| THE STREET MIMBAR JUM'AH KHUTBAH (24 April 2015) webpage: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=182501078290&ref=ts http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_street_mimbar/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheStreetMimbar/videos https://twitter.com/TheStreetMimbar PLEASE e-mail Suggestions & Criticisms to [email protected] It is in such a manner that We make plain Our signs so that the course of the Criminals may become clear. |
Bismillah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.
Alhumdulillah. Peace and blessings on Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam), his Noble Companions and Family.
Dear Committed Muslims, brothers and sisters…
Audio on http://www.islamiccenterdc.com/apps/podcast/podcast/354180 (04-17-2015)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlsuvGn_d5A
RICH MAN SAUDI POOR MAN YEMEN
As we give our khutbah (and) present these words on this day of taqwa at this time- this is what it's supposed to be; this was what Jum'ah was designated as- a heightened sense of Allah's power and authority- we do so not absent minded of what is happening to us as a body of Muslims in the world. It's about time that we shed our individualistic personality around which many of the khutbahs are formulated in today's world, step beyond that and understand that we are a social presence in this world. There is one particular issue that is in the headlines and on the minds of those who are informed (and) those who are concerned with the affairs of the Muslims. The Prophet of Allah says
ومن لم يهتم بأمر المسلمين فليس منهم ) جاء في كتاب الحاكم فى المستدرك والطبرانى فى المعجم الاوسط والمعجم الصغيروالبيهقى فى الشعب وذكره الهيثمى فى المجمع وذكره السخاوى فى المقاصد الحسنة(
This is the Prophet's hadith. So in this khutbah we will travel Whoever begins his day not concerned with the affairs of the Muslims is not one of them. This is the Prophet's hadith so in this khutbah we will travel with some of the meanings of Allah's words in His faultless book. Allah in Surah Al Kahf
وَاضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَحَفَفْنَاهُمَا بِنَخْلٍ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعًا
كِلْتَا الْجَنَّتَيْنِ آتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْئًا
Present them with the metaphor of two men; We have provided one of them with two estates (or) with two orchards (or) with two extensive gardens filled with the varieties of grapes and fruits and between these two very productive and lush pieces of lands there are pastures and greenery and agriculture and produce and food stuffs; We have encircled these two large pieces of fertile lands with palm trees. Both of these pieces of productive lands came forth with their fruits and their vegetation… (Surah Al Kahf Verse 32-33)
This is the rough translation of the ayah. Allah is trying to give us a very clear picture of a person in the presence of his companion who has everything that life has to offer.
وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَالَهُمَا نَهَرًا
So you're getting the picture here.
وَكَانَ لَهُ ثَمَرٌ فَقَالَ لِصَاحِبِهِ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًا
This man now is in the time when now the fruits and the vegetation and the blossoms and the food stuffs is coming out during harvest time. He said to his companion in a form of a dialogue "I have more money than you have and I have more manpower." (Surah Al Kahf verse 34)
(That's) the rough capitulation of these meanings.
أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنكَ مَالًا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرًا
… "I have more money and I have more influence (and) more connections." (Surah Al Kahf verse 34)
These are the ayaat in Surah Al Kahf. You may want to review them at a time when your mind is clear and when your mind is active.
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُ
He enters into his jannah (or) into his worldly paradise… (Surah Al Kahf verse 35)
which was just described everything that nature has to offer is coming his way. He is rich, he is wealthy (and) he is affluent. So he enters into his piece of fertile estate that is generating all his profits for him.
وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ قَالَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَٰذِهِ أَبَدًا
… but he is doing injustice to himself. He said I don't think there's an end to all of this, (meaning) this wealth, these assets (and) this prosperity is going to continue forever. (Surah Al Kahf verse 35)
This describes the psychology of these types of individuals, whether they are historical or whether they live among us today or whether they are going to be born in the future. Allah here is presenting us with an analysis and a diagnosis of the psychology of those who have power and wealth.
وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً
And he said "I don't even think that there is going to be that final hour (or) that final day (or) that final accountability and judgment day that people speak about. I don't think that is going to happen …" (Surah Al Kahf verse 36)
You see what materialism does to a person? They are disconnected from their closed worldly reality. They think everything is here. They are on top of the world.
وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً
"I don't think this sa'ah is going to take place…" (Surah Al Kahf verse 36)
And then he says
وَلَئِن
… and if…
See- they keep their options open.
