12. PREPARATION FOR THE HEREAFTER

Prof. Dr. Mahmud Es’ad COSAN

Aùzu bi’llâhi mine’sh-shaytàni’r-rajîm.

I seek refuge with Allah against Satan

Bi’smi’llâhi’r-rahmâni’r-rahîm.

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Mercy-giving

El-hamdu li’llâhi rabbi’l-àlemîne hamden kethîran tayyiben mubâreken fîh... Kemâ yenbaghî li-jelâli wajhihî wa li-azîmi sultânih... Wa’s-salâtu was selâmu alâ seyyidinâ muhammedin wa âlihî wa sahbihî wa men tebiahû bi-ihsânin ejma’în.

Praise is due to Allah, The Lord of the Universe. The Prayers and peace be on our beloved Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and his sincere followers till the day of Resurrection.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am going to read you a hadith from a book titled Forty Qudsî Ahadith which was translated into Turkish by our late brother Fikri Yavuz — may Allah bless his soul. While coming here in the car, I opened a page which had the 26th Hadith of the book. I would like to read it if I may.

يَقُولُ الله تَعَالٰى: يَا ابْنَ اۤدَمَ! اَكْــثـِرُوا بِالـزَّادِ فَاِنَّ الطَّرِيقَ بَعِيدٌ،

وَجَدِّدُو الْمَرَاكِبَ فَاِنَّ الْبْحْرَ عَمِيقٌ، وَاَخْلِصْ عَمَلَكَ فَاِنَّ النَّاقِدَ

بَصِيرٌ، وَابْعُدْ مِنَ النَّارِ بِبُغْضِ الْفُجَّارِ، وَادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ بِحُبِّ

اْلاَبْرَارِ؛ فَإِنَّ اللهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ (هود:٥١١)

(Yaqùlu’llahu ta’âlâ) “Almighty Allah said that” says the Prophet SAS. As you know the ahadith that are worded by the Prophet yet refers to Almighty Allah are called Hadith Qudsî. In other words, Allah subhanahû wa ta’âlâ reveals to the Prophet SAS, and the Prophet conveys it to us.

Our late brother, the translator, did not do an analysis of the ahadith, i.e., he did not provide the reference information on the ahadith; nevertheless, it is a good work. I recommend our brothers and sisters who are going to author books indicate the references and proper citations in their works. For instance, Abdulfettah Abû Ghudde has written a book about scholars. He has provided footnotes and reference information. It is an excellent book that softens the hearts.

Another example is Sulemî’s Tabaqàtus Sôfiyye book that we read weakly in Istanbul. The book was prepared for publication by an Egyptian professor, Nureddin ibn-i Shuraybe. The book is a classic, a great work by Abû Abdurrahmân Es-Sulemî KS. The footnotes provide so much information that one does not need to look up a dictionary. It includes information about the relaters of ahadith, names of the towns, and other valuable information that is related. When prepared like that, the rewards would be great.

May Almighty Allah provide them peace in their graves and elevate their ranks in the hereafter. May he bless their souls.

a. Presentation of Deeds

The Prophet SAS said: “Almighty Allah said:”

يَا ابْنَ اۤدَمَ!

(Ye’bne âdem) “O son of Adam!”

We all are children of Adam AS, so we all are brothers and sisters. Adam AS was created from clay; that is our essence, so we should keep that in mind and humble ourselves. May Almighty

Allah eliminate the bad characters from us in this month of Ramadhan. May he purify us and free us from the evils of pride, envy, hatred and other bad manners. May he increase the good characters in us.

We all are the children of Adam AS. Our blessed Prophet SAS met him during the Mi’raj. He would look at his right and smile, and then look at his left and cry. On the right he would see his believing righteous children who earned the Paradise and feel happy about them. On the left he would see his disobedient children who are headed to hellfire and cry for them. May Almighty Allah make us good children who make our great grand father smile.

Our beloved Prophet said in another hadith: ki:⁴⁵

تُعْرَضُ الأَعْمالُ يَوْمَ الاثْنَيْنِ وَ الخَمِيسِ عَلَى اللهِ؛ وَ تُعْرَضُ عَلَى

اْلأنْبِيَاءِ وَعَلَى اْلآبَاءِ وَاْلأُمَّهَاتِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ؛ فَيَفْرَحُونَ بِحَسَنَاتِهِمْ

وَتَزْدَادُ وُجُوهُهُمْ بَيَاضًا وَ إِشْرَاقًا؛ فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ، وَلاَ تُؤْذُوا مَوْتَاكُمْ

(الحكيم عن عبد الغفور بن عبد العزيز عن أبيه عن جده)

RE. 253/1 (Tu’radu’l-a’mâlu yawm’l-ithnayni wa’l-hamîsi ale’llàh) “Our deeds are presented to Almighty Allan on Mondays and Thursdays. (Wa tu’radu ale’l-anbiyâi wa ale’l-âbâi wa’l- ummahâti yawma’l-jumuati) They are presented to the Prophet SAS, and our elderly on Fridays.”

(Fayafrahûna bi-hasenâtihim wa yazdâdu vujûhahum beyâdhan wa ishrâqan) “The deeds of people are presented to their elderly who passed away. They feel happy about the good deeds of their offspring, and their light and happiness increase in their graves. When they are presented bad deeds, they feel sorry for their

⁴⁵ Hakîm-i Tirmizî, Nevâdirü’l-Usül, c.II, s.260.

Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.XVI, s.469, no:45493; Keşfü’l-Hafâ, c.I, s.307, no:991; Câmiü’l-Ehâdis, c.XI, s.292, no:10810.

offspring.” Then the Prophet SAS said:

(Fattaqullah! Wa lâ tu’zû mawtâkum) “Fear Allah and do not torture your forefathers.” They passed away; do not disturb them in their graves by your bad deeds.

