. Your face, your dress, your attire is all according to the correct way, then you keep the fast. That is called implementation. You pray salaah just like Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam demonstrated to us to pray and that is called the deen. That is implementation. Do you understand? I'm summarising for you. What are you protecting through your deeds? The Kalimah? Our Imaan. What will be the result of this? We will be faced with calamities and trials but to persevere and endure this, إن مع العسر يسراً Allah says you persevere now and tomorrow you will receive the rewards. You will receive paradise.
Thats the deen summarised. End of story. That's the deen of Islam
Whoever practices upon this, tomorrow he will see for his own eyes.
May Allah grant us the ability to practice and may we implement upon this. Ameen. Shall we do dhikr for a little while? Let's direct ourselves to Allah. فإذا فرغت فانصب we have spoken about the propagation of deen, now to cool our hearts, we will engage in Dhikr. This is the true method of the Sunnah. When you are finished from your Tabligh, propagation, and you see there is a halaqah of dhikr, go and join it according to the way of the Sunnah. So that my implementation becomes stronger so I can do Tabligh even better. Say SubhaanAllah.
Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala has give us so many blessings, about which the Quran has stated that if you want to know how much Allah has granted you, you still could not gather and count. There are infinite blessings, without any end and Allah's generosity and His blessings continues to rain down on the human being. Somehow or another Allah always continues to grant blessings. And from all the blessings Allah has given to the human being, the greatest is the Kalimah.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
Allah will account for every one of our blessings in the hereafter. We will be questioned for every treasure and gift that Allah has granted us. Allah will ask us how we utilised it and this will be the biggest question in the hereafter.
On one occasion The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was invited by Hadhrat Abu Ayyub al-Ansari Radhiyallahu Anhu. He was a companion, it's a complete event, but I'll just summarise it for you. In that invitation Hadhrat Abu Bakr As-Siddiq was also present in that feast and also Hadhrat Umar and some other companions possibly. So obviously the invitation was given and he prepared whatever he had at home nicely and he presented it. He presented some meat of a lamb and some dates and when this invitation meal took place, then not only Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiyallahu Anhu and Hadhrat Umar Radhiyallahu Anhu had remained hungry for weeks, rather Hadhrat Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself was in hunger, extreme hunger, imagine the hunger at that time. When the food was presented, then first and foremost, Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam stated, that "My daughter, Hadhrat Fatimah Radhiyallahu Anha is also is very hungry from many days", a lot of poverty, and he requested, "Please send some food for her and her children. SubhaanAllah. Imagine here The Imaam -Ul -Ambiya, The Head of the Prophets and look at his condition. He is the Master of the universe, and the Sahabah, the Noble Companies the likes of which you cannot compare, and his daughter, the head of the womenfolk in paradise. This is their condition, that they have nothing to eat. And then the second thing that was discussed, and it is a very important thing for us to understand. Something we should feel and understand, and something we should compare. Because these aren't stories and folktales, I'm not telling you a story. Those people that are alive from within, and have a little bit of strength of Imaan, then after hearing these events, then a person shakes. The objective of sharing these events are so that in these illuminated hours and days, and these times that Allah ta'ala has given us, Allah-willing, our Imaan is strengthened and our consciousness is awakened. May we understand the Quran as the Quran and may we understand the Hadith as the Hadith. May we not take them as story tales, rather Allah ta'ala's message to us. And when a message like this comes, then at least as a minimum, the veins in our body and the hairs on our body should be awakened and we should realise that we are lacking so much compared to this. Listen carefully. When they were about to eat, Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said a statement, that, "my Companions, my followers, these are the blessings which Allah ta'ala will take us to account for in the hereafter. SubhanAllah. And their hands stopped there, how hungry they must've been? And they started to cry. They said "Account for this blessing oh Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam?" There will be reckoning? There will be questioning? And they started to worry. But they were such people who could give an answer for these blessings on Qiyamah. But the greater blessing that they were given, what about the recognition they held for that? What was that blessing that I explained to you?
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
They considered the Kalimah as a treasure, as a gift of Allah. They thought it was a blessing, and from all the treasures they understood that this was the greatest, the Kalimah. Nobody can imagine, me and you, we're sitting here, we can't imagine. We're sat here, we're enjoying Ramadhan, and we are preparing to go to Paradise, and we are being made distant from Jahannam. For which reason? Go and ask that person who doesn't have this blessing. What is he doing at this moment of time? Does he know, how all the Angels are coming down at this moment of time? It's the night of Jummah that is about to come. And further, beyond that, Ramadhan's precious Ashara, whose value nobody knows, is about to arrive. In the heavens there is rejoicing, in the sky there is rejoicing. Angels are being transferred, and they are preparing them selves, alhamdulillah, this is the blessing that Allah ta'ala has given to us of Imaan.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
Doesn't matter how dirty, broken and weak we are, but we believe. May I give everything for this blessing, due to this blessing, Allah ta'ala still hasn't left us empty handed, rather He has invited us and sat us down in His home. He's enabled us to do Dhikr, He's attached us to His Masjid, He's allowed us to hear the Quran, He's allowed us to hear the Hadith, and He's revived and refreshed our Imaan. So we should be awakened now. So if this is the state of the blessing which we will be questioned about and can be answered, what about the blessing of when we say,
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
We don't consider this as a treasure and a great gift from Allah. Due to this blessing, Paradise will be granted, due to this, our status will be increased, due to this we'll get ranks, and due to this blessing, we will be able to see Allah. Is the blessing of the Kalimah a minor blessing? Today if one of our blessings were removed and our chapati and bread was taken way, we would be so upset. If one blessing was to be reduced from our body, if our one eye stops seeing, what would our state be? One blessing, one gift of Allah, if Allah didn't allow our tongue to work, or the taste was to be lost, or Corona came, we lost taste and were distressed and had to visit the doctor and receive tablets, is this not a blessing? Do we understand now what great blessings these are.
