The Way of the Prophets

The Way of the Prophets

Lecture by Sheikh Dr. Bilal Philips

Opening

All praise is due to Allah, and may Allah's peace and blessings be on His last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and on all those who follow the path of righteousness until the last day.

As my brother introduced, the topic is the way of the prophets.

Previous Context: Prophethood and Revelation

In our previous lecture, we looked at the prophethood. What constituted the prophethood, what constituted revelation, and we spoke of the prophets who came before. Allah chose them, sent them to mankind as a blessing.

As a blessing, which was over and above what mankind needed to find the right way. We pointed out that Allah had already given mankind a consciousness of God. At the time of the creation of Adam, all of Adam's descendants were taken out, and made to bear witness that Allah, God was their Lord.

Furthermore, Allah had given each soul a consciousness of right and wrong, of piety and corruption. We said that this was sufficient, these two instruments, which God had given human beings was sufficient really to take them to the path of righteousness. But due to our own weaknesses, very few would manage to overcome their desires, and stay on the right path.

Consequently, Allah, in His infinite mercy, added to that revelation and the prophets. Prophets came from the first human being on the earth, Adam, until the last of the prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, who came approximately 1400 years ago. In this segment of the study of the prophets, we'll be focusing on the way of the prophets.

And in particular, the way of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Jesus as "The Way"

Before looking at his way, we can look briefly at a statement which is attributed to Prophet Jesus. It is a statement which is commonly quoted by those who worship him. This statement is found in the 14th chapter of

John verse 6, wherein Prophet Jesus was supposed to have said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me."

In the context in which they look at Jesus as being God incarnate, they interpret this to mean that he should be worshipped. However, if we were to look at this statement, in the context of the role of the prophets, that we spoke of in our previous lecture, we would see that what is intended here, if this in fact was an actual statement of Prophet Jesus, what is intended here, when Jesus said, I am the way, was that he was informing his disciples, his followers, that he represented the way to God.

What he did, what he said, how he lived, his instructions, his way of life represented the way to God. He said that he was the truth, that what he spoke was the truth. He didn't bring falsehoods and lies and corruption, no. Whatever he instructed them, which was from God, it was in fact the truth. And that he was the life, that he brought for them eternal life in paradise, if they followed that way in truth.

This is the essence of that message. And this was the message of all of the prophets.

The Universal Message of All Prophets

All of the prophets who came before, reiterated the same message. They invited people to worship God, as Allah tells us in the Quran, when he sent the prophets:

Inviting them all to worship Allah and avoid the worship of false deities. And they also instructed their followers to follow them. To follow them.

Because they were sent as guides. This is why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, for example, is mentioned in the Quran as being the best of examples.

In Surah Al-Ahzab, the 33rd chapter, verse 21, Allah says there:

There is in the messenger of Allah for you the best example, for those among you who desire Allah and the last day and remember Allah much. He was the example.

The Sunnah: The Way of the Prophet

And his example is referred to as the Sunnah. Sunnah meaning way. The way of the Prophet.

That way is contained in the statements that he made. The actions that he did. And the acts which were done in his presence which he approved of.

From the point of view of what we are required to follow, this represents the Sunnah and the way. Why were we required to follow this Sunnah and this way? Because he was chosen by God to convey the message which God wished to reveal to mankind through him. It was through him that the message came.

Meaning that his way, like the way of Prophet Jesus, the way of Prophet Moses and all the prophets before, was the practical application of the revelation. It was the second source of revelation. So when we say we believe in the revelation, it is not only the revelation which is contained in the scripture, but it is also the revelation contained in the lives of the prophets themselves.

The lives which have been authentically recorded. Of course, as I mentioned in the previous lecture, much of the information concerning the lives of the earlier prophets has been distorted. We cannot rely on the information found in the Old Testament and some of it in the New Testament.

So we have to rely on what has been confirmed in the Quran being the book of revelation which has not been changed in any way, shape or form.

The Prophet's Speech is Revelation

The fact that whatever Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said was revelation is confirmed in the Quran itself. In Surah An-Najm, the 53rd chapter, verses 3 and 4, we have Allah saying:

He did not speak from his own desires. Whatever he said was based on revelation which was revealed to him.

The Two Parts of Faith

Consequently, the very declaration of faith consists of two parts. One of bearing witness that there is no God worthy of worship but Allah. And the second part of bearing witness that Muhammad ﷺ was a messenger of Allah.

