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Friday Talks |
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Be Proud to be a Muslim
(Delivered by Hajj Talib Fehlhaber on Friday 13th of May 2005)
1st Part:
May Allah's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you. (As-salįmu 'alaikum wa rahmatul lįhi wa barakįtuh!)
[Wait for adhan (call for prayer)]
(Al hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi, wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa)
All Praise is for Allah. We too praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness. We have Faith and Trust in Him. We seek Allah’s refuge against evil tendencies of our Selves and our bad deeds. He whom Allah guides no one can lead him astray. And he whom Allah lets go astray there is none to guide him. We bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, the One and without any Partner; and we also bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His servant and Messenger., Allah had sent him with Truth, to give good tidings and to warn before the Doomsday. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be successful and well guided. And whosoever disobeys either of them has gone astray. Such a person harms none save himself, he does no harm to Allah. The best Word is the Book of Allah. And the best Guidance is that given by Muhammad (peace be upon him). Good things are the firm (original) ones, and Bad things are those introduced later on. And everything introduced later (in religion) is innovation. And every innovation is a deviation and every deviation is bound to Hell Fire.
Say: ``This is my way: I invite you unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and those who follow me in calling to Allah. And glorified and exalted be Allah. And I am not of those who make partners with Allah (mushrikeen).'' Surah Yusuf Verse 108 Invite to the Way of your Lord with wisdom, and good, well behaved teaching, and discuss with them in the best way possible. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from his path, and He is the best aware of those who are guided. Surah An-Nahl Verse 125 And invite them to your Lord. Verily you are indeed on the straight guidance. Surah Al-Hajj Verse 67.
These are but a few of the verses that mention the importance of Da'wah - calling people to the path of Allah. There are similar hadith, many that mention that if someone becomes a Muslim at your hands, then it is better than the entire world and its contents. We can see from this that Da'wah is an obligation on the Muslim community. It is up to us to ensure that every person today hears about Islam. Otherwise, on the Day of Judgment, they will tell Allah that we did not tell them about Islam, and it was not their fault. We must therefore do da'wah, at the very least, to safeguard ourselves of this accusation.
But even without this reason, Da'wah is a very important aspect to Islam; it is the foundation of Islam as we see it today. Islam was not spread, as many Western scholars would like you to believe, spread by the sword, but by Da'wah - people who spread word of Islam. The biggest Muslim country now, Indonesia, never fought with the Muslims, but became Muslim through peaceful means. Early Islam spread in this manner. The Prophet sent no-one to attack Madinah, people there heard about Islam and embraced it whole-heartedly.
We all know that the more well-educated, religiously-aware Muslims there are, the better we will be able to achieve the goals that Allah has set us. And Da'wah is the easiest way to achieve this end. No matter what we say, we really can not emphasise the importance of Da'wah enough. Some scholars have gone so far as to say that there is no justification for Muslims to live in non-Muslim countries, unless they do Da'wah. And it is true. We certainly have the greatest opportunity for Da'wah here.
To whom do we make Da'wah? Here we can focus on two main groups: Muslims who have become misguided, and non-Muslims who have not heard about Islam. The former is easier, but we cannot at the same time ignore the latter; since it is our responsibility to tell all people about the beauty of Islam. In either case, the goal is the same: to illustrate to them the unsurpassed beauty of Islam, its simplicity, and its implications on our actions. We want them to be attracted to Islam, in the same way that we are, or I hope we are - after all, we claim we are. After each meal we say, ``Thanks be to Allah who has given us food and drink and made us Muslims.'' I mean we say it so much - do we really think about it? Do we mean it?
Da'wah can take many forms, but I want to highlight what I think are some important forms that are often ignored. Basically, we can divide Da'wah into things that we can do as individuals and things we can do as groups.
Let's start with what we can do as individuals. Now, we often forget that as Muslims in this country, we are walking emissaries. Each one of us represents Islam, whether we like it or not. People will associate Islam with us. So, we should be models of Islamic behavior; and this is in itself a form of Da'wah. What does this mean?
