15. MONTH OF FORGIVENESS
Prof. Dr. Mahmud Es'ad COSAN
Aùzu billâhi minesh-shaytànir rajîm.
I seek refuge with Allah against Satan
Bismillâhir rahmânir rahîm.
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Mercy-giving
El-hamdu li’llâhi rabbi’l-àlemîn... Wa’s-salâtu wa’s-salâmu alâ seyyidi’l-awwalîne wa’l-âkhîrin, muhammedin wa âlihî wa sahbihî ejma'în, wa men tebiahû bi-ihsânin ilâ yewmi’d-dîn. Praise is due to Allah, The Lord of the Universe. The Prayers and peace be on the master of all, our beloved Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and all of his sincere followers till the Day of Resurrection.
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Respected Congregation of Muslims! May Almighty Allah be pleased with you all. May He accept your prayers, fasts, supplications, and servitude. May He grant you your hearts' desire. You have fasted and offered your Tarawih prayers. I am sure you are physically tired. I would like to read some ahadith from our beloved Prophet SAS and explain them for you.
a. Holy Qur’an is a Cure
Almighty Allah said in a Hadith Qudsi:
يَا ابْنَ اۤدَمَ! اَكْــثـِرُوا بِالـزَّادِ، فَاِنَّ الطَّرِيقَ بَعِيدٌ.
(Ye’bne âdem) “O son of Adam!” We all are children of Hadrat Adam AS. We all are brothers and sisters. The Prophet said “Adam
is from the clay.” Our essence is the soil; so we should humble ourselves.
(Ekthirû bi’z-zâd, feinne’t-tariqa ba'îd) Zâd is the food and water prepared for the road and paced in the traveler's bag. Travelers in the past had to take their food with them because there were no stores or restaurants along the road. The roads were not as good as today, nor was traveling comfortable. Alhamdu lillah, today we left Marash, passed many places and mountains, and reached Aksaray with the grace of Allah. It would have taken weeks in the past.
In our time, there are many facilities along the roads including the gas stations, restrooms, and masjids. There is no problem with food. One does not need to prepare a bag of food for the road. But it was not like that at all in the past. Imagine a person getting ready to travel in the desert. What will he eat? What will he drink?
Both would pose serious problems. The water was carried in a bag of animal skin, and the bag was carried on the side of the camel or horse. For food, they would take something that would not be spoiled –some bread or roasted flour— during the travel but nutritious at the same time —like wheat and dates. They would put them in their bags and start the journey.
They would have a hard time on the road. In addition to the tiredness and the hardship of crossing long distances, they would have a shortage of food and water. Because of such difficulties, the Prophet said: “As you travel in the desert, if you stop somewhere and the host does not provide you with what is the right of the traveler, you may take it.”
Why is it so? The host must provide the traveler with food and water because it is a matter of life and death. When the traveler stops at a tent or a camp site, the host must provide some water and food. “If the host does not provide, you may take what is the right of the traveler. You are not going to choose death,” said the Prophet SAS. This indicates the seriousness of the matter.
I remembered a journey of the companions of the Prophet SAS.
A group of companions was sent for an expedition by the Prophet
SAS. As they traveled in the desert with many difficulties, they arrived in an oasis. There were few tents, palm trees and sign of water. They were happy to reach there. The companions told the residents that they were traveling.
People of the oasis did not recognize the companions; nor did they offer them food or water. The companions were the helpers of the Prophet SAS; they lived by the Prophet. Each one was a great wali. Nevertheless, the people of the oasis did not show any hospitality towards the companions.
The companions decided to get some rest by the oasis despite their thirst and hunger. They lied down on the sand to sleep.
Soon they heard a scream. People in the oasis were running and screaming. A woman came to the companions and asked:
“A venomous snake bit the chief of the tribe. Is there anybody among you who knows how to cure the snake bite?”
If you do not treat the companions of the Prophet nicely, that is
what could happen. The snake knows whom to bite. The chief was bitten by a snake. His body was swollen. He was going to die. They know the kind of snake; it is a venomous one. Death is inevitable once that kind of a snake bites a person. The chief was in deep trouble—he was going to die of the venom. “Is there anybody who knows how to cure the snake bite?”
One of the companions said: “I know some.”
“Come to the chief at once!”
Then the companions were welcomed. They went to the chief.
Did they give anything to the chief like a potion? Not at all. They only recited Qur'an. The swelling subsided, and the body started to recover. Every body in the tribe was happy. They offered food and water to the companions. They had a nice treatment for them. As the companions left the next day, they were given gifts including sheep and lambs.
As they approached Madinah al Munawwarah, the companion who recited the Qur'an was sad. He said, “I am not sure if I did a good thing.”
“Why do you say so?” They asked.
“I recited the Qur'an, and then they gave me these gifts. Did I use the Qur'an to obtain worldly benefits? I am going to ask the Prophet about it. Do not touch the gifts before I talk to the Prophet.”
They arrived in Madinah al Munawwarah. They went to the Prophet SAS and explained what happened. The Prophet said:
“There is no problem. Your intentions were pure. The way events unfolded was fine. You may use the gifts. If you give me some, I will benefit from them, too.”
The Prophet said this to clarify any doubts that the person might have had. Then he asked: “what did you do to the person? What did you read?”
“O Prohet of Allah! I recited Surah Fâtiha.”
What is the lesson to be learned from this hadith? In fact, there was a physical/biological problem with the chief of the tribe. The
body was swollen. The companion only recited the Qur'an—no other medicine is used. However, it is Allah Who sends the cure; He is able to do all things. Allah has the power to save the person from death. He has the power to order the person not to die yet get cured. He has the power to make things live. Amennâ wa saddaqnâ
— we believe in it without a tinge of doubt that he is All Powerful.
The sick person gets cured by reading Surah Fâtiha.
b. The Month of Forgiveness
We are in the month of Ramadhan. When we ask, “What is Ramadhan?” the answer that comes to mind is “the month of forgiveness.” It is a month in which Almighty Allah forgives many of His servants. He forgives at the time of iftar and at the time of suhur.
In this month, Allah answers the prayers. The Prophet SAS said: (Duâuhû mustejâbun) “The prayer of the fasting person is answered.” The Prophet also advised that when the sunset time is near, before we break our fast, we should pray: “My Lord! Forgive me, my mother, my father, and all believers!”
Ramadhan is a month in which many servants of Allah are forgiven and many who deserved the hellfire are freed from the hellfire. It is Mâh-i Ghufrân, Shahr-i Ghufrân, the month of forgiveness. It is the month in which Almighty Allah forgives His servants.
About the month of Ramadhan, the Prophet SAS also said:55
أَوَّلُهُ رَحْمَةٌ، وَوَسَطُهُ مَغْفِرَةٌ، وَآخِرُهُ عِتْقٌ مِنَ النَّارِ.
(خز. هب. عن سلمان)
55 İbn-i Huzeyme, Sahîh, c.III, s.191, no:1887; Beyhakî, Şuabü’l-İman, c.III, s.305, no:3608; Heysemî, Müsnedü’l-Hàris, c.I, s.412, no:321; Selmân-ı Fârisî RA’dan.
Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.VIII, s.757, no:23714 ve s.961, no:24276.
(Awwaluhû rahmetun) “Its beginning is the Mercy of Allah, (wa awsatuhû maghfiratun) its middle is the forgiveness time, (wa âkhiruhû itkun minen nâr) its latter part is the time servants of Allah are freed from the hellfire.” It is the month of forgiveness.
What else? Ramadhan is also the Mâh-i Qur'an—the month of Qur'an because the Prophet used to recite the entire Qur'an to Jibrîl AS in Ramadhan. Since that time, in Ramadhan, hâfiz persons read the Qur'an in the mosque and the congregation follows it on the Qur'an as the Prophet and Jibrîl AS repeated the Qur'an together. That is why Ramadhan is a month of upholding the Qur'an, reading it and studying it.
The servants of Allah have shortcomings and sins. Drinking wine, telling lies, false accusation, and backbiting are all sins.
Looking at haram and eating haram are sins, too. If a person forgets what he knew from the Qur'an is also one of the major sins.
That is why all day each of us should hold onto the Qur'an and refresh our memory. In Ramadhan we should try this.
“I used to know Surah Rahman by heart.”
“Recite it now.”
“I cannot do it.”
“I used to know Surah Yasin by heart.”
“Can you recite it now?”
“I cannot do it.”
“When my parents were alive, they sent me to the Qur'an course. I had finished the Amma juz—the last thirtieth part of the Qur'an.”
“Can you read it now?”
“I cannot.”
That is a major offense. That is why we need to repeat the Qur'an. In the anecdote I told you about, we saw that the Qur'an has a cure for a physical/biological problem. It is a physical cure in the life of the companions of the Prophet SAS. Just like the person took some antidote against the venom of the snake. The companion recited Surah Fatiha and the venom was eliminated. The person
returned to life.
That means the Qur'an has special powers. Reading the Qur'an has spiritual rewards and physical curing effects. It is a cure at our time, too. Since it answers the questions from the unbelievers, it is a cure for the weakness of the belief and a cure for the physical problems of man.
c. Prepare fort he Hereafter!
I told you about this incident to point out the difficulties and hardship one faces while traveling in the desert. There will be hunger and thirst, some one has to be prepared before starting the journey. One has to take food and water. For all possibilities, one has to be prepared.
Almighty Allah says in the Hadith Qudsî: “Prepare for the journey, take plenty of supplies with you because the destination is very far.”
The life of the person in this world looks like a journey. Man comes to this world, and the life flows from childhood to middle age and then to the elderly. Then comes the death, and the person
departs from this life to the hereafter. He waits in the realm of spirits (alem-i barzakh). Then the Day of Resurrection will come and people will gather for the Judgment. Those who pass the Sirat Bridge will enter Paradise.
That means the journey of the man starts in the realm of sprits and continues with the birth. With death, the person goes to the hereafter. After the Judgment and accounting, one enters the final stage of the journey, the permanent station: Hell for the disbelievers and Paradise for the believers. Yet there are believers who had offences and committed sins, the rebellious ones, will enter the hellfire get punished for sometime and then they will go to Paradise for their belief. Whoever believes in “Lâ ilâha illallah—there is no deity but Allah” will enter Paradise eventually.
The Prophet SAS said:56
مَنْ قَالَ: لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ، دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ (حب. عن جابر؛ حب. ط حل. عن أبي ذر؛ ك. عن أبي طلحة؛ طب. ع. حل. عن معاذ)
56 Hàkim, Müstedrek, c.IV, s.279, no:7638; Ebû Talha el-Ensàrî RA’dan.
Tayâlisî, Müsned, c.I, s.60, no:444; Ebû Nuaym, Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ, c.VII, s.172; Ebû Zerri’l-Gıfârî RA’dan.
Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Kebîr, c.XXII, s.313, no:790; Taberânî, Dua, c.I, s.434, no:1477; İbn-i Asâkir, Târih-i Dimaşk, c.LXVI, s.290; Ebû Şeybe el-Ensârî RA’dan.
Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Kebîr, c.VII, s.48, no:6348; Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Evsat, c.II, s.328, no:2124; Seleme ibn-i Nuaym el-Eşcaî RA’dan.
Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Evsat, c.III, s.205, no:2932; Taberânî, Müsnedü’ş- Şâmiyyîn, c.III, s.214, no:2113; İbn-i Adiy, Kâmil fi’d-Duafâ, c.VI, s.447, no:1929; Ukaylî, Duafâ, c.IV, s.68, no:1622; Ebü’d-Derdâ RA’dan.
Ebû Ya’lâ, Müsned, c.VII, s.34, no:3941; Ebû Nuaym, Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ, c.VII, s.174; Muaz ibn-i Cebel RA’dan.
Ebû Nuaym, Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ, c.X, s.,397; Ebû Hüreyre RA’dan.
Mizzî, el-Fevâid, c.I, s.191, no:445; İbn-i Asâkir, Târih-i Dimaşk, c. XLVI, s.436; Enes ibn-i Mâlik RA’dan.
(Men qàle lâ ilâha illallah, dakhalel jannah) “Whoever says 'Lâ ilâha illallah' will enter Paradise.” He will enter Paradise, but some will enter without any interrogation. The blessed servants of Allah, the happy and fortunate ones, and the beloved servants of Allah will enter Paradise without any interrogation or accounting. In a hadith the Prophet SAS said:
“Seventy thousand among my Ummah will enter Paradise without any interrogation.”
Ukkasha ibn-i Mihsân as-Saqafî RA, a person that the Prophet appointed him as the commander of the army, a beloved and blessed companion of the Prophet, got up and asked the Prophet:
“O Prophet of Allah! Please pray that I am one of the fortunate ones to enter Paradise without any accounting.”
The Prophet SAS smiled and said: “You are one of them!” Then the Prophet SAS added: “When Almighty Allah stated that seventy thousand believers will enter Paradise without interrogation, I requested Him increase the number: 'My Lord! Increase this number. Let more believers enter Paradise without interrogation.' Almighty Allah granted seventy thousand more for each person of the first seventy thousand.”
That would make 70,000 x 70,000 = 4,900,000,000; four billion nine hundred million people will enter Paradise without an accounting of their deeds. There is a mysterious part of the hadith: “There will be several handfuls of the Merciful added to this number.” We would not know how much there is in one handful of Almighty Allah. Sometime, in the bazaar, the vendors weigh the goods to the right amount and then add a handful of the goods saying, “This is for the scale.” [They would do that just incase the scale is not weighing the exact amount; they would make sure that the customer gets no less than the stated amount of the merchandise.]
