O' Muslims Be Muslims Part4 (end)

Sheikh Riyad-ul-Haq (Leicester)

Surah Nisa, Allah says: ‘O those who have believed in Allah and his messenger and his book’ O believer be believers, what is that meant to mean? How can believers who already believe, believe? How can you achieve or attain something you already have?

There are many Grades in Faith, there is the simple testimony of faith, the declaration of faith is very important, and however the actions have to follow.

In the Prophets s.a.w’s time some Bedouins accepted Islam, and they said we ‘believe’ Allah used them as examples and he sent down the ayah in Surah Hujarah : ‘Say to them you haven’t yet believed, you have ‘apparently’ submitted, but Iman has just entered your heart’

There are many articles of faith, Prayer, is an article of faith, but it still isn’t full submission it is apparent submission,Zakah, Saum,Hajj in the same way these are all articles of faith, but isn’t full submission. If we carry out these actions we have ‘apparently submitted’

Prayer is NOT a routine of postures, Recitation and utterance, the prayer is meant to be a form of humbleness, devotion and total engrossment in the remembrance of Allah
‘These Muslims are successful who show humility in their prayer’
‘Woe on to those who pray but are headless in their prayer’

Even the hypocrites were punctual in their salat, ‘But when they stand they are lazy and they do not remember Allah’

Imam Muslim narrates on the authority of Hazrat Umar r.a. ‘Once we were seated with Rasullah s.a.w, a man entered, Clean with a black beard, and pure white clothes, no sign of journey was present on him, no one knew him: he greeted Rasullah s.a.w with salaam, he sat down, in front of Rasullah s.a.w his knees touching the knees of Rasullah s.a.w, this was very bizarre, he asked Rasullah s.a.w, ‘Ya Rasullah what is Iman?’ Rasullah s.a.w said, ‘shahada, establish salat, zakah and Hajj’. Having said that the man said ‘you have spoken the truth’, the Sahaba r.a was surprised. He then asked ‘what is Ihasan?’ Rasullah s.a.w answered saying ‘Ihasan is that you worship Allah as if you see him, if not that, then knowing he sees you, the man again said, ‘you have spoken the truth’

Do you truly believe?

Again in surah Nisa, Allah says about a certain group of people: ‘Give glad tidings to the hypocrite, O prophet of Allah, indeed for them is a painful punishment’

Even hypocrites, would speak about faith, but their actions were void of any.
‘They are hovering, in the middle, lingering, and not inclined to any set group’
‘Indeed the hypocrites will be in the lowest pits of Jahanam, even below the disbelievers’.
‘Indeed, he has erred a great deviation’

O’ believers, believe – believe completely, not partially, remain steadfast towards your faith, do not apostate from your faith.

We all as different communities, have a carved out image of ‘Islam’ according to some, prayer is everything, to others appearing to be pious is everything, having a beard, donning the eastern garments is everything. They all have their significance; however we should not base our understanding of piety on just these things.

To some as long as you’re not involved in Drugs or alcohol and avoid pork you are pious. We all have our definitions of piety, some of our definitions exceeds others, and vice versa. But we have to remember that ‘we convey the laws of Allah, we do not make them’

In Surah Bakarah, Allah talks about the Jews. In the pre Islamic days, their were two Arab tribes in Makah they were bitter rivals, and there were 3 Jewish tribes. When there were fights, within the two Arab tribes, the Arabs asked the Jews for assistance, the two Jewish parties would pare up with one Arab tribe, and one Jewish party with the other tribe. The Jews killed, looted and imprisoned their fellow brethren, who were fighting for the other tribe. When their brethren were captured, they would say ‘let them go, we will pay a ransom’ the Arabs would say, ‘why? You would have killed them anyway, it doesn’t make sense!’ they would say ‘god has commanded us to do so in our torah-if any of our brethren is captured it is our duty to help release them’ Allah says in Surah Bakarah, regarding these people, ‘Now look at you, you shed each others blood, you assist others over yourselves…-but when your brethren is captured, you remember Allah, when in fact it was Haram upon you to capture them or even partake in this’

This Ayah is a perfect example, you cannot pick and choose in Islam, Allah has made so many things Haram, we abstain from two, but we ignore the third! Are we making a mockery of Allah?