Dear Brothers and Sisters! We understand that when we commit something bad, it hurts not only us but also our elderly who passed away. Committing offences are called “doing injustice to self.” A person would be doing injustice to himself when he commits a sin because he would suffer in the hereafter.

فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّة خَيْرًا يَرَه . وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّة شَرًّا يَرَه (الزلزال:٧-٨)

(Femen ya’mal misqàle zarratin khayran yerah. Wa men ya’mal misqàle zarratin sharran yerah) “Whoever does an atom’s weight of

good deed will be rewarded; whoever does an atom’s weight of bad deed will be punished.” It will be a meticulous accounting.

That is why a person who commits sins is doing injustice and inflicting harm on himself. Not only that, that person would be causing pain for his parents and elderly, for they are informed in their graves.

If you love your elderly, if you want to be a good child towards them, if you want to keep them happy, then you must give up offenses. Give them up for Allah. Give them up to save your own soul. Give them up for your parents, grandparents because they will be informed about your deeds.

b. The Harm of the Sin on Other People

Committing sins affects other people, too. I read in a hadith that sins affect other people.

The Prophet SAS said:⁴⁶

اَلذَّنـْبُ شُؤمٌ عَلٰى غَيْرِ فَاعِلِهِ: إِنْ عَيَّرَهُ، أُبـْتُلِيَ بِهِ؛ وإِنِ اغْتَابَهُ، أَثِمَ؛

وإِنْ رَضِيَ بهِ، شَارَكَهُ (الديلمي عن أنس)

RE. 208/17 (Az-zenbu shu’mun alâ gayri fâilihî) “The sin is a bad luck and trouble for others.”

1. (In ayyerahû ubtuliye bihî) If a person looks down upon a person saying by heart “Woe to you! How could you do such a thing?

Don’t you have any shame?” then Almighty Allah does not like that criticism. If a person criticizes somebody like that, he will commit the same offence before he dies. Then he realizes: “O no! I had criticized a person doing that. Allah created means for me to do commit the same offence.” One has to be careful about criticizing people.

2. (Wa in ightâbahû esime) If a person talks about the sins and people who commit them, then he would be backbiting. That is a sin, too. “Ahmed committed this, Mehmed did that... Did he really? O no!” Talking like that is backbiting and exposing the shortcomings and faults. Such people would be committing sins, too.

3. (Wa in radiye bihî shârekehû) If one approves the sin, if he says, “So what? If I were him, I would do the same!” if he does not mind the sin, then he would be a partner in that sin despite the fact that he himself did not do it. That is bad, too.

For instance, we are going some place in the local bus. One says: “Did you hear that Mr. Religious had a wedding function for his son and served alcohol in it.” The other person responds: “It is okay.

He has only one son. If I were him, I would do the same.”

⁴⁶ Deylemî, Müsnedü’l-Firdevs, c.II, s.249, no:3169; Enes ibn-i Mâlik RA’dan. Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.III, s.145, no:5536.

Now you are in deep trouble! When you say, “If it were me, I would do the same!” you would be becoming a partner in that offense while traveling in the local bus. We should not talk about the sinner, nor should we be consent with the sin.

Do you realize whom the sin affects? It harms the sinner, it harms the society, and it harms the parents. It harms the one who criticizes the sinner. It harms the one who backbites about it. It harms one who is consent with it. Would an intelligent Muslim commit such a thing? Didn’t Almighty Allah provide us with intelligence and ability to ponder? Do we lack an ability to compare good and evil? It is amazing.

May Almighty Allah make us see the truth as truth and follow it. May He make us see the falsehood as falsehood and avoid it.

How are we going to do it? Think about it.

We shall come to the Hadith Qudsî that we started with:

c. Preparation for the Journey to Hereafter

Ulu Cami, MARAŞ

اَكْــثـِرُوا بِالـزَّادِفَاِنَّ الطَّرِيقَ بَعِيد،

(Ekthirû bi’z-zâdi feinne’t-tarîqa baîdun) “Take plenty of supplies for your journey because the destination is very far.

وَجَدِّدُو الْمَرَاكِبَ فَاِنَّ الْبْحْرَ عَمِيقٌ،

(Wa jeddidu’l-merâkibe) Renew your vehicles to ride (fe innel bahra amîqun) because the ocean is very deep.” Small boats and rafts are not strong enough for this trip. Make new ships for the journey.

وَاَخْلِصْ عَمَلَكَ فَاِنَّ النَّاقِدَ بَصِيرٌ،

(Wa ahlis ameleke) “Purify your deeds (wa innen nâqida

basîrun) because your Creator sees everything very well; He can see your intention, too. Be sincere when you worship.”

وَابْعُدْ مِنَ النَّارِ بِبُغْضِ الْفُجَّارِ، وَادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ بِحُبِّ اْلاَبْرَارِ،

(Wab’ud mine’n-nâr, bi-bughdi’l-fujjâr) “Keep yourselves away by disliking dissolute people who commit sins openly. (Wadkhulil jennete bihublil ebrâr) Enter paradise by loving the pure and sincere servants of Allah.”

فَإِنَّ اللهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ (هود٥١١)

(Feinna’llàhe lâ yudîu ejra’l-muhsinîn) “Verily Allah subhanahu wa ta’alâ does not waste the deeds of His sincere servants; He rewards them.” (Qur’an 11:115)

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

This is the Hadith Qudsî. Almighty Allah says: “Take plenty of supplies because the destination is very far, and the journey is very long.” There are similes in the Qur’an for man to understand the subject, keep it in mind and visualize it.

What is meant by these words? The purpose of this statement is that this is a transitory world; this life is not permanent.

Everybody will live a temporary life here. They will come and go.