Upon the request of the Prophet, Almighty Allah granted
seventy thousand more for each person of the seventy thousand: it makes four billion nine hundred million people. Additionally,
several handfuls of people by the hands of Almighty Allah are added to that number. We would not know how much there is in one handful of Allah. These are the ones to enter Paradise without an accounting, without interrogation. On the day or Judgment, they will rest in the shade of the Ash-i A'lâ, the Throne of Allah. Their book of deeds will not be opened. They will not be told: “You have committed sins. Explain all of this!” They will enter Paradise directly.
d. Prophet Muhammad SAS will Enter the Paradise First
Who will enter Paradise first? Of course our beloved Prophet, Muhammed-i Mustafâ SAS, will enter Paradise first. He said:57
آتِي بَابَ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَأَسْتَفْتِحُ، فَيَقُولُ الْخَازِنُ: مَنْ أَنْتَ؟
فَأَقُولُ: مُحَمَّدٌ. فَيَقُولُ: بِكَ أُمِرْتُ لاَ أَفْتَحُ لأَحَد قَبْـلَكَ (م. حم. وعبد بن حميد عن أنس)
RE. 3/1 (Âtî bâbe’l-jenneh) “I will reach the gate of Paradise.”
The gate will be closed. The gatekeeper, Ridwân, will ask:
(Men ente?) “Who are you?”
The Prophet will say: (Ene muhammedin) “I am Muhammed the chosen, the beloved servant of Allah, His messenger.”
The gatekeeper Ridwan will say: (Bike umirtu en lâ efteha li-ehadin qableke) “Come in O Prophet
57 Müslim, Sahîh, c.I, s.188, no:197; Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.III, s.136, no:12420; Abd ibn-i Humeyd, Müsned, c.I, s.379, no:1271; Abdullah ibn-i Mübârek, Zühd, c.I, s.119, no:400; İbn-i Ebî Àsım, Evâil, c.I, s.62, no:10; Begavî, Şerhü’s- Sünneh, c.VII, s.447; Ebû Avâne, Müsned, c.I, s.138, no:418; İbn-i Asâkir, Mu’cem, c.I, s.462, no:955; Enes ibn-i Mâlik RA’dan.
Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.XI, s.532, no:31890; Keşfü’l-Hafâ, c.I, s.I, no:2; Câmiü’l- Ehàdîs, c.I, s.9, no:1.
of Allah! I was ordered not to open this gate for anybody before you.
That is why I am questioning you. Welcome O Prophet of Allah!”
Our beloved Prophet SAS will enter the Paradise first. Before entering Paradise, the believers will gather by the Liwâul Hamd banner of the Prophet. All of the Prophets, Hadrat Adam AS, Moses AS, Jesus AS, and all other prophets will gather under the banner of Liwâul Hamd.
That is why we ask Almighty Allah: “Our Lord! Gather us under the Liwâul Hamd banner of the Prophet SAS, among the prophets, true and loyal believers, the martyrs, and the righteous servants.
Treat us as you treat them.”
All prophets will gather under the banner of Liwâul Hamd and enter Paradise directly. They are called duhûl-i awwalîn — the first enterers. The prophets will be in that group, but the very person that the gates are opened will be our beloved Prophet, the leader of the Prophets Muhammed-i Mustafâ SAS. Adam AS and other prophets will enter under the banner of our beloved Prophet SAS.
Those who will enter Paradise without interrogation will follow them. They will be the blessed servants of Allah, the martyrs, beloved servants of Allah, awliyaullah, and the muqarrabîn—those who are very close to Allah. It is stated in the Surah Wâqi'a:
وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ . اُوْلَئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ . فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ
ثـُلَّةٌ مِنْ الأَْوَّلِينَ . وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ الآْخِرِينَ (الواقعة:٠١-٤١)
(Wa’s-sâbiqùnas sâbiqùn. Ulâika’l-muqarrabûn. Fî jennâtin naîm. Sulletun mine’l-awwalîn. Wa qalîlun minel âkharîn.) These are the selected, elite believers of the highest level, pure servants.
Then there are people who will enter Paradise after they are interrogated and an account of their deeds is reviewed. I would like to tell you an anecdote about the accounting:
Hadrat Omar RA made a deal with one of his friends in this life.
They loved one another for Allah. His friend told Hadrat Omar RA:
“O Omar! If you depart from this world before I do, appear in my dream and tell me what you have seen in the hereafter. If I die before you do, I shall tray to appear in your dream and tell you what I see there.”
Hadrat Omar RA passed away before his friend whom he had the agreement. As you know, Hadrat Omar was stubbed on the back, and left this life as a martyr. He was buried. That night, his Friend waited anxiously toe Hadrat Omar RA in his dream. The next day, too, he waited, yet he saw nothing. There was no dream for two weeks. He was hoping to get some information.
On the fifteenth day, the friend dreamed about Hadrat Omar RA. Hadrat Omar appeared as though he just got out of a steam bath; he was sweaty. His cheeks were red; he had beads of sweat on his face.
“O Omar! Didn't we make a deal? You were supposed to appear in my dream!”
Hadrat Omar responded in the dream: “Hush! I just got out of the interrogation.”
I tend to believe these stories. I do not think somebody would make it up. I myself believe that it happened. Dear Brothers and Sister! I derive the followıng lesson from this story:
Hadrat Omar RA was the second Caliph after our beloved Prophet SAS. The first one was Hadrat Abubakr; the second one was Hadrat Omar RA. Both were the father-in-law of the Prophet SAS. Hadrat Omar al-Farûq RA was the father of our mother Hafsâ RA. He was a close friend to the Prophet SAS.
Hadrat Omar was also among the Ashara-i Mubash-sharah—
the ten people about whom the Prohet said they will enter Paradise: “Abubakr will enter Paradise, Omar, Othman, Ali, ... will enter Paradise.” These names are written with nice calligraphy and kept on the walls of the mosques.
e. The Degree of the Companions of the Prohet
We know how high the spiritual degree of the companions of the Prophet was. None of the awliyaullah could reach their level.
According to the Ahl-i Sunnah creed, the highest level of the awliyaullah is below the level of the companions because the Prophet SAS sated: ki:58
خَيْرُ الْقُرُونِ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ (خ. م. ت. حم حب. ق . حل. خط. كر. عن ابن مسعود؛ ت. حم. حب. ك. طب.
58 İbn-i Hacer, Tahlîsu’l-Hayr, c.IV, s.204, no:2130; İmran ibn-i Husayn RA’dan.
Lafız farkıyla: Buhàrî, Sahîh, c.II, s.938, no:2509; Müslim, Sahîh, c.IV, s.1962, no:2533; Tirmizî, Sünen, c.V, s.695, no:3859; Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.I, s.378, no:3594; İbn-i Hibbân, Sahîh, c.XVI, s.205, no:7222; Bezzâr, Müsned, c.V, s.180, no:1777; Beyhakî, Sünenü’l-Kübrâ, c.X, s.122, no:20174; Ebû Nuaym, Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ, c.VII, s.126; İbn-i Abdi’l-Ber, el-İstîàb, c.I, s.4; Hatîb-i Bağdâdî, Târih-i Bağdad, c.XII, s.52; Dâra Kutnî, İlel, c.V, s.187; İbn-i Asâkir, Târih-i Dimaşk, c.IL, s.52; Abdullah ibn-i Mes’ud RA’dan.
Tirmizî, Sünen, c.IV, s.500, no:2221; Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.IV, s.426, no:19833; İbn-i Hibbân, Sahîh, c.XVI, s.212, no:7229; Hàkim, Müstedrek, c.III, s.535, no:5988; Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Kebîr, c.XVIII, s.212, no:526; İbn-i Ebî Şeybe, Musannef, c.VI, s.404, no:32410; Umran ibn-i Husayn RA’dan.
