Sikander Hashmi – Build a Loving Masjid Community KMA Friday Message
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AI: Transcript ©
Respected elders,
dear brothers and sisters, my young friends,
We begin by praising Allah
the lord of the universe,
the creator of everything that exists,
the nourisher, the protector, the sustainer.
And we begin by sending peace and salutations
upon his beloved messenger, Muhammad, the son of
Abdullah.
My brothers and sisters,
it is always a joy and a pleasure
to see you all here. May Allah
always keep you safe,
your family safe, and happy
in this world and the next
As we discussed last week, my brothers and
sisters,
the prophet
has informed us that the most beloved places
or patches of land
to Allah
on this earth
are the
masajid.
They are the masajid,
the houses of worship of Allah
These are the most beloved
places to Allah
on this earth.
The Masjid
is the purest place
in terms of purpose.
When it comes to a purpose for various
every place has a purpose.
Every location, every venue has a purpose.
And the most purest of purposes
is that of the Masjid.
Because its primary purpose is
the worship
and devotion towards
Allah So these are the most purest
and best places
upon the earth.
So therefore, it should be kept pure physically
but also spiritually
in terms of
the activities that take place therein, in terms
of the behavior of the people
therein,
in terms of the manners and the character
of the people
therein.
In Surah Tawba, Allahu Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala tells
us,
The Masajid, the mosques of Allah
should only
be maintained or built and maintained by those
who believe in Allah and the last day.
Who establish prayer and pays a cat
and fear none but Allah.
It is right to hope that they will
be among
the truly
guided.
Now in the previous verse, before this ayah
in Surah Tawba, in ayah number 17,
Allah
declares
that it is not befitting for the,
for the idol worshipers, for the polytheists to
maintain the as
they openly profess this belief.
Through their actions and through their worship,
they are
openly expressing disbelief towards Allah
towards the oneness of Allah
So it is therefore
not befitting
for the mushrikeen
to be from amongst those
who built and built and maintain the masajid.
So in this verse, in number 18, Allah
states that the building and the maintaining of
the masajid.
The houses which are devoted to Allah
is to be done
by those
who believe in Allah and the last day,
who establish prayer, who gives zakat and fear
none but Allah
Subhanahu wa ta'ala. Oh, Ibn Kathir Rahimahullah in
his tafsir of this ayah, he said,
That therefore, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
testifies
to the faith of those who maintain the
Masjid.
Allah
testifies
to the iman, to the faith of those
who maintain the masjid. Subhanallah.
You know, all this time,
we have been testifying our faith in Allah
We as believers,
we testify
to the oneness of Allah
We express
our belief in the oneness of Allah
But in this case,
Allah
is actually testifying
to the faith of those who build and
maintain the masjid.
Subhanallah. This is amazing.
Right? Allah
is actually testifying
regarding
the iman, the faith of those who are
from the Umar of the Masjid, who are
the builders and the maintainers of the Masjid.
Jabal ibn Abdullah radiAllahu anhu relates that the
messenger of Allah sallallahu
alaihi wasallam said, that whoever builds a Masjid
for the sake of Allah.
Whoever
builds a masjid for the sake of Allah
like a sparrow's nest
or even smaller.
Allah will build for that person a house
in Jannah. Right? And what's interesting about this
narration
is that Allah sub that the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam has given this example. In
other narrations, this example is not mentioned. That
in this particular narration,
this example is mentioned
That
a masjid that is like a sparrow's nest
or even smaller, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will
build for that person a masjid
in Jannah or a house in Jannah rather.
Now, the here,
they're just translated as a sparrow.
Right? Which is a small bird.
And its nest
is the place where it settles and lays
its eggs, like most birds do. Now the
kataa, it is said, is singled out. The
sparrow is singled out
because it does not lay its eggs in,
in a tree or at the top of
a mountain. Right? Most birds, many birds, you'll
see that they build their nests in a
safe place, usually somewhere high. In a tree,
you'll see robins. You'll see other birds to
build their nest, and then they, of course,
lay their eggs in it. But the sparrow
does not do that. Rather,
unlike other birds, it makes its its nest
on the ground. Hence, it is likened to
a masjid.
And it is a very small bird, and
thus, it has
a small nest. And the eggs are also
very small. So what is meant in the
hadith is to encourage
giving and contributing and supporting the building of
the Masjid
even in the smallest way. Even in the
smallest of amounts, in the smallest of contributions,
all of that will be recognized by Allah
And Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala will give that
person a great reward in Jannah Insha'Allah.
