His eminence Sheikh Saleh Bin Muhammad Al-Taleb ?may Allah protect him?delivered this Friday’s Khutbah titled “High Aspiration.” He dealt with the notion of high-aspiring character and stressed the need for acquiring the merits of this quality and departing from debasement. He also pointed out the necessity to take as our reference the pure and inexhaustible source of inspiration: namely, Allah’s Sacred Book (Qur'?n) and His Prophet’s (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) Sunnah so that the Ummah could get out of the crises and pitfalls it has experienced.
Praise be to Allah (Ta'ala), the Creator of all living creatures and the All-Knower. He preordained that His devout worshippers should be privileged over all creatures so that they would serve as exemplary models like lofty towers, and their faith would render them distinguished in the entire world. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship save Allah, with no associate ?a testimony free of any scepticism or contention? and I bear witness that Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) is His servant and Messenger, the best creature who ever tread on earth. May Allah send His Salat (Graces, Honours, and Mercy) and Peace on His Messenger Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam), on his Companions, so brave and heroic, like lions, on his tabi'In (the contemporaries of the Companions of the Prophet [Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam] after his death), and on all those who have followed them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.
Having said that, I advise you to fear Allah and hold fast to His firmest bond: "O you who believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islam [as Muslims (with complete submission to Allah)]." [al-Imran: 102]
O servants of Allah!
High aspiration is a token of honour that people look forward to. With it, nations can reach the zenith of achievement, realise the best results, and foster moral perfection. After all, acquiring such a prestigious status is a divine favour: "Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge …" [Al-Mujadila: 11]
Allah did commend His prophets and messengers for their strong aspirational potential, and counselled His Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) to follow their example: "Therefore be patient (O Muhammad ??? ???? ???? ????) as did the Messengers of strong will…" [Al-Ahqaf: 35]. Allah equally commended His devout worshippers for their high aspiration in situations requiring toughness and patience, exceptional determination and steadfastness, and unshakable religious belief: "Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah [i.e. they have gone out for Jihad (holy fighting), and showed not their backs to the disbelievers]; of them some have fulfilled their obligations (i.e. have been martyred); and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed [i.e. they never proved treacherous to their covenant which they concluded with Allah] in the least." [Al-Ahzeb: 23]
In addition, Allah (Ta'ala) commanded His creatures to compete for achievements. He said, "So hasten towards all that is good …" [Al-Ba?ara: 148]. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) also taught his Ummah how to promote motivation and develop a sense of high aspiration. He said, “There are one hundred ranks in Paradise which Allah reserved for the mujahedeen for the sake of divine satisfaction; the interval between each two ranks measures the distance between the earth and the heavens. So, when you supplicate Allah, do ask for Firdaws ?it is Middle Paradise and Higher Paradise. On top of it is located Allah’s Throne, and from it springs out the rivers of Paradise.” [Reported by Imam Bukhari]. On his part, Omar Bin Al-Kha??ab (RA) was reported to have said, “Let not your volition and aspiration weaken, for I have never seen something that discourages people from performing good deeds more than that.”
Likewise, Allah (Ta'ala) dispraised feeble-minded people who rush to fulfil their capricious and worldly desires when He said, “"And recite (O Muhammad ??? ???? ???? ????) to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), but he threw them away; so Shaitan (Satan) followed him up, and he became of those who went astray"; [Al-araaf: 175]. "And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his parable is the parable of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the parable of the people who reject Our Ayat (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect." [Al-araaf: 176]
Servants of Allah!
A religion characterised by such principles never accepts its followers to be lazy, sluggish, powerless, inactive, irresolute, feeble-minded and weak-spirited: "So when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allah’s worship." [Al-Sharh: 7]; "And to your Lord (Alone) turn (all your) intentions and hopes." [Al-Sharh: 7]
As the pursuit of relaxation and idleness is not a commendable trait of those with valour and a sense of honour, one of the early commands our Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) received was: "O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad ??? ???? ???? ????)!" [Al-Muzzammil: 1] " Stand (to pray) all night, except a little" [Al-Muzzammil: 2]. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam), along with his Companions, made a lot of sacrifices; they migrated from their native towns; they were brought up for the sake of Allah. It is with sacrifice that they achieved victory at (the Battle of) Badr. It is with patience and certitude that they saved themselves from Al-Ahzeb (the Confederates). They departed into (the Battle of) TabUk while in deplorable conditions. They equally followed their Prophet in time of difficulty; and when they were told: "“Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered against you (a great army), therefore, fear them."" [Al-Imran: 173], they became stronger in faith and steadfastness, and simply replied: ""Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us).”" [Al-Imran: 173-]
After the Prophet’s death (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam), his Companions did not spare any effort (to carry on their mission). Thus, their aspirations were so high that they defeated the two greatest of the time civilisations (i.e. the Persians and the Romans), hoisted their flags over the hills of the East and the West, and spread civilisation, knowledge and guidance throughout the entire world. All such achievements have been recorded in the chronicles of history in the form of spell-binding and enthralling biographies and records. Were it not for the existence of concrete historical evidence, some people might consider such accounts as just dreams!
They were humans, yet their hearts and souls were moulded by the Revelation to the extent that they became fond of the heavens. Allah selected and tested them (by hardships); they succeeded because they were sincere. That was the way the Prophet’s (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) educated his Companions until they became leaders of the Ummah in the areas of knowledge, jihad, and leadership.
O Muslims!
Today, our Ummah is in need of people who encourage our children to become (exceptional) men and women, for nowadays many people consider themselves as being promised paradise in the hereafter just because they happened to perform petty acts of worship, without ever contemplating the idea of sacrifice, as if Allah would not select amongst us martyrs or witnesses over mankind. For some of them, Islam has become a sheer social conduct which might be shared with other people and in which some others might outperform them. Don’t they realise that Islam means a set of solemn and arduous obligations, continuous work and trial: "Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When (will come) the Help of Allah?" Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!" [Al-Ba?ara: 214]
If someone sleeps oneself to boredom, gets immersed in feasts abundantly set on tables, spends long hours shopping and in nightly entertainment, unrestrainedly spends most of the day browsing electronic media or performing futile entertainment activities and run after worldly gains, like predators in the bush running after their prey, then when should such a person be capable of producing anything positive or repelling any kind of external aggression or working for the advancement of his own nation?
Great achievements and grand aspirations strictly depend on hard work and arduous effort. If we examine the status of any nation, we will realize that no nation has been able to prosper and accomplish success ?carving out its renown in the chronicles of history? without hard toil, immeasurable sacrifice, and onerous effort in all areas of life. Nations will never achieve such a status if their people do not assume their responsibilities and their youth and youngsters are not ready to serve their communities and offer sacrifices. This leads us to realize the risk of negligence when it comes to raising children or failing to nurture them to be serious and responsible. Imam Ghazali ?may Allah send mercy on his soul? said, “The child is under the guardianship of his parents, and his pure uncorrupted heart is a precious gem. If he is taught to form good habits he will behave accordingly ?achieving happiness both in the herein and the hereafter? and if, on the contrary, he is trained to acquire bad habits and is left to his own animalistic instincts, he will be unhappy and his destiny will be fatal. His deliverance lies in mending his manners, polishing up his taste, and teaching him good ethics.”
A retrospective look at how the earlier generations of Muslims handled this issue shows that they concentrated on a balanced education of their children. They were keen to instruct them how to face hardships and endure painful experiences without complaining. Indeed, they offered generous services to this religion and glory of this Ummah without asking for any favour.
Servants of Allah!
The current state of weakness and generalised infirmity from which our Ummah is suffering is due to excessive attachment to worldly desires and to the sense of contentment with petty mundane benefits, coupled with cowardice due to fear of losing benefits or missing opportunities. Thawban (RA) narrated the following hadIth of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam): “Nations will be tempted to rush to defeat you in the same way eaters rush to a feast.” ‘One member of the audience then asked,’ ‘Is that because we will be outnumbered (by them) then?’ ‘The Prophet replied,’ “No, you will be numerous then; but you are like scum. Allah will remove any feeling of apprehension from the hearts of your enemy vis-à-vis you, and will alternatively instil a feeling of frailty and defeatism in your hearts.” ‘Someone asked,’ ‘What is frailty and defeatism?’ “It is the longing for worldly desires and the hatred of death”, ‘replied the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam)’. [Narrated by Imam Ahmed and Abu Dawood with an authentic chain of authority]
Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said, “The moment your commercial transactions become based on forms of usury, you stick to the plough behind bovine tails, and feel contented with your crop, Allah will inflict upon you humiliation which only return to (and reconciliation with) your religion can eradicate.” [Narrated by Abu Dawood with a sound chain of authority]
Excessive indulgence in the pleasures of life, desires, debased amusement, and distracting entertainment is like drugs which obstruct the advancement of the Ummah and impede its accession to a prestigious position. Just read history! Just read modern and ancient history to learn lessons. O wise and judicious people! This Ummah has been experiencing a sense of loss for a long period now and its tragic conditions have persisted for ages, reaching a dead end of utter darkness.
During the last century, we have seen the rapid renaissance and full restoration of other nations to prosperity after many falls. They have been steadily recovering despite a series of crises, wars, plagues, predicaments, and ordeals. Of course, this is not a statement of admiration for the West; it is rather a statement of bewilderment by the conditions of the East which is experiencing ordeals monthly or bi-monthly. However, people refuse to repent (from their sins) and awaken from their slumber. Allah did blame communities that had suffered from ordeals inflicted upon them once or twice a year without ever repenting or getting out of their state of stupor.
Thus, Muslims are left but with a single alternative to achieve glory; it is their return to Islam as both outer physical appearance and inner essence. Muslims are therefore invited to follow the footsteps of the pioneers of Islamic creed in the sincerity of their faith and the rectitude of their moral behaviour. Retracing such path of honour and integrity will depend on Muslims’ knowledge of how, in the past, they became an Ummah and how they claimed their existence in history. We primarily need to conduct a self-assessment and a re-examination of our status as a whole.
As a rule, the Ummah will not be subject to outside aggression until it deteriorates from the inside. Thus, if we perpetrate evil deeds, we should not normally expect Allah to bestow favours upon us: "That home of the Hereafter (i.e. Paradise), We shall assign to those who rebel not against the truth with pride and oppression in the land nor do mischief by committing crimes. And the good end is for the MuttaqUn (the pious)." [Al-?a?a?: 83]; "And indeed We have written in Az-ZabUr [i.e. all the revealed Holy Books – the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), the Psalms, the Qur’an,] after (We have already written in) Al-Lauh Al-MahfUz (the Book that is in the heaven with Allah), that My righteous slaves shall inherit the land (i.e. the land of Paradise)." [Al-Anbiya: 105]
The human being who is fit for edifying civilisation and inheriting Allah’s land is not restrictively the one characterised by intelligence; he should be someone who has a live conscience, a high feeling of taqwa (i.e. constructive and deterrent fear of Allah) which inhibits moral unrestraint and unethical capricious drives. All those qualities are normally nurtured by the enlightenment of monotheism and acts of worship. In fact, the entire world is in need for such a venerated spiritual leadership.
Making its way through the twenty-first Century, the world has found itself immersed in an atmosphere of injustice, disorder, anxiety and disintegration, where the night darkness is blocking the day light, the advocates of personal desires are flocking from all directions, virtue and morality are defeated, and where man –fueled by greed and vanity– goes on to kill his fellow man. In today’s world, the flames of lust are raging and the torch of guidance is being put out. Objects and substances have turned so precious and man so cheap.
In today’s world, vibrant cities are being flattened and thousands of people killed in minutes and seconds. A handful of nations have managed to dominate the world and turn it into a house of gambling or a butcher's market. They set out to abuse humanity the way a baby would a piece of paper and to manipulate other nations the way one would juggle a ball. In view of this, the universe cried out for justice, groping about the enlightening guidance of Islam as the steady gleaming light of dawn would traverse the gloomy darkness of the night. So, do you hear the call?!
O Muslims!
What you have in hand is the truest of all the heavenly legacies ever bestowed on man, and in your hands the world’s nurture. The Muslim Ummah is blessed with an everlasting religion that is capable of stirring life into dormant souls and bringing about rebirth. This Ummah is still in the process of recovering and trying to recuperate its strength in order to resume its maiden mission. May Allah (Ta'ala) grant it the power it needs to accomplish its goal!
The territory our great Ummah occupies holds the reins of the entire world and the key to prosperity. Our Ummah holds the well-being and honor of humanity; and had it succeeded in employing such assets properly, it would have needed no other nation to help it while the rest of the world would have rushed to it in need of assistance: "Verily, he who fears Allah with obedience to Him (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely, Allah makes not the reward of the MuhsinUn (good-doers – see V.2:112) to be lost." [Youssef: 90]
Therefore, aim at success, put on the garments of pure righteousness, take from the ‘lantern’ of Allah’s words thus: "Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds)." [Ashams: 9], then "follow (another) way." [Al Kahf: 92]. Recover your dignity and say ‘NO’ to desires and whims, wishes and fear, division and discord. Make the resolve to traverse pathways and pull through hardships, and bear in mind that reaching peaks and pinnacles may not be carried out in one leap and that progression is a necessary measure Allah (Ta'ala) has created as part of His sunan (laws) in life.
Those with a high aspiration are willing to carry their Ummah’s concerns and sacrifce themselves and all that is precious to them towards helping it accomplish its goals and attain greatness. Such people do realize that positive outcomes are contingent upon negative ones and that interests, good things, pleasure and amenities may not be obtained except with a fair share of pain and discomfort. Those seeking greatness for their Ummah must learn to rise above others’ blame and reproach and must proceed to work hard towards that end: "And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allah’s Obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) – then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allah)." [Al Isra: 19]. In this context, the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said: "He who is afraid of the pillage of the enemy, sets out in the early part of the night; and he who sets out early, reaches his destination. Be on your guard that the commodity of Allah is precious. Verily the commodity of Allah is Jannah".
Verily, those possessing a strong determination do not rescind their intentions. In this regard Allah (Ta'ala) says: "Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah." [Al Imran: 159]
The road to success is not paved with roses and basils. It rather requires much endurance and hard work to make one’s way through it. Once a man gets a taste of success, then trouble does not matter anymore. Ironically, it turns into a delicacy that is sweeter than serenity and tranquility. Indeed, this is the Way of Allah (Ta'ala) in this life: "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). And verily, Allah is with theMuhsinUn (good doers)." [Al Ankabout: 69]
The rearing of the Ummah on such tenets is the responsibility of parents, educators, the media and the officials alike. However, promoting insensibility and debility through the proliferation of distractions may only breed a tamed nation that is fit neither to build during times of prosperity nor to withstand hardships at times of calamity.
As it experiences the gloomiest of its circumstances ever and the most precarious juncture throughout its history, it is incumbent upon the Muslim Ummah to rise above the low motives of amusement, frivolity, division, discord, negligence and oblivion, and to take upon itself to raise its generation on the values of earnestness, ambition and strong resolve. Allah told His Prophet: "O Yahya (John)! Hold fast the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah)]." [Mariam: 12]. He also said: "Hold unto these with firmness." [Al Aaraf: 145]
The Laws of Allah in matters of triumph and defeat are no mere accidents as events are meant to evolve to an end in accordance with accurate universal laws, and premises as consistent as the effects that come to validate the causes: "Verily! Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah)." [Al Raad: 11]
May Allah bless you and me by the Great Qur'?n and benefit us with the sunnah of the Master of all the messengers! Having said this, I ask Allah (Ta'ala) to forgive me and you!
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