Whenever, in history, we see a revolution or some historical change take place, then three groups are evident and visible, three sectors, you could say. One group, group A, accepts the principles and the rules that have been established by the revolution or the historical change that is taking place. Group B, the second of the three, totally reject the rules and changes. They say, 'No, no, we don't accept these principles and rules - they are too strict and are not in line with us.' And so both groups are visible and evident: first, those who agree, accept, respect and honour - they say 'We believe and we accept', and so they fall into line. In the same way, the second group are clear - 'We don't accept; we don't want this, and we don't accept.' In addition, there is a third group, group C. Now this third group are very cunning and clever and tricky - and they consider themselves to be clever and cunning. Now they play that game which goes in between the two others - 'Let's go along with both of the groups; let's please group A and group B, both parties, and stay on the fence.'
The Qur'an explains this to us at the beginning. First and foremost, Allah ta'ala, in the Qur'an, told us the foundation, and the foundation of this way of life which is Islam, the Deen of Islam. Allah ta'ala has made a totally comprehensive package and way of life, and rule, which is Islam. And Allah ta'ala said { ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ } the Straight Path, path A. And the biggest principle of this path, of this way of life, is that Allah ta'ala has stated { وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ }. Allah says 'Whatever I have given to My Nabi' - and as we see in the verse { وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ } - ' Whatever I reveal to My beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, in the form of the Qur'an and the physical implementation of the Qur'an, his lifestyle, both of these things that I have given will continue throughout history.'
And this way of life is the way of Islam, this Deen this way of life. And whoever joins this, attaches to this, then as we see in history, there have always been three sectors, three groupings: Group A, those who from the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam grabbed hold of this, embraced this, the Sahaba, the noble Companions, and the Companions, it continues until Yawm-al-Qiyamah - the practising people, the Mu'mineen, the Muslims. And Allah subhana wa ta'ala has sent us, in the Qur'an, the pure Shari'ah, and they will grab hold of it and follow according to that. For those people, Allah ta'ala will give rewards. Allah ta'ala says { خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَآ أَبَدًاۚ } - they will enter into such a Jannah when they depart the world, in this state, if they stay firm and steadfast upon the Deen that I have given them to practise, alhamdulillah.
Group B says, openly, 'We don't accept this; there's no Deen.' They will oppose visibly, and obviously, it is the Nafs, the base desires, that forces a person to not accept. So this group B are visible in the world; Allah ta'ala gives them a chance and warns them, but they continue to reject; they are the rejecters. And for them, Allah ta'ala says that they will go into Jahannam, into Hell, forever. And as for group C, which started in the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam's generation, at that time and era, and just as the Hadith has stated, as time will pass, as the time goes further away from the time of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, then there will be tests and challenges and issues and problems, and this will increase.
So this third group, group C, this is the group of turbulence, sowing discord, disharmony, and creating splits, and as the time goes further away from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, this group will get stronger and more intense, and its number and size will increase. And Dajjal will come from here, and all the signs of Qiyamah - Isa alayhi sallam will come, Imam Mahdi alayhi sallam will come, all of the Fasaad will be due to group C most of all. Now the condition of group C is that from their heart, which is the foundation of Deen, and the foundation of Islam - the root of Deen is the heart - the people in group C, in regards to the Qur'an, and to the heart and Amal, here, in the heart, that group C will always play games. Here, they will be two- faced; they won't accept the Shari'ah and Rasoolulaah sallallahu alayhi wasallam's way of life in their hearts, and according to the day and age and the generation, they will continue to build up, sometimes being termed modernists, sometimes intellectuals, or this and that, and with their base desires and their Nafs, they will increase this and propagate their wrong understanding.
So brothers, as regards these discussons we are having, we should analyse whilst we are sitting, right now, in this era. The Qur'an is speaking so nicely and clearly to us and giving us reality.
So if we think deeply today - and these are the days of Fasaad - this third group, group C, is large, and contains a high quantity of people. The first group, those of Iman, will be less in quantity, weaker, extremely weak; while the second and third groups, B and C, those who are sitting on the fence and group B who don't accept - and worse than group B are those in group C. Those who don't believe, fair enough, visibly and verbally we know them, but worse that these, more dangerous, who give loss to the Deen of Islam, are the third grouping.
