Don’t Put Off Doing What is Right

শায়খ মুহাম্মদ হিশাম কাব্বানী রহ 

O Believers, O Muslims! Insha-Allah, Allah swt will perfect our Islam to make us real Muslims. Before I enter the Khutba, I’d like to mention to you a small story that happened with me in Mt. View here, four years ago. We used to make some sessions for non-Muslims in the evening and they come, in a space like that, where they do martial arts and I do some advice or lecture and we prayed salaat al-`Isha and we recite some of Allah swt’s Attributes and we go. For many years we were doing that.

One time one person came and he was between the people and he was around 90-95 years of age. He was sitting on a chair. He was not a Muslim. I gave the advice then I spoke, then we prayed salaat al-`Isha and then we recited some of Allah’s Holy Names.

The next week he came back. We did the same thing and at the need he came to me and said, “I like what you have said. And I am someone who is lost. I like to listen to more of what you are saying. I will come back.”

Subhanallah, look a man who has reached 90 years and he is still lost.

He came back Thursday. He liked what I said and said, “I want to be Muslim.” He asked to be Muslim and asked to be taught to pray.

He took শাহাদা and he left.

The next week he returned and said, “I am learning to pray.”

So the next week we came back, but he did not come and the following week he did not come. And I asked, “Where is he?” They told me, “He died.”

That person was 90 or 95 years old and he was guided to Islam. What do you think Allah will do for him? He did whatever he did in his life, but Prophet said, “al-Islam yajib ma qabluha.” – “Islam cleans what came before it.”

So Allah guided him to Islam. And for sure he will be going to paradise, insha-Allah.

What is wisdom of that story? So try to grasp it.

You don’t know when you will die. You might die at seventy or at seven or you might die at ninety.

That is a reminder that he entered Islam.

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

"innnaka la tahdee man ahbabtata wa laakin Allaha yahdee man yasha’ wa Hua `alamu bil-muhtadeen"

"It is true thou wilt not be able to guide every one, whom thou lovest; but Allah guides those whom He will and He knows best those who receive guidance.” [28:56]

That is a reminder of death. And the Prophet (s) used to lay down after the সুন্নাহ prayers of salaat al-Fajr and that was for us to follow to remind ourselves of the grave.

If we don’t remind ourselves of that condition that is eventually coming, we might be lost. If we don’t purify our souls as Allah said, قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا “qad aflaha man zakaaha.” – “He succeeds who purifies it.” [91:9]

Allah and the Prophet gave us signs. Don’t think this dunya is lasting forever. You don’t know when the last day will come but there are signs. You don’t know when death will come. Prophet (s) said

 بُعِثْتُ أنا و الساعةُ كهاتيْن (أخرجه البخاري في كتاب التّفسير)

"bu`ithu ana was-sa`ati kahatayn” – “I was sent as close to the Hour as these two fingers,”[1] holding up the shahada and index fingers.

One of the Signs is as the Prophet (s) told us, when the trust between people is lost.

Someone is sleeping and the next day he wakes up and wants to make a conspiracy against his brother or sister. That is mentioned 1400 years ago in the hadith of the Prophet (s).

Ibn Mas`ud (r) related that the Prophet (s) said, “Awwala ma tafqudunu min deenakum al-amaana” – “The first you are going to lose of your religion is trust between people.

You go any place, you cannot find three people on the same heart. There is no more trust between people in what one person says.

“Wa akhira ma tafquduna min deenakum as-salat.” – “and the last thing you are going to lose of your religion is the prayer.”

Are Muslims today praying? Six billion Muslims. Go to mosques. How many Muslims do you find in the mosque? Very few. Where are the Muslims?

That hadith warns: “You are going to lose the trust between people and you are going to lose the prayer between people.”

Go to Fajr prayer at any mosque – how many people are there: five, seven. Go to salaat adh-Dhuhrprayer in any mosque, you find no one, people are praying in their cubicles. Dunya became more important than আখিরা for Muslims. Muslims are standing up in mosques, calling to change policies and politics and we are not able to change ourselves. We want to change the world but we cannot change ourselves, and yet it is better that we change ourselves.

