Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera – Certainty in Faith
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Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi wa salatu salam ala
so you didn't miss any more. He also asked me about a cosa
limiter, Sleeman cathedral, Eli Yomi. Dean, and
I want to discuss Yaqeen uncertainty today. Yochanan
certainty is the basis of our faith. Why Iman, Iman is the basis
of our faith Iman means to believe with the heart that leads us to
confess with the tongue.
And then what that does is that that allows the body to express
the submission in front of Allah subhanaw taala.
That chain reaction you can say, is all based on how much this Iman
is settled in the heart. So what it means by being settled and
embedded in the hearts, that is what you call your pain. So your
pain is very essential for Iman, the more that you're keen is, the
more the certainty is, the more it is established in the heart, then
the more that a person will be able to confess this in their
tongue with their tongue. And it will give you can say more
widespread confession with the tongue. One is that we confess our
faith when we're asked to do so. We confess our faith when we're in
solid. However, when we're speaking normally then we don't
remember Allah subhanaw taala the Athena isn't there as much that it
links itself to
every situation that we experience. So that means when
we're speaking about something else we don't we are absent from
Allah subhanaw taala at that time, because our European isn't strong
enough to bring Allah subhanaw taala within that discussion.
Likewise, when it comes to formal worship, and obedience, and
practice, then we practice that outside like our solid
and our fasting and anything else that requires an expression of
devotion. However, it's not going to happen normally. The Kadima of
Allah, the Colima La Ilaha illa Allah is not going to be expressed
on our tongue, otherwise, Allah subhanaw taala as name will not
come about, and likewise our actions, thus disobedience will
ensue because the Yaqeen isn't there is not as strong. So the
Yaqeen is the power. The Yaqeen is what provides the power in our
iman.
certainty. That's why Imam Al Haddad, he mentions he starts his
book called The Book of assistance allocatable more Iona assistance,
he starts it with the chapter of your pain.
Many others will chapter will start certain books with doba
because October has to be done to purify oneself so that one can
move forward if you got baggage as of baggage of sin, that it doesn't
allow you to move forward. When Imam Abdullah and Ardabil had dad
who was from Yemen, one of the great
old leader of his time, he started off in yaki, and he says you must,
my beloved brother, strengthen and improve your certainty.
Every word of this is very important to take to heart, for
when certainty prevails in the heart and establishes itself there
in the unseen, becomes as if seen.
See, this is exactly what I was saying. The unseen when the
certainty comes in the heart, in Allah that He exists, He is there,
then more often than not, he will be there for us, we will witness
him.
And the man aided by Providence says As Ali, may Allah ennoble his
face said, were the cover to be removed, I would not increase in
certainty.
I am so definite and so certain that Allah exists, that if there
was no cover between me and Allah subhanaw taala, I would still, I
will not increase in my certainty because I already have that
certainty even without seeing him.
Now that tells us of the level that we should aspire to.
Certainty is power,
firmness and stability of faith, so great that it becomes as a
towering mountain with no doubt which no doubt can shake.
And no illusion can rock then it doesn't matter what happens in the
dunya. It doesn't matter what happens around us, what loss we
incur, what setback we suffer.
Whatever challenge confronts us. It doesn't make a difference. We
know that Allah subhanaw taala is there and he has a grand plan, and
we're part of his plan. And our
responsibility is servitude. Our responsibility is just to serve
Him. Rather, doubts and illusions disappear completely.
What is a believer with doubts?
What is a believer with doubts really seriously? A believer who
continues to have doubts? I'm scared I'm for
rightand
that means they're not bringing Allah Allah, Allah is such a
source of comfort.
That as long as you believe that Allah is there and he is looking
after you, and you you make a stick far for any wrongs that
we've done, then there should be no doubt whatsoever no illusions
they disappear completely with your kin. And when they come from
outside and when
they come from outside,
are neither listened to by the ear, no heated by the heart.
Whenever they come from the outside, know, the person with
your cane will not listen to them. He will not be deceived by them.
Many of the questions that we get are based on this. You can tell
that at the root of it, there's no certainty. That's why a small
dream frightens a person.
A small dream frightens a person that yet people know that from
dreams. They're just dreams, but they want to read into it.
The devil cannot approach the possessor of such says certainty.
The devil has loses out in front of your kin. He flees from him,
fears his very shadow.
That's the strength of iman.
And it is content to keep at a safe distance. The certainty is so
strong. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
The certainty is so strong.
That shaytaan has less influence. as the messenger of Allah May
blessings and peace be upon him. I said Satan is afraid of the shadow
of Omar. And Omar never takes a road but that shaytaan takes
another road.
