Holding On To Islam

Holding On To Islam | Juma Khutbah

Opening Praise and Testimony

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. And surely the best reward is for those who have the consciousness of Allah. And surely there is no animosity except for the oppressor. And I bear witness that Allah is one and has no partners. And that Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, is his servant, his final messenger. May Allah constantly always send peace and blessings to Muhammad, to his family, to his companions, to all those who call to his way and establish his sunnah to the day of judgment.

The Critical Nature of Taqwa

As to what follows, I remind myself, I remind you of the critical nature of taqwa. That consciousness of Allah, that feeling that is driven not only by the fear of the punishment of Allah, but the hope in the mercy of Allah. And that consciousness can assist us, it can guide us in all affairs, in everything that we are doing. Because Allah has revealed the last testament in a way that would be relevant to believers all the way to the end of time.

And Allah told us:

"O you who believe, have the consciousness of Allah or fear Allah in the way He should be feared. And do not die except in a state of Islam." (Quran 3:102)

So in this divine ayah, Allah is encouraging us, telling us, informing us, that we should fear Allah. We should keep our duty to Allah in the best way that we are able to do. The best way we are able to do. And as we leave out of this world, we need to try our utmost to leave this world as Muslims.

What It Means to Be Muslim

And that is to be in a state of Islam. And being Muslim is not a nationality. It's not a family. It's not a language. It is a relationship with the Creator of the heavens and the earth. It's Islam. It is surrender to Allah. It is submission to His will.

And this Islam is beautified by a higher stage of its development, and that is Iman. That is our faith. And it is our faith that is a bedrock to our Islam, which are the pillars that we are practicing throughout our life. But this

Iman also has levels. And this Iman itself, the faith itself, is tested. It rises and it falls.

The Test of Faith in Our Times

And this Iman is of critical importance to us today as believers, because we are not only being tested because of our skin color or our nationality. The ultimate struggle in this world is between good and evil. And Allah has revealed in His mighty book, very important guidance for believers, for those who claim to have faith, those who want to have that firm conviction to Allah. And this is critical to us in the times that we are living in today, which are changing so rapidly, and which have become a source of trial and tribulation, like we have not seen in hundreds of years.

Entering into Islam Completely

And Allah tells us in Surah Al-Baqarah in verse 208, Allah tells us:

"O you who believe, enter into Islam completely, and do not follow the footsteps of the evil one. For he is to you an open enemy." (Quran 2:208)

Do not follow the steps of the devil. (ادْخُلُوا فِي السَّلْمِ كَافَّةً) - And when this is used in Arabic, it is an addition in terms of meaning. The addition of the emphasis. So it's not (جَمِيعًا) which means together, or not generally. (كَافَّةً) means that we should enter into Islam. Our Islam needs to cover all aspects of our life. Not only in the masjid, but outside of the masjid. Not only in religious affairs, so-called religious affairs, but even in our business. Even in our schooling. Even in what we are eating. Even in our political relationships. Our submission to Allah needs to impact all aspects of our existence.

The Danger of Piecemeal Islam

If we don't do this, then we could be caught into a type of piecemeal Islam. A sectional Islam, where we are practicing a section of it, and not the complete submission to the will of Allah. And Allah described this and said, don't follow the footsteps of the devil. He's your enemy.

The Three Areas of Shaytan's Influence

And then Allah describes in Surah Al-Baqarah also, in speaking about what the evil one would do, Allah tells us:

"He only prompts you with evil and immorality, and that you say about Allah that which you know not." (Quran 2:169)

He prompts you with (سُوء) and (فَحْشَاء) And that is evil things, evil. He is prompting you with evil. And also immorality, immoral things. And the third, he is prompting you or commanding you to say about Allah, that which you know not. And so three crucial areas, that we should remember, in this struggle going on between good and evil.

Understanding Shaytan's Method

That the prompting, the commanding, of the Shaytan - may Allah protect us - is not (أَمْرٍ إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُم) - It's not (أَمْرٍ) it's not a command, as though he has power over us. And Allah tells us in the Quran, that Shaytan will say when the matter is decided, this is on the Day of Judgment, people calling out to the evil one, he will say, I had no power over you, but I called you and you came. I prompted you, a billboard, an advertising popping up on the cell phone, an advertisement coming into our screens, into our ears, a prompting coming from the evil one.

The Summer Season and Its Tests

And so, we see the critical nature of these things, especially in the time period that we have entered. Alhamdulillah, summer has finally come upon us. And for those who live in hot countries, this is something we have experienced in much of the year, but the northern countries, this is a distinct time of the year. When the heat is reaching its height, when different forms of life appear in the animal world, in the insect world, vegetation is coming up all around us. And so the summer season is here.