Regarding our blessings that we have, we try our best not to waste any of them don't we? We try our best, we don't want to waste anything that Allah has given. We take injections and medicines for good health, we do things, why? Because we do not want to waste this blessing of health. We have so much worry for our health. My brothers, think about,
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ
The greatest blessing. Imagine how much we need to protect this blessing! Ask those Sahabah who had empty stomachs and would break the fast with just 1 date, all the Companions. SubhanAllah, and to save the great blessing of the Kalimah, to protect it, what did they not do during their life? Yes they would lay down on the fire and their bodies were cut. Why did this occur? What were they protecting? This question arises, what were they protecting? They could've earned the worldly things. Yes. If we have the brains to do so, were they were stupid? Didn't they have intellect and didn't they know how to earn wealth. No, but their Sheikh did not tell them about world, he told them about the Hereafter. The institute which prepared the Sahabah didn't pull them towards the world, rather, he made them pay attention and he said, "look at it from your eyes. This world is going to end. Why are you running after this?" If you protect this blessing which Allah ta'ala has given to you, then when you will be questioned regarding it and you present this blessing, then the doors of paradise will be opened for you.
And it won't be those doors where, someone came and took over the house or the ceiling of the house collapsed, it is lacking of this and that. No. The example of the blessings and the rewards which we will receive in paradise, is that the blessings will increase and continue to multiply and grow in paradise. A single Jannati's beauty will be so intensely beautiful that I don't even have words to describe! Me and you. Say SubhaanAllah. There won't be beards there, don't worry. Don't be beautiful today, tomorrow you'll be beautiful for sure. Keep the beard today in this world and tomorrow in paradise, due to the blessings of this beard, Allah will make you a beautiful young man in return. There will be no old age. You'll have such beauty that the Hur's will run after you and it won't decrease. In this world, a man is youthful and he makes muscles, he does body building and fitness training, he is handsome and then after some time, he gets ill. Then he goes downhill and his age increases and that needle is increasing, 30,40,50,60 years and his body is becoming old and he gets physically frail and his hair becomes white and falls off his body. But in a hadith it states that in the Hereafter everyone will be beautiful and young in paradise. And if we will be beautiful, then imagine the leader of the youth, Imaam Hassan and Imaam Hussain رضي الله عنهم , how beautiful they must be.
We are Jannati inshaaAllah me and you, with the Grace of Allah. Always hope for paradise. So what will be the condition of the people of paradise? When they will come out of their palaces to wander around and they return back, their Hur's will say, "SubhaanAllah, what has happened to you? The beauty of your face has multiplied even more and has become greater.
So everything will be increased with every moment in paradise. Khair. Allah knows what will happen. What are these rewards of paradise given for? What for? If you protect this blessing. Which one?
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
Do you understand now?
So I’m not giving a speech here, rather I’m sitting here and sharing the reality with you about life in the Hereafter and how we can enter paradise. Do you understand what I am saying? This is a discussion which I'm sharing with you. I don’t have knowledge or actions greater than you mashaaAllah and in this gathering there are such great people and respected pious scholars sat here, they can give the speeches on these points but Allah has gathered us so we are just discussing these points during Ramadan. So what should we have concern for? Whatever we receive in the Hereafter, we will only receive it through safeguarding لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
If we protect our Imaan then, it will give us the reward in the Hereafter and these stations.
So how should we protect our Imaan? Should we keep guards. Should we keep a pistol? Should we place a padlock on our Imaan to protect it? No I'm giving a unique point so listen to my statement. Listen carefully, these are the statements of the faqir which I learnt from the Khankah and I’m sharing with you. Extremely precious jewels come out from their mouth. Alhamdulillah. My life was spent as a waste in general, but Allah gave me a massive blessing that a portion of my life was spent in the khankah picking up the shoes of the Wali Allah. And these same statements I learnt and heard, I am sharing with you. There is only one thing which can protect the Kalimah, remember this. If you do not protect your Imaan with that, then you will never be able to safeguard your Imaan.
You can only protect this Kalimah, لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ through your deeds. By implementing upon the Kalimah. Listen to my words. Whoever implements
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ -
Allah's commands
مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
According to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's physical demonstration.
If you practice upon those orders according to the way of the Shariah and the Sunnah, then you are protecting your Imaan. Say SubhaanAllah.
Whoever is immersed in practicing upon those orders of Allah which are compulsory upon him, as well as implementing the Sunnah, as this is also a condition because مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ is the second part of the Kalimah, then he is safeguarding his Imaan. Do you understand?
