ميحرلا نمحرلا الله مسب

9 September

1441 مرحم 10

UNEDDITTED

All praise is only for Allah, lord of the Worlds. Praises that are equal to his bounties and that match

his added grace and bounties. We thank Allah for guiding us to Islam and allowing us the opportunity

to fulfil the pledge of allegiance that we took in the realm of the souls. This was the call of all the

prophets whom Allah had sent to the earth. This was the call of Isa, Ebrahim, Ismaeel and Moosa

(May Allah peace and salutations be upon them all).

We send peace and salutations upon the final messenger Muhammad. Upon his noble family and all

his companions. We extend this prayer of peace and salutations to the generations of Males and

Females who followed in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, his noble family and all his

companions. We are proud to call them our pious predecessors and we pray that Allah grants them

their reward in full.

To proceed:

Before we get into the depth of tonight’s presentation, let us quickly recap a few important aspects

relating to the holy month of Muharram and Aashura.

1. The month of Muharram is known as the month of Allah. Why is that? The commentators of

Hadith explain that Muharram is attributed to Allah to enhance the greatness of this

month and to show the virtue of this month.ⁱ

2. Aashura specifically refers to the 10^th day of the month of Muharram. ⁱⁱ

3. Ibn Abbas relates that the Prophet peace be upon him commanded that the fast of

Aashura should be kept and it was on the 10^th dayⁱⁱⁱ

4. There is another word that is used during this time too. That is Taa-soo’a. This is in

reference to the 9^th day of this month.^iv

5. When the Prophet arrived at Medina, the Jews were observing the fast on 'Ashura' (10th of

Muharram). So, he asked them about it, and they said, "This is a virtuous day, this is the day

when Allah saved the children of israaeel from their enemy, so Musa peace be upon him

fasted on this day”. The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him then said: “I have more

right to Musa then you. So, he fasted this day and commanded others to do the same”^v.

6. The Jurists of Islam have encouraged one to spend on your family on 10^thvi

7. Abu Hurairah may Allah be pleased with him reports that the holy prophet peace be upon

him said “Whoever expands (his expenditure) on his family on the day of ʿĀshūrā

(10thMuḥarram), Allah will expand (his sustenance and mercy) on him for his entire year”.^vii

When analysing the topic for tonight’s discussion:

Embattled countries and our Muharram and year-round jihad.

One can’t help but concede that the world is in complete turmoil. To venture into dissecting the

Micro and Macro factors influencing the strife in specific countries will take too much time and one’s

research would need to be thorough. We live in the age of Fake News and simply relying on

mainstream news agencies and the internet is at times risky and at best only scratching the surface

of the real issues.

What appealed to me the most when looking at this topic is the words “our Muharram and year-

round Jihad”. Firstly, let us add a disclaimer: The word “Jihad” in this context refers to spiritual

wayfaring, capacity building, a search for guidance and action, self-rectification and communal

growth. Communal growth speaks to the concept of One Ummah as well as the proverb “United we

stand, divided we fall”

The Body of the Prophet’s Nation by Habib Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman al-Saqqaf is a book that

was gifted to me about a year back. When the topic for tonight’s presentation was suggested, I

agreed to it because I knew that the content in this short but in-depth book will be enough to

address it.

Let us begin with the foundational text:

Surah 8, Verse 63 “ and (Allah) united their hearts. Had you spent all that is on earth, you could not

have united their hearts. But Allah did unite their hearts. Surely, He is the All-mighty the All-wise

Nu'man bin Bashir (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are

just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and

fever".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Beloved Prophet peace be upon him said: “The example of the believers in their reciprocal love

and mercy for each other is like a human body - when one of its organs suffers, the rest of the body

remains awake and suffers from fever.”

What follows will be a dissection of the meaning of “Human body” as used metaphorically by the

Prophet peace be upon him. The authors ideas which I will present before you this evening are

introduced in his own words.

He said, these are some thoughts that crossed my mind based on what I see from the different trials

and tribulations that the Islamic Ummah are facing head on.