So those who follow Deen get Jannah. And the Holy Prophet sallallhu alayhi wasallam has stated about the third group, those who are in-between, that their situation is visible. If you compare the situation of the Mu’min to that of the third group, when a Mu'min does a good deed, the sign of a Mu'min, who embraces and accepts and is steadfast on Allah's Deen and on the Shari'ah that Allah ta'ala has given, is that when a Mu'min does a good deed, he cries in the Court of Allah, saying, 'Oh Allah, will this be accepted or not? Allah, please, please, have mercy on me! Have I fulfilled the rights of this deed?' However the Munafiq, the one who sits on the fence, when he does wrong, he's happy! He considers that the sins he is committing and implementing are the way for progression in life. He thinks ' I will progress in the world, I will be accepted, I am forward-looking, progressive, advanced, and this is the cause of success. The others are foolish, they don't know what they're doing, they are stupid! I am the man - let me tell the Dunya, let me benefit from the Dunya, let me attain everything that I need.' There is a statement that 'We should have everything - we should have Deen, and we should have Dunya!' Yes? So this is their slogan you might say - 'We should have Deen and we should have Dunya - the world and religion.' They don't have the etiquettes. The first group's slogan is ' Qur'an and Shari'ah!'; the second group's is 'We don't accept!' Fair enough. The third group says, 'I want this and that, I want Deen and Dunya - I want a bit of both!'
Has it ever occurred that a person is both a man and a woman? You can only be one. I'll give an example from the world: can you have night and day, at the same time? Can you have black and white at the same time? No! So how can you have Deen and Dunya at the same time? How can you mix the two? This is Nifaq, hypocrisy. This is the definition of Nifaq, this is the sign of Nifaq. History show that their mission, their way, their plot is that they will oppose the Sunnah and Shari'ah of Rasoolullahu sallallahu alayhi wasallam - they dislike it. They say, 'Oh this has nothing to do with the Deen.' They always oppose one thing, nothing else - the Shari'ah and Sunnah that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam brought. The big sign of the Munafiq is that he will oppose it.
So the people who follow Shari'ah and Sunnah will go into Jannah, and the people who don't accept will go into Jahannam - and what will happen to these people, the Munafiqeen? Allah subhana wa ta'ala has made seven doors of Hell, seven. One is of metal, on which is written 'La'anah!' So there are different doors made of different materials, and the Adhab is to the extent of the depth of the door, and the displeasure of Allah is to the extent of the height of the door. Allahu Akbar! So that place is made of Allah's Adhab and displeasure. And the ground is of harsh metal and glass which will be fuel for a fire; they will burn, hot! And right and left, up and down, there will be fire upon fire - this is the Hadith. And this place that has been made is for this third group who say 'I am the best; I know what is Deen; I am intellectual; I have modern, advanced thinking.' This is that group and Rasoolullah sallalhu alayhi wasallam has said that these are the people who have Nifaq and hypocrisy.
You will see them recite the Kalima, and you will see them mingling, and so on, but those people will be between the two groups, neither here nor there, not on the right nor on the left, in between. When you see them in the Masjid, they will be one thing, but when they leave the Masjid, they will be something else - a unique group. Their living, their lifestyle - everything will be different. When they come here, they will look like they are following the Deen, and when they go somewhere else, they will change.
So my brothers, this is a very dangerous generation - may Allah forgive. We need to analyse and look into ourselves - why? Because this is an 'Ajeeb situation - the Qur'an has said clearly. Allah says
In their minds, they think to 'beguile Allah and those who believe, but they beguile none save themselves, although they perceive not' - they don't understand! They think that they are clever and that they are tricking and playing games, saying 'Whatever we are doing is fine, it is Khair, it is good, it is accepted.' So Allah ta'ala says that 'I am grabbing their understanding from inside! Do you think you are deceiving Me? You can deceive the people of the world, yes, for no-one knows about your Iman, and it's like this and it's like that, sometimes here, sometimes there.’ In Arafat, they will seem different, in Mina they will seem different. And when they leave the holy places, they will be different, and on the Plain, they will be different. Every moment, every hour, you will see their appearance and their lifestyle change. You won't understand - 'What Deen is this person practising? Who are these people?' They will debate with you and make lengthy statements, just to try to prove that you are wrong, or backward, or fundamentalist, and visibly you see this. They say 'Oh look how much we have advanced! We have achieved, we can go into everything, we accept everything, we can mix with everything.' Their mindset has become like this, that they cannot do without this way of life, this lifestyle.
But Dunya is nothing! The world is nothing! Their minds become so drowned in this that Allah ta'ala says { يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ }, they think they are so accomplished and they have achieved, and they think that Allah will send them straight to Paradise, that they are very courageous, and that they have understanding and wisdom. Allah says that these people are deceived; Jahannam has been prepared for them. Allah says 'Don't be deceived - I have prepared the abode of hell for them!' May Allah forgive.
So, my friends, this life is just a few days, just a few days. For example, you will see that these people go to all the events, going to many countries, they will change their lifestyle - but a Mu'min is one! A Mu'min is one, he has recited the Kalima, { ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُواْ }, yes? He has to stick to the Kalima wherever he goes. In the darkness, outside, whichever country he is in, working, he has one style one approach - he has fear of Allah and he implements according to the Shari'ah. For example, he is not too worried about who is looking or not looking, he is afraid of Allah; the basis of his understanding of Deen is that Allah ta'ala is watching. His life is on one principle, one basis, one foundation. Wherever you see him, he will say 'Has my Deen changed, has my life changed? Am I practising properly?'