Everybody is a passenger, a traveler. They go from birth to death, from this life to hereafter. They are on a journey. The journey is very long and difficult. There are stops of this journey: the grave, purgatory, the resurrection and the Day of Judgment. On the day of Resurrection, people will wait for their turns for so long that it is equivalent to thousands of years in our time. The day of the colossal court, the day of repayment are stops. The time when the deeds are weighed, people are questioned, guilty ones are punished, the good servants are rewarded, it is a stage in this journey. Then there will be the final stop. The destination for the believers is Paradise; for the disbelievers, Hell.

This is a true journey, truly a journey. It is a fact that we are traveling towards our destination. We are on a journey towards hereafter. Since the journey is long, we have to take our food, water and supplies with us.

What could be the food and supplies for this journey? This question reminds us a verse:

Bi’smi’llâhi’r-rahmâni’r-rahîm:

وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى (البقرة٧٩١)

Fetezewwedû feinne khayrez zâdit taqvâ) “O believers, o mankind! Prepare supplies for the journey.” (Qur’an 2:197) The verse continues: “The best of the supplies is taqwa.” What is taqwa?

Where can we get it? Who sells it? How much does it weigh? How

do we get it? We ought to search for it. The Qur’an says we need zâd for the journey, and the best of the zâd is taqwa. Where do we get taqwa from?

d. Month of Acquiring Taqwa

Ramadhan is the month of preparing supplies for the journey.

In the verse that ınstructed us to fast in Ramadhan, almighty Allah said. 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) “O you who have believed! (Kutibe aleykumu’s-siyâm) Fasting has been prescribed for you as an obligation (kemâ kutibe alelledhîne min qablikum) as it was prescribed for those who lived before you.” (Qur’an 2:183) They had prayer and fasting duties, too.

This verse shows that fasting was prescribed for people who lived before the ummah of Prophet Muhammad SAS. That means, the nature of mankind has been the same for thousands of years, and the same prescription was given to cure the diseases of mankind. Fasting is our cure, and it was an obligation for previous nations, too. The verse continues: (le’allekum tetteqùn) “So you may acquire taqwa.”

That means Almighty Allah, in a clear way, has stated the season, the time and the method of acquiring taqwa that is needed in our great journey to the hereafter. It is for everybody to benefit; it is an obligation. There are great benefits for all of the obligations in this life as well as in the hereafter. Islam is the cure for all personal, spiritual, physical, social, political and economical problems. All problems have solutions in Islam. People, especially

those who deny it, learn the fact gradually. They admit it and declare faith.

An Iranian poet said:

اكر پند خردمندان ز جان و دل نياموزى جهان آن پند بتلخى بياموزد ترا روزى

Eger pendî hiredmendân zî-jân u dil neyâmûzî,

Jihan anter bâ tedhi biyâmûzed turâ rûzî.

“If you do not listen to the advice of the wise persons, if you do not correct yourself by taking a lesson from the advice, this life and time bring you bitter experiences that make you learn it the hard way.”

Yes, 1400 some years ago the Blessing of Islam, the cure of Islam, the cure for all diseases came. Some are opposing to it, yet realize it in the hard way. Capitalism and communism have collapsed; the whole mankind is about to realize that Islam is the solution. The thinkers and researchers of the east and the west are entering Islam. Professors, philosophers, writers, politicians and great scholars are becoming Muslims. In time they will learn about the truth.

Almighty Allah knows the details, the past, the future, and the best of everything. He created the universe and the mankind. He has the absolute knowledge of problems and the cures for man’s diseases. He teaches us on these issues. Some understand it and appreciate it. They find the cures, get elevated and attain happiness in this life and in the hereafter.

One who fails to understand that fact eventually realizes it. We wish that this realization is not at the last moments of life. We wish that it is not like the faith of Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh struggled against Moses AS. He attacked and

chased the people of Moses AS. His army was after Hadrat Moses and his companions. They came by the sea. The companions of Hadrat Moses looked at the approaching army on one side and the ocean on the other side. They said:

قَالَ أَصْحَابُ مُوسَى إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ (الشعراء٦١)

(Qàle as-hâbu mûsâ innâ lemudrakûn) “We are going to be caught and killed.” (Qur’an 26:61) They had no place to escape.

There was the ocean one side, and the army of the Pharaoh on the other side. The army outnumbered the companions of Prophet Moses AS and was well armed. Moses AS said:

قَالَ كَلاَّ إِنَّ مَعِي رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ (الشعراء٢٦)

(Qàle kellâ) “No, not at all! (Inne ma’iyerabbî seyehdîn) Verily my Lord is with me; He is on our side and will guide us.” (Qur’an 26:62)

فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى أَنِ اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْبَحْرَ فَانفَلَقَ فَكَانَ

كُلُّ فِرْق كَالطَّوْدِ الْعَظِيمِ (الشعراء:٣٦)

Almighty Allah ordered Moses AS: “O Moses! Hit the ocean with your staff.” As Moses AS hit the ocean, and twelve paths were opened (ket tawdil azîm) just like wide boulevards. (Qur’an 26:63) The companions of Moses AS passed the ocean in tribes and groups.

Pharaoh followed them. When the army of the Pharaoh was in the middle of the ocean, the water gushed in. That enemy of Allah, the imposter who claimed to be a deity, the murderer, the oppressor who killed the innocent men and separated women from their husbands, the Pharaoh was to be drowned. With his army and

supporters, the Pharaoh was about to be drowned.

Pharaoh used to claim: (Ene rabbukumul a’lâ) “I am your highest Lord!” The Egyptians had idols and deities. They worshipped crocodiles and eagles. They worshipped bulls, the sun and the moon. One should go and see Egypt to learn a lesson.

Since they worshipped in many idols, Pharaoh said, “I forbid you from worshipping anything but me. I am your highest god!” He claimed to be the highest god.

