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How Prophets Informed Their Nations About ALLAH

In his well-known book, Al-Hikam(Words of Wisdom), sheik Ahmad Ibn `Ataa’illah As-Sakandari says:

Every speech comes out with a cover from the heart of the speaker. If Allah allows a speaker to express himself, people will understand his words and comprehend his gestures.
This stage on our journey to Allah relates to the believer’s speech in which he tells people about Allah. Every believer has a responsibility to call people to their Creator, to remind them of their Lord, and to participate in reform.

{I desire no more than reform in so far as it lies within my power.} (Hud 11:88 )
{Say [O Prophet]: “This is my way: Resting upon conscious insight accessible to reason, I am calling you all unto Allah – I and they who follow me”.} (Yusuf 12:108)
This was the mission of every prophet of Allah and every follower of the right path.

There are different kinds of speech. There is a certain type of speech that has a considerable influence on people. This speech, as the Sheikh explains, is not the fluent speech that comes out from an intelligent mind or an eloquent tongue, but it is the speech that comes out from an enlightened heart.

Now I recall many speeches given by Prophets, reformers, and righteous leaders; a few sentences that changed the course of history. Their speeches came out of pure hearts. Some of these speeches deserved to be recorded by Allah in His Glorious Book, the Qur’an. The following are a few examples.

Here is a speech delivered by Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him):
{Said Abraham: “Have you, then, ever considered what it is that you have been worshipping – you and those ancient forebears of yours? Now as for me, I know that, verily, these false deities are my enemies, and that none is my helper save the Sustainer of all the worlds, who has created me and is the One who guides me, and is the One who gives me to eat and to drink, and when I fall ill, is the One who restores me to health, and who will cause me to die and then will bring me back to life, and who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on Judgment Day! O, my Sustainer! Endow me with the ability to judge between right and wrong, and make me one with the righteous, and grant me the power to convey the truth unto those who will come after me, and place me among those who shall inherit the garden of bliss! And forgive my father for, verily, he is among those who have gone astray, and do not put me to shame on the Day when all shall be raised from the dead: and when only he will be happy who comes before Allah with a heart free of evil!”}. (Ash-Shu`araa’ 26: 75-89)

Read also the speech of Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him):
{And convey unto them the story of Noah-when he said unto his people: “O my people! If my presence among you and my announcement of Allah’s messages are repugnant to you -well, in Allah have I placed my trust. Decide, then, upon what you are going to do against me, and call to your aid those beings to whom you ascribe a share in Allah’s divinity; and once you have chosen your course of action, let no hesitation deflect you from it; and then carry out against me whatever you may have decided, and give me no respite! But if you turn away from the message which I bear, remember that I have asked no reward whatever of you: my reward rests with none but Allah, for I have been bidden to be among those who have surrendered themselves unto Him”} (Yunus 10:71-72)

Read also this dialogue between Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh and his people:
{Said Pharaoh: “And what and who is that ‘Sustainer of all the worlds’?” Moses answered: “He is the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them: if you would but allow yourselves to be convinced!” Said Pharaoh unto those around him: “Did you hear what he said?” And Moses continued: “He is your Sustainer, too, as well as the Sustainer of your forefathers of old!” Pharaoh exclaimed: “Behold, your ‘apostle’ who claims that he has been sent unto you is mad indeed! But Moses went on: “He of whom I speak is the Sustainer of the east and the west and of all that is between the two”- as you would know if you would but use your reason!” Said Pharaoh: “Indeed, if you choose to worship any deity other than me, I shall most certainly throw you into prison!” Said he: “Even if I should bring about before you something that clearly shows the truth?” …} (Ash-Shu`araa’ 26:22-30)

Read also the speech of Prophet Isa (peace be upon him):
{But Jesus said: “Behold, I am a servant of Allah. He has vouchsafed unto me revelation and made me a prophet, and made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live and has endowed me with piety towards my mother, and He has not made me haughty or bereft of grace. Hence, peace was upon me on the day when I was born and will be upon me on the day of my death, and on the day when I shall be raised to life again!’’} (Maryam 19 30-33)

