Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
03-26-2004
Masjid as-Siddiq
Muslims! Alhamdulillah, Allah gave them guidance and made them Muslims with His wishes. Whatever Allah wants you to be He will make you. And that is why we have to thank Him always that He gave us the message of Islam through his messenger, the seal of messengers and seal of Prophets (s), Sayyidina Muhammad.
And we have to know the importance in our life of the Prophet (s). The importance in our life because it is a necessity for us to be saved in Judgment Day.
Sayyidina Muhammad is not like us. Even though he said, Qul innama ana basharan mithlukum. Even though he said, say: I am a human being like you but it is revealed to me.
But we must not take it and say, Allah said and Prophet (s) said. There is a big difference. If we were like him why were we not able to go as he did, to go in Isra' and Mi`raj. If we were like him why are we not able to go through this universe and the atmosphere of this earth. That is enough for us to know that we are not like Sayyidina Muhammad (s).
Because many people today say that we are like him human beings. Then why are we not rahmatan lil-`alameen? He did not say that about us, he said about the Prophet (s).
O Muslims, be sure that the life of the Prophet (s) is very important for us. That is why He said, In kuntum tuhiboon Allaha fatabi`oonee yuhbibukum-ullah. If you love Allah then follow me and Allah will love you. Allah will love you.
O Muslims the love of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) is very important in our lives. If we put that aside it means we don't know on Judgment Day if we are under the shafa`a or not. Allah will give him shafa`a on Judgment Day. Man dhalladhee yashfa`u `indahu illa bi-idhnih. Allah gave shafa`a to the Prophet (s) for sinners of the ummah. If we want that shafa`a we must have love of Sayyidina Muhammad. We need something to hold. If we don't have that why he has to look at us. When you have a problem you don't like to look at him. When you criticize someone you don't like to look at him. When you like someone both parties like to look at each other.
Today what the Prophet (s) is encouraging people to do, we are not doing. Few people today pray Sunnah. They consider the Sunnah as voluntary so they don't do it. It is ok, but then you are not showing respect to the Prophet (s).
And Allah said in hadith qudsi, maa zaala `abdee yataqarabu ilaya bin-nawaafil…My servant continues to approach Me through voluntary worship until I will love him.
That is not through obligations.
What are the voluntary worships that Allah wants from us? What did the Prophet (s) used to do? He prays Sunnah. He prays Sunnah before Dhuhr, after Dhuhr, before `Asr, before Maghrib, after Maghrib, before `Isha, after `Isha. Before Fajr. Salaat al-Istisqa, Salaat al Haajah, Salaat ad-Duha.
He said In kuntum tuhiboon Allaha fatabi`oonee yuhbibukum-ullah.
Why are you taking only fara'id and leaving the Sunnah when you take the nawaafil you will be under shafa`a of the Prophet (s).
When you try to imitate the Prophet (s) then open your hearts. Don't do little bit and stop. People today come with a lot of problems. They say, "Our business is not moving. We have difficulty in finding jobs. We have difficulty in running our business. We are losing money. We have to file for bankruptcy."
That is because you aren't following what the Prophet (s) mentioned.
I will mention a hadith:
Sahl ibn sad, jaa rajulun ila an-nabi. wa shaqa alayhi al-faqr wa
d`eeq al-`aysh.
A man came to the Prophet (s) and complained that he was poor and lack of necessities for his family.
The Prophet (s) is a businessman also. He teaches you businessman how to trade with Allah. He was a businessman with his wife Khadija (r), he was running it for her trade and he was teaching the Ummah to trade with Allah, through business.
That is not obligations he is showing us, through nawaafil, not obligations.
Idha dakhalta manzilaka fa-sallim in kaana feehi ahadun am lam yakun feehi ahad.. When you enter your home give salaams, as-salaam alaykum
wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.
People sometimes go home and say salaam alaykum and their wife and children say wa alaykum as-salaam. Prophet (s) said if you see people or not. That means there are inhabitants living there you cannot see. There might be jinn, there might be angels. There might be bad jinn, they run away. Then that negative energy will be gone that is preventing you from reaching your necessity.
He was complaining that he was poor; he needs to eat and drink. It means there is a problem in the house. That will end the problem. If there is someone in the house or not, give salaam.
Thumma [very important, follow what I say: sallu `alayya. Then greet me. Prophet (s) is not there. Send greetings to me in my absence. I am not there, but I am there. That is giving us a hint, o muslims and mumins. That the Prophet (s) is awaiting a greeting from you, in order to reach you.
Allah ordered us to make salawat on the Prophet (s) in his presence or his absence. He ordered the Sahaba to make salawat on him, in his presence or absence. But for us it is in his absence. That means he is present with us.
And Imam Suyuti explained the hadith, tu`radu `alayya `amal ummattee… The Prophet (s) said: "My life is a great good for you, you will relate about me and it will be related to you, and my death is a great good for you, your actions will be presented to me (in my grave) and if I see goodness I will praise Allah, and if see other than that I will ask forgiveness of Him for you."
And the Prophet (s) said, "man salla alayya, radd-Allahu `alayya ruhi… hatta usallim alayh" - "Whoever greets me Allah give me back my soul so I answer his greeting."
And imam Suyuti said, people are sending salaam on the Prophet (s) around the clock. That means Allah is sending his soul back to his body 24 hours, that is why he said, ana hayyun tariyyun fee qabreee. That means, according to Imam Suyuti, that, "I am alive in my grave around the clock,"
In wajadtahu hasana hamadtAllah wa in wajada ghayra dhalika astaghfarta lahum.
It means any problem you have will be relieved. That is why pray on me and as he is rahmatan lil `alameen, he will pray on you. And recite Surat al-Ikhlaas one time.
So that man did that. And Allah showered him with rizq, until he was bounteous on his relatives and neighbors and friends.
From the richness that he got by making salaam and making salaam on the Prophet (s) and then reciting Surat al-Ikhlaas, Allah will give you richness.
O mumins, this is one hadith from the Prophet (s)'s ahadith an-nabi. It is enough for our whole business if we follow it. It is enough for our whole lives. When the Prophet (s) makes a promise it has to happen. When Allah gives a promise it has to happen. When His Messenger (s) promises he will not take it back. He is Allah's
Messenger (s), he will not take it back, and as he has the authority that Allah gave him.
Akthiru min as-salaat `ala an-nabi. Be excessive in praying and praising the Prophet (s). That will make him to intercede for us on Judgment Day. For us.