"Man `arifa nafasahu `arafa rabbahu” – “Whoever knows himself knows his Lord.” You must know how tiny you are in front of Allah.

If you can change yourself.

So the Prophet (s) taught don’t lose the trust or that will be the first Sign of the Last Days.

Sayyidina `Umar (s) said, “The first thing to be raised from the people is al-amaana, the trust.” Are we not going to believe it from him? If we are really Muslims and he said, “Awwala ma yurfa` min al-Muslimeen al-amaanat"

Allah said

 إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنسَانُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُوماً جَهُولاً

“fa `aradna al-amaantu `ala as-samawaati wal-ardi wal-jibaal fa abayna an yahmilnaaha wa ashfaqna minha wa hamalahu’l-insaana innahu kaana dhalooman jahoola”.

"We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it;- He was indeed unjust and foolish.” [33:72]

What is the amaanat. It is Allah’s Orders. He showed that to the heavens and earth and the mountains and they were shaking; they refused and they felt utterly unable to carry it and the human being carried it. We carried it, we said, “We will take it.” And Allah said, “You take it and you are an oppressor, ignorant.” We took it, and when you take a promise you must keep it. Allah gave it as fifty prayers, in `alam al-arwaah, the world of souls. With the Prophet’s (s) request and du`a and it was reduced to five prayers. And still we are going to lose it, the Prophet (s) predicted it.

And Umar (r) said, “The trust will be raised.”

That is why Shaytan comes to people and gossips in their heart. People come to me and say, “Pray for me to have strong Iman.” I say, “What is the problem, we are all the same?” They say, “Shaytan comes and whispers in my heart, ‘there is no Allah; no Prophet.’” that is taken away. Because thataamanat is taken away.

"Wa akhira ma yabqa as-salaat.” –  “and the last of what is left [from the religion] is the prayer.”

What is left is a habit that people are doing as a custom, for in their countries they were raised to do the five prayers. Many people don’t pray because they believe but only because they will be ashamed in front of their brothers and sisters. I travel a lot and some people are praying out of fear, they are forced, and others are praying out of belief. And the rest of the Muslims are not praying. They go to movie theaters, 3-4 hours and they lose their prayers. Today no one is keeping their prayers.

And what did Sayyidina `Umar (r) say? He said, “wa rubba yusalli la khayru feehi” – “and perhaps a person is a prayer by there is no good in him.” Because he is praying without sincerity.

إذا ضُيِّعَتِ الأمانَة فانْتَظِرِ الساعة ( البخاريَ)

“Idha du`iyyat al-amaanat fantathir as-sa`at.”- “when the trust among people is lost expect the Hour.” [2]

We have to ask ourselves is the amaanat still there. Muslims ask yourselves. 60 Muslim countries. Can you travel form on country to another without a visa, without a permissions. You need a visa. They treat you as an enemy coming to harm the country.

That happened to me one time.

They said, “How” Ya Rasulullah. How do they lose it?” He said, “Idha usnad il-amru li-ghayri ahliha,” – “when your leader is appointed on you and he is not trustworthy for that.” He is not a good leader. He is going to spoil all of your beliefs and all of what Islam brought. When that happened, your leadership is not good. You are raya’, – a flock – you need an amir. So if the amir is corrupted it means the sheep are going to fall into a deep valley or into the fire.

Where is our amir. Where is the calipha today? There was one, 100 years ago. So where is the calipha? We are not asking for a calipha wearing a suit and tie, a western calipha. We are looking for a Heavenly-supported calipha. But now there is no such person. Where can you find an amir who is able to solve the Muslims problems? Those amirs here and overseas, who are into politics – there is no sincerity – everyone has their own agenda.

There is a traditional explanation of that hadith by Ibn Hajar, the leadership, the imams, have been entrusted to lead His servants and obliged them to give nasiha to His servants. [Remember we need an imam to give nasiha. We are not all educated in Islamic religion, we need our imams.] So when that Trust is given to other than people of religions then they are taking salaries from the government they will follow what the government tells them to say, and at that time the Trust is lost. The Trust is gone.