Two Extreme Responses to Summer

And the response of many people in the northern countries is to become very loose with their lifestyle. Very loose, taking off their clothing. Loose with their morality. Loose with their economics. Taking to the drinking of alcohol and the taking of drugs for sport and play. Because it is considered to be a time of sport and play. The winter is gone. We don't have to bundle up anymore in woolen clothes in order to survive. Now we can walk in a way outside as human beings should be walking, should be functioning. And so for some people, they let go.

And they even put on advertisements, one famous advertisement they said, especially in the summer, they said, obey your thirst. Not obey Allah. Not obey the rule. Obey your thirst. See what it means? (طَاعَةِ لِلْعَطَش) - Ta'a lil'atash. Obey it. And so one extreme is to let go.

The other extreme that people of consciousness, especially many Muslims go to, and that is when the summer season comes, they hide themselves away. There is too much evil, too much looseness. And so they hide inside of their homes. They hide inside of their masjid. They become recluse in order to escape.

Islam Is Balance

But Islam is a balance. The Sirat al-Mustaqim is a balanced way of life. And Allah has made this way of life for human beings. Human beings who eat food, who drink, who have desires. We are not angels. The angels, al-

malaika, they completely obey Allah. (يَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ) - Yafaluna ma yu'marun. They do exactly as they have been commanded.

We're not angels. We have a choice. And that is part of the special nature of the children of Adam (peace be upon him). And so, Islam is the balance. And Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was the best example of this balance. (أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ) - Uswatun hasana.

The Prophet's Teaching on Balance

And on one occasion he came to one of his companions, and the companion was in a masjid, and they passed by, and they looked at him, and he said, the companion, I fast every day. I read the Quran all the time, all night I'm up making tahajjud. I'm not gonna go near any woman in my life.

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told him, I fast, and I break my fast. I stand up at night in prayer, and I go to sleep sometimes. I am married. And whoever goes away from my way, is not from me.

On one occasion he found a companion, who thought he was on a high level of Islam. He stayed inside the masjid all the time, reading the Quran, praying, making dhikr Allah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw him, and asked the man, are you married? And the man said yes. And so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him, who takes care of your wife and your children? Who's providing for your family? And he said, my brother. He does that.

Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told him, your brother is a better Muslim than you. This is the balance. And this is what we need to seek, especially in this time, when the heat has hit us as a wave. When fun and play is in front of us. How do we function as a Muslim?

The Story of Handala Al-Usaydi

One of the great companions, Handala Al-Usaydi (may Allah be pleased with him), he used to be a scribe, a writer of the revelation. (كَاتِبُ الْوَحْيِ) - Katib al-Wahi. And on one occasion, it is reported, Handala said, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) met me, and asked me, how are you Handala? And I replied, (نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ) - Nafaqa Handala. Handala is a hypocrite. Imagine this. This is the writer of the revelation. And he said, I have become a hypocrite. And then Abu Bakr said, Subhanallah. What are you saying?

Handala replied, when we are with Allah's messenger (peace be upon him), he mentions the fire and the garden until it is as if we can see them. But when we leave the prophet's company and play with our wives and children or busy ourselves with our properties, we forget much. Abu Bakr said, by Allah, I have experienced the same thing.

So he and I then went to visit the messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And I said, O messenger of Allah, this is Abu Bakr, Handala has become a hypocrite. And he asked, how is that? I replied, this is Handala speaking. Handala said, O messenger of Allah, when we are with you, you talk about the fire and the

garden until it is as if we can see them. Then we go and play with our wives and children and deal with our properties and we forget much.

The messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, By him in whose hands is my soul. If you were with me and in remembering Allah, the angels would shake hands with you and when you are resting and when you walk about. But O Handala, there is a time for this and a time for that. (يَا حَنْظَلَةُ سَاعَةٌ وَسَاعَةٌ) - Ya Handala, saatun wa saa. (Sahih Muslim 2750)

So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Handala, There is a time for this and a time for that. In other words, there is a time for seriousness and there is also a time for relaxation. That's the balance.

Recreation Is Part of Islam

And so, enjoyment, recreation is part of Islam. And laughter and humor, having fun is part of the sunnah. And Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) was reported to have said, Minds get tired as do bodies. So treat them with humor. Ali said also, Refresh your mind from time to time for a tired mind becomes blind. Refresh your mind.

So sports has been recognized as part of the deen. Because Islam as a way of life is covering all aspects. It covers recreation. It covers entertainment. It covers sports.

Sports in the Sunnah

And so, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has shown us:

Foot racing is sunnah. So if we are in a race, we say bismillah.

Wrestling or martial arts is sunnah. So when we train ourselves to defend ourselves, we should say bismillah.