وَلَئِن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي لَأَجِدَنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا مُنقَلَبًا
… OK- let's go ahead and say that I'm going to be returned to my Sustainer or my Lord I am going to find something much better than what I have here in that life to come, if it's ever going to come to that." (Surah Al Kahf verse 36)
Now this other person- remember at the beginning we were speaking about the metaphor of two men. The second man during all of this time (was listening and) he speaks now.
قَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُ أَكَفَرْتَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّاكَ رَجُلًا
لَّٰكِنَّا هُوَ اللَّهُ رَبِّي وَلَا أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا
He says "Are you in denial of He who has created you from dirt, then from a blood clot and then He fashioned you in the equilibrium that has made you the person and the man that you are? As for me, I assure you, Allah is my Sustainer and I don't equate in my conformity to Allah anyone- not my ego, not my wealth, not my power; none of these worldly issues is going to interfere with my compliance with Allah." (Surah Al Kahf verse 37-38)
The same person who was silent, now is telling this man- and remember, brothers and sisters, the remark we made at the beginning of the khutbah, (i.e.) we are not speaking (to an individual). Even the ayah is presenting us with a lesson and with meanings but these lessons and these meanings are not to be constricted solely to one person. This character and this behavior can have many persons involved in it. It could become an institution. It could act out as a military or a nation state or a coalition or a cartel- it doesn't matter. Liberate yourselves from the personalized, individualized and privatized Islam that has been preached for these centuries of decline. Let's just step out of that!
وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ
He's saying "if only when entered your paradise here on earth you said masha'Allah, this is Allah's will or this is Allah's decree…" (Surah Al Kahf verse 39)
So distance yourself from your selfishness (and) break from your ego. It's hard for people who have wealth to do that but this is the lesson here. These are two individuals and this is the way they are communicating with each other. They are close individuals- one is a sahib. At the beginning of the ayah it says
فَقَالَ لِصَاحِبِهِ
… he's saying to his companion…" (Surah Al Kahf verse 32)
لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا
... there is no power- I have no power or force or might except that which belongs to Allah… (Surah Al Kahf verse 39)
Now this is going to take a profound change in the psychology of human beings to bring about a character that is transformed from being self centric to being Allah centric, (so to speak). It's going to take some effort. You can't go out there (and) you can't speak to these people. You know. We don't have to mention names- you know. Anyone who fits this description and definition- you know them. You have to be either a person who can't think or a person who pleads insanity to not being able to fit these Allah-given words with their meanings on the humans in this world who qualify for them. It is the mashi'ah (or) it is the authorization of Allah and it is the power of Allah. Don't lose sight of these meanings. In a few more minutes there's going to be a transition to the real people of this world who fit within the scope of these ayaat. These same person- the one who doesn't have much is speaking to the one who is super rich, let's call him Mr. Billionaire. Mr. Poverty is speaking to Mr. Billionaire. So Mr. Poverty says, at the end of this sentence,
إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا
فَعَسَىٰ
… even though you see that I have less money and less children (or) less offspring than you have. There's a hope… (Surah Al Kahf verse 39-40)
See- people who don't have much at least they have the hope in them. These are not crushed spirits. The way Islam is presented to the world today (is that) it's presented in a way that doesn't buoy the human spirit. Allah here is telling us even though you don't have it, (i.e.) you don't have possessions (and) you don't have power you still have the promise of Allah in you. You're not pessimistic, you remain optimistic.
فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّي أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًا زَلَقًا
أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَاؤُهَا غَوْرًا
It may well happen (or) it may well be that my Sustainer will give me something better than your paradise on earth. He could send a violent expression of nature against your paradise on earth (and) it will become a barren land (or) what you see now as this lush greenery with all that it is giving you, (i.e.), the wealth that you have accumulated from it that has caused your mannerisms to change and become the arrogant person that you are Allah could change that just by a violent expression of nature and it becomes desolate or its water may recede, (i.e.) all of this water that is coming- whether it's the river flowing (or) whether it's from precipitation, however way that could easily go. Allah can cause it to go… (Surah Al Kahf verse 40-41)
Look at the problem they're having in California right now. Doesn't this fit in to the general description of this ayah if we just liberate ourselves from understanding its meanings between two individuals to understanding its meanings between two entities?
