Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad and upon his noble Folks, Companions, the trustees of his mission and the leaders of his banner, and be pleased with us and them, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion unto the lights of erudition and knowledge, and from the muddy shallows of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity.
The speech of the al-Qarawi poet:
Dear noble brothers, the Lebanese poet Rashid Salim al-Khouri, known as "The Village Poet (al-Qarawi poet)", is a famous expatriate poet who lives in South America, Brazil. He is Christian, but once he was invited to the celebration of the Noble Prophet's Birthday in São Paulo, and he was asked to deliver a speech.
Let me before I go on emphasize this point; his nickname is al-Qarawi poet, and he is Christian, but he was asked to deliver a speech on that occasion in São Paulo, Brazil. I would like to read some paragraphs from his speech:
O Muslims! O Arabs! The Noble Prophet is alive in your speech once every year, but he dies in your heart, minds, and actions a thousand times every day. You remember him once a year, on his birthday, but you forget him in your words, situations, actions, joyful occasions, sorrowful occasions, and celebrations every day a thousand times. Had he been alive inside every one of you, you would have felt that you were reborn, and you would have followed his step. Also, had he been alive inside every one of you, the world would have been as great as Andalusia which was great thousand years ago, the east would have been in harmony with the west for a long time, the advanced materialistic world in the west would have made an alliance with the spiritual Muslim in the east, and the mind would have become in harmony with the heart till the end of life.
The poet went on, "O Muslims; Your enemies attribute to your religion every lie, while your religion is innocent of their fabrications. Islam is accused of being the religion of terrorism and racism, but all these are false claims, and your religion is innocent of their false claims. Unfortunately, you turn these lies into facts by your wrongdoings, and you prove them by neglecting your religion." Listen carefully to these words, please: "Your religion is the one of knowledge, but you are ignorant people; your religion makes things easy for you, but you make them difficult; your religion makes people admire it, but you push them away from it; your religion is the religion of victory, but you are easily broken; your religion ordains Zakat, but you neglect paying it."
Islam spreads surprisingly:
One of the well-known facts, dear brothers, is that the Muslim world owns quietly half of the natural treasure in the world, such as oil, phosphates and many other mineralس. Furthermore, the Muslim world is located in the strategic spot of the earth; it is where three continents meet. However, four Islamic capitals are occupied by misguiding states, the Muslims' affairs are not controlled by them, and their future is planned for them by the enemies of Islam.
The plans are dangerous, for they are against the interests of the Islamic countries. They aim at causing conflicts between us, while those countries are stable, safe and secure. They are liberated and stable, while we are suffering from wars, and bloodshed on daily basis. These are the results of their plans against us. The western world is a villain, and its people pushed us to fight against one another. Regarding this point, I would like to say these words from the bottom of my heart; I swear to Allah that raising any controversial issue among Muslims is a crime against Islam. We, Muslim countries, have ninety-five articles in common, and we have only about 3% or 4% disagreements among us, but the west works on turning these minor and slight differences into major ones.
Let me tell you this bitter fact: Iraq lived in security for about 1000 years, but after the American invasion, the Americans intended to make them sects some of them are "Assyrian", others are "Yazidi", some people are "Sunni" and others are "Shi'it." They separated them from one another. This is why Iraq is no longer the same country it used to be. It was a great country; the oil in Iraq is not that deep; it is only 20 or 30 meters deep. The shallowest oil wells are in Iraq; they are only 30 meters deep. Unfortunately, it has become a weak country. The same goes for Egypt, because it is no longer stable or secure.
How dangerous the conspiracy against the Muslim world is! The Divine Revelation has been revealed to this Muslim World, and it is supported by Al-Haqq (the truth), which no one can deny. Pay attention to these delicate words, please: America is the only global power, which is a fact whether you like it or not. The first power is America and below it there are controlling countries; they are Australia, Canada, Germany, Britain, France and Italy. These countries are not allowed to be more powerful than America.
