10. THE SUPPLICATION BY A PERSON WHO IS FASTING
Prof. Dr. Mahmud Es’ad COSAN
Eùdhu bi’llâhi minash-shaytànir rajîm. Bi’smi’llâhi’r-rahmâni’r-rahîm.
El-hamdu li’llâhi rabbi’l-àlemîne hamden kathîran tayyiben mubâreken fîh... Kemâ yenbaghî li-jalâli wejhihî wa li-azîmi sultânih... Wa’s-salâtu wa’s-selâmu alâ seyyidinâ muhammedin wa alâ âlihî wa sahbihî wa men tebiahû bi-ihsânin ejmaîn...
Praise is to Almighty Allah, the Lord of the Universe. May the blessings of Allah be on the Prophet, his family, his companions and his sincere followers all.
a. The Night of Power
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our beloved Prophet, Muhammed the chosen, has stated:29
أَتَاكُمْ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانُ، شَهْرُ بَرَكَة ، فِيهِ خَيْرٌ يُغَشِّيكُمُاللهُ، فَيُنزِلُ
الرَّحْمَةِ، وَيَحُطُّ فِيهِ الْخَطَايَا، وَيَسْـتَجِـيبُ فِـيـهِ الدُّعَاءُ، يَنْظُرُ اللهُ
تَنَافُسِكُمْ، وَيُبَاهِي بِكُمْ مَلاَئـِكَــتـَهُ، فَأَدُّوا اللهَ مِنْ أَنــْفُـسَكُمْ خَـيْرًا،
فَإِنَّ الشَّـقِيَّ، مَنْ حُرِمَ فِيهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ (طب. وابن النجار
29 Taberânî, Müsnedü’ş-Şâmiyyîn, c.III, s.271, no:2238; Ubâde ibn-i Sâmit RA’dan.
Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.VIII, s.749, no:23691, Mecmaü’z-Zevâid, c.III, s.344, no:4783; Câmiü’l-Ehàdîs, c.I, s.158, no:255; Münzirî, et-Tergîb, c.II, s.60, no:1490.
عن عبادة بن الصامت
RE. 9/10 (Etâkum shehru ramadhàn) "The month of Ramadhan has arrived for you (shehru barakatin) the moth of abundance."
There is barakah (abundance) in everything. There is barakah at food tables, in time, and in everything else. In this month of spirituality, Almighty Allah has the sources of evil tied up and the possibilities for the good deeds are freed and increased. There is a definite increase and blessedness in all.
(Fîhi khayrun) "There is goodness in it." There is countless goodness in this month that we all witness. There is also a night in this month which is better than a thousand months. On what day?
Almighty Allah hid that night in this month of Ramadan. It is not clearly indicated which night would be. It is stated in the Qur'an:
لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْر (القدر٣)
(Laylatu’l-qadri khayrun min elfi shehrin) [The Night of Power is better than a thousend months.]
The companins asked the Prophet: "O Propphet of Allah! Is this night only one night in your lifetime or once in every year?"
The Prophet responded: "Every year."
Every year there is a night in Ramadhan which is better than a thousand months. When is it?
It is hidden in the month. Nevertheless, the Prophet gave a clue: "Look for it in the last ten days of Ramadhan!"
There is a night better than a thousand months which is hidden in the last ten days of Ramadhan. One who does a worship that is pleasing to Allah during that night will be rewarded as though he worshipped for one 1000 months which is 83.3 years continuously.
It is such a valuable night. What shall we do then? (Fîhi khayrun) There is goodness in this month. We understand that there is a special night in this month. Here is goodness in every night of Ramadhan, yet there is also a night which is more precious than a thousand nights.
You should ask: "Dear Khawaja! What shall we do? Could you
inform us on this matter?"
"I am informing you: To catch this night, the Prophet used to do i'tikaf in the mosque for the last ten days of Ramadhan."
I'tikaf is a strong Sunnah of the Prophet. If nobody practices i'tikaf in a locality, all residents of the locality will be accountable for not practicing it. It is a well-known, strong Sunnah of the Prophet. People will be interrogated in the hereafter: "Why did you neglect that strong Sunnah of the Prophet?" That is why those who have time should decide which mosque they will stay and inform the administration of the mosque: "I am going to practice i'tikaf in this mosque; I am informing you." They should spend the last ten days of Ramadhan in a mosque.
Our beluoved Prophet practiced i'tikaf; so did the companions of the Prophet. You should practice, too. You, too, should experience the honor, love and special worship during the last ten days of Ramadhan.
b. The Mercy of Allah Descents
يُغَشِّيكُمُ اللهُ، فَيُنْزِلُ الرَّحْمَةِ، وَيَحُطُّ فِيهِ الْخَطَايَا، وَيَسْـتَجِـيب
فِـيـهِ الدُّعَاءُ،
(Yughash-shikumu’llah) "Almighty Allah showers you with His mercy. The whole earth and all of the believers will be covered with the goodness. Then, (feyenzilu’r-rahmetu) the mercy of Allah descends from the heavens to the homes, hearts, countries, counties, and mosques.