This group, group C, they're useless, futile. So we need to sit down and analyse now, to see how this group is so numerous. With a cool heart, we should think ' How much am I in this group? Do I do all my actions according to Shari'ah? Do I take permission from the Shari'ah?' Weddings, functions, engagements, Deeni events, birthdays - just briefly, analyse and compare all the things that we do in our lives with the Deen. What are we on the prayer mat, what are we in Ramadhan, what are we when invited to somebody's wedding, what are we outside of the wedding - we don't realise, our Deen just changes from day to day, with the different forms and appearances and fronts that we have. We are deceiving ourselves, and we think that we are deceiving Allah! You can maybe deceive the Mu'mins, 'Yes, you're good, and if you a do Khatam, then they'll come and sit down, and if they go somewhere else, then they'll go and give a speech etc. You'll see how they appear at a wedding function.
The Mu'min's practice and colour is one - and this doesn't mean physical colour, it means his way of life, his approach, his methodology. Allah ta'ala has put one basis for life - { ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ - 'I have revealed to you this way of life, which is the Shari'ah, and you should be pleased with it and accept it.' So Allah says { يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ } - but how can you deceive Allah, or others who are the believers, you foolish people? Allah says { وَمَا يَخۡدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ } - they think they can deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive no one except themselves. You foolish person, you are going to die, death is close to you, you don't know the punishments that are going to be given to you, nor which place has been selected for you in Jahannam. At that time you will realise, na-oodhu bi'llah, na-oodhu bi'llah. You thought you were deceiving and hiding and tricking others - Allah and the believers!'
If only we would open up our hearts! And we read the Qur'an for this purpose. Our mistakes and our deficiencies - we should promise to ourselves that whatever happens, Nifaq will not come into our lives. Allahu Akbar, even if there is a pin's weight of Nifaq in our life - and what is Nifaq? If, in my life, I have made any decision against Allah's Shariah, or if the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam is saying this, and I went against it thinking that people will be upset - let them be upset! If a man is upset, that's one thing, but if Allah is upset - who should we displease, a man or Allah? We have to make the decision. We have to make the decision. What is the objective of our life? That we need to please Allah, with every breath we need to please Allah! And when is Allah pleased with every breath? When every decision is in accordance with the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam's Sunnah and Shari'ah. And then { رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ } is announced to that person.
The Companions spent their whole lives like this, so Allah ta'ala announced to the world { رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ } 'I am pleased with them and whoever follows their blessed footsteps till Yawm-il-Qiyamah! Just like I revived the names of the Sahaba until Yawm-il-Qiyamah, those who follow these Companions and their lifestyle, I will make their names famous across the world.' Hadhrat Khwaja Mohiuddin Chishti rahmatullah alayh, Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf Thani rahmatullah alayh - these names have not faded. Hadhrat Baqi Billah rahmatullah alayh, Hadhrat Mirza Mazhar Jaane Jaanan rahmatullah alayh - these names can never be wiped away. Hadhrat Baha’uddeen Naqshband - his name can never be forgotten. Hadhrat Ali Murtaza rahmatullah alayh - his name can never be forgotten. Far from forgotten, Allah elevates their names, and in corners of the world that we cannot even imagine, Allah makes those names famous; their names are recognised and known in those places. What a great, great life is lived by a person who accepts the true Deen, the right path.
So my brothers, this life is just for a few days. And we say 'Oh we are successful' - even though they earn Haram, and do Haram actions, and have no modesty in the women nor in the men, and their faces are spoiled, and their lifestyle is spoiled - and they say 'Oh we are progressive people, we are advanced people, because we have come to this hemisphere, we have come to this country to make money and earn money and wealth.' How much wealth? Look at the punishment at the end, the big punishment of Jahannam. And Allah subhana wa ta'ala has prepared a specific place in Jahannam for the Munafiqeen, for the hypocrites - what a dangerous place it is!
Allah ta'ala has defined, and the pious predecessors have defined. Do you know the wild mouse? What does he do? For example, he makes two holes, an entrance and an exit. He goes down one and comes out of the other. People see him entering one hole, so they try to get him out of that hole, but he has made a little escape route, so he comes out that way. The Munafiq also has this game plan. He dives into everything, adopting this form and appearance, according to the need of the hour; he doesn't care, he changes, fluctuates, in words, in appearance, movement, mannerisms - all of this changes. A Munafiq is called a Munafiq, a hypocrite, because his colour changes, his form changes, his appearance changes - he is two-faced. So he knows - he will delve into the Deen, but will come out of the Deen from another escape hatch, because he has to please those people who don't want the Deen. SubhanAllah, they try to show the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam that they are following the Deen, but they also need to please their masters, continually. They can't leave them. And this is why they are defined as the Munafiqs.