This declaration of faith in the time of Prophet Jesus would have been that there is no God worthy of worship but Allah, and that Jesus was the messenger of Allah. And in the time of Moses, it would have been adjusted likewise. Each prophet invited people to worship Allah and to confirm and to accept the fact that they were the messenger of Allah. Because people had to have confidence in them, had to accept their way for them to be correctly guided.

The Duty to Convey the Message

So Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, like the prophets before, conveyed God's word to his followers and to the generations to come. Allah refers to it in Surah Al-Ma'idah, verse 67:

O messenger, convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord. It was his duty to convey the message completely.

No Secret Knowledge

And in this regard, there is a statement made by Aisha, his third wife, in which she said:

Whoever tells you that Muhammad ﷺ hid anything, any knowledge that he was commanded to convey, has made a great lie against Allah. And then she quoted the same verse:

Why is she saying this? She's saying this to emphasize to people that there is no secret knowledge that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ brought, which he did not convey to everybody. And this is very important because there is an element, an evil element, which existed from the early times, who would seek to undermine the message of the messengers, by claiming that they had special access to knowledge from the messenger, which no one else had.

This is not something new in the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the time coming after him, but from the previous messengers. If you read the teachings that are found in the various religions, whether in Judaism or in Christianity, you find those, for example, Paul in Christianity, he had a special claim to knowledge, that Jesus

appeared to him after his quote-unquote death, according to them. He appeared to him and communicated to him, and that put him in a special place.

Similarly, there were those who claimed to have special books, what they called the fifth book of Moses. And in this book, it had teachings of magic and mysticism. The Kabbalah, which is their mystical system, is based on this secret knowledge.

Warning Against Secret Knowledge Claims

And after Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the devils, the evil ones, sought to do the same thing, to undermine that message, by claiming there was special knowledge, which was revealed only to a small segment, which is only known to them. And they will trace it back to a time, you know, back to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. When? Usually they will say, you know when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was leaving Mecca, going to Medina. And he hid in the cave with Abu Bakr.

There in the cave, he revealed the secret knowledge to Abu Bakr. Nobody else knows about it. And Abu Bakr, he revealed it to so-and-so. And so-and-so revealed it to so-and-so, to so-and-so, to so-and-so, to so-and-so, till it was revealed to my Shaykh. You see? And only he knows it. You see? This is that secret knowledge.

And if you want to know, come into this knowledge, then you must submit yourself to my Shaykh. You must become his murid. Submit your will totally to him. And you'll come into that special knowledge. But this is a lie. This is a devilish lie.

And it is the basis of misguidance. Because Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, in no uncertain terms:

I have left you upon a white plain, whose day is like its night. Anyone who deviates from it, deviates into destruction.

What he left was clear. Its day is like its night. Meaning there's nothing hidden, there's no dark part, the dark side. No, it's all clear. So anyone who claims secret knowledge is a liar. This is fundamental to believe.

If you believe that there is secret knowledge, you are denying the text of the Quran. You're denying the understandings of his companions.

Understanding the Quran Through the Sunnah

So, Prophet Muhammad, like the prophets before him, conveyed the message to their followers completely. And to understand the Quran itself, which is the scripture remaining in our hands, we have to come to the sunnah. We cannot understand the scripture in its totality without depending on the explanations given by Prophet

Example: Learning the Prayer

For example, Allah says in the Quran:

"Establish the prayer for my remembrance."

And we have statements, for example in Sahih al-Bukhari, where Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

"Pray as you have seen me pray." Allah says pray, establish the prayer. And he, the Prophet says, Pray as you have seen me pray. He's clarified how that prayer should be.

And in his actions on one occasion, the companions noted him in the masjid walking up the minbar, and beginning to pray on top of the minbar. And they were surprised, what in the world is he doing? This is strange, he'd never done this before. And it is obvious, on top of the minbar, there's not enough place to make sujood.

So, they're all watching him. He stood up on there, he started his prayer, he bowed, stood back up. And then, when the time came to make sujood, he backed down the stairs, made sujood at the base, sat up, made sujood, and then stood up and walked back up the stairs, and continued the prayer.

When he finished, and he turned to those people in the masjid, his companions, every eye was glued to him.

They're all wondering, what has he done? What is this? And he said to them, I only did this, so that you would learn the manner of my prayer. And he's not saying, go ahead and do this, now everybody should go climbing up minbars, and walking back down, no.