Now whenever we talk about building a masjid,
my brothers and sisters, we often think of
the physical structure.
Right? What is it gonna look like? What
is the design going to be like? What
are the carpets going to be like?
And the bricks, and so on and so
forth, which of course is important, especially when
we are trying to build the masjid from
the ground up.
But more important,
the masjid also has to be built up
spiritually.
It also has to be built up
spiritually
and in terms of community as well.
Because you see, for the prophet
and his companions,
The Masjid was not only a place where
they prayed.
Right? Of course, that's the primary function. Right?
That's where the word is coming from. Meaning
a place to make sujood, a place for
prostration to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
But it was also a place
where they learned, where they recited Quran,
where they made zikr, where they did the
remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And where they made dua to Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
Where they met with each other and they
socialized.
And they even the prophet
even received
delegations
and where they prepared for expeditions
and where they raised funds for various good
causes. So the masjid,
although its primary purpose is the worship of
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in terms of prayers,
there are many other functions that were supported
or that were,
that were given by the Masjid
of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.
And sometimes it was even a place for
tending to the sick.
Right? It was also a shelter for the
homeless.
Right? So in the physicals world, in the
physical sense, it was really a center
of their lives.
And at the same time, it was also
a center for learning
and for spiritual growth
as well. And the reason why it's important
to remind ourselves about this is so that
we,
refresh
our understanding or our perception of the Masjid.
Because you see, when we are living as
a minority in these countries, which
we're very grateful, very blessed to be in,
We see
how the places of worship of other religions
are used.
And what do we see?
The cars are in the parking lot usually
one day a week.
Usually one day a week. Some of them,
you know, are very active in doing many
types of work, so people come and go.
But, generally, it's once a
week. Right? It's there's no multiple sessions
happening, you know, every day or people coming
to pray every single day. That is usually
not the case.
Right? So it is important for us that
we remind ourselves
that that really is not
how the Masjid should be like.
Right? The Masjid should not be a place
which is full only on Fridays or which
is busy only on Fridays.
And when you come other days, it's like,
you know, maybe the jinns are praying or
something. You know? They will be also joining
us for salah. Right? But which really we
should be seeing who is coming and it
should be populated. Right? And it's a place
which is the center of
a community. Now you see my brothers and
sisters,
notice that our deen
hasn't identified the masjid or the masjid as
a place where we go and we pray
individually,
and we just come out by ourselves.
It's not like that. It could have been.
It could have been, yes, you must build
a masjid in your community, and everyone just
goes and prays by themselves whenever they want,
and they come and leave.
Right? But it's not like that. Right? That
though it's not been designed in that way,
we have not been taught in that way.
And there's a reason
why salah in Jamaa is highly encouraged even
to the point of being obligatory according to
some. Right? And even the way it is
done. Right? Bringing us close physically.
Right? The rows being straight. Like, everything has
a meaning and a purpose beside behind it.
Right? And the benefits
are multiple.
Right? Starting from, of course, the spiritual in
terms of increase in rewards in the prayer,
forgiveness for every step that one takes towards
the Masjid. Right? But then physical benefits as
well and mental and emotional as well.
Right? Like, there's a there's tremendous hikmah
in the guidance of Allah and his messenger
sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. Right? So the fact
that the Rasulullah salalahu alaihi wa sallam has
emphasized salah in jama'a and the masjid being
such a a center of one's life,
there's tremendous hikmah in that. Right? And it's
not just spiritual. It's physical, it's emotional, and
it's mental as well. And these benefits, my
brothers and sisters, cannot be gained
by praying only at home.
It cannot only be gay it cannot be
gained by simply watching lectures on YouTube at
home. I'm not trying to discourage you from
from doing that. It's great if you play
lectures at home and your children and your
family watches together and you listen and you
benefit various types of scholars in your own
language, you know, that that suit whatever you
wanna benefit from. That's great.
But that can't be the only source
of preserving and propagating your deen and passing
on distrust to your children.
Right? Because being part of a community is
critical as as, Sayna Amr
related from the prophet
that
adhere to the jama'a
and beware of separation.
Why?
Because shaitaan is with
the person who is 1, the person who
is
alone.
And he is further away from 2. So
there is strength spiritually
in being connected with
the And then the prophet said,
That whoever wants the best place in Jannah,
then let him stick to the
Let him be sticking together in the jama'ah,
being a part of the community. So I
say it again,
especially especially
for our children and for our future generations.
Yes. Islam in the home is absolutely critical.
The environment in the home is absolutely critical.
No discussion there. K. But just leaving it
to Islam in the home,
will it be enough?