حَتَّى إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلِـهَ إِلاَّ الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو

إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ (يونس:٠٩)

(Hattâ idhâ edrekehul gharaku) When he was about to be drowned, he said: (Qàle lâ ilâhe illelledhî âmenet bihî benû isrâil, wa ene minel muslimîn) “There is no deity except for the One that the Children of Israel believe. I believe in Allah; I am a Muslim.” (Qur’an 10:90)

Yet another verse of the Qur’an indicates that it was too late:

اۤالآنَ (يونس١٩)

(Âl-âne) “Have you just realized that? You are about to die, at the verge of drowning, you can see things clearer now; your entire life has passed. You had no hope. Have you just realized that?” (Qur’an 10:91)

That is why we wish that the awakening happens at an earlier time. Man should wake up from the sleep of unawareness and do righteous deeds, carry out works that are pleasing to Allah, depart from this life with a perfect belief, meet his Lord with a clear face and attain the mercy of Allah.

That is why each of us must have a clear purpose of taqwa. We have taqwa training in Ramadhan. We stated that all orders of

Islam are cures for the mankind. Then we said we should not be late, and we mentioned Pharaoh.

If we study the instructions of the Qur’an, the regulations of Islam, we realize that all of them are for the benefit and protection of man, his offspring, his property, his spirit, and his belief. They all are ordered by Almighty Allah to lead mankind to the happiness in this life and in the hereafter. People who realize that accept Islam.

Fasting in Ramadhan is such a worship that teaches taqwa; Ramadhan is a blessed month of acquiring taqwa. It is a month- long training course. We oppose our nafs from the morning to the evening. We practice the greatest jihad by opposing the desires of our nafs while fasting during the day. During the night, we perform Tarawih prayers, read Qur’an, offer night vigil prayers. We have siyam (fasting) during the day and qiyam (prayers) during the night. All of this is towards acquiring taqwa.

What is taqwa? Taqwa means protection and avoidance for a person. He has to protect himself from the torments in hellfire.

وَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ (اۤل عمران١٣١)

(We’ttequn nâralletî u’iddet lil kâfirîn) “Protect yourselves from

the hellfire that is prepared for the disbelievers.” (Qur’an 3:131)

That is taqwa. That is saving oneself from entering Hell. How can one protect himself from Hell? One could protect himself from Hell by not committing offenses. How could one avoid the offenses? One could avoid the offenses by a strong will power. One should be able to overpower his nafs. We practice overcoming the desires of nafs during this month.

What are the strongest desires of nafs? The first one is eating; we do not let our nafs eat when we fast. The second one is drinking beverages. We do not let our nafs drink anything while we fast.

The third one is conjugal relationship, yet we stay away while we

are fasting. We learn how to control the desires of our nafs, how to oppose those desires, and how to be patient. That is why Ramadan is a month of serious training.

The best supply for the journey to hereafter is acquired when one fulfils the orders of Islam. It will be in the saddlebag, in the suitcases. We offer prayers and earn rewards. We fast and earn rewards. We do other righteous deeds and earn rewards. Almighty Allah rewards the good deeds in Ramadhan seventy times more than other times.

When a person spends on charitable causes in Ramadhan, he receives seventy times more rewards that he would at other times.

If a person pays his zakah in Ramadhan, he would earn seventy times more rewards. If one offers voluntary prayers in Ramadhan, he would earn seventy times more rewards than other times. If one does dhikr, read Qur’an, invite people for iftar and dinner, he would receive seventy times more rewards. This is such a valuable month.

I wish that the whole year is Ramadhan and that this promotion continues whole year.

وَجَدِّدُو الْمَرَاكِبَ فَاِنَّ الْبْحْرَ عَمِيقٌ،

(Wa jeddidu’l-merâkibe feinne’l-bahra amîqun) Renew your ships and make them stronger because the ocean is very deep and stormy. Weak ships may not survive against the waves. Renew your ships.” There are ups and downs in this life; many things could happen to a person. Some events shake the person like waves shaking the ship in the open sea. Man has to be strong against them. A person must be spiritually strong that is accomplished by worship.

وَاَخْلِصْ عَمَلَكَ فَاِنَّ النَّاقِدَ بَصِيرٌ،

(Wa ahlis ameleke wa innen nâqida basîrun) We have to do our

worship, yet it has a prerequisite. The prerequisite is sincerity. The worship has to be carried out with pure intentions for Allah. It has to be done with the thought:

إِلٰهِي أَنْتَ مَقْصُودِي، وَرِضَاكَ مَطْلُوبِي!

(Ilâhi ente maqsùdî wa ridàke matlûbî) “O Allah! You are my purpose, and I seek your consent.” There should not be any other thought or purpose such as worldly benefits or fame.

e. Islâm is the Truth

Some time ago, we lived in a neighborhood in Ankara where there was no mosque. A large housing complex was build with modern town houses, a shopping center, playgrounds, a movie theater, and other facilities; however, they did not allocate any lot for a place of worship as though people did not need to turn to Allah and pray.

If the Americans established that residential complex, they would have allocated a lot for a church. It could be a city regulation—I would not know it. I have seen a church in every island of lot in every neighborhood in America. I had similar observations in Australia. The Greeks were well organized while our Muslim brothers were disorganized without a mosque or with a small mosque. I asked how the Greeks were so well organized.

“Khawaja! The Greek government supported the Greeks. For every twelve Greek families, a priest was sent here.”

That was a serious support for a belief that was cancelled by Islam. They would worship the cross, believe in a modified religion.

They deviated from the principle of Unity of Allah; they consider a servant of Allah as son of Allah. Thus they became disbelievers.

لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللهَ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ (المائدة٧١)

(Leqad kefere’lledhîne qàlû inna’llàhe huwe’l-mesîhu’bnu meryem) [They became disbelievers when they said verily son of Mary is god.] (Qur’an 5:17)

We love Isâ (Jesus) AS, a prophet of Allah, more than they do.