He only did this to demonstrate to them, so that they would observe him carefully. Because he could have told them, as he told them, pray as you've seen me pray. But, this would have an even more deeper effect on them.

By observing him do this, this would mean that, that concept would be deeply rooted in their minds. That they should pray as he prayed.

And as such, you will find, when you look through the sunnah, different descriptions of his prayer. Which is important, when we're gonna learn the prayer, to pray as he prayed, we should read the completeness of the sunnah, which described the various things that he did in his prayer.

For example, in one narration found in Abu Dawud, authentic narration, a man greeted him while he was in prayer. Gave salams to him, said salam alaikum, while he was in prayer. And his response was, to raise his hand. He responded. Most of us wouldn't even know about that.

In the early days, when the salah was first taught, when people used to give salams, while people were praying, people would respond, wa alaikum salam. But then later, the command came, that this was not befitting, that salah, there should be no communication in salah, in terms of word communication. So, this was the correction, which was given by the Prophet ﷺ.

Similarly, Aisha, for example, on one occasion, when she went looking for the Prophet, he had been in her room, and he left, went into the masjid, she went looking for him, she woke up at night, looking for him. She came in the masjid, and saw him on the ground, in prostration, with his heels together. So this tells us, that in the form of prostration, the heels should be together.

So, like this, one studies the sunnah, and determines, and extracts from it, how the prayer should be.

The Sunnah Clarifies and Specifies

Furthermore, we find, that the sunnah, clarified generalities in the Quran, as well as specified intended meanings. We have Anas ibn Malik, narrating to us, one of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, that during the battle of Khaibar, Prophet Muhammad informed that donkeys were being eaten.

The people were cooking them up, and eating them. They rode them there, they ran out of food, and they started to eat the donkeys. So, he sent Talha, to announce the prohibition of eating the flesh, of domesticated donkeys, as being bad or impure.

So, he made this prohibition. Wild donkeys, it is permissible, but domesticated, not.

Also, we have for example in the Quran, where Allah forbid the marrying of a woman, and her daughter, or two sisters at one time. A woman and her daughter, or two sisters at one time. And in the verse, Allah goes on to say:

And whatever is after that, whatever beyond this, is permissible to you. However, Abu Hurairah informs us, that Prophet Muhammad said, do not marry a woman, and her father's sister, or her mother's sister.

That is the paternal aunt, and the maternal aunt. So, though the Quran in general said, okay, after that it is not permissible, anything else is permissible. Prophet Muhammad clarified, that the maternal and paternal aunt, is included in the woman, and her close relatives.

Because he explained in one of the narrations, that it will break family ties. Because this act, the sanctity of relationship, between two sisters, a mother and her daughter, a woman and her aunt, is destroyed by the rivalry, which naturally comes out of, a circumstance of plural marriage, wherein co-wives naturally have jealousies with each other. So, to prevent the breaking of family ties, as a result of jealousies, then this was prohibited.

Love of the Prophet is Part of Faith

So, the sunnah, being the second source of revelation, reflected in the shahada, is the clarifying principle for the Quran. As such, love of the Prophet becomes a part of faith. Anas ibn Malik, quoted that he heard Prophet Muhammad say:

"No one has truly believed, none of you, has truly believed, until I, Prophet Muhammad, become more beloved to him, than his wealth, his family, and all of mankind."

That love has to be there, because if we do not have the love of the Prophet, then it is very easy for us to neglect his way. Because when we love somebody, and we love them dearly, we love the things they do.

So, it is a part and parcel of faith, to love the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

All Sunnah is Found in the Quran

And whatever he has done in the Sunnah, is found in the Quran. Either by direct reference, or by indirect reference.

There was an occasion, when Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, one of the companions of the Prophet, was prohibiting for people, the plucking of eyebrows, women specifically. So a woman questioned this. She came and she said, well I've looked all the way through the Quran, and I didn't find this anywhere.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, look again, it is in the Quran. She said, I've been through the whole Quran, not a single verse addressing the plucking of eyebrows. And he said, didn't you read:

That Allah said, whatever the Prophet has instructed you, you should take it and do it. And whatever he has prohibited you, you should abandon. And Prophet Muhammad had said, that Allah curses the woman who plucks her eyebrows, and the woman who has her eyebrows plucked. The one who does the plucking, as well as the one whose eyebrows are plucked.

