Masjid At-Taqwa: Meaning of Taqwa (Fear of Allah)
- Seminars and Lectures abroad / ٠01 Masjid At-Taqwa- Morning lectures 1
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- Masjid At-Taqwa- part 1
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
The mind needs Divine Light to distinguish right from wrong:
Dear brothers, the subject of this meeting is the meaning of the following Noble Ayah in which Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious) ﴿
Let me tell you the following example to clarify the meaning of piety (the fear of Allah): when you go to the ophthalmologist to test your eye vision, you should identify the symbols on the eye chart; either it is letter "C" or " E", etc. and you should identify the direction the letter faces (left, up, down, or right). Also, there are six lines; the first line has very large letters, then each line below gets incrementally smaller. If you can read the last line correctly, it indicates that your vision is 6/6, whereas other people's vision might be 6/4, 6/3, 6/2, etc. So, if you can read the smallest row accurately, you have perfect eyesight. However, without light, there would be no sight.
If someone sits in a completely dark room, can he see anything? Of course not. Even if your eyesight is perfect, you cannot see anything without light which acts as a mediator. Thus, if you sit in a completely dark windowless room, you cannot see any object in that room; if there is a chair or a TV screen in that room, you will not be able to see anything.
The question to be asked here is: as long as the human eye, which has many unique characteristics and which is the most complex organ in the human body, becomes useless and cannot see without the mediator- the light- then what about the human mind which is, without exaggeration, the most complex thing in the universe? Furthermore, the brain contains 140 billion brown cells whose function is still unknown.
So, just as the eye needs light to see, the mind needs Divine Light ( i.e. the Light of Allah) to understand the realities, otherwise, it will understand nothing, and man will commit sins, wrongdoings, immoral acts, aggression, oppression, and murders and will not obey Allah the Almighty and abide by His Orders and Prohibitions. Thus, the mind needs Divine Light to realize the realities just as the eye needs light to see. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (And have they hearts wherewith to understand ﴿
Actually, the Noble Qur'an is Al-Furqan (i.e. the absolute criterion) that distinguishes right from wrong. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe [in Musa (Moses) (i.e. Jews) and 'Iesa (Jesus) (i.e. Christians)]! Fear Allah, and believe too in His Messenger (Muhammad PBUH). ﴿
Pay attention to the rest of this Ayah, please:
﴾ He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight), and He will forgive you. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ﴿
The word "light" in this Noble Ayah refers to the Noble Qur'an. So, just as light is so essential to sight especially at night, the Diving Light; the Light of Revelation (the Noble Quran and Sunnah) is so essential to your mind in order to be guided, lest the mind will go astray, such as some East Asian people who worship cows; if a cow walks into a fruit store and eats half of the fruit, the store owner will celebrate this moment, because this sacred animal has walked in his store! Actually, many false doctrines are so widespread in the Middle East. Also, some Asian people worship rats; I read a detailed article in a German magazine about that. Thus, dear brothers, the mind needs light (i.e. Divine Light) in order to be guided.
Let us ask ourselves: Where does misguidance come from? It comes from turning away from Islam, and that is why some people are materialists, leftists, or rightists. Also, that is why some people believe that religion is nothing but a myth, and others believe in Paganism, etc. So, there are many false beliefs in the world whereas we, as Muslims, have a great blessing; the Divine Revelation, the Commands of Allah the Creator, and the Words of Allah the Almighty, i.e. the Noble Qur'an and the Noble Sunnah. Verily, these are the greatest blessings ever.
Some people are well acquainted with these false beliefs. Believe it or not, some people worship the male sex organ! This is according to reliable information.
Allah the Almighty has honored us with Islam, and He has showered His Great Blessings on all of us that we worship Him; that we worship the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the Most Great.