Tirmizî, Sünen, c.IV, s.549, no:2303; Taberânî, Mu’cemü’s-Sağîr, c.I, s.220, no:352; Hz. Ömer RA’dan.
Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.IV, s.267, no:18374; İbn-i Hibbân, Sahîh, c.XV, s.121, no:6727; Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Kebîr, c.II, s.27, no:1122; İbn-i Ebî Şeybe, Musannef, c.VI, s.404, no:32413; Tahàvî, Şerhü’l-Maànî, c.IV, s.152, no:5673; Ebû Nuaym, Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ, c.IV, s.125; Heysemî, Müsnedü’l-Hàris, c.II, s.940, no:1036; Nu’man ibn-i Beşîr RA’dan.
Hàkim, Müstedrek, c.III, s.211, no:4871; Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Kebîr, c.II, s.285, no:2187; İbn-i Ebî Şeybe, Musannef, c.VI, s.404, no:32408; Abd ibn-i Humeyd, Müsned, c.I, s.148, no:383; Şeybânî, el-Âhad ve’l-Mesânî, c.II, s.47, no:726; İbn-i Esîr, Üsdü’l-Gàbe, c.I, s.180; Ca’de ibn-i Hübeyre RA’dan.
Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Evsat, c.V, s.335, no:5475; Ebû Hüreyre RA’dan.
Keşfü’l-Hafâ, c.II, s.245, no:1265; RE. 280/5
ش . عن عمران بن حصين؛ ت. عن عمر؛ حم . حب . طب . ش طح . حل. عن نعمان بن بشير؛ ك. طب. ش. وعبد بن حميد عن جعدة بن هبيرة؛ طس. عن أبي هريرة)
(Khayrul qurûni qarnî) “The best of the times, the eras, is my era. People living during my time are the best. (Thummelledhîne yelûnehum, thummelledhîne yelûnehum) then the following generation, and then the following generation.” In other words, the best ones are the companions of the Prophet—people who saw the Prophet. The second best ones are the tâbi'în: people who saw the companions of the Prophet. The third best people are the te-be-i tâbi'în: people who saw the tâbi'în. These three generations of the early Muslims have the highest spiritual levels. Seeing the Prophet and attending his discourses are great honors.
Hadrat Omar was among the Ashara-i Mubash-sharah; he was one of the companions, he was also a father-in-law to the Prophet.
Another point is that there are only two companions who were buried next to the Prophet SAS: Had rat Abubakr and Hadrat Omar. Their graves are behind the grave of the Prophet SAS. They are under the green dome (Qubba-i Hadrâ) in Madinah Al- Munawwarah.
Once our Mother Aisha RA had a dream which is described in the Dalâilul Khayrat book. In the dream, three full moons descended from the sky to the chamber of our Mother Aisha RA.
They disappeared on the ground of the chamber. She told about that dream to her father Hadrat Abubakr RA ask him to interpret.
Hadrat Abubakr said: “O my Daughter! Three important personages will be buried in your chamber. They are the best three persons on the face of earth.”
Years later, when the Prophet SAS passed away, Hadrat Abûbakr told his daughter, our Mother Aisha RA: “O my Daughter Asiha! Do you remember your dream that you had told me about?
This is one of the full moons.” He said that because the Prophet SAS passed away in the chamber of Hadrat Aisha RA, and he was buried in that room. The Prophets would be buried where they passed away.
After the Prophet SAS, Hadrat Abu Bakr was buried in that room. The third person buried in that room was Hadrat Omar RA.
The dream had been actualized. The best three people on the face of the earth were buried in the chamber of Hadrat Aisha.
Imagine that a person who was among the Ashara-i Mubash- sharah, one of the best people on the face of the earth, and a father- in-law to the Prophet, appeared in the dream fifteen days after he passed away and said that he had just came out of the interrogation.
Now imagine what is going to happen to us when we are interrogated as sinners, rebels and guilty servants. May Allah help us! May He forgive us. May He have maghfirah on us Maghfirah
means erasing and covering the sins.
Keeping that in mind in this Ramadhan, Dear Brothers and Sisters, we should try with all our might to be among the servants whom Allah has forgiven. If Allah interrogates us, we will be in deep trouble. If He forgives us, we will be happy. If He asks for an account of our deeds, we would be in a terrible state.
Let us ask forgiveness from Allah for us the sinners. Let us seek forgiveness and mercy from Allah subhanahu wa ta'alâ. Let us try to earn that forgiveness and mercy.
Before starting his salat, our master Hâtem-i Esam KS would imagine the Ka'ba before him, for we turn to Ka'bah when we do our prayers. He would also imagine the Sirat Bridge under his feet. If he slips, he would fall into the hellfire. He would imagine that Azrâil AS is behind him waiting to take his soul. That prayer would be his last prayer. “After I complete this prayer, the angel o death will take my life away.” He would think about the hereafter and with pure intentions he would start the prayer, “Allahu akbar!” May Allah give all of us long lives. May He give us health and happiness to live many Ramadhans. We should think that this is
our last Ramadhan and appreciate it as such. Let us assume that we will not reach the next Ramadhan. Let us do this seriously because it can be true.
Rabia-i Adewiyye would say to herself in the mornings: “This is your last day. Appreciate it and spend it in prayers.” At every night, she would say: “This is your last night. Spend your night as a person spending his or her last night in prayers.”
Those blessed people tried with all their might for Allah, spent their day and night in prayers and in tears turning to Almighty Allah and asking forgiveness and mercy from Him. They reached high spiritual stages. We must learn a lesson from them. We could not reach their spiritual levels; we cannot be a speck of dust on their feet. Yet we have to try hard to be righteous servants of Allah.
Almighty Allah asked us to take plenty of supplies for the journey which is very long. This journey is nothing but our lives.
Then it is the hereafter, the Colossal Court, and the final
destination is Paradise for the believers and Hell for the rebels.
We were talking about the degrees of people who will enter paradise. Those who have more good deeds than bad deeds will enter Paradise. They will have degrees and ranks. Some will pass the Sirat Bridge (kelberkul lâmi') like lightening, with the wink of the eye. Some will run on the Sirat Bridge, some will crawl. When they arrive in Paradise after the bridge, they will be happy.
فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَاُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ (آل عمران: ٥٨١)
(Femen zuhziha ani’n-nâri wa udkhile’l-jennete feqad fâz) “... So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained his desire...” (Qur'an 3:185) It will be great happiness.
There are countless blessings in Paradise.
f. Torture in the Grave
There will be people who will suffer despite their belief. Some will suffer in the grave, and some will suffer in Hell. In a hadith an example of the suffering in the grave is stated: A believer was placed in the grave. The angels who were in charge of the torments in the grave slammed him with a hammer on his head that his head splashed all over. He asked: “Why do you torture me? I am a believer.” The angels responded: “Yes you were a Muslim, but once some oppressors were doing injustice to a person, and you did not help the oppressed person. You walked away. This is for that.”