(Wa yahuttu fîhil-khatâyâ) Almighty Allah forgives the offenses in this month. He forgives the sins every iftar time as well as every suhur time. He forgives every body who turns to him. Many people attain forgiveness. Many people are forgiven in this month. May Almighty Allah accept us among those who have been forgiven.
(Wa yestejîbu fihi’d-duâ) "And Allah answers the prayers in this month." I do not know what you ask from Almighty Allah. You raise your hands in prayer and ask something from Almighty Allah.
We ought to know about the supplications; man has to know what to ask from Almighty Allah.
You must remember from the event of Mi'raj, even the Prophet was questioned if he had the permission [to pass certain gates o heavens]. As a blessing of Ramadan, the gates of the heavens are opened for the prayers and supplications of the servants. The prayers and other worship reach Almighty Allah without any hurdle.
يَنْظُرُ اللهُ تَنَافُسِكُمْ، وَيُبَاهِي بِكُمْ مَلاَئـِكَــتـَهُ،
(Yenzuru’llàhi tenâfusekum) "Almighty Allah looks at your efforts and zeal in doing good deeds as though you were competing with one another. (Wa yubâhî bikum melâiketehû) He shows you to His angels and commends you." Almighty Allah shows His servants to His angels and says, "O my angels, remember you had criticized my servants. Look at them. My servants are competing with one another in doing good works."
Prof. Dr. M. Es'ad COŞAN
You are familiar with the adventure of the angels. When Hadrat Adam was to be created, the angels asked Almighty Allah: "Our Lord! Are you going to create species that will shed blood and create mischief on earth?" Almighty Allah had responded: "I know things that you do not know." They understood their faults and repented by circumambulating Bayt-al-Ma'mur as the pilgrims circumambulate the Kaabah. Almighty Allah points the worshipping believers and tells His angels that His servants are doing good work and worship.
فَأَدُّوا اللهَ مِنْ أَنــْفُـسَكُمْ خَـيْرًا،
(Fa-addullàhe min enfusikum khayrâ) "Since Almighty Allah prepared such blessings for His servants, you try your best to benefit from it." Do good deeds and charitable works; compete with one another to do the good deeds. Fulfill your servitude to Allah!
Carry out your responsibilities and have some zeal in doing so.
Appreciate this month.
c. One who Fasts is Rewarded in Multitude
In a hadith reported by Abdullah ibn-i Ebî Ewfâ RA, the Prophet said:
نَوْمُ الصَّائِمِ عِبَادَةٌ، وَصَمْتُهُ تَسْبِيحٌ، وَدُعَاؤُهُ مْسْتَجَابٌ، وَعَمَلُهُ
مُضَاعَفٌ (هب. عن عبد الله ابن أبي أوفى)
(Nawmu’s-sàimi ibâdatun) "The sleep of the person who is fasting is worship." He would get up for the night vigil prayer, eats suhur meal, goes to the mosque, recites Qur'an, and his body gets tired. During the long summer days, the hunger and thirst overtakes him, and he goes to sleep. That sleep is considered as worship. The rewards and special treats are of this month.
(Wa samtuhû tesbîhun) "And his silence will be like glorifying Almighty Allah." When a person is fasting, he would be silent and sometimes without much of red color on his face. Yet his silence would earn him rewards.
As a matter of fact, the silence is a form of worship in Islam.
Silence leads to contemplation and meditation (tefekkur). It also prevents a person from uttering evil words. That is why it is considered as a form of worship.
When we are asked about the worship, we often think about the daily prayers, fasting and paying zakah. The last one is the worship carried out with money or wealth: You give the needy what you have earned lawfully with your own hands. That is one of the beauties of Islam. One could do worship by spending money.
Hajj is worship, too; the Muslim visits the Honorable Ka'abah.
Silence is worship too that many people fail to appreciate. A person either should say good things or keep silent. When the silence is accompanied by contemplation and pondering, then it becomes one of the greatest forms of worship. The Prophet said:30
لاَ عِبَادَةَ كَالتَّفَكرِ (أبو بكر بن كامل، وابن النجار عن
الحارث عن على)
(Lâ ibâdete ke’ttefekkur) "There is no worship that is more valuable than contemplation."
There is another form of this hadith:31
30 Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Kebîr, c.III, s.68, no:2688; Beyhakî, Şuabü’l-İman, c.IV, s.157, no:4647; Kudàî, Müsnedü’ş-Şihâb, c.II, s.38, no:836; Ebû Nuaym, Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ, c.II, s.36; Deylemî, Müsnedü’l-Firdevs, c.V, s.179, no:7889; Mizzî, Tezhîbü’l-Kemâl, c.VI, s.239; İbn-i Asâkir, Târih-i Dimaşk, c.XIII, s.256; Hz. Ali RA’dan.
İbn-i Ebi’d-Dünyâ, Vera’, c.I, s.122, no:216; Hz. Hasan RA’dan.
Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.XVI, s.163, no:44135; Keşfü’l-Hafâ, c.II, s.2039, no:3038; Câmiü’l-Ehàdîs, c.XVI, s.446, no:17233, 17253. 31 Keşfü’l-Hafâ, c.II, s.369, no:1004.
تَفَكُّرُ سَاعَة ، خَيرٌ مِنْ ِعبَاَدةِ سَنَة
(Tefekkuru sâatin khayrun min ibâdeti seneh) "An hour of contemplation is better than a year of worship."
Here is yet another one:
تَفَكُّرُ سَاعَة ، خَيرٌ مِنْ ِعبَاَدةِ سِتِّينَ سَنَة
(Tefekkuru sâatin khayrun min ibâdeti sittîne seneh) "An hour of contemplation is better than sixty years of worship."
In fact both could be true. Depending on the importance of a person's contemplation, depending on the impact of the contemplation on the person's life, one hour of contemplation could be equal to the worship of sixty years. A person realizes his faults and takes a lesson from an incident; he contemplates about his life, abandons his bad deeds and follows the straight path and return to Almighty Allah. Than, that contemplation is better than the worship of sixty years.
(Wa duâühû mustejâbun) "The supplication of the person who is fasting is accepted." The supplication is worship, too. This is one of the matters that many people are uninformed.
The Prophet said:32
32 Ebû Dâvud, Sünen, c.II, s.76, no:1479; Tirmizî, Sünen, c.V, s.211, no:2969; İbn-i Mâce, Sünen, c.II, s.1258, no:3828; Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.IV, s.267, no:18378; Buhàrî, Edebü’l-Müfred, c.I, s.249, no:714; Hàkim, Müstedrek, c.I, s.667, no:1802; Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l-Kebîr, c.II, s.208, no:1041; Beyhakî, Şuabü’l-İman, c.II, s.37, no:1105; Neseî, Sünenü’l-Kübrâ, c.VI, s.450, no:11464; İbn-i Ebî Şeybe, Musannef, c.VI, s.21, no:29167; Bezzâr, Müsned, c.I, s.485, no:3243; Tayâlisî, Müsned, c.I, s.108, no:801; Begavî, Şerhü’s-Sünneh, c.II, s.492; Kudàî, Müsnedü’ş- Şihâb, c.I, s.51, no:29; Abdullah ibn-i Mübarek, Müsned, c.I, s.74; Hatîb-i Bağdâdî, Târih-i Bağdad, c.XII, s.279, no:6719; Mizzî, Tehzîbü’l-Kemâl, c.XXXII, s.307, no:7081; Ubû Nuaym, Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ, c.VIII, s.120; Nu’man ibn-i Beşîr RA’dan.
Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.II, s.62, no:3113, 3151; Keşfü’l-Hafâ, c.I, s.403, no:1295; Câmiü’l-Ehàdîs, c.XIII, s.3, no:12416.
اَلدُّعَاءُ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ (حم. ش. خ. في الأدب،ت. حسن صحيح،
ن. ه. حب. ك. هب. عن النعمان بن بشير؛ ع. ض. عن البراء)
(Ed-duâ'u huwa’l-ibâdatu) "Duâ, i.e., supplication, is worship, servitude." When we complete our salat, we raise our hands and turn to Almighty Allah and ask things from Him. We ask; He will grant us what we want. The process of asking Him things is worship. A person could keep asking things from Allah the whole day; thus he would be in worship whole day.
Our beloved Prophet stated: ki:33
مَنْ لَمْ يَدْعُ اللهَ، غَضِبَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ(حم. ش. عن أبي هريرة)
(Men lem yed'u’llàhe ghadhiba’llàhu aleyhi) "The wrath of Allah is on those who do not turn to Him in supplication."
It is amazing good news! Almighty Allah does not say: "O My servant! That is enough. You have prayed enough. Do not ask too much!" On the contrary, Almighty Allah would be pleased with the person who asks things from Him all the time and count the persons requests as worship. Almighty Allah has wrath on those who do not turn to Him or do not ask anything from Him. The supplication, duâ, is a form of worship.
Sometimes we see in the mosque people who finish their salat saying "As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatu’llah" to his right and to his left and then get up and leave. O blessed person! The salat is worship; the supplication you make after the salat is worship, too.
That will earn you rewards, too. Not only will it earn you rewards, but also Almighty Allah will grant him when he asks for.
Satan could instill a doubt in a person's mind: "I ask things from
33 İbn-i Mâce, Sünen, c.XI, s.278, no:3817; Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.2, s.443, no:9717; İbn-i Ebî Şeybe, Musannef, c.6, s.22, no:29169; Begavî, Şerhü’s- Sünneh, c.II, s.394; İbn-i Adiy, Kâmil fi’d-Duafà, c.VII, s.295; Ebû Hüreyre RA’dan.
Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.II, s.68, no:3160; Câmiü’l-Ehàdîs, c.XXI, s.404, no:23844.
Allah, and nothing happens." There are people who say this. I heard a woman saying, "Allah does not accept my prayers."
