The Muslim GPS

The Quran was sent down to mankind as a form of guidance. Who is guided? Now you may think the Muslim is guided. However, is everyone who is a Muslim guided? Indeed, every Muslim asks Allah (SWT) to guide him or her multiple times a day as we recite Surat al-Fatiha. “Show us the straight path” (Translation of the Meaning of the Holy Quran, 1:6) has been recited by every Muslim who prays his or her salah. Therefore, all Muslims ask Allah (SWT) for guidance. Then you may think, the one who has knowledge is guided. However, how many people do we know that know alcohol is haraam or know interest is haraam yet they still indulge in these detestable acts. Indeed, knowledge without actions cannot be considered guidance. We need to follow all of our statements with actions.

Al-Hasan Al-Basrî said, “Faith (îmân) is not by embellishment or wishful thinking, but it is what settles in the heart and is verified through your works. Whoever says good but does not do good, will have his words compared to his deeds by Allah. Whoever says good and does good, will have his words raised by his deeds. This is because Allah (SWT) said, “To Him ascends the good word, and the righteous deed raises it” (Translation of the Meaning of the Holy Quran, 35:10).”

Indeed, as Muslims, we need to follw-up our statements with actions. We need to make sure our actions follow the Quran and Sunnah in all that we do so that our deeds may be accepted as Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd said, “Allah(SWT) accepts only those deeds which are both correct and sincere (pure). If the deed is done correctly but not sincerely, it will not be accepted. And if it is sincere but not correct, it will not be accepted.” He was asked, “Abû ‘Alî! What is the sincere and correct deed?” He replied, “The sincere deed is one that is done only for Allah (SWT). And the correct deed is one done according to the Sunnah.”

O Muslim, walk the walk for we all talk the talk. Al-Qâsim b. Muhammad, the grandson of Abû Bakr said, “In my time, people were not impressed by speech, but by actions as anyone can say whatever he wants.”

Therefore, if you want guidance, take to the Quran. Consider the advice of Ubay b. Ka’b who said, “Take the Book of Allah as your leader (imām) and be pleased with it as a judge and ruler. It is what your Messenger left amongst you. It will be an intercessor for you. It is to be obeyed. It is a witness never doubted. In it is a mention of you and those before you, and judgment for whatever happens amongst you. In it is news about you and whatever will come after you.”

(Forgive me for I make mistakes in my writings for indeed these are from me and the good is from Allah.)

Bad Things Happen, Right?

Bad things happen, right?  Wrong!  Everything that happens to a believer is good or it has more good in it than bad.  Alhamdulillah, it is always a win-win situation for the believer.  Consider the hadith of Rasoolullah (SAW) told to us by Suhaib in which Rasoolullah (SAW) said, “The affair of the believer is amazing! The whole of his life is beneficial, and that is only in the case of the believer. When good times come to him, he is thankful and it is good for him, and when bad times befall him, he is patient and it is also good for him” (narrated by Muslim).

Indeed, we all fall sick, get into accidents, or are sadden at times of despair.  However, the believer easily overcomes such hardships.  Rasoolullah (SAW) said that, “When the believer is afflicted with pain, even that of a prick of a thorn or more, God forgives his sins” (narrated by Bukhari).  It is reported that Abu Hurayrah, the companion of the Prophet, had a favorite illness!  He is reported to have said, “There is no illness that afflicts me more beloved to me than fever; it enters every part of me and [because of it] Allah the Mighty and Sublime gives every part of me its share of reward” (narrated by Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).  Subhana’Allah, if only we could all celebrate when we got sick or something misfortunate happened to us!

In terms of hardship, we should look to the Quran for guidance as it states, “Those who patiently preserve will truly receive a reward without measure” (Translation of the Meaning of the Holy Quran, 39:10) and “And bear in patience whatever maybe fall you: this, behold, is something to set one’s heart upon“(Translation of the Meaning of the Holy Quran, 31:17).  In times of hardship, many of us remember Allah (SWT), but do we remember Allah (SWT) in times of ease?  Rasoolullah (SAW) said, “Remember Allah in times of ease, and He will remember you in times of hardship” (narrated by Ahmad).