Allah says that this is hypocrisy, and a severe title has been given to them.
May Allah ta'ala forgive, and save us from them, those people who joke against the Deen, saying 'We are Muslims, we are solid Muslims, we have reached, we have arrived' - Allah says { يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ } - they are deceivers. This is deception, betrayal! 'They think to beguile Allah, and those who believe, but they beguile none save themselves.' 'You just beguile yourselves', Allah says. And they don't understand, they don't perceive this. Allah says that an intense darkness has been created for them. Allah says 'Do you think you can deceive Allah, that Allah does not understand? Do you think you are pleasing Allah, and that Allah is happy with you?' Allah says 'No, you are living in deceit, and you are trying to deceive others, but you should never consider that you can succeed. Only those who have taken hold of the right path are successful.'
So what we realise, my brothers, after reading the Qur’an, is that in the beginning, Allah has given us understanding and told us that if you embrace this Deen, follow this Deen, success in this Deen can only take place in one way. There is only one way, which Allah ta’ala has defined, and if we are on that path, then alhamdulillah, our destination will be achieved. Allah ta’ala says {وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ} – SubhanAllah, that all I have given to you, whatever I have revealed to the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, those who follow {وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ} whatever I have revealed to the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, if they accept it, and are pleased with it, all his decisions, whether it’s a wedding, or engagement, or a function, or a friendship, or relatives, children, children’s issues and affairs - no personal love will be useful, no personal relationships - whether it is business transactions, giving, taking, buying, selling – Allah says ‘I will test you, I will challenge you. I test everybody in the world, in this way, tests of the Dunya. I will see what you do, I will continue to analyse you and engage you and measure you to see how strong this person is. I will test you through difficulties, or through illnesses - and whatever occurs, the true human being will stay steadfast on what? { وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ} Those who have the Qur’an in one hand, and in the other hand they have the Shari’ah and the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam - they hit the top level, the top notch.
When husband and wife, for instance, have to make a decision, first of all, put these two things in front of you, ‘Come, let’s make a decision, what’s the argument between us? Let us make a decision to finish this argument between us – whatever the Shari’ah says, whatever the Qur’an says, that is the decision we will make.’ Alhamdulillah, this will take you out of the hardship, out of the clash. And those who don’t worry about the Shari’ah, and say, ‘No, I can do this, and I am going to do this’ - never will the people who want to follow their desires, their base desires, rather than the Deen be successful.
If you want to be a true Muslim, make this the rule for your life, and remember the three groups: Group A – those who have stuck to the way – and make Dua that we are in that group of people and will remain so until death, among those who stick to the Deen, who adhere to the Deen, who Allah ta’ala has blessed, and who follow the principles of Allah and His Rasool sallallhu alayhi wasallam – which is the Deen! This is the first, initial message of the Qur’an that Allah’s Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam has stated. And the third group, that of the hypocrites, were exposed clearly by Allah ta’ala at the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and this will continue. Until the Day of Judgement, the end of time, these people will exist; these are the signs of Nifaq, hypocrisy – everything has been mentioned in the Hadith. And you see the signs and you have to analyze, ‘Are those signs of Nifaq inside me? I have to analyze my Nafs!’ We need to consider and decide how many decisions we make according to Shari’ah, and how many decisions we make according to our desires. How many decisions do we make according to Allah’s Deen? If the decision is according to my desires, then slap my face! I did this? I should punish myself! How can there be blessings in this? Slap the face! How can there be Barakah and blessings in this? How can I go into Jannah with this decision against the Shari’ah, bringing this into my life? Don’t think ‘Oh, I only did one or two’ -no, not even one decision in our life should be against the Shari’ah and the Sunnah, not one!
May Allah ta’ala give us all the ability and the Tawfeeq to understand the Qur’an. And it is the Qur’an that is telling us all the words that we are discussing – may Allah allow us to bring them into our hearts. And let us remember, again, that if we do one thing, or one thing in our mind is coming that is against the Deen - ‘Oh no, this is too strict’, then consider straightaway that this is Nifaq, hypocrisy, that our body, our heart is full of Nifaq – it is still not accepting the Deen, even though the Qur’an is telling us very simply, very easily. Do Tawbah, repent – it doesn’t matter how much pain you go through, but bring your life into line with the Qur’an, and with the Shari’ah and the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam.