Abdullah ibn Salam R.A, before his conversion to Islam he was a big Jewish rabbi, In the Jewish religion, Camel meat was not allowed, So he asked the Prophet s.a.w ‘if I don’t have this meat, I would be confirming to my old religion, but in Islam by not having this meat I am not sinning’ then the verse was revealed ‘O believers, believe in Islam totally’

In surah Nisa, laws of costumes of marriage, chastity, promiscuity, inheritance, truthfulness, honesty, justice, defending and upholding justice, integrity of character, fulfilling and honoring trusts and the hypocrites. All this is mentioned in just one Surah
In just Surah Nisa, we are taught so much; imagine how much the whole Quran can be of benefit to us.

Muslims will never be true believers, unless they submit with no hesitation or reservation and have no doubt in what they believe in. otherwise their faith is deficient and incomplete.
Submitting totally, we mean, to observe kindness, be good to orphans and neighbors, companion on your side or distant. Help the travelers indeed Allah does not love the arrogant or boastful.

There are two kinds of neighbors, one who shares a wall with you, a passage, same side of a street, neighbors of vicinity
Neighbors of proximity- are your immediate neighbor. Both have a right over you.
Along with prayer, Zakah, Hajj... We have to do what was said above, this is complete faith.

‘O believers be establishers of justice’

The whole universe rests on the equilibrium of justice. In regards of interpretation of the Quran, every one is an expert, except the experts! Let’s take for example, something is wrong with our car, if we are not mechanics would we try to fix it?

For a healthy community, do not rely on rumors word of mouth or gossip- ‘O you who believe, when you travel in to a land and you see some one who gives you salaam, do not say you are not a believer, verify the facts, ascertain the truth, remember you were like them before, who knows Allah may have mercy on them and guide them as he did to you’ (when sahaba, passed by a land they thought the people only said salam to save their skin)

‘Do not declare yourself to be pure only Allah knows’ when you are greeted with salaam, reply to the greeting as this is the right of a Muslim over another Muslim.

Religion is about fulfilling the rights of Allah’s creation, accepting that you are wrong.

Surah Nisa- ‘there is no good, in many of their conversation and speeches accept for the one who enjoins charity’
We are those people Allah talks about, whenever we emit a voice their is no good in what we have to say, this is a categorical rule of Allah, except those who enjoin charity- do good, promote peace harmony and recreation.

Refraining from major sin is very important, being unchaste is corruption, but the tongue is just as dangerous as ones lack of chastity. We should always think, are we opening our mouth to produce harmony or corruption?

Imam Muslim narrates on the authority of Abu Hurairah r.a, Prophet s.a.w asked the companions ‘do you know who the poor and destitute person is? The companions replied saying ‘a man who has no dirham on his name, penniless. The prophet s.aw said: ‘the poor and destitute of ummah is one who has countless rewards of prayer, zakah but in the world he would slander, physically hurt people, these wronged victims will compensate all of his good deeds. If his good deeds expire, the wronged victim’s sins will be flunged on to him.

We say that marriage is half of faith, this is correct, but incorrect in the way we people interpret it. You marry you don’t complete your religion why?

Rasullah s.a.w said reported by Imam tirmidhi. What are the two main things that will take people in to paradise? They are ‘taqwa’ and ‘good manners’ and what are the two main things that will take people in to hell? They are the ‘tongue and the private parts’

Sayyidina Anas r.a says: Rasullah s.a.w said, ‘when someone marries he has guarded half his Iman let him fear Allah in the other half!’

Shykh further went on to saying, why am I saying that just marriage is not half your iman, because if you do not find a pious wife then your iman is at risk, thus instead of fulfilling half of your iman it is being violated., but whomsoever Allah has showered with a pious wife then Allah has assisted and protected him in terms of his deen.

Surah Bakarah: ‘it is not Bir-righteousness facing towards the east and the west raising your hands. Rather piety is that person who believes in the final day, the books, who gives wealth to ones relatives, orphans, neighbors, traveler’s beggars. Establishes salat and who is righteous to those who honor their pledge and who remains patient in adversity, those are the people of Taqwa-god fearing’

‘O believers, believe’

May Allah give us the ability to believe totally.

I hope you all benefited from the notes, may allah give me the ability to attain more Knowledge

'It is Obligatory for all believeing women to seek knowledge'

-Amatullah-