Whenever something afflicts us, we should smile and say Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah).  Consider the story of the King and his servant, Abdullah.  Abdullah would say Alhamdulillah to everything that would happen to him, whether good or bad.  One day while hunting, the King accidently shot-off his finger and Abdullah responded with his normal, Alhamdulillah.  Upset, the King jailed Abdullah to which Abdullah responded Alhamdulillah.  Soon thereafter, the King went out hunting again by himself.  He strayed into tribal enemy grounds and was captured.  The tribe was about to sacrifice him before they realized he was missing a finger.  Knowing full-well they should not sacrifice an incomplete human being, they released the King.  Ecstatic, the King knew that his misfiring the other day saved his life.  He went back home and freed Abdullah.  Afterwards, he asked Abdullah, “I understand the loss of my finger was something worth saying Alhamdulillah over, but why did you say it when I jailed you?”  Abdullah responded, “Had I been with you that one day instead of in jail, I would have been sacrificed, since I did have all of my fingers!”

Verily, the Quran states, “but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not” (Translation of the Meaning of the Holy Quran, 2:216).  Therefore, O Muslim, always be optimistic and respond with Alhamdulillah!

Fearing Allah (SWT) at all Times

Umar bin Al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) sent an army under Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas (Allah be pleased with both of them) for the conquest of Persia. Umar (Allah be pleased with him) wrote him a convention as follows:

• I command you and your army to fear Allah at all times because piety is the best weapon against the enemy and the best strategy in the battle.
• And I command you and your soldiers to fear disobedience to Allah more than you fear the enemy.
• If an army fears sins more than the enemy, Allah brings them victory.
• Muslims victory is the outcome of the disbelievers’ disobedience of Allah. There is no power except with Allah for they always outnumber us and have better weapons and tools.
• If we become equal in disobedience, they will conquer us due to more power; and unless we defeat them by righteousness, we cannot defeat them by power.
• You must learn that you have some angels with you to protect you and your deeds.
• So be careful and do not commit any sins while you are fighting in the way of Allah.
• And never say our enemy is worse than us and that they cannot win even if we commit sins.
• Many nations have suffered at the hands of others who were less faithful, as the Magians who won over the Children of Israel when they committed sins.
• You have to ask Allah victory over your own selves in the same way you ask victory over the enemy. Ask it from Allah for us and you.

 [Ref. Ibn Katheer in Al-Bidaayah wan -Nihaayah]

Do we have this type of mentality?  Insha’Allah, let us make the intention to always stay away from sin!

When I Grow Up I Wanna Be Abu Bakr!

By Muhammad Alshareef

After groups of people had become Muslim, Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu insisted to RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam that they, the Muslims, declare their Islam publicly and not hide. RasulAllah finally agreed and as a group they entered the courtyard of the Ka’bah, each taking a corner, and called out to the people about Islam. Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu was the first khateeb to invite to Allah and His Messenger.

When the mob sitting there heard Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu and the others speaking about Allah and Islam, they ignited in anger and began stoning and beating the Muslims. Utbah pounced on Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu with his leather sandals, slapping him repeatedly in the face until Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu was knocked down. He then fell on top of Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu punching him in the stomach and continued the facial blows. Abu Bakr’s tribe finally peeled Utbah off of him and swore that if Abu Bakr died, they were going to chop off Utbah’s head in revenge. Abu Bakr laid in blood, his face indiscernible, unconscious.

It was only upon nightfall that Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu began to show signs of life. Do you know what the first words he spoke were? “What happened to RasulAllah? What happened to RasulAllah?” His mother offered him food but he refused. “I shall not touch food until I am taken to RasulAllah and am reassured that he is alright.”

They carried him to Daar Al-Arqam and when he entered, RasulAllah cried at the state that Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu was in and hugged him. He held the hug as the Muslims gathered around.

Role Models. In his book Risaalat Al-Mu’allim, Jamal Abideen tells us that at the age of 2 – perhaps earlier – the boy or girl begins habitually imitating all that they see. At the age of 5 or 6 – when the child is in kindergarten and grade 1 – they reach a climax in imitating anything that they see, good or bad. Then this habit of imitating smoothes out but continues to play the most vital role in the child’s upbringing.

Ibn Khaldoon writes in his Muqaddimah about this issue: “Children are influenced most by a role model. In their early years, children think that everything that adults do is correct and good and that their parents are the best amongst the adults and the most perfect.”

