Faraz Rabbani – The Rawha #111 The Virtues of the Prophet Muhammad Reflecting on the Signs of Allah and Night Worship
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The importance of deep faith, respect, and love for the messenger is emphasized, as it is required for prophets to act according to their revelation. The speaker also discusses the use of "weAKety" in the church's teachings to increase faith and respect for the creator. Prayer at night is emphasized, and animals are considered reflective and loyal to owners. The importance of being a person of reflection and taking into account words of Allah is emphasized, along with the counsel from Muhammad Al weighton to reflect and return regularly to these words of his words.
AI: Summary ©
You're listening to
the daily guidance for seekers with Sheikh Farazrabani,
who will be covering Imam Yusuf and Abiheni's
beautiful collection of 40 sets of 40 hadith
of the prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, as well as Imam Zarnooji's guidance for
seekers of knowledge regarding the ways of seeking
knowledge.
In our daily,
we look
at some of the hadith
of our beloved messenger
and some counsel for seekers of knowledge.
And we
just completed a set of 40 hadiths on
loving for Allah
And we're beginning
a beautiful collection
of 40 hadiths
on the virtues of our beloved messenger
And
we will in this second part of the
lesson, be looking at some of the counsel
of Imam Al Ghazali
for seekers of knowledge
from his work,
my dear child.
Before we look at the hadith themselves,
the
the compiler
of this collection of 40 hadith,
Sheikh Yusuf al Nabhani,
has a beautiful introduction
regarding
the matter of
why is there mention of the
virtues of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.
And this is a beautiful introduction,
so
we
will look at it briefly
before we
look at the very first
hadith.
So he says,
and
was one of the very distinguished
scholars of the 20th century.
He says,
Know well
that
the messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be
upon him, is
the master
of
the people of humility.
Absolutely.
And they have been related
from him, peace and blessings be upon him,
with respect to this numerous
hadiths
of his being the most humble of servants,
not just from his own words,
but
his whole life
when he would sit with his companions
for for
the
a newcomer couldn't tell which one is the
messenger
because he'd just be sitting with them until
they insisted that he sit on an elevated
place,
one out of respect to him, and number
2,
in order that he be seen and heard
more clearly.
And he would eat
as servants ate, not as
masters
in society ate. And he said, I am
but a servant.
I sit like a servant and I eat
as a servant.
So he says,
And as for what has come in these
hadiths
that we will be looking at, and the
like of them, in which he himself,
in which he himself
exposited
his own virtues,
then that was only done
as
a part
of his
conveying
the religion of Allah
most high
that he was obligated
to convey.
Because what is who is a prophet?
A prophet
is an honored
servant of Allah,
whom Allah granted
the honor
of revelation,
of guidance.
And a messenger
has
particular
duties with respect
to
conveying that guidance.
So a messenger
conveys on the basis of revelation.
A messenger
conveys on the basis of revelation.
So what the prophet
conveyed of his virtues,
and we'll see so many of those hadiths
here, and there are numerous other hadiths.
It was done as part of what he
was commanded by Allah
to convey.
Why?
Because loving him,
believing in him, respecting him, loving him,
all of these are obligations in our religion.
And without these qualities of
deep belief in the the messenger,
of deep respect for the messenger, of deep
love for the messenger, without these three qualities
being nurtured, then
taking him as an exemplar
and following him
and preferring
his way
to our whims
is not possible.
So there's 3 inward qualities that are necessary,
deep
faith in the messenger.
Right? I bear witness that Muhammad is the
messenger of Allah. Deep faith in the messenger.
Number 2,
deep
respect for him.
Number 3, deep love.
And then
through these three qualities,
to commit to take him as our exemplar,
to
actually
follow his example,
and number 3,
to actively
prefer
his way over our whims.
Right? So for example, it's Fajr time
and you're tired.
So your inclination is
to sleep.
His sunnah is
to engage in remembrance
in that blessed time.
So
these are from the duties towards him. So
in order to facilitate that, the prophet
was commanded by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to
convey his virtues.
So Sheikh Youssef Benavani continues,
and it's not permitted for him to conceal
these.
Why?
Because four qualities are necessary for prophets.
Being true,
being trustworthy.
Conveying
what they were commanded by Allah to convey.