We name our children Isâ, Musâ, Meryem. They practice something wrong. They consider Jesus as son of Allah. Allah will ask in the hereafter:

يَاعِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَّ إِلٰهَيْنِ

مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ (المائدة:٦١١)

(Yâ îse’bne meryeme e-ente qulte lin-nâsi’ttekhûzînî wa ummiyye ilâheyni min dûnillâh) “O Jesus son of Mary! Did you tell them ‘Consider me and my mother as gods’? Did you ask them ‘Worship me and my mother’?” (Qur’an 5:116)

This is a serious question. This blessed prophet, Jesus AS, will sweat as though he had just got out of a steam bath. Prophet Muhammed SAS saw him with a pinkish light complexion and beads of sweat. May peace be with him and other blessed prophets.

Jesus AS will reply:

قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ، إِنْ كُنتُ قُلْتُهُ

فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُ، تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ

عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ (المائدة:٦١١)

(Kàle) He will say: (Subhàneke mâ yekûnu lî en eqùle mâ leyse lî bi-haqqin) “Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right.” (In kuntu qultuhû feqad alimtehû) “O my Lord! I know why this question is asked. If I had made such statements, You would know it. There would not be a need for me to answer.

(Inneke ente allâmu’l-ghuyûb) Verily You know the unseen.” (Qur’an 5:116)

مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ (المائدة:٧١١)

(Mâ qultu lehum illâ mâ emertenî bihî) “I did not do that; I did not say that. I only told them what You have ordered me. (Eni’budu’llàhe rabbî ve rabbekum) ‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord!’” will say Jesus AS. (Qur’an 5:117)

That means the Christians are on the wrong path, on a path that Jesus AS does not want. They believe in something that is not stated by Jesus AS.

The government of a country decides to support a belief that has deviated from the straight path and sends one priest for every 12 families. The same government appoints a priest as the president of Cyprus. On the other hand, Muslims who belong to a religion that is pleasing to Allah do not get that support from Muslim governments.

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللهَِّ اْلإِسْلاَمُ (اۤل عمران٩١)

(Inne’d-dîne inda’llàhi’l-islâm) “Verily the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.” (Qur’an 3:19)

وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ اْلإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا (المائدة٣)

(Wa radîtu lekumu’l-islâme dînâ) [I am pleased with Islam as your religion] (Qur’an 5:3)

Let it be known by everybody on earth that the only valid religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. Allah is pleased with Islam.

It is not Christianity, worshipping cross, worshipping idols,

worshipping sun, worshipping the cow, worshipping the material things, money or desires; Islam is the valid religion in the sight of Allah.

Allah will be pleased for His servants to accept Islam. Those who deny Islam will be in trouble in the hereafter. O mankind!

Hear this fact. O Christians, Europeans, Americans, Japanese, Hindus, and Africans! Hear the fact! Abandon your false beliefs and come to the straight path of Islam before it is too late.

While our belief is the truth, we are not respected and our religious scholars respected as they should be. The Sütçü Imam of Marash is a proof for how much our religious scholars should be respected. Our religious scholars cannot take orders from politicians. On the contrary, the politicians should be in the service of religious scholars. Ordinary people should take orders from religious scholars because these scholars tell people about the orders of Allah. That is how it should be. Those who do the opposite will suffer the consequences. May Allah keep us from doing anything wrong. May He guide those who do the wrong.

f. Ikhlas (Sincerity) in Deeds

Yes, the ocean is wavy and stormy; man has to be strong here.

He has to do his worship well and sincerely. If he lacks sincerity, his worship has no value.

The Prophet SAS said:⁴⁷

إِنَّ اللهََّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لاَيَقْبَلُ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ، إِلاَّ مَا كَانَ لَهُ خَالِصًا

(ن. طب. عن أبي أمامة)

⁴⁷ Neseî, Sünen, c.X, s.204, no:3089; Neseî, Sünenü’l-Kübrâ, c.III, s.18, no:4348; Ebû Ümâme el-Bâhilî RA’dan. Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.III, s.23, no:5261; RE. 91/13.

(Inna’llàhe lâ yaqbelu mine’l-ameli illâ mâ kâne lehû khalisà) “Verily Allah does not accept the deeds unless they are carried out sincerely.”

“Well, I do things for the sake of Allah. I also think about other small benefits.” That is not acceptable either because Almighty Allah does not accept association. Allah says: “I am the best of the partners. If you associate anything with Me, I would give everything to him. I would not accept anything.” All of our deeds have to be only for Allah. The religion has to be only for Allah, the worship and the talk should be for Allah only. Everything, giving, receiving, charity, construction etc. should be for Allah alone.

In our neighborhood in Ankara, the housing complex had play grounds, swings, a movie theatre, and everything else, yet there was no place of worship. We decided to buy a house, demolish the building and construct a mosque on its lot. However, we had no money. We heard that there was a lady in one of the villages nearby who received large amount of money due to a highway construction on her property. We decided to go to her and ask her to contribute money for the mosque construction. As the executive committee of

the mosque, we visited her in her house. May Allah bless her.

A dear friend, a scholar, was with us. He said: “Dear Hajji Aunt!

We want to build a mosque in our neighborhood, but we do not have enough money. We are going to buy a house, demolish it and build a mosque on its grounds. Give us some money for the construction, and we can name the mosque after you.”

The lady stared at us and tilted her head to a side. Keeping her manners, she said: “Son, I do not want any fame or recognition. I will give you the money. Do not write or mention my name. Let Almighty Allah know it only, let Him accept my deed. That suffices for me.”

I felt ashamed. Look at the sincerity of this lady! Each person should do the worship only for Allah—nothing else.

