Faraz Rabbani – The Rawha #102 Loving Purely for Allah People Are Like Mines of Minerals Knowledge and Action
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the daily sermon of Islam, including the worship of Islam, the importance of loving someone for the sake of Islam, and the importance of expressing love through various forms of communication. They emphasize the importance of being a good person for the sake of Allah's creation, maintaining a strong personal relationship with creator, and seeking precious people. The importance of action and renewing one's intentions is emphasized, as well as the need to act and reflect on the reality of death and resurrection. The speaker gives advice on how to act and manifest the good for one, and reminds listeners to support the daily guidance for seekers with Sheikh F runway.
AI: Summary ©
You're listening to the daily guidance for seekers
with Sheikh
Muhammad. Welcome
to
tonight's
session of the daily Roha in which we
look
at
the guidance of our beloved messenger
by looking at
various sets of 40 hadiths.
And the current set of 40 hadiths that
we are looking at
are 40 hadiths
on
the
loving
and hating
for Allah.
The loving and hating
for Allah
And we're also looking
after this
in each of the daily rahas
at
councils of to
a seeker of
knowledge and guidance
from his work,
So we reached hadith number
hadith number 9
of
the hadith on
loving and hating on the 40 hadith on
loving and hating for the sake of Allah.
The messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
said
So the messenger
related that that a that a man visited
a
a brother of his
in another in a different
village
for
for for
So Allah placed
as watch over him an angel.
So when this
you know, in a raised place watching over
him. So when the man reached the angel,
he asked him,
he asked,
where
where are you intending?
Meaning
meaning, where are you intending to go?
He said, I am
intending
a brother of mine
in in this
village or town.
Right? Do you do you have some
favor upon him?
A favor that is due to you from
him that you're seeking.
Does he owe you money, for example? Right?
Or sometimes there's reciprocation.
Right?
That
someone came over to your place,
so
you gave him,
like tea you know? Although,
I discovered in Pakistan.
It's also is used for corruption,
right, like tea and water.
Right? Happened a few times. People would come
do something that that's my right. I said,
We like chai or pani? He said, neither.
Very strange.
But then I understood
that it meant, like,
can have some money on the side.
Right? So you you fed someone, so now
you're saying, well, if I go over, they'll
probably give me something to eat or yeah.
This kind of you expect reciprocation. So
is there any favor,
you know, that is owed to you there
that you're seeking.
Says no. Except that I have loved them
for
So the angel said,
indeed
I am
a messenger
from Allah to you.
To tell you that Allah most high has
truly
loved you.
As you have loved
your brother
for the sake of Allah.
Right?
So
so this is a brother I mean, in
this is in the brotherhood
of
company, not the brotherhood of family.
Right? Was a friend for the sake of
Allah. You befriended them
and
right. And this is the power of loving
someone for the sake of Allah. But also
in relationships,
we make ex ex we have reciprocal expectations.
You know?
We visited them.
So, you know, we we invited them, so
now they invite us. But you go with
that expectation that this is just reciprocation.
And there's a practical element to reciprocation that
that just keeps balance in relationships.
But you shouldn't just intend that.
Whether they are reciprocating to you or you're
reciprocating to them
because that's just a merely social expectation.
Right?
But that we should renew our intention
for the sake of Allah.
Right?
And the other thing, of course, mentioned that
this
that loving someone for the sake of Allah
can be
because of the good qualities that are in
the person.
So you want to benefit
from that,
but it is also that
can good you know, loving someone for the
sake of Allah
can also be
for the good that would result
from that.
Right?
Right. So there's a general love for Allah
that we have for all creation, but the
particular love for Allah. So for example, you
love your neighbor, the particular love for Allah.
Right? Some there's some people you'd love them
for actively love them for Allah because
of their good qualities. And in that sense
the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam encourage
keep the cold company only of a true
believer.
And let
your
your
eating companions
be the pious. Be the people you hang
out with. You know? Let's grab a meal
together.
Like the close people.
Right? You choose
the people with the qualities most beloved to
Allah.
But then there's also good company that one
keeps
through the good that is sought in it.
Right? Whether it be with people at work,
neighbors,
family members who are not necessarily as religious,
one loves them for the sake of Allah
because of the good that would arise from
it. But that is done by keeping that
company in a good way
and with a good intention and in a
good way,
not in a detrimental manner.
K? But that's also a way of expressing
love for the sake of Allah.
K?
So your neighbor may be up to the
weirdest things,
but it's now you know, barbecue season is
fast coming. Have a barbecue.