Right? Conveying what they're commanded to convey.
And
for them to be
sharp of intellect
so that they can make God's argument over
his creation.
And why was he not
command why was he commanded to convey and
not permitted to conceal?
In order for him to make his community
aware of his high station.
So that they may increase
in their
deep respect,
their and his love.
And that
that that
deep, respectful veneration,
and
that love
is of the most important matters of religion.
With his words being revelation from Allah
inspired
He does not speak of mere whim.
It is but
revelation
inspired to him. The prophet, peace and blessings
be upon him, acted on the basis of
divine inspiration.
Right?
So for example, both Imam al Shawani in
his work
and Sheikh Mohidin, may Allah be well pleased
with them both, said that for example, the
prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, only
told us that he is the first to
intercede and that he is the first whose
intercession will be accepted
in order to to give us rest
so that we will not have to go
on the day of resurrection from profit to
profit to profit
on that
tremendous day.
When we know by prophetic report that each
of them will be saying,
my my my own self my own self.
He made he wanted us to know about
his great station on the day of resurrection.
So we can go to the place where
we belong
in a state
of restfulness.
Until
his turn comes.
Peace and blessings be upon him.
And he says, I am the one for
it.
So anyone who doesn't hear about this report
or hears it and forgets
will toil. They'll have to go on this
on a day
far more testing than any other day.
It's more testing
than
according to many of the scholar, if you
look at how it's described, than the entire
lifetime
of those standing on that day.
K?
But
those who are connected
with what the prophet told us will not
have to toil on that day
in fear and going from profit to profit
to profit seeking any way
for alleviation.
Right? They would be at rest that the
the messenger
will be interceding.
Right?
And so on. Right?
And
this is why,
for example, when he said,
Sheikh Yusuf Nadimheni continues, I am the foremost
of the children of Adam, and that is
not a boast.
It is not he mentioned
his preeminence
not to boast,
but for us
to have gratitude.
Right? To have gratitude that we have been
blessed
with the best of messengers.
And the most virtuous of messengers, the most
beloved of them to Allah
that
the one who is the creator of all
existence,
this one, this
prophet
is
the most beloved of all creation to the
creator of all creation.
And then if we want
ultimate favor
with
the lord of the heavens and the earth,
then the means
to that is
the messenger, Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him,
and what the messenger, Muhammad, has come with.
Right? It's to instill
faith
and certitude,
reverence
and respect
and love and gratitude
in our
hearts,
okay, and so on. Right? And this
is the basis of the mention of these
virtues.
And it is for the same reason some
people wonder.
Right? Some people wonder why did the scholars
write so much in praise of the prophet
sallallahu alaihi
wa
sallam?
Isn't it enough just to
follow him? Right? And a lot of people
do this. I know the my first
several years at university, I was active in
the Muslim community, etcetera.
But this idea
of you're gonna sing a song to praise
the prophet
We have a duty. We have a responsibility.
We must obey. We must act. We must
do.
And that's all true. However,
there is a mode
of action, a mode of obedience
that is called for.
Say, if you love Allah
then follow me. Right? There are inward qualities
that must be nurtured
amongst them mentioned here at love, elsewhere
veneration,
strength of faith,
that only if they are found that
the following of the prophet
will be sound and true.
So this is why we look at the
mention
of the praises of the prophet
So the intention
in reading these hadiths is
in order for us
to increase in faith
in the messenger
Without
belief in him,
belief itself is not accepted.
Right? Faith itself, how is it defined classically?
What is iman?
K. Faith itself is
accepting as true what the messenger of Allah
has come with. Which is why in his
brilliant work on
what distinguishes
belief from disbelief.
Faith
of imam
al Fazali,
he says the the basis of faith is.
Faith
is accepting is true,
and
disbelief
is
takbib. It's rejecting the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam. Right? He
is the fasil. He is the criteria,
right,
of divine accept
acceptance for all those who come after him.
So
we will begin looking at the hadiths themselves
from the next session.
And the first talks about how the prophet
is
chosen by Allah Subha Ta'ala from
the best of people,
from the best
of families,
the best of lineages, and and that requires
some contextualization.
Right? But
everything about the prophet sallallahu alaihi sallam
expresses divine concern.
Divine concern
for the
good of creation.