And Abu Hurayra (s) said that the Prophet (s) said

 قال سَمِعْتُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلّى الله عليه و سلّم يَقُولُ إنَّ اللهَ لا  يَقْبِضُ   العِلمَ انْتِزاعاً يَنتَزِعُهُ من العِبادِ ولكِن يَقْبِضُ العِلمَ بِقَبْضِ العُلَماء حتَّى إذا لمْ يَبقِ عالِمًا اتَّخَذَ الناسُ رُؤُسًا جُهّا لا فَسُئِلُو فَأفْتَوْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضلُّو و أضَلُّوا(وراه  البخاري في كتاب العلْم و مسلْم)

"Inna Allaha la yaqbid ul-`ilma intiza’an yantazi`uhu min al-`ibaad wa laakin yaqbad ul-`ilm bi qabd al-`ulama hatta idha lam yabqa `aliman  ittakadha an-naasu ruusun juhaalan fa-su’ilu wa aftaw bi ghayri `ilmin fa-dallu wa adallu"

“Allah will not take knowledge from the hearts of the scholars, but He takes the scholars (they die). There will be no more scholars to take their place so people will take extremely ignorant leaders. They will be asked questions and will give fatwas without knowledge. They are misguided and they misguide others.”[3]

It is typical of what the Prophet predicted, “He will not take the knowledge by force but by taking the souls of the `ulama and those who follow them will become ignorant leaders.” The people will take ignorant persons in charge of Muslims, leaders who follow the west come or those who follow the regime will come.

They know nothing of Islam. They know ওযু, prayer, hajj, zakat and fasting. But they don’t know any fiqh. They become the leaders of the Muslim and then they will go astray.

What do people have to do? We are weak, we must run to someone. The Sahaba ran to the Prophet (s). The Tabi`een ran to the Sahaba. Now today we find imams following an agenda.

So they come to them and ask and they give a fatwa [fa-aftaw bi-ghayri ilm.]

So in order to be mufti, to give a fatwa, you need a wide understanding of jurisprudence, you need to know each ayat of Quran and asbaab an-nuzul (causes of revelation). You need to know the ahadith, both the false and the true.

Now we see people giving fatwa thru Internet. You might be 18 years child saying kufr, শিরক, bida`. They don’t know what is bida` or শিরক বা haraam.

The hadith continues, “fa dallu wa adallu `an sawa is-sabeel.” – “They lost the way and they mislead others from the Path.”

This is what we are facing today. This is happening. That was not in the time of the Prophet. That was not in previous times. That is only happening now.

So what is that a sign of? That is Sign of the Last Days. People thinking they are going to live millions of years, billions of years.

You need to use common sense.

What is mentioned of history is 7,000 years to Sayyidina Adam (as). Look at seerah and the Books of Allah. If Sayyidina Adam (as) was here 7,000 years ago and the message of the Prophet (s) came 1,500 years ago, and he (s) is the Seal of Messengers and there are no more prophets, we see a period of 5,500 years in which there 124,000 আনবিয়া were sent. Some have a risalah, a Heavenly message, and others do not. Only Sayyidina Yusuf (as) had a risalah (Divine message) but his eleven brothers were all আনবিয়া.

124,000 আনবিয়া over a period of 5,500 years – that means that in every year there may have been 30 prophets. So now it is 1,500 years since the Last Prophet (s). And the Prophet (s) said, “I have been sent near to the Judgment Day like these two fingers.”

People think there is more and more time. So how are people expecting the world to continue with the human race on it for millions of years, when the last Prophet (s) has come 1500 years ago? Suddenly it is going to go.

Suddenly if that some great event happened, then there will be a lot of problems. At that time something might happen and everything ends. In one night Allah took `Aad and Thamud away; the people of Lut were taken away in one night; the people of Nuh (as) were taken away; the people of Pharaoh were taken away. People say technology is coming. Is that technology going to save us, or is it going to harm us?

That is a key to the end of the Last Days. There are so many হাদিস on the Last Days. If you don’t read them you will never understand where and when we are. How are you going to understand?

আল্লাহ আমাদের ক্ষমা করুন।