Sulayman Van Ael – Divine Names 7a AlWadod
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah
be upon our Master, our Beloved, our role
model, and our intercessor, Muhammad al-A'la,
his family, his companions, and those who follow
him.
We ask Allah, the Exalted, with His beautiful
Names and Exalted Attributes, to make us and
you among those who listen to His words
and those who follow His good deeds.
He is the Protector of those, and the
All-Powerful over them.
As-Salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.
I think as we are still having quite
some people coming in, I will talk for
about two, three minutes about something else, and
then we will start talking about the Name
of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So, what I would like to remind ourselves
of is the importance of the adhkar of
the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
So, you very often hear me say that
we Muslims, we don't memorize the Names of
Allah, jalla wa ala, we don't memorize the
Sunnah of Rasulullah, and we don't memorize the
Prophetic Supplications.
What do I mean by the Prophetic Supplications?
I actually mean, my mother is here today
by the way, so when you see me
looking like this, it's just talking to my
mother as well.
So, when I say the Prophetic Supplications, what
do I mean?
I mean these supplications that the Prophet Muhammad,
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, used to say in
everything he would do in his life.
And this is where the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam, turned every aspect of his life
into worship.
And the reason why we very often have
the feeling that we are weak Muslims is
because we think that being religious is limited
to praying, limited to paying zakat, limited to
reading the Qur'an, limited to visiting the
Sikh, and whatsoever.
But in reality, when your heart is at
the right place, everything you do can be
turned into a what?
Can be turned into a form of worship.
And one of the best ways to do
this is Al-Istihdar.
Meaning awareness and presence of heart.
Which is not the same thing as Niyah.
Niyah is that you say, I do it
for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
But Al-Istihdar means that you are aware
why you are doing it, why you are
doing it, what your goals are behind that
what you are doing, and what you want
to achieve.
So, Istihdar is one of the most important
things.
Meaning that you live every moment in your
life, being aware that you are at service
to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Is that clear?
So, the supplications help you with this Istihdar.
Just to give you an example, and this
will be one of the modules that we
will be teaching inshallah, in the series of
the Pillars of Faith.
When you go, when you leave your house,
you have the Dua.
And there are many different Ad-Duiya, which
is the plural of Dua, Ad-Duiya.
There are many different Ad-Duiya that you
can say.
One of them is, for example, Allahumma inni
a'udhu bika al-adlillaa aw udhannaa aw
azillaa aw uzallaa aw adlimmaa aw udhlammaa aw
ajallaa aw yujharaa alihi.
This is one of the many things you
can say when you leave your house.
But it is reminding you.
It's creating this awareness in your heart.
You are saying, oh Allah, I seek refuge
with you in order for me not to
transgress and not to be transgressed against.
You see, this is like you're leaving your
house with the intention of giving others their
rights, but also demanding your rights.
Because the Muslim isn't a weak person.
The Muslim is strong.
How?
He gives people what they, what their due
right is, but he also stand up for
his own right.
You see?
So, a'udhu bika and he said, al
-adlillaa aw udhannaa.
Yameen, that I go astray or let others
go astray.
You know, one of them.
So now, especially in traffic, the worst of
people comes out.
You know, when people are in traffic, very
often people insult.
People who usually don't insult might insult in
traffic.
Or they might do some gestures which are
quite halal, for example.
So, when you are driving your car, you
say, I don't want to go astray, but
I don't want to lead people or make
people go astray.
What does that mean anyway?
The Prophet ﷺ said, do not insult your
own mother.
Do not insult your own father.
They said, Ya Rasulullah, and how will we
then?
I mean, is it even possible that someone
insults his own parents?
He said, yes, by insulting someone else's parents.
When you insult their parents, they will insult
yours.
So, you were the reason why someone goes
astray.
Is that clear?
So, this is one of these examples of
the Prophet ﷺ saying something.
Another example is when we eat, what do
we say?
After having eaten, what do we say?
Alhamdulillah, yes.
What do we say?
No one?
That's one.
Another one?
Alhamdulillah to the one that gave us sufficient
amount of food and drink.
But the Prophet ﷺ, he said, At'amana,
right?
In your supplication.
The one that fed us.
Meaning, it's not just about me.
It's about ensuring that everybody around me has
eaten as well.
So, you are always continuously creating this awareness
in your soul by saying prophetic supplications.
And the last one I want to mention,
in a minute we are going to start
with the names of Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
It's like when the Prophet ﷺ used to
see the moon, what did he say?
Someone?
When you see the full moon, what do
you say?
Nothing.
You say, oh, full moon.
What do we say?
Allahumma ahillahum alayna bil amni wal aman wa
salamati wal islam.
You see, so the Prophet ﷺ said, like,
let the moon shine over us.
Meaning, with protection and safety.
So, the Prophet ﷺ, why did he say
this?
Looking at the moon, he knew the moon
was not just shining on him.
It was shining on so many billions of
people, and he all wanted them to be,
to enjoy the same peace that he was
enjoying in that particular moment.
So, by saying these supplications, you are creating
awareness.