Almighty Allah will accept the person prayer if the conditions are proper. We understand from the ahadith that He does not accept the prayers of people who are indulged in haram. Almighty Allah does not accept the prayers of a person who eats haram, talks haram, and wears haram. On the other hand, Almighty Allah accepts the prayers of a person who eats halal, talks halal and wears halal. The acceptance happens in three ways:
1. Almighty Allah grants what the person wants as the person wants it: "My lord, send us some rain for the fields I planted. If you do not send rain, I will suffer losses." You see that the next day it will rain in plenty. 2. Sometimes Almighty Allah grants something better than what the person asks for. It is similar to the situation that a patient asks a doctor for some aspirin. The doctor says: "You have an ulcer and gastritis in your stomach, and aspirin will aggravate it. You want the aspirin for your headache, but I will not give it to you.
Instead, I will give you some other painkiller that is gentler to your stomach."
If Almighty Allah does not respond to the prayers right away, that means He will provide something better. One has to be patient.
The prophet warned us: "Do not say 'I asked something form Allah, but He did not give it to me.' Be patient and wait." Some patience is needed; Almighty Allah must have accepted it and it will happen."
While the Prophet was arguing with a pagan, the angel Gabriel approached the pagan, did something to him and returned. The Prophet asked: "O Gabriel, what did you do?" The archangel Gabriel responded: "I punctured his aorta."
The pagan did not understand anything, but Gabriel AS did what the person deserved. When the time arrived, he suffered what he deserved.
That is why we need not to hurry or panic. We ought to ask things from Allah, and wait for it with proper manners. You witness that Almighty Allah gives better than what you ask for. I am sure you have examples in your life, for I have witnessed many
examples with my life.
3. Sometimes, Almighty Allah rewards the person in the hereafter. Why is it so? It is likely that what is asked for is not proper for this life. For example, a person could pray Allah to extend the life of a person who is in death bed: "My Lord, give him health and longer life. Let him get up." The person dies. In such situations, Almighty Allah saves the rewards for the hereafter.
Sometimes people have conflicting requests. For instance, a farmer could ask for rain while his neighbor who makes a living by producing pottery asks for sunny weather. Each person would have different requests. Then some of these requests will not be answered because they will be a conflict. Two good servants could be asking things that create a conflict. Almighty Allah would give rewards for the request that is not actualized in this life.
d. Importance of Seeking Knowledge
[On this subject, I am going to tell you something that I often remember.] When I was in the military service, one of our friends would carry in his pocket a book of preaches by Abdulqadir-i Geylânî KS. He was a practicing Muslim. Whenever he had time, he would open the book and learn something. When a Muslim finds time, he should seek knowledge because studying [an Islamic subject] is better than this world and everything in it and has more rewards. Our beloved Prophet stated this fact. Our friend used to carry the book all the time. I wish all Muslims had this kind of habit: Whenever they find time, they would get the book and read it. When I was a college professor, I used to advise the students:
"Keep a pen and a notebook in your pocket. Whenever you hear something nice, you could write it down right away." It would be a reminder book. You could also carry a book to read, too.
Dear brothers and sisters!
We are an ummah that paid greatest importance to knowledge.
Our forefathers were scholars of unmatched caliber in the history of world. They produced works that made them famous and
remembered. We are unaware of the importance of knowledge and relaxed. That friend of mine used to carry a book, I hope you all do the same.
[Before coming to what was in that book,] I will give you an opposite example: A friend of mine, who knows the Japanese well, told me that the Japanese read a lot. Among the Europeans, the German read the most. Yet, the Japanese read a lot more than the German. "They have bookcases in their bathrooms." That means they read while they use the toilet.
Well, we would not do that kind of thing—we respect the knowledge. Everything has to be carried out with proper manners.
We do not do that, but we should be aware that they do read a lot.
We should not waste time, advance in that aspect. I was amazed when I heard that they had bookshelves in their bathrooms.
My friend in the military service used to carry a book in his pocket. He was a practicing Muslim. Alhamdulillah, we have many practicing Muslim brothers who are college graduates. They lead a
conscious life. One of my students was in the service, too. He pulled the book from the friend's pocket: "Let's see what is in this book." I looked at it. It was a book by Abdulqadir-i Geylanî KS. I suggested:
"With bismillah, open a page and read what our master Abdulqadir-i Geylanî KS said."
We saw this hadith that was good news for us:
In the hereafter, when the record of each person is displayed and the rewards and offenses are compared in the Great Court, some Muslims will see some great rewards written in their record books.
They will be curious about how they have earned these great rewards. They will ask Almighty Allah about it: "My Lord! I do not know how I earned these rewards. What deed did I do?" Almighty Allah will respond: "O My servant! In your life on earth, you made dua, and these rewards were recorded for your dua because at that time your request did not comply with my Devine Destiny. I answered your prayers in this manner."
The servants would remorse: "We wish Almighty Allah had left the rewards of all of our prayers to the hereafter."
That means the prayers are accepted. If a person did not eat haram, wear haram, be in a situation displeasing to Almighty Allah, his prayers will be answered because Almighty Allah promised:
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ (المؤمن:٠٦)
(Wa qàla rabbukum ud'ûnî astajiblekum) "Make dua, I will respond your prayers." The prayers will be accepted immediately as the person requested or in a better way. One could understand that it is accepted. Another option will be rewards in the hereafter.