Will it be enough? You see multiple multiple
cases,
situations
where the parents are very nice people. Right?
They care about their deen. They keep from
themselves in their home. They've taught their children,
but they're not part of the Jamara.
It becomes very challenging. It becomes very, very
challenging for the children and the youth as
opposed to the people who are connected with
the Masjid. Yes. Their children may, you know,
diverge a little bit. Who doesn't? Right? Everybody
has a history. Everybody has done things which
were dumb and silly when they were younger.
Okay?
But that foundation is there. Right? Mentally, spiritually,
emotionally, they're connected with the jama'a. They are
connected with the community. Think of it like
a plant. Right? A plant needs multiple things
in order to thrive and in order in
order to give fruit.
Right? You need soil.
You need water. But let's say you decide,
okay. I'm gonna grow a plant in my
home. I'm just gonna give it water, and
I'm just gonna give it soil, but no
sunshine, no light.
How long is it gonna survive? What kind
of fruit is it gonna give you? Is
it gonna bloom?
No. Right? So it needs the right conditions.
It needs sunshine as well.
And finally, my brothers and sisters, what kind
of masjid and jama'a do we want?
We want a masjid and a jama'a, a
community of love.
Love for Allah
Love for the messenger
Love for each other and love for
all of the creation of Allah
because Abu Huraira radiAllahu anhu relates that the
messenger of Allah said,
you will not enter Jannah until you believe.
And we say, yes, we know this already.
And you will not believe until you love
one another.
Have we thought about that?
You will not enter Jannah until you believe,
and you will not believe until you love
one another. And then Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam said, shall I inform you of something,
which if you do, you will love one
another?
Promote greetings of peace amongst
yourselves.
So brothers and sisters, once again to recap,
one of the most noblest actions we can
do in this life is to support the
building and the maintaining of the masajid of
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala physically,
financially,
spiritually.
The masjid is more than just a building.
It is a building that it is alive
with good works, that is a center
for the community.
And being a part of the jama'ah of
the community is critical, especially especially for passing
down our deen properly to our future generations.
May Allah
make us for amongst the people of the
Masjid. May Allah
make us among those whose faith he testifies
to. May Allah
grant us sincerity
and love in all of our works. May
Allah
make our masjid
and our children, all of our future generations,
lighthouses of iman. Amin.
We have some sad news. The, grandmother of
the wife of brother, Wasif Orahman passed away
recently,
in Pakistan. So we made dua for her
and all of those who have passed away.
We ask Allah
to grant a speedy recovery
to all of those who are ill. We
ask Allah to relieve the pain and suffering
and anxiety and stress out of all of
those who are suffering. May Allah
remove all of the hardships from the lives
of all of us and all of our
brothers and sisters.
I'll take a few minutes of your time
to continue what imam had just said.
You know, I'm very thankful to Allah
that we are able to complete the work
in this, you know, that we have been
working in the last,
one and a half years.
Now it's,
complete. I can say maybe 5 2% of
the work is remaining.
But Alhamdulillah, it's complete and it's being used
and which is really, really great to see.
And now we are working with our architects
and engineers
to start work
and the designing and everything for our, big
Masjid that's gonna come in front of Masjid
and the community center that will be built,
Insha'Allah,
in front of this, this building right here.
You know, since the government started opening up,
the places, after COVID vaccination and everything,
now we have also started to offer. Our
community has come together
to offer programs and services,
in this Musalla
because this Musalla is built for use by
our community, and we do not you know,
our dream is to
have this place being used constantly for the
purpose of our community
and for the purpose of, establishment and preservation
of our deen. Inshallah. So we are seeing
more and more people coming to Musa Allah,
and we'd like to see more and more
of you inshallah coming to, the Musa Allah
on a daily basis
and bringing your families. Inshallah, so we have
been running many programs. You know, we we
have
a youth program that runs every Saturday, and
there's so many kids, like a 20, 40
kids come, youth
who come and attend. And we have also
hired 2 part time youth counselors
who are starting a program for,
youth council.
You know, we have a Tri Style Academy,
which is running 3 2 or 3 in
person programs and entrepreneurship
programming and
robotics and all kinds of stuff.
Insha'Allah, we hope to start some Quran programs
here.
And we have a youth talent show coming
up next where we bring more, you know,
youth to come to connect to the Masjid.
And these are programs run by our youth.