Right?
You invite them over. You have some you
know, you made some something nice to eat.
You take some over. So this is some
some, you know, that something we make for
whatever occasion you make, whatever it is.
Yeah. You you do these
and and you intend
loving them for the sake for why? Because
they're Allah's creation and
anyone with where there's some point of association
with,
there's a means of expressing the love of
Allah through them
in a good way not in a detrimental
way.
But those the key to loving people for
the sake of Allah
actively
is that we express it in ways of
good not in ways of bad.
Even if the bad is just moderate harm
because this says you don't consider anything of
the good to be small, You don't think
consider anything of the bad
to be small.
Right?
That,
you know,
that well, I have friends who want to
watch the hockey game,
so you don't go to some beneficial
religious program. You'd have gone to why? Because
my friend wanna watch a hockey game and
I have the nicest TV screen.
Right?
Love them in some other way, not in
that way. Right?
The 10th Hadith
Islam
And it's similarly related
in part of it from Bukhari as well.
In the part of the so he in
the last part. So so Abu Raya relates
to the messenger of Allah
said
I mean, the words of the prophet are
amazing.
Right? One could spend
the has expended a lot of time explaining
the meaning of this one hadith.
Why? Because the prophet
spoke with Joamir al Kalim with encompassing speech
So he said
A lot of people read books of self
help. It says there's no harm in that,
but, you know, like, do yourself a favor.
Read the sunnah more actively. Right?
Prophet people are minds
like minds of gold and silver.
That people have
quality,
you know, and their minds.
Right?
Like minds of gold and silver.
A mine has an outward appearance.
It's really not of that much consequence.
Right? What is the worth of the mine?
What is within it?
Right?
Not what would appear
at surface level.
Likewise,
people are minds.
They have an appearance,
and the appearance really doesn't matter.
Whether it be the physical appearance,
but also the surface level
qualities.
Right?
They're very courteous. Okay. That's good. But
anyone, they're nice. And the number of time
people got married, they say, oh, she's so
pleasant.
Well, that's just at surface level. Right?
So the prophet says some people are like
minds
are are minds like minds of gold and
silver. Let
the what matters of people are the the
qualities that are buried deep within.
How are those found?
They're only found through getting to know someone
deeply
or by people who know them deeply.
Right?
And people vary.
Right? People
are like mine are mines
like mines of gold and silver, but there's
also mines of base metals.
There's mines
of
coal.
Right?
And there's mines
that are empty of anything of benefit.
And there's other mines if you dig,
you find nothing but harm.
Right? So some are invaluable,
some are of partial benefit.
The coal is useful if you're going to
burn it, if you need to burn it.
But they benefit in one way and there
may be some aspects of harm
and there's others that are pure harm. Some,
they're just empty.
So the ulama actually from this hadith, many
of the scholars talked about character on the
basis
they compared character with the with mineral,
you know, you know, different
types of human character by the different types
of minerals, taking
as a root this and other hadith of
the prophet
but we won't go into that.
Meaning,
seek precious people.
Right? People who are gold,
people who are silver.
Right?
Right? And and they say gold and silver
are pure value,
right, are pure value. They are of lasting
value.
Right? In the old days when gold, gold
and silver were the currency, it doesn't matter
where you are, even now if someone has
like a pure gold, like in many cultures,
your family's accumulated wealth through the jewelry of
the women.
Right?
So I had I had a friend who
in whose family had
a trade business, the the family owned business
in the old city of Aleppo.
And when the US invaded Iraq, the first,
you know, the in
whatever, 2,000, you know,
3 or whatever,
there
they had made significant investments
which they had funded
from investors
to purchase grain, you know, like, thing you
know
you know, they're they're they're dealers in in,
in grains and and, dry foods. So they
purchased, you know, entire storefuls of these food,
which they'd be trading for the for the
whole season.
But those grain those storages
in
Iraq
were looted.
So they lost their investment. But the investors
came and said, we need our money back.
It is not their right.
But you you know, they say you trade
on the base of your name.
So what did they do?
The family gathered, said, what should we do?
So the woman said,
here's our gold. Some of the young young
men, they said, okay. Your houses
and move it move back with your parents.
Right? Because we're a family,
you know, we we succeed together
and we
are tested together. And, of course, with it's
a different set. You don't we're not we
don't have that kind of, you know someone
did that. Oh, that's sad to hear, dad.
Right? It's a different kind of context.
But
gold has value in all kinds of context.