Why did we provide this explanation? Allah accepts the prayers in Ramadhan. "The supplications by a person who is fasting are accepted," said the Prophet AS. We read about this good news, so we have provided the explanation.
Among the people whose duas are accepted are the people who
are ill. The sleep of the ill people is worship; their moaning, glorification; their prayers are accepted. They are given rewards for the deeds that they used to do but could not do it because of the illness. The offences in his record book are erased. That is the state of a person who is ill.
The sate of a person who is fasting is similar. His sleep is worship, his silence is glorification, his prayers are answered, and his deeds are "mudàaf." Mudàaf means exaggerated, magnified, rewarded in multitude. All of the deeds carried out by a person who is fasting are rewarded 70 times more than usual except for his fasting. Our beloved Prophet stated that Almighty Allah said: "The fasting is carried out for me, so I will reward it." That means the reward for fasting is incalculable, uncountable. The other good deeds while fasting are rewarded in 70 folds as indicated in various ahadith.
e. Ramadhan is Expiation for Offences
Here is another good news about Ramadhan. Abû Hayseme RA reported that the Prophet said:34
رَمَضَانُ اِلٰى رَمَضَانَ، وَالْحَجُّ اِلَى الْحَجِّ، وَالجُمُعَةُ إلى الجُمُعَةِ،
وَالصَّلٰوةُ اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ كَفَّارَاةٌ بِمَا بَيْنَهُنَّ مَا اجْتُنِبَتِ الْكَبَائِرُ .
(Ramadànu ilâ ramadàn) "A Ramadhan to the next Ramadan, (wa’l-hajju ila’l-hajj) a Pilgrimage to the next Pilgrimage, (wa’l- jumuati ila’l-jumuah) a Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer (wa’s-salatu ila’s-salat) a daily prayer to the next daily prayer (kaffârâtun limâ baynahunne) are expiations for the offences."
They wipe out the sins.
This means if we have fasted in Ramadhan with the proper
34 Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.II, s.400, no:9186; Ebû Hüreyre RA’dan.
manner of fasting, our shortcomings and sins after the last Ramadhan will be wiped off. This is good news. Likewise, if we performed the Pilgrimage several times, if the Pilgrimage is accepted, if it is carried out with lawful money, the sins in-between will be erased from our record book. Performing Pilgrimage is expensive; not everybody could afford it. Yet, Ramadhan is available for everybody. That is why it is a great blessing and good news.
Another good opportunity is the Friday prayer. A Friday is expiation for the offences that are committed after the previous Friday. That is why one should not skip the Friday prayers. It wipes out the sins.
There are other possibilities and opportunities on Fridays: If a person takes a bath before coming to the Friday prayer, his sins of the last 10 days will be erased. Also, if a person recites Surah al- Kahf on Friday, his sins of the last 10 days will be erased.
As you see, Almighty Allah provides us with opportunities. We commit offences or fail to carry out the orders of Allah properly throughout the day and night. If we maintain our worship, attend the Friday prayer, perform Hajj, and fast the Ramadhan, our worship erases the offences and sins. When the sins are erased, we will not have a shameful face on the Day or Resurrection; we will not be punished in the hereafter for them.
If the sins are not wiped out, we will be in a terrible state:
فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّة خَيْرًا يَرَه . وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّة شَرًّا يَرَه (الزلزال:٧-٨)
(Femen ya'mel mithqàla dherretin khayran yarah. Wa men ya'mel mithqàla sharran yarahû) "Whoever does an atom's weight of good work will be rewarded; whoever does an atom's weight of bad work will be punished."
It is stated in some ahadith that when a person performs Hajj, his sins will be wiped out in a way that if he has doubts such as "I wonder if Almighty Allah has forgiven me my sins," that would be his first offense. He shall not even doubt about it. Al-hamdu lillah, the sins are erased. The only condition is that he has to perform the Hajj with halal money. The whole thing boils down to an important point as indicated by the awliyaullah: One has to have halal sustenance. The haram should not go below our throat.
You must have heard of how Hadrat Abubakr as-Siddiq was careful about this issue. Once somebody brought a plate of something that looked good. Hadrat Abubakr tasted it and asked:
"Where is this from?"
When he understood that it was not from a lawful source, he put his finger to his throat and vomited what he had tasted. He said:
"If a body is fed on haram, hellfire will burn that body for sure."
That is why we have to stay away from haram.
Mehmed Zâhid KOTKU, MAKKAH
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
The awliyaullah, the perfect guides in our path, have stated that a Muslim must pay utmost attention not eat anything that is haram. He should not cheat anybody. He must learn what is haram and what is halal. That is very important.
Hadrat Omar RA was a strong man. When he was the caliph, he would go to the market place for inspection. He would carry a whip and question the vendors on haram and halal issues. If they failed to provide the correct answer, he would beat them saying, "You do not know what is haram and what is halal. Why do you conduct business here?"