Wa akhiru Da’wana an-ilhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen
18th Jun, 2020
سُلطان العارفین الغوث الازہر سیدی اِمام احمد رفاعیؒ
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جس کی اللہ تعالی کے ساتھ ہم نشینی اچھی ہو تو وہ قران کریم کا تدبر کے ساتھ مطالعہ لازم پکڑ لیتا ہے ، اس کے احکامات کی پیروی کرتا اور اس کے آداب سے خود کو آراستہ کرتا ہے ۔
اور جس کی نبی کریم ﷺ کے ساتھ ہم نشینی اچھی ہو تو وہ آپ کے اخلاق و آداب کو اپناتا ہے اور اور آپ کی شریعت اور سنت کی پیروی کرتا ہے ۔
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(کلیات احمدیہ للامام ابی الہدی)
Whenever, in history, we see a revolution or some historical change take place, then three groups are evident and visible, three sectors, you could say. One group, group A, accepts the principles and the rules that have been established by the revolution or the historical change that is taking place. Group B, the second of the three, totally reject the rules and changes. They say, 'No, no, we don't accept these principles and rules - they are too strict and are not in line with us.' And so both groups are visible and evident: first, those who agree, accept, respect and honour - they say 'We believe and we accept', and so they fall into line. In the same way, the second group are clear - 'We don't accept; we don't want this, and we don't accept.' In addition, there is a third group, group C. Now this third group are very cunning and clever and tricky - and they consider themselves to be clever and cunning. Now they play that game which goes in between the two others - 'Let's go along with both of the groups; let's please group A and group B, both parties, and stay on the fence.'
The Qur'an explains this to us at the beginning. First and foremost, Allah ta'ala, in the Qur'an, told us the foundation, and the foundation of this way of life which is Islam, the Deen of Islam. Allah ta'ala has made a totally comprehensive package and way of life, and rule, which is Islam. And Allah ta'ala said { ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ } the Straight Path, path A. And the biggest principle of this path, of this way of life, is that Allah ta'ala has stated { وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ }. Allah says 'Whatever I have given to My Nabi' - and as we see in the verse { وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ } - ' Whatever I reveal to My beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, in the form of the Qur'an and the physical implementation of the Qur'an, his lifestyle, both of these things that I have given will continue throughout history.'
And this way of life is the way of Islam, this Deen this way of life. And whoever joins this, attaches to this, then as we see in history, there have always been three sectors, three groupings: Group A, those who from the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam grabbed hold of this, embraced this, the Sahaba, the noble Companions, and the Companions, it continues until Yawm-al-Qiyamah - the practising people, the Mu'mineen, the Muslims. And Allah subhana wa ta'ala has sent us, in the Qur'an, the pure Shari'ah, and they will grab hold of it and follow according to that. For those people, Allah ta'ala will give rewards. Allah ta'ala says { خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَآ أَبَدًاۚ } - they will enter into such a Jannah when they depart the world, in this state, if they stay firm and steadfast upon the Deen that I have given them to practise, alhamdulillah.
Group B says, openly, 'We don't accept this; there's no Deen.' They will oppose visibly, and obviously, it is the Nafs, the base desires, that forces a person to not accept. So this group B are visible in the world; Allah ta'ala gives them a chance and warns them, but they continue to reject; they are the rejecters. And for them, Allah ta'ala says that they will go into Jahannam, into Hell, forever. And as for group C, which started in the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam's generation, at that time and era, and just as the Hadith has stated, as time will pass, as the time goes further away from the time of the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, then there will be tests and challenges and issues and problems, and this will increase.
So this third group, group C, this is the group of turbulence, sowing discord, disharmony, and creating splits, and as the time goes further away from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, this group will get stronger and more intense, and its number and size will increase. And Dajjal will come from here, and all the signs of Qiyamah - Isa alayhi sallam will come, Imam Mahdi alayhi sallam will come, all of the Fasaad will be due to group C most of all. Now the condition of group C is that from their heart, which is the foundation of Deen, and the foundation of Islam - the root of Deen is the heart - the people in group C, in regards to the Qur'an, and to the heart and Amal, here, in the heart, that group C will always play games. Here, they will be two- faced; they won't accept the Shari'ah and Rasoolulaah sallallahu alayhi wasallam's way of life in their hearts, and according to the day and age and the generation, they will continue to build up, sometimes being termed modernists, sometimes intellectuals, or this and that, and with their base desires and their Nafs, they will increase this and propagate their wrong understanding.
So brothers, as regards these discussons we are having, we should analyse whilst we are sitting, right now, in this era. The Qur'an is speaking so nicely and clearly to us and giving us reality.
So if we think deeply today - and these are the days of Fasaad - this third group, group C, is large, and contains a high quantity of people. The first group, those of Iman, will be less in quantity, weaker, extremely weak; while the second and third groups, B and C, those who are sitting on the fence and group B who don't accept - and worse than group B are those in group C. Those who don't believe, fair enough, visibly and verbally we know them, but worse that these, more dangerous, who give loss to the Deen of Islam, are the third grouping.
