O Mu'mins, Believers! I think anyone standing in this mihrab, this minbar, has to feel shy and ashamed that he is standing as a teacher, a scholar or imam, as we know our shortcomings, our sins and mistakes, and therefore we don't deserve that honor. The minbar is for Rasoolullah (s) and the masaajid are for Allah (swt), and Allah sent His messenger to stand on the minbar and advise the ummah. And we are asking Allah to forgive us, for the sake of the Prophet (s)!
O Muslims! Be happy we are honored as Muslims! Allah said in Holy Qur'an:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ
Kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrijat li 'n-naasi tamaroona bi 'l-ma`roof wa tanhawna ani 'l-munkar.
You are the best of nations sent to Mankind, calling for what is good and prohibiting what is wrong. (Aali-`Imraan, 3:110)
That means we are the only ummah that has been sent to humanity calling for good and forbidding the bad. Kuntum, "you were," and it is the past-tense verb because it refers to you on the Day of Promises. Allah (swt) chose us on the Day of Promises; it is His choice, not our choice. He made us from ummat an-nabi, and that is an honor! To say we are Muslims is an honor, don't feel shy and say, "We are Muhammadans," do not feel shy. Today Muslims are shy to say, "We are Muslims," because of some Muslims who create problems around the world. We say we are innocent of those ones, we have nothing to do with them.
We believe in what Allah said in Holy Qur'an:
أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Ati`oollaha wa ati`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
Allah chose us one-by-one, and picked us to be from ummat an-nabi, and since we are from ummat an-nabi we are under that verse, "You are the best of nations that has been sent to humanity." That means Allah (swt) didn't want us to stay too long in the grave. If we were from ummat an-Nuh we would already have been in the grave for 5000 years! He wants our time in the grave to be short, so He created us from ummat an-nabi. And the Prophet (s) said to the Sahaabah (r) about the Last Days, "There are people coming who are my brothers. They believe in me, yet they didn't see me." That is why you are the best ummah: you believe in the Prophet (s) without seeing him! You accept Sayyidina Muhammad (s) without having seen him in dunya, but you saw him on the Day of Promises, at the gathering of souls, where the Prophet (s) said:
الارواح جنود مجندة , فما تعارف منها ائتلف , و ما تناكر منها اختلف
Al-arwaahu junoodan mujanadan famaa t`aarafa minhaa 'talaf wa maa tanakir minhaa 'khtalaf
The souls were gathered like battalions and those who were related came together.
عن ابن عباس قال : أصبح رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوما ، فقال : " ما من ماء ، ما من ماء ؟ " قالوا : لا . قال : " هل من شن ؟ " فجاءوا بالشن ، فوضع بين يدي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ووضع يده عليه ، ثم فرق بين أصابعه فنبع الماء مثل عصا موسى من أصابع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فقال : " يا بلال اهتف بالناس الوضوء " فأقبلوا يتوضئون من بين أصابع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وكانت همة ابن مسعود الشرب ، فلما توضئوا صلى بهم الصبح ، ثم قعد للناس ، فقال : " يا أيها الناس من أعجب الخلق إيمانا ؟ " قالوا : الملائكة . قال : " وكيف لا يؤمن الملائكة وهم يعاينون الأمر ؟ " قالوا : فالنبيون يا رسول الله ، قال : " وكيف لا يؤمن النبيون ، والوحي ينزل عليهم من السماء " ، قالوا : فأصحابك يا رسول الله ، قال : " وكيف لا يؤمن أصحابي وهم يرون ما يرون ؟ ولكن أعجب الناس إيمانا ، قوم يجيئون من بعدي ، يؤمنون بي ولم يروني ، ويصدقوني ولم يروني ، أولئك إخواني " .
I will relate a long hadith. The Prophet (s) was on an expedition, it was Fajr time and they needed to make wudu. The Prophet asked if there was any water and they said, no. So he said, "Is there the tiniest amount of water?" And one Sahaabi brought a small amount water and put it in a pot. The Prophet (s) put his hands in the water and then water came pouring out from that pot, and they not only made wudu but were also drinking from that water.Then he asked them, "Who is the best in faith, imaan?" And they said, "The angels." And the Prophet (s) said,
wa kayfa laa yuminoon wa 'l-malaaikat yu`aeenoon al-amr, "How are they not going to have imaan when they are in the Heavens observing Allah's signs and His oneness?