These countries belong to three groups; the first group includes the pressuring countries, the second group includes the controlled countries, such as Japan, China, India, Pakistan, the African countries, and the South American countries. The countries of this group are not allowed to be more powerful than the pressuring countries.
Unfortunately, the third group includes the destroyed countries, which are the ones of the Muslim World. This world is being destroyed not due to its strategic location, or due to its three important waterways (Suez Canal, Bab al-Mandab, and Hormuz), but because it has a religion that is still alive, moderate, fresh, clear, and its texts are unchangeable and original. Furthermore, it meets man' needs, and it is acceptable. Above all, it is amazingly spreading.
If it keeps growing, it will deprive the west of 65% of its profits that is collected from the revenues of nightclubs, bars and pornography.
According to the west, the whole issue is "To be or not to be". There is a third world war against Islam. It was a hidden war, but at present, it is apparent to everyone. One of the Congress members said, "As long as the west has the upper hand over the Middle East, no Sunni regime is allowed to rule." Is this fact clear to you?
Allah the Almighty undertakes protecting the Noble Quran:
Dear noble brothers, it is an existentialistic issue, "to be or not to be". Listen to the Noble Quran, please:
﴾ Indeed, they planned their plot, and their plot was with Allah, though their plot was a great (one, still)… ﴿
[ Ibrahim, 46 ]
Pay attention to this part of the Ayah, please:
﴾ …It would never be able to remove the mountains (real mountains or the Islamic law) from their places (as it is of no importance) [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 2, Page 597]. [It is said by some interpreters regarding this Verse that the Quraish pagans plotted against Prophet Muhammad PBUH to kill him but they failed and were unable to carry out their plot which they plotted]. ﴿
Allah the Almighty describes their plot in this Ayah as ineffective. In other words, no matter how serious it was, it would never be able to remove the mountains from their places. Can the whole world remove Mount Qasyoun from its place (Qasyoun is a mountain in Damascus the capital of Syria)? Let me repeat the description of their plot one more time:
﴾ …It would never be able to remove the mountains (real mountains or the Islamic law) from their places (as it is of no importance) [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 2, Page 597]. [It is said by some interpreters regarding this Verse that the Quraish pagans plotted against Prophet Muhammad PBUH to kill him but they failed and were unable to carry out their plot which they plotted]. ﴿
After that, Allah, may His Glory be gloried, said:
﴾ So think not that Allah will fail to keep His Promise to His Messengers. Certainly, Allah is All-Mighty, – All-Able of Retribution. ﴿
Let me tell you this delicate fact: annihilating the entire world is easier to Allah than leaving His Promises to the believers unfulfilled. Allah the Almighty has promised you, so calm down. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ So think not that Allah will fail to keep His Promise to His Messengers… ﴿
The higher your spirits are, the greater your faith will be. This religion can never be over simply because Allah the Almighty undertakes protecting it, while He asked the followers of both Judaism and Christianity to protect their Scriptures. The proof is in the following Ayah:
﴾ …for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book… ﴿
This means they were assigned to protect Allah's Book, but they failed in such a mission, so their books were altered. As for the Quran, Allah the Almighty undertakes protecting it:
﴾ Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption). ﴿
The Quran you have in hand is the same one revealed in the era of the Noble Prophet. No book on earth has been protected like the Noble Quran.
Islam is the reason behind our success, stability and happiness:
Dear noble brothers, our religion is great, and it is the reason behind our success, stability, and happiness. I repeat the words of al-Qarawi poet, so please bear with me. He said, "Your religion is the one of knowledge, but you are ignorant people; your religion makes things easy for you, but you make them difficult; your religion makes people admire it, but you push them away from it; your religion is the religion of victory, but you are cowardice; your religion ordains Zakat, but you neglect paying it." Listen what this Christian poet said addressing Allah's Messenger, "O Muhammad, O truly Prophet of Allah, O philosopher of philosophers, O Sultan of rhetoricians, O glory of Arabs and humanity! You did not kill the soul by fulfilling the lusts of the body, you did not ignore uplifted life of man with lusts as it is the case in the west, and you did not despise the physical needs of the body at the expense of glorifying the soul. Your religion is the religion of sound Fitrah. After giving up all its philosophies and sciences, and after getting worried about the doctrines of all the wise, I am sure that humanity's only way out of adversity and the only way for it to restore its soul peace will be by embracing Islam."