The West wage wars against Islam in many ways:
Worship is defined as a voluntary act of obedience, mixed with full heartedly love, based on certain knowledge and leads to eternal happiness. Let us ask ourselves this question: Why are Muslims so weak and oppressed although there are over two billion Muslims worldwide? Consider the following Noble Hadith:
(( The Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said: "Twelve thousand men among my nation will not be defeated as a result of smallness of number." ))
These are the words of the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him; that twelve thousand men among the Islamic Ummah (nation) will not be defeated as a result of smallness of number. Regrettably, our population, as Muslims, is over two billion, and we own 50% of the earth's natural wealth and resources, and our countries are located in the most important strategic position; the natural land bridge connecting three continents ( i.e. Asia, Africa, and Europe), nevertheless, 5 Islamic countries are occupied. So, why is this all happening (i.e. why are Muslims so weak)? This is because Islam is a source of power only when we apply its teachings and establish Islam in our life, otherwise, it will become a burden on us. Unfortunately, Muslims are accused of terrorism, whereas during the world wars, 50 million people were killed, and according to historians, deaths directly caused by wars are estimated at 400 million. However, no one was charged with terrorism. On the other hand, if one person was killed by mistake, the doer will be immediately accused of being a terrorist.
In fact, nowadays there is a worldwide war against Islam, and Islam is their only target, but you may ask yourself: Why do the west do that although Islam is the only true religion? The answer is that according to an in-depth study, if the teachings of Islam are implemented in the west, they would lose about 65% of the profits they make from nightclubs, bars, selling alcohol, and other immoral activities and practices. So they make enormous profits from these immoral activities; the person who has no morals spends money carelessly to fulfill his illicit desires. Most of their huge profits come from activities and practices that are prohibited in Islam, and that is why they wage war against this religion, since it is against their own economic interests.
Allah the Almighty, the Creator of the universe and the earth has guided us to the Straight Path out of His Great Grace and Bounty. We worship Him, and we have His Divine Book; the Noble Qur'an, and the Sunnah; the teachings of His infallible Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him. Furthermore, Islam is far away from idolatry, sanctifying religious people, myths, superstitious, and other widespread false beliefs. Muslims worship Allah the Almighty Alone, they are one nation, they have the same Qur'an all over the world, and they follow the same religion.
However, the President of Albania once said, "It is really strange that although there are 800 types of different beliefs in East Asia, they live in harmony, whereas you all, as Muslims, follow the same religion, believe in one God, and have the same Qur'an. Yet, numerous disputes and conflicts arise among you! Verily, this is an utter shame for all of us as Muslims; we should be united since we are one Ummah, we have the same Divine Book, we all worship Allah the Almighty, and we follow the same teachings of our great religion.
Islam is an anti-racist principle-based religion:
Although our Master Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, was a dark-skinned slave from Abyssinia, he was among the most beloved companions to the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon. Furthermore, when our Master Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, went to Bilal's Master (Umayyah Ibn Khalaf) in order to buy him then to free him, Umayyah said mockingly "I would have sold him to you even if you had offered me but one dirham." Abu Bakr answered, "I would have bought him even if you asked for a hundred dirhams!" Thus, although Bilal was a slave with dark complexion, he was one of the best and the greatest companions of the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him. Thus, there is no place for racism in our great religion. Also, the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said about Salman Al-Farisi (The Persian):
﴾ Salman is one of us, AhlAl-Bayt (the members of the Prophet's household. ﴿
Also, the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said about Suhaib Ar-Rumi, who was a former slave in the Byzantine Empire:
﴾ What a good servant Suhaib is! If he didn't fear Allah, he would not disobey Him. ﴿
On the other hand, Allah the Almighty says about Abu Lahab (the Prophet's uncle) who was descended from Banu Hashim (one of the clans of the Quraysh tribe):
﴾ Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab (an uncle of the Prophet), and perish he. ﴿
What a great religion! Verily, Islam is an anti-racism religion which is based on moral values and principles.
There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab except by piety:
Dear noble brothers, one of the aspects of the greatness of our religion is that all people are as equal as the teeth of a comb; there is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of a non-Arab over an Arab except on the basis of personal piety and righteousness. One of the aspects of social equality in Islam is that people stand beside each other in straight rows in order to perform Salah regardless of their social status; the general manager of agiant company may stand beside the Masjid caretaker or any worker in his company. Verily, there is no room for racism in Islam.