Dear Brothers and Sisters! Our purpose was to talk about Ramadhan; however, I had to tell you about the importance of halal sustenance. We have to be extremely careful about our earning and our sustenance to make sure that it is all halal. We have to provide halal sustenance for our family and children. We have to learn about lawful means of earning a living.
I wish that the colleges taught the students about what is lawful and what is haram in the first place. The colleges teach our students professions: the graduates become doctors, engineers, veterinarians, agriculture experts, lawyers, and alike. May Allah increase their number. I wished that they taught the students about the halal and haram aspects of their professions. That would lead the students to salvation. If a person eats haram, he would go to hellfire for sure. His worship is not accepted, nor are his prayers and pilgrimage. It is a terrible situation. I must remind you that we all have to pay attention to eating halal.
Two Ramadhans are expiation for the sins committed in between. Two Friday are expiation for the sins committed in between. Two formal prayers (salah) are expiation for the sins committed in between. Two Pilgrimages are expiation for the sins committed in between. The hadith listed these. There is one condition: (Mujtunibetil kebâiru) "as long as the major offenses are
avoided." What are the major offenses? They are homicide, stealing, adultery, and other ones. When the major sins are avoided, the sins that a Muslim is involved knowingly or unintentionally will be erased. This is true as long as one stays away from the major offenses.
As believers, we stay away from the major offenses.
Alhamdulillah we do not commit theft or homicide. May Allah keep us away from such sins. The most dangerous major offence of our era is adultery. Unfortunately, the present living conditions make a person get involved in some form of adultery.
The Prophet stated:35
اَلْعَيْنَانِتَزْنِيَانِ، وَالْيَدَانِ تَزْنِيَانِ (حم. طب. عن ابن مسعود)
(Al-aynâni tezniyân) "The eyes commit adultery, too." What would be the adultery of the eyes? It is the unlawful look. (Wa’l- yedân, tezniyân) "The hands commit adultery, too. The hands should be guarded and kept away from sin. One has to be careful for the adultery of the eyes.
Let me elaborate on the adultery of the eyes. It happens with the magazines and newspapers. I read three or four newspapers to get a better understanding of the issues in the society and various opinions on these issues. Some newspapers print indecent pictures
35 Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.I, s.412, no:3912; Taberânî, Mu’cemü’l- Kebîr, c.IX, s.134, no:8661; Ebû Ya’lâ, Müsned, c.IX, s.246, no:5364; İbn-i Ebî Şeybe, Musannef, c.I, s.394, no:384; Bezzâr, Müsned, c.I, s.311, no:1956; Tahàvî, Müşkilü’l-Âsâr, c.VI, s.211, no:2282; Ebû Nuaym, Hilyetü’lEvliya, c.II, s.98; Abdullah ibn-i Mes’ud RA’dan.
Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.II, s.344, no:8520; İbn-i Hibbân, Sahîh, c.X, s.267, no:4419; Beyhakî, Şuabü’l-İmân, c.IV, s.365, no:5428; Beyhakî, Sünenü’l- Kübrâ, c.VII, s.89, no:13289; Begavî, Şerhü’s-Sünneh, c.I, s.72; İshak ibn-i Râhaveyh, Müsned, c.I, s.116, no:30; Bezzâr, Müsned, c.II, s.473, no:8913; Tahàvî, Müşkilü’l-Âsâr, c.VI, s.213, no:2284; Ebû Hüreyre RA’dan.
Kenzü’l-Ummâl, c.V, s.327, no:13062; Keşfü’l-Hafâ, c.II, s.77, no:1799; Mecmaü’z-Zevâid, c.VI, s.390, no:10543; Câmiü’l-Ehàdîs, c.XIV, s.382, no:14541.
of people. That is why I cancelled the subscription to some of the papers. One newspaper had the pictures of two naked men together. There are pictures of naked women. Some newspapers made it a profession. They advertise the worst kind of obscenity.
They print sexually attractive headlines to have people buy their papers and magazines. These lead to the adultery of the eyes and haram.
"All right, Khawaja, we shall not buy or look at that newspaper. We shall not stop at the newsstand."
"Fine! How about the television at home? The television inflicts a great deal of harm in Muslims."
I was in Konya yesterday. I was giving a talk. Somebody sent a piece of paper with a question on it:
"Khawaja! I heard that a person will not die as a believer if he has a television in his house. Is that true?"
I said: "No! Let us not take to the extreme! Nobody could mess with the works of Almighty Allah. The matter of belief is different.
Nevertheless, the danger of television is not a minor issue."
Why is it so? I remember once we went to Ankara for a preach.
After the preach, there was an interview on television: Yusuf Islam was to appear on the "32nd Day" of Mehmed Ali Birand.
I met Yusuf Islam. He came to visit me when I had an operation in a hospital in Istanbul. May Allah be pleased with him. I know about his past and his progress. He is a practicing sincere Muslim.
He wears a long overcoat and a turban. He has a long beard. If you saw him, you would think that he is one of the Mollas from the Black Sea region. His style leaves that impression. He is a strong believer.