Children do not learn by being told, they learn by example. How much weight does a commandment to a child to fast have when the parent or teacher himself is eating a sandwich? For this reason, it is something hated and despised by Allah that a person should command good and he himself do other than what he commands. For indeed, his words will have little worth when the two – his actions and commandments – are contradictory.

Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise / O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? / Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do (Al-Saff 61/1-3).

And in Saheeh Muslim, the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:

“A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and be thrown into Hellfire. The inhabitants of Hellfire shall gather around him and say, ‘O so and so! What is wrong? Were you not the one that would tell people to do good and tell them to stay away from doing bad?’ He shall say, ‘Yes, I used to command people to do good but I would not do it myself, and I would command people to stay away from bad and I myself would commit it.’”

The severity of this warning stems from the harmful scars that cut into a child’s personality when he sees his role models doing wrong and not doing what’s right. By us not following what we claim to believe in, we could be causing the destruction of dozens of lives on the Day of Resurrection.

It is in this search for our role models that we turn to the shining light, Abu Bakr as Siddeeq radi Allahu anhu. When the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam received the first revelations, the first man he approached was his best friend, Abu Bakr. When Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu heard that Muhammad had been chosen as a Prophet, he immediately announced, “I’ve never tasted a lie from you. I testify that there is no God but Allah, and you are the Messenger of Allah.” RasulAllah later said, “There is no one that I have spoken to about Islam that did not debate the issue with me except Abu Bakr.”

With the few verses that he knew, Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu set off to invite to this deen of Al-Islam. Soon, he was escorting by the hand the likes of Uthman, Az-Zubayr, Abd ArRahmaan ibn ‘Owf, Sa’d, Abu ‘Ubaidah, and Talha – six of the ten people who were promised Jannah during their time on earth. And on the Day of Resurrection they shall all be written in the book of Abu Bakr’s good works.

In the early days of Islam, Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu would walk around the markets and homes observing all the Muslim slaves that were being tortured. He would watch as Umayyah dragged Bilal out to the grilling desert at noontime, the hottest moments of the day. Umayyah would press Bilal to the scalding ground and place a boulder on top of his chest to increase the torture. Bilal would say nothing but, “Ahad, Ahad (One, only One).” Abu Bakr would watch and whisper to Bilal, “YunJeeka AlWaahidul Ahad (The One [Allah] shall save you).”

Abu Bakr went to Umayyah and requested that he sell Bilal to him for 5 uwqiyyah of gold. Umayyah was astonished at that amount and hurriedly agreed. “Take Bilal. There is no good in him.”

After the deal was done, Umayyah snickered, “Had you refused to pay more than 1 uwqiyyah I still would have sold him to you.”

And Abu Bakr announced, “And had you refused to sell him for no less than 100 uwqiyyah I still would have bought him!”

Evil wishers – like always – spread rumors about Abu Bakr’s freeing of Bilal, saying that he did it only because of a favor he owed him. In the Qur’an, in verses to be recited till the end of time, Allah lay clear the intentions of Abu Bakr:

He who spends his wealth for increase in self-purification, / And have in his mind no favor from anyone for which a reward is expected in return, / Except only the desire to seek the Countenance of his Lord, the Most High; / He surely will be pleased [when he will enter Paradise] (Al-Layl 92/18-21).

Read that last verse again. Allah is telling Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu that he is going to make him satisfied. Allahu Akbar! Imagine if Allah told you that. Would anything in the world be more valuable to you than that one ayah?

This was Abu Bakr; this was Khaleefatu Rasulillaah. When ‘Amr ibn Al- Aas became Muslim, RasulAllah appointed him as a leader for one of the Muslim armies. ‘Amr believed that this could only be so because RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam loved him the most. So after the army had returned, ‘Amr went and sat by RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and asked him a question out loud so that everyone would hear the answer. He asked, “Who do you love the most?”

RasulAllah replied, “Aisha,” his wife.

Startled, ‘Amr asked, “No, no, from the men who?”

He said, “Her father!” Abu Bakr, radi Allahu anhu.

PART II: Who are our Role Models?

Have you ever sat with your children or some Muslim neighbor’s children? Give them a basketball and lower the rim for them and listen to what they say. All – with a few exceptions – will call out the name of a kafir basketball player as they take the shot. You’ll hear the name of Michael Jordan shouted out and others, a name that comes from their heart as they slam the ball in glee.