That is the theme that is the theme. Of course shaytan didn't
have much influence over many of the sahaba. But Omar the Allahu
Anhu was singled out for this because of
his level of Yaqeen that made him the Farrokh the one who's able to
distinguish very clearly between the Huq and about tell the truth
and untruth.
Certainty derives its power and excellence from many things.
Where do you get certainty from and what gives power to certainty
itself. Certainty derives power and its excellence from many
things. The first most essential and pivotal of these things is
that the seven listens attentively with his heart as well as his ears
to diverse and Hadith related to Allah, His Majesty and perfection
is magnitude and grandeur.
The following things are what we're going to have to ponder over
to develop your team.
And in our distracted times, the distracted times that we're living
in, we have no time for this.
We read a bit of Quran but it's without thoughts. The Prophet
sallallahu Sallam himself said that a time will come when Liab QA
the Quran, what will be left of it will be it script, people will
read it people will enjoy its recitation, because of the sound
of the recital. The beautiful recitation of the recital, but the
words words will not be pondered over.
The first most essential and pivotal of these things is that
the servant listen attentively with his heart as well as his ears
to verses and Hadith relating to Allah, His majesty, His
perfection, his magnitude, his grandeur. So all of these great
things about Allah subhanaw taala. To know more about Allah.
You know, when you intend on buying any product, maybe it may
be a car or a computer, or a laptop, or a phone or for example,
the more you read up about its different functions and features,
the more it encourages you to go and buy it, to want it.
When you just know one thing about it, it doesn't really distinguish
it from something else. When you start knowing more about oh,
Scott, this has got this processor, it's got this much RAM
and it's got this other, you know, finger, you can use your fingers
to control it, you can vote your voice recognition, this, that and
the other, the more you know about it, the more you increase in
attachment to it, you really want it now.
And, and this has been quite quite deeply discovered by the
psychologists, psycho analysts that deal with with advertisement
companies, so they know exactly what to feature, whether visually
or whether in words, right, or whether in pictures rather, in
imagery on billboards and other advertisement to specifically
target certain aspects of the knifes so that people get hold of
their feet in what they want.
They're very good at doing that.
To create that attraction,
with the right kind of sleekness and imagery.
So we, Allah subhanaw taala is there. We have to look for him.
He's everywhere.
His even in the iPhone, and everywhere else that you know, is
used to attract people, the people of Allah will just see that as
maybe it's a beauty of Allah subhanaw taala, yet will also see
the harm that may come from it. So they're able to see through the
advertisement through the gimmickry, through
the facade of
attraction the his uniqueness in creating and deciding ruling and
compelling likewise to the truthfulness and perfection of the
messengers, the miracles, they were aided with under sundry
chastisements, which be filled those who oppose them. These are
all the things that need to be thought about.
You get them by reading, you get them by reading religious books,
religious media, rather than the messages in our phone as much.
That's where you get this from just increasing our reading
because this
energy needs to continue to come you can't just have read one day
in your life or one year in your life or one, you know, for several
years in your life and that you deteriorate. This is an ongoing
thing that has to happen, that these are sufficient to bring
about certainty is indicated by Allah's words Exalted is He? Is it
not enough for them that we have sent down upon you the book which
is recited to them?
That is, from the Quran, that Allah subhanaw taala said isn't
sufficient. That was the first thing is to ponder over the verses
and the Hadith of Allah discuss these things.
Maybe a 40 Hadith collection that discusses the the power, the might
the grandeur of Allah subhanaw taala, to provide the key in the
book of certainty, to provide that there may be an order. The second
is to learn from looking at the kingdom of the heavens and the
earth. So when we read in the Quran, we're going to think about
Allah's might and greatness, how he has dealt with people, His
creation, so we're just going to ponder over the ground the many
different themes in the Quran that relate to Allah subhanaw taala.
And in the Hadith number two is to look around at the actual kingdom
of Allah subhanaw taala in the heavens and earth and a wonderous
and astounding creatures that Allah has made them team with,
that this brings about certainty is indicated by Allah saying, We
shall show them Our signs on the horizons and within themselves
until it becomes clear to him that it is the truth.
So Nuri him in it,
we will show them the signs. So that's the second thing the third
is, is to behave according to what one believes outwardly and
inwardly zealously and to the limits of one's resources. So,
whatever one knows that one must practice.
This is where many of us fail.
That this brings about certainty is indicated by his saying, where
this is proved is, those were Latina, Jaha do fina, la Nadia,
Nahum Solana, those who strive in our path.
Those who strive for our cause, who undergo difficulty striving.
Tjahaja comes from jihad, Jihad from jihad. And Joseph means
exerting efforts, not convenience. So if you can perform solid
conveniently, then it's fine. If you can get up for Fudger,
conveniently, then it's fine. We're not going to exert the
effort to do tahajjud. We're not going to exert the effort to pray
in the masjid. Allah help us, Allah help us, we're not going to
exert the effort to take time off.
