Friday Khutbah (21st January 2005) delivered by Shaykh Muhammad Taher
DISCLAIMER: This reminder was originally delivered in Arabic. Any meanings lost in translation are not to be attributed to the speaker as reminders are translated by volunteers. The mosque has no official translater and volunteers often have no formal qualifications to translate on the day. Please forgive any errors as they are from our human weakness and any right guidance is from Allah.Assalamu alaikum.
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, today Imam Tahir has focused on two Ahadith.
The first demonstrates the love, forgiveness and generosity of Allah (SWT) in comparison with the selfishness and greed of humans.
It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari that Abu Hurayrah said that Prophet (SAW) said:
'The last man to enter paradise is a man who is between Paradise and Hell Fire but facing the Hell Fire. This man had accumulated an amount of bad deeds that warrants him to be punished from Allah (as He wishes) before he is granted entrance to Paradise. The man says to Allah
'Oh Allah, turn my face away from hell, for its smell, sight and extreme heat hurts me.'
So he supplicates to Allah (SWT)
And Allah (SWT) replies
'If I fulfill your supplication will you not ask anything more from me?'
So the man replies
'No my Lord, I promise I will ask nothing more of you'
So Allah grants his wish and turns his face away from the fires of Hell so that the man faces paradise.
The man will then fall into a state of silence, before saying
'Oh Allah, take me closer to the doors of Paradise or closer to Paradise.'
Allah replies
'Didn't you promise that you would ask nothing more from me? Oh son of Adam, how you break your promise!
The man replies with more supplications until Allah says
'If I fulfill your supplication will you not ask anything more from me?'
And the man says;
'No by your greatness I promise I will not'
So Allah grants his wish and places him at the doors of Paradise.
So when the man is stood in front of the doors of Paradise, they will open to reveal the bounty and happiness within.
Once again, the man will fall into silence before saying to Allah (SWT)
'Oh Allah, let me enter Paradise'
to which Allah (SWT) replies
'Didn't you promise that you would ask nothing more from me? Oh son of Adam, how you break your promise!
The man replies
'Oh Allah, I am the unluckiest of your creations'
After this statement, the man supplicates continuously until Allah (SWT) permits him access to the gardens of paradise.
When the man enters Paradise, Allah (SWT) asks him to wish for what he desires and Allah grants his wishes and more. So Allah (SWT) tells him this is for you and ten times all that is in the world.
In relation to this Hadith, Ibn Masood said that when he saw the Prophet (SAW) teaching this, he smiled so that his molar teeth became visible. It is said that the prophet (SAW) laughed at the greed of the man and at the way he continually broke his promises along with the fact that Allah (SWT) is merciful beyond bounds.
The second Hadith mentioned is narrated in Sahih el-Bukhari. Abu Hurayrah is reported to have said:
Once I was so hungry that I tied a stone to my stomach to suppress the feeling of hunger. I sat by the side of the road where I know the Prophet (SAW) and his companions would pass. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was the first; I asked him about the meaning of a Qur'anic verse so that he would notice my hunger and offer help, but he failed to notice and carried on his way.
Second to pass was Omar. I again tried to engage in conversation by the same means so that he would notice my situation and offer me help. But like Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, he failed to notice and continued on his way.
Then the Prophet (SAW) passed by. He noticed me, smiled and instantly knew that I was in need. He asked me to accompany him to his home. Upon arrival, the Prophet (SAW) saw a cup of milk, and asked his family where it came from? To which they replied it was a gift from so and so.
The Prophet turned to me and asked me to call the people of Suffa (the poor people who resided next to the mosque), to join us.
I thought, being so hungry, I had the right to have at least a sip of the milk before it was offered to anyone else and I thought if I call all those people then nothing will be left for me, but I obeyed the Prophet (SAW) and called the people of Suffa as requested.
The people of Suffa arrived at the Prophet's (SAW) house and I was asked to give them the cup of milk by the Prophet (SAW). All of them drank from the cup until satisfied. The Prophet (SAW) then smiled and handed the cup to me and I drank until satisfied. After this I handed the cup back to the Prophet (SAW) who drank from it.
The Prophet (SAW) was smiling as he knew what was in the heart of Abu Hurayrah (RA). On account of his hunger, Abu Hurayrah (RA) had encountered both Abu Bakr (RA) and Omar (RA). He then met the Prophet (SAW) who led him to his house wherein he noticed the small amount of milk available; he was then ordered to invite the people of Suffa. As all these pieces of the jigsaw fell into place before the Prophet's (SAW) eyes, he smiled.
He wanted to teach both Abu Hurayrah (RA) and the Ummah the concept of Eethaar: looking to others and inquiring about the poor. His laughter and playfulness was a comfort for the deprived, a consolation for the oppressed and a solace for the impoverished.
*(The Imam uses the analogy of musk to describe the position of the Prophet amongst others: Just as the fragrant Musk is part of the Gazelle's blood and from it, the Prophet- though human- has an especial personality and is distinguished amongst others.)*
The Imam then goes on to say:
The community that lived with the Prophet (SAW); those that knew his smile, his warm greeting and his easy-nature were willing to lose their fathers, mothers, children and others so as to protect him from even the slightest of harm.
Indeed, the generation that the 'chosen one', Al-Mustafa, had nurtured with such distinguishing traits would inevitably succeed in the world; leading it and it subjugating itself to them.
If we now compare this shining example of the Prophet's kind-heartedness, humility and generosity (SAW), with that of the transgressors prevalent on earth, you see that one example (the latter example), is full of pride, tyranny and darkness. Yet (remember), the Prophet (SAW) did not show hatred to anyone.
Oh Muslims!
Indeed Allah and the Angels send blessings upon the Prophet, O you who believe, send peace and blessings upon him...... {Al-Ahzaab:56}
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