Part 2 Tareeqah Muhammadiyah

Itikaaf 2014
Sunday 20th July 2014 (22nd Ramadhan)
Discourse after Zuhr by Shaykh Ahmad Dabbagh

In these lessons you are learning the most important subjects of Islam. On our JM alimiyah
course they have 10 subjects. They have tajeeed, dawah, Hadith etc. I often say to the
teachers and students, all of these subjects are like number 10 and if the 1 is removed from
10, then it remains 0. If you remove 1 subject from them which is the tazkiyah then all of the
other 9 become 0. Because he's not following the Hadith, the sarf and nahw to understand.
It will be all knowledge which is not beneficial. Tazkiyah is the one subject which makes all
of the knowledge beneficial.
Allah -"Allah sent a messenger amongst you who recites and makes you aware of the sins
and teaches you and purifies you"

I mentioned Allah's methodology yesterday. Did He adopt tazkiyah first or does and don't
first?

Sayidina Ali said -"those ulama and Mashaikh and peers who visit the kings for getting
worldly benefits, they have destroyed themselves and others too. Blessed are those worldly
leaders and rich people who visit the ulama for arkhirah"

A pious kalif once wanted to close down the religious institutions, rather than benefiting,
they were causing more rifts. When any nation move away from their main purpose then
destruction comes. In history it is written there was a debate between
two parties about who was better amongst companions and there was an army invading at
that time. Same thing happened with Christians. They were having a debate of which type of
bread he had for his last super and there was an army invading at that time.

The kalifh said he's going to close the madrasahs. One of his advisors said "this is not wise, I
think you should visit undercover". So he changed his clothing and went into a big university
and asked the students "what do you want?". They all mentioned something to do with
power or money but only one of the children there said "I am learning knowledge because
there is some things that Allah is pleased with so that I can please Him and there are some
things that Allah becomes displeased so I am learning to avoid them" he decided that until
there are few students like this I will keep them open and this was Imam Ghazali in his
student years.

So did Allah reveal the command first or the things which purify the hearts. Everyone knows
commands came after even such big things like interest.

One scholar said "if you want to know the value of each subject look at what's at the end". If
a person is studying astronomy then he will study moons and planets. If it is physics they are
going to study laws of physics, optician will study eyes. If you study sarf and nahw,
composition of Arabic. Hadith is to know the Hadith and say the shamail. Fiqh, end is does
and don't. They are all important but imaging tazkiyah is such that the end is Allah.

Yesterday I said I will use the example of house. It is easier for understanding.

Your heart is like a house. One needs a foundation which can withstand any weight of
whisper of shaytaan.

"There are 4 layers of foundation of this house. If the foundation is weak, then the whole
building shall collapse. Some people have only one later and others have none, they are the
fools who have built their houses on the sand and sea. Their entire house shall sink into
destruction."

There are people that say "I don't need to pray now" shariah is the name of the kashf
(opening) of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam). So no matter what anyone else sees,
either they will stop practising or make claims to be a prophet and imam mehdi. All because
they didn't have foundation. Gulam Ahmed Qadyani, he was a scholar. He embarked on a
spiritual journey, he saw some dreams and vision and came to believe that he was a prophet
and misguided many people. Soon after the time of the prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam)
Musaylma Kazzab said I give you concession of fajr and isha. He changed the shariah.
Secondly he said women are big weakness of men so if you are overwhelmed you can
commit zina. Many people who did baya on hands of Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe
wasallam) followed him, Musaylma Kazzab, because they thought it was a better option.
People today are giving concessions but they don't know that they are doomed for failure.

Imam Ghazali mentioned in his books, "a person who think he has reached Allah and gives
concessions, better than them are those Muslims that are committing zina and alcohol.
They should have capital punishment" In his time there were many people thinking this that
internal is important but external is not.

Without the strong foundation of sound knowledge, it will be destroyed and will fall apart.
Shaytaan built a beautiful house but It collapsed in the heavens (because his foundation was
wrong).

Not even one hair breadth of change in the shariah is not going to happen. Hadith -"if Musa
alayhissalam and Isa alayhissalam came now, they would have no choice but to follow me"
extreme example given. Hazrat Isa alayhissalam will practically show this. They will be
steadfast on sunnah. This is the only thing (sunnah) that has protection.

Aqeedah is not a dry statements that I believe this and it is not for debate. We don't need to
know unimportant details. The main role of aqeedah is to make you stand and motivate
you. It is a major tazkiyah of the heart because it purifies your world view and knowledge.
Maybe you have wrong concepts. If you use brick, don't you also need good cement as it's
part of foundation.