2 parts. What do we need to correct? We must safeguard our Imaan if we want paradise and how to protect the Imaan? By practicing upon the commands of the Shariah according to the method of the Sunnah. If one does these actions, then when he rises on Qiyamah it will be said that "this person protected the treasure I gave to him and he fulfilled the right of the trust, which is the Kalimah."
The third thing, it is not something easy. Look at the lives of the noble companions, why did they persevere patiently through their difficulties, worries, calamities, starvation and poverty?
SubhaanAllah. Because through the company of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam they understood that the way to protect the Kalimah is only through rectifying their deeds and they were firm with this practice. Then we can take this gift to Allah otherwise we cannot take it to Allah.
Due to their safeguarding of this Kalimah, they were ready to bear any calamity and sadness which came there way, but did not step back from this Kalimah. They practiced upon the orders which were issued from the Kalimah, to the extent that their lives would go but they would not abandon their salaah. If the command came to pray at the masjid, not at home then no matter what happened, they would pray according to that. When the command was given and the method was given to do such and such act according to the sunnah and Shariah, "go to such and such place and pray there "I’m giving an example here. So the Sahabah would run where? To the masjid to pray salaah. What is this? This is the safeguarding of this kalimah.
They are accepting and persevering through adopting Allah's commands and when Allah's commands comes, i.e, to pray Salaah, he protects the Kalimah by implementing the command. How does he implement the command?
According to the Shariah and Sunnah of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and what is the command? To pray Salaah in the masjid in congregation. Shariah excuses are present which have been explained but if you don't have a Shariah excuse, you must go and perform your Salaah in the masjid and this is right of the Kalimah, the trust. The command has come. Here the test begins and the hurdles and barrier come in between and there are 2 enemies present when it comes to implementing Allah's order. One is internal, one is external. The external enemy will prevent you from acting upon the commands. "Don’t do it." They are enemies aren't they and they will only prevent you from doing this. They will make excuses. They will make Tabligh. They will give you greed. They will give you fear. They will grab hold of you.
لا خوف عليم ولا هم يحزنون
This is the difference between sadness and fear.
But the person who has Imaan will pass the test.
They will say, " are you leaving your shop to go and pray? Have you gone mad? What will happen to your customers? Why don't you make Qadha of your prayer? Why don't you pray upstairs afterwards?" Yes, is this not happening today? So what happened? He didn't follow the command of Allah according to the laws of Shariah and the Sunnah and consequently he didn't protect his Imaan. And the one who doesn't protect his Imaan, has been looted. Allah's Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, that he who leaves Salaah, he is ruined, he is looted, his house is on fire. Why? Because he has gone against one command of Allah. And he broke the protection of his Kalimah. So what does this mean? Whenever we are stood in the world and we want to protect the Kalimah, it is not a joke, it's a very big thing. Why do we play games with the deen? Why do we not understand these points? Why does it make no difference to us? Because when a human being sins repeatedly, then his heart becomes like a rock. This is the sign. That when the command of Allah comes, it doesn't affect his heart and he has no concern for it. "What Amanah (trust) is this? لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ , this is not a big deal, I don’t need to practice." When this recognition ends, then he has got the biggest chronic disease in the universe and inside he has become Abu Jahal and his heart is destroyed and has become dust. The words of the deen don't affect him. He says, "what is this? This is not important for me to practice, I don't need to do this." But he who has the wealth of Imaan inside and he has recognition, he shakes, "this is correct, how can I continue like this in a sinful state, I'm wasting the Amanah Allah ta'ala has given to me of Imaan." So these are the external factors of the world which prevent a man. And secondly, There are 2 enemies inside us, which are the nafs and shaytan. These are 2 strong enemies of a man internally. Nafs, inner soul, ego and shaytan. But shaytan is nothing compared to the power of the nafs. Shaytan is something but nafs is the worst enemy. Allah says in the Quran,
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا. وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا [سورة الشمس]
Here Allah says, success is based upon what? Allah hasn't used the word Shaytan. Rather, he who has overpowered and controlled his nafs and has sold his nafs for the sake of obeying Allah's orders, that human being is the successful one. Remember this.
When Allah's commands come, observe both your enemies. Is my external enemy preventing me or my internal enemy preventing me. I'm giving you examples. I'm not criticising anymore, I'm not pestering anybody, I'm just mentioning Allah's orders. So Allah's orders come to keep the beard, but the external enemy will say to you, "are you crazy that you're keeping a beard. People will keep you Mawlana sahib, you're a fundamentalist, you won't get a wife. “Thousand and excuses and hurdles will come in your way. And then nafs and shaytan will stop you from practicing, "you cant keep a beard." SubhaanAllah. So this is the fantastic fight of the believers. This is Mujaahadah. This is the case with Haraam and Halal, purdah and immodesty is the same, music and singing is the same. Wherever Allah's orders come, they implement those commands and abstain from what they should abstain from, then a hundred percent he is safeguarding his Imaan like the Sahabah. The believer who practices his deen should remember this message, whoever stands firm in order to protect his Imaan and the Kalimah, shouldn't look for excuses in the world, he shouldn't look for enjoyment in the world, remember this, in front of us is the example of the noble companions. They didn't look for excuses to leave the practice, every second they knew that they had been given this kalimah as a treasure and that they need to return to Allah with this Kalimah. So company will come, depression will come, calamities will come, remember this, the generation will stop you, people will stop you, society will try to control you, your nafs will control you, your family will try to stop you, they'll try to give you false claims and false promise. One thing will be honest and genuine at that time, what did Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mention about this situation. 'Do this brother, he said do this why are you doing this? We saw him doing this. Why are you doing it? I can give you proof? He's a Wali Allah, you don't need to do this, everything is permissible." After hearing everything just say, "tell me one thing, what did Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said regarding this?" So wherever قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم comes, then, it’s the end of the matter. He says that "this is the deception of my nafs. This is the deception of Shaytan, this path is incorrect."