We
also look in our
daily
at some of the guidance
for seekers of knowledge from Imam Al Ghazali's,
my dear
child or a letter to a disciple as
it's translated
in English.
So he says,
It was seen in the councils
of Luqman, the wise,
to his child that he said.
And Luqman Al Hakim
was a righteous servant of Allah
from the past peoples, and
he left
a wealth
of wisdom
that he's known as Al Hakim, the wise.
The Arabs
knew of knew of his wisdom as did
some other peoples.
The Quran characteristically
does not busy us
away
from the guidance
in his life
and example and teachings.
It doesn't tell us
where he lived. It doesn't tell us when
he lived
because the Quran focuses on the point of
guidance.
Right? But looking at
what
the historians
and other
previous
traditions mentioned,
they
it is said that he was a slave.
He was,
he is of
the great righteous who were, it is said,
African.
Right? He was
black.
It is said that he struggled
tremendously in life.
It is also said that he
attained
great
rank and respect
despite
a very modest background.
Some said that he was a prophet.
Some said that he is a prophet, and
that is possible.
However,
there are 25
prophets that are explicitly mentioned in the Quran
who are obligatory to believe in.
Luqman Al Hakim is not one of them.
But there's a subset of individuals,
righteous servants of Allah,
mentioned in the Quran regarding whom there is
difference
as to whether they were prophets or not.
And the scholars had their position.
Regarding some of them, the scholar said it
is most likely that he was a prophet
such as Al Khadr.
And there's others
where some said no,
that he wasn't a prophet because
the basis of somebody is that they're not
a prophet unless it is decisively established.
And others said that we don't have to
make a judgment on it. We're we're not
we're not responsible to believe they're a prophet,
but it it's possible. So all said and
done, he's
one of these great figures in history.
There's
he is mentioned in the Quran
with
especially in context of the amazing
counsel that he gave his children.
And we see one of the keys to
honor is raising
righteous children
because we know all the encouragement of guiding
others to Allah.
But the person you're most responsible
to guide to Allah is who's the person
you're most responsible to guide to Allah?
Yourself.
Then
those you're responsible for. And the prophet
said to say
that oh, Ali, for Allah to guide a
single soul through you is better for you
than the world and all it contains.
That's any soul.
What about
someone whom you're directly responsible for
as a trust?
So he said to his son,
He said, my dear
child.
Right?
And
the diminutive in the Arabic language, like,
is my son or my child.
Is literally
my little child.
But it's not the diminutive is not only
for little, it's also for affection.
Right? My dear child.
Don't let the rooster
be smarter than you.
It calls out in the depths of the
night
while you're asleep.
That's why
the the the scholars would sometimes
and this was sort of a test of,
you of thinking
that
who's better,
sheep or dogs?
Right? And they had reasons for different things.
Right?
But just to test,
are you think are you considering?
There's some animals that
that stay up all night and then they
go to sleep at fidget.
There's others
who sleep early and wake up early.
They said, be like those.
And they tend to have better
traits of character. But
and then he said, and
one of one of them
were so eloquent
and wise when they said.
Right?
In the depths
of the night,
a dove
called out,
right, yearning
eloquently
while I
was asleep.
And I have been a liar
by the house of Allah,
by the Kaaba.
If I claim
to be
a true lover
when
I was preceded
in crying
by by doves.
And those
they say those
who are
people of reflection and consideration
take meanings
from all that is around them.
And it's not accidental. Truly in the equatedness
of the heavens and the earth and the
alternation of night and day and all therein
are signs.
K?
Are signs, they're reminders.
K? Doves cry. So the the the sincere
would think, look,
a little weak
animal.
You know, a dove is not particularly impressive
looking.
Right?
You know, kinda looks overweight.
Like, what is it up to? It's not
particularly strong, doesn't seem particularly intelligent.
But it can cry as if in yearning.
And there you are,
you know, with no tears.
And do I imagine
that I'm ecstatic
and overwhelmed in love and overcome in love
for my
lord.
Yet I don't cry
while beasts
cry
while beasts cry.
Right?
So, of course, here is
what what the there's 2 points that Imam
Al Azalehi makes. Right? The first is
that
pray at night.
Right? Pray at night. The underlying theme is
act on your knowledge.
Right? The second point
through what he mentions is
be a person of reflection.