Read the speech of the believing man of Pharaoh’s family:
{Still, the man who had attained faith went on: “O my people! Follow me: I shall guide you onto the path of rectitude! O, my people! This worldly life is but a brief enjoyment, whereas, behold, the life to come is the home abiding. There, anyone who has done a bad deed will be requited with no more than the like thereof, whereas anyone, be it man or woman, who has done righteous deeds and is a believer withal – all such will enter paradise, wherein they shall be blest with good beyond all reckoning! And, O my people, how is it that I summon you to salvation, while you summon me to the fire? For you call upon me to deny the oneness of Allah and to ascribe a share in His divinity to aught of which I cannot possibly have any knowledge the while I summon you to a cognition of the Almighty, the All-Forgiving! There is no doubt that what you summon me to is something that has no claim to being invoked either in this world or in the life to come – as there is no doubt that unto Allah is our return, and that they who have wasted their own selves shall find themselves in the fire: and at that time you will have cause to remember what I am telling you now. But as for me, I commit myself unto Allah: for, verily, Allah sees all that is in the hearts of His servants.”} (Ghafir 40:38-44)

You can feel, through the words, that all the above speeches came out with a cover of light from the heart of the speakers.

It is a prerequisite for anyone who tells the people about their Creator that his speech should come out from the heart.

The same holds true for Prophet Muhammad’s speech. Read, for example, his speech in the battle of Tabuk:

“Verily the most veracious discourse is the book of Allah. The most trustworthy handhold is the word of piety. The best religion is the religion of Ibrahim. The best of traditions is the Sunnah of Muhammad. The noblest speech is the mentioning of Allah. The finest of narratives is this Qur’an. The best of affairs is that which has been firmly resolved upon. The worst matters are those which are created without ALLAHly sanction. The best of ways is the one trodden by the Prophets. The noblest death is the death of a martyr. The most miserable blindness is waywardness after guidance. The best of knowledge is that which is beneficent. The best guidance is that which is put into practice. The worst blindness is the blindness of the heart. The upper hand is better than the lower (i.e., it is better to give than to receive). The little that suffices is better than the abundant and alluring. The worst apology is that which is tendered when death stares one in the face. The worst remorse is that which is felt on the Day of Resurrection. Some men do not come to the Friday prayer, but with hesitance and delay. And some of them do not remember Allah but with reluctance. The tongue that is addicted to false expression is a bubbling spring of sins. The most valuable possession is the contentment of the heart. The best provision is that of piety. The highest wisdom is the awe of Allah. The best thing to be cherished in the hearts is faith and conviction; doubt is part of infidelity. Impatient wailing and fulsome praise of the dead is an act of ignorance. Betrayal leads one to the fire of Hell. Liquor is the mother of evils. Each one of you must resort to a place of four cubits (in the grave). Your affairs will be decided ultimately in the next life. He who pardons is himself granted pardon. He who forgives others is forgiven by Allah. He who represses anger, Allah rewards him. He who faces misfortunes with perseverance, Allah compensates him. He who shows patience and forbearance, Allah gives him a double reward. He who disobeys Allah, Allah chastises him”. (Reported by al-Bayhaqi)

This is a speech that came out from the Prophet’s heart so that it reached the people easily and it had a considerable influence on them. It is a prerequisite for anyone who tells the people about their Creator that his speech should come out from the heart.

If you want to offer advice to anyone, you should mend your heart first. When you have a sincere intention in your heart, your influence on people will be stronger, i.e., people will understand your words and comprehend your gestures, as the Sheikh says in this word of wisdom.

The Prophet’s companions also gave very fluent speeches which did not only influence their audience but changed the course of history as well.

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) gave a very important first speech after he became a Caliph. One of the most influential statements was the following:
“I have been given the authority over you, and I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me; and if I do wrong, set me right”.

`Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“When did you enslave people whose mothers bore them free?”

`Uthman ibn `Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“O people, you need an active ruler, not a ruler who is a good speaker”.

`Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The keeper of a safe dies and what he guards and the treasures remain, however, a man of knowledge lives throughout the ages”.

Ibn `Ataa is right: If Allah allows a speaker to express himself, people will understand his words and comprehend his gestures.