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ، صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
"I don’t want to follow these paths. There is only one path and that is Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's path. That's the one path of the prophet. That is the path of the Sunnah. Whenever a person's away from the path of the Sunnah, then he has fallen into the prey of Shaytan and his nafs. He cannot understand. This is a big struggle in our lives brothers. This life isn't a game. Your food and drink may be diminished but just remember this world is temporary and only for a little while. I'm coming towards the 3rd and 4th point.
You will definitely receive distress and calamity , tests will come and you can't prevent any of them but they come to see how firm we remain against these challenges. Your life is not according to your own desires, for example, sometimes you do it, sometimes you don't, sometimes you pray salaah, sometimes you leave it, sometimes you go for Tabligh, sometimes you don't, sometimes you recite Quran, sometimes you practice, sometimes you don't practice. You are making your deen according to your desires so how can you succeed and go to paradise. This can never happen. The believer will give up every thing for the sake of Allah. "What is Allah's order over here?" Sometimes there are challenges. We think its very important to work, but Allah's order comes that at this moment, work is not necessary, so do this thing instead at that time.
So what will we say at that time? We are leaving this certain thing as there is no benefit in it and Allah has given a command to do which is this certain action at that time. So now I'm going to do this. The orders of Allah come at different times and in different forms but Allah's preference is what takes precedence. Allah's order. Allah's selection. We can't make something bigger or smaller or more important or less important for us. This is more important and this is not important. We can't classify. Not everything is important all the time. Salaah will not be fulfilled at every single moment of the day, likewise hajj, fasting etc. During general days it is compulsory upon us to feed our souls and sleep, etc. But when Ramadan comes, it is said, these are wasteful things. The order is given to abandon these things, eating etc. So what thing becomes greater? Previously there was an order but it has been lifted now that Ramadan is here, it is more virtuos to remain hungry. This is an example. Who's command do we follow? Allah's. Don’t say, "so and so’s thing is more virtuous lets do that.” Allah has fixed certain timings that at this time such and such worship is more virtuous. It can never be that Allah has chosen Duhr time for himself and you say, "oh it’s duhr time, let me pray fajr salah?" Would you pray in duhr time? No. Because Allah has said that Fajr salaah is at that time which Allah ta'ala has selected for it. "This is its time and there will be a limit for its ending time and after that you cannot read it." Salah, Quran recitation and Sajdah is the same. But if you were to pray Fajr salaah at duhr time, then you'll be given a punishment. A sin. You are destined for Hellfire, despite you praying. So we see here that Allah's order are virtuous in the time He set them to be performed in. Those are the great actions. So today make an intention that you will practice the deen how it should be practiced. Don’t live your life 50/50.
So we have the measurement gauge for everything and those people are the best who learn a little bit of knowledge so they can live their lives according to the deen. That's why you learn knowledge "let me learn the knowledge so its easier for me to practice and so I don't need to keep going to the Mufti for questions, why don't I learn the basic knowledge of deen myself so I can live my life according to the deen." Allah says that such a person is the greatest. To improve his lifestyle, he learns the knowledge, he is greater than the angels! This is the scholar. Have you seen this difference? If I say that "I’m becoming an Aalim to perform speeches, to debate and tell people off, put people down and hold lessons." This is not the correct intention. The true intention one should have is , "I am seeking knowledge so I can distinguish between what is right and wrong, haraam and halaal. What is the order of Allah, so I can practice. What is forbidden so I can abstain." Our whole lives should revolve around protecting our Imaan via our deeds. Say SubhaanAllah. Otherwise I'm sorry to say, this Ramadan is a waste, Hajj is a waste, Umrah is a waste. This is all a drama when we are not comparing our actions to the Shariah requirements. Sometimes Allah ta'ala refused Hajj. There are many events on this. The noble companions did not receive permission. Some great personalities have passed us, Hadhrat Owais al Qarni Rahmatullahi Alayh, was not given permission to meet Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam despite it being such a great deed. It transforms a man into a 'Sahabah.' Why was he prevented? "Because, this is the best thing for you. Your mum is weak. Go and serve her instead." His status wasn't been reduced. He was such a great individual that Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "there's a follower of mine, his name is Qarni, he lives in such and such place." Two great sahabi, Ali and Umar Radiyallahu Anhu were ordered to go to him after Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away and Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had said, "when you go to him, request him to make dua for my Ummah because his duas are accepted. "
SubhaanAllah. He was given the order that it is better for you to serve your mother and not go to meet Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He agreed because he didn't follow his desires. He protected his Imaan and this was done by obeying the commands of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
So our Ramadan and our fasts will be accepted when we implement the orders of Allah. We cut out beards whilst we are in the state of fasting. Tell me. We listen to music, but we are fasting. Now you can judge for yourself regarding your actions, I'm not going to judge I’m not a Mufti. Use your brain to determine which order you are following and which one you are rejecting. Allah is one. Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's orders are one. If you say that, "If I don’t believe in one order of Allah, it is nothing," then how many orders of Allah did Shaytan break? He didn't even break it, he presented an excuse. One excuse. And how many thousands of years of worship did he have?
