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The Muslim Identity Qaid-e-Ahl Sunna Hazrat Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqui Juma Khutba at TARIC Masjid, Toronto - Feb 1992 |
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Al-hamdulillah. Al-hamdulillah-hiladhi hadaan lihaa. Wa maa kunnaa li-nahtadi anhadaanallah. Wa laa na’budu wa nasta’eenum illaa-iyya. Wa huwalladhi khalaq-us-samaawaati wal ardh, wa maa baynahumaa wa maa tah-tassarra. Wa intajhar biqawli fa-innuahu y’aa lamu-us-sira wa akhfa. Allahu laailaaha illaahu, lahul aasmaa-ul-husna wa ashadu anna hu laa-ilaha illallaahu laa shareeka lahu. Ash hadu anna Sayyidinna wa Nabiyyinaa wa Habeebinaa wa Mawlaana Muhammadan ‘Abduhu wa Rasooluh. Saallalaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, alladh ursila ilaal khalqi kaaf-fa-tan basheerawn wa nadhira, wa daa’iyan ilallaahi bi-idhni wa siraajan muneera, Wa bashiril mu’minuna bi-anna lahum minallaahi fadhlan kabeera, amma ba’du. Ikhwaanee ittaqullaaha ibaadallah, ittaqullaaha ibaadallah, fa-yaa-fawzal mustaghfireen, isma-u wa atee-u Rabbakum. Wa atee’Ullaaha wa Rasoolahu inkuntum mu’mineen. Fa-innahu man yuti’Illaa wa Raasoolahu faqad faadha fawzan ‘Azeema, wa maa-ya ‘sillaha wa Rasoolahu, faqad dalla dalaalam ba’eeda.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters - AsSalaamu 'alakum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barkatu. We know, as Muslims, there is a real purpose for us being alive. We know as Muslims, there is the Message of Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala which was delivered by His Prophet, Sayyidul ‘Aalameena Muhammadur Rasoolallah salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam. We know that the object of a Muslim’s life is mentioned in many verses of the Holy Qur’an in order to guide us Muslims in every walk of our life. Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala says: Qul inna salaatee, wa nusukee, wa mahyaaya, wa mamaati, lilaahi Rabbil ‘aalameen. Laa shareeka-lah wa bi-dhaalika umirtu wa anaa awwal-lul Muslimeen. The translation of which is: Say my prayer, my sacrifices, my life and death is for Allah, Creator of the Worlds. In another verse of the Holy Qur’an, Allah says: Inna lillaahi wa inna ilahi raaji’un, that, We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return which means we have to return to Him, we are not permanently residing in this world, we have to leave this world for the world of the hereafter. So the life is for Him - Allah, not for you or me. Since the entire world belongs to Him, therefore my humble self also belongs to Him. The object is that we must remind ourselves all the time that we belong to Him. It means that I love Him, I have the fear of Him and I have to live the life of a Muslim who has devoted himself for His cause. Yet, in another verse of the Holy Qur’an, Allah says: Yaa ayyuhal-ladheena ‘amanu, taqullah haqqa tuquatihi wa laa tamu-tunna illaa wa antum Muslimun (3:102), that is, Oh you who believe, fear Allah the way He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam. So the object of our existence is evident, we have to live as Muslims, manifest all the time that you are Muslim, you belong to the Muslim ummah, you are members of the Muslim community. It also means that everyone in the ummah are brothers, one family. The brotherhood is there: Innamal muminoona ikhwa as Allah Subhanu wa T’ala said. This means that there is no national discrimination. Nobody has superiority over his Muslim brother. All Muslims, without discrimination, are brothers to each other if they are to call themselves Muslims. In another verse of the Holy Qur’an, Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala says: Wa man ahsanu qawlam mimmaan da’aa-ilallah, wa’amila saalihan waqaala innanee minal Muslimeen (41:33) This means that Allah has insisted that a Muslim should remind himself that he is a Muslim. In this age, we need to understand what problem the Muslim ummah is now facing? There are many problems and the main one is that we have divided ourselves into nationalities. The attitude is that “I am proud that I belong to such and such country.” “I am proud that I belong to such and such tribes.” “I am proud that I belong to such dynasty.” But I would like to know who is proud to call himself a Muslim. This is The Demand from the Holy Qur’an. This is the message of my khutbah. Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala says in the Qur’an: Wa ja’alnahu shu ‘uban waqabaa-ila lita’rafu. We belong to a country only for the purpose of introduction. Irrespective of whether we are from Arabia, Asia or Africa, it is only for the purpose of introduction. This is not your identity. The identity of a Muslim is Islam. This reminds me of the great poet, philosopher of Islam, Allama Iqbal. Somebody asked him, “which country do you belong to?” he said, “Islam is my country and I belong to the nation of Islam which was founded by Sayyidul ‘Aalameena Muhammadur Rasoolullah salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam”. Presently, after such a long time, I am still trying to find out from Muslims throughout the world; who is really proud to call themselves Muslims? This is the main problem in Islam today. Whenever you ask someone which country he or she belongs to, immediately he says that he is from such and such country. This is well and good for an introduction. This is where nationality in Islam should begin and end. It is necessary for us to say: Wa qaala innanee minal Muslimeen i.e. I am a Muslim. Whether you are from Asia, Africa, America or Arabia has no importance at all. This is only for introductory purposes. It is reported in a Hadith of al-Bukhari, narrated by one of the companions of Beloved Prophet Sayyidul ‘Alameen Muhammadur Rasoolullahi salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam that every person, after their death, has to face three questions in their grave. Two angels, Munkir and Nakeer will not ask the person being questioned which country he or she belonged to. “Ya ‘tiyaani malaka” as reported by Beloved Prophet (SAW) in Sahih al-Bukhari, i.e. two angels will come wa yas‘alani man rabbuka, wa maa deenuka, wa maa kunta taquulu fiy haqqi haadhal rajuli, awkamaa qaala salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam. This is the actual text of the hadith. The translation of which is: Who is your Creator, and what is your Religion and what do you have to say about this man, i.e. Beloved Prophet salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam. You see clearly that there is no question of where you come from or which tribe or dynasty you belong to. Here, in this country, we are a minority, no doubt, and this is also a sunna of Beloved Prophet salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam. In the beginning in the early days of Islam, he was in minority, in Makkatul-Mukaramma, the holy land of Islam. Islam and Muslims were in minority. But our Beloved Prophet salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam and his followers Ibn Irfan (RA), Bilall (RA) and other companions of Beloved Prophet salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam although they were in minority for thirteen years, they were very strong in declaring themselves to be Muslim. They did not deny the fact that they were Muslims, because they believed in Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala. They rejected the idol worshippers, they bowed in front of Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala and totally denounced totally idol worship and announced “La-ilaah-Illallah Muhammadur Rasoolulaah”, non to be worshipped except Allah, Muhammadur Rassoolullah SAW is the Messenger of Allah. They maintained their identity of Islam although they were in the minority, they protected their faith and protected the Seed of Islam which was placed in their hearts by Beloved Prophet salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam. The seed grew day by day. The companions were side by side, following Beloved Prophet SAW and at the same time they proudly announced their Islam. Although you here in Canada are in minority, if you protect the Religion of Allah, Allah will protect you, this is a promise of Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala, Yaa Ayyuhalladheena ‘amanu kunu ansaarallah that is become the supporter of Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala. Allah really does not need our support, we need His Support because He is The Sovereign Lord. He is “Maalikul Mulk Laa shareeka lak”, we need his help all the time. Allah is not in need of our help. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: Intan-surullah, that is “support Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala”, it means that if you support Allah’s Din, al-Islam, the religion which has been chosen for you and you are chosen to be in the Ummah of Beloved Prophet salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam and he has been chosen for you; to guide you as the Last Messenger of Allah. So if you support Islam - the religion, Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala will support you. If you protect His Religion, Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala will protect you. Wallahu khairun haafizun wa huwa arhamur Raahimeen. Those who have been protecting their religion; they are still alive. In Central Russia, the people have been dominated by the communists for 70 years. Muslims have been killed mercilessly throughout this 70 years in Central Russia, but, SubhanAllah, they were protected; although the publication of Qur’an was banned. To call the adhan was totally banned, the publication of the religious books was totally banned. When I was in Russia on a parliamentary delegation, I could see what kinds of trouble and pressure Muslims were facing. 70 years have passed and they thought they had totally destroyed Islam and its future generation in that part of the world. But, al-hamdulillah, after 70 years, although openly they could not manifest their religion outwardly, yet secretly they were preserving and protecting their faith. Now, after 70 years they have emerged as a nation of Islam, the Muazzin is calling the adhan everywhere, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbaar! On the other hand, those who did not protect themselves, Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala have destroyed them. For example, in Spain, Eastern Europe, you will not find any Muslim there because they have divided themselves. They were too proud being Arabs, Berbers, and African tribe, anglo-Spanish Muslim, father Spanish and mother Arab. Nobody was proud in those parts of the world to call themselves Muslim, so they were destroyed totally – no Islam remained there. So, Insha Allah, brothers and sisters in Islam, those who are in minority, if you protect Islam in your heart, Allah Almighty will protect you and this is the promise of Allah Subhanhu wa T'ala, Intan-surullah yan-surkum wa yu-thabbit aqdaamakum, if you protect the Religion of Allah, Allah will protect you, Allah Subhanahu wa T'ala will establish your foot in that country. Aqoolu qawli haadha wastaghfirul-lahal ‘azeemalee walakum walisaa-irilmuslimeen min kulli zanbin wa-atoobu ilayhi-Innahu huwat-tawwaaabur-raheem. Baarakallaahu lee walakhum fil qur’anil azeem wa nafa’ni wa-iyyaakum bil-aayaati wazikril hakeem. Wa sallallahu wa sallama ‘alaa nabiyyinaa wa habeebinaa khaatamal ambiyai wal-mursaleena Muhammad salalaahu 'alahi wa salaam wa’alaa aalahi wasahbi wa sallama tasleema wal Hamdulillaahi Rabbil ‘aalameen. |
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