الحمد لله، الحمد لله ، نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير، ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدّى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع
الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر.
Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, revealed to His final Messenger on the Day of ‘Arafa, during his Farewell Hajj: Al-Maida (3)
Today I have perfected your deen for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a deen for you.
The future of any family, community or nation is dependent on the soundness of its youth. This soundness, or lack of it, has several manifestations. In certain countries, for example, due to the lifestyle and economic choices of their adult populations, the number of indigenous youth has dwindled severely. As a result, they have become reliant on immigrant communities for the basic functioning of their economies, particularly those segments which are labour intensive. This is true for Europe and its Berbers, the Pakistanis of Britain and Scandinavia, Germany and its Turks and the Mexicans of USA. However, the same can be said about the people of the subcontinent who form the backbone of many Middle-Eastern economies. Another manifestation of this decay of the youth is a physical one. The clearest symptom of which is the first-world plague called Obesity. Obesity is a medical condition which arises as a direct result of an addiction to junk food and the sedentary postures required to watch television, sit at the computer and play electronic games. Nevertheless, the most disturbing aspect of this damage to the youth is to the soundness of their deen. Since Islam is the last divine contract for man, this decline is easily understood in relation to the previous religions. Regrettably, however, Muslims too have succumbed to a humanist-capitalist project which, though beleaguered, is still able to ensnare in its menacing grasp.
This dilemma which faces our youth is most evident when they graduate from high school. After having been force-fed a worldview which legitimises the present system, they enter universities where courses are structured to prepare them for a future as corporation wage-slaves. With the job comes the loan, the mortgage/home loan, the car allowance. Then, the marriage, a couple of children – not more – for they’re too costly to maintain. And, of course, you have to save for their education, the banks cry out, for they have to be put through the same cycle of programming and before you know it two generations have submitted to the idol of usury, time has passed and man is in loss.
Thankfully, this is not the case with those I see in front of me, the young men and women of this community. You are the ones who got away. It is said that when Allah desires someone for Himself, He leads him to one of His Awliya.
Allah says in Surat an-Nisa: (124)
Who could have a better deen than someone who submits himself completely to Allah and is a doer of good?
The excellence of the recitation of Surat al-Kahf and its benefits is well documented. However, in the spirit of the companions, radhiya llahu ‘anhum – who never stopped with the recitation of a Surah, but that they examined its meanings, drew from it its lessons and acted upon it – it is necessary to mention some of what is contained in it. In relation to the present theme, I want to look at the story of the Ashab al-Kahf (Companions of the Cave). Both ibn-Kathir and at-Tabari mention that they were a group of young men, who were on the deen of Sayyidina Isa, ‘alayhis Salam, but concede that the actual events may belong to an earlier time and that they followed the deen of Sayyidina Musa, ‘alayhis Salam. Nevertheless, what has come to us in the Qur’an and Sunnah is enough, according to the words of our Messenger, sallalahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: ‘I have not left anything that will bring you closer to the garden or draw you further from the fire, but I have informed you about it.’
These young men lived as subjects of a tyrannical, kafir king who imposed the worship of idols on those under his dominion. Unable to bear this falsehood, they formed themselves into a band and established a place where they would meet to remember Allah. When the king heard about this he summoned them and threatened them, but they would not desist.
Allah says in Surat al-Kahf (13-14):
We will relate their story to you with truth.They were young men who had iman in their Lord and We increased them in guidance. We fortified their hearts when they stood up and said, ;Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and we will not call on any god apart from Him. We would in that case have uttered an abomination.’
The king then stripped them of some of their garments which bore the rank and adornments of their families. He set an ultimatum for them and in this Allah showed them kindness because they were able to escape.
Allah says in Surat al-Kahf (16):
When you have separated yourselves from them and everything they worship except Allah, take refuge in the cave and your Lord will unfold His mercy to you and open the way to the best for you in your situation.
Having taken refuge in the cave, the king spared no effort in trying to find them but to no avail, for Allah had listened to their du’as when they called upon him:
When the young men took refuge in the cave and said, ‘Our Lord, give us mercy directly from You and open the way for us to right guidance in our situation.’
This du’a then leads to the amazing event of their slumber of three hundred and nine years, being a protection for them and a sign for mankind immortalised in the Book of Allah.
That was the situation when we woke them up so they could question one another. One of them asked, ‘How long have you been here?’ They replied, ‘We have been here for a day or part of a day.’