So, all of the commandments of the Prophet are included by inference, in the scripture itself, in the Quran. As such, Allah says in the Quran:

In the fourth chapter, verse 80, Whoever obeys the Messenger, has obeyed Allah. Because what he taught, what he instructed, was based on revelation.

Resolving Disagreements Through Quran and Sunnah

So, obedience to him is obedience to Allah. Consequently, we are instructed as believers, whenever there are disagreements amongst us, these disagreements should be resolved by way of the Sunnah. The Quran and the Sunnah.

In Surah An-Nisa, same chapter, verse 59, we have Allah saying:

If you fall into disagreement about anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah on the last day. The resolution of our conflicts should be by way of the Quran and the Sunnah.

Accepting Rulings Without Hesitation

Furthermore, after a decision has been made in the Quran or in the Sunnah, with regards to any issue, we must accept it without any hesitation. It is compulsory for us to accept that ruling. As Allah said in verse 65 of the same chapter:

By your Lord, they do not believe until they make you, Muhammad, the judge in things which differ among them. Then, they do not find in themselves any resistance to what you have judged, what decision you have made, but instead accept it, submit to it totally.

So not only are we obliged to accept the ruling of the Prophet, but it should be one without hesitation, we should not do it begrudgingly. Somebody comes and tells us something of the sunnah that we were not doing correctly, and they inform us that the Prophet said this, or he said, do not do that.

We should not do it because this person has said to us and we do it, but inside ourselves we feel, what did he go and tell me this for? I wish he hadn't told me. No, no. We hear that as part of faith, we should thank that person. Alhamdulillah, thank you for guiding me to the way of the Prophet. Our hearts should be open.

Warning Against Disobedience

Furthermore, Allah didn't leave us with this instruction. He went on to warn us that if we in fact disobey the messenger, after that message has been given to us, after the knowledge has come to us, you find some people, when you bring to them the Quran or the sunnah, it's been made clear to them.

Their response will be, we don't do it in our village that way. In our country, we Lebanese or we Egyptians or we whatever, we don't do this. This is their response.

Or they will say, we are Hanafis. This is the response to, Rasulullah said this or did this. This kind of response is despised by Allah.

It is despised by Allah. I mean, if a person follows a particular school of Islamic law, there's nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with following a school of Islamic law.

One should still say, okay, I'm not aware of this, let me check it out, find out, get some further clarification, try to get to the bottom of it and confirm. The first response should not be, I'm a Hanafi or I'm an Eritrean or I'm a this or I'm a that. No.

This is not the response when the truth comes to us. Otherwise, we will be coming under the curse of Allah. We'll be subject to punishment. As Allah has said in Surah An-Nur, verse 64:

Let those who would go against His ruling, the ruling of the Prophet, beware, lest a trial befalling them or a terrible punishment in the next life. This is the warning of God. Not to disobey when the message comes.

Not to allow our cultural understandings of Islam to blind us to the way of the Prophet. Allah further says:

"And it is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error."

It is not befitting for a male believer or female believer. Normally Allah makes general statements using the male form of the Arabic which is including males and females. But when He separates, He talks about the male believers and the female believers, this separation is for further emphasis of how serious and important this point is.

That it is not befitting for a male believer or a female believer. If Allah and His Messenger have decided an affair, that there be any choice in the matter, in this matter, there should be no choice for them. For whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has strayed far away from the path.

Cultural Islam vs True Islam

So this cultural approach to Islam wherein what we do, what my family did, what my great grandparents did, this is more important. This is misguidance. The essence of misguidance. This is the same attitude which was held by the pagans when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the prophets before him came to the people and invited them to the way of Allah. As Allah said:

"And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger," they say, "Sufficient for us is that which we found our fathers doing." Even if their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided."

And if you say to them, come to what Allah has revealed and to His Messenger, they will say, it is sufficient for us what we found our foreparents doing. That was the answer of the pagans. What is the difference between that answer and saying today, we Lebanese don't do it that way.

We Shafi'is don't do this. What is the difference? Much of what is said, when people say, we Shafi'is don't do it. If you go back and look to see what is really in the Shafi'i madhab, the school of Islamic law known as the Shafi'i school, is not even there.

But people have been doing it, they have been told, you are Shafi'is and you know, so, your natural response is, we Shafi'is don't do this. Without really even knowing what Imam Shafi'i and his students actually said or did.