So those who follow Deen get Jannah. And the Holy Prophet sallallhu alayhi wasallam has stated about the third group, those who are in-between, that their situation is visible. If you compare the situation of the Mu’min to that of the third group, when a Mu'min does a good deed, the sign of a Mu'min, who embraces and accepts and is steadfast on Allah's Deen and on the Shari'ah that Allah ta'ala has given, is that when a Mu'min does a good deed, he cries in the Court of Allah, saying, 'Oh Allah, will this be accepted or not? Allah, please, please, have mercy on me! Have I fulfilled the rights of this deed?' However the Munafiq, the one who sits on the fence, when he does wrong, he's happy! He considers that the sins he is committing and implementing are the way for progression in life. He thinks ' I will progress in the world, I will be accepted, I am forward-looking, progressive, advanced, and this is the cause of success. The others are foolish, they don't know what they're doing, they are stupid! I am the man - let me tell the Dunya, let me benefit from the Dunya, let me attain everything that I need.' There is a statement that 'We should have everything - we should have Deen, and we should have Dunya!' Yes? So this is their slogan you might say - 'We should have Deen and we should have Dunya - the world and religion.' They don't have the etiquettes. The first group's slogan is ' Qur'an and Shari'ah!'; the second group's is 'We don't accept!' Fair enough. The third group says, 'I want this and that, I want Deen and Dunya - I want a bit of both!'
Has it ever occurred that a person is both a man and a woman? You can only be one. I'll give an example from the world: can you have night and day, at the same time? Can you have black and white at the same time? No! So how can you have Deen and Dunya at the same time? How can you mix the two? This is Nifaq, hypocrisy. This is the definition of Nifaq, this is the sign of Nifaq. History show that their mission, their way, their plot is that they will oppose the Sunnah and Shari'ah of Rasoolullahu sallallahu alayhi wasallam - they dislike it. They say, 'Oh this has nothing to do with the Deen.' They always oppose one thing, nothing else - the Shari'ah and Sunnah that the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam brought. The big sign of the Munafiq is that he will oppose it.
So the people who follow Shari'ah and Sunnah will go into Jannah, and the people who don't accept will go into Jahannam - and what will happen to these people, the Munafiqeen? Allah subhana wa ta'ala has made seven doors of Hell, seven. One is of metal, on which is written 'La'anah!' So there are different doors made of different materials, and the Adhab is to the extent of the depth of the door, and the displeasure of Allah is to the extent of the height of the door. Allahu Akbar! So that place is made of Allah's Adhab and displeasure. And the ground is of harsh metal and glass which will be fuel for a fire; they will burn, hot! And right and left, up and down, there will be fire upon fire - this is the Hadith. And this place that has been made is for this third group who say 'I am the best; I know what is Deen; I am intellectual; I have modern, advanced thinking.' This is that group and Rasoolullah sallalhu alayhi wasallam has said that these are the people who have Nifaq and hypocrisy.
You will see them recite the Kalima, and you will see them mingling, and so on, but those people will be between the two groups, neither here nor there, not on the right nor on the left, in between. When you see them in the Masjid, they will be one thing, but when they leave the Masjid, they will be something else - a unique group. Their living, their lifestyle - everything will be different. When they come here, they will look like they are following the Deen, and when they go somewhere else, they will change.
So my brothers, this is a very dangerous generation - may Allah forgive. We need to analyse and look into ourselves - why? Because this is an 'Ajeeb situation - the Qur'an has said clearly. Allah says
{ يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَمَا يَخۡدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ }.
In their minds, they think to 'beguile Allah and those who believe, but they beguile none save themselves, although they perceive not' - they don't understand! They think that they are clever and that they are tricking and playing games, saying 'Whatever we are doing is fine, it is Khair, it is good, it is accepted.' So Allah ta'ala says that 'I am grabbing their understanding from inside! Do you think you are deceiving Me? You can deceive the people of the world, yes, for no-one knows about your Iman, and it's like this and it's like that, sometimes here, sometimes there.’ In Arafat, they will seem different, in Mina they will seem different. And when they leave the holy places, they will be different, and on the Plain, they will be different. Every moment, every hour, you will see their appearance and their lifestyle change. You won't understand - 'What Deen is this person practising? Who are these people?' They will debate with you and make lengthy statements, just to try to prove that you are wrong, or backward, or fundamentalist, and visibly you see this. They say 'Oh look how much we have advanced! We have achieved, we can go into everything, we accept everything, we can mix with everything.' Their mindset has become like this, that they cannot do without this way of life, this lifestyle.
But Dunya is nothing! The world is nothing! Their minds become so drowned in this that Allah ta'ala says { يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ }, they think they are so accomplished and they have achieved, and they think that Allah will send them straight to Paradise, that they are very courageous, and that they have understanding and wisdom. Allah says that these people are deceived; Jahannam has been prepared for them. Allah says 'Don't be deceived - I have prepared the abode of hell for them!' May Allah forgive.