When Allah created the earth and the humans, He gave an example so we can be reminded that even one of Allah's commands are very precious. That's why He presented the example of shaytan so we can understand and read it time and time again not to be-little, even leaving one command on. We must live our lives like this from morning and evening until death comes.
حَتَّىٰ أَتَانَا الْيَقِينُ
And on this basis there will be difficulties, problems, sorrows sadness.
إن مع العسر يسراً
I've presented to you a small verse. This verse was revealed upon Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam but it was a message for the Ummah. "Oh my beloved don't be distressed. We are watching you and your Sahaba. We are watching your difficulties and sadness. We are watching your children. We are watching your hurdles, everything. But listen to this oh Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and convey this message to your nation that until Qiyamah this will remain your situation. You will be sworn at when you practice the deen, you will be hit with shoes, you will be cursed and degraded, you will be dishonoured but they don't recognise your value, only Allah knows how respected you are. And if you want to earn the best respect, then implement my orders, and if you want to succumb to them, follow them and earn their respect, then there is no one more disgraced of a person in this world and the Hereafter." You can decide for yourself now. Is this your deen or the deen which Allah gave to us? Do you have a choice to do as you please? No. For everything we must first analyse to see what Shariah and Sunnah says regarding it. If we follow this deen, then remember that you won't be burdened. عسر
You will be faced with every difficulty but Allah has given encouragement through this small verse that "don’t worry, difficulty and distress will come, but your Lord promises you that after these problems, ease will definitely come and such ease SubhaanAllah which will come quickly. This is a test and all you have to do is stand firm on the deen through these tests. When you are told to commit Haraam, then don't do it. You'll be in loss or depression but stand firm on this. If you were to do such, then you can't even comprehend what Allah will grant you in compensation as a reward. It was said to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, "don't worry, after hardship comes ease!" This is a consolation to us that Allah's kindness, grace and mercy never leaves a person. It is always with you when you stand firm on your deen. Calamities will come, but keep one thing in mind, you will receive trials but Allah will definitely deliver you to ease thereafter according to Allah ta'ala's selection. Maybe He will make your dunya easy, maybe He will make your hereafter easy. But stand firm on the deen and don't abandon it. If you give up and run away then you have failed and have not fulfilled the promise of Allah. So this is a very great message for our life. My brothers stand firm on the deen, doesn't matter what society you are placed in, doesn't matter what environment you are placed in, we must take guidance for everything from the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Shariah. Wherever you are, never listen to anyone, rather say, "what does Shariah and Sunnah say regarding this matter I need to do it." It doesn't matter how much you have to sacrifice, if you wish to safeguard your Imaan then sacrificing the dunya is nothing compared to the great rewards you'll receive in return. Do you understand the lesson today? Allah says, "my beloved I love your nation so much but they are such that they forget the lesson very quickly. When you're sat in a good environment, for example you have gone for Jama'ah, propagation, the light comes in and when you come back, you become weak again. When you sit in the gathering of a Wali Allah, you get strong and when you leave the gathering, you become weak. Allah say, I know the weakness of the Ummah but I wont let them go to Hellfire. These are your people, I wont let them enter hellfire, in fact, I will prepare paradise for them with every moment. So Allah has prepared us for paradise through giving us this month, which is named Ramadan. There are eleven other months in a year and none of them hold the same status as Ramadan. Why? This month has come to protect us from Hellfire. Not through fasting and praying Taraweeh. There is no worship stipulated for Ramadan besides fasting my brothers. The rest of the actions we were already performing from before, Quran, salah and dhikr were there before and we are still going it now. It has probably increased but there's no new worship stipulated. What is the only new worship stipulated in Ramadan? Fasting. It has come to remind us and make us practice all the things we had forgotten as well as the lesson of remaining firm and steadfast on deen through this test of the world. We must not give up despite what our nafs and shaytan says, we must practice the deen of Allah according to the Shariah and the Sunnah. We are being made to practice here that, calamities and challenges will keep coming but it is Allah's promise that after hardship comes ease. This is the message of Ramadan so you can become strong. How is this so? Allah has given us this message during our fast. In the morning Allah commands us to abandon from food, drink, desires, lying, fraud, deception, music, because this the true fasting person isn't it? Whoever has kept the fast, he will do this and for the one who doesn't compromise and merely leaves food and drink, then it is stated in hadith that such a person can remain hungry and thirsty, his fast won't benefit him. Such a person is stupid and foolish. If you're not going to follow the commands of Allah, then eat and drink during Ramadan. Why are you making yourself look stupid? If you're disobeying Allah and walking around hungry and thirsty, then what fast is that? That's a waste of time. Fast has come to revive the deen. Allah says, the order of mine has come like all my other orders. Go and ask those labourers who work in 45, 40 degrees Celsius temperature, and have no food to eat at Suhoor time besides dry chapatti and water. The rest of the day he works for his children. This is 80% of our people in the Muslim countries who struggle. We are sat here, just a few people here, who will leave from here and enjoy a cold glass of water, some dates and some food and we consider ourselves great Muslims for fasting. Go ask that faqeer, that beggar, that poor man whose children have no cold water to drink in the evening. You may not have experienced a fast in heat but I have. In the evening time or not even in the evening, but rather the morning after 10am, their tongues are dry and stuck to the palates. I have kept fasts like that in my childhood in 70,80,100 degree temperature. My city Multan is very hot. So brothers, you will realise at that time when the labourer works all day long to earn bread and then he is grateful to Allah, how is he thankful to Allah? By keeping a proper fast, he has kept the beard, he prays salaah, he fulfils the orders of Allah, he is the true fasting person. What is this definition that we abstain from and eating and drinking through the day and then we are a ‘fasting’ person? This is not the definition of fasting given by Sharia. The true fasting person is he who from morning until evening he obeys Allah's orders completely just as He has ordered. Not that you are hungry and thirsty but you're watching a cricket match, football match, you're passing time here, gossip, backbiting, mocking someone, and then maybe he opens the Quran to recite a few pages. Keep on reading Quran then! The Quran says there are many people who I curse while they recite me and fail to implement upon me.