A word of solace and compassion for our brothers and sisters across the world whose blood flows in

the street and who’s dignity has been violated. To every wounded martyr and hungry poor person,

to every orphan and widow and to every person undergoing difficult in this Ummah.

We say to you, what the Prophet peace be upon him said to the family of Yaasir:

O Family of Yaasir! Be patient, you will certainly find your place in Paradise

Yaasir was the father, Ammaar the son and Sumaiyah the first women martyr in Islam (May Allah be

pleased with them all)

Listen to this beautiful poem:

O you the one who sees the blood of the Muslims being spilt everyday

O you the one who sees the honour of our sisters being violated

O you the one who sees the killing of our innocent children

O you the one who sees the assailants hastening to attack Islam

and... you see the Muslims being denied any support because of their Islam

You see women coming out of their homes seductively shedding their garment, you see

waywardness and corruption

O you the one who sees the Masaajid of the Muslims empty

You see the spreading of sickness and disease, you see the manifestations of it’s symptoms

By Allah! What sort of impact does all of this have on your heart?

What will make you change your condition?

Will you continue enjoying your sleep upon comfortable beds, Will you continue occupying your

mind and heart worrying about the different foods you wish to eat day and night? Will you continue

laughing and making jokes?

OR will you consider the pain of this Ummah! It’s tremendous adversity and the severity of the

darkness that has overcome it?

If still you haven’t become worried that the children that are being killed day and night, are in fact

your children! The women whose chastity is being violated is in fact your mother, your wife and your

daughter! Shame on you! This is the least you can do!

Beware, if this difficulty does not pain you and you do not consider the words of the Prophet

Muhammad peace be upon him who said:

"The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one

of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever".

Then maybe, just maybe you are not from the Body! And the prophet peace be upon him also said:

“The one who is not concerned about the affairs of the believers is not from amongst them”

So perhaps you are not from amongst them if it is such that you consciously neglected them, and

your heart doesn’t even shudder and the thoughts of their pain.

Looking at this metaphor of the “Body” and “sickness” one must recognise that the holy prophet

peace be upon him was comprehensive in his speech and that in diagnosing the problem of the

Ummah there is also a beneficial cure.

Metaphors are used in order to make things easily understandable. We know that a human body is

made up of a Heart, Brain, Hormones, Limbs and a structural bodily system. What brings all this

together is the Soul (the Ruh). A human is a human on account of his/her soul and not because of

your body.

There are extensive explanations for each one of these components that make up the body of the

Ummah. I will however restrict it to a short summary.

As for the Soul of this Ummah which the body cannot do without, then know that it is the

Messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace be upon him. He is the lifeline connecting us to Allah the

most merciful.

The soul departs at the time of death and so too when we fall off to sleep, when we wake up, it

returns. Likewise, is the case of this Ummah, when we fell off to sleep, leaving behind the teachings

of the Prophet, the remembrance of the Prophet, spreading the details of His Seerah (Biography)

and sending abundance of salutations upon him. When we did this so too did the soul of this ummah

depart.

When we fell off to sleep, this was the opportunity for the allies of the devil to pounce upon us.

We must wake up from this slumber and follow the messenger Muhammad peace be upon him. He

is the one whom Allah had sent as a mercy unto mankind. He told us about His mercy in the

following narration:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "My example and the example of the people is that of a man

who made a fire, and when it lighted what was around it, Moths and other insects started falling into

the fire. The man tried (his best) to prevent them, (from falling in the fire) but they overpowered him

and rushed into the fire. The Prophet (ﷺ) added: Now, similarly, I take hold of the knots at your

waist (belts) to prevent you from falling into the Fire, but you insist on falling into it."^viii

As for the heart of this Ummah then this is the noble family of the Holy Prophet Muhammad peace

be upon him.

Narrated by Nu’man bin Bashir: The Prophet peace be upon him said: Verily in the body there is a

piece of flesh if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the

whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.^ix

Some of the scholars have stated that heart of this Ummah is the family of the prophet peace be

upon him. When our ties with them are maintained then this equals blessings and goodness for the

Ummah and when our ties with them are severed and corrupted, then so to does it equal the

corruption of this Ummah.