The main thing is to discipline our time.
Generally, somebody asked the other day, how do we get some
discipline? Well, first, we have to understand where we're wasting
our time.
What do we waste our time? And
what is it that we genuinely don't need to do? And I think the first
culprit for most of us, anybody who is involved with a smartphone
is things like WhatsApp and Snapchat and all the other things.
It's just very, it's just very addictive, because you just want
this constant communication, because we don't have people
around us. So we're waiting for other people to talk to us. And
even if they're not talking to us, they talking to each other, we, we
think that that's for us, we'll find something useful in that even
though nobody's talking to us. That's why we get ourselves on all
these groups because we feel we belong
part of the discussion. So what else is it that we waste our time
some people may watch a lot of TV some people may waste a lot of
time just reading the whole of the newspaper. I mean, who who's who
reads all of a newspaper.
There's certain relative relative you know, there's certain
necessary things are important or maybe
you know, informative things in there but read every single
editorial nautical knowledge did you have to read them? What did
you get out of it? Sometimes I think to myself, like what did I
get out of this? Okay, it was interesting.
What did I really get out of it?
But then what people will say that if we don't do all of this, then
we won't do anything, we'll be bored.
That's because they don't see that this is a double edge. This is
really like a double problem, because they don't do anything. So
then they comfort themselves by doing things which are redundant.
That means they really need to read this chapter
in the sense that I must do good things.
Now imagine if you have even no desire to do good things, desire
to do extra vigor, desire to read more Quran and ponder over it.
So when you tell him you mustn't be distracted, so Well, we got
nothing else to do, I'd be bored in my life. That's because you
don't have a zeal. Now the rest of you know the other people who have
a zeal, then they just can't use up that zeal. At the back, they do
they feel guilty, they feel regretful and remorseful. I really
want to do something.
But we're so distracted. So we have no time the day passes and we
haven't done it. The next day passes and we haven't done it.
That's the problem.
days and days and days that we waste, literally. And we haven't
gotten any better yet we feel we want to and that's Allah has given
us the spark to want to do good. So at least we feel guilt, which
is a good thing. But now that's what he's saying is that the third
one is that a person must place effort and that's what Allah
Alladhina Jaya, do fina, jihad, he must play some effort he has to go
over the norm and convenience of his life, then Allah will open up
the other paths for him.
So this will not be a wasted effort, this will be the beginning
of endless bliss and joy. That if Allah then opens up for other
paths for you new paths, then the joy of that will be wonderful. But
once we have to put the effort in it, get up for a few nights of the
100. And let's see what happens. Let's try that.
Okay.
Proper certainty. Once a person has proper certainty, it results
in among many other things.
acquiescence in God's promise,
meaning we start believing that Allah has promised us things and
they will happen.
All all.
Any any form of
depression
will go.
confidence in what he has guaranteed.
turning to God with pure longing, abandoning all things, which will
distract it which distract from him, continuously returning to him
in all circumstances, and spending all one's energy in seeking His
good pleasure.
That means Allah is very much present with us and this person,
Allah is very much present with them. He's constantly thinking
about Allah when I'm eating, how am I going to please Allah? When
I'm at school? How am I going to please Allah when I'm working? How
am I going to what should I be working for? Why am I working for
I'm going to work anyway. I want to make money. I want to support
my family. I want this study and others in life. And now a person
will truly think of why he's working, why she is working, why
and why they're doing the tasks that they are doing. In some
certainty is the essential thing.
And all other noble ranks.
praiseworthy traits of character.
And good works are just its branches and results, the more
certainty a person will have.
A person will become more blessed in his character. Because when
he's doing it for Allah subhanaw taala, then he'll be willing to
sacrifice his time for others.
He'll be willing to
consume his anger.
not avenge not take revenge for any evil that's done to them.
To forgive, not to hold grudges,
to give preference over others to others over us.
And the actions that we are doing to have sincerity in them. Why am
I doing this? Why am I doing that?
Because any action that we do shaytaan tries to corrupt it by
making us feel that we need to do it to show off to others. That's
the first thing that comes in our mind. Look what others are gonna
say.
Look what others are gonna say. If I went for ombre
look what others are gonna say he's gone for Amara.
Now to go for Amara is supposed to be a very personal achievement, a
personal blessing from Allah, that He's given me the opportunity to
go for Amara
so that I can do extra worship. I can be in that environment which I
don't get anywhere else. I can be in the environment I can be in the
presence of these powerhouses of MK como Caroma. Madina, Munawwara,
the Haram The Kaaba, the place of blessings, the place of
immense mercy and Rama,
the place of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihe salam
how I can benefit from them. And I am wasting wasting all of that
just to make just because my, the thing at the front of my mind is
that oh, people are going to say I've been from Raj.