It means that at all times we should behave as Muslims. This means being polite, well mannered, clean, honest, and sincere and all those other characteristics that Islam teaches us. It means we should be proud to be Muslim and should openly be Muslim. When I say proud, I don’t mean in any arrogant way. Be proud and not ashamed to be a Muslim. There are some people I had known for several years, and would never have guessed that they were Muslims. Wear a Muslim T-shirt, put Islamic bumper stickers on your cars, begin your assignments with Bismillah. This has two effects.
Firstly, it will cause other Muslims to feel pride in the fact that you are unabashedly displaying the fact that you are Muslim. When you see someone wearing something that indicates they are Muslim, don't you feel it? You know sort of like ``Hey, look! There's another Muslim brother! I'm not the only one! Look how many of us there are.'' This, obviously, increases Muslim pride and improves the strength of the Islamic brotherhood.
Secondly, it will evoke curiosity in the non-Muslims who you interact with, and they might ask questions - and when they ask questions, it is an opportunity for you to tell them about Islam; and that's just what you've been waiting for! We should also be open about why we do something. When you need to pray, and you need to excuse yourself, don't lie and say I need to use the washroom, or I'm meeting somebody or some other lame excuse. Be honest, say ``Excuse me for a few moments, I need to pray.'' Or when someone invites you to lunch and you are fasting, say proudly, “unfortunately I can't. I am fasting. ” You may get a strange look the first few times, but having done this myself, I have not regretted it once. Responses do vary. When I told one person I needed to go to pray, he asked, ``Can I watch?'', which I was most happy to allow. Other people just excuse themselves and apologise. People, even though they may be atheistic, still have a respect for religion, for some reason. If you tell them you have gone to pray, they will, most likely, respect you for being so diligent. And again, it evokes a great deal of curiosity. And just by being Muslim, you will find that situations where you are asked about your Islam will arise.
In these situations, it is important to remember the verse I read above: {Invite to the Way of your Lord with wisdom, and good}, well behaved explanation, and discuss with them in the best way possible. Don't argue in a violent or aggressive manner, it is likely to backfire. Do not expect that the people you will have met with will become Muslims, although Allah guides whom he wills, and nobody is saying it is impossible. But at least this way, you would have fulfilled your religious obligation for Da'wah; and those you have met with can no longer claim that they did not know about Islam.
What about at a community level? Well, we have mosques; we can invite misguided Muslims to the mosque, and teach them about prayer and the fundamentals of Islam. For non-Muslims, we can arrange talks specifically for them. We can also provide information about Islam via whatever technologies exist: fax, phone, e-mail, whatever. But this is just one part.
We also do Da'wah by acting responsibly as a community, and as representatives of the Islamic viewpoint. The same general principles apply as did for the individual: If we appear as proud of being Muslim as a community, and act in a way that is representative of true Islam, people will be attracted.
Unfortunately, this is not the case as you well know. The Muslim Ummah is in a mess, with personal rivalries and ethnic cultures causing disunity and chaos. Furthermore, the Muslim Ummah is closed in on itself, with an inferiority complex. One non-Muslim told me that Muslims could not organise a booze-up in a brewery. Look at other groups; and those that would like to see us defeated. Look how far they have come: whether it be Zionists, Gays and Lesbians or Secularists.
They are not much larger than our own communities, yet look what they have achieved: widespread acceptance of their illegitimate activities in less than 20 years. Why? Because they are proud of who they are, and they act as a community. Now then, I seek Allah’s refuge against Satan the outcast. I start in the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
Allah, in His Glorious Book, says, {O Believers, when a call is given for Friday prayers then hurry up for Allah’s remembrance, leaving aside all business. This is better for you if you knew it. Then, when the prayer is finished disperse in the land to seek Allah’s Favours (livelihood); and keep on remembering Allah frequently so that you may succeed. When these people see a trade opportunity or a sportive event they walk towards it, leaving you (Prophet) standing alone. Tell them that what (reward) is with Allah is better than sport or trade, and Allah is the best Provider of livelihood.}
Allah, the Supreme and Great, has spoken the Truth. May He benefit me and you with His verses and wise advice. Verily He is Supreme, Magnanimous, Bountiful, the Master, Gooddoing, Kind and Merciful.