It is clear that if one does not help the oppressed, he will suffer in the grave even if he is a believer. Knowing this, we must try to help the oppressed in Chechnia, Bosnia, and in other parts of the world. That is the lesson to be learned.
Once, the Prophet SAS was passing by two graves of Muslims.
He said, “These persons are suffering in their graves.” The prophet would see what is inside the graves, too. Some awliyaullah, too, are given the abilities of kashf-ul qulûb and kashf-ul qubûr at an early
stage in their spiritual progress. That means, they could know what is in the hearts and what is in the graves. The Prophet SAS said that people in their graves were tortured. The companions asked:
“Why are they tortured?”
“One used to backbite and carry words among people which would instill hatred and enmity towards one another. The second person did not pay attention when he urinated. [He would splash it on his clothes.]” The prophet asked the companions to bring a fresh branch of a tree. He broke the branch into to and erected the pieces on the graves. He added: “They will not have any torment until these fresh branches get dehydrated.”
We understand that even the believers could be tormented in the grave if they have ill characters and deeds.
Some people will fall into the fire for committing various sins.
Some will enter Hell because they will have more bad deeds than the good deeds. That will be apparent in after the judgment in the
Colossal Court.
g. Try not to fall into Hellfire!
Once, the Prophet SAS asked:
“Who is called bankrupt?”
The companions responded:
“A person who lost all of his goods and business is called bankrupt.”
Hearing this, the Prophet SAS said:
“The bankrupt is a person who comes to the Colossal Court with rewards as large as mountains. He would have rewards for prayers, fasting, charity, and other good causes. While he was interrogated in the court, people whom he owed due rights will come there and demand their rights. His rewards will be given to those people to compensate for their due rights. In the end he runs out of rewards.
But people continue demanding compensation: 'Our Lord! We have due rights on them, too.' They are instructed to leave their sins for compensation. Then the sins start to accumulate. When his case in the court is over, he is thrown to the hellfire with sins as large as mountains.”
The lesson we learn from this hadith is that we have to pay attention to other people's rights. We should not leave any due rights to the hereafter. To keep our rewards in the hereafter, we should pay the due rights to people in this life. We should not do any wrong to anybody.
If a believer is admitted to Hell for the offences he had in this life, he has to suffer the torments there. Pagans will mock at them: “Look, your belief did not help you. You declared that there was no deity but Allah, yet you are in Hell.” We may wonder how long a believer will stay in Hell. There is a hadith:
“O believers!! O Muslims! Protect yourselves from Hell. Try not to fall into the hellfire. Pay attention to your deeds. If you are admitted to Hell, you will stay there ahqàben.
Ahqàben is the word in Surah Amma (Naba'):
لاَِّبثِينَ فِيهَا أَحْقَابًا (النبأ٣٢)
(Lâbisîne fîhâ ahqàbâ) They will not find anything to drink.
They will be burnt in fire. They will be tormented by fire. “They will stay there ahqàben.” Here ahqàben is the plural of huqub which means eighty some years such as 83 years. Arabs call 83 years as one huqub. Since it is in the form that is three or more, ahqàben means at least three huqubs which make approximately 250 years. If a believer falls in Hell, he will stay there for 250 years. Yet, there is a verse,
Bi’smi’llâhi’r-rahmâni’r-rahîm:
وَإِنَّ يَوْماً عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَة مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ (الحج٧٤)
(Wa inne yewmen inde rabbike ke-elfi senetin mimmâ teuddûn) “In the sight of Allah, one day is as long as one-thousand years in your time.” A day in the hereafter will be like one-thousand years of this life. Then a year in the hereafter will be equal to our 365 thousand years. Two hundred fifty years adds up to ninety-one billion two hundred fifty million years of this life. That would be the minimum time to be spent in Hell.
The minimum time in Hell will be billions of years. For this reason, Dear Brothers and Sisters, we must try not to fall into the hellfire. That is the lesson we derive from the hadith.
h. Acquire Taqwâ!
In many verses of the Qur'an Allah subhanahu wa ta'alâ
instructs us:
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ (البقرة٨٧٢)
(Yâ eyyuhelledhîne âmenuttequllah) “O you who have believed, fear Allah!”
فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ (البقرة٤٢)
(Wettequ’n-nâre’lletî wa qùduhe’n-nâsu wa’l-hijârah) “Avoid Hell whose fuel is made of people and stones.” In many verses we are instructed to be aware of Allah and to avoid the hellfire. Also, the verse that indicates that fasting in Ramadhan is an obligation states: Bi’smi’llâhi’r-rahmâni’r-rahîm:
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن
قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ (البقرة:٣٨١)
(Yâ eyyuhe’lledhîne âmenû kutibe aleykumu’s-siyâmu kemâ kutibe ale’lledhîne min qablikum le'allekum tetteqùn) “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may learn taqwa” (Qur'an 2:183).
In many verses of the Qur'an Almighty Allah recommends taqwa and orders: “Fear Allah! Be aware of Allah! The fasting in Ramadan is decreed on us so we may learn taqwa. Allah has granted us the month of Ramadhan. He orders everything with His wisdom. He provides means for us to carry out His orders.
I had read many years ago I read about a Canadian Diplomat, a scholar in South-East Asia. It was Thomas Irving. He became a Muslim and wrote a book about Islam. What he says about how he became a Muslim is very interesting. Since we learn Islam from our parents and we practice it in the family, we do not know how a non-Muslim sees it.
Thomas Irving says: “I was born in a Christian country, and I
am familiar with Christianity. When I was a diplomat in South- East Asia, I studied the religions of the region, too.” There are Indians, Chinese, Thais, and Vietnamese in that region. They practice Buddhism, Brahmanism, Shintoism and other religions. “I compared their practices with Christianity and Islam.”
What are the rituals and worships in Islam? Praying five times a day, fasting in Ramadhan, paying zakah, going for the Pilgrimage, doing dhikr (remembering Allah), spending for the charitable causes, and others. “To me, all of the orders of Islam are excellent, logical, beneficial, and full of wisdom. I realized that the worship of the other religions was baseless and useless. That is why I accepted Islam.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters! Think about Ramadhan—the month of training. As we do the worship of fasting, we strengthen our will power. The water is pure, but we do not drink it when we fast. Food is pure, but we avoid it while we fast. Imagine how many cups of water or tea we would drink every day if we were not fasting. The cakes, fruits, and other enjoyable food and beverages are avoided
because fasting is an order from Allah. We learn how to control ourselves, how to be patient, and how to have taqwa.
What does this mean?
“O My servants! Look! Water and food are the major needs of your body. You succeed staying away from water and food while fasting. You do not need the sinful deeds, so stay away from them at all times.”
Why does a person need the sinful deeds? There are so many halal things. While there are plenty of halal things, why would we indulge in haram?
In our college, there was Professor Abdulkhaliq Bey. He had served as a minister of Education in the cabinet. While he was in a diplomatic mission in Germany, the German host wanted to serve wine to him. He told them: “Do not serve wine.”
“Why Sir?”
He was a philosopher. He told us that he replied:
“Almighty Allah has so many halal and pure things to drink. There is no need to put the pure and halal things a side and reach for the haram things.”