Right? So seek
precious
friends. It's one of the many messages in
it. Right? But also that you won't know
people until you get to know them deeply.
Or unless you know through through through the
trustworthy, those who understand,
well, how they actually are.
And a bad sign is when some like,
many people get married, they say, oh, well,
she seem he seems pleasant.
He's got a good job. Like, are you
gonna be living at his at his workplace?
Like, he has a good job. Like, what
are you gonna do with that?
Right?
Like, no one would come up to meet
someone for marriage unless they're, like, totally having
enough time in life
looking grumpy and disheveled.
Well, I've seen that too. But, you know,
that's
so then he says,
The best of them. And
has to do with best
and also has to do with
most virtuous of them. Right? Those with the
with the most good or the most good
qualities.
Right?
So
has to do with those who do most
good
but also those who have the most good
qualities.
Right?
Those best of them meaning in action
and in
virtuous
traits, before Islam
are the best of them in an Islam.
But this also recognizes that there's good qualities
that are good human qualities.
That, you know, our religion is a religion
of balance. We recognize those good qualities.
Right? And there's a distinction
between
so for example, you know,
developing a friendship
with
let's say, you know, one of your neighbors
is interested
in whatever. Like, they like kettle bells too.
Right? But someone
who's, you know, whose concerns are good concern
wholesome concerns.
Right?
So this hadith recognizes that there's, you know,
that recognizes worldly good and there's
virtues
that are recognized.
And this is also beautiful guidance that there's
a circle of association that we naturally have
at work. You you keep
company with people at work, etcetera. It's part
of, you know, like, you gotta do something
at work. You don't go go to every
lunch alone, but seek people who have good
qualities.
The best of them
in Jahiliyyah will be the best of them
in Islam. You also see this
that
very often people of good qualities, you know,
such as humility,
concern for truth, concern for justice.
Those are the kinds of people who be
who
are also
make good their Islam,
right, if Islam is presented to them. That's
another of the meanings of the hadith. The
best of those in jahiliyah,
that we should we should
seek such people, people of good,
right, who are engaged in good. Right? People
who are
who are who have good
virtuous qualities. We should seek them to call
them to Islam. I mean, we call everybody,
but these are people we have particular hope
for, and we see many examples of these
in the sunnah of the prophet used to
make dua for particular people
to become Muslim as well.
But there's one condition.
If they gain understanding of the religion.
If they gain understanding of the religion.
That the good that someone has had before
Islam
will
move push them forward in Islam as well,
unconditioned that they gain understanding of the religion.
Right?
And then the prophet
said,
that the souls
were
in groups
gathered
together.
Right?
In groups
gathered together. And this is referring to when
the souls were brought out
to bear covenant to Allah
before bodies were created.
When Allah asked the souls,
am I not your lord? And they said,
indeed
you are.
Whoever came to so people were gathered in
different groups. We're gathered together, but they're gathered
in groups.
So those who came to know one another
and,
you know, they came to know one another
and came to like one another.
Right?
They find
They find inclination towards each other.
And in going into those groups, right, because
everyone came souls came forth
and they were attracted there was, like, almost
like everyone had their distinct magnetic magnetic
attraction.
So in getting into those groups,
like, you may have passed by someone
and they're going to a group, you're going
to a group. You pass by each other,
but you didn't actually
come to know one another.
And there's people like that. So the process
so here there's many aspects of this.
That sometimes you meet someone, you feel like
I've known them for a long time, and
there's a good chance that you're what it
means is a long, long time, in a
time before the time of this world.
Right?
Right? By witness of this Sahih Hadith of
the prophet.
Right? And there's other people who are good
people.
You would like to like them, but you
don't.
Right?
You just
you know?
It's like there's a good friend of mine
who used to attend one of the same
classes I was in. He was a serious
student of knowledge,
and the teacher was an excellent teacher.
Protect both of them.
And neither could get along with the other.
Finally,
my friend,
he said, do you think it would be
bad if I excuse myself from this lesson?
I said, honestly, I think I should have
done that months ago because they just didn't
get along. There's no problems, but just
it's pretty
and
the sheikh, he and I had gotten pretty
close.
So I said,
I like brother so and so, but I
don't know what it is.
It was a relief that
he's found another class that he's comfortable in.
Meaning that the relief that he's not coming
because it always be like this awkwardness.
And that's just normal.
Right?
That this is something
that's destined. But, of course, this does not
allow you to dislike people. Right? That is
a natural thing that you'll be at
like, you love everyone for the sake of
Allah.