فَلَن تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُ طَلَبًا
… once that happens you have no recourse (or) you can't bring the water back (or) you can't change the climate- you have no control, (i.e.) you say all of this is giving you all of this wealth and you claim right now all of this belongs to you. (Surah Al Kahf verse 41)
We have another ayah in the Qur'an that speaks in a complimentary (and) in a supplementary manner about the same psychology. People who have what they have think they are on top of the world. They say
إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِي
… I have been given what I have because of the knowledge that I have… (Surah Al Qasas verse 78)
They attribute this thing, (i.e.), this gain, this wealth (and) this influence to their own selves to their own self. What knowledge do they have? Even if we were to add the sum knowledge of everyone from the beginning to the end of time Allah says
وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
… and whatever share of knowledge you have been given still remains trivial… (Surah Al Isra' verse 85)
With this trivial individual knowledge persons attribute what they have to their own selves. OK- here the dialogue between these two men is finished. Each one expressed themselves and here the ayah ends. We don't know the time period between the ending of that dialogue and the beginning now of a new scenario (or) a new scene. The ayah now says
وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِ
Now, all of his produce, his vegetation, his plants, his fruits (and) his food stuffs is under siege… (Surah Al Kahf verse 42)
Allah's will- Allah's not absent.
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ غَافِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّالِمُونَ
Don't think Allah is absent or Allah is absent minded when it comes to what Dhalims are doing… (Surah Ibrahim verse 42)
Remember the ayah describes this person as doing injustice to himself.
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ قَالَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَٰذِهِ أَبَدًا
He enter's into his jannah (or) into his worldly paradise but he is doing injustice to himself… (Surah Al Kahf verse 35)
Allah is registering all of this.
فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَىٰ مَا أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ
… now he is beginning to switch the palms of his hands up and down- what am I going to do? He's doing that because of his investments in this worldly paradise (because) now it looks like it's all dead, (i.e.) all of what you saw was thriving and giving is as if all of it is dead to its roots; and then now he says… (Surah Al Kahf verse 42)
Remember Mr. Billionaire?
وَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا
… he is saying I wish I had not equated anyone with my Sustainer. (Surah Al Kahf verse 42)
Now in all of the previous ayaat the word shirk didn't appear. There's nothing there that says "I'm a Mushrik or I am obeying or I am worshipping a deity or someone else besides Allah." None of this appears in the previous ayahs but here he's confessing to what was inferred in the previous ayahs.
يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا
… Oh how I wish I never equated anyone with my Sustainer (or) associated anything with my Sustainer. (Surah Al Kahf verse 42)
That's in reference to his own self. Remember what he said when he entered his paradise on earth?
وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُ فِئَةٌ يَنصُرُونَهُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا
He had no one- no organization, no clique, no cartel (and) no grouping to come to his rescue (or) to support him to the exclusion of Allah- no one, nothing and he never was victorious (or) he never was triumphant. (Surah Al Kahf verse 43)
He had that false psychology that took him to that type of end.
هُنَالِكَ
Over there, at that time- whether it is that time in this world when he encountered the results of his behavior in his own life or whether it's on the day of Judgment… (Surah Al Kahf verse 44)
Both of them are applicable. Let's not get into arguments here. Some Muslims begin to argue, "oh, this means here not in the next world or it means in the next" and all of this. It can mean both. Open up your minds. Accommodate a wider range of understanding of Allah's words.