Once, when I was in Turkey, a noble brother showed me a research in which a great Christian man in Europe wrote a letter. He said, "The redemption of all nations on earth is gained by the Sunni Islam." These are the words of a well-known priest. I would like to read his letter one more time, "The redemption of all nations on earth is gained by the Sunni Islam [exclusively]".
Al-Qarawi poet went on, "It is the right of the Ummah to raise her head high and utter loudly, using the highest voice, the praises to the prophet PBUH." Then he quoted the poem in which he praised the Prophet, peace be upon him:
The birthday of the Noble Prophet is
actually the birthday of all mankind
It is celebrated in the two easts and the two wests
It is the birthday of the prophet, the son of Abdullah on whose Quran
the light of guidance shines
O you who opened the world to be your Ummah,
making it the abode of the powerful
the eras of Baghdad and Andalusia
the eras I would sacrifice my soul for their sake
Whoever doubts the greatness of his Ummah
let him read what is narrated
in the books of history about it
O my people, the one who reminds you
of these facts is Christian
and keep in mind the east will never progress
but by our brotherhood
If you mention the name
of Allah's Messenger to honor him,
please, send him the greetings of Al-Qarawi poet
A Christian poet said these words because the truth is crystal-clear.
Islam is priceless blessing
I would like to tell you these words: The most precious blessing bestowed upon us is our Islam. I do not know what to say, but believe it or not, there are countries in the east which worship people as their gods. For instance, Buddha is considered a god to some people, while we worship Allah the Almighty. I have a detailed study about those people and their gods, but we do not have enough time today to talk about that. Actually, there are peoples who worship rats, and I have photos of them, whereas other people worship the rain, the stone, the sun, or the moon.
We are honored by Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, since we worship the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and this is, by Allah, the greatest blessing ever. As I told you, there are peoples who worship other than Allah, such as the fire or the rats, and I have the photos of those people while they are worshipping these gods. The rats are offered the best food, because they are considered gods. You should be grateful to Allah for being your Deity; He is the One Who has created the heavens and the earth.
Let me repeat the poem in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, is praised:
The birthday of the Noble Prophet is
actually the birthday of all mankind
It is celebrated in the two easts and the two wests
It is the birthday of the prophet, the son of Abdullah on whose Quran
The light of guidance shines
O you who opened the world to be your Ummah,
making it the abode of the powerful
the eras of Baghdad and Andalusia
the eras I would sacrifice my soul for their sake
Whoever doubts the greatness of his Ummah
let him read what is narrated
in the books of history about it
O my people, the one who reminds you
of these facts is Christian
and keep in mind the east will never progress
If you mention the name of Allah's Messenger to honor him,
please, send him the greetings of Al-Qarawi poet
***
Dear noble brothers, if you apply this great religion, you should feel that none on earth is happier than you save someone who is more pious than you. I am responsible for the words I have just said, so I address all the attendants, including the employee, the business person, the old man, the young one, the rich person, the poor one, the powerful man, the weak one, the one who has good health and the ill person. If one of you does not say, "There is no one on earth happier than me save someone who is more pious than me, then you do not apply this religion properly. Do you know why? Because Allah the Almighty is the origin of beauty, perfection, and endowment. Moreover, as long as you are with Allah, Who is the Most Beautiful, you will be happy about your income whether it is hefty or limited, happy about your age no matter how old you are, happy whether you are weak or strong, and happy about your good health and at times of illness.