Everything,
like, you know, part of remembrance is to
be sensitive
to
meanings. Right? As
one of the poets at
reflect on the writing that is creation for
it is
from the most real to you messages.
That doesn't mean you sit and, like, say,
oh, the wall indicates that I I should
go to sleep. No. That's not the kind
of messages.
But they remind us of realities that we
already know. Right? A reminder
does not affirm
something that is not already affirmed.
Right? That's the difference between reflection
and
interpretation.
Interpretation
is to look at something
and affirm a meaning on its basis.
Right. So
a text says do not say to your
parents. Interpretation is to deduce from it
religious meanings.
Reflection
is that you're walking by and a child
is being rude to their parents.
So you reflect on it that sometimes I'm
rude to my parents.
That's reflection. And we reflect
on the book of Allah.
Right?
To be reflection is to be reminded of
truths
that are already
clearly affirmed and understood.
That is reflection.
Whereas
and we reflect on the book of Allah,
on the guidance of the messenger
but
but as believers, we also
reflect on the book that is life.
Right? These are
these are signs. They have signification
and they
point us to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And
this is why,
you know and the no one understood this
like lovers.
And one of the poets said,
you know, the poets used to understand,
used to feel that there's only 2 winds.
One wind that came
from
the beloved,
and they felt that it gave them
life.
And the other wind that blew towards the
beloved,
and they would say they would send messages.
And they'd sing to the the this subtle
morning breeze.
Right? Convey to the one I love my
yearning.
Right?
Because I can no longer be patient
apart from her. Right?
Likewise,
you know,
I never smelled a rose except that it
increased me in love for you.
And I never saw a tree sway except
that I felt
that they were
yearning and turning to you. Right? So this
is and likewise with animals.
There's marvelous things. 1, Ibn al Marzaban
wrote actually, it's a really depressing book
called, the the superiority of dogs over many
who don clothes.
And then if you look at the dog,
amazing has
amazing traits, but it's a dog.
It's loyal. It's trustworthy.
It'll true.
Right? And most people aren't and aren't and
aren't.
Right?
It's humble like most dogs, but it's strong.
Right? Amazing things.
It's patient.
Like, it's amazing quality, but
it's loyal. Right? All kinds of qualities.
And the scholars wondered
about cats.
Right?
Then why were cats respected
even though
they don't seem to have
many good qualities. If you compare cats to
dogs,
who has more virtue?
Which which animal has more virtues?
Cats or dogs?
Dogs have a lot more virtues.
K?
If if your life is in trouble,
what would you what would you want on
on your side, a cat or a dog?
And most people you'd want a dog on
your side. But
in most
human civilizations
and in most religious traditions,
dogs were looked down upon.
And in most human civilizations, cats were respected.
They're honored
even.
Why?
Scholars reflected on this. Now what's the what
differentiates cats and dogs? Of course, it's not
a religious ruling,
but there was a man, Sayid Nursi, the
great
Turkish scholar and reviver,
he said, the critical difference is
that the thing that a basis dogs is
that they they depend on creation. The dog
become dependent on its human master.
And reliance on creation is the basis of
abasement.
Cats
are honored
because they couldn't care less. That even though
they lack virtue,
but what they have
is indifference to creation.
And that's the basis
of honor.
Right?
Cats
are unattached
to their masters, ultimate comparatively.
Right?
Their attachment
to creation is not the same
as that of dogs. But
these are, of course, not religious rulings.
The the dove we don't say the dove
is a lover.
Right? But one takes from it a meaning
that's already affirmed.
Right?
And one and this is something one should
learn to do.
But it it's not something that you can
fake.
The way one acquires
a reflective
heart
is through remembrance of Allah.
Right? Through remembrance of Allah,
but also
through pausing
through pausing
and consideration.
So we ask Allah
that he grant us this reality.
Muhammad In the next couple of councils,
Imam Al Ghazali
shares some amazing
principles
that what is
the essence of knowledge.
And then
he shares
what kind of action
is sought in our religion
and what kind of spiritual practice
is sought in our religion,
and what is the basis of the health
of the human heart.
So this is really an amazing, amazing
counsel. We ask Allah to be to
to reflect and and return regularly to these
words of imam al Ghazali and that we
realize them
in
our our lives and in our practice.
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