Podcast: Play in new window | Download (15.3MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | Youtube Music | RSS
Auto-generated transcript:
Alhamdulillah, it is a beautiful course. May Allah bless all those who designed it and ran it. Of course, Sheikh Bilal’s many videos are wonderful; I was hearing him in my sleep whether you should call it a dream or a nightmare—I don’t know whatever it got so good. I am so comfortable listening to his voice that I used to listen to him at twice the speed, which is one of the secrets of getting through the course fast. Did you do that as well? Yes, exactly. I can do it twice and understand everything.
I like about the course is that it is very granular and detailed. It covers all areas and a lot of history for want of another word. I am saying history because in all the stories of Sheikh As-Sumayt and others, this is a very important part of Islamic teaching and learning which usually gets neglected. We must know it, and it is very important for Muslims to have good, positive, strong stories that are uplifting to the heart. Because for one reason or another, we seem to have lives and narratives just full of bad news: distance is happening here, someone is getting bombed there, someone is getting killed there, someone is getting put in prison there, and so on. So we also need some goodness. We have people doing things, and there is good news even in modern contexts. We do not need to necessarily go back seven or ten centuries to get good news; right now, people are doing things in the same world with all the same issues, maybe more for them. They are able to achieve what they think is a very positive element of learning.
The reason I did this course was because, as he told you, I am supposed to be an advisor. So I said, “Well, let me do the course.” You know exactly what we are teaching, and I think it is a wonderful thing—the so-called advice that I want to give myself before everybody else. And any of you who wish to take it, most welcome. The bottom line, the fundamental thing as far as the IDP course is concerned, as far as the Imams, Muallimahs, or whoever is concerned, is that the fundamental thing is to get close to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. The fundamental thing is to establish a connection with Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. This is something we need to continuously keep monitoring ourselves over and over again: What is my connection? My connection at a very personal level—what is my connection with Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala? Right, we don’t give examples of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, but just as a matter of illustration, Shaykh Milan and I go back many years Alhamdulillah. One thing I can say for absolutely certain is if I call him, he will pick up my call, and if he calls me, I will pick up his call no matter when or where in the world we are and so on. So this is absolutely there; there’s no doubt whatsoever. If I want to send someone to Shaykh Milan, I’ll say, “Go and tell him, ‘I sent you.’ That’s enough.”
So therefore, what is my courage? If I raise my hand in dua and say, “Ya Allah,” what is happening? Is anything happening? He said, “Ya Allah, who is Allah?” Yes, but *my* Allah. I say, “Ya Allah, it’s me. I am asking you. So give me, give me because only You can give me, give me because I am asking you.” But you know, you are a sinner. This yes, of course, yes, of course. Many times people ask this question: Are you ready to meet me? I’m not ready to meet you. I say, “Yes, now what have you got to show Allah?” I said, “My sins, my sins.” Okay, we like to think that when you say, “What have you got to show Allah,” you must have done this great thing and you know this massive virtue and bring it. What do I have to show my Rabb? My sins. If I didn’t have my sins, why would I need Allah? What I need is Allah. Illa illa Allah. So who must I go to? I’m not saying commit sins; I’m saying I have them. And despite having them, my Rabb covered them. So you call me, Sheikh, because of the color of my beard. You honor me. You do this, you do that. This is half; this is the cover. And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has placed over me so people say, “Are you not afraid to go before?” Of course not. Why would I be afraid? Tell me what did Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala say. Allah said, “Just see.” I mean this is what I said also today: Reflect on the Quran. Don’t just read; reflect on the Quran. Every word, the grammar of it, the way those two words come one after another. When Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala had the option to say, “I’m not afraid to go before Allah,” He had the opportunity of using any number of things. He used a particular word. Say, “Oh my slaves.” My slaves. Allah is drawing them close. My slaves—those who have transgressed themselves, my slaves—those who are sinners, my slaves—those who have disobeyed, my slaves—those who are rebellious, my slaves—those who have done haram, my slaves—those who have neglected, my slaves—those who are stuck in ghafla. If somebody disobeys me, if somebody disrespects me, and so on, push him aside at my stage in life. I just ignore. I won’t certainly say, “My slave, oh please, I don’t want to see you. Why should I? You are a piece of… you know, you are a pain in the neck. Goodbye.”
Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, *my* slaves. قُلْ يَا إِبَادِي (Qul ya ibadi). And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, Jalla Jalaluhu is the Ibadih, the Ibad. Allah described them. So this is not a general Ya Ibadih. كُلُّهُمْ عِبَادُ اللَّهِ (Kulluhum ‘ibadullah). We are all the Ibadah of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. The good ones, the bad ones, everything. No, specifically. Specifically, Ya Ibadih. الَّذِينَ أَصْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ (Alladhina asrafu ‘ala anfusihim). And then, لَا تَقْنَةُ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ (La taqna min rahmatillah). Do not lose hope. Do not despair. Do not give up on the mercy of Allah. Never say to yourself that Allah cannot forgive me. Never say to anybody else that Allah cannot forgive you. لَا تَقْنَةُ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ (La taqna min rahmatillah). Now this ayah, as far as its meaning is concerned, was complete here. But Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has… my Rabb is generous in a way which you cannot describe. لَا تَقْنَةُ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا (La taqna min rahmatillah innallaha yaghfirudh-dhunubajami’an). Ayat once again is complete. Verily Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is the one who will forgive every sin. يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا (Yaghfirudh-dhunubajami’an). No matter how big you seek forgiveness, you will get forgiveness. Not my guman, not my husnizan. This is Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala’s kalam. Allah Himself is saying this. إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا (Innallaha yaghfirudh-dhunubajami’an).