If you use faulty material then it is a major problem. If anyone enters Islam, how does the
major purification takes place. Is it when they abstain from sins or when they believe in the
7 articles of faith. It it when they become free from Kufr (correct belief).

Journey of Man diagram.

Phase 1) Period of non-existence

There was Allah and there was nothing with Him. If nothing was existing, we could not use
the universe nor oursleves. Nor we have made the moons and stars. If someone says "your
using my computer" it doesn't really belong to you, it belongs to Allah but you have
temporarily.

If there was nothing existing, then you or anyone do not have right to use as you want. The
one who gave it, has a right. You interact with women through nikah, with people through
akhlaq. You can do what you like but when you have to bear the consequences. How dare
you say " I feel like being rebellious" everything is created by Allah (He has the right).

Allah challenges scientist by saying "can nothingness create something?" Bring all the
scientist and ask them to bring something out of 0. Either you have created you and
everything or nothing. You need someone to cause that bang. You need a big banger to
cause a Big Bang.

When a leak happens in a house or short circuit, you're always looking for the cause.

Islam and all divinely revealed religions (which were all Islam) all believe Allah created from
nothing. We have no right to use them the earth, water, plants etc against Allah. If you are
doing wudhu in a river then you must not waste even though it is plenty.

Phase 2) World of spirits

All spirits were created and all spirits are from light. Angels humans and jinn all spirit are
made form light. Angels body is also from light, humans are from earth and jinn are from
heat energy. The difference is in the body.

Allah -"the one who created" that is the beginning of the Quran in surah alaq. Allah showed
tazkiyah of beliefs comes first.

In the world of spirits, 4 things happened.

2.1) the most important event as far as we are concerned. Allah said to whole of creation
that "I want to give an amanah (a trust or power) to someone. Who wants it? Heavens,
mountains earth, do you want it?" They asked "what is it that you want to give?" Allah
replied to them "I have not given freedom of choice to any of my creation yet. They are all
obeying me, they have no choice and cannot go against my commands. I want to give
someone this choice so that they with their own choice will love and follow me. "

If you bring a robot that hovers for you, you're not impressed because it is programmed to
do that. But if you have a child and the child does that, you are more happy with the child
because you know they had the choice not to do that aswell.

"I am not forcing you. If you take the power I will reward you in such a way that no other
creation is rewarded. But if you disobey such punishment no other creation have
experienced that. "

The mountains were wise, the earth all said we don't want that possibility to disobey you.
We are happy as we are. It also means other creations like angels, seas and so on. The
human being and jinn took it. Allah -"man bore it verily he was unjust and ignorant." Allah
did not praise mankind.

Sometimes people don't know the beginning of our story then they ask strange questions.
Everything happening is because of our abuse of choices, not because Allah likes it to be like
this. What He likes He has shown in the Quran and in Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe
wasallam).

2.2) Covenant from arwah spirits. (Allah gathered the spirits of all the human and jinn and
said) "You will bear the responsibility and will not abuse that choice." We all said, "we
testify." We said it there because it was easy and it was a claim so Allah will test us to know
who are truthful. Now we have to prove otherwise it was just a claim and lip service.

2.3) Gathering of prophets

What link does it have with the first two? The link is that Allah said "I have taken a promise
from you but to make things easy for you I will send someone for you to follow. He will also
have a body and will have free will. He had severe tests so that he can become an example
for us. That Allah that took him in the night to Miraj, could He not take him from Makkah to
Medinah and save him from the journey (migration) and hiding in the cave. It was for us to
have an example.

He was such that even ambiyah had to obey, then imagine how much you have to obey. For
example, if big scholars have to follow the 4 major schools of thought then imagine how
much in need of following we are.

Ambiyah are sinless so they would've done it anyway. There is no possibility that they
would've gone against Allah. It was a message for us.

They even mention how Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) ate dates. He took out the
seed with his left hand small two fingers. Then imagine how to run a country and everything
has been shown.

2.4) who not to Follow, shaytaan. In the first covenant Allah mentioned His habeeb
(beloved) and in the second he has mentioned His enemy.

3) This is how you can make sense of what's happening on the earth. A non muslim asked, if
God is perfect then why is the world not perfect. I said , "the world is perfect." He asked
"how?". I said "it is perfect for a test." You have not created it so you cannot label it. If you
go an exam room, and say it should be my living room then to you it is not perfect but it is
perfect exam room. Jannah cannot be exam room, Hell cannot. This is the perfect testing
ground. What you are talking about is Jannah, there there will be no imperfection from
luxury point of view. Even boredom will not come near them, every second they will be
shocked and surprised.

