Masjidul Quds

The Legacy of Ibrahim (Peace Be Upon Him)

Opening and Greeting

As-salāmu alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuhu. Al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbil-ʻālamīn wa-s-salātu wa-s- salāmu alá Sayyidi al-anbiyā'i wa-l-mursalīn wa-ʻalá ᾿ālihi wa-ṣaḥbih wa-man istanna bi-sunnatihi ilá yawmi d-dīn. Allāhumma ajʻalna minhum wa-min al-ladhīna āmanu wa-'amilu șāliņāt wa-tawāsu bi-l- haqqi wa-tawāsu bi-l-şabr.

The Foundation of Our Faith

Today's khutbah is dedicated to reminding us of something fundamental to our faith. Allah gave us many names for Islam. Islam is the most common name we use for our religion's name, the act of submitting ourselves peacefully before the will of Allah.

But even that name has a history. Allah describes that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was told to submit, aslim, every time Allah told to him to submit peacefully, he said

"(aslamtu li rabbil-'ālamīn) - "I give myself in submission before the master of all nations and all people."

Ibrahim's Prayer For His Offspring

When he was building the Ka'bah, he asked Allah

(Rabbana wa-j'alnā muslimayni laka wa min dhurriyyatinā ummatan muslimatan lak) - "Our Lord, make us submissive to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation submissive to You."

The Name "Muslim" from Ibrahim

Allah describes in surah al-Hajj

(Huwa sammākumul-muslimīna min qablu wa fī hādhā) - "He named you Muslims before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation]."

There are two interpretations: some say Allah has named us Muslim from a long time ago, and even now. But some have also interpreted because the phrase right before that is (مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ - millata abīkum Ibrāhīm) - "the religion of your father Ibrahim" - that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is the one who named you Muslims from much before and even now.

Islam as the Religion of Ibrahim

So as a matter of fact, our name Muslim goes back to Ibrahim (peace be upon him). And in another place Allah describes the religion, the Arabic word for religion is actually (مِلَّة - millah). He says

(Fattabi'u millata Ibrāhīma hanīfā) - "Follow the religion of Ibrahim, inclining toward truth."

Another name for Islam is actually the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). So his legacy and the way Allah talks about him is very important for us because that's how we understand Islam itself.

The Five Pillars and Ibrahim's Legacy

So much of what we do, it's a short reminder for you why Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is so connected to our religion. You know everybody here knows that there are five pillars of our faith.

(Bukhari hadith 8)

(Buniya al-Islāmu 'alā khams) - "Islam is built upon five [pillars]."

(التوحيد - At-Tawhīd), the act of declaring the oneness of Allah, goes back to Ibrahim (peace be upon him) who destroyed idols.

When we perform hajj, that is actually only and only the legacy of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). When we give zakah, his son Ismail, Allah says about him

(wakana ya'muru ahlahu bis-salāti waz-zakāh) - "And he used to enjoin on his family prayer and zakah." His son, meaning Ismail, learning from his father, used to tell his family to give zakah.

Zakah goes back to Ibrahim (peace be upon him). The establishment of the prayer, it's his dua, he said,

(Rabbi-j'alnī muqīmas-salāti wa min dhurriyyatī) - "My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants." Make me the one who establishes the salah. And of course we establish the salah facing the qiblah that Allah commanded him to build.

Ramadan's Connection to Ibrahim

So four out of the five pillars, you would think the only pillar of Islam that doesn't have to do with Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is the month of Ramadan, fasting. But even this is actually going back to Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Because Ibrahim (peace be upon him) made dua for a messenger to come who will recite Allah's words.

And that messenger is Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). And those words came in the month of Ramadan. And the only reason we are fasting is because

(Shahru Ramadānal-ladhī unzila fihil-Qur'ān) - "The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an." The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran came down. In other words, the month of Ramadan is the one in which the dua of Ibrahim was answered.

The dua of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) that a messenger should come and recite Allah's book was answered in this month. So even this month goes back to the legacy of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). All five of our pillars go back to Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

Following the Religion of Ibrahim

This is important to say because then the way we look at Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is not like any other prophet. As a matter of fact, even our messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was told about him,

(Thumma awhaynā ilayka anitabi' millata Ibrāhīma hanīfā) - "Then We revealed to you, [O Prophet Muhammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth." Even the messenger is being told to dedicate himself to the legacy of his father, Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

Ibrahim's Universal Concern

The reason I say this is because there are some places in the Quran where Allah describes the personality of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). And everything about his personality becomes the personality of Islam itself. Everything Allah describes becomes the way we as Muslims think.