So the warning is there, that we should not disobey the messenger.

Accepting Allah's Concessions

Furthermore, to shun the concessions which the Prophet ﷺ has given, is considered an error. Where the Prophet ﷺ has given us certain concessions in the religion. You don't have to do this and so on, so on, so on.

For us to insist on doing it, when he has given us concessions, this is something displeasing to Allah. Because it's like you are saying, I know better, I don't need this. You know, my faith is such and such and such.

Why did Allah give us this? If we are rejecting the gifts of Allah, then this is something, this is a kind of a haughtiness. So Aisha reported, that the Prophet ﷺ on one occasion, he did something which had a concession in it. When some people shunned it, he got angry until it showed on his face.

He praised Allah and said, what is wrong with people who keep themselves aloof from what I have done by Allah. I know Allah better than them and I fear Him more than them. This was the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ attitude towards the avoidance or shunning the concessions which he did.

The Sunnah of Avoidance

And there's a last principle that I'd like to mention with regards to the Prophet's ﷺ sunnah. And that there is a sunnah of avoidance. Meaning, the things which the Prophet ﷺ didn't do, this is also sunnah.

Meaning he did certain things, this is the sunnah, he did these things. And then there are certain things which he didn't do. And we should understand that it is also the sunnah not to do it if he didn't do it.

Meaning, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ instructed those who fast, that if their parents missed fasting, for example, they died and they had fasting remaining which they owed. Ramadan, your mother or your father missed days and they died without doing them.

He instructed us to do it for them, to fast those days. And ask Allah that the reward be given to them.

Furthermore, parents who didn't pay zakah. If we know that we have parents owing zakah, we can give that zakah for them. We should give it for them. And connected to zakah is sadaqah.

That we are allowed to give sadaqah or charity, general charity can be given and the reward for it go to our parents. This he did. This he told us to do. And he also told us hajj. Hajj. That we can make hajj on behalf of our parents, relatives and others who didn't make hajj.

This is a part of the religion. So of the five pillars of Islam, he gave us the permission to do three on behalf of our close relatives and others. Three.

What Cannot Be Done for the Dead

He didn't give us permission to do the other two, which is the shahada and the salah. That is, if for some reason our parents, you know we come from Albania and our parents were atheists for example. They got caught up in the communist thing and they died communists.

We cannot make shahada for them. And say:

Oh Allah, give this shahada to my parents. No. They died in a state of disbelief, that's it. You cannot pray for them, finish.

So a person may argue, but you know we were able to do zakah for them. We're able to do hajj for them. We're able to fast for them, why not shahada? No. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not give us permission to do shahada for them.

So we cannot. Similarly, salah. Our parents, they didn't pray so many years of their life or whatever. Or they didn't pray at all. We cannot now take it upon ourselves with every prayer that we do, compulsory prayer. We'll also do another, you know, fajr, another zuhr, another asr, another maghrib, another isha.

Every day we do extra prayers and say, Oh Allah, give this to my parents because they didn't pray. No. Not acceptable.

Allah will not accept it. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ didn't do it.

Innovations in Religious Practices

Similar to this, is a common practice amongst ignorant Muslims. When a person dies, this is mostly in the Indian subcontinent, when a person dies, they get all these people together. And they divide up the Quran into little pieces, and they have them all read this Quran. They call it khatm al-Quran.

They all read the Quran together. Each one reading voices on top of other voices, you know. Nobody can... You can't even make out what is being said. And they get the fastest readers, right? Because they want to finish it off quickly, right? Maybe they'll pay some people, right? And at the end of this reading, they say, Oh Allah, give this reward to my parents. Or give it to this dead person. This is nonsense.

This is nonsense. This is not from the way of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. And it is an affront to the Quran. It is an affront to the Quran.

Allah says in the Quran:

"And when the Quran is recited, listen to it and be silent that you may receive mercy."

That if the Quran is recited, you should listen to it and be quiet. So what is this? Each one on top of the other. Is this obeying the Quran? They supposed to be reading the Quran and asking the blessings to go to this person.

And they are contramanding a commandment in the Quran itself. This is nonsense. So, it's very important for us.

Celebrating Religious Events Not from Sunnah

When we look at the various acts which have now become a part of cultural Islam. Celebrating the birthday of the Prophet ﷺ. Celebrating Isra and Mi'raj. Celebrating the Battle of Badr.