How did this Greek-British pop singer become a Muslim? He was about to be drowned in the ocean. He turned to Almighty Allah: "My Lord! If you save me, I will do good servitude towards you. I will be a good, practicing believer." Almighty Allah created the means, so something saved him from drowning. However, he had forgotten about the promise.
That is the typical behavior of man. When there is an earthquake, people become very religious. When the danger is over, they forget. During the times of hardship such as the scarcity of food, event of war—we all remember when the Turkish soldiers were sent to Cyprus— people change. The newspapers and radios got into a different mood. After the danger is over, people lose interest in religion. When the waves shake the ship,
دَعَوْا اللهََّ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّين (يونس٢٢)
(Deawu’llàhe mukhlisîne lehu’d-dîn) "They sincerely pray to Allah"; when they arrive in the land, they forget all about the danger and promises. That is the nature of man.
Yusuf Islam had forgotten his promise. Yet in his dreams he was reminded:
"You had promised that you were going to be a good servant if Yusuf İSLÂM
you had been saved. What happened?"
Almighty Allah warned him in the dreams. That led him to accept Islam.
I love our brother Yusuf Islam. Since I knew him, too, I decided to watch the interview on television. We turned on the television at the pre-announced time. May Allah punish those who prepared that television program. Yusuf Islam interview was for the Muslims to watch. That is why I wanted to see it. The beginning of the program included some bedroom scenes of an obscene movie.
That was treachery and mockery. It was like belittling the beliefs of Muslims. I did not want to watch those scenes. I wanted to watch Yusuf Islam and learn few things about him. Why do you have to show me the obscene scenes? You commit the sins; why do you mess with me?
I did not want to see such scenery, nor did you announce it. We were ready to watch Yusuf Islam, and we did not know what to do when all of a sudden the bedroom scenes appeared. We closed our eyes, yet the damage was done. The television brings the bars, discos, nightclubs, the church, the priests, the singer, and everything else into our living room.
Dear Brothers and Sisters! Please pay utmost attention on not committing the adultery of the eyes. Our Prophet warns us that the eyes will commit adultery, too. Looking at haram is a form of adultery, and adultery is a major offense. For this reason, many people are subject to this ailment and lose strength. We have to be more conscious and careful about avoiding the major offenses.
Yes, the Ramadhans will be expiation for sins, so are the Fridays, daily prayers and Pilgrimages as long as one avoids the major offenses. We have no choice but avoid the major offenses.
When a man sees a woman on street, the first look is forgiven.
But when he stares at the woman for the second time, he starts accumulating sins. The first look was unintentional, yet the second look is from Satan. That is why one of the principles of our Naqshi tariqa is "nazar ber qadem—the dervish shall look at his feet as he
walks." That means, the dervish shall not investigate what is happening around him as he walks on the street. He shall have his proper manners and shyness of a young girl. When a person starts looking around on the street, he may see things that he should not look at. Once a poet said:
Göz gördü gönül sevdi, a benim yüzü mâhim!
Kurbanin olam, var mi benim bunda günahim?
The eye saw and the heart loved my moon-faced beloved!
May I be sacrificed for you: Do I have any fault?
Yes you do! Your eyes looked at it. It is a sin. You have to control your eyes and prevent from looking at haram. You have to take precautions and have manners. Have your wife cover up properly. You have to teach your daughter at an early age that she has to cover her hair and body to comply with the orders of Allah and earn rewards.
When the major sins are avoided, the offenses of a person are wiped out by Ramadhan. That is great.
f. Who is a Rebel?
After reading another hadith, I will end my talk with a warning:36
مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ وَقَامَهُ، إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا، غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ
ذَنْبِهِ ، وَمَا تَاخَّر (ت. ه. حم. عن ابى هريرة)
36 Tirmizî, Sünen, c.III, s.104, no:619; İbn-i Mâce, Sünen, c.IV, s.221, no:1316; Ahmed ibn-i Hanbel, Müsned, c.II, s.503, no:10544; Tahâvî, Müşkilü’l-Âsâr, c.V, s.330, no:1953; Ebû Nuaym, Ahbâr-ı Isfahan, c.II, s.103, no:439; Ebû Hüreyre RA’dan.
(Men sàme ramadàne) “Whoever fasts in Ramadhan (wa qàmahû) and standup in prayer in it, i.e., offers the Tarawih prayers at night, (îmaânen wa’htisâben) by truly believing and expecting the rewards from Allah, (ghufira lehû mâ taqaddeme min dhenbihî wa mâ teahhara) his previous and latter sins will be forgiven."
In another hadith the Prophet SAS stated about Ramadhan:37
أَوَّلُهُ رَحْمَةٌ، وَوَسَطُهُ مَغْفِرَةٌ، وَآخِرُهُ عِتْقٌ مِنَ النَّارِ (خز. هب. عن سلمان)
(Awwaluhû rahmetun, wa awsatuhû maghfiratun, wa
37 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.
akhiruhû itqun mine’n-nâr) "The first part of Ramadan is for receiving the mercy of Allah. Its middle is for the forgiveness of the sins. Its end is freedom from the hellfire."