For example, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was concerned not only with one nation or one group of people, he was concerned with all of humanity. He was concerned with everyone. As a matter of fact, when he was building the Kaaba, he asked Allah that this should be a place

(Faj'al afidatan minan-nāsi tahwī ilayhim) - "So make hearts among the people incline toward them." Make people's hearts flock towards the people that are going to establish this house.

So he was already inclined towards thinking about not just one nation, but all of humanity. And you know, our messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is a mercy and a blessing and an act of Allah's love and care for all of humanity.

(Wa mā arsalnāka illā rahmatan lil-'ālamīn) - "And We have not sent you, [O Prophet Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds."

The Best Nation for All People

Now, the reason I say all of this is one particular place in the Qur'an describing something about Ibrahim (peace be upon him). And the reason I want to share this with you is because we are a religion, Allah describes this entire religion tying back to the notion of love and care.

When Allah declared us an ummah

(Kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrijat lin-nās) - "You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind." You may have heard this before.

Allah says, you are the best of all nations. كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةِ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ The best of all nations that has been taken out, meaning a selection has been made from humanity. You, each of you and me have been especially chosen from among the people.

Now usually when you make a selection, you say these are the best of the people. The best of the people. Allah didn't say that. He didn't say أُخْرِجَتْ مِنَ النَّاسِ He said كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةِ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ You are the best of all people chosen, taken out for the benefit of people. Not from the people. You're not the best of them.

You are the best for them. It's a completely different meaning. Now the only thing that makes us the best is that we are good to other people.

We're a benefit to them. And when Allah uses the word الناس in the Quran, as a matter of fact, predominantly when Allah uses the word people in the Quran, He's not even talking about Muslims. He's talking about those who don't believe.

The ayah is then telling us that the ummah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that follows the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is actually been given this honor. And why have they been given this honor? Because they are the best suited to help the rest of humanity. To benefit the rest of humanity. In every possible way. We are supposed to be the best for the people.

The Visit of the Angels to Ibrahim

Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was visited by three angels. They come in the form of a human being. They come to his house. When he opens the door, he doesn't know them. He has no idea who they are. But they said, (سَلامًا - Salāmā). They said, we come in peace. We don't mean harm. And he says (سَلامٌ - Salām). He responds with a better (سَلامٌ - Salam) basically.

Just like we say (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ - As-salāmu 'alaykum). And somebody responds (وَعَلَيْكُمْ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ - Wa 'alaykumus-salāmu wa rahmatullāhi wa barakatuh). (سَلامٌ - Salām) here refers to the fact that he made a better response to them.

So he gives them a better (سَلّام - Sallam) and he invites them in. Even though he says

(qawmun munkarūn) - "people unknown." (Quran 51:25) I don't know you people, but it's okay, come in.

Lessons in Hospitality and Caution

Even this is important. Allah mentioned this for a reason. Allah is teaching us to be welcoming to those we don't even know. He doesn't know if they're Muslim or not even either. By the way, the (سَلام - salām) today for us, (سَلام - salām) means that somebody is Muslim. But (سَلام - salām) back in the day, I come in peace was a general thing. It didn't necessarily declare that somebody is a believer. So he says, I don't know you people, but come in. Since you have good intent, come on in.

Now these people come and sit down and Ibrahim (peace be upon him) hurries up to make food for them. Why? Because he assumes they're coming from a long distance. They're traveling, they must be in need.

Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is sensitive that these people that are traveling, they didn't just... Before they even ask, by the way, we were traveling, we got lost, we didn't know our way, could you help us with some food? That would be embarrassing because he doesn't want to put someone in the position of having to ask.

So what does he do? He goes and starts preparing a meal without them even asking. On his own. And he hurries and does it. And so as he's hurrying and making this food, and he prepares this food and he gives it to them, he notices that they're not touching the food. They're not eating the food.

Ibrahim's Concern and the Angels' Message

And this is a little bit scary. Because in ancient times, a lot of people don't know this, in ancient times, there used to be, even criminals, used to have a code. So if somebody has come into your house to kill you, like an assassin has come to kill you, it is part of their honor that they will not eat your food. If they don't eat your food, if they eat your food, they can't kill you. So when he's about to give them food and they're not eating it, their hands aren't going towards the food, he gets a little worried. He starts getting afraid.

And they say, no, no, no, no, no. We came here to tell you that you are going to have a boy. You're going to have a child.