Look how many times he gets to get go for ombre.
Or that
if you're helping out others, you're giving speeches, you're
invited here, there and other, again, a personal thing that
you're being given the opportunity to go and speak and benefit
different people, different parts of the world that you may not have
been able to go to others cannot go to.
That is what you must be looking at, that Allah has given me this
snowflake, May he accept this from me, May in this not be a form of
deception on my part.
Instead of thinking, look what people are gonna say.
He's become so famous. This is what's happening. That's what's
happening.
That's why there's always always this challenge in any work that we
do. But certainty is the essential thing and all other noble ranks
praiseworthy traits of character and good works, eyes, branches and
results. If you want more branches, more results. Certainty
has to be increased. virtues are and actions are strong or weak.
sound or unsound? Right, any virtues are actions that we do
that either going to be a very strong action or a weak action, a
sound action or an unsound act unsound action, why, according to
the strength, or otherwise of certainty, certainty is what gives
it the strength.
with certainty, you'll get a class without suddenly you don't have a
class, because shaytan will just mislead our mind. So although our
body is engaged in the action, the mind the heart gets turned to
other things. That's all shaytan does. He can't stop us. Do you
see, he's tried to stop us to action by preventing in the
beginning. But we've overcome that we're going to do the action. So
what now shaytaan does is that He lets us the physical body does the
action but the mind is somewhere else. If I'm leading prayer,
right? And I am beautifying what my recitation for the sake of the
people behind me, right so that they can see wha that I forgotten
who I'm praying in front of, or praying to, I am focused behind
me. Allah has given me eyes and everything to the front. But I am
focusing behind me, I should be thinking, I'm praying for you. And
I am beautiful. Find my voice. I'm trying to read in a better way so
that
the people behind me will enjoy being in front of you. So then it
goes that way, that's better than just thinking oh, they're gonna
say, Well, what a wonderful recitation.
So the shaytaan has really a shaytaan has our inside.
Basically, that's what it is, he can't stop. This is the kind of
righteous ones, the religious ones who do actions outside, physically
they're doing actions. If Allah has if the shaytaan can't stop you
from doing the actions and he will take over the mind. He will take
over the thoughts in the motivations. That is very, very
detrimental because then they have judgment. We think we've done a
lot and ended up that we haven't done anything.
So virtues and actions are strong or weak sound or unsound.
According to the strength or otherwise of certainty Lachman,
Allah He Salam said, action is possible only in the presence of
certainty, through
real action, a servant acts in obedience only to the extent that
he has certainty. A man becomes neglectful in his actions only
when his certainty diminishes. This is why the Messenger of Allah
made the blessings and peace be upon him, I said, certainty is the
hole of faith.
Certainty is the hole of faith. Because as we know, when we don't
have certainty, you don't feel like praying. You don't feel like
doing something. And you wonder why you used to feel like this.
You know, last year, I used to feel like it last year, I could
avoid these sins. Last year, I could make salats last year I
could help others. But this year, I don't feel like it. I just don't
feel like it is not the same. And I don't feel the motivation.
There's no push inside me. Certainty is what's at loss.
That's why he said certainty is the hole of faith is not the hole
of faith, but it will create the hole of faith for you. So just
having certainty on its own, obviously doesn't do anything, but
it is what leads it gives branches it gives actions. Believers have
three degrees of certainty.
Allahu Akbar, let's see where we are. In this regard. Believers
have three degrees of certainty. The first is that of the people of
the right hand as heavily I mean,
this is firm belief, with the possibility of becoming doubtful
or shaky under certain circumstances.
So the people of the mean they're not they're not going to hellfire.
They're going to Janet that's the direction they
but it does have the possibility of becoming doubtful. The second
one is of the ones who are brought close Elmo carabin
If you have dogs, how will you mean the regular people that will
go to Jannah. Then you have the more carabin
these are the people who are the close ones, the intimate ones,
which is the possession of the heart by faith. And it's
establishing itself there in so firmly that its opposite becomes
no longer possible.
It establishes itself so firmly in the heart that its opposite
becomes no longer possible or even imaginable.
In this degree, the unseen becomes as if the scene
this is called certainty.
The third of course, is that of a degree beyond that, which is that
of the prophets and the true saints, the seed the goon, who are
their perfect is here the unseen becomes seen which thing is
caught, which then is called unveiling, kashf, and
contemplation, Shahada.
There are grades within each of these degrees all are good, but
some are, of course better than others. The bigger federal law, UT
Jiminy Usha, that is Allah's grace He bestows it upon whom He wills
and Allah's grace is abundant.