“I am leaving among you that which, if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray

after I am gone, and one of the two is greater than the other: the Book of Allah, which

is a rope extended from heaven to earth, and my family, the people of my household

(ahl bayti). These two will never be separated until they come to me at the Cistern, so

watch how you deal with them after I am gone.^x

As for the brain and intelligence then this is the Scholars and thinkers of this Ummah. They are the

ones who clarify matters for people, they offer guidance which will set this Ummah upon it’s correct

course. They warn the Ummah of any pending danger and false ideologies that will catch us

unaware.

The challenge is that when this intelligence is overtaken by mental illnesses and confusion, then

instead of being the thing that drives the body, it becomes the thing overtaken by something else. It

is lead, instead of leading.

The scholars should be weary of seeking worldly gain through their positions. When the brains trust

of this ummah is corrupted, it will corrupt the rest of us. The Ulama should know that the people are

following them, so they shouldn’t become people who follow the rulers or who seek worldly stature.

The scholars must use their intelligence to rectify the affairs of the Ummah. The remaining parts of

the body all rely on the scholars.

As for the hormones and genetics of this body, this is the physiology of the body¹ .Know then that

this is the people of leadership and administration. There link with the scholars is of utmost

importance. Remember the scholars are the brains trust of the ummah. The brain sends the signals

throughout the body and regulates the physiological movement.

People in positions of leadership should fear Allah in relation to the Ummah of the messenger

Muhammad peace be upon him. If the leadership remove themselves from following divine law and

the scholars of the ummah, then know well that these are evil leaders. Fear Allah in relation to your

duties as the prophet peace be upon him said:

On the authority of Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (May be upon him) said:

¹ Physiology is the study of the function of body parts and the body as a whole.

Beware. every one of you is a shepherd and everyone is answerable about his flock. The

Leader is a shepherd over the people and shall be questioned about his subjects (as to how

he conducted their affairs)^xi

As for the blood running through the veins of this body then this is those who call unto

Allah. The blood is what nourishes the organs of the body. The callers to Allah are those

who strive in the path of Allah, going from person to person and place to place gathering

people upon goodness and connecting them to the other parts of the body.

Surah 12, v108 Allah says: Say “This is my way. I call (people) to Allah with full perception,

both I and my followers.

Know well that you are the people of propagation whom the messenger of Allah may peace

be upon him told “ Take from and propagate it even if it be one verse”

Every single person, male and female, Arab and non-arab, layperson or businessman, each

one of us have a role to play in this body of the Ummah of Muhammad peace be upon him.

We must realise our capacity and work together to build bonds that will strengthen this

ummah. We should not be aids to the devil who seeks to poison the body of this ummah,

thereby severing one limb from the other or one infected part becoming the means of

infection for a previously unaffected part.

The world we live in today is one of inequality, discrimination and oppression.

Islam and Muslims have answers to these difficult social ills. We need health minds, healthy

souls and healthy families.

A Muslim should place her reliance wholly and solely upon Allah. Here are 2 prescriptions.

One from the Noble Hadith and the other from a great scholar of our current time.

It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) said: “When any one of you recites the Tashahhud [according to one

report: when any one of you finishes the final Tashuhhud], let him seek refuge with Allah

from four things, let him say: ‘Allaahumma inni ‘aoodhu bika min ‘adhaab Jahannam wa min

‘adhaab al-qabri wa min fitnat il-mahyaa wa’l-mamaat wa min sharri fitnat il-maseekh id-

dajjaal (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hell and the punishment of

the grave, and from the trials of life and death and from the worst of the turmoil of the Dajjaal

(antichrist)).’”^xii

During these difficult times, Habib Umar bin Hafiz recommends the daily recitation of Surah

Al Kahf.

Peace and salutations upon our master Muhammad, his family and his companions.

All aid and assistance is from Allah, we seek His forgiveness and mercy.

Muhammad ibn Abdul Khaliq

9 September 2019

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