All kinds of celebrations people have invented, started doing. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ didn't do them. And if he didn't do them, it is his sunnah not to do them.

So, it is very important for us to understand that the sunnah of the Prophet are the things that he did, he said, and things which were done in his presence which he permitted. As well as the things that he didn't do. As he told us:

I did not leave anything which will bring you closer to Allah except that I commanded you to do it.

So, following the sunnah is following it closely, in what the Prophet ﷺ did and approved and said, as well as in the things that he did not do, that he left undone. We should also leave them undone. On the basis of that, our faith is not only belief in Allah, knowing who He is, knowing Him as He is, and worshiping Him, but in following the way of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the last of the messengers of Allah to mankind.

Questions and Answers Session

Question: Reading Quran for the Dead

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Okay, there's a number of questions here about reading the Quran for the dead, and what can be done for the dead. I'll just deal with these together.

Is it permissible for you to read Quran for your own dead relative, and ask Allah to bless them? As I said, this is not amongst the acts, which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ sanctioned. Because when I said, that what the Prophet ﷺ didn't do, we also not do. This is in reference to religious acts.

Acts which are purely religious. Because of course, there are many things that he didn't do. There are many many things that he didn't do, which are from our own social interactions.

You know, which is permissible to us. Because it's a general principle in Islamic law with regards to religious acts, and social acts, social interactions, right? Religious acts they call ibadat, social interactions they call mu'amalat. In the case of mu'amalat, this general actions, social actions, all of the various acts, this is the foods you eat, are all considered to be halal, except those that have been specifically prohibited.

Whereas in the case of ibadat, the acts of worship, all of these are forbidden, except those which have been specifically permitted. This is a principle, principle deduced, which is used as a general guideline in terms of when we're making choices, how should we approach them.

It's deduced from the fact that the Prophet said:

Whoever brings something new in this affair of ours in Islam, which is not a part of it, it is not acceptable to Allah.

So he warned against innovation in religious matters. So to avoid innovation, then we only do what he did. And as he said, there was nothing which would bring us closer to Allah, except that he told us to do it. So we're talking about specifically religious acts.

Whereas the other acts, the general foods and things like this, Allah in the Quran has given us a general permission for these things. Allah has submitted the creation and society and everything to us. So it is all permissible except for those things that have been specifically prohibited.

Otherwise, if we didn't follow that principle, then you would have to be struggling through the sunnah trying to find for every little thing that you did. Can you sleep on a bed? Can you take a shower? Because they had no showers in those days. Where do you stop? Can you eat at a table? Can you use a knife and fork? Can you drive a car? You'd be lost. Life would become so...

So the principle is that for non-religious acts, acts which are not specifically religious acts, these things are all permitted except those which have been specifically prohibited.

Principle of Permissibility

Meaning, if you hear a rumor, now most people drink Coca-Cola. And there are rumors around there somewhere that the people in making Coca-Cola use intoxicants. Until clear evidence comes, you are not required to listen to these rumors.

Because

Because there are no end of rumors out there in terms of the things that are available in society. Like for example, wearing a tie. This is an issue which came up in one of the sessions that I had here with some of the brothers.

It is said, somebody said, sometime, somewhere, who? We don't know, but somebody, said that the tie is the symbol of the cross. You bring evidence until we don't accept that line of argument, until somebody brings clear evidence, historic evidence, showing that the tie evolved out of the cross. Until such time, ignore it.

And be certain, there isn't any evidence like that. It's just a rumor, which goes around from time to time. And all such. This is the principle that we apply when dealing with these different acts.

So, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not read the Quran and ask that its reward be given to anyone. He didn't sanction this act. Nobody did it. This is a religious act. So our principle is, as a religious act, if we don't have the approval of the Prophet ﷺ for it, then we leave it.

We don't do it. There are other ways for the dead. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, when a person dies, their deeds are cut off. They can no longer benefit from the things of this world except in three cases. In the case of knowledge, which has been left behind, which people continue to benefit from. Charity, which he has given, or she has given, which continues to benefit people. And a child, a righteous child, who prays for them.

So, you want to do something for a relative, pray for them.