They said, ‘Your Lord knows best how long you have been here. Send one of your number into the city with this silver you have, so he can see which food is purest and bring you some of it to eat. But he should go about with caution so that no one is aware of you.
On his return to the city he discovers the truth of what has happened. The city has changed, he recognises nobody and the silver coin has an imprint which belongs to centuries past. A just king now reigns, and the truth of what has happened is discovered so that they are honoured by the people of the city as the youths who defied the terrible king.
The lessons contained in this remarkable story are evident:
· Identify the idolatry rampant in this age
· Come together in a group, speak against it and act to change it
· Seek help from Allah by calling on Him
· And take refuge in the cave of sound knowledge of the deen for this is your protection
·
أقول قولي هذا و أستغفر الله لي و لكم و لسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو
الغفور الرَّحيم
الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته.
أيها المسلمون!
Allah says in Surat al-Baqara (198):
When you pour down from Arafat, remember Allah at the Sacred Landmark. Remember Him because He has guided you, even though before this you were astray.
In the Muwatta of Imam Malik it is related that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The most excellent dua is the dua on the Day of Arafa, and the best of what I and the prophets before me have said, is ‘There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner.'”
We are very honoured that a group from amongst us has been able to make the journey to the Hajj and the ensuing visit to the mosque of the Messenger, salla llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Yesterday they would have stood on the plains of Arafat, along with Muslims from every part of the world. For the fuqara and faqirat this moment has great worth because it signifies the reaching of a goal after having journeyed towards it. The real beginning of this journey is when the faqir turns away from his own nafs towards his Lord under the guidance of his Shaykh. Just as he sets out on the Hajj towards the House of Allah in Makkah, so too does he set out to discover the secret of his own heart. The Messenger, salla llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, has said, “Truly, Allah has vessels from amongst the people of the earth, and the vessels of your Lord are the hearts of his righteous slaves.”
Allahumma, we ask You to bless our Shaykh who has indicated the way. We ask You to bless and protect him at all times and wherever he may be and to bring to him all that he needs to accomplish his task.
We ask You to bless our Amir and to give him good health, increase and expansion.
We ask You to bless and protect our companions on the Hajj, to give them an accepted Hajj, an immense welcome from your Messenger and a safe return.
We ask You to bless this community and to make us an active community based on firm knowledge in the service of your deen.
We ask You to bless this mosque and its Imams with the most excellent reward.
We ask You to bless the Shaykh’s college and to aid and support its teachers, students and administrators.
We ask You to bless our youth and make them worthy inheritors of the knowledge with which they are surrounded.
We ask you to bless and protect us wherever we may be.
إنَّ اللهَ ومَلائِكَتَهُ يُصلُّونَ على النَّبِي يَا أَيُها الذينَ آمنوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وسَلِّمُوا تَسْليماً. اللهمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّم وبارِك عَلَيْهِ وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِ أجمعين.
وارض اللهم عن الخلفاء الراشدين المرشدين الحنفاء ساداتنا وأئمتنا أبي بكر وعمر وعثمان وعلي ، وعن سائر الصحابة أجمعين، خصوصا الأنصار منهم والمهاجرين، وعن التابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
اللهم اهد أولات أمور المسلمين لما يرضيك ولاتباع سنة نبيك صلى الله عليه وسلم وثبت أقدامهم على الصراط المستقيم وأصلحهم يا رب العالمين.
اللهم بارك على شيخنا، و على أميرنا، وعلى جميع أمراء وزعماء المسلمين.
اللهم بارك على المسلمين في هذه المدينة ووفقهم لما تحبه وترضاه يا أكرم الأكرمين. .
اللهمّ أَعِزَّ الْلإسلامَ والمُسِلمينَ (3) واَخْذُلِ الكُفْرَ والكافِرينَ، وانْصُرِ المُجاهِدينَ في سَبِيلِ
اللهِ. واجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وكَلِمَةَ الكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلى.
ربنا ءاتنا في الدنيا حسنة وفي الأخرة حسنة وقنا عذاب النار.
ربنا ءاتنا من لدنك رحمة و هيئ لنا من أمرنا رشدا.
ربنا هب لنا من أزواجنا وذريتنا قرة أعين واجعلنا للمتقين إماما.
ربنا اغفر لنا ذنوبنا وإِسرافنا في أمرِنا وثبت أقدامنا وانصرنا على القوم الكافرِينَ