And this is why we have chosen to
give a module here, which is transformed by
the prophetic supplications, okay?
So, now we start with the names of
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
A'udhu billahi minash shaitanir rajim, bismillahir rahmanir
raheem, wa sallallahu wa sallam ala sayyidina muhammadin,
wa ala alihi wa sahbihi, wa ba'du, fa
as'alu allaha azza wa jalla, an yaja
'alana wa iya'akum minal mustami'ina lil
qawli wal mutsabi'ina ahsanahu, wa an yaja
'ala ma naquluhu wa nasma'uhu, hujjatan lana
wa la alayna yawm ad-din, thumma amma
ba'du, fassalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has said,
someone who leaves his house in the morning,
talaban lil ilmi, to study, yani sacred knowledge,
he is on a path to Jannah until
he returns.
So, yes, it is not easy at nine
o'clock after a busy weekend, but nevertheless,
when you do this, then Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala will make your path to Jannah
easy.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has said,
man salaka tariqan yaltamisu bihi, inna sahana allahu
laghu bihi tariqan ilal jannah, that when someone
is treading on a path of knowledge, then
Allah will facilitate for him his way to
or her way to Paradise.
Today, I came here and I wanted to
talk about the name al-Wadud, and this
might, you know, take some time because it's
a very important name.
The name al-Wadud, subhanahu wa ta'ala,
and al-Wadud comes from the word al
-Mawadda.
So, we first need to know what the
word Mawadda means.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions al-Mawadda,
yani in the Qur'an.
Meaning, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, from amongst
his signs, is that he created from your
kind, spouses for you, meaning a husband for
a wife and a wife for a husband.
And between you, he placed Mawadda and Rahma,
Mawadda and Rahma.
So, what is Mawadda?
Mawadda, they say, is a pure kind of
love.
It is an unconditional love.
It is a love for which you do
not want anything in return because for you,
being allowed to love your beloved one is
the biggest gift.
Okay, so we say that again.
So, it is a pure kind of love,
an unconditional love, because you consider being allowed
to love the one you love to be
the biggest gift.
So, that is Mawadda.
And this is very often what spouses have,
which is very strange.
When they are married, there is nothing that
binds them or connects them.
They weren't raised together usually.
They come from different families, different parts of
the world, different schools.
Nothing was actually showing that they were compatible
and that they were meant to be together.
Because their lives were completely different.
But within that difference, it actually brought them
together.
So, being this different was their what?
Their path to getting connected, which is very
strange.
Because usually, you need to have certain kind
of what?
Of dots to connect.
And we, in our lives, we don't connect
them.
Allah connects them for us.
So, even though that we were very far
away from one another, all of a sudden
we are connected.
And from the moment that these spouses are
connected, i.e. after, is this your husband?
Yes.
Is that your wife?
Yes.
Okay, you are a man and wife.
From that moment, all of a sudden, there
is a new feeling that comes into existence
that was never known by the heart.
It is something that the heart had never
experienced.
It is another kind of love.
It is not being in love.
Being in love is a butterfly feeling that
goes away.
But loving is something entirely different.
It is that very often, you can't mention
the reason why you love someone.
Being in love is different.
I love that person because of his eyes,
because of the color of his hair.
I don't know.
Because he runs very fast.
Because she seems very beautiful.
Whatever.
But true love is just love.
You don't need a reason.
It is there.
And this is mawaddah.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's love for us
is actually always there.
You see, he loves his creation.
He loves his creation.
And the very proof is that even though
that creation turns their back towards Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala, sometimes for years.
After Jummah, a man came up to me.
He was about 70 years old.
And he said, Sheikh, if I want to
make up my prayers that I didn't pray
for more than 43 years, how do I
do this?
I said, subhanallah.
Then he turned his back to Allah 43
years.
That's as long as I have lived on
the face of the earth.
And Allah didn't say, well, you didn't pray
43 years.
Now just go to *.
He said, you didn't pray 43 years.
Well, I'm going to revive your heart.
Come back to me.
So the reason why he drew him back
to him is not because of something good
in him.
It is because the unconditional love of Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Because he didn't create us.
He didn't create the disbeliever with hatred.
He didn't create the world with hate.
He created everything love and care.
And this is what we need to know.
So yes, we might despise a certain characteristic
from someone.
Or the choice, someone's choice in life.
But we still have love for that certain
person.
Because of the humanity within that person.
Because that is exactly what Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala loves in every human being.
Is that clear?
And this is why Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala says, وَلَقَدَ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِ الْآذَبِ And we
have honored the human being.
He didn't say the Muslim.
He said the human being.
We have honored him.
So now to come back.
This is mawadda.
So al-wadood is the one that loves
you.
Not because of something in you.
But because loving is one of his attributes.
And one of the things he does.
Is that clear?
So now to come back.
Al-mawadda between spouses.
We've explained this.
It's al-mawadda meaning that there is that
love.
That unexperienced love.
That which the heart didn't know.
And now all of a sudden becomes.
After just a second.
After yes and yes.
All of a sudden your heart changes.
And that's something ajeeb.
A person you didn't know five seconds ago.
Or an hour ago.
Or four days ago.
Today you are ready to die for that
person.
What happened?
Like a month ago.
Your life was there.
And her or his life was there.
You didn't even care about that person.
Maybe you passed that person on the street.
You didn't care.
But now after yes and yes.
I'm the defender.
Don't try to look at her.
Don't like to touch her.
You know.
All of a sudden you become her warrior.
Her hero.
Her protector.
And the wife as well.
All of a sudden.
I mean she feels subhanallah.
So when you're going to look at it.
It's special.
This is al-mawadda.
Is that clear?
So love for which you cannot give a
reason.
So now to continue.
Al-wadud subhanahu wa ta'ala is thus
the one.
Is as we said.
The one who gives love.
Pure love and loves.
And love is a word that we don't
very often seem to be hearing in the
Muslim midst.
We very often see that love is a
strange thing.
Like you have an imam on the mimbar.
Say guys we need to love one another.
Whoa what's going on with the imam?
You know.
Well what happened to the imam?
And it's a word that we very often
shy away from.
While it is actually a word which was
so often used by the Prophet ﷺ.
That it's strange to see that Muslims don't
actually talk about love.
And this is why we are going to
talk about love.
And the first thing we need to know
about love.
Is that love is one of the conditions
for a Muslim to enter paradise.
Loving.
The feeling.
The emotion of loving is one of the
conditions for the Muslim to enter paradise.
The Prophet ﷺ has said.
Like in the sunan of Abi Dawood he
mentioned.
He said you will not enter paradise until
you believe.
And you will not truly believe until you
love one another.
Should I tell you what will help you
to love one another?
Spread the salam amongst you.
Now when we hear this.
Spread the salam amongst you.
We just think it's saying salamu alaikum.
Salamu alaikum wa alaikum salam.
I don't need salam of people who gossip
behind my back.
Then I prefer you to say hi how
are you?
I'm okay John.
How are you?
And then but people they say salamu alaikum.
Labas bikhir.
Everything all right.
Tika this and that.
And then when you go away.
Then when you go away to say did
you you know.
I didn't like his shoes.
I don't like the way he walks.
I don't like the way he talks.
I can't stand the way he looks.
You know.
So people this is not spreading salam.
When the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam spoke about
spreading salam.
He actually meant that you are a source
of peace to people.
Not that you say salamu alaikum.
Yes we say salamu alaikum.
But this is not spreading peace.
Spreading peace is like the prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam has said.
Al muslimu.
A true muslim.
Man salim al muslimuna min lisanihi wa yadih.
Is the muslim against whose hands and mouth
other people other muslims or people are safeguarded.
Meaning that they don't fear anything bad from
him.
Not physically and not verbally.
So this is the first thing.
We need to love one another for Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala sake.
And we're going to explain what that exactly
means.
The second thing the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
has said.
That you will not be a true believer
until you love Allah.
Sorry until you love.
Because of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So loving is a condition for being a
true believer.
The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam has said man
ahabbalillahi.
And this is in the jama of Imam
Suyuti rahimallah zawajal in the hadith.
Is hasan man ahabbalillahi faqad istakmalal iman.
And that's the samurai version.
Someone who loves love because of Allah's sake
has what?
Has completed and perfected his iman.
So now when we are going to, he
said loving because of Allah.
We love people because of ourselves.
Subhanallah I thought there was a man standing
there.
Subhanallah that was very strange.
So I truly genuinely I look like that.
I said that's strange but it's a puppet.
Subhanallah.
Oh we say dog.
What do we say?
It's all your practice.
Okay fellas.
Amen to it.
Okay.
So to come back.
So what was the last thing I said
apart from the puppet?
Imam Suyuti hasan loves for Allah's sake.
Yes and then I said that very often
we don't love people for Allah's sake.
We love them for ourselves.
Meaning very often we as people we look
at people who seem to be copies of
ourselves.
People that think alike.
That love the same things I love.
That do the same things I do.
You know we and this is what we
are looking for.
And especially when it comes down to groups
and sects.
Now I'm like there you have the Salafi
group.
And there you have the Sufi group.
And I'm not saying they're alike or they're
similar.
That's not what I'm trying to say.
There you have the Ikhwan Muslimin.
There you have the I don't know what.
Say another one.
The Tablighis.
There you have the?
Jamaatis.
The Ibandis you say.
Yes there you have the Ibandis.
And there you have the Bara'at.
How do you call?
Yes exactly.
So now what people are going to do.
They are going to gather upon their you
know secondary you know beliefs.
What I mean secondary.
We all have the same basic belief.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
The Prophet alayhi salatu wasalam.
And so much more.
But then we have these details.
And these details actually that we choose to
believe in.
Are the very reason why we separate ourselves
from others.
While love for Allah brings us together because
of the same core.
The same fundamental we are sharing.
Is that clear?
So now you see that people within a
certain group.
They are always going to visit these people
from that group.
They are only going to their gatherings.
They are only going to visit them.
What is going on?
We are Muslims.
And this is where we need to go
back to.
Our love for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
is stronger than any group we belong to.
It's stronger.
If you have a certain methodology or a
certain view on life.
No problem.
But that shouldn't cause segregation.
We should always come together on the carpet
of la ilaha illallah.
Muhammad Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasalam.
And this is loving for Allah.
But people now they love because of a
shaykh.
They love because of a tariqa.
They love because of anything.
I'm not saying tariqa good or right.
That's not what I'm trying to say.
I'm trying to say don't turn your personal
choice in life into a reason to be
cut off from the rest of the community.
Because this is what makes us weak.
That's the very reason why we are weak.
We are all small islands.
Everybody's somewhere but nobody wants to get connected.
While we all have the same cause.
And while we are all the victim of
the same problems.
You see.
So this is love for Allah.
So love for Allah.
Oh that guy.
I mean he's an ikhwan and I don't
want to give salat to him.
That's tablighi.
That's bid'ah.
I'm not going with him.
So no.
We love.
The basic love is for Allah.
Is that clear for everybody?
So this is loving for Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
It is also the strongest handhold.
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam has said like
in the jama of Imam Suyuti Muhammad Rasulullah.
He said He said the strongest handhold of
faith is loving for Allah's sake.
That's the strongest.
Do we say handhold?
The word doesn't exist.
When you have a chain.
How do you call the things that are
interlinked?
There's another word.
We say okay the strongest link of faith.
We agree?
Okay.
The strongest link of faith is what is
loving for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's sake.
And because this love is so important.
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam told us like
in the sunan of Abi Dawood radiallahu anhu.
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam said If
someone loves his brother or his sister because
of Allah's sake.
That he or she lets him or her
know that he or she is loved for
Allah's sake.
So that's the sunan.
Now when you say this people they panic.
Brother I truly love you for Allah.
Oh you know what's going on people?
I love you for Allah's sake.
So people don't say this efficiently.
We should say this very often.
But loving for Allah when it's between people.
It is not an emotion.
It's not an emotion.
It's an action.
So we need to differentiate between love in
action and love in what?
In emotion.
When we say the action it is that
you are going to treat people according in
harmony with what Allah loves.
So when you say someone I love you
for Allah's sake.
That means one the things that are good
in you I love them because Allah loves
them.
Not because I love them.
I love the things in you that Allah
likes.
And secondly don't fear anything coming from me.
Because I will treat you in the light
of what Allah loves.
This is loving for Allah's sake.
Because very often people don't understand.
Say I love you for Allah's sake.
But what does it mean to love for
Allah?
Well that's what it means.
That your behavior towards someone is in the
light of what Allah loves.
Subhana wa ta'ala.
Is that clear?
Okay so that's number one.
So then we have the love, the natural
love.
Meaning the feeling.
And this is something which is in the
heart.
And this is also why when some people
think they need to be very pious.
And we need to be pious.
But sometimes they think that they need to
be pious in a certain way.
And actually they ruin it.
Like to your wife you don't need to
say I love you for Allah's sake.
You know you're walking in the park.
You know the moonlight.
I love you for Allah's sake.
You have your brother for Allah's sake as
well.
You love your imam for Allah's sake as
well.
So what is different about me?
So we are allowed to love someone for
the love we experience for that person.
As long as it doesn't go against loving
for Allah.
Meaning that from a practical side.
I'm never going to do something for the
one I love which goes against loving for
Allah's sake.
Is that clear?
So this is very important.
So yes we are allowed to experience love.
For which we don't have another reason than
loving that person.
Than loving my wife or loving my husband
or my children.
So this is why when Ibrahim a.s
died in the...
Sorry Ibrahim the son of the Prophet a
.s died in the arms of his father.
The Prophet a.s was crying.
And he said are you crying Ya Rasulullah?
Like actually kind of way to say do
you have emotions?
Apart from he said yes.
This is a rahmah.
This is a mercy which Allah has placed
in the hearts of the human beings.
And then he said the heart is saddened
and I weep.
But I will not say anything apart from
something which pleases Allah.
So the sadness was there.
The natural sadness because of a human factor.
Not because of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
But the practical side was and I will
not say anything which displeases Allah.
You see this?
So this is how we need to understand
this.
Also when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says...
Don't fear them fear me.
Now when you're climbing a wall I don't
know climbing a wall or you need to
jump for the first time out of a
plane.
Parachute because your brothers gave you a treat.
They say I have a nice present for
you.
Or so there you are standing you know
and you need to jump.
Well you will experience fear.
Some might not.
Some will.
And then when you first jump in the
air and you feel that you're just you
know falling down.
Then you have that guy that jumped a
thousand times next to you saying don't be
afraid.
Don't be afraid.
We need to put our trust in Allah.
And you're just yelling and you say Astaghfirullah
brother don't yell.
This doesn't make sense.
This is a natural thing.
Being afraid, being in love or loving or
being sad are human traits.
But they are always between in between two
extremes.
The lack of it or the absence of
it.
And the what?
The excess of it.
And the mu'min is right in the middle.
Because Imam al-Ghazali says if these emotions
weren't there like you don't become angry.
But no form of anger whatsoever.
Anger is something on the inside.
Imam al-Ghazali says which pushes you to
stand up for your rights.
To protect your what?
To protect your family.
But if you don't experience any fear and
you're flying in an airplane.
You're flying and all of a sudden the
plane crashes and you have your child next
to you.
And your child is yelling because the engine
is on fire.
But you don't experience any fear.
And you're just telling your child yes and
when we get home I'm going to give
you rice pudding.
And you don't experience anything.
So what is going on?
Well this is a lack of fear.
And the lack of fear is not good.
Because a lack of fear helps us to
protect ourselves against losing our lives or the
lives of our families and so much more.
Is that clear?
So it's always between two extremes.
So loving for Allah is a practical side.
And just love is allowed.
Fear is allowed.
And it's not always a lack of trust
in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
This is very often what people think.
When you fear something Astaghfirullah why are you
afraid?
I mean there's no problem with being afraid.
As long as you're being afraid doesn't push
you to protecting you against your fear in
a haram way.
So you might be like very fearful.
But you not submitting to doing something haram
to protect you against your fear is actually
you being very strong.
So it's not about this.
It's about what you do.
Some people are very frightened but they do
the craziest things.
Right?
Okay to come back.
So love.
Loving the Prophet ﷺ spoke a lot about
love.
Like in Bukhari and Muslim.
The Prophet ﷺ he said that if someone
has three things in his life, three.
He will taste the sweetness of faith.
The first one was That he or she
loves Allah and his Messenger more than anybody
else.
That Allah and his Messenger are more beloved
to him than anybody else.
The Prophet ﷺ said None
amongst you will be a true believer until
he loves me more than his parents and
his children and then the entire world.
You see?
So that's the first thing he said in
Bukhari Muslim.
He said that if you have three things
you will taste the faith.
The sweetness of faith.
That Allah and his Messenger are more beloved
to you than anybody else.
The second one is وَأَن يُحِبَّ الْمَرْءَ
لَا يُحِبُّهُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ
And that he loves someone for Allah's sake
only.
And that they gather for Allah's sake and
that they separate for Allah's sake.
And for Allah's sake.
That they gather for because of Allah's love
and they separate for Allah's love.
Meaning that when someone starts to do crazy
things which really go against what Allah loves,
then he says I'm sorry I can't be
your friend anymore.
Okay?
And the last one was And that he
or she hates to go back to disbelief
after Allah having saved him or her as
strongly as he or she would detest to
be thrown into hellfire on the Day of
Judgment.
So you see that this love thing is
very present in the sunnah of the Prophet
ﷺ but also in the Qur'an.
And it is even like when you see
somebody pass, the Prophet Anas ibn Malik said
like in the sunnah of Abu Dawud that
he was talking to the Prophet ﷺ and
there was a man standing with them.
And all of a sudden a man passed.
And the man standing with Anas and the
Prophet ﷺ said Oh, I mean that man
that passed by, I love him Ya Rasulullah
ﷺ for Allah's sake.
And then he said Did you make him
know?
Did you let him know that you love
him for Allah's sake?
He said no.
He said go and tell him that you
love him for Allah's sake.
So they would even interrupt their gatherings and
happenings just to go behind and say bro
I really love you for Allah's sake.
You know?
Isn't that a nice thing?
But we don't seem to be hearing it.
Amongst the Arabs they say this a bit
more.
But I've noticed when I say this that
people find it very strange.
They even don't know what to answer.
They say brother mashaAllah I really love you
for Allah's sake.
Oh yes, thank you.
So what are we going to say when
someone says Ohibbuka filla, ohibbuka lilla, meaning I
love you for Allah's sake.
You say look Three ways to say it.
Yani may the one for whom you love
me, love you.
SubhanAllah, look.
Yani all of a sudden it looks like
we are flower proud Muslims.
You know?
Peace, love and harmony.
Shiny happy people.
So yes that's what we are.
You know this is one of the briefings.
May the one for whom you love me,
love you.
Incredible, isn't it?
And this is why the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam in many hadith he speaks about
The most beloved deeds to Allah.
The most beloved words to Allah.
The most beloved people to Allah.
The most beloved places on the face of
the earth to Allah.
It's all about love.
In Islam when you look for something you
find so many different things.
And the Prophet alayhis salatu wasalam you know
when you're loved by Allah jalla wa ala.
Yani the Prophet I'm going to share one
with you.
He said He said the one who is
most loved amongst you by Allah is he
or she is who is of the most
benefit to people.
He didn't say to Muslims.
He said to people.
Without regards their religion or their gender.
The one who is the most beneficial to
people is the most what is the most
loved by Allah subhanAllah wa ta'ala.
So the more people you help.
Like for example why don't you just become
a doctor or an international lawyer or ambassador
or of the whatever.
Where you don't just try to change you
know the situation of your own family.
But where you try to change the situation
of the world.
Poverty in the world.
Disease in the world.
Imagine if you were to figure out how
to cure a certain disease somewhere in Africa
for example.
You find this and you work on it
for 10 years.
Eureka.
How do you say Eureka?
Eureka.
I never know.
How do you know it's Eureka not Eureka?
There's no rule.
So it's Eureka.
So after 10 years you say And so
now if now you are able to help
like millions of people.
Then Allah will love you in harmony with
the amount of people you have helped.
And this is where we Muslims very often
go wrong and I'm sorry to say this.
We are so often concentrated on our own
community that we forget that the community of
the Muslim is the world.
Very often it's just about us.
Us Muslims.
Our future.
Our this.
Our that.
No it's bigger than this.
And then sometimes we are surprised when people
don't talk a lot about our future.
Like it's all about minorities.
But we don't seem to be very included
into these minorities.
Why?
Because we as a minority always talk about
ourselves.
But if we were to talk about the
greater good of everybody we would be included
in the minority debates much more.
You see?
So the Muslim his love is not just
you know restricted to loving his community.
He loves the world.
Why?
Because the world is Allah's.
Is that clear?
So this is very important.
So now when you then understand this you
know that being a doctor and trying to
save people.
Like Allah I would like to be that
non-Muslim man with Islam.
That doctor that is there in Africa for
10 years taking care of people.
You know he quit his job and he's
just saving lives.
You know they even don't have time to
think.
After 10 years they look up for the
first time and they just turn into heroes.
And they're humble.
They're not like oh I saved all these
lives.
Look at me.
You know?
When we Muslims sometimes we do something we
tell the world.
I did this.
I did that.
There are so many sincere non-Muslims out
there.
Their only goal is just to help people.
So what if you do this with Iman?
With faith?
How can you then say no this takes
me away from my religion?
Go.
Go somewhere.
I don't know.
And help people as many as you can.
Help the rainforest.
By helping the rainforest you are helping the
what?
The lungs of the world.
You are helping.
You are creating a better environment for everybody.
And it's the one who is of the
most benefit for humanity.
The entire world.
This is how we should feel.
This is what we should wake up with.
Not just like okay when I'm 35 or
45 I would like to have my own
house.
A little tiny swimming pool would be nice.
I would like to go on a holiday
once a year.
Yes Alhamdulillah a little library.
And you know is that what life is
about?
That's not what life is about.
That's not what the prophets were up to.
They were people of the world.
People of the world.
That's what we are.
Who we are.
So now when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
now loves you.
Because you have helped so many uncountable numerous
people.
Then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
The prophet I sometimes said something very strange.
He said When
Allah loves someone Meaning he calls Jibreel.
He tells Jibreel.
I want to tell you something.
I love that man.
I love that woman.
I love that person.
So love him.
So Jibreel loves him.
And then Jibreel calls the angels of the
sky.
And he says Allah and myself have loved
this person.
So love him.
So all the angels of the skies love
him.
And then the angels of the skies.
They call the angels of the earth.
And they say Allah and Jibreel and the
angels of the skies have loved him.
So love him.
And then the angels of the earth love
him.
So and now then the prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam said Meaning that Allah will place
acceptance for him on the face of the
earth.
Meaning in the hearts of people.
Barakah in his life.
Barakah in his worship.
Pious people will like him and love him.
And give him advice.
So I mean that's a chain of love.
Angel, the angels of the earth, the angels
of the sky, Jibreel.
And this is what some people say what
the explanation is of the verse.
Surah Maryam.
Meaning those who believe and do good deeds.
Allah will give them wudda.
Remember?
Allah will make them.
Meaning he will love them and they will
be loved.
Allah will love them.
And they will be loved.
So the word wudda is mentioned what?
In the Quran.
And wudda is mentioned in the Quran.
And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says about
the true believers.
And the true believers love is stronger for
Allah.
Than what?
Than the love of others for others.
Any love that you can imagine yourself.
How strong it may be.
People that sacrifice themselves for their love.
Like Romeo and Juliet.
Mr. Shakespeare.
Like their love was nothing.
In comparison to the love someone has for
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Like all these songs that you hear.
I would walk on water just to be
with you.
Rubbish.
Nothing.
That's nothing.
Like hello is it me you're looking for?
No I'm not looking for you.
I'm looking for Allah.
So all these songs right.
So all these songs they describe a certain
kind of love.
But Allah says.
But those who believe their love is stronger
than this.
Look at the poem of Antara.
Of Antara.
You know Antara?
You don't know Antara?
Who knows Antara?
Missed out.
You miss him?
He died a long time ago.
No I missed the poem.
Oh okay.
So nobody knows Antara?
Nobody knows Antara.
So none.
You got to recite it once.
What?
You got to recite it.
I'm going to recite it yes.
But I first want to tell you how
Antara is.
Antara was from the pre-Islamic period.
He was one of the greatest warriors.
And there are seven poems that were attached
to the Kaaba.
Which are called Muallaqat.
Some say there were ten.
Some say three.
Some say seven.
We're not going to get into detail.
But let us say the seven.
Seven Muallaqat or Ashara.
And Antara was a poet.
And he was known for his courage.
And known for his loving of his what?
Of Abla.
Abla.
In Turkish Abla means sister.
But that was the one he loved.
So now in the books of Tafsir and
other books.
Very often they refer to his poems to
show how strong his love was.
But our love for Allah is even stronger
than this.
So look at him.
And he's describing that he can't forget.
That he's doing dhikr of his beloved one.
Even in the most difficult situations.
He says.
He said.
I couldn't stop doing dhikr of you.
He's talking about Abla right?
I couldn't stop doing dhikr of you.
While all the spears and arrows were cutting
through my flesh.
It was as if all the swords made
and fabricated in India.
Were drowning in my blood.
He said.
And now it comes.
He said.
And at a certain point I felt like
kissing the sword.
Because how do you think.
I'm sorry now I'm reading the poem.
How do you say when the sun shines
on something and it's.
The reflection radiates.
How do you call that?
The sparkling.
The.
No not this.
Give me something poetic.
I'm I'm going thousand six hundred years back.
Give me something better.
The reflection.
Let's see reflection.
Okay.
So he said.
And at a certain point I felt like
kissing the sword.
Because the sun's reflection on the sword.
Reminded me of your illuminating smile.
You see.
So what is he trying to say?
He said.
When he when he sees the sword.
I mean the reflection of the sunlight in
the sword.
Like it's so illuminating.
He said.
I felt like kissing the sword.
Because it reminded me of your radiant smile.
You know.
So when he came back with this poetry.
I mean they got married.
So anyway.
Now we say.
It can't be that strong a laughter.
Because he didn't kiss the sword.
Yes that's true.
That's a very nice one.
Nobody for all the people ever explained.
Explaining this said this.
I'm going to include that in my shah.
His love was not strong.
Because he didn't kiss the sword.
So anyway.
So now let's go back.
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says.
And those who love Allah.
Their love is even stronger than love of
anybody.
Even this man in the midst of the
war.
Thinking about his beloved one.
And being confused.
Because you know.
The reflection of the sun of the swords.
Reminded him of her radiant smile.
Even that kind of love.
Nothing.
And those who believe.
Their love for Allah is stronger.
Than any other love for anybody else.
Okay.
So we see this.
And this is why.
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
In the Muslim of Imam Ahmed.
He made a very nice dua.
And he said.
Allahumma.
Oh Allah.
I beg you.
Allahumma.
Inni as'aluka hubbak.
Oh Allah.
I beg you for your love.
I beg for you to love me.
Allahumma inni as'aluka hubbak.
Wa hubba man yuhibbu.
And I beg you.
For letting those.
Who love you.
Love me.
Subhanallah.
Ajeeb.
He says.
Oh Allah.
I beg you to love me.
And I beg you to let those.
Who love you.
Love me.
I beg you to grant me love.
For all the deeds.
That draw me closer to your love.
And that was not sufficient.
He went on.
And he said.
Allahumma.
He said.
Oh Allah.
I make loving you.
More beloved to me.
Than my love for.
Cool water.
Going through my dry throat.
That's a nice one.
Isn't it?
People would say.
Oh that sounds like.
Very Rumi like.
Very Sufi poem like.
This is the words.
These are the words.
Of the Prophet.
Aleyhissalatu wassalam.
You know.
And people of the.
So they inspire themselves.
With the words of the Prophet.
Sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam.
Because he.
Is.
Is the master.
Of expressing.
His love for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
He says.
You're disobedient.
Towards Allah.
And yet you.
Declare to love him.
Verily.
This is something very strange.
If your love for him.
Would have been genuine.
You would have obeyed him.
Because someone.
Who loves his beloved one.
Obeys the one he loves.
No.
So he said.
Yani.
If you claim to love Allah.
And you're disobedient.
Then your claims are false.
They're treacherous.
They're lies.
So loving is.
You know love.
Like Ibn Al-Qayyim.
Rahimullah Azawajal said.
Like love even changes.
The way.
Something smells.
And the way something tastes.
Abdullah ibn Umar.
Radhiallahu anhu.
Was eating.
And there was a dish.
That he didn't like.
And then he saw the Prophet.
Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Eating that dish.
So he tried it.
And he said.
And it became my favorite dish.
Love even changes your senses.
Love changes everything.
So loving Allah.
Subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Is something in the second part.
That we are going to talk about.
About maqamul hubb.
The stadium.
Of love.
Yani the maqamul hubb.
How would you translate maqam?
Status.
The status of love.
Yani in the books of tasawwuf.
We always see two things.
We see al-manzilah and al-maqam.
Al-manazil and al-maqam.
Al-maqam is something which doesn't leave you.
And al-manzilah is something you don't leave.
Meaning.
Like you do your best to love Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala.
You want to stay there.
But at a certain point.
It becomes your second nature.
Your first nature.
And it doesn't leave you ever again.
So we are going to talk inshallah about
maqamul hubb.
And about the status of love.
And what it means.
And what our pious predecessors said about loving
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
But one sentence.
I think is very strong.
And it says.
Loving is all about forgetting yourself.
That's true love.
Loving is forgetting.
Everything apart from the beloved.
That's love.
So the stronger your love.
The stronger your focus on your beloved one.
And the weaker your focus on yourself.
Is that clear?
And this.
Is why you see that all these people.
They didn't love sleep anymore.
They didn't love eating anymore.
They were filled with love.
And if you look at people who fall
in love.
I'm not talking about a halal, haram issue
here.
I'm talking about the biological state of the
body.
When someone is in love.
The butterfly love.
Then all of a sudden they don't feel
like eating anymore.
They don't feel like sleeping anymore.
And scientists say.
And at the beginning of marriage.
Very often there is that sparkle of love.
Which then after between six months and a
year and a half.
Then this goes away and turns into love.
Not being in love.
And they say it has to be like
this.
Because if the body would be in a
state of being in love.
For longer than a year and a half.
It would collapse.
Because there are different hormones that are released.
And that causes someone to be concentrated only.
On the one he or she loves.
And this is also very often why people
say.
You've changed.
I was always the same.
No, no, no.
You changed.
In the beginning you didn't do this.
No, no, no.
You were blindly in love.
You only saw that what you loved.
At the very beginning.
And then you started seeing the other things
as well.
You see that?
So this is the state of the body
and the mind.
When it is in love.
You see that?
So when people love Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
Imagine what it does to them.
When you truly experience that love.
If creation for creation for a year and
a half.
They don't seem to be thinking of anything
else.
Oh, I gotta go.
I gotta go.
I can't eat.
I can't sleep.
I can't this.
I can only think about him.
That's creation and creation.
What about creation?
When creation loves creator.
But is loved back by the creator.
Because as they say.
The point is not to love Allah.
The point is to be loved.
Because you can say.
Oh, I feel so much love for Allah.
But maybe Allah doesn't love you.
What do you do then?
Gonna knock on the door.
Amongst creation.
Oh, mashallah.
I really feel I want to get married
to you.
I don't want to get married to you.
Where are you now?
Your love turns into pain.
Into despair.
Into sadness and a broken heart.
So loving without being loved in return is
pain.
So our goal is to concentrate on.
What can we do to be beloved by
Allah?
More than concentrating on.
What can I do to love Allah?
Because when Allah loves you.
You will love him.
When Allah loves you.
You will love him.
So this is where we need to concentrate
on.
You want to say something?
Just repeat the last line again.
What was my last line?
The one.
Not to try.
Not to find ways to love Allah.
Yes.
So our main concentration should not be on.
I don't know.
I never say.
I just talk.
I don't rehearse these sentences.
Concentrate on learning how to have Allah love
us.
Because if Allah loves us.
Then we will.
Okay.
It's recorded isn't it?
Okay.
So what minute is it now?
Yes.
Okay.
So Alhamdulillah.
So we need to learn how to concentrate.
How to love Allah.
More than we should concentrate.
Sorry.
We should concentrate more on.
Being beloved by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
To concentrate on how to love Allah.
Because when we.
When are loved by Allah.
We will eventually love Allah.
That's the way it works.
But you can't force Allah to love you.
So it's something you should beg for.
Something you should beg for.
And I want to end on the following
note.
Of Iman Ghazali.
In his book.
Where he says that a man was.
Repenting to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
For more than 30 or 20 years.
And he was always repenting.
Repenting.
Repenting.
It was for a small sin.
Our pious predecessors.
They would repent for things.
That we do.
That we laugh away.
You know.
But they asked nothing.
They would repent like 30, 40 years.
So he was doing this for 30, 40
years.
And then before going to bed.
He said.
I still don't have feeling that Allah forgave
me.
I mean 30 years.
Yeah but it's a lot.
He went to bed.
And in his dream.
Someone said.
Do you really think.
That it's an easy thing for you.
To be loved by Allah.
He said.
What do you mean?
He says.
Allah says.
Allah loves those who repent.
So when you ask Allah to accept your
repentance.
You're actually asking you to love him again.
After you having turned your back to him.
That's what you're doing.
Like when you imagine.
Insulting someone.
Yes.
And you are a shoelace.
And you are a doorbell.
You are insulting that person.
So you're saying the worst things you can
imagine.
And you broke that person's heart.
And he's crying.
And he say.
Yeah keep on crying.
I don't care.
You can even cry in * if you
like.
You know.
And then you go away.
Imagine that.
And the next day.
You go to that person.
You say.
You want to go play tennis together.
He'll kick you out.
You say.
Like who do you think you are?
We're doing this.
Now you're doing that.
But with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Some people say.
Ya Rabbi why me?
Can't you do this to somebody else?
Ya Rabbi sorry I prayed too late today.
I gathered all my prayers.
So we are doing so many things.
Then we go away.
And we think we can just walk back
in.
Yes.
You can walk back into the action.
But you might not walk back into the
love.
You see that?
So this is why when we repent.
We should actually keep in mind.
That we are asking Allah to love us
again.
As he loved us before the sin.
You see that?
And so Allah loves those who repent.
So when you ask Allah to forgive you.
You are asking Allah to love you again.
As he loved you before you.
Having turned your back to him.
That's what it means.
So we have a break of 10 minutes
inshallah.
It's 10 o'clock.
And then we continue.