They kiss and touch the Quran with their foreheads. Why are you touching the Quran with your forehead? What Quran are you reading?
What expectations and hope are you keeping from doing this? The Quran is giving a message to save yourself from sin. Improve your appearances, improve your attire, adopt modesty, abandon lying. The Quran hasn't come for us to read, rather, so we can implement upon its order. Say SubhaanAllah. And you continue to recite it. One small verse I recited to you and the whole deen is encompassed within in.
إن مع العسر يسراً
Don't be scared. Stand firm just like my Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his sahabah did. A similar tough time will come upon you but don't keep such a fast where you're sinning whilst in the state of hunger and thirst. Keep such a fast where you don't commit even one sin so in the evening you can be classed as a fasting person. Do you understand what I'm saying or not? Has anyone kept such a fast? This is the true fasting. Reflect over your own actions and your appearances and then look at your hunger and thirst. Tell me. Its a straight forward deen. This is not deceit. We deceive ourselves. Whenever the order arrives and you are sinning, what does Allah say, "you are oppressing yourself." You are deceiving yourself. You are committing fraud against yourself. What an oppressor you are! You are deceiving yourself? How foolish are you that you sin and reassure yourself that you are a Jannati but you don't understand what the Quran and Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are informing you. "No this is not true. I'm fasting. I'm a Jannati. Allah is giving me good news." Then you will understand when you die. So what have we deduced? That when we stand firm on deen, calamities will come but this is deen. Don't practice anything against Shariah and Sunnah. We are fasting and the lesson is being revised that we must not eat, drink, no lust, no lying, no cutting of the beard, no watching TV, no listening to music, no singing, we’re not going to do anything now, because we are fasting. Otherwise this is not the fast. When you fast and abstain from all these things, what happens is, one day, two days, three days pass, Allah says that distress will come, you'll feel hungry, thirsty, you feel like going to your wife and children, you want to listen to music, you want to sing, you want to do everything but you are standing firm on the deen, that I don't want to spoil my fast. And he is hopeful of what?
إن مع العسر يسراً
No problem, inshaaAllah Ramadan will pass, and then the enjoyment will come. If I leave food and drink in the morning for at least these 9,10 hours, after that I can eat and drink. I will receive ease after this. This is the practice of the deen. If you spend your life like a fasting person and you tell yourself "don’t worry, very soon the evening will come, my trials will end, just like the fast ended, similarly, I wont leave this deen and won't go against the orders of Allah. I will implement them and I will persevere. I will endure no matter what comes by way because what is the glad tidings after this? SubhaanAllah
The good news will come, راضية مرضية , when I depart from the world, then an announcement will be made that, "your Lord is pleased with you." Do you want to please your Lord? Yes? So follow this formula. Alhamdulillah and every part of your deen will pass through your lives and we know that after this, we will receive very great news. Endure the difficulties and imitate the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to the highest grade. Imitate the deen to the highest grade. Increase your hope. Encourage yourself. Keep courage and determination and you will receive the deen and the reward. There is no differentiation of area or region and no sahabah were told that they can practice here, but cannot practice there. No. wherever Allah sends you in the world, hold up the flag of the Shariah and the Sunnah that I am going to live my like this. If Allah sends us to Spain, what will we do? We will go to Spain. We will put up a flag that we are living here, we eat, we sleep, we earn here, but our entire life will be spent in obeying the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's orders. On their heads will be turbans, they will have the beards, they will have Islamic appearances, but they will practice in the world, they'll do business, they'll become doctors, they'll become, engineers, they'll do everything, but they will not change their appearances and lifestyle internally and externally. We will not change. And whatever difficulties come, they are rewards for us. Why will the calamities come? Because we are protecting our Imaan and our deen.