And there's some people whose
discreet company you seek. But it's natural that
there's some people you'll incline to and there's
other people you won't and that's something
from before
this life.
So there's many,
many, many lessons in in this hadith that
to to know somebody,
you you have to look at the the
qualities that are deep within them and these
qualities are the qualities of their character. Characters
only known when tested.
Right? And don't take just the mere outward
appearances
or outward outward outward courtesies only
as much of a sign.
But, of course, seek precious people.
Right? Seek people of good conduct and and
virtue,
including
in in our,
you know, in our circles of association
at work,
neighbors,
friends
in society who are not Muslim, but who
have who are in who do good, who
have good qualities.
Right? But also that we call people
to the
to Allah Subha'ala.
But if someone becomes Muslim,
right, it it it is a duty on
the on the community that we facilitate for
them to learn the religion. Because otherwise that
virtue will not be fulfilled.
And and the final part about the souls
were armies gathered together.
Right?
We ask Allah
that he gather us with the people of
of good.
We also look each class
at some of the counsel of Imam
Al Ghazali
to a close student of his, Ayush al
Walad,
and
We we reached
We read that? Okay.
So Imam Al Ghazali has been emphasizing
on why it's so important
that there's no there's little point to knowledge
unless there's concern for action. So
driving that point home,
he says,
We we read this?
Imam Al Ghazali said,
my dear child, knowledge without action is madness.
Because knowledge is light, it shows you the
way.
So like you're in the darkness
and you have to get to a destination.
So you shine the light. Now you see
the destination,
but you don't take it.
You say, I know about it.
Right?
And, actually, eventually, the light could
could run out and you're still standing where
you were. It's crazy.
Right?
But action without knowledge doesn't happen
because because your lord has commanded you to
do things in a particular way.
Right? He may overlook some things,
but he has called upon you to do
to act in a certain way.
So your slavehood to your lord entails that
you
that you understand what he is commanding you.
K? Like you go to work, there's instructions.
This is what's expected from you. Right?
And you don't show up for the
for the training session and then you don't
read the instructions either and just do it
well. I thought this is the way to
do it.
K? I mean, excuses only last so long.
So Imam Ghazali says,
He says, know well
that any knowledge
that does not distance you today from sin
and doesn't carry you to obedience
will not distance you tomorrow from the *
fire.
So this is the knowledge that we prioritize.
Beneficial knowledge is the knowledge that will draw
you closer to Allah.
Right?
And one of the keys to that,
right, when one finds a lack of resolve
to act
is to renew
the
is to renew
the reminder
with respect to the purpose.
Right?
To
to
remind yourself of who is
Allah.
What are his attributes?
What is his promise?
What is the hereafter?
Right? So you remind yourself of these higher
realities
because that is the purpose
of
action.
Right?
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says,
truly you have in the messenger of Allah,
the most beautiful
of examples
for whoever seeks Allah in the last day.
And makes much remembrance of Allah.
So if you find action,
right, which is what what action are we
talking about?
That was the messenger of Allah has come
with. Right? No Muslim typically says, yeah, you
know, I don't think I have to follow
the prophet
Have you ever seen someone say, no. I
don't need to follow the prophet?
No. Then if you find but if we
find within ourselves
a lack of willingness to do that,
what is the the meaning that is weak?
Whoever
seeks Allah in the last day.
So you have to renew our
you have to reflect on our lord, on
Allah, his names, his attributes.
Right?
How?
By reconnecting
through the act you know, through,
reflection.
Right?
And
then the hereafter.
Right? The hereafter.
Remind yourself of the reality of death,
resurrection,
reckoning,
and heaven and *.
How do you how is that facilitated? It
makes much remembrance of Allah. That's from Surat
Al Ahab. Correct?
Right.
That's why
even said that that
the, you know, the the human self is
not taken out is not taken away from
its wayward ways,
except
by fear
that is pain that that is painful
that my fear is so intense, it is
painful,
or passion
that is so intense
that it becomes discomforting.
Right? You have to have you have to
move these meanings.
Right? Whether it be gratitude,
hope,
fear,
longing,
awe.
Right?
And if we we stir these meanings,
you know, so that we have an urgency
to act.
And we feel feel at a loss,
we should consult.
That I know what I have to do.
That's what the the the student here did.
And he was so sincere, it benefited him,
and it's reached us 900
plus years later.
And he says,
But if you don't act today
and you don't make up for your missed
opportunities
from pre from the past,
then tomorrow
you will say,
oh, lord, send us back so that we
may do righteous deeds.