By Jasser Auda

The Prophetic Peace Formula: Feed, Greet and Pray

Abdullah ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated When the Prophet arrived for the first time in Madinah, I went with everyone to see him. When I saw him, I knew his face was not that of a liar. The first words he said were, “O people, feed the hungry, spread Salam(greeting of peace), maintain your kin relationships, and pray at night while others are asleep. With this, you shall enter Heaven in peace.” (Al-Bukhari)

Community organizers and leaders of all kinds who share and promote ideas play an important role in spreading values and bringing people together. They have the ability to leverage the collective strength of people to serve the well-being of humanity.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was sincere and had strong, clear convictions in his message, which is why he implemented it first on himself before he took it to others. His sincerity showed on his face, attitude, and body language, lending confidence and credibility to his words and message. The essence of his message is the well-being of people, and his first words as he entered into the new community of Madinah emphasized that.

Eliminating hunger starts with everyone recognizing that we share the world’s food resources. We can start to feed the hungry by creating opportunities for people to have healthy meals through social occasions, dedicated outlets, or personal concerns on the individual level.

Food is a necessity of survival and a prerequisite for peace. We cannot expect communities and countries to tackle other issues until we have helped them ease the pangs of hunger among their people. Ensuring that everyone is able to find their meals for the day is an important step toward world peace.

As we meet each other on the road, while waiting in lines, in classrooms, in the workplace, or in social gatherings, warmly greeting each other goes a long way in creating compassion and awareness among one another. Ignorance leads to hatred and greeting one another opens the door to learning about one another. It diffuses tension and fosters dialogue. A greeting of peace like “I wish you peace” or “May Allah’s peace be with you today” goes even a step further. In Islam, one of Allah’s names is Peace. A greeting of peace is a prayer for Allah to send His peace upon each one of us.

The spiritual connection with Allah is the reactor that gives us the energy to sustain our relationship with others.

Family and relatives are important units for peace in the world. As families grow and expand, the connection and ties potentially grow weaker. Individuals may find themselves alone, unsupported, and without a safety net. Small cliques and competition for power may grow inside the family, and people slowly disconnect from one another.

Renewing and maintaining family ties on a regular basis, even with distant relatives, create opportunities for collaboration and appreciation for one another. It ensures that everyone belongs with someone, somewhere. In today’s world, we are fortunate that technology has provided means of communication by which we can easily stay in touch with other family members.

In an inspiring connection between our spiritual life and physical life, the Prophet lists praying at night along with feeding the hungry, greeting each other, and maintaining family ties. There is something special about praying at night. When we are by ourselves in the quiet moments of the night, it is a powerful time to build our connection with Allah. The spiritual connection with Allah is the reactor that gives us the energy to sustain our relationship with others and our service toward them.

By balancing our inner strength and implementing our role towards others, we chart not only a path to peace in our world but a peaceful path to Heaven as well.

By Dr. Hazem Said and Maha Ezzeddine

In Allah, Do Believers Put Their Trust

[ALLAH’S Quran – 33:3 – And put your trust in Allah. Allah is sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has said :
[Bukhari, Book #37, Hadith #488h] “Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “An Israeli man asked another Israeli to lend him one thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former replied, ‘ALLAH is sufficient as a witness.’ The second said, ‘I want a surety.’ The former replied, ‘ALLAH is sufficient as a surety.’ The second said, ‘You are right,’ and lent him the money for a certain period. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his job, he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but he could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a letter to the lender, and then closed (i.e. sealed) the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea and said. ‘O ALLAH! You know well that I borrowed one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a surety from me but I told him that ALLAH’s Guarantee was sufficient and he accepted Your guarantee. He then asked for a witness and I told him that ALLAH was sufficient as a Witness, and he accepted You as a Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could pay his money but could not find it, so I handed over this money to You.’ Saying that he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile, he started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor’s country. One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire. When he saw it, he found his money and the letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to him and said, ‘By ALLAH, I had been trying hard to get a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to get one before the one I have come by.’ The lender asked, ‘Have you sent something to me?’ The debtor replied, ‘I have told you I could not get a boat other than the one I have come by.’ The lender said, ‘ALLAH has delivered the money you sent in the piece of wood on your behalf. So, you may keep your one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path..’ ”

[Bukhari, Book #60, Hadith #86] “Narrated Ibn Abbas: ‘Allah is Sufficient for us and He Is the Best Disposer of affairs,” was said by Abraham when he was thrown into the fire; and it was said by Muhammad when they (i.e. hypocrites) said, “A great army is gathering against you, therefore, fear them,” but it only increased their faith and they said: “Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer (of affairs, for us).” (3.173)

Don’t Follow That Of Which You Have No Knowledge

[ALLAH’S Quran – 17:36] “Do not follow that of which you have no knowledge (whether it is good or bad), and refrain from groundless assertions and conjectures. Surely the hearing, the sight, and the heart – each of these are subject to questioning about it (you are answerable, and will be called to account, for each of these on the Day of Judgment).”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has said:
[Sunan Abudawud, Book #40, Hadith#4590] “………..You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty, is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.”

[Sunan Abudawud, Book #39, Hadith #4515] “Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: Qays ibn Abbad and Ashtar went to Ali and said to him: Did the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) give you any instruction about anything for which he did not give any instruction to the people in general? He said: No, except what is contained in this document of mine. Musaddad said: He then took out a document. Ahmad said: A document from the sheath of his sword. It contained: The lives of all Muslims are equal; they are one hand against others; the lowliest of them can guarantee their protection. Beware, a Muslim must not be killed for an infidel, nor must one who has been given a covenant be killed while his covenant holds. If anyone introduces an innovation, he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people. Musaddad said: Ibn Abu Urubah’s version has: He took out a document.”

[Muslim, Book #007, Hadith #3163] “So if anyone makes an innovation or accommodates an innovator, the curse of Allah, the angels, and all persons will fall upon him, and Allah will not accept any obligatory or supererogatory act as recompense from them. And the protection granted by the Muslims is one and must be respected by the humblest of them. If anyone makes a false claim to paternity or is a client of other than his own masters, there is upon him the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people. Allah will not accept from him any recompense in the form of obligatory acts or supererogatory acts. The hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Bakr and Zubair ends with (these words): The humblest among them should respect it; and what follows after it is not mentioned there, and in the hadith transmitted by them (these words are) not found: (The document was hanging) on the sheath of his sword.”

Allah Hafiz.

Du’a And Its Relationship With Destiny

The topic of du’a and its relationship with destiny (qadr) is a very important one and one around which much confusion exists. Many people ask, “If everything has already been destined to occur, then of what use is du’a? If Allah has written what I want, I will get it without making du’a. And if it is not written for me, then I will never get it no matter how much du’a I make.”

The response to this question lies in understanding that the outcome of anything is dependent on the performance of the efforts that are necessary to procure it. In other words, it has already been decreed, for example, that seed will give fruit if planted, but this will not occur unless the farmer takes the appropriate efforts in irrigating the crop, maintaining it, protecting the seedling as it grows, and ensuring as much as he can that the factors are amenable for the plant to give fruit.

So even though a person believes in divine decree, he must at the same time strive all he can to ensure that the desired goal occurs. And du’a is the means that one uses to achieve the desired goal that one has, and this in no way contradicts the destiny that has been written for that person. This stance is clarified by the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam’s hadith reported by Thawban, that he, sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Nothing increases one’s lifespan except good deeds, and nothing repels divine decree except du’a. A person may be deprived of sustenance due to a sin that he does” (Ibn Majah)! In other words, the performance of good deeds is a cause of increasing one’s lifespan. So if a person puts in the necessary effort, the results will be achieved, and this is also destined. So both the means to achieve a goal and the fulfillment of the goal itself, are already decreed.

If someone were to ask, “How can du’a repel divine decree?” we would respond, “The fact that you may be ill has already been decreed by Allah for you, as has the fact that you will ask Allah to cure you of this illness (i.e. both the illness and your asking to cure the illness has been decreed). In a similar manner, a person may be deprived of the sustenance that was decreed for him, since Allah’s eternal knowledge encompasses the fact that this person would perform a sinful deed that would cause the deprivation of his sustenance. All of this, then, is from the decree of Allah, all glory and praise be to Him.” There are a number of ahadith that clarify this point. For example, Mu’adh ibn Jabal reported that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Caution will be of no benefit against the divine decree, but du’ a benefits all things, whether they come down or not. I, therefore, advise you to make du’a, O servants of Allah” (Ahmad, Abu Ya’la and al-Tabarani)!