وَاَخْلِصْ عَمَلَكَ فَاِنَّ النَّاقِدَ بَصِيرٌ،

(Wa akhlis amalaka) “Do your deeds sincerely; (Fe-innen nâqida basîrun) Allah sees everything we do and knows our intentions. If worship is carried out without sincerity (ikhlas), for sure there will be a punishment for it. The opposite of ikhlas is riyâ (show off).

Allah does not accept the deeds carried out for showoff.

g. Love for Allah

وَابْعُدْ مِنَ النَّارِ بِبُغْضِ الْفُجَّارِ،

(Web’ud mine’n-nâr, bi-bughdi’l-fujjâr) “Distance yourself from hellfire by disliking those who commit sins openly.” We must dislike the sins and people who are indulged in sins openly. Each person will be treated with whom he loves. That is why we have to be careful about whom we love. Love and affection could be dangerous. If one likes the wrong person, if one ties his love to a wrong person, he could be doomed with the person he loves.

“Sir, I like an actor very much. I admire Brad Pitt’s eyes, Clark Gable’s hair and moustache, James Bond’s style, etc.”

“Sorry! That is not acceptable.”

“Whom shall I have affection for?”

“You have to love somebody who could benefit you. Love people who are destined to paradise. In the hereafter, each person will be with whom he loves. One who loves good people will be with good people. One who has affection for bad people will be among them in the hereafter even if he is with good people in this life.”

This is an important point in our belief that every Muslim must pay attention to it. Dear Brothers and Sisters! One of the most important things for a Muslim is to love for Allah and dislike for Allah. We must love the friends of Allah, good people who do righteous deeds. We should get angry at those who do the wrong deeds. We do that for Allah.

Our beloved Prophet said: “Arhs-i A’lâ will tremble when a person says (Yâ seyyidî) “Sir” to a person who commits major sins in public. When the telephone rings, we say, “Efendim—Yes sir.” We are used to talking like this. We must hold on a few seconds to say that. We shall understand first who is on the phone. Arsh-i A’lâ will shake because that person is doing something terrible and it may incur the wrath of Allah.

We must warn people who commit major sins in public that what they are doing is wrong. We should not smile at them or approve what they are doing. Smiling at such occurrences is an offense, too.

One has to dislike it for the sake of Allah and voice his displeasure for the sake of Allah.

In Islam, there is the principle “hubb-i fillâh—love for Allah.”

There is also another principle: “bughz-i fillâh—disliking for Allah.”

No matter who commits the offence—be it a father, a mother, a child, a friend, or an associate—we must say that it is wrong.

You hear jokes about imams and other religious persons: “An imam did this; another did that...” First of all, an imam could not be a topic for jokes. You stop telling such jokes at once. What is your purpose? Are you an enemy of Islam? Are you trying to belittle Islam? Why do you put an imam in such a situation? “When an imam sits at a table, he eats so much ... A deceased does not provide tears; an imam does not provide meals.” That is a lie!

May Allah bless his soul; there was the imam of Haji Bayram Mosque in Ankara—Zekâî Khawaja. We prayed the fajr in the mosque. There were many people in the congregation in the blessed mosque of Haji Bayram Velî KS. The imam turned to the congregation and said: “O brothers! I invite all of you for breakfast. Let’s go to a restaurant.” Then he added: “You shall see if the deceased provides tears and if an imam produces meals.”

Who started such rumors and notions first? It is not fair! Many imams are so generous, they try to serve the congregation, and they

give up many worldly benefits and endure hardship for Islam.

While you go and do your business and earn lots of money, he struggles with students trying to teach them some Qur’an. Why do you belittle him?

One meets a bearded person—like myself— on the way and looks at him as though he is superior to him. (Why do we keep a beard? We do that because we want to follow the Prophet SAS.

Shaving the beard is considered as an offense, and we want to avoid that offense.) Suppose that the bearded person has special boots with galoshes. He calls him:

“Hafiz, come here! Have a seat! Tell me where you are appointed. Are you a muedh-dhin or an imam?”

“I am retired.”

“From where?”

“From the university.”

“Were you a servant in the office? Did you serve tea and coffee in the office?”

“Sir, I was a professor.”

“O Khawaja. I am sorry. I apologize!”

“You ask forgiveness from Allah. Why do you see that bearded man as an inferior to you? Why would you think that you were superior to a hafiz, an imam, or a muedh-dhin? Do you think it is easy to become a hafiz?” (Hafiz is a person who have memorized the entire Qur’an)

Dear Brothers and Sisters! We must love the believers and we must dislike those who commit major offenses in public. We shall not tolerate the offenses, and we shall express our displeasure. We have to tell: “You should not tell such jokes! You should not belittle the religious people. You can tell other jokes or tell how brave some imams were. For example, you can tell the story of Sütçü Imam.”

h. Read about the Lives of the Righteous!

وَادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ بِحُبِّ اْلاَبْرَارِ،

(Wa’dkhuli’l-Jennete bi-hubbi’l-ebrâr) “Enter paradise by loving the righteous servants.” That is what Almighty Allah said and the Prophet SAS conveyed to us. We must like the good servants, the god fearing servants. We must love the awliyaullah and blessed servants.

Many such people did not care about money, position, or rank.

They always thought of the consent of Allah. They did not acquire property or wealth. They were content with a shirt only.

One of the awliyaullah went for the Pilgrimage. He arrived in a small town. He went to the mosque and offered the prayers.

Nobody said anything to him or welcomed him. He waited there for the next prayer time. Again, nobody stepped forward to talk to him.

He was hungry—did not have any meal for a long time, so he did not need to go to a restroom.

I read in books that there was a walî servant of Allah who would make wudu once a week. He would not break his wudu within the limits of Haram-al-Sharif. He would walk 25 km distance to answer to the call of nature. They would not sleep for a week or eat food for so long. That is a different kind of love and affection for the holy places.