Actually, there are many amazing bright spots in Islam; we have a comprehensive approach, i.e. Allah's Orders and Prohibition, so we should obey Allah's Commandments and abstain from His Prohibitions, we should learn more about Islam in order to understand it, and we should seek the Islamic knowledge and act upon it in our everyday life, whereas the superficial commitment to Islam is valueless. In other words, some people hang a big picture of Ka'bah on the wall at their homes, or hang a mini Quran in their cars, but they do not act upon Islam in their life; they do not abide by Allah's Orders and Prohibitions, they attend meetings in which there is free mixing between men and women, they make money through illegal ways, and they engage in prohibited relationships that do not please Allah the Almighty. That is why we, as Muslims, are above 2 billion and own 50% of the earth's natural wealth and resources. Yet, there are 5 occupied capitals in our Islamic world, and we are completely helpless and powerless, although Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers. ﴿
It is a thousand times impossible that Allah gives the disbelievers a way to triumph over the believers, so when the disbelievers overcome the believers, that means the latters are only superficial Muslims, not true believers, because the Noble Ayaat which talk about the believers clearly show that Allah the Almighty will never give the disbelievers a way to triumph over the believers, and that Allah will empower and support true believers.
Unfortunately, those who are Muslims just because they were born in Muslim families know nothing at all about Islam, they never act upon the teachings of Islam, and they live in a state of heedlessness and negligence, as they attend mixed gatherings in which there is free mixing between men and women, engage in usury, deposit their money in usurious banks, and violate Allah's Orders and Prohibitions. Such Muslims have no value in the Sight of Allah, because they are superficial Muslims. They consider themselves Muslims, they attend Friday Khutbah from time to time, and after they pass away, their bodies will be buried in Muslim graveyards, because they are Muslims. However, they are not true believers as long as they do not practise Islam or apply the teachings of Islam in their daily life. This is why there are above 2 billion Muslims in the world, but they are powerless and helpless. This is the bitter reality.
Reaping the fruit of religious commitment individually and collectively:
The West make their own plans, whereas we let others plan for us. This is the harsh reality. Of course, not everyone do that, but I am talking about the majority of people. The saying goes, "If you do not have a plan, you become part of somebody else's plan." So, do not be easily defeated. Well, to look at things from a balanced point of view, one of the aspects of the greatness of Islam is that we can reap the fruit of religious commitment either individually or collectively. That is to say if all people turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to Allah's Orders, it does no harm for you; as long as you abide by Allah's Orders and Prohibition, you will reap the fruit of your religious commitment on an individual basis. The proof of this point is the following Noble Ayah in which Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Why should Allah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have believed in Him. ﴿
Even if you alone, among 2 billion Muslims, act upon Islam in your daily life, you will reap the fruit of your religious commitment individually, whereas when the whole Ummah apply the teachings of Islam, the entire Ummah will reap the fruit of religious commitment. So, do not lose hope and say: "No one practises the teachings of Islam." I mean even if all your neighbors do not go to the Masjid to perform Fajr prayer in congregation, go by yourself, because the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said about performing Al-Fajr and Al-Isha' prayer in congregation:
(( And if people knew what (virtue) there is in 'Atamah (Al-Isha) and Subh(Al-Fajr) prayer, they would come even if they had to crawl. ))
Actually, most Masajid become too crowded on Friday; many people go to the Masjid to perform Friday prayer, unlike on other days of the week. Concerning this fact, one of the enemies of Islam said, "If the number of people who go to Masjid to perform Fajr prayer becomes as the number of people who go to perform Friday prayer, only then the Muslim Ummah will become invincible".
Dear noble brothers, there should be an Islamic awakening; we have to rethink the way in which we live and behave, and we should practice Islam in our everyday life; at our homes, at work, etc. For example, we, as Muslims, should abstain completely from selling prohibited items.