Happiness is different from pleasure. There are pleasure and happiness; pleasure is sensual, for its sweetness is tasted by the senses. For instance, you taste the delicious food, you see the spacious house that is 450 meters with a view of the sea, and you see the Rose-Rice car. These pleasures are shown to other people, such as the expensive car, the luxurious house, the beautiful wife, the prominent social position, the astronomical income and so on.
In fact, the problem with the pleasure of having something is that it requires the fulfillment of three conditions, and due to Divine Profound Wisdom, the three conditions can never be fulfilled together; there must be a missing one. At one's prime time, he has good health, but has limited financial means, and as you know fulfilling pleasure requires considerable income. Also, when one becomes in his 40s, he will have enough money and good health, but he will not have enough time for joy.
An owner of a factory said to me, "By Allah, for 36 years, I have not gone for a picnic. I spend most of my time in the factory, because the day I am off, things go out of control." When this man gets older, he will let his children manage the production process in the factory, and so he will have time and money for joy. Yet, he will have health problems, like uric acid, kidney failure, or other problems. Man may have these diseases at his old age (such as diabetes, urinary incontinence and other diseases) due to the wisdom of Allah, Exalted and Sublime, be He, to be a Divine Massage that he should get himself prepared to the hour of the death, so are you ready for it?
While we are broadcasting, a sign appears to the interviewer to notify him about the time left for the episode, and then the director points to the interviewer that the time is over. The same goes for us; All our lives must come to an end, thus your intelligence, heroism, vitality and activeness should be dedicated to the time when you reach your 60s, because then you will feel that the hour of death is coming soon. This fact is indicated in the following Hadith:
(It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The ages of (the people in) my nation will be between sixty and seventy, and few of them will exceed that.")
It was reported that "whoever reaches his 40s he is in the markets of the hereafter (he gets closer to the hour of death)." This is a delicate fact, and so whoever reaches his 60s gets closer to death and the one who is in his 70s gets even closer. No matter how luxurious your lifestyle is, how high your position is, how many business meetings you have, how many feasts you are invited to, how big your company is, how beautiful your resort is or your house on the mountain is, or how many cars you have, at the end you will lie down inside the grave.
(( O My worshipper, they left you alone here after they put you in the dust, and even if they stayed with you, they would not be useful. No one is left with you but I – Allah – and I am The Ever Lasting Who never dies. ))
The wise man prepares for the hour of death:
Dear noble brothers, it was narrated in an allegory that a son used to love his father, and when the latter died, the son was worried about his father because he knew this Hadith:
(( O My worshipper, they left you alone here after they put you in the dust, and even if they stayed with you, they would not be useful. No one is left with you but I – Allah – and I am The Ever Lasting Who never dies. ))
He wanted to make things easier for his father, so he hired a poor man to sleep with his father in the grave at night.
Once, when I was in Turkey, I was invited with some people to a feast in a 4th floor apartment, and the elevator needed to be repaired, so we climbed the stairs. Two hours later, the visit to our friend was over, and the elevator was repaired, and it worked again. However, when we reached the second floor it stopped working, and so we were stuck inside it. My two brothers in faith and me were inside, while outside it there were about 10 people waiting for it to work. The elevator had ceramic floor, and the walls were made of the best kind of stainless steel. There was a fan, and everything inside it was elegant, but it stopped working suddenly. We stayed inside it for an hour, and they called the municipality and the company in charge and told them about the problem.
At that time while I was waiting for the elevator to work again, I thought of the moment when I would lie down inside the grave. Well, in the elevator I was with two of my endeared brothers in faith, whereas in the grave I will be alone. Also, in the case of the elevator, there is hope that you will come out, but in the grave, you will never get out of it. I made a comparison between the two situations (being inside the elevator and being inside the grave). By Allah, the most intelligent, prudent and successful man is the one who gets himself prepared for this inevitable moment (when you lie alone in the grave). I repeat the Hadith:
(( O My worshipper, they left you alone here after they put you in the dust, and even if they stayed with you, they would not be useful. No one is left with you but I – Allah – and I am The Ever Lasting Who never dies.