The man who kept waiting in the masjid of the small town, stayed in the masjid for three to four days. The congregation noticed the man: “The first one of us to come to the mosque sees him there, and the last one of us to leave the mosque sees him there.

Who is he? What does he do?” They went to him and asked:

“O blessed person! Who are you? What do you eat and drink here?”

“I am a powerless brother of yours from such and such town.”

“Let’s go and have some food.”

Good morning! MâshâAllah! You have noticed him 4 days after his arrival.

One such righteous person went to the masjid of the Prophet SAS. He was hungry and had no money. He was knowledgeable, but there was no money in his pocket. Nobody showed any interest to him. It was hot and he was hungry. He closed his eyes and said: “O Prophet of Allah! I came to visit you. I am hungry.” Then he fainted there out of hunger. There were not fifty kinds of meals on his iftar table.

Soon somebody showed up and tapped his shoulder. “Get up o blessed person!” He opened his eyes and looked at the person tapping his shoulder. The person was wearing a special kind of dress indicating that he belonged to the family of the Prophet SAS.

He was a sayyid. He had brought a tray of food for him. “Please get up! Did you complain to our grandfather?” In fact, the Prophet appeared in the dream of that sayyid and said: “I have a guest in my masjid, He has been hungry for many days. Why didn’t you welcome him?” That is a spiritual communication! The Prophet The Prophet Mosque, MADİNA

informed the sayyid about his guest.

Couldn’t these scholars earn money? Weren’t they smart? They could have been the richest persons in the world if they had used their intelligence for that purpose. But then what? What happened to Qàrun (Croesus)? What happened to the richest Pharaoh? What good did all of the gold that was buried with him do for him? How good is it if one fails to earn the love of Allah? That is why we ought to love the righteous servants of Allah.

Dear Brothers and Sisters! Please read about lives of the righteous personages. That is why we read Tabaqàtus Sôfiyye in Istanbul every week. You should read Tadhkiratul Awliya, Tabaqàtu’s-Sôfiyye, Hilyatu’l-Awliya, Menâqib-i Asfiyâ, History of Prophets, history of the companions of the Prophet SAS. We have provided a three volume book of Examples from The Lives of the Companions. Read about the lives of such great people and learn what true Islam is and how good a Muslim we are.

Fuzûlî said:

Pehlevanlar, bad paghlar seyr idende her yana,

Tifl hem jevlân ider ammâ aghachdan ati var!

The wrestlers, the strong men, put up their armors and take their swords, and mount horses. They ride the horse like winds. A child who sees them imitates them, yet his horse is a wooden stick.

We are like that child; we do not do things right when it comes to practicing Islam. We should read about the lives of the prophets and realize what true Islam is. We should understand how difficult life was for them. We should see how the most beloved servants of Allah lived.

We should understand what kinds of meals Prophet Muhammed SAS ate. We should find out how big his kitchen and the storage place were. We should find out how many refrigerators he had. We should inquire about how big his bed was, how many rooms his palace and mansion were, and if it was a duplex or triplex building.

Read and find out.

Hatem-i Esam KS came to Madina al Munawwarah. He was a sage. He looked around and asked one of the merchants:

“As-salamu alaikum! Could you show me the palace of the Prophet SAS?”

The merchant did not know about this great personage. He responded: “What are you talking about? The Prophet did not have a place! If you had seen his room, you would cry.”

It was a small room—like 70 cm by 2 m. The rooms of the wives of the Prophet were about the size of a one-person bed.

‘The Prophet did not have a palace. He slept on dirt floor, on a straw mat.”

Once Hadrat Omar ibn Khattab RA saw the marks on the hands of the Prophet SAS that the straw mat left. He cried expressing the fact that the Iranian and Roman rulers lived and affluent life in comfort while the Prophet of Allah, the most beloved person, lived a simple life. The Prophet comforted Hadrat Omar: “Do not feel sad O Omar! Those kings live a life like that in this world. Almighty Allah will grant us in the hereafter. (Mâ lî wa lid-dunyâ) I have no business with the worldly things.”

Hatem-i Esam asked:

“Then to whom do these palaces belong?”

“That belongs to person A the other one to person B ...”

“O no! The city of the Prophet was occupied by the Pharaohs!”

There were many buildings that looked like palaces. Where is the humbleness? Where is the generosity of not keeping anything overnight but distributing to the poor? Where is the contentment about tomorrow? What happened to the giving for the sake of Allah?

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Unless you learn the lives of the righteous servants of Allah, you will not learn about Islam correctly. Otherwise, you will be misinformed. Do not look at our times, but look at the righteous servants of Allah. Love them and learn lessons from their lives.

Love them because each person in the hereafter will be treated with whom he loves here.

The Prophet SAS said:⁴⁸

الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ (خ. م. عن ابن مسعود

(Al-mer’u me’a men ehabbe) Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala will place a person in Paradise with whom the person loves.

I will tell you some good news: Sawban RA was in service of the Prophet SAS. He looked at the Prophet SAS with love. He was admiring the face of the Prophet which was very bright. The Prophet SAS noticed it and asked: “O Sawban! Why do you keep looking at me?”

Sawban RA said:

اتمتع بالنظر اليك يا رسول ا

(Etemette’u bin nazari ileyke yâ rasûla’llah!) “It is a blessing for me to look at your face O Prophet of Allah! I am enjoying your beauty. I feel happy to look at your face in this life, but I worry about the hereafter. You will the highest ranks in Paradise, but I do not know where I will end up. I do not know if I will enter Paradise.

Even if I enter Paradise, I am afraid my rank will be so low that I would not see you.”

There will be millions and billions of Muslims asking Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to make them closer to the Prophet SAS in the hereafter. They want mansions in Paradise close to the mansion of the Prophet SAS. Sawban RA is worried that he will be far away from the Prophet SAS.

