|
 [But
those will prosper who purify themselves, glorify the name of their
Lord, and (lift their hearts) in Prayer. Nay (behold), you prefer
the life of this world; but the Hereafter is better and more
enduring. And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelations),
the Books of Abraham and Moses.] (Al-A`la 87:14-19)
Our
daily challenge is how to live in this world in the way of the
prophets of Allah, all the prophets of Allah from Adam to the last
and final Prophet, Muhammad - peace be upon all of them. The way of
the prophets of Allah was one and the same. They came to give the
same message and followed basically the same principles and values.
The way of the prophets was not the way of kings or rulers, the way
of politicians and military commanders, the way of the rich and
comfortable people. The way of the prophets was different from what
the world expects or from what we are used to seeing and observing
in this world.
The
way of the prophets was to uphold the real and permanent over the
ephemeral and transitory, the spiritual over the material, the moral
and ethical over that which brings quick profit or results. The way
of the prophets was not the way of power but the way of inner
strength and energy. Their way was not the way of worldly pomp and
glory but the way of humble devotion to Allah and service of
humanity.
It
is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him) said: My Lord gave me nine (bits of) advice and I give them to
you. He advised me:
-
To be sincere whether in private or in public
-
To do justice whether in anger or in happiness
-
To be moderate whether in riches or in poverty
-
To join (in relations) with those who (try) to cut me off
-
To give to those who deprive me
-
To forgive those who do wrong to me
-
That my silence be thoughtful
-
That my speech be mindful (of Allah)
-
That my vision be to take admonition. (Reported by Razeen)
These
are some very important points of advice that Allah gave to Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). He lived by them in his
whole life. He was a perfect example of these virtues. He also gave
this advice to us. This advice contains the basic ethic of Islam,
which is not an ordinary ethic but is divine and prophetic. The
ethical principles given here require special effort, training, and
sacrifice. It is not easy or simple to live by these principles, but
they have lasting values and they bring eternal blessings.
This
is our daily challenge. Our challenge is how to live by this ethic
in our daily life. The challenge is not to live by these values and
principles in the situation of ease and happiness, but to live by
them in all circumstances. The challenge is to live by these
principles, teach them to our younger generation, and to form and
build a community of faithful who are willing to dedicate themselves
to them.
1.
Al-Ikhlas (Sincerity): The first principle of the Islamic
ethic is sincerity, which means purity of the heart and purity of
the mind (intention). It means truth and honesty. Sincerity in every
situation whether alone or in public. There are many who are not
sincere. They live the life of hypocrisy. There are some who show
themselves very sincere when in public, but in their private life
when others are not watching them, their behavior changes. Real
sincerity comes from the fear of Allah. In another version of this
hadith, it is mentioned that Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) said, “The fear of Allah (khashyah) in private or in
public.”
2.
Al-`Adl (Justice): Justice and fair dealing is necessary
with all people, with friends and foes alike, whether in happiness
as well as in anger. Sometimes it is easy to talk of justice in the
situation of comfort when there is no commotion or conflict, but the
real challenge is to uphold justice even in relation to those who
make you angry. Justice even to those who hate you and who never
stop opposing and mistreating you. Justice not only in words, but in
words and deeds both.
3.
Al-Qasd (Moderation): It is to follow the middle path.
Moderation should be in everything, not only in financial matters
but in every aspect of life. In tight situations, people become
extremist, upset, and afraid. In affluence also people lose control
over themselves. The rich do not see the need for moderation, but
moderation is good for all people in all circumstances.
4.
Silat ar-Rahm (Keeping the ties of kinship): These are
family ties. This means good relations between all members of the
family and taking care of those who are in need. The challenge is
not only to help those relatives who are nice or who give, but to
give also to those who withhold and do not give anything at any
occasion. Family is moral commitment. One should not be good to
family members only when they are good, but one should be good even
to those relatives who do not treat you well.
5.
`Ata’ (Generosity): Believers are always generous. They
give to all and everywhere. There is a great reward in helping
people in their needs. However, the extraordinary character is to
give to those who do not give and to also give to those who
purposely deny and deprive us.
6.
Al-`Afw (Forgiveness): It is not easy to forgive those
who do wrong to us. Islam teaches that one should forgive as much as
possible, but the greatest forgiveness is when one pardons while one
is capable of taking revenge and punish. Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) has given us the best example of this value.
He was ever willing to forgive his enemies
7.
Fikr (Thinking and reflection): It is good to be silent
as much as possible. To speak only when it is necessary. But silence
should be with thinking and reflection.
8.
Dhikr (Remembrance and speaking of Allah): Our tongue is
a great gift of Allah to us. We are distinguished from animals
because we can use our tongue. We should use our tongue to praise
Allah and give thanks to Him, but we should also keep Allah in mind
whenever we open our mouth. A lot of sins of the tongue, such as
lying, backbiting, gossiping, using bad words, et cetera, come
because we do not remember Allah.
9.
`Ibrah (Learning and taking lessons): Our eyes and minds
must remain open to understand things and to take lessons from the
events around us. We should be very thoughtful always.
Source:
Khutbah at Islamic Center
of Orange County, Garden Grove, California, USA on 23 Safar 1424/1
November 2003.
|