As I have just said, it does not matter even if all people around you turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to Allah's Order, while you alone act upon the teachings of Islam in your life, you will reap the fruit of your religious commitment, i.e. Allah the Almighty will grant you happiness, tranquility, success, peace of mind, insight and understanding in everything, provided you practise Islam (i.e. adhere to Allah's Orders and Prohibition) in your daily life; at your home, and at your work, etc. For example, you, as a Muslim, should abstain completely from selling any prohibited item, and you should never sell it under the pretext that it is one of the most demanded products.
One time, I advised someone not to sell backgammon boards since playing backgammon is impermissible in Islam. I told him that the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said, "If anyone plays with dice, it is as though he sinks his hand in the flesh of swine and its blood", but he simply said, "I cannot, it is a top-selling product". So, he neglected Allah's Order and sold prohibited product only because this product is in highest demand.
Actually, one of the reasons why playing with dice is impermissible in Islam is that it is a great waste of time. Some people may spend the whole night playing with it, just saying, "SheshBesh"! What's the point of it! They are wasting their time, which is the most precious and valuable thing in their life, because man is nothing but time. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ By Al-'Asr (the time).* Verily! Man is in loss *Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allah has forbidden), and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah's Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc). ﴿
The teachings of Islam are applicable at all times and places
Dear noble brothers, we are in the month of Ramadan; the month of repentance, forgiveness, getting closer to Allah, strengthening your connection with Him, praying Taraweeh (supererogatory night prayer) and performing Fajr prayer at the Masjid in congregation. The Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said:
(( One who performs 'Isha' prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for half of the night. And one who performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat the whole night. ))
I hope you keep on performing the good deeds you do during Ramadan after the end of this blessed month. In other words, you refrain from backbiting during fasting, which is of course a good thing, but you should also refrain from backbiting during Eid and all other days, not only during the month of Ramadan. So, we should obey Allah the Almighty all the time, not only on certain occasions (like the month of Ramadan).
Once, I was on a flight from a Muslim country, then a woman boarded the plane, she sat in first class, took off her Hijab (veil), and she was indecently dressed! It came to my mind that her religious commitment could be called "a regional commitment", or a religious commitment that is associated with the region she stays in. Namely, she wears Hijab in a country where it is required by law, but as soon as she leaves it, she takes her Hijab off. Thus, some people associate their religious commitment with certain occasions (like the month of Ramadan), others associate it with certain regions whereas the true religious commitment is far from that; the Shari'ah ruling (Islamic law) should be applied at all times and in all places. Thus, we have to rethink the way in which we live and behave; you should ask yourself: Do I practise Islam when I am at home? Do I attend gatherings in which there is free mixing between men and women? Do my daughters wear decently or do they wear revealing clothes and follow fashion trends blindly? etc.
I am not exaggerating when I say that a Jewish fashion designer who lives in Paris has full control over Muslim female clothing. It is truly regrettable that some Muslim females follow fashion trends blindly, they wear short or tight revealing clothes, and they prefer tight pants to modest skirts or dresses. Is it reasonable that the Muslim female clothing are under the control of a western fashion designer (instead of adhering to the Islamic conditions of Hijab that it must not be tight nor transparent)? It is really sad that many Muslim females wear pants. Actually, even if pants conceal the color of the skin, pants still describe the size and shape of the body as if women are completely naked. Ironically, some women wear Hijab but at the same time they wear tight pants! This is totally unacceptable!
We should be truly committed to Islam; if most people do not apply the teachings of Islam, and you cannot change the bad habits in this Ummah, then at least practise Islam in your life as an individual, i.e. make sure that your daughters wear decently, remove all channels with an immoral content, refrain from gatherings in which there is free mixing between men and women, and abstain from backbiting, gossip, etc. only then, you will have a true (committed) Muslim family that will be valuable in the Sight of Allah the Almighty and will be under His Protection.
In conclusion, dear noble brothers, may Allah the Almighty keep you, your children, and your families steadfast in faith, and may Allah bless you with good health, protect your wealth and money, and keep the security and stability of your country.