Do people drink wine because of necessity?” Of course not!
I will tell you a joke. In the old times, alcoholic beverages were banned in the cities. A group of people decides to drink liqueur and set up a table at the outskirts of a town. A caravan was passing.
The person in charge of the camels saw the table. He thought that the rich had a table with delicious food of all kinds. He was hungry and wanted to eat with them. The group invited the camel driver.
The driver sat with them and started eating the food. Then somebody offered him a glass of hard liqueur. He had no idea what it was, and he had a big sip. Oh no! From his mouth to his stomach, his inside was on fire! He had flames coming out of his eyes. He coughed and sneezed. He had tears in his eyes. Then he turned to people, felt sorry for them and asked: “Does the government make you drink this?”
Why do they have to drink it? Does the government force it on them? Why do they drink this harmful substance that destroys the stomach and the liver? Is it the law? Do they keep soldiers with you to make sure that you drink it? It has no useful things, and so much harm. It is not even pleasant!
Cigarette smoking is the same. There must be some among you who smoke. The cigarette has no useful effect. The wind takes the smoke; the strangers take the money, and the harmful effects stay with you. It causes cancer and other illnesses. While there are so many pure and halal things, one should enjoy the halal and stay away from the haram.
While we fast in Ramadhan, we do not eat the food that Almighty Allah had made it halal and that it is needed. We need water and food to survive; we do not eat or drink anything while we fast. As we avoid the lawful things, we should not even think of the unlawful things at all. We should learn how to control ourselves.
We practice that over a month. it is a training of taqwa.
One of the wisdoms of fasting is the control of the will power.
Almighty Allah has ordered believers to avoid Hell; t o avoid Hell, one has to control his desires. To control the desires, one has to have the training of the will power.
What lacks in our educational system is that it teaches the knowledge, the information, but it fails to teach the manners and code of conduct. In fact the training of the manners is more important than the training for information. A person may lack the information, but if he has good manners, he could be more beneficial to the society.
In the early Islamic history, when Hadrat Omar ibn-i Khattab was the caliph, he was on a journey to Makkah al Mukarramah. He had a friend accompanying him—not an army of soldiers. He was like an ordinary passenger. They got tired and found a shade to get some rest. They met a shepherd there. Hadrat Omar RA called the
shepherd:
“Sell one of the lambs to us!” They were going to slaughter, cook and eat it. They were gong to pay for it.
THe Shepherd did not know who the passengers were. He said: “The flock is not mine. I am only a shepherd, not the owner. I cannot sell any.”
“You sell it and tell the owner that a wolf ate the lamb.”
The Shepherd responded: “Suppose we fooled the owner. Could we fool Allah, too?”
What does it indicate? During the time of Hadrat Omar, Islam was still new. Yet even the shepherd on the mountain had excellent code of conduct and manners. The good believer would not resort to cheating or misleading.
Once, Hadrat Omar RA was patrolling the streets of Madina at night, he overheard the voice of a woman who was talking to her daughter:
“O my Daughter. Add some water to the milk.” Hadrat Omar was on the street, but he could hear the voice. The buildings at that time were not very strong. Some bushes were weaved and mud is plastered on them. The walls were made like that, so they were not soundproof.
The daughter of the woman rejected: “Didn't you hear the announcer that instructed us not to add water in the milk? We were supposed to sell the milk as it was milked.”
The women said, “Get real, o my daughter. How would Hadrat Omar know about it? You do as I say.”
The girl persists: “Hadrat Omar would not know it, but Almighty Allah would know it Mom.”
Did you see what this little girl and the shepherd in the wilderness said? This is the result of the training of the manners and characters. Islam is instilled in the hearts; people became Muslims. They had acquired the fear of Allah, taqwa. You force them to commit the offences, yet they refuse to do it. They do not add water to the milk, nor do they sell the lamb.
How is it now? There is so much information; people are very knowledgeable, yet there are no manners. The President complains that the government cannot stop bribery. Both the giver and the taker are happy with it.
This reveals an important shortcoming on our part, on the part of the national education system: We train students to be good engineers, doctors, other professionals by teaching them the knowledge, yet we fail to teach them the manners and the code of conduct. That is why the bribery could not be prevented. That is
the origin of the domination of the mafia and the abuse of the system. We read many disgraceful incidents on the newspapers every day.
Dear Brothers and Sisters! We must pay attention to the training of the manners, training of the taqwa and spiritual training. They are must.
i. Training of Nafs
As you know that each human being has a body. There is nafs in each body. In essence, the nafs produces some feelings and desires. The desires of the nafs are called hawâ-i nafs or shahawât- i nafsâniyya. Shahawât is the plural of shahwah that means appetite, strong desire. When a person follows the desires of his nafs, he gets indulged in haram. Almighty Allah says in the Qur'an:
إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لأََمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلاَّ مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي (يوسف٣٥)
(Inne’n-nafsa le-emmâratun bi’s-sû-i illâ mâ rahime rabbî) “Indeed, the nafs is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy...” (Qur'an 12:53). The nafs orders the evil, the lust, and illicit desires. Many people follow the orders of their nufus and commit offences.
When a person is indulged in sins, he can found himself in Hell
to be tormented for millions of years even if he is a believer.
Then what shall we do? We should not follow the shahawât-i nafsaniyya. We should oppose to the desires of nafs and resist them. We must appoint our intelligence as a director within ourselves, which has the training of the Qur'an and Islam. If the human body is a country, the intelligence should be in charge of the government. This intelligence must be based on logic, Qur'an and Islam.
If the nafs al-ammarah (the evil nafs) overpowers the intelligence and takes control,
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا . وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا (الشمس٩-٠١)
(Qad aflehâ men zekkâhâ. Wa qad khàba men dessâhâ) “One purifies his nafs will attain salvation, and one who fails to train his nafs will be a loser” (Qur'an 91:9-10) The nafs must be trained. The training of the nafs and teaching it about taqwa take place in Ramadhan.
Three of the five major obligations of Islam are carried out in this month. The first one is declaring the kalima—there is no deity but Allah. The Prophet SAS stated:
j. Four Things in Ramadhan
“Do four things in Ramadhan in plenty:
1. Say the kalima-i shahâdah: 'Ashadu en lâ ilâha illâllah — I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah.'
2. Say 'Astaghfirullah — My Lord! Forgive me my sins.'
3. Ask Paradise from Allah
4. Seek refuge with Allah against Hell.”
The Prophet SAS recommends us in Ramadhan the dhikr “ashadu en lâ ilâha illâllah” and “astaghfirullah.” We should do this dhikr in plenty knowing its meaning. The first dhikr means:
“My Lord! You exist. You are One and Only. You have no partners or equals. I worship You alone. I know that there is no deity other than You.” The second dhikr means: “My Lord! I have sinned. I seek your forgiveness. Forgive me my sins.”
Then we need to ask for Paradise: “My Lord! I want Your Paradise. Place me in Your Paradise where You will gather Your beloved servants and Your blessings. Free me from Your Hell.”
All of this is possible by giving the nafs taqwa and staying away from the offenses and sins.
There is kalima-i shahâdah in Ramadhan; that is one of the five pillars of Islam. Then there is salat (prayer) in Ramadhan. We do offer many more units of prayer in Ramadhan—alhamdu lillah!
There is the Tarawih prayer in the mosques. We attend the mosques for that. There is also fasting in Ramadhan.
There is also another saying of the Prophet SAS: “The good deeds carried out in Ramadhan have 70 times more rewards then when they are done other times. That is why the knowledgeable Muslims pay their zakah in Ramadhan.
Ramadhan is such a month that there is kalima-i shahâdah,
prayers, fasting, and zakah. It is a blessed season of training that has all kinds of worship. We strengthen our will power in this month; we appoint our intelligence as the ruler of our body country. We appoint the intelligence that has belief in Allah and upholds the Qur'an. That leads us to salvation.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا (الشمس٩)
(Qad aflaha men zekkâhâ) Then man finds the salvation.
However, if we make the nafs as the ruler and dominant, if we follow the desires of the evil nafs, then we will be lost. Then a person will neglect the prayers, smokes and eats in public in Ramadhan, and do other evil deeds. You see that a grown up person, son of a good Muslim, do bad things. If his parents saw him
smoking, neglecting the prayers, displaying no shame, then they will feel extremely sad.
In the past, no-Muslims would tell their children: “This is the month of fasting for Muslims. Do not eat anything outside. Respect them and do not eat anything when they are present.”
When the nafs al-ammarah rules, the person does not fast, go to mosque, pay zakah, or distinguish between halal and haram. He wastes the precious month of Ramadhan. He does not benefit from it at all.
In a hadith the Prohet said: “The true shaqî (rebel, disobedient, unfortunate person deserving hellfire) is the person who does not benefit from the blessings of Ramadhan.”
Shaqî is the person who deserves the hellfire. It is the opposite of saîd (fortunate, happy, righteous person). The shaqî is deprived of the blessings of Ramadhan.
As you know, there is a dua for the night of Bara'ah. Almighty Allah decides what will happen in future at that night. That is why we make the dua: “O Allah! My Lord! At this special blessed Night of Bara'ah, if You have written my name to the list of the shaqîs, please erase my name from that list and write it to the list of saîds.
If you have written my name to the list of saîds, please keep my name on that list and help me live like one of them.” We want to be fortunate servants, happy servants. We want to enter Paradise and attain eternal bliss in the hereafter.
Yet the Prophet SAS calls the person who did not benefit from the blessings of Ramadhan a shaqî.
Al-hamdu lillah, Almighty Allah granted you the opportunity to come to the mosque and accepted you to His House. The mosques are the houses of Allah, and you are His guests. This is a great happiness that not everybody gets. Appreciate this blessing. Talk to your neighbors, friends, and acquaintances—be it from the military service, from the street, from the childhood, from the school, from the shopping center— tell them about the blessings of
Ramadhan and help them benefit from it. Help them not to be deprived of this great blessing.
k. Three Supplications of Archangel Gabriel AS
I would like to conclude with a hadith. The Prophet SAS was stepping up the pulpit to deliver his sermon. After the first step he said “Amen!” He took his second step, paused and said “Amen!” He took his third step and repeated: “Amen!” After the sermon the companions asked:
“O Prophet of Allah! You would not say 'Amen!' when you stepped up the pulpit. Why did you say it wit each of your steps this time?”
The Prophet SAS said: “Jebrâil AS came to me when I was stepping up and rebuked three persons, and I said 'Amen!' for that.”
One of these rebukes was related to Ramadhan:
“Woe to the person who fails to attain the mercy of Allah in the Ramadhan as the month comes and goes. May his nose be rubbed to the ground (may he be humiliated).” The archangel Gabriel AS said, “Raghima enfuhû—may his nose be rubbed to the ground.”
The Prophet said “Amen!” to that.
The second rebuke was the following:
“Woe to the person who fails to earn Paradise as he lived with his mother or father or both. May his nose be rubbed to the ground.”
The Prophet SAS said “Amen!” to that, too.
What we understand from this is that if a person treats his parents well, attend their needs and get their prayers and blessings; he will enter Paradise for sure. If he fails to do so, then he incurs the wrath of Gabriel AS and of the Prophet SAS. We must pay attention to this.
For the third rebuke of Gabriel AS was the following:
“Woe to the person who fails to say salawat for me after hearing my name at a gathering. May his nose be rubbed tot he ground.”
The Prophet SAS said “Amen!” to this one, too. This hadith points three important duties:
1. When we hear the name of our beloved Prophet SAS, when we hear the name Muhammed, we will say “Alayhis-salâm (AS)—peace be on him” or “Sallallàhu alayhi wa sallam (SAS)—may peace and blessing be on him.” Our forefathers made us used to saying this.
May Allah bless them. Now when we hear the name Muhammed, we say it right away. We also add 'alayhis-salâm' to the manes of the Prophets: Jesus AS, Moses AS, Muhammed Mustafâ AS. We use it as if it is a part of the mane. That is a good training that we received from our elderly.
What happens when we do not say these words? When I was a college student, there were professors who would refuse to say “alayhis-salâm” or “sallallàhu alayhi wa sallam.” There were also professors in the College of Theology at Ankara University who would say “Muhammed” only. “Muhammed did this: Muhammed did that...” Is Muhammed a friend of yours from the military service? He is the most beloved servant of Allah—Habibullâh. His Prophet!
Could you call the president of a country with his first name?
Could you say “Suleyman did this; Suleyman did that ...” for the President Suleyman Demirel [of Turkish Republic]? They say, “His Excellency, Mr. President” or “His Excellency Mr Prime Minister.”
That is a sign of respect. You have no right to be disrespectful towards the Prophet of Allah. Even the non-Muslims would call him “Yâ Ebelqàsim!—O father of Qàsim!” That was how the noble people were addressed. The first names were not used for grownups.
Suppose your father's given name is Ahmed. Could you call him “Ahmed, come here?” He will slap you on the face, and people will denounce your arrogance. One would call his father, “My beloved Father,” “My Dear Father,” or “Dad.”
When the name of the Prophet SAS is mentioned, we say salat
and salâm with love and zeal as Suleyman Chelebi said in his Mawlid:
Ashk ile shevk ile eytun essalât
You all say as-salât with love and zeal.
We must do it because one of the essentials of our belief is loving the Prophet SAS. The Prophet SAS said:59
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ
مِنْ وَالِدِه،ِ وَوَلَدِهِ، وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ (حم . خ . م . ن. ه.
و عبد بن حميد، والدارمي، حب. عن أنس؛ حم. خ. ن. عن أبي هريرة)
(Wa’lladhî nafsî bi-yedihî) “By Allah whom my life depends on, (lâ yu'minu ahadikum) any of you will not be a true believer (hattâ ekûne ahabbe ileyhi min wâlidihî, wa waladihî, wa’n-nâsi ajma'în) unless I am dearer to him than his father, his children, and everybody else.” That is if we do not love the Prophet more than anybody else, we will not be a true believer.
The requirement to be a true believer is to love the Prophet SAS.
The companions used to say, “Let my parents and my soul be sacrificed for you O Prophet of Allah!” That is why when we hear
59 Buhàrî, Sahîh, c.I, s.14, İman 2/7, no:15; Müslim, Sahîh, c.I, s.67, İman
1/16, no:44; Neseî, Sünen, c.VIII, s.114, no:5013; İbn-i Mâce, Sünen, c.I, s.26, no:67;
Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.III s.177, no:12837; Dârimî, Sünen, c.II, s.397, no:2741; İbn-i Hibbân, Sahîh, c.I, s.405, no:179; Ebû Ya’lâ, Müsned, c.VI, s.23, no:3258; Beyhakî, Şuabü’l-İman, c.II, s.129, no:1374; Abd ibn-i Humeyd, Müsned, c.I, s.355, no:1175; Neseî, Sünenü’l-Kübrâ, c.VI, s.534, no:11745; Begavî, Şerhü’s- Sünneh, c.I, s.23; Enes RA’dan.
Buhàrî, Sahîh, c.I, s.14, İman 2/7, no:14; Neseî, Sünen, c.VIII, s.115, no:5015; Neseî, Sünenü’l-Kübrâ, c.VI, s.534, no:11746; Beyhakî, Şuabü’l-İman, c.II, s.132, no:1383; Ebû Hüreyre RA’dan.
Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.I, s.29, no:70, 71; Keşfü’l-Hafâ, c.II, s.344, no:2955; Câmiü’l- Ehàdîs, c.XVI, s.490, no:17360; c.XXII, s.395, no:25156.
the name “Muhammed,” we must get excited and show our respect and love to the beloved Prophet, the crown of our heads and the light of our eyes by saying Muhammed-i Mustafâ salla’llahu alayhi wa sallam. I went to Iran in 1981 among a group of 15 people to represent Turkish Republic in the celebrations of the new government system in Iran. They hosted us at the largest hotels and treated us as diplomats. At that time, Imam Khomeini was the spiritual leader of Iran. Believe me, every time we heard the name “Imam Khomeini,” everybody in the conference room would stand up and say “Allàhumme salli alâ muhammedin we âli muhammed.” Even after one sentence of the talk, when the name “Imam Khomeini” is heard, again everybody would stand up and say “Allàhumme salli alâ muhammedin we âli muhammed.” That was a signof respect and love.
What are we to do? When we hear the name of the Prophet SAS, we would say salat and salâm with love and zeal. Jebrâil AS The Grave of Our Beloved Prophet SAS, MADİNAH
condemns the person who fails to say salat and selâm when the mane of the Prophet SAS is heard. “Let his nose be rubbed to the ground—let him be humiliated.”
2. We shall be good children for our parents and get their prayers and blessings. We shall kiss their hands, give them gifts, and take them where they want to be taken. We shall ask them if they want or need anything. We should visit them in the morning and in the evening.
My mother used to tell me—may Allah bless her soul— “Son, when you get married, you ask us how we are doing—do not leave it to your wife.” She used to tell me a joke: A man was leaving the village for the bazaar in the next town. He requested his wife: “Go ask my mother if she wants anything from the town.”
The wife went to her mother-in-law and asked: “Mom, your son will go to the bazaar in town. Do you need any beads and bangles?”
The mother-in-law got angry. She shouted: “I do not want it!”
What would an elderly person do with beads and bangles?
The wife came back saying, “You heard her. She said she did not want anything. She got angry at you and screamed.” The wife created mischief. We should not be like that.
Our blessed mother used to teach us: “You come to us and ask us how we are doing.” May Allah bless her soul with light and bless all those who passed away.
You shall not ask other people to go take care of your parents.
You should visit them in the morning, call him “Dearest Dad!” and kiss his hand. You visit him in the evening and kiss his hand. You should not send the doorman to attend your father’s needs. You should get what your parents need yourself. They will say: “May Allah be pleased with my son or daughter. 'May what he grabs be gold.' May he be respected in this life and in the hereafter. May Allah honor him with His Beauty in His Paradise.” That is good.
Paradise is underneath the feet of mothers. If a person reaches his parents and receives their prayers and well wishes, Allah
accepts their prayers and places the person in Paradise. If one misses this opportunity, his nose will be rubbed to the ground. If a person misses entering Paradise, let him be humiliated. Woe to that person.
If your parents are alive, respect them and earn Paradise by serving them.
3. The third duty is related to the month of Ramadhan. We shall pay attention to not to be a person who misses the benefits of Ramadhan. Take the month of Ramadhan very seriously. Work hard, and beg Allah! Offer prayers in plenty, make dua, read Qur'an, and give for charity in plenty. Do whatever needs to be done in order to be among the servants who receive the mercy and forgiveness of Allah and are freed from the hellfire in Ramadhan.
l. An Anecdote from Hajj
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
One of my students went for the pilgrimage as a group leader.
He visited me after the journey and said: “My Dear Khawaja! I was appointed as a group leader for the pilgrims of seven busses. We traveled on the land.”
I asked how the journey was. He said: “Unfortunately, our people are ignorant. They go there, yet they do not appreciate the place. They waste their time in the shopping malls and stores. In the evening, they show one another what they bought. They discuss the prices and stores. They ask how many minarets and gates the Masjid al-Haram has. They spend their precious time with such matters.”
One goes to the Pilgrimage once in lifetime. How could he waste his time in shopping malls? For every step he takes towards the Masjid al-Haram, he receives seven hundred Makkan rewards. His worship is rewarded one-hundred thousand times more! Despite this fact, how could a person waste his time in shopping malls? One should try to spend as much time as possible in the Masjid Al-
Haram and read Qur'an, offer prayers, and do other good deeds.
“They often spend their time in unawareness.”
Yet there was one pilgrim who was truly in love with the Prophet SAS.” I was moved very much by him.
“When we arrived in Madina, he got off the bus and kissed the ground in tears. He rubbed his face to the ground saying that the prophet walked on these grounds.
“He performed his Hajj well. He paid attention to his worship.
He hurt nobody. He spent on charity. Then we returned to Madinah al Munawwarah.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters! This person had a dream in Madinah. In his dream, the Prophet SAS said: “Son, your Hajj has been accepted. Got get a piece of paper and pen, so I will write it down for you and sign it.” In the dream he went to the next room and searched for paper and pen. He got them and returned to the room to see that his shaikh was sitting where the Prophet SAS sat before. That means his shaikh was a true successor of the Prophet.
Isn't it great to receive such treatments and confirmations after
performing the Pilgrimage? We should pray in this blessed month of Ramadhan that Allah Almighty shows us the Prophet SAS in our dreams. May Allah grant us such treatment of the Prophet SAS.
Sübhâneke lâ ilme lenâ, illâ mâ allemtenâ, inneke ente’l-alîmül hakîm... Sübhâne rabbike rabbi’l-izzeti ammâ yesıfûn... We selâmün ale’l-mürselîn... Ve’l-hamdü li’llâhi rabbi’l-àlemîn... El-fâtihah!
February 13, 1995 - Aksaray, TURKEY
Ramadhan 13, 1415