So no matter how cautious a person is, he cannot escape what is written for him, simply because Allah controls everything, and nothing escapes His knowledge or power. However, by turning to Allah through du’a, it is possible to avert something that might have been decreed. Salman al-Farsi narrated that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Nothing repels divine decree except du’a, and nothing increases one’s lifespan except good deeds” (Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Hakim).

This hadith informs us in no uncertain terms that the only way we can repel some divine decree is through du’a. So it is possible that some unpleasant matter has been preordained for us, but only if we do not make du’a to avert it from us. So if du’a is made, then this matter will not occur or be fulfilled, whereas if du’a is left, misfortune will occur. Another narration in al-Tirmidhi also supports this. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“There is no Muslim on the face of the earth that asks Allah for anything except that Allah gives it to him, or averts from him a similar evil, as long as he does not ask for something evil or for breaking the ties of kinship” (Al-Tirmidhi) .

From this narration, the benefits of du’a are made clear, and its value is understood. For not only is a person rewarded for making a du’a, but it is also a cause of repelling an evil that was destined for him, and obtaining the good that he was expecting.

Ibn Hajr, commenting on the benefits of du’a, said:
“And the benefit of performing du’a is the attainment of reward by obeying the command (of Allah to make du’a), and also by the attainment of what is asked for, for there is a possibility that the request is dependent on the du’a, since Allah is the Creator of both the effort and result of the effort” (Fath Al-Bari)!

Therefore, the proper response to the question posed earlier is, in the words of Ibn al-Qayyim, as follows:
“The logical consequences of such reasoning lead to a rejection of all efforts. It can, therefore, be said to a person who holds this view, ‘If the satisfaction of your hunger and thirst has already been destined for you, then it will be fulfilled, whether you eat or not. On the other hand, if it has not been destined for you, it will never occur, whether you eat or not. And, if a son has been destined for you, then you will be granted one, whether you have intercourse with your wife or not. On the other hand, if a son has not been destined for you, then you will never be granted one. In this case, there is no point in you getting married…!’ Now, will any sane person agree with all of these conclusions” (Al-Jawab Al-Kafi)?

To summarise, then, divine decree (qadr) cannot be used as an excuse not to make du’a. For, just as one strives to ensure that one attains worldly needs, of food, drink, and family, so too must one strive in one’s religious deeds to attain the desired goal. Du’a is intrinsically related to qadr; in fact, it is a part of one’s qadr. Allah has already decreed that a certain matter will be granted to a servant, or an evil averted from him if he makes du’a. And if he were to leave du’a, then the desired goal would not be reached. Hence it is the Sunnah of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam to make the following du’a during the witr prayer:
“…Bless me in what You have given me. And avert and turn away from me the evil that has been decreed for me, for verily You decree (all things), and none can decree against You…” (Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Nasa’i)

So the Muslim turns to Allah and prays to Him so that any and all evil can be averted from him.

Additionally, it should be remembered that the concept of the divine decree is one that a human can never fully understand, due to his limited intellect and finite capabilities. The true Muslim does not delve too deeply into the philosophical ramifications of divine decree. Rather, he accepts all that has occurred to him in the past as having been destined for him, and he strives to obtain what he desires in the future (as long as it is permissible for him). Since he does not know what has been written for him in the future, he expects the best from Allah and does everything in his power to ensure that what he wants is granted to him. Just like going to work every day will ensure, if Allah wills, that he gets his pay-cheque at the end of the month, so too does making du’a ensure, if Allah wills, that he achieves his desired goal.
———— ——–
*Excerpted and edited further from Qadhi, Abu Ammaar Yasir (2003). Du’a: The Weapon of the Believer: A Treatise on the Status and Etiquette of Du’a in Islam. Birmingham: Al-Hidaayah.
by Yasir Qadhi