هُنَالِكَ الْوَلَايَةُ لِلَّهِ الْحَقِّ ۚ هُوَ خَيْرٌ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبًا
At that time the authority and the premiership belongs to Allah, the true the legitimate He is the best to reward and He is the best as far as the final destiny is concerned. (Surah Al Kahf verse 44)
These ayaat were not meant just to speak about two individuals (or) two men some time in many centuries that have passed. These meanings were meant to give us a characterization of any living being (and) of any functioning, operational entity, whether it is a system, an institution, a government (or) an alliance of such configurations. If they have this psychology in them, these meanings apply to them. Mr. Billionaire here, (we used these words to facilitate the meanings), you can say in our time is equivalent to Saudi Arabia and Mr. Poverty that we used to facilitate the meaning of these ayaat could refer to Yemen simply because of the meanings of the juxtaposition of these two entities is applicable today to what we see happening in these two areas of the word. The Saudis and the Yemenis know each other. They are close just like these two individuals were close to each other. They're close to each other but one of them has what the materialistic world has to offer. Who in the Arabian Peninsula has what the materialistic world has to offer? This becomes an analogy. We make a transition from a metaphor between two individuals to an analogy between two powers that fit the definition. They think they're going to last with this power? Where do these people who are drunk with power and wealth think they are going with this? They don't read the Qur'an?! They don't want people to read these meanings. They read this Qur'an. You go to their kingdom and you will find in stores, in the street, in public life, in the Masajid, in homes, at celebrations. On different occasions the Qur'an is being played. Recitation is all over the place. There's no lack of the vocalization of the words of the Qur'an. It's plenty but what is virtually absent is thinking the meanings of these words in the Qur'an. The thought is not there! The mind is not there! So they get away with it. How many do we have in the Muslim world at this time every week dedicated for the conscientizing of Muslims pertaining to Allah's power and pertaining to His authority?
وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
He's saying "if only when entered your paradise here on earth you said masha'Allah, this is Allah's will or this is Allah's decree; there is no power- I have no power or force or might except that which belongs to Allah… (Surah Al Kahf verse 39)
That is Allah's authority and authorization- there is no power or force except through Allah. Nothing belongs to you! Nothing is intrinsically yours! But what do you do with a materialistic world that has invaded our societies and occupied our psychologies? What do you do with it? The only way out is the direction that Allah is offering and the key to that is your mind. If you refuse to listen with your working mind, with your thinking mind (and) with your interactive mind to what Allah is saying you have flunked Islam 101. Flunked it! You're just a traditional person who carries Islamic imagery and goes about exercising their Islam through virtual rituals.
Dear committed sisters and brothers…
You know in the past countless Jum'ahs we've been concentrating on the expression of fanaticism and irrationalism among the Muslims. It's a disease in our body and it's about time we treated ourselves to get rid of this disease. Let us tell you that fanaticism and extremism, prejudice and bigotry is something that accompanies human nature. You'll find it among Muslims and you'll find it among non-Muslims. You'll find it in our time and you'll find it in the history of the past. During the time of Allah's Prophet and the people around him that attitude of extremism and taking things all the way to the extreme was expressed. A person comes up to the Prophet and says I'm going to fast for the rest of my life. That's extremism, unwarranted and unwanted. Another person comes up to the Prophet and says I'm not going to have conjugal relationship with my wife until the end of my life. That's extremism, unwarranted and unwanted. Another person comes and says I'm going to stay up and pray for the rest of my life. That's an expression of extremism, unwarranted and unwanted. The Prophet replied to them in a famous hadith that we think all of you or most of you are familiar with. He told them I do all of that- I fast certain days and other days I don't fast, I am married and I have relationship with my spouses and I pray and I sleep- for God's sake; (we're adding the for God's sake to this); but that's the gist of it. Extremism is encountered everywhere. You have these extremists right now who are killer extremists- their salvos are not just verbal, they also have firepower salvos. They come and when they listen to someone like yours truly here, they say "his aqidah is not sound"- that's basically what they say. Or he is against the Saudi government. Being against the Saudi government, we think, is a badge of honor. They can say that night and day but when it comes to his aqidah is not sound (then) wait a minute here. First of all, why can't you come to the person that you're saying "his aqidah is not sound" and speak to him. Why do they generate these campaigns behind closed doors in their secret meetings and hundreds and thousands of miles away?! Aren't we all Muslims?
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ
… but indeed committed Muslims are brethren of each other … (Surah Al Hujurat verse 10)
And if we are brothers of each other come and tell me what is wrong with my "aqidah." They always use the word "the virtuous ancestors (or) the virtuous forefathers." Tell them whenever you see them and whenever they bring up this issue to divide Muslims just ask them "tell us what do you mean by the word salaf. We're just asking you for a definition." We can almost say with certainty that you will get different definitions from different individuals. They don't have one definition for it. So among themselves they are not united in their thoughts. We wish we could bring them together but how do you bring them together when they keep their distance from you? You see what has been happening here (for) 32 years running. They keep their distance. We haven't even seen one of them who are inside the Masjid, (from the administration- 5 or 10 Muslims), walk next to us. Well- aren't we Muslims? Probably in their mind with this Kafir thing they say