---

Question: Prophet Muhammad's Wives

Similar question, is it authentic for Muslims to read Fatiha on behalf of the Prophet's soul? Or even reading Surah Yasin on the dead in Janazah? You know, reading Fatiha for the Prophet's soul, you know, where does this come from? Where does this come from? It is not, from the Sunnah, it is not acceptable.

Even reading a Fatiha for the dead, this is not from the Sunnah. The principles in dealing with the dead are clearly defined in the Sunnah. And reading Surah Yasin is not authentic. It is not a part of the authentic Sunnah with regards to the dead.

Question: Polygamy

Is it known, or it is known, that Prophet Muhammad had many wives. Is there any justification in my future husband, in having another wife, or for my future husband to have another wife, than me? How can men these days follow Muhammad ﷺ's way, when Muhammad was the chosen one?

Well, Allah has told us clearly in the Quran:

Reference: Surah An-Nisa 4:3

Marry of the women who please you, 2, 3 or 4. And if you are not able to be just with them, then one. Allah has given this permission. The permission for polygamy.

Now, Prophet Muhammad demonstrated, how it should be performed. Of course, he had more than 4 wives. And that's not permitted for us. That is special part of the sunnah, which is limited to himself. But in terms of how wives should be treated, responsibilities, time should be divided, and economics, all of the different things, concerning a plural marriage situation.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his wives, have relayed to us, how it should be conducted. So as long as a person can fulfill those requirements, then it is permissible to them.

Question: Muslims in Non-Muslim States

Now there was another question here, which is related to that, I should just tackle it at the same time. The person asked, concerning Muslims in a non-Muslim state, that we are obliged to follow these laws. The laws of those in authority over us. So in this state, polygamy is prohibited.

So then, shouldn't Muslims not practice polygamy? Well, the point of the matter is that, we are obliged to follow the laws, as long as they don't go against the laws of Allah. Where they go against what Allah has permitted, then we are not obliged to follow them. Just as we are not obliged to follow our parents, our own parents, who would command us to do certain things.

But if these commandments, go against the laws of Allah, then we don't obey. Similarly, a wife is obliged, according to Islamic law, to follow, to obey her husband. But if her husband instructs her to do something, which is against the laws of Allah, then she should not obey.

It is not permissible for her to obey. And the only time that a person, may submit to these laws, whether it's in the family, as children obeying parents, wife obeying husband, or Muslims in a non-Muslim state, or Muslims even in a Muslim state, obeying laws, which are not according to the laws of Allah, is if their own survival depends on it. If in breaking those laws, we would suffer bigger consequences, than the benefit we would gain, in doing or applying the law.

---

Example: Islamic Schools

Meaning, for example, it is compulsory, on the Muslim community here, to set up Islamic schools. Compulsory. Wajib. Fard kifaya. If Muslims from the community do not set up proper Islamic schools here, then the whole community carries the sin of every child who goes into the public school system, and leaves Islam. Whose Islam is destroyed in that system.

Because, we as parents, we as adults, will be held responsible for the children under our care. So, if we are to stay here, if we are living here, we have a duty to ensure that Islam is conveyed to our children. So they get a proper education, Islamically, as well as academically.

This is a requirement. This is a compulsory duty on Muslims here. Now, to set up a school, if the state here required that that school has fire insurance. Fire insurance. Which, according to Islamic law, insurance is prohibited. It involves riba.

So it's prohibited. Now, the school, the school is compulsory for us to do. It is necessary.

So, in that case, we will take insurance in order to fulfill the greater need of the community. This is pressure on us. Now, if in the case, for example, of polygamy, where this society holds that it is perfectly okay for you to have four girlfriends, ten mistresses, and one wife.

But if you decide to marry another wife, that you are now a criminal, committing the crime of bigamy, for which you may be jailed and whatever. If this society has made this ruling, then, as Muslims, we, in order to avoid the problems which will come, by registering both marriages legally, we would only register one marriage. The other marriage, which should be done publicly, in the masjid, known to the community, because we're not talking about secret marriages, would then be done to avoid the problems, the legal problems which would come from two registered marriages.

This would be permissible for Muslims to do that, because it's a right which Allah has permitted. And if there's a need in the community especially, then Muslims should take up that responsibility. Because Allah permitted polygamy based on a societal need, which will remain until the last day.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had told us in the last days, the number of women will far exceed the number of men. And that state of affairs is gradually developing.

---

Question: Tariqat and Sufism

Question: Tariqat or Sufism has been a popular way in the Muslim society. Are they the way of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? What do you think about Sufism?