By the way, this idea of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) getting worried, it teaches us something also. We should be beneficial to people, but we should be careful of people too. We can't just be blindly, just, you know, accept whatever and somebody comes, can I come into your house, I need some help. And you see a gun sticking out of the side, you don't just let them into the house. If he sees the intention is a little bit wavering, he gets a little bit more careful. And they have to calm him down.

No, no, no, we came on behalf of Allah and we came here to tell you that you're going to have a child. And his wife was very old. His wife started actually laughing in the kitchen. She just burst out laughing. And says, old lady, please. How is he going to have a child? And then they explained that this is the command of Allah.

Ibrahim's Insight About the Angels' True Mission

But Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the genius that he is, he knows that Allah does not send three angels to tell me about one boy. So he looks at them and he says,

(Fa ma khatbukum ayyuhal-mursalūn) - "Then what is your business [here], O messengers?" What are you really here for? You have been sent on a mission الْمُرْسَلُونَ you have been sent. You didn't just get sent here to tell me that I'm going to have a baby boy. You were sent here for a particular reason.

And they say, you're right. We were actually sent to the nation of Lut. And we're going to kill everyone there. Allah has sent us as the punishment on the nation of Lut, except for the believers with him and some of his family, that's it. Everybody else is going to be destroyed including his wife.

Allah's Divine Plan in Recording This Story

That's what they tell him. Ibrahim (peace be upon him), first you have to ask yourself, Allah could have sent angels directly to the nation of Lut without stopping at the house of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Allah could have sent different angels to the house of Ibrahim and different angels. The angels of good news to the house of Ibrahim and the angels of bad news to the family of Lut.

Two separate things. But Allah's plan was to send these people first to the house of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). And then Allah's plan was to record that conversation between the angels and Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in the Qur'an. So you and I can read it. This is not an accident. This is on purpose.

Ibrahim's Argument to Save the People of Lut

And Ibrahim (peace be upon him), when he hears that these sinners are going to be killed. You know, before I tell you what happens next, I'll tell you, some people, they feel their Islam is very strong. And the stronger your Islam is, the more you should hate sin. And those who commit sin, we pray that Allah destroys them.

Ya Allah, punish those people that are committing sins and disobeying you and and these kinds of du'as. I've even been in different parts of the world where in Tarawih and in Qunoot, people are making du'a, they're making du'a against countries. You know, I came from America, I went to this one country, Ya Allah, destroy the Americans, down their planes.

And I'm standing in salah going, mate, I got a flight in five hours, please don't make this du'a. You know. But in some people's mind, you know, the idea is that if we just make du'a that Allah destroys the enemy.

And sometimes when people who are, they don't, they commit sin. And there's an earthquake somewhere, there's a flood somewhere, there's fire somewhere. You hear some Muslims say, Alhamdulillah, Allah is teaching them a lesson. You see Allah gave them an earthquake? You see how they got flooded? This is what they get for having casinos. This is what they get for having bars. This is what they get for being shameless. This is what they get. This is how Allah destroys them. And we're like, ah, takbir, Allahu Akbar.

You feel good about yourself because somebody else got destroyed. Ibrahim (peace be upon him) just heard the nation of Lut is about to be destroyed. And you find the same Ibrahim, the same Ibrahim when Allah told him, leave your family in the desert, he did it. The same Ibrahim when Allah told him, slaughter your own child, he's ready to do it. The same Ibrahim when Allah told him, jump into a fire, he's done it.

That same Ibrahim, the angels came and told him, we are here to destroy the nation of Lut. Allah says,

"(Fa lammā dhahaba 'an Ibrāhīmar-raw'u wa jā'athul-bushrā yujādilunā fi qawmi Lūt) - "And when the fright had left Abraham and the good tidings had reached him, he began to argue with Us concerning the people of Lot."

He started arguing with us to save the people of Lut. Don't destroy them. Please don't destroy them.

And Allah records the word (يُجَادِلُنَا - yujadiluna), the perfect word of Allah. Allah says, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) started arguing with us, meaning Allah, for the sake of the people of Lut. Is Ibrahim (peace be upon him) okay with their sins? No. Is Ibrahim (peace be upon him) still loving and caring to every single human being, regardless of their sin, regardless of their religion? Yes. This is the religion of Ibrahim. And this is our religion, and my religion, and your religion.