It is ignorance.
Tomorrow
is uncertain.
And you have
today,
which is why
right.
1 hates and the one of the key
says to hasten
to repent.
Right? It's to hasten to repent. To renew
one's intention.
Right?
That at however miserable,
you
know, we may feel that we are. Say,
well, I can't do it right now.
I said, no.
Right?
When that's why it's one of the great
blessings of Allah that we should that
we should embrace fully
to make general
and general Tawba.
And when we say
I seek forgiveness
of Allah,
what do we intend?
What do we intend?
General.
Right? And one should make that explicit. When
you say
Right? So one of the most frequent of
the ways of seeking forgiveness and repenting of
the prophet. I seek Allah's forgiveness
from every sin that I may have committed.
That those that I'm conscious of and those
that are not conscious of as the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wa sallam makes clear in other
things. So once you intend
not just sometimes we make and they say
this applies even when you make a specific
sin.
Right?
It's like if you know if you could
ask someone
for everything, why just ask for one thing?
When they love to be asked.
Right? So they say the adab with istighfar
from the adab of istighfar is that even
if you commit a particular sin, don't just
say from that.
Say it from that and everything
because the most generous
because the most generous your highest hopes cannot
go past his generosity.
So he says Astaghfirullah,
right you may
keep in mind that the the the you
know, whatever particular things in mind, but intend
all your sins.
Right?
Seeking forgiveness
is to ask Allah to cover it
and wipe it out.
Right?
But also when we say,
and this is why there's such an emphasis
on Istighfar.
Is not just
a negative
asking.
Right?
The the
is a shield.
In the Arabic language
is a shield. Right? Is that which
protects you from harm.
It protects you from the harm of sin.
It covers up covers you up,
it covers what's unbecoming.
But what else does a shield do?
Right?
It
it adorns you.
Right? So like, you know, the like
soccer teams have their badges. They, you know,
the the their countries have their coat of
arms. Right?
That, you know, in the old days, you
know, they used to go to battle with
their
what were they called?
With their shields.
Right it was to protect them from harm
but these also
adorn them right this is part of your
armor too it protects you from harm but
this is what you adorn yourself with. So
when you say
you ask Allah to cover up for you
and wipe away
all that is unbecoming
and to manifest all the good.
Some people say isn't like like isn't making
a lot of istighfar like putting yourself down?
No.
That istighfar
comes with gratitude.
Right? There's a virtuous cycle
between seeking forgiveness and gratitude.
When we seek forgiveness we feel grateful because
we are dealing with the Lord who will
ask him and he'll cover it up.
Not just cover it up but who will
manifest the good for you.
Right?
So you feel gratitude for it but gratitude
to Allah entails that you feel short,
that you fell short, that he deserves better
so you seek forgiveness.
Which causes you gratitude
When you feel that Allah deserved better, so
you seek forgiveness.
So it's the virtuous cycle
of prophetic
seeking of forgiveness.
Right? That we've been counseled. The prophet
made
made
his 50 times
70 times a day, a 100 times a
day. The Sabbath said sometimes in one gathering,
he made more than 70 stikhar. He said
I repent to him, which means I
make the commitment because you're not you're not
responsible for success. You're irresponsible
for
seeking and striving
that you commit
to
you have you're striving to have regret for
the sin.
You regret the sin. You're striving
to immediately leave the sin and you're striving
to never to return to it again.
And you make the general intention for that.
Right?
So even if you're struggling to act on
it on something,
keep struggling but keep seeking Allah's forgiveness out
of gratitude.
Because it's better
to be falling short and to be seeking
forgiveness and repenting
than to sort of justify that's that's where
I'm at right now. I said
no.
Right?
So, you know, some of that we have
an inclination to do the good. It's good
to say, you know, so you you're thinking,
well, I'll do 2 more rakas.
Let me the game started.
Generally say Astaghfirullah.
Now if you can say Astaghfirullah and actually
do it, that's great. But it's better to
walk away feeling
that wasn't good because that feeling, if nurtured,
will lead to resolve
than just
saying, well,
I'm fine the way I am. Right?
So
this is a,
you know, so may we not be of
the people of regret.
Right?
And then he gives,
where to put
one's resolve.
Right?
Right?
The the the you know, the strength that
we seek is the strength of our heart
and soul,
not the strength
of
our base self,
the
nafs. Right?
So he gives some amazing advice regarding that.
Right? So we'll
we'll look at that
tomorrow.
Thank you for listening to the Aroha, daily
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