Sufism as it is known today, I'm not speaking of those people in the early generation, after the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, students of the companions, who were known for their aestheticism, that they used to avoid accumulation of wealth, and live very simple lives. Who some people have identified and used this name Sufi to apply to them.

I'm not speaking of these people. Others who lived aesthetic lives, to whom this label has been placed. I'm talking about those people today, and those who are a product of the period of time, in which Greek

philosophical ideas about mysticism, became incorporated in Islamic teachings, and cloaked by Islamic terminology, and presented to people as the mystical way.

This mystical way, for the most part, is not in keeping with the way of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The most glaring example to me, is that of the whirling dervishes of Turkey. They're very famous. They perform on stages in Europe, and you know, European non-Muslims clapping for them, everything else.

They claim, wearing a big long turbush, and men wearing skirts, like women, and putting one hand down, one hand up, and spinning in circles, right? You know that this is a form of remembrance of Allah. Now, we say, where did this come from? There is no record of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ doing this. Spinning around in circles, him and his companions.

It's really absurd, really. But this is a classical example, you know, of what Sufism represents today. And this has nothing to do with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ at all.

---

Remembrance of Allah

Yes, there is a stress on the remembrance of Allah. It is the essence, the foundation of taqwa. And, you know, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that:

The whole of this world is cursed except for the remembrance of Allah, and whatever helps us in that remembrance. The scholar and the student.

So, remembrance of Allah, great stress is placed on it. We know that the teachings of Islam all strive to establish in us that consciousness of Allah. Because it's the essence of righteousness. But the way of remembrance of Allah has been defined for us by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. And it is our responsibility to stay within the bounds that he showed us.

---

Warning Against Deviant Sufi Leaders

Now, we have in the writings, this is of particular significance to me, because of the fact that I've come in contact with this particular movement. There is a movement led by Shaykh Nazim. You know, who claims to be the head of the Naqshbandi Sufi Tariqa.

He's based in Cyprus. And he has a lot of followers in Europe, in America, England. And also followers in Malaysia. The Sultan of Brunei just built for him a 25 million pound center in England.

You know, now when we read the teachings of this man. Contained in his Mercy Oceans. His books. We find him making claims for himself and for others. Of being able to be in different locations at the same time.

That he can be in 14 different locations around the world at the same time. He can be with you and be in Mecca performing Hajj at the same time. We find him saying that, if you become a true follower of his, when the time to die comes, and the angel of death comes to take your soul, will not be allowed.

He will be there to take your soul. And pass it on to the angels of the next life. And when you are in your grave, and this is in his writings. When you are in your grave, when the angels Munkar and Nakir come and question you in the grave. Who is your lord? What is your religion? Who is your prophet? He will be there to answer for you. And when you stand before Allah on the day of judgment, He will be there prompting you, giving you the answers.

What is this? What is this? But deviation, misguidance. So, all of these systems that incorporate these kinds of ideas, we will say is a harm to Islam and to Muslims.

---

Al-Hallaj and Deviation

Those who claim that the goal of the human being is to become one with Allah, like Al-Hallaj. You know, who claimed, I am Al-Haqq. He is one of the major saints in the hierarchy of Sufi saints. Who claimed, I am Al-Haqq.

I am the ultimate reality. And Allah says, Wa Huwa Al-Haqq in reference to himself. He is claiming he is Allah.

And when he was tried, he was put before judges and tried, and told to take this back. He stood up and he opened up his cloak and said, There is nothing inside of this cloak except Allah. In his writings, in his poetry, at Tawassin, he says that his teachers was Iblis and Pharaoh.

These were his teachers. And he admires Iblis. Because when Iblis was told to bow to Adam, he refused.

He was a true muwahhid, a true upholder of Tawheed. Because he wouldn't bow to other than Allah. And that Pharaoh, when Pharaoh said, I am your God Most High. He was confirming Tawheed. The oneness, that there is nothing but Allah.

So, such who would hold these kind of beliefs, and hold these people as saints, these such have deviated. Whatever name they call themselves or people call them. That whole body is a body of deviation.

But as I said, there are people, and there have been people throughout history, who have been labeled and called Sufis. Maybe in their times, it was common to use that terminology. But when you look into their lives, they are not involved in these things. And those people are in the right path.

We don't deny those who are in the right path, whether they were labeled or not.