They have open eyes and ears; they feel and see the indications of Allah's (swt) oneness in the Heavens. How are they going to be the highest in faith? No, there is faith higher than that." Then they said, "An-nabiyyoon, the prophets" And the Prophet (s) said, "How are the prophets not going to have the best imaan when the revelation is coming to them from Heaven, and they are prophets, and they are appointed to have and to know, faith?" Then they said, "Yaa Muhammad (s), yaa Rasoolullah, the Sahaabah are the best!"
Remember the hadith of Prophet (s):
أصحابي كالنجوم، بأيّهم اقتديتم اهتديتم
Ashaabee ka 'n-nujoom bi ayyihim iqtadaytum, ihtadaytumMy Companions are like stars. Whichever of them you use as a guide, you will be rightly guided.
The Companions are like the stars, they were guides to the ummah; they carried hadeeth of the Prophet (s) and memorized the Holy Qur'an after the Prophet (s) and gave it to us. They did their best and gave their lives; they raised their accounts in Akhirah, not just for dunya. I am not saying that you must not to do anything for dunya, as Allah said:
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbana aatina fi 'd-dunya hasanatan wa fi 'l-akhiraati hasanatan wa qina `adhaba 'n-naar.
Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire. (Al-Baqarah, 2:201)
So, they answered the Companions are best, and Prophet (s) said, "How are the Companions not going to believe when they see what they see from me, the Seal of Messengers? O Sahaabee! I am going to tell you something that will make you astonished!" And it will astonish us, also. He said:
ولكن أعجب الناس إيمانا ، قوم يجيئون من بعدي ، يؤمنون بي ولم يروني ، ويصدقوني ولم يروني ، أولئك إخواني
laakin `ajab an-naasi imaanan qawman yaatoon min ba`dee yuminoon bee wa lam yarawnee. Yusadiqoonee wa lam yarawnee. Oolaaika ikhawanee.
People with the highest faith will come after me in dunya. They believe in me and didn't see me!
O People! You are those people! That is a great honor, to be from ummat an-nabi, so thank Allah and He will give more. We say, Alhamdu laka yaa Allah, "We thank you, yaa Allah!"
And the Prophet (s) said, "Those people who believe in me and didn't see me are ikhawaanee, my brothers!" (Narrated Ahmad and at-Tabarain)
And you should know that a brother will not leave his brother; a brother likes to take his brother wherever he goes. The Prophet (s) will not leave us in the hands of Shaytan, he will take us on the way of ar-Rahmaan in order to save us. That hadith is enough for dunya and akhirah. That will make you happy your whole life. You became the brother of the Prophet (s) by only believing in, laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah! And that is why Allah said:
Kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrajati lin-naas... You are the best of nations; you call for the good and forbid the bad.
But not like those today who come and knock on your door and say, "O brother, do good!" yet they themselves are not doing it.
And Allah (swt) said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ
Ya ayyuhalladheena amanoo ajtaniboo katheeran min adh-dhann wa laa tajassassoo wa laa yaghtab ba`dakum ba`dan ayuhhibu ahadakum an yaakula lahma akheehi maytan fa-karihtumooh..
O Believers! Stay away from too much suspicion, and don't spy on each other, and don't backbite the flesh of each other Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it. (al-Hujurat, 49:12)
Do you like to eat the flesh of your dead brother? You hate that! Polish yourself, and then you can help your family, your brothers and sisters. Clean yourself and beware, because we are in the time of fitnah, confusion. Fitnah is dormant, and Allah curses whoever brings it up. The Prophet (s) said, "Don't bring up fitnah. Be peaceful in your country then you will be safe in dunya and Akhirah." (Du`a)
Wa min Allah at Tawfeeq
Jumu`ah Khutbah, Masjid Hajji Muhammad Salleh
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
26 November 2010 Singapore