We also started today, you know, a a
playgroup for babies and moms to come together
and inshallah, we are working with another
group of our great volunteers to start a
senior program very soon inshallah. So, I know
our Hikma School and, Madina School are running
online. Inshallah, hopefully, you know, let's see how
the school opens up. And inshallah, we'll be
able to move in, the person,
you know, for in person programming. So our
goal is to make this place
a hustling and bustling place for our community,
where our community can come in
and do activities and programs
for their needs
and for
to preserve the religion and to pass on
our responsibilities
to our next generation.
You know, our youth
see so many distraction, and it's not, you
know, it's not easy for our youth. You
know, we I know I grew up in
a in a in a very Muslim society,
and I'm very fortunate. I find myself very
fortunate
that an environment was there that for me
to understand and be grown up in Muslim
community.
Unfortunately, our youth do not have this opportunity.
They don't even they can't even play Friday
Jummah together. So they hardly ever come to
Masjid during this school year. So what we
are trying to do is,
we are trying to focus our programming next
year inshallah for our youth. So that, you
know, we can have this next generation of
youth building up, who are, you know, who
carry a deen inshallah. And it is our
responsibility, you know, Allah is gonna ask us,
what did you do? Like, you know, what
did you do in this life?
And that's one of the question is passing
on our religion to our children. And, you
know, if we don't do anything, it's not
like back home, you know. Back home, we
used to have a, we used to have
a Muslim community, and there'll be somebody you're
always talking to people. You're always close to
the Masjid. You're always like in that environment.
Here, we have to create an environment,
and that's going to take everybody. That's not
just gonna take or
few people in the Masjid. It's gonna take
everybody
to come together and create programs and create
ways and to attract
youth to the masjid.
Because masjid is the way to go through.
As Imam mentioned, you can watch lot of
YouTube videos. I mean, they're very good share
and I listen to them all the time.
But when you live Deen, you know, you
have to live the Deen. Right? How do
you live Deen? You live a Deen in
community. And that's where prophet Muhammad
emphasized
on the importance of coming to the masjid
for Jannah.
So
many times, you know, I, so we have
we really have a open door policy in
Namazid. And sometimes I see, you know, that
youth come in the night, and they pray
here together, and that's the best time I
can see. There's some young people instead of
hanging out
at the parking lot of a restaurant or
parking lot of,
I know, some places undesired places.
When I see some youth who come in
to the masjid
and spend their time here, and they hang
out a little bit, and they they chitchat,
and they do whatever, and they do pray
as well. And that is the best thing,
you know, that I find that is such
a
remarkable thing to see, you know, in this
environment for those youth who are doing that.
So my my appeal to you first and
foremost is to come to the Majid, connect
your family to the Majid, connect your family
to the community. Right? We are trying not
trying to build a Masjid, the building
with walls. We're trying to build a community.
And Masjid Allah will make the Masjid for
us. Right? Once we come together, Allah
will do the rest. Allah is the one
who will complete the Masjid. Allah is the
one who is gonna do that. But what
is our job is to come to the
Masjid and connect our family to the Masjid,
connect our family to the community, and that's
how we're gonna build community. That's how we're
gonna build a loving and caring community. So
my first appeal today is to
ask you this, that if you are coming
to the Masjid once a week, try to
come twice a week. If you're coming twice
a week, come 3 times a week and
so on. Bring your family. Connect your family.
And this is really it's gonna pay off.
If you start doing this, you know, every
week, if you take a conscious effort,
in 10 years' time, you will see the
effect on your children. You'll see the effect
on your family. It's gonna have insurmountable
effect.
That is not possible by praying and doing
things only only at home.
My second appeal is to continue to support
our work. As I said, we are trying
to build a community,
and we are not standing here every Juma.
We know your time is precious. We don't
stand every Juma and ask for money. We
stand only 2 months in a year, once
in Ramadan and once in December.
And this is December, so we ask you
to continue to support our work, to keep
providing us feedback,
And, you know, let's build a community that
is gonna carry the next generation because it
is our responsibility,
and it is something that Allah is gonna
ask us. And
I really appreciate all the support that you
have given so far and how this community
comes together. You know, sometimes you see, ma'am
standing here. Imam is standing and you see
a few people running around. But actually, there
are so many people in our community now
who are engaged with the Masjid and they're
doing something. You know? There's people, you know,
that many of you don't know. They are
doing something. They are doing some program. They're
doing, they had the So all of us,
when we come together, we put our energies
forward together.
Inshallah, we can achieve a lot. So, inshallah,
please continue to support our campaign. You know,
there's flyers that forms have been given out
to you. And,
you can do it online. You can make
a donation online. You can make donations,
in person when you come for Jummah. You
can send a check, whatever you like.
For your time.