Archery is sunnah. So when we shoot in archery, we should say bismillah.

Swimming is also sunnah. A Muslim should know how to swim.

Horseback riding is also part of the sunnah.

Hunting is sunnah.

And so the sunnah is broad. It's not just two rakat sunnah. It's a broad aspect. It covers all parts of our life.

Sports as an Industry and Religion

And for the younger generation coming up, sports has become an industry. It has become almost like a religion. Almost like a way of life. And this year, as the basketball team, the Toronto Raptors, won the National Basketball Association Championship and became the greatest team on earth, a wave struck our city. A tidal wave struck our city. And people were caught up in this. And young people were saying, and even some

Muslims were saying, that they waited in line in order to get into the viewing section called Jurassic Park. Some of them waited in line 12 hours in the rain in order to watch the game.

It reminded me of lining up for Hajj. It reminded me of Arafa or going to Muzdalifah. But they lined up for the basketball game.

Hakeem Olajuwon: A Muslim Champion

What we need to recognize is that Islam covers all aspects of life. And the young people need to realize that to be a good basketball player or a good football player, soccer or American football, whatever it is, you don't have to stop being a Muslim. As a matter of fact, the parade that came for the Raptors when they won the championship and the whole city stood still, traffic stood still, all of government officials came for the parade.

The same thing happened for the championship in 1994 in Houston, Texas. The Houston Rockets were the world champions. And the most valuable player was Hakeem Olajuwon. A Muslim. And it is reported as the crowd was moving downtown. And you remember the volume of the crowd we had here. Although ours was probably larger. As the crowd was moving and the star of the day was Hakeem Olajuwon, but the crowd, the parade was on Jumu'ah. It was Jumu'ah time.

And Hakeem, who is known for his humility, he used to play in the playoffs and fast. He used to make his salats properly. He would never swear in playing the game. He was a humble person. And as the parades were moving and the crowds were all looking at Hakeem, he said to the sports announcer, I have to make Jumu'ah salat. They said no. The world is looking at you. He said Allah is looking at me.

So they stopped and they turned and they took the parade to the local masjid. And Hakeem went to make his salat. And because he was the focus of the day, all of the cameras in America and much of the world was focusing on Hakeem sitting listening to the khutbah. So the whole of America and the western world listened to the Jumu'ah khutbah. And Hakeem finished, made his sunnah, and joined back the parade.

With this act alone, thousands of people entered into a masjid. It is one of the greatest forms of dawah that we have seen in years.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The Strong Believer

For the young people who are now learning basketball, everybody wants to play this as a sport. You must recognize that one of the greatest players in history is a Muslim. And this person known as Lew Alcindor grew up in New York City. He was such a great player. His team was, his high school team, was national championship. His college team, UCLA, national champions. He entered the National Basketball Association for the Milwaukee Bucks. They won the title. And when they won the title, and he was the MVP in 1971, at that moment he said, I am changing my name publicly from Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Abdul-Jabbar, strong. Strong. Remember what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

(Sahih Muslim 2664)

"A strong believer is better and more loved by Allah than a weak believer. And in both of them there is good." (Sahih Muslim 2664)

And so he publicly changed his name. Thousands of people wanted to know what is Kareem. Who is Kareem? Who is generous and kind? Who is Jabbar? Al-Jabbar. Why is he the slave of the most irresistible force? And with this act, he went on with his Muslim name to play 20 seasons. 19 of those seasons he was an all-star. Six times they won the championship. Six times he was the most valuable player. But he kept his religion.

Other Muslim Athletes

Other Muslims as well. Mahmoud Abdur-Rauf. A great basketball player who kept his faith and his dignity and finally had to leave the league. Ahmed Rashad. Rashid Wallace. Right now in the NBA, over 20 Muslims are playing. People that you know are playing, practicing Muslims.

Kenneth Fareed of the Houston Rockets that many of you know. He talks about his life and he said when I was 8 years old, I started practicing my Islam. And he said, I love Islam. He said the Quran preached how to live right, how to stay healthy, how to stay intelligent and how to praise Allah. This is his saying.

And so although he is a player, he still holds on to his faith. Yusuf Nurkic of Portland. Salah Mejri of Dallas is a Tunisian. 7 foot 2. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of the Brooklyn Nets. So many players that we are watching. When this game is being idolized, it is only a game.

The Prophetic Guidance: Holding On to Faith

As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has told us, there is a time for this and there is a time for that. Hang on to your faith. No matter what you are doing, stick to your morality, stick to your Islam.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has told us:

(Al-Arba'in An-Nawawiyyah, Hadith 41)

"None of you will truly believe until his hawa, until his desires, his