Listen carefully; they are innocently calling to the world, “I wanna be a kafir basketball player, just like that kafir Jordan.” Don’t be surprised when they reach university, after they’ve lost their precious youth, that they can spit a ball into a basket with unbelievable precision, yet they cannot read Al-Fatiha without fumbling like a baby. On the Day of Resurrection, these entertainment idols shall disown all those that took them as role models and imitated their sins. Interestingly, Reebok advertised one of these entertainment idols dunking a ball and at the end of the commercial he walks to the camera and says, “Just because I dunk a ball doesn’t mean I have to raise your kids.” Subhan Allah, if children and parents only understood what he said.

Look at the real models and the children that took them as their models. Aisha narrates that RasulAllah used to visit them in the mornings and in the evenings. But one day he came at noon time – a time that signified something different was happening. Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu opened the door and RasulAllah announced that Allah had given him permission to do Hijrah to Madinah. Abu Bakr bounced out, “Together, Yaa RasulAllah, together!”

And Rasul Allah replied, “Together.”

Abu Bakr began to cry. Aisha comments, “I never believed that someone could cry from happiness until I saw my father that day cry when he found out he would be doing Hijrah with RasulAllah.”

Look at the Hijrah incident and you shall see that all the characters involved other than Abu Bakr were children. Aisha and her brother Abd ArRahmaan. Asmaa was slapped in the face by Abu Jahl when she refused to tell him where her father was. The guide that took them to Madinah was also a young boy. Subhan Allah, these children grew up to be amongst the greatest humans to ever walk this earth. How not when they had the greatest role models – RasulAllah and Abu Bakr.

After over 10 years of da’wah and jihaad in Madinah, when RasulAllah passed away, ‘Umar called all the people, sharpened his sword and spoke. “Muhammad is not dead. He went to his Lord as Musa went to his Lord and he shall come back as Musa did. When he does, he shall kill all those who said he was dead.”

News reached Abu Bakr of the Prophet’s death. He prepared himself and galloped on his horse to RasulAllah’s home. There, RasulAllah lay covered in a cloth. Abu Bakr raised the cloth and kissed RasulAllah saying, “Tibta Hayyan wa Mayyitan (You are blessed in life and in death).” He then stepped outside as ‘Umar was addressing the people. “Sit down ‘Umar,” said Abu Bakr. He then praised Allah and began, “Whoever worships Muhammad let him know that Muhammad is dead, and whoever worships Allah let him know that Allah is alive and never dies.” He then recited the verse:

Muhammad is nothing more than a Messenger. Messengers came and went before him. If he dies or is killed shall you turn on your heels?

‘Umar said, “When I heard that verse, my knees became soft as I fell. I knew that RasulAllah had died.”

Soon after that, Abu Bakr sent out the army of Usama. Usama was 18 at that time, the age of one of our youth in grade 12. He led an entire Muslim army, fought the Romans and came home victorious, breeding fear in all those that wanted to attack the Muslims in Madinah.

As Usama was leaving Madinah, Abu Bakr was escorting his horse as he walked along side it. Usama said, “You shall ride with me or I shall come down and walk.”

But Abu Bakr refused saying, “You shall not come down and I shall not ride. What harm does it bring me that I should dust my feet in the cause of Allah for an hour of the day.” Indeed, Usama reached this position because he had role models like Abu Bakr.

Muslims understood the seriousness of the role models their children had. ‘Amr ibn Utbah rahimahullah advised his son’s teacher, “Let the first correction you do to my son be the correction of yourself. Verily, their eyes are locked into yours. Good to them is what you do, even if it is bad. And bad to them is what you do not do, even if it is good.”

Many parents have understood this issue of finding the correct role models for their children. Here is an example that we conclude with: In a kindergarten classroom, a non-Muslim teacher sat with the students and asked each one what they want to be when they grow up. One said, “I want to be a policeman.” The other announced, “I want to be a fireman.” Then a Muslim boy in the crowd spoke up, “I want to be a Sahaabee!” A what?

When parent teacher conferences came up, the teacher asked the parents about this Sahaabee that their son wanted to be when he grew up. They said, “Whenever we have the chance we read stories of the Prophet’s companions to him. They have become his role models. And when he becomes older he wants to be just like the Sahaabaa.”

Isn’t that what we want for our kids too?

(Taken from www.khutbah.com)