فإذا فرغت فانصب , وإلى ربك فارغب
Then what did Allah say. "Oh my beloved, don’t worry, you are engaged in propagation, you are practicing, you are persevering, don't worry. I will give you the sweet ending what you need to do." The Qurans is telling us this. فإذا فرغت فانصب tell your Ummah that when you struggle and calamity befalls you فإذا فرغت فانصب , وإلى ربك فارغب , then come and do my dhikr in isolation.
Remember me. I'm not saying this. I put my hands up. Who is saying this? Who is Allah telling? When you work hard and make effort ألم نشرح لك صدرك
We opened your heart, go and do the work of the deen. I have sent you to the world. You have a team prepared, the Sahabah, you persevere through the difficulties. But convey a message to them that don't worry. The light will come, but until that time, seek the support and guidance. Which is what? Go in to seclusion after your propagation. When calamities befall you, don't distress.
فإذا فرغت فانصب
Turn back to your Lord. Remember Him and Allah will grant you ease and comfort.
Don’t abandon the deen in order to be safeguarded from calamities, rather run back to Allah.
فإذا فرغت فانصب , وإلى ربك فارغب
When difficulties come, we should return to Allah immediately, especially those who do Tabligh. In Raipur there was a khankah, our pious predecessor, Hadhrat Sheikh Zakariyyah Rahmatullahi Alayh's paternal uncle,
Hadhrat Ilyas Rahmatullahi Alayh, whenever he would return from Tabligh, he would go straight to the Khankah and spend time doing dhikr there. Why? Because he would act according to the Quran. They would engage in great work of deen, propagation and Da'wah so just like Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was given the command that after leaving the difficulties of the world return back to Allah so your Imaan can be strengthened, they would also follow suit.
Because when you go and do the work of deen, it is not easy. Today it is easier for us. But in the earlier days, when they began propagating the deen they were beaten up, they were sworn, cursed and scolded at. Whoever stands up for the deen, he is not faced with ease. You're looking at me thinking it is very easy but upon my heart there are many wounds which many of you have given. Say SubhaanAllah. It is not easy to do the work of the deen. It’s not an easy thing. Yes. Ask my heart what wounds there are are, but SubhaanAllah, فإذا فرغت فانصب when I sit in the Remembrance of Allah, then I forget everything. If Allah has prescribed this action to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said, "don't worry," then imagine how angry Allah must've been when the people caused distress to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, swore at him, threw waste on him, imagine how angry Allah was at that time but Allah said, "do not leave the work of the deen, you are extremely beloved to me. I love you so much. Nothing can compare to the love we have between us but remember one thing. Don't ever leave your work. Do not wilt. Do not shake. I'll tell you a secret, just keep on remembering me. Keep doing my dhikr."
So what difference does it make if one engages in dhikr? Listen ahead. SubhaanAllah. Allah has given us two Asharah of Ramadan so far and has made us practice, Mujaahadah. After that, the 3rd and final Asharah is the يسر which came after the ;عسر the ease which came after the hardship. Now reward has come. Allah made us do effort during the first two Asharah. We worked hard. Allah says, "now I change it and the final Asharah is different." Look at Allah's principle. It's the same month of Ramadan but these last 10 days are different. Now you will receive the rewards for your hard work. Just like a person who will struggle lifelong and in the Hereafter, Paradise will be decorated for him, he worked hard and protected his Imaan, so the doors of Jannah will be opened for him. That's why Allah keeps the same principle in Ramadan by making us practice and work hard in the first and second Asharah and in the last 10 days he gives the reward. What reward does He give? There is such a night during the last 10 days. SubhaanAllah. What is in this night? 1 night is greater then 1000 months. The is the reward. Who is this reward for? Not for those who have kept the fast but they are not fasting people. Its for those people who kept the fast and are true fasting people. Say SubhaanAllah. Laylatul Qadr is for them. I swear by Allah in this mosque that the person who kept the fast then definitely he will attain Laylatul Qadr. Whoever has kept it and I have given you the definition of the fast. So Allah says this is the reward and when will I give it? I wont just give it like this. I desire my servant to be alone and I shower the rewards upon him, so he is in i'tikaaf SubhaanAllah. So the greatest worship of these final 10 days is what? Seclusion. And alongside it, the Dhikr of Allah. SubhaanAllah. These are 2 worships. There is nothing else to do in these 10 days. You can sleep and do what you want. Allah says go and just do one action. Ask from me and continuously ask from me, you are receiving the rewards. This is the way and this is the Asharah of asking and receiving from Allah. We need to open up our treasure chest and ask Allah in isolation. There are 2 types of isolation. Whoever Allah grants the ability, and he is capable, he has no excuses, he has no affairs he can sit down with ease, then he is commanded to perform i'tikaaf in the corner of the masjid. He has received seclusion. And then what do you do? Wait on that night and open out your cloth and keep asking Allah, "Allah grant me this, Allah grant me this.' Wallahi whatever you ask for, Allah will grant you. And then Laylatul Qadr will come and you will receive all of its blessings. What a great worship we have been given. Seclusion and dua. And for those who can't perform I'tikaaf? Those who have a Shariah excuse, those engaged in Tabligh, work of the deen, deeni affairs or other valid reasons, he wants to sit on i'tikaaf but he can't, or if he has some reasons that he can’t but he wants to get the reward. Whoever wants the reward should sit in i'tikaaf and everyone should sit in i'tikaaf. Go wherever Allah invites you but those people who it is difficult for and they are occupied in other things, or other things are more important, then he also has seclusion. There are 2 types of seclusion. One is with the curtain to detach yourself from the world and the other is to seclude yourself with your heart. Being alone. So Allah says adopt the seclusion of the heart and be alone and perform Muraqabah. Do you understand Muraqabah? Learn Muraqabah from a Wali Allah who is a Naqshbandi teacher. Who will teach you Muraqabah. What is Muraqabah?