2nd Part
(Alhamdu Lillahi Wassalatu 'Ala Rasulillahi Wa 'Ala Alihi Wa Sahbihi Wa Man Wala.) Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. And Blessings and Peace be on His Trusted Messenger. So now, O group of Muslims, I seek Allah’s refuge against Satan the outcast, and start in the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. Allah, in His Revered Book, says, {Allah and His angels wish peace to the Prophet (peace be upon him), so O believers, you too wish him peace, and submit to him completely}.
I ask Allah's forgiveness, Allah whom there is no God other than He, the Merciful the Beneficent. I declare there is no companion or partners for him, and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger.
(Allahuma Sallee 'Ala Muhammadin Wa 'Ala Al-e Muhammadin, Kama Sallaita 'Ala Ibrahima Wa 'Ala Al-e Ibrahim, Allahuma Barik 'Ala Muhammadin Wa 'Ala Al-e Muhammad, Kama Barakta 'Ala Ibrahima Wa 'Ala Al-e Ibrahim. Fil 'Alameena Inaka Hameedun Mujeed.)
"O Allah! Greet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him), as you greeted Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim."
"O Allah! Bless Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him), as you blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim."
O Allah, send peace to Muhammad (peace be upon him) as numerously as those who pray and observe fasts.
O Allah, send peace on all the Prophets and the Messengers, and on all Companions and Followers, and on all your pious servants.
O Allah, provide assistance to Islam and the Muslims.
O Allah, help those who help the ‘Deen’ (religion) of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and include us also among them. And disgrace those who disgrace the ‘Deen’ of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and do not make us among them.
O Allah, show us the Truth as Truth and help us follow it.
O Allah, help us see falsehood as falsehood and help us avoid it.
O Allah, forgive Muslim men and women and believing men and women, the living and the dead, o Most Merciful of the Merciful.
O Allah, help all of those who strive in your path wherever they may be, in Palestine, in Afghanistan, in Kashmir, in Iraq or wherever they may be.
O Allah, give us in this world your blessing and in the hereafter your blessings and make the punishment of Fire less upon us.
O Allah, whosoever wishes evil upon Islam, makes him obsessed with his own matters.
O Allah, whosoever wishes evil upon Islam, makes him obsessed with his own matters.
O Allah, whosoever wishes evil upon Islam, makes him obsessed with his own matters.
O Allah, help us in guiding the people to your blessed religion.
O Allah make us persevere in Islam.
O Allah, enlighten our hearts with the light of Faith.
O Allah, forgive living and deceased believing men and women.
O Allah, to you is this Du'a (asking in supplication) made and from you is the reply.
O servants of Allah, may Allah have mercy upon you. Verily Allah commands you to keep up Justice and Goodness, and giving help to your near ones, and He forbids you from all things obscene or undesirable or revolting. He advises you so that you may remember. Remember Allah, He will remember you; call Him He shall respond to you. And Allah the Supreme’s remembrance is sublime, best, honourable, splendid, important and great.
{Glorified by your Lord, the Lord of Majesty, from that which they attribute (unto Him). And peace be unto those sent (to warn). And praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!} (37:180-182)
{Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and giving to kith and kin, and He forbids all indecent deeds, and evil and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition.} (16:90)
Aqeemu salaah!
Notes:
Aya (or Ayah): is a verse of the Koran.
- mountain that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.
Arafa (or Arafa or Arafat): is a
- talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.
Duaa: a prayer in the form of
Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise. reported that the messenger said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list. Hadeeth: is something
Hijra: the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.
Iman: belief
line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. Jihad: is striving in the
Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor". peninsula (known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Madinah: A city in the Arabian
Mekka: is the holiest Mosque for Muslims. Some say it was first built by Adam, and some say Ibraham. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.
Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed by a believer.Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
PPBU: Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. Qadr (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during in the ten nights of the month of Ramadan.. Sunna: is the way the Messenger PPBU lived, did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers.
Faheem Bukhatwa, my email
address is : faheemfb@gmail.com