When the Muslim starts fasting, Almighty Allah showers His mercy on him. The mercy continues to the middle of the month. In the middle of the month, the Muslim is forgiven. In the latter part of the month, the believer is given the good news: "You are free from the hellfire."
Here is the most important point as stated by the Prophet:
فَإِنَّ الشَّـقِي، مَنْ حُرِمَ فِيهِ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل .
(Wa inne’sh-shaqiyya men harume fîhî rahmetu’llàhi azze wa jalla) "Despite all of these blessings and good things that come with Ramadhan, if a person has not benefited anything, if he has not received the mercy of Allah, he will be a shaqi (rebel)."
Here shaqi does not mean a highway robber. In Islamic literature, people are in two categories. The first one is the suedâ, i.e., the happy ones both in this life and in the hereafter. The opposite of the suedâ is the eshqiyâ, i.e., those who are deprived of the mercy of Allah and headed towards hellfire. Shaqî is the one who will go to hellfire; saîd is the one who will go to paradise. "If a person did not benefit from the blessings of Ramadhan, is truly deprived."
What does this mean Dear Brothers and Sisters? We ought to pay attention to our worship and servitude to earn the rewards. We should not miss them or be like a student who has been kicked out of school. That is the important point.
g. Three People to Be Humiliated
Once, the Prophet was going to deliver a sermon in the masjid.
As he climbed a step, he said "Amen!" He climbed the second step and said "Amen!" He repeated the same thing on the third step.
After he delivered the sermon, he was asked:
"O Prophet of Allah! You would not do move up the pulpit like this before. Why did you say "Amen!" three times?" The Prophet responded:
Jibrîl AS came to me and said three things:
1. "Woe to the person who reaches his parents—both of them or at least one—and he fails to earn Paradise. May he be humiliated."
I said"Amen!"
2. "Woe to the person who reached Ramadhan and failed to be forgiven in the end of the month. May he be humiliated." I said "Amen!"
3. "Woe to the person who hears the name of the Prophet Muhammed and fails to say salât and selam on him. May he be humiliated." I said "Amen!"
What lesson shall we derive from this hadith?
1. We shall serve our parents and earn Paradise because when the parents make dua for the children such as "May Allah place you
in Paradise; may He give you a long life," one earns Paradise. There is a hadith: "The Paradise is under the feet of the mothers." Woe to the person who fails to earn his parents’ consent.
We can earn Paradise if at least one of the parents is alive. It is a great opportunity. We must earn Paradise. Failing to earn Paradise is a great loss and deprivation. Additionally, the person is subject to the wrath of Jibrîl and the Prophet.
2. There is a good merciful atmosphere of Ramadhan that a believer could be forgiven. There are opportunities and possibilities. A person who lives through Ramadhan should be forgiven at the end. If a person fails that, he should be humiliated.
For these reasons, we must pay attention to Ramadhan. We must look at our progress and state at the end of Ramadhan. Is there an improvement? Have we corrected our conduct? Has our character changed for better? Today we finished the tenth day of fasting; has this spiritual medicine been effective for our ailments?
Are we benefiting from this course? How is our grade report? Are we going to complete the course with success and pass? We have to examine ourselves to see all.
I noticed that when we were driving, we heard the call for the maghrib, and the iftar cannon was fired. A man on the street lit his cigarette. It is just the same as ever. You had been patient for the lawful things throughout the day; you were strong. You did not eat or drink anything during the day. You were not doing the regular things that you would do other times. Why do you have to start with something considered as makruh—according to some scholars it is haram? You were supposed to maintain your patience. That means you do not have a grasp of the meaning and spirit of Ramadhan.
You were supposed to acquire taqwa and self-control in Ramadhan. You were to abandon the bad habits and practices. You have not reached to that point yet. That is a bad sign.
Nevertheless, Ramadhan is not over yet; it is not too late. There
are ninteen days to go. Let us try a bit harder on these days to earn the mercy of Allah. This is a very important point.
May Almighty Allah bless us with His Divine Guidance. May He grant us the ability to see the truth as truth and follow it. May He let us benefit from the blessings of Ramadhan and become His beloved servants. May He grant us means to get rid of bad manners and to acquire good manners.
There is another hadith that states that if a person, after Ramadhan, does not maintain the good things that he had acquired during ramadhan, if he returns to his usual state, it is an indication that his fasting and prayers during Ramdhan are not accepted. If the person maintains his good state, it is a sign that his fasting and prayers have been accepted. That means we ought to maintain our good state after Ramadhan, too.
.... May Almighty Allah awaken us from the sleep of unawareness.
May He make us knowledgeable and aware servants. May He place us among those who are acquainted and friends to Him. May He enable us to lead a life in compliance with His consent. May He grant us His guidance and make us special favorable servants. May He grant us a pleasant way when we depart from this life. May He honor us with His beauty in His Paradise.
With the respects for the secrets of the Surah Fatihah!
February 10, 1995 — Mersin, Turkey
Ramadhan 10, 1415