Your hands are busy in the dunya but your heart is attached to Allah. You are with Allah at that time and this is a great isolation. A great seclusion. People think he is talking with us, sat with us, smiling, he is with his wife and children but he's not there. Where is he? He is with Allah. This is called Muraqabah. This is the high grade dhikr of Allah. You stop the tongue, no speaking, but your heart is attached to Allah, you are doing dhikr. Life passes. We become old and are going to the grave and no one knows what Muraqabah is. No one knows how many Lataaif they have within them. They read the Quran and hadith and seek knowledge but they don't know how many Lataaif we have within us. The positions where you learn the name of Allah and the Lateefah call out to Allah. I swear by Allah that if the Wali Allah makes the lataaif alive, then every atom, every inch inside you, starts saying "Allah, Allah, Allah." I swear in this masjid during Ramadan and I say this clearly that so many treasures are present within us. We've studied Bukhari Shareef, Sahih Sittah, we've memorised the entire Quran, yet we haven't studied our souls. We have not understood our inner state so how will we meet Allah? There are parts of our body and treasures within which Allah ta'ala has given the Mashaikh the knowledge of. Allah has made the Lateefa apparent to them. It's not something small. There is a whole class of Mashaikh which run the world and they introduce you to Allah. There are treasures within us and each part of the body call out, "Allah, Allah Allah." This is not a drama which we sit and perform. I swear by Allah those who sit with me, every single one of his Lataaif call out to Allah. When we engage in Muraqabah, we are silent, our heads are lowered but our Lataaif within us are calling out Allah and this is called Muraqabah-e-Dhikr. But we say "I don’t need this. I’m not going to succeed with this. I don’t need to do Dhikr." What a great loss for a human being! Allah has caused the rivers and oceans to flow in front of our houses but due to our pride and deception we don’t want to submit and drink the water from the fountains. Because we don’t want to bow down. "We are this. We are this. We don't need to submit. We don't need to drink the water." This is the pride which shaytan had.
A human being is he who adopts even a little bit of knowledge which will introduce him to Allah and make Allah happy and he submits to that person, the Sheikh, and says "oh teacher teach me the knowledge." Ask Imaam Ahmad Bin Hanbal Rahmatullahi Alayh a great sheikh. He went to a villager, an old man and he held on to the ear of the man's horse and took it along, and he himself was the Imam, the Imam of his time, such that the King would stand up in respect for him and there he is taking the horse along. Someone asked him, "Hadhrat , you are a great scholar and you are walking alongside this faqeer who is on the horse. He laughed and said, "oh foolish person, it is due to him I became an Imam. He is my teacher. If he didn't give me the understanding of my Lord, then where would I be? I have studied the books, I have studied the Quran but he introduced me to my Lord so I could understand what is within me."
من عرف نفسه عرف ربه
"Whoever recognises himself, has recognised his Lord." [Ḥilyat al-Awliyā’ 10/208]
Brothers, we don't do anything. We listen to drama and listen to speeches. We don’t implement anything.
"By action, life may become both, paradise and hell."
This is not a speech I told you in the beginning. What is this? This is a discussion between us. If you like my words and understand them, then try to practice upon them. Don't waste the time just by listening. These are moments of Ramadan. I'll repeat and summarise that the objective of our life is what? The biggest treasure Allah has given us is what? Say it loudly. The Kalimah. How do we safeguard it and present it to Allah? Through our deeds. Which deeds? Implementing Allah's orders according to the Shariah and the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Your fast is according to the Shariah. Your face, your dress, your attire is all according to the correct way, then you keep the fast. That is called implementation. You pray salaah just like Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam demonstrated to us to pray and that is called the deen. That is implementation. Do you understand? I'm summarising for you. What are you protecting through your deeds? The Kalimah? Our Imaan. What will be the result of this? We will be faced with calamities and trials but to persevere and endure this, إن مع العسر يسراً Allah says you persevere now and tomorrow you will receive the rewards. You will receive paradise.
Thats the deen summarised. End of story. That's the deen of Islam
Whoever practices upon this, tomorrow he will see for his own eyes.
May Allah grant us the ability to practice and may we implement upon this. Ameen. Shall we do dhikr for a little while? Let's direct ourselves to Allah. فإذا فرغت فانصب we have spoken about the propagation of deen, now to cool our hearts, we will engage in Dhikr. This is the true method of the Sunnah. When you are finished from your Tabligh, propagation, and you see there is a halaqah of dhikr, go and join it according to the way of the Sunnah. So that my implementation becomes stronger so I can do Tabligh even better. Say SubhaanAllah.
Okay recite Durood Shareef.