But yet even that is not enough. إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ (Innah huwa al-Ghafurur-Rahim). So build this connection with Allah. Talk to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Make tahajjud further on yourself. When I am dead and gone, if you think about me, and if the only thing you remember is that I used to say, “Pray tahajjud,” Inshallah for my rajat is enough. Pray tahajjud. Make tahajjud further on yourself. If you are in the work of the da’wah of Islam and you are not praying tahajjud, wallahi you will not succeed. You will fail. You cannot succeed. Because the ta’alluq with Allah starts with tahajjud. يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ (Ya ayyuha al-Muzzammil). Who is this being said to? You, me? I say, “I am a da’il Allah.” You are a da’il Allah. That is your statement, my statement. But the Rasul Alayhis-salaam… يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ (Ya ayyuha al-Muzzammil). Qum. Qum il-layla il-lakhid. نِسْفَهُ وَبِنْقُسْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا أَوْزِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَبْعُونَهُمْ (Nisfahu wa binqus minhu qaliilan awzid ‘alayhi warattilil-qur’an tab’unhum). Allah is giving Rasul Alayhis-salaam this resource. He is saying, “We have sent you to present Islam. We have sent you to introduce Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to the people. And so you need resources. You need power. You need authority. You need resources. Where does that come from? Stand in the night. Recite the kalam which we have sent.” Like you say Darul Tafiz to his student: Sabak sunao. Allah is saying sabak sunao. Kya sikha? Tahajjud. Make it further on yourself. No matter what. Whether you are at home, whether you are travelling, whether you are sick. People say if I am sick, you need it more. When do you need medicine? When you are well or when you are sick? If you are sick, you should specially pray tahajjud. Oh, I have got a lot of problems. Specially pray tahajjud. You need it even more. Pray tahajjud. Make tahajjud further on yourself. And in that tahajjud is only you and Allah.
Hasan Basri, he is standing on his musalah. Before he starts tahajjud, he says, “Ya Rabb, the whole world is asleep. The whole world is sleeping. Even the stars have gone to sleep. There are only two who are awake. You on your arsh and me here.” Huh? Don’t go into the geography and say, “In Australia it was daylight.” No, I mean, the point I am making is this is the personal ta’alluq, the personal connection. That is what you must create. Create the special words that you speak to Allahﷻ. Like the man who said:
Rabbilakal hamd. Kama yamba qili jalali wajik. Wajib-e-sultani. Huh? Huh? The man did not say the words. His Rabb gave him those words. And all the ayahs make dua. Ya Rabb, give me the words. I also want to say something like this. Where the manayikah who record will go to you and say that he praised you like we have never heard before. So how should we have? What should we write as a reward? This is the hadith, right? Rabbilakal hamd. Kama yamba qili jalali wajik. Wajib-e-sultani. Oh my Rabb. Lakal hamd. All praise and all thanks to you. Kama yamba qili jalali wajik. See the beauty of description. He is not saying so much, so much, zillion, trillion. He is saying in keeping with the majesty and glory of your countenance. Whatever that is, only you know that. Wajib-e-sultani. And in keeping with the glory and majesty of your kingdom.
So the manayikah went up to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and Allah knows. Allah knows what the slave said because Allah gave him this tawfiq. But in order to establish the hujjah in favor of the slave, they go and they say, “Ya Rabb, your slave, so and so, praised you in words we have never heard before.” So what should we write as reward? So Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, “What did he say?” Just say, “Ya Rabb.” He said, “What shall we write as reward?” Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, “You be the witnesses on the day of judgment. Write down what he said. And I will reward him in keeping with the glory and magnificence of my countenance. And I will reward him and magnificence of my countenance.” Eh? What is that reward? Make these. Find these words. Beg Allah and tell him, give me the words. I will not get up from here until you give me the words. Go in sujood. Stay there. And say, “I will not raise my head.” You give me the words. To praise you in a way that you are pleased with. Think about this. If somebody like Ibrahim Ali, Salaf, could ask Allah for a sign—Kaifa tohi ilma utha? Eh? Khalilullah. If he could ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala for a sign, why can’t I ask? Why can’t you ask? It’s up to Allah. Let Allah not give. I don’t care. I’m not saying Allah has to give me. No. I will ask. And I will keep asking until I die. You ask. To give or not give, this is for Allah.
So my advice to you and myself is very simple: Build a connection with Allah. And the way to do that is always to be on the sunnah of Muhammad Rasulullah s.a.w. Remember and understand there is no path to Allah away from the sunnah of Muhammad s.a.w. If somebody thinks that he can reach Allah without Muhammad s.a.w., he is completely and grossly mistaken and misguided. There is no path to Allah without the Rasul. The path to Allah s.w.t. is through the Rasul. Through his sunnah, through his… And that’s why reading and understanding and studying the seerah is so important. We need to know Rasul s.a.w. We need to know Allah s.w.t. And love Allah and love His Rasul s.a.w. Ask Allah s.w.t. to fill your and my hearts with the hubb of the Rasul s.a.w. and to fill our heart with the love of the Rasul s.a.w. and to fill our lives with the barakah of his sunnah. I ask Allah to fill our hearts with this khashiyah, with His glory and majesty, with His awe and majesty. We ask Allah s.w.t. to help us to live our lives which are an instant in time, just one instant, one blink, to live this life in obedience to Allah s.w.t. on the blessed sunnah of Muhammad s.a.w. Subhana rabbika rabbil izzati ya ma yasifoon wa salamun ala al-mursaleen walhamdulillahi rabbil alameen. Al Fatiha. Al Fatiha.