))
Let me get you back to the allegory. As I said earlier, the son hired a miserable poor man to sleep with the deceased father at night. That man wore a jute sack, made a top hole for his head and two side holes for his arms, and tied a rope around his waist. When he lay down in the grave, the angles of reckoning came, but they found two persons in the grave, which is totally unexpected for them. The poor man was frightened, so he moved. Upon that, they started with him and made him sit up, and they asked, "Where did you bring this rope from?" He answered, "I got it from the garden." Then, they asked him, "How did you enter the garden?" He got confused. They went on asking him other questions, and he could not answer them, so they beat him severely. On the following day, he got out of the grave and said to the rich man's sons, "May Allah help your father."
One of the dairy products is mainly made up from milk, but a chemist who has a Ph. D in chemistry produced a substance- let me not mention it- that looks like the original one, but it is made from cheap chemical substances. It has been made skillfully to have the same taste of the natural diary product.
Once, my relatives bought juice, and it was the finest juice in the world, but when we read the ingredients, we found out that it was made from chemical substances, and there were no natural ingredients in it. The technology that is used to produce these products is very advanced
The person who invented the chemical product that looked like the natural diary one gained a lot of money from selling it to others as a natural one. He used to sell the kilogram of that product for 150, while producing it cost him only 10. As time passed, he lost his mind and became insane. He used to walk in the streets naked. Allah is Great, and I will always say that, so beware of wronging others, lest you will be punished and may be admitted to the mental health hospital.
A person bought a house, furnished it, and decorated it with marble, ceramic and stainless steel products. Yet, after he finished working on his house, he lost his mind and was admitted to the mental health hospital. The minute you suffer from mental disorder, your house will not be yours anymore, and all your properties will not be yours either.
Keep in mind that you are in the Grasp of Allah the Almighty, so you may lose everything in a blink of an eye. In fact, the closer you are to Allah the Almighty, the more adherent you are to His Order and this is your only guarantee in life.
(( O My worshipper, they left you alone here after they put you in the dust, and even if they stayed with you, they would not be useful. No one is left with you but I – Allah – and I am The Ever Lasting Who never dies. ))
Being dutiful to parents is rewarded in the worldly life before the Hereafter:
Allah the Almighty rewards you for your good deeds, so as long as you are obedient to Him, you will remain in a good health condition in your old age. I would like to tell you this fact: success is to remain physically strong not only in your 40s, when you can punish your son severely if he commits a mistake, but also in your 70s. As long as you have a good relationship with Allah the Almighty, Allah will make even your enemies at your service. On the other hand, if Allah the Almighty gets angry with you, He will let even the closest people to you humiliate you in the worst way ever.
If you are with Allah the Almighty, He will let your enemy serve you. Indeed, as long as you are with Allah, Allah will be with you. Success comes from staying with Allah till you get old; when you become in your 60s, 70, or 80s, and not only when you are still young.
In your old age, you become physically weak, but since you bring up your children according to Islamic teachings, they will all serve you. I know fathers who brought up their children properly, according to Islamic teachings, so they remain dutiful to them until they get old, for what goes around comes around.
(( Be dutiful to your parents, so that your children will be dutiful to you. ))
[ Al-Hakim, on the authority of Abi Hurairah
]
It is matter of paying the debts to your parents so that your children will pay the debt back to you. You will be rewarded for being dutiful to your parents in the worldly life before being rewarded in the Hereafter.
By the way, dear noble brothers, the reward of being dutiful to the parents will be given to you in the worldly life before the Hereafter. Every one of us has a father, a mother, a paternal uncle or a maternal uncle who are your kin, so you are supposed to be dutiful to them. The matter of being dutiful to one's parents is important, and concerning it, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. ﴿
May Allah the Almighty bless you, make others benefit from you, and protect your faith, households, children, health, money and country.