Allah "now I am going to send you one by one to the earth." 60 years are spent in childhood
and cleaning and education and sleep, then really only 6 years you're living.
You think you are resting you want to enjoy but you don't realise you are shortening your
life. Many other things like problems and difficulties time is spent in. Today is special night
of odd night, you can add another 80 years of worship to your 6 years.

You are suppose to feel attracted towards women and children. It has been beautified.
Many people fall into this trap, we will start following Allah and his Messenger (sallallahu
alayhe wasallam) when we stop having attraction. Then you are not human being because
these are meant to be there. You use the feelings in the circle of commands of Allah. Allah
"gardens under which river flow" if you lost attraction then you will lose attraction to
Jannah. If you are not attracted to beauty then how can you be attracted to the beauty of
Allah. All the attractions of this world are small models of the attractions of Jannah. Imagine
you see a little car and you take it and say this is fine for me. The other will say "you have
fallen for the wrong thing, this was but an example" the time will pass and you will realise.

Similarly the punishment and bombs are small models of hell. Regarding the fever, it is one
of the affects of hell. It has a link. The punishments in this world like bombing in Palestine is
wrong completely but nothing compared to the grave. Now imagine a nuclear bomb, you
will die immediately but in the hereafter you will not die and experience all the pain. In
hereafter for people of hell it will be a greatest punishment that their punishment will not
come to an end but for people of Jannah it will be a blessing. Allah" if your body burns, you
will not die so that you can taste the punishment."

Dying from this world is birthday in barzakh. When you were born in this world, it was your
death from alme arwah.

Hadith "the ruh goes into ala ilieen." Sayidina Abdul Azeez Dabbaagh (rahimahullah)
mentioned that there are big pipes in the grave that are in the grave which connect to the
hell.
Hadith "there will be a window in the grave so that everyone can see his place"

The person going to Jannah can see his place and receives a nice smell. Sayidina Abdul Azeez
Dabbaagh (rahimahullah) was ummi (taught by Allah) person, he was explaining things as he
saw them. Allah opened his heart.

5) day of Judgement - 50000 years

6) Heaven and Hell

We have just gone through the belief system of Islam. The purpose of this was to motivate
you.

Allah created us for a purpose, we believe in all ambiyah with all their book, grave, day of
judgement, heaven and hell. Shaytaan has obscured the role of aqeedah for some including
some scholars. Most the Makkan surahs are about these things. Rasoolullah (sallallahu
alayhe wasallam) didn't just teach aqeedah as a piece of knowledge but as a foundation to
stand on and motivate.

The next is fiqh (does and donts). You have halaqas (circles) to go through these things eg
cleanliness, Salah, fast etc.

The third layer is repentance. Taubah is also tazkiyah of the past. You are trying to purify the
mess you have made in your past life. It's not the tazkiyah of the future but of the past.
Before you want a knew relationship Allah wants you to rectify your messy past first.

For Taubah you need to know what to do Taubah from. It is either rights of Allah or
rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) or yourself or other people or other creation.

Tawheed is right of Allah: ikhlaas is also right and means you're worshiping Allah from the
inside. Servitude and many more.

Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) rights summary of the rights are 5. 1. Believing, 2,
Love. 3. Respect 4. Following sunnah 5. Conveying his message

Rights of yourself. Don't let yourself become islrael on yourself. Those shuhadah of Palestine
are going to paradise. But you are doing harm to your own body and taking it to hell.

Right of people are mainly property, physical honour, and fulfilling promises.

If you lose these things then no tazkiyah can come on you because you have not repented.

Taubah also has 4 conditions
1) To be regretful and ashamed of sin one has committed regardless of whether it is a major
or minor act.
The most severest darkness is when one has wrong belief regarding Rasoolullah (sallallahu
alayhe wasallam)

2) To cut the means which lead oneself towards sin by abandoning the acts which take a
person toward darkness. An example is abandoning bad company, tv, internet and so on. It
could be phone numbers of certain people.

3) To hold a firm sincere and resolute intention not to return to life if darkness and instead
strongly intend to remain on the straight path and righteous path

4) To fulfil the rights of Allah and Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) and the creation and
beg for forgiveness for those rights which have been previously violated.

Questions and Answers

1) In world of spirits, did we choose collectively or individually.

Many people said yes and some said no. Those that said no are those that die young or lose
their mind. Allah does not test them so yes we choose individually.

2) What makes a question useful?

Useless definition - that thing which is of no use in this world nor hereafter

Useful are knowing the things which please and displease Allah