So, my friends, this life is just a few days, just a few days. For example, you will see that these people go to all the events, going to many countries, they will change their lifestyle - but a Mu'min is one! A Mu'min is one, he has recited the Kalima, { ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُواْ }, yes? He has to stick to the Kalima wherever he goes. In the darkness, outside, whichever country he is in, working, he has one style one approach - he has fear of Allah and he implements according to the Shari'ah. For example, he is not too worried about who is looking or not looking, he is afraid of Allah; the basis of his understanding of Deen is that Allah ta'ala is watching. His life is on one principle, one basis, one foundation. Wherever you see him, he will say 'Has my Deen changed, has my life changed? Am I practising properly?'
This group, group C, they're useless, futile. So we need to sit down and analyse now, to see how this group is so numerous. With a cool heart, we should think ' How much am I in this group? Do I do all my actions according to Shari'ah? Do I take permission from the Shari'ah?' Weddings, functions, engagements, Deeni events, birthdays - just briefly, analyse and compare all the things that we do in our lives with the Deen. What are we on the prayer mat, what are we in Ramadhan, what are we when invited to somebody's wedding, what are we outside of the wedding - we don't realise, our Deen just changes from day to day, with the different forms and appearances and fronts that we have. We are deceiving ourselves, and we think that we are deceiving Allah! You can maybe deceive the Mu'mins, 'Yes, you're good, and if you a do Khatam, then they'll come and sit down, and if they go somewhere else, then they'll go and give a speech etc. You'll see how they appear at a wedding function.
The Mu'min's practice and colour is one - and this doesn't mean physical colour, it means his way of life, his approach, his methodology. Allah ta'ala has put one basis for life - { ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ - 'I have revealed to you this way of life, which is the Shari'ah, and you should be pleased with it and accept it.' So Allah says { يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ } - but how can you deceive Allah, or others who are the believers, you foolish people? Allah says { وَمَا يَخۡدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ } - they think they can deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive no one except themselves. You foolish person, you are going to die, death is close to you, you don't know the punishments that are going to be given to you, nor which place has been selected for you in Jahannam. At that time you will realise, na-oodhu bi'llah, na-oodhu bi'llah. You thought you were deceiving and hiding and tricking others - Allah and the believers!'
If only we would open up our hearts! And we read the Qur'an for this purpose. Our mistakes and our deficiencies - we should promise to ourselves that whatever happens, Nifaq will not come into our lives. Allahu Akbar, even if there is a pin's weight of Nifaq in our life - and what is Nifaq? If, in my life, I have made any decision against Allah's Shariah, or if the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam is saying this, and I went against it thinking that people will be upset - let them be upset! If a man is upset, that's one thing, but if Allah is upset - who should we displease, a man or Allah? We have to make the decision. We have to make the decision. What is the objective of our life? That we need to please Allah, with every breath we need to please Allah! And when is Allah pleased with every breath? When every decision is in accordance with the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam's Sunnah and Shari'ah. And then { رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ } is announced to that person.
The Companions spent their whole lives like this, so Allah ta'ala announced to the world { رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ } 'I am pleased with them and whoever follows their blessed footsteps till Yawm-il-Qiyamah! Just like I revived the names of the Sahaba until Yawm-il-Qiyamah, those who follow these Companions and their lifestyle, I will make their names famous across the world.' Hadhrat Khwaja Mohiuddin Chishti rahmatullah alayh, Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf Thani rahmatullah alayh - these names have not faded. Hadhrat Baqi Billah rahmatullah alayh, Hadhrat Mirza Mazhar Jaane Jaanan rahmatullah alayh - these names can never be wiped away. Hadhrat Baha’uddeen Naqshband - his name can never be forgotten. Hadhrat Ali Murtaza rahmatullah alayh - his name can never be forgotten. Far from forgotten, Allah elevates their names, and in corners of the world that we cannot even imagine, Allah makes those names famous; their names are recognised and known in those places. What a great, great life is lived by a person who accepts the true Deen, the right path.
So my brothers, this life is just for a few days. And we say 'Oh we are successful' - even though they earn Haram, and do Haram actions, and have no modesty in the women nor in the men, and their faces are spoiled, and their lifestyle is spoiled - and they say 'Oh we are progressive people, we are advanced people, because we have come to this hemisphere, we have come to this country to make money and earn money and wealth.' How much wealth? Look at the punishment at the end, the big punishment of Jahannam. And Allah subhana wa ta'ala has prepared a specific place in Jahannam for the Munafiqeen, for the hypocrites - what a dangerous place it is!
Allah ta'ala has defined, and the pious predecessors have defined. Do you know the wild mouse? What does he do? For example, he makes two holes, an entrance and an exit. He goes down one and comes out of the other. People see him entering one hole, so they try to get him out of that hole, but he has made a little escape route, so he comes out that way. The Munafiq also has this game plan. He dives into everything, adopting this form and appearance, according to the need of the hour; he doesn't care, he changes, fluctuates, in words, in appearance, movement, mannerisms - all of this changes. A Munafiq is called a Munafiq, a hypocrite, because his colour changes, his form changes, his appearance changes - he is two-faced. So he knows - he will delve into the Deen, but will come out of the Deen from another escape hatch, because he has to please those people who don't want the Deen. SubhanAllah, they try to show the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam that they are following the Deen, but they also need to please their masters, continually. They can't leave them. And this is why they are defined as the Munafiqs.
{يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَمَا يَخۡدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ }
Allah says that this is hypocrisy, and a severe title has been given to them.
May Allah ta'ala forgive, and save us from them, those people who joke against the Deen, saying 'We are Muslims, we are solid Muslims, we have reached, we have arrived' - Allah says { يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ } - they are deceivers. This is deception, betrayal! 'They think to beguile Allah, and those who believe, but they beguile none save themselves.' 'You just beguile yourselves', Allah says. And they don't understand, they don't perceive this. Allah says that an intense darkness has been created for them. Allah says 'Do you think you can deceive Allah, that Allah does not understand? Do you think you are pleasing Allah, and that Allah is happy with you?' Allah says 'No, you are living in deceit, and you are trying to deceive others, but you should never consider that you can succeed. Only those who have taken hold of the right path are successful.'
So what we realise, my brothers, after reading the Qur’an, is that in the beginning, Allah has given us understanding and told us that if you embrace this Deen, follow this Deen, success in this Deen can only take place in one way. There is only one way, which Allah ta’ala has defined, and if we are on that path, then alhamdulillah, our destination will be achieved. Allah ta’ala says {وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ} – SubhanAllah, that all I have given to you, whatever I have revealed to the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, those who follow {وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ} whatever I have revealed to the Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, if they accept it, and are pleased with it, all his decisions, whether it’s a wedding, or engagement, or a function, or a friendship, or relatives, children, children’s issues and affairs - no personal love will be useful, no personal relationships - whether it is business transactions, giving, taking, buying, selling – Allah says ‘I will test you, I will challenge you. I test everybody in the world, in this way, tests of the Dunya. I will see what you do, I will continue to analyse you and engage you and measure you to see how strong this person is. I will test you through difficulties, or through illnesses - and whatever occurs, the true human being will stay steadfast on what? { وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ} Those who have the Qur’an in one hand, and in the other hand they have the Shari’ah and the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam - they hit the top level, the top notch.
When husband and wife, for instance, have to make a decision, first of all, put these two things in front of you, ‘Come, let’s make a decision, what’s the argument between us? Let us make a decision to finish this argument between us – whatever the Shari’ah says, whatever the Qur’an says, that is the decision we will make.’ Alhamdulillah, this will take you out of the hardship, out of the clash. And those who don’t worry about the Shari’ah, and say, ‘No, I can do this, and I am going to do this’ - never will the people who want to follow their desires, their base desires, rather than the Deen be successful.
If you want to be a true Muslim, make this the rule for your life, and remember the three groups: Group A – those who have stuck to the way – and make Dua that we are in that group of people and will remain so until death, among those who stick to the Deen, who adhere to the Deen, who Allah ta’ala has blessed, and who follow the principles of Allah and His Rasool sallallhu alayhi wasallam – which is the Deen! This is the first, initial message of the Qur’an that Allah’s Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam has stated. And the third group, that of the hypocrites, were exposed clearly by Allah ta’ala at the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and this will continue. Until the Day of Judgement, the end of time, these people will exist; these are the signs of Nifaq, hypocrisy – everything has been mentioned in the Hadith. And you see the signs and you have to analyze, ‘Are those signs of Nifaq inside me? I have to analyze my Nafs!’ We need to consider and decide how many decisions we make according to Shari’ah, and how many decisions we make according to our desires. How many decisions do we make according to Allah’s Deen? If the decision is according to my desires, then slap my face! I did this? I should punish myself! How can there be blessings in this? Slap the face! How can there be Barakah and blessings in this? How can I go into Jannah with this decision against the Shari’ah, bringing this into my life? Don’t think ‘Oh, I only did one or two’ -no, not even one decision in our life should be against the Shari’ah and the Sunnah, not one!
May Allah ta’ala give us all the ability and the Tawfeeq to understand the Qur’an. And it is the Qur’an that is telling us all the words that we are discussing – may Allah allow us to bring them into our hearts. And let us remember, again, that if we do one thing, or one thing in our mind is coming that is against the Deen - ‘Oh no, this is too strict’, then consider straightaway that this is Nifaq, hypocrisy, that our body, our heart is full of Nifaq – it is still not accepting the Deen, even though the Qur’an is telling us very simply, very easily. Do Tawbah, repent – it doesn’t matter how much pain you go through, but bring your life into line with the Qur’an, and with the Shari’ah and the Sunnah of Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam.
Wa akhiru Da’wana an-ilhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen