- TV Symposiums
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- ٠53 The Symposiums of February Nights - Al-Watan TV Channel
Forward:
Sheikh Nabil:
Welcome back to this studio in Al-Watan TV Channel. This night is one of February nights during which we celebrate the national days of Kuwait. This year we have a religious program that is very special; there are many distinguished guests with us. I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome a noble scholar, who is Dr. M. Rateb Al-Nabulsi, welcome to our program.
Dr. Nabulsi:
May Allah bless you.
Sheikh Nabil:
Dr. M. Rateb Al-Nabulsi is a well-known Islamic scholar who appears on many TV channels, so I think there is need to introduce him to the spectators. Let me start my conversation directly with you. Dear Dr. Nabulsi, it is the first time you join us in celebrating our national days of Kuwait which take place on February, some of these days are the independence day of Kuwait, the liberation day, and so on. We celebrate many national days in this month and it is the first year you join us in celebrating them, so what does that mean to you?
The Prophet PBUH was the first to introduce citizenship and coexistence:
Dr. Nabulsi:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings upon Sayyidina Muhammad, his noble Folk, and his noble Companions the trustees of his noble mission and the leaders of his brigades, and be pleased with them and us, O Lord of the Worlds. Sheikh Nabil may Allah reward you with goodness.
First of all, when the Prophet, peace be upon him, entered Yathrib (Al-Madinah) and made the first peace treaty between the tribes of its multi-religious society, he said:
"They (the people of Yathrib) are from one and the same community".
This means he, peace be upon him, was the first who introduced the concepts of citizenship and coexistence. Citizenship means that people who belong to the same nation share common challenges and interests.
Sheikh Nabil:
Dear Dr. Nabulsi, sorry about interrupting you, as I know in Al-Madinah (Yathrib) there were Muslims and Jews.
Dr. Nabulsi:
In Al-Madinah there were two Arab tribes: Al-Awus and Al-Khazraj, some of them were Muslims, while sh3er were pagans. In addition to that, there were Jews, Christians, Mawali (non-Arab Muslims), Bedouins, and Al-Muhajireen (the immigrants). Nevertheless, the first words of the Prophet, peace be upon him, when he made a peace treaty between them, were as follows,
"They (the people of Yathrib) are from one and the same community. They share common peace and war".
Which means the Prophet, peace be upon him, introduced the earliest concepts of citizenship and coexistence, but many people may pay no attention to this point. Thus, the first line of the peace treaty made by the Prophet, peace be upon him, between the tribes of Yathrib is that
"They (the people of Yathrib are from one and the same community. They share common peace and war."
Sheikh Nabil: From this standpoint, you join us in celebrating our national days. Anyway, I'd like to ask you about many things, Dear Dr. Nabulsi, first of all, why do many people know nothing about the purpose of their existence in this world or the purpose of their life?
Man's safety depends on the righteousness of his actions:
Dr. Nabulsi:
The reason is that the human being is a moving creature; he is motivated by the need of food and drink in order to maintain his existence as an individual, by the need of marriage in order to preserve the human race and by the need of self-assertion in order to preserve his reputation. Thus, the human being is motivated by those three needs, and for this reason he is a moving creature. When he acts correctly (when he follows the teachings of Islam), he will be saved and pleased, but when he does not, he will be distressed and wretched.
Sheikh Nabil:
Dear Dr. Nabulsi, people (non-Muslims) in the West live a wonderful life; the nature there is breathtaking, they live in modern cities, they use the best means of transport, their world is ruled by order and law, they earn high incomes, their economy is strong, and they enjoy the highest standards of living. Is not this the perfect and the ideal life?
Whoever cares about the worldly life and neglects the eternal life is not prudent:
Dr. Nabulsi:
Actually, whoever is intelligent is not necessary a wise man. Someone may be at the highest level of intelligence, and he may enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. However, as long as he is oblivious of the purpose of his existence, which is performing righteous deeds in order to enter Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth and be pleased by getting the close Proximity of Allah the Almighty forever. Such a person is considered clever, but not wise since he ignores the eternal life and only cares about the worldly life. Actually, not every intelligent person is prudent, because intelligence can be limited to handling our affairs in the worldly life. For instance, we may be perfect in managing only our earthy affairs, have an ultimate luxurious lifestyle, subject everything for our own advantage and enjoy perfect life. Yet, leading such life shows our forgetfulness of the fact that Allah the Almighty has created us for everlasting life in Paradise which is as wide as the heavens and the earth.
Sheikh Nabil:
Dear Dr. Nabulsi, some people claim that almost all pleasures are prohibited in Islam, while the non-Muslims in the West greatly enjoy their life since everything there is allowed, how can you refute this claim?
There is no deprivation of enjoying pleasures in Islam, but they are controlled:
Dr. Nabulsi:
Each lust Allah the Almighty has created inside man has a pure way through which it can be satisfied lawfully. Thus, there is no deprivation of fulfilling desires in Islam. Let me repeat it once again, each desire Allah the Almighty has installed inside man has a lawful means through which it can be fulfilled. Therefore, there is no deprivation of fulfilling desires in Islam, but rather Islam helps man keep his lust under control and satisfy it through a pure and lawful way. Thus, there is a great pure way to fulfil every desire. For example, when someone gets married to a woman, he will be fairly pleased with her beauty, fidelity and warm affection, and he will be blessed with loving children who will fill his household with happiness. This marriage is based on fulfilling a lust Allah the Almighty has created inside man. Thus, Allah the Almighty has created lusts and desires inside man, and He has made a pure way through which these lusts can be fulfilled lawfully.
Sheikh Nabil:
You mean sexual relationships are divided into two types: the allowed and prohibited ones.
There is no blame upon he who satisfies his desires according to Allah's Guidance:
Dr. Nabulsi:
The Muslim husband may have sex with his wife, then perform the late night voluntary prayer (after performing Ghusl), and he may weep in Salah out of full submissiveness. He makes no mistake when he fulfils his lust according to Allah's Method (of do's and don'ts). Unlike him, the one who has an unlawful sexual relationship, which is against Allah's Order, will be veiled from Allah the Almighty. Let me repeat this critical point: In Islam, man is not deprived of fulfilling his desires and lusts, but rather he keeps these desires under control; he fulfills them according to Allah's Orders and Prohibitions. The proof of this point is mentioned in the following Noble Ayah in which Allah the Almighty says:
"And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah?"
According to the scholars of Usul Al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic jurisprudence), the counter-meaning of the above-mentioned Noble Ayah is that there is no blame upon the one who follows his own lusts in accordance with Allah's Guidance.
Sheikh Nabil:
Dear Dr. Nabulsi, many young people are in a state of despair these days, as they feel that they are fully immersed in sins, and that there is no hope of salvation. They wish they could be like the true believers, but they lose all hope and feel utterly desperate.
The gate of repentance is always wide open until the Day of Resurrection:
Dr. Nabulsi:
The answer to this question is mentioned in the following Noble Ayaat:
"Say: "O 'Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. "
"Allah wishes to accept your repentance,"
The Prophet, peace be upon him, mentioned the story of a Bedouin who was riding his camel (on which he put all his provision of food and drink) in a waterless desert, then he took a nap, but when he woke up he did not find it. He got extremely confused and lost all hope of survive. He cried and cried with pain until he slept for a while, but when he woke up he found that camel standing before him. Out of boundless joy, he said:
"O Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord." The Prophet, peace be upon him, then said, "He commits this mistake out of extreme delight"."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"Verily, Allah is more delighted with the repentance of His servant than a person who lost his camel in a desert land and then found it (unexpectedly)."
This means when a young man turns to Allah the Almighty in repentance and mends his relationship with Him, a caller calls out among those in the heavens and the earth asking them to congratulate so and so, because he has reconciled with Allah. Furthermore, Allah the Almighty is always waiting for the sinners to repent. It was narrated that when the worshipper of Allah supplicates Him while he is kneeling in Salah saying, "O My Lord", Allah the Almighty says to him, "Here I Am, O My worshipper", and when he supplicates Allah while he is prostrating in Salah saying, "O My Lord", Allah the Almighty says to him, "Here I Am, O My worshipper." As for the sinner, when he supplicates Allah the Almighty saying, "O My Lord", Allah says to him, "Here I Am, Here I Am, Here I Am."
Sheikh Nabil:
Dear Dr. Nabulsi, I want to talk to you about a group of Muslims who are fully immersed in fulfilling their lusts, who only believe in reason and deny the Naql (authoritative and authentic narration) and the Wahi (Revelation), who follow some atheism websites and who meet some atheists. Consequently, they become atheists and deny the existence of Allah. I want to discuss this issue with you since you are a specialist in the study of the scientific inimitability of the Noble Qur'an and Sunnah, how could you prove that the universe indicates the Existence of Allah the Almighty? A Muslim's mother may complain bitterly to you against her son saying that he doesn't believe in Allah the Almighty, or against her daughter who asks some questions which indicate that she denies the Existence of Allah the Almighty. Furthermore, some of them may say in a challenging way that the Lord does not exist.
Reflecting on Allah's Ayaat and Signs is the best way to believe in Him:
Dr. Nabulsi:
Let's ponder over one of the most insignificant creatures, which is the mosquito. After examining the mosquito by the electron microscope, scientists found that the mosquito has 100 eyes in its head, 48 teeth in its mouth and 3 hearts; a central one and one for each of its wings, and in each heart there are 2 atriums, 2 ventricles and 2 valves. Furthermore, it has a sophisticated device that aircrafts do not have! It has a thermal receiving device, with the sensitivity of 0.001 degrees Centigrade Celsius, and with which it can recognize the subjects according to the heat produced by them, not by their shapes, mess or colors. Moreover, it has a blood testing system, because not all kinds of blood suit it. Also, it has blood liquefaction system and an anesthetic. There are 6 knives in its trunk: 4 knives to make a square-shaped cut, while the other 2 knives join together to form a tube with which it sucks blood, and it has claws and lancets in its legs. Allah the Almighty says:
"Verily, Allah is not ashamed to set forth a parable even of a mosquito or so much more when it is bigger (or less when it is smaller) than it."
Thus, you can ponder over the most insignificant creatures; the mosquito whose weight is no more than 0.001 gram. The poet said:
In everything you will find a Sign
which indicates that there is no God but Allah Alone
***
Consider the nearest flaming star to the earth, which is four light years away from us. The light travels 300.000 km per second, but if we multiply 300.000 by 60, we will know how many kilometers the light travels per one minute. If we multiply the sum by 60, we know how many kilometers the light travels per hour, if we multiply the sum by 24, we know how many kilometers the light travels per day, and if we multiply the sum by 365, we know how many kilometers the light travels per year. Finally, if we multiply the sum by 4, we know how many kilometers the light travels by 4 light years.
According to this calculation, it is easy to measure the distance between the earth and the nearest blazing star to it. If we want to cross that distance using a vehicle at the speed of 100km/h, we should divide the final sum by 100 to know how many hours our trip takes, then by 24 to know how many days it takes, and then by 365 to know how many years it takes. The result is that we need 50 million years to reach the nearest flaming star to the earth using a vehicle at the speed of 100km/h. But how about the pole star which is 4000 light years away from us, how about the Andromeda which is 2 million light-years away from us? How many years does our trip take to reach the recently discovered star which is 24 million light-years away from the earth? If 4 light-years equal 50 million years, then how about 24 million light-years! Allah the Almighty says:
" So I swear by Mawaqi (setting or the mansions, etc.) of the stars (they traverse). * And verily, that is indeed a great oath, if you but know."
The decision man makes concerning his fate is unshakable:
Whoever wants to believe (whoever searches for the truth honestly) will find many Signs which indicate Allah's Existence. Allah the Almighty says:
"And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty,"
The poet said:
In everything you will find a Sign
which indicates that there is no God but Allah Alone.
***
We can reflect on the creation of everything, starting with the most insignificant to the vast universe. Allah the Almighty says:
"And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty,"
If you want to achieve great success in this worldly life, you should seek knowledge, if you want to achieve great success in the Hereafter, you should also seek knowledge, and if you want to achieve excellence in this life and in the Hereafter, you should seek knowledge as well. Moreover, if you have great interest in acquiring knowledge, you will gain only a part of it, while if you show little interest in that, you will acquire nothing. Thus, the decision man makes concerning his fate is irreversible when it is based on strong will and deep faith. Allah the Almighty says:
"Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen"
I would like to assure you that when a young man searches honestly for the truth, then terminating the whole world is less significant in the Sight of Allah than leaving him without guidance.
Sheikh Nabil:
Dear Dr. Nabulsi, those atheists say openly that there is no God. Not to mention, they have some websites like the Arabs atheists, or the Gulf atheists. They do not believe in the Existence of the Lord, and they boast about that in public!
Atheism is superficial while faith is deeply rooted in man's heart:
Dr. Nabulsi:
Consider the following Noble Ayah:
"By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined sh3er in worship with Allah." * Look! How they lie against themselves!"
Actually, the concept of the Existence of Allah is deeply rooted in the atheist's heart. Once, a group of Soviet experts boarded a plane whose flight was from Damascus to Moscow. Unfortunately, the plane flew through an electrified cloud, and it was about to fall down, thereupon all those atheist experts suddenly invoked Allah saying, "O Allah, O Allah! (save us!)." Hence, atheism is only a superficial and a nominal attitude, while the belief in the Existence of Allah the Almighty is deeply rooted in man's heart.
Some scholars said,:"The universe is considered a silent Qur'an, (which means the creation of the universe shows the Existence and the Greatness of Allah), the Noble Qur'an is considered a speaking universe (with regard to the scientific inimitability of the Noble Qur'an) and the Prophet, peace be upon him, is considered a moving Qur'an (which means that Islam was embodied perfectly in the exalted and morals manner of the Prophet, peace be upon him).
Dear Sheikh Nabil, may Allah bless you, there are 1300 Ayaat in the Noble Qur'an in which the scientific inimitability is manifested, and all these Ayaat are really great. Accordingly, it is easy to get to know about Allah the Almighty and to get closer to Him. Furthermore, "when a servant turns back to Allah the Almighty in repentance and mends his relationship with Him, a caller calls out among those of the heavens and the earth asking them to congratulate so and so, because he reconciled with Allah the Almighty." A poet said:
Obey Our Orders, and you won't be veiled from us anymore
As We bestow Our Content upon those who love Us
And seek refuge with Us to protect you
from Our creations who are malevolent
And let nothing distract you from Our Remembrance,
and be faithful to Us, so that you will live happily
Leave all your affairs to Us,
and believe that closeness and alienation are in Our Hand.
***
How shameful I will be, when Allah will ask me
O My servant, have you not read My Book (the Noble Qur'an)?
Are you not ashamed of yourself Us?
Is it not enough committing sins?
Do you not dread My Blame
when We will meet on the Last Day?
Is it not the time to abstain from sins,
to turn to Us in repentance
and to await your reward from Us?
If your eyes saw Our Beauty,
you would never turn your back on Us for sh3er' sake
If your ears heard Our Nice Speech,
you would cast away the garb of arrogance and come to Us
If you taste an atom like of Our Love,
you would excuse him who loved Us to death
If you felt the affection of being close to Us,
you would die in exauthorment and eagerness for Us
Our Love is not easy to get, and whoever claims so
We tell him, "You are quite ignorant of Us."
***
Sheikh Nabil:
Dear Dr. Nabulsi, there are many doubts about Islam, but I am running out of time. Let's discuss the current situation of Muslims, which makes sh3er have negative attitude towards Islam. For example, the way Muslims get themselves ready to pray in Masjid; they do not stand in organized rows, while the non-Muslims in the West are highly organized, which means most Muslims live in a state of disorder. Furthermore, many bad habits are widespread among them, such as lying and cheating, and they mistreat sh3er. This situation completely contradicts the teachings of Islam concerning many aspects, and it makes other people have a bad idea about Islam. What do think?
Man's success is in searching for the truth by getting back to its real sources:
Dr. Nabulsi:It is a big and even a strategic mistake to get to know about Islam by watching the mistakes of its followers (Muslims), not by studying its true resources (the Noble Qur'an and Sunnah). In other words, when I watch the bad behavior of a sinful negligent Muslim who does not follow the teachings of Islam, and he thinks that he represents Islam, I will be hugely disappointed. Thus, the real success is to search for the truth by getting back to its true resources. Allah the Almighty says:
"As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allah's Religion - Islamic Monotheism)."
This is the psychological strive, and Allah the Almighty takes upon Himself to guide His creatures. Allah the Almighty says:
"Truly! Ours it is (to give) guidance,"
By Allah, the extinction of the whole world is less significant in the Sight of Allah than leaving the young man who is searching for the truth without guidance, but he should be full of determination. Thus, the decision man makes concerning his fate is unchangeable as long as it is based on strong determination and deep faith.
Sheikh Nabil:
Dear Dr. Nabulsi, your talk is really nice, and people admire the way you dress; you are an Islamic scholar who wears elegant suits and delivers many speeches all around the world. When I was in Stockholm, Sweden, I attended some of your lectures, and they were really fascinating. Tomorrow, you will meet Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Ya'cob in a symposium on Al-Watan TV, and I will be only your host.
Dr. Nabulsi:
You are a great scholar whom I deeply admire.
Sheikh Nabil:
The meeting will start at half past seven, so those who want to attend it should be present here at seven O'clock, Insha' Allah. Dear Dr. Nabulsi, what will the topic of your speech be tomorrow?
Muslims' dilemmas are symptoms of the weakness of faith:
Dr. Nabulsi:
It occurred to me that I should talk about a widespread epidemic disease that is called the weakness of faith. The critical point I want to discuss is that all Muslims' dilemmas and problems are not diseases, but rather they are the symptoms of one disease, which is the weakness of faith. To illustrate this point, consider the following example: When an experienced doctor wants to treat a child who has a temperature, he will not only give him antipyretic, because fever is a sign of an inflammation in the body. That doctor will not treat the child successfully unless he treats the inflammation. Likewise, there are countless problems in Muslims' life, and I've mentioned some of which. In fact, these problems are the symptoms of one disease, which is turning away from Allah the Almighty. On the other hand, as for those who get closer to Him, Allah the Almighty addresses them saying:
"Verily, those who say: "Our Lord is Allah (Alone)," and then they Istaqamu, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): "Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised!"
"Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds,:
"Is he whom We have promised an excellent promise (Paradise), which he will find true, like him whom We have made to enjoy the luxuries of the life of (this) world,"
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him whether it wants to or not."
The only thing standing between the young man who wants to repent and guidance, between him and happiness and between him and being exalted in Allah's Sight is seeking Allah's Satisfaction. This young man is only supposed to say, for instance, "O Allah, guide me to get closer to You and to get to know about You, and help me control my ownself (forbidden lusts and desires)." Allah the Almighty always awaits our repentance.
It was narrated in the relic that Allah the Almighty says:
"Allah the Exalted says in Hadith Qudsi, 'O Dawud, had the heedless known how much I long for them and wait for them to leave their sins, their limbs would have been turned into pieces out of their love for Me. That is my Will towards the heedless, so how would I be with those who draw near to Me?'"
In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah the Almighty says:
"O son of Adam! Seek Me and you will find Me. When you find Me, you will find everything else, but if you turn away from Me, you will miss everything else"
In another Hadith Qudsi, Allah the Almighty says:
"Myself, Mankind and Jinn are in a great serious state. I create them, then they worship other gods that they make for themselves; I bless them with My Bounties, then they thank someone else for what I sent them; My Mercy descends to them while their evil deeds ascend to Me; I endear them with My Gifts even though I have no need for any of them while they alienate themselves from Me with their sins even though they are desperate for My Help. Whoever returns to Me, I accept him no matter how far he is; and whoever turns away from Me, I approach him and call on him. My dear people are those who are with Me (i.e. whoever would like to be with Me, let him supplicate to Me and remember Me). Whoever thanks Me, I grant him more blessings; whoever obeys Me, I raise him and endear him more. Whoever disobeys Me, I keep the doors of My Mercy open for him; if he returns to Me, I bestow My Love upon him since I love those who repent and purify themselves for My Sake. If he does not repent, I will be his doctor."
Conclusion and farewell:
Sheikh Nabil:
Dear Dr. Nabulsi, tomorrow we will continue our discussion Insha' Allah. I know that all of the spectators are eager to listen to your discussion. To be honest with you, we all slacken in performing our duties towards Allah, so we ask you to motivate us to fulfill them properly.
Dear spectators, I've listened to many of Dr. M. Rateb Nabulsi's lectures, and I'm sure you will all enjoy his style of discussing issues. Next lecture, he will give a practical solution, not a theoretical or an infeasible one to those whose faith is weak. Tomorrow, Insha' Allah, we will meet Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Ya'cub and Dr. M. Rateb Al-Nabulsi.
Comfort your heart by performing acts of obedience to your Lord. See you tomorrow, Insha' Allah. As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatu Allah wa Barakatoh (May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you).