The Problem of Religious Prejudice

And today, so many Muslims, when they see a non-Muslim, Ah, kafir. You know, I wanna live in an Islamic environment, where everybody around me is Muslim, and I don't have to deal with these kuffar. Astaghfirullah, so many kuffar here, so many kuffar there.

And we look at the non-Muslim as some kind of a disease, that maybe one day Allah will get rid of this disease from this earth. Ya insan, ya mu'min, ya Muslim, listen to yourself. Allah made you a believer for the benefit of those people. Not so you can hate those people. Not so you can want destruction for those people. Allah sent you as a mercy for them. You as an actor of love and care for them. That's what Allah did.

The Three Qualities of Ibrahim

And so He says, He started arguing with us about the nation of Lut. And when Allah says that, Allah stops. And Allah says, about this discussion, He pauses and He tells us something about Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in surah Hud. After He says, يُجَادِلُنَا فِي قَوْمِ لُوطٍ He tells us three qualities of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

He says,

"(Inna Ibrāhīma la-ḥalīmun awwāhun munīb) - "Indeed, Abraham was forbearing, grieving [in supplication to Allah], and [frequently] returning [to Allah]."

No doubt Ibrahim is three things. He truly is halim. The first word used is halim. The second word used is awwah. And the third word used is munib.

And this discussion I want to have with you, this conversation I want to have with you, is really about these three qualities of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Because the qualities of his personality are supposed to be the qualities of the personality of every Muslim who follows the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

Understanding "Halim" - Gentle Inside and Out

The first quality is halim. It comes from the Arabic word hulm. Or hilm even. Hilm is actually used originally for, you know, some animals get very fat. Like a cow that gets very fat. Okay. Or any animal that gets fat or a person that gets really fat and their skin is very soft. And the baby animal lies down on it like

a pillow. And they can lean on it. This animal is soft on the outside because of the fur, but also soft on the inside. When something is soft on the outside and on the inside, it's said to be halim.

Now this is important because there's a difference between soft on the outside and soft on the inside. You could give charity to somebody or do, you know, sometimes people do, you know, help the homeless, help the needy, but they do it to show public, you know, public support. Oh, the Muslims have helped these people. It's gonna be an article in the newspaper. There's gonna be a video about it. Make sure it's posted on Facebook.

Okay, we helped these people. Or we went to see the victims of that group or that group. It's all on the outside. But halim actually means the outside is actually less important, the inside is more important. You have a gentleness and a softness. As soon as the cameras turn off, here you are, you know, you're helping some child in these, you know, you know, dilapidated villages.

They're helping some child, holding a child while the camera is on. As soon as the camera is off, put the baby down. Let's go. That's not halim. Genuine love and care and softness towards others is halim. And in the ayat, who is he caring towards? He's caring towards people that are not believers. He's caring towards who are not believers.

Understanding "Awwah" - Feeling Others' Pain

And then the second quality, he says, (أَوَّاهُ - awwah). أواة comes from (تَأوَّة - ta'awwuh). تَأوُّة actually in Arabic means when you are crying out of pain. You know, when someone does this, like they take a sigh of sadness. That's actually called تأوّة in Arabic.

أَوَّاهُ means he used to feel the pain of others. He used to be sad when somebody else is destroyed. It would hurt him that somebody else is going to be killed. It would hurt him that somebody else is going to be hungry. This would personally hurt him. He had a sensitivity and an empathy towards others. This is the second quality, أَوَّاهُ

Understanding "Munib" - Turning to Allah in Prayer

And then the third quality, peace be upon him, is (مُنِيبٌ - munīb). مُنِيبٌ meaning he keeps turning back, meaning turning back to Allah. When he feels that pain towards others, that pain towards others draws him back to beg Allah. Not just beg Allah for himself, but now in his dua and his prayers. He's turning back and asking Allah for those that he feels pain for.

You know, whenever you feel pain, you make dua to Allah, Ya Allah, heal me. When a mother feels pain for her child, she makes dua for her child. She turns back to Allah. The word مُنِيبٌ here after حَلِيمٌ أَوَّة means, first he feels softness and gentleness and care and concern for others. So much so that it makes him sad, it makes him roll with tears. And that rolling with tears makes him turn to Allah and ask Allah for

their betterment. Beg Allah for their goodness. This is the quality of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) on the inside. إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَحَلِيمٌ أَوَّاهٌ مُّنِيبٌ These are the qualities of our father Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

The Quran's Universal Concern for Humanity

Now think about this. For the Muslim today, we have this idea that the world is divided into believers and disbelievers. Muslim versus kafir. Muslim versus kafir. And the idea that Muslim, we are supposed to take care of our own, we're supposed to take care of the Muslims, that's priority. Kafir, who cares?

You know, when you study the Quran, you find something else. When you study the Quran, Allah criticized, for example, when the Quran was first revealed, early on, Allah told His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)

"(Ara'aytal-ladhī yukadhdhibu bid-dīn * Fa dhālikal-ladhī yadu'ul-yatīm * Wa lā yahuddu 'alā ta'āmil-miskīn) - "Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense? For that is the one who drives away the orphan. And does not encourage the feeding of the poor."

Short surah, everybody knows it. Have you seen the one who denies the religion? He pushes the orphan. يَدْعُ الْيَتِيمَ And he doesn't encourage feeding the poor, feeding the helpless. Do you think that yatim in that ayah was the Muslim yatim? When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in Makkah, who were the orphans? The mushrikun, the kids of the mushrikun. Who were the miskeen, the people who were poor and begging? Were they Muslims? No, they were miskeen everywhere.

When the Quran came and said, the people who cheat other people in business

"(Waylun lil-mutaffifin * Al-ladhina idhaktalu 'alan-nāsi yastawfūn * Wa idhā kālūhum aw wazanūhum yukhsirūn) - "Woe to those who give less [than due], Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss."

Allah curses the people who cheat in business and they give less than what they paid for. I paid for 2 kilos of rice, you gave me 1.75. Allah curses those people when they cheat people, their customers.

But those customers Allah was talking about were not Muslim, they were النّاس an-nas, people. Quran came to defend people. When Allah says,

"(Waidhal-maw'ūdatu su'ilat * Bi ayyi dhanbin qutilat) - "And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked * For what sin she was killed."

When the baby girl was killed, buried alive, that's what the mushrikun used to do.

They used to kill the baby girl and bury her alive. That baby girl was born in a Muslim family or a mushrik family? She was born in a mushrik family. And Allah stands up for her.

Our Obligation to All Humanity

In other words, the Quran from the very beginning taught the believer to be concerned about the pains of everyone else. The pains of everyone else. As a matter of fact, when we stand up as Muslims, as an

individual, that's how as an individual we should be concerned about everyone, Muslim and non.

But as a community, as an ummah, when we raise our voice, every other group is different, we are different. This is the last thing I'll share with you. You know, in the United States, we have different, they call them lobbies. They call them lobbies. There's an Irish lobby. There's an Asian-American lobby. You see? There's an African-American lobby. And the Irish lobby will fight for whose rights? The Irish. The African-American lobby will stand for the African-Americans rights. The gun rights lobby will only stand for the gun rights. But the Muslim lobby isn't supposed to stand for the rights of Muslims. Actually, in the spirit of the Qur'an, the Muslim is supposed to lobby for everyone else.

For all the orphans, for all the poor, for all the needy, for all the victims, for all those that are suffering. Because we are

For the benefit of people. That's our place. That's what we're supposed to do.

Warning Against the Mentality of Bani Israel

But if we become like what Bani Israel did, Bani Israel thought they're the chosen ones. And the only ones we have to benefit ourselves. Everybody else, you know, I guess Allah didn't choose them. They're lost. And until they become Muslim, the only thing we should do for them is make da'wah to them. If they become Muslim, then they can join our team. Otherwise, who cares? What's the point of helping them in this dunya if they're gonna burn in the akhira? This is the sick mentality some people develop. This is not the mentality that Allah teaches in the Qur'an.

Helping Without Expecting Anything in Return

Allah says,

"(Innamā nut'imukum li wajhillāhi lā nurīdu minkum jazā'an wa lā shukūrā) - "Indeed, we feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude."

We feed you, we give you only to make Allah happy, for the face of Allah. We don't want any compensation from you. We don't want anything in return.

You know other religions, sometimes they go into villages and they feed the poor people in hoping to convert them. So they'll give them food, they'll give them clothing, they'll build a school for them, and then turn them into their religion. Da'wah is something else. Helping people is something else. We don't say, I'm gonna help you. But make sure you read the Qur'an now. Or you make sure you come to the masjid. No, no, we don't put pressure on people like that.

"(La ikraha fid-din) - "There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion."

You can't force people into the religion. You can't even pressure people into the religion. Helping people is a separate obligation. Making da'wah to Islam is a separate obligation. Those are two very separate things. They're completely separate things. And they should not be confused with each other.

Completing the Verse About the Best Ummah