Our beloved Prophet comforted Sawban RA: “Do not worry or feel sorry. Each person will be with whom he loves in the hereafter.”

⁴⁸ Buhàrî, Sahîh, c.XIX, s.145, no:5702; Müslim, Sahîh, c.XIII, s.95, no:4779; Abdullah ibn-i Mes’ud RA’dan.

Almighty Allah is able to do all things; He will not separate a person from whom he loves because there is no sadness in Paradise.

May Almighty Allah keep us with His Prophet in the hereafter.

May He place us in His Paradise without questioning us. May He make us neighbors to the Prophet in Paradise.

If a person loves righteous people, he will be treated among them in the hereafter.

فَإِنَّ اللهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ (هود٥١١)

(Feinna’llàhe lâ yudîu ejra’l-muhsinîn) “Verily, Allah does not allow the rewards of those who do good to be lost” (Qur’an 11:115).

He keeps the rewards of the muhsin servants.

i. What is Ihsan?

Dear Brothers and Sisters! Let me explain you the meaning of the word muhsin: Muhsin means one who does some job well. Ihsan

means doing some job well. Ihsan in worship means doing the worship properly and perfectly:

وَمَا اْلإِحْسَانُ ؟

(Wa mel ihsanu) “What is ihsan o Prophet of Allah?” asked Jibrîl AS. The Prophet SAS responded:⁴⁹

⁴⁹ Buhàrî, Sahîh, c.I, s.27, no:50; Müslim, Sahîh, c.I, s.39, no:9; Neseî, Sünen, c.VIII, s.101, no:4991; İbn-i Mâce, Sünen, c.I, s.25, no:64; Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.II, s.426, no:9497; İbn-i Huzeyme, Sahîh, c.IV, s.5, no:2244; İbn-i Hibbân, Sahîh, c.I, s.375, no:159; İbn-i Ebî Şeybe, Musannef, c.VI, s.157, no:30309; Neseî, Sünenü’l-Kübrâ, c.VI, s.528, no:117222; Ebû Hüreyre RA’dan.

Müslim, Sahîh, c.I, s.36, no:8; Tirmizî, Sünen, c.V, s.6, no:2610; Ebû Dâvud, Sünen, c.II, s.635, no:4695; Neseî, Sünen, c.VIII, s.97, no:4990; İbn-i Mâce, Sünen, c.I, s.24, no:63; İbn-i Hibbân, Sahîh, c.I, s.389, no:168; Beyhakî, Sünenü’l-Kübrâ, c.X, s.203, no:20660; Neseî, Sünenü’l-Kübrâ, c.VI, s.528, no:11721; Ebû Nuaym,

اْلإِحْسَانُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ (خ. م. ن. ه. حم. خز. حب. ش. حل. عن أبي هريرة؛ م. د. ت. ن. ه. حب. ق. عن عمر)

(El-ihsânu en ta’buda’llàhe ke-enneke terâhu, fein lem tekun

terâhu feinnehû yerâke) “Ihsan means doing the worship properly, as though you see Allah. Although you do not see Him, He sees you.”

As you start the prayer saying “Allahu akbar,” You are before Him. He is closer to you than your jugular vein.

وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ (الحديد:٤)

(Wa huwa me’akum eyne mâ kuntum) “And he is with you wherever you are” (Qur’an 57:4). He is omnipresent.

لاَ تُدْرِكُهُ الأَْبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَْبْصَارَ (الأنعام٣٠١)

(Lâ tudrikuhul ebsâr wa huwa yudrikul ebsâr) “Eyes do not see Him, but he perceives the eyes” (Qur’an 6:103). He knows what the eyes perceive. Allah knows everything.

That is the ihsan in worship. It is worshipping Allah with sincerity as if one sees Allah. It is the awareness that Allah sees us and observes us as we worship. One more point.

The Prophet SAS said:

Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ, c.VIII, s.383; Beyhakî, el-Erbaùne’s-Suğrâ, c.I, s.61, no:23; Hz. Ömer RA’dan. Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.III, s.44, no:5249; Keşfü’l-Hafâ, c.I, s.57, no:140; Câmiu’l- Ehàdîs, c.X, s.494, no:10108.

إِنَّ اللهَ كَتَبَ اْلإِحْسَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْء (م. د. ت. ن. حم حب. عن شداد بن أوس)

(Inna’llàhe ketebe’l-ihsâne alâ kulli shey’) “Verily, Allah prescribed ihsan on believers for everything they do. A believer is ordered to do everything with ihsan. The shoemaker shall make the boot in the best way. The baker shall bake the bread perfectly.

The tailor shall make the dress perfectly. The weaver shall weave the fabric perfectly. The Calligrapher shall write in the best way.

Everybody shall do his work perfectly. The butcher shall sharpen the knife perfectly before slaughtering the animal. The best of everything is an obligation on the believer; Allah does not let it go to waste the rewards for the deeds by muhsin servants. He will reward them, and the best of everything fits a believer.

May Almighty Allah grant us the means to do our worship, deeds, and all of our work and business in the best way possible.

May He grant us the best of the rewards, the best of the abodes in the hereafter. May He make us neighbors to His best servants in Paradise.

Subhanake lâ ilme lenâ illâ mâ allemtenâ, inneke ente’l-alîmu’l- hakîm. Our Lord! You are glorified. There is no knowledge for us except for what You have taught us. Verily You are all knowledgeable, all wise. Subhâne rabbinâ rabbi’l-izzeti ammâ

yesifûn... Wa selâmun ‘ale’l-murselîn... Wa’l-hamdu li’llâhi rabbi’l- âlemîne, al-fâtihah!.

February 12, 1995 / Ramadhan 12, 1415

Ulu Cami - Kahraman Maras, TURKEY