Allah Is Not Far | Sh. Omar Hedroug | Juz 12 Qur’an 30 for 30 S7 | Ramadan Series

When you find closeness to your deeds, your du'as are immediately and intensely answered, but with his لُطف, with his subtlety. No matter how far you are, all it takes is turning back to Allah Azza wa Jal, instead of turning your back to Allah. One old gentleman used to say to me, he used to say, we believe in Allah, but do we believe Allah? As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, everyone.

Welcome back to Quran 30 for 30, a reminder inshallah ta'ala to please do donate, as you are in the month of Ramadan, and also keep up, you're in the middle 10 days, don't lose yourselves. We have some special episodes to come. We have with us Sheikh Omar Hadrooj, alhamdulillah, half Palestinian, half Algerian and half Lebanese.

Allah's Decree with Subtlety in Juz 12

We are in Juz 12. Juz 12 is of course the Juz, subhanallah, that people always pay such close attention to because of Yusuf. Surah Yusuf. But big picture, how does Allah talk about himself in this Juz? Allah Azza wa Jal talks about himself as decreeing with subtlety. His قدر with his لُطف. His decree with his subtlety.

And so it starts off with Hud, right? And I feel like every time we cover Juz 12, we skip Hud and we go straight to Yusuf. But Allah Azza wa Jal says in verse 6:

That there is no creature on earth except that its rizq is upon Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah is taking care of it. Every single creature on this earth. And in verse 90 of Hud:

Verily, my Lord is most merciful, most loving. And this is Shu'aib alayhis salaam talking to his people and telling them to turn back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and saying, my Lord is Rahim, especially merciful. And to those who turn back to him. So Rahim is an exclusive type of mercy. And ودود and loving. Once you cross that station of turning back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and experiencing his exclusive mercy, then you also experience his love.

Now, look at this in Surah Yusuf:

It's almost like the same scheme of the sentence. That verily, my Lord is subtle in what he wills. But it's still the same concept, right? That what looks like abandonment is really Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala taking care of you. What looks hopeless is actually part of a profound plan. What looks like despair is actually just the beginning of fulfilling some sort of a dream. And even if you didn't see the dream the way that Yusuf alayhis salaam sees a dream, there is some way that this all comes back full circle. The subtle hand of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in his decree is so profound here.

The Surah That Gave the Prophet Gray Hair

What I was thinking about as well, Surah Hud is the surah that gave the Prophet peace be upon him gray hair.

(Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 1772)

Hud and its sisters gave me gray hair and it was of course Abu Bakr as-Siddiq who saw the Prophet peace be upon him with suddenly some gray hair and he said "Suddenly I see gray hairs appearing upon you, O Messenger of Allah" and the Prophet peace be upon him responded by saying that Hud and its sisters gave me these gray hairs.

And particularly:

Right, the command to the Prophet peace be upon him to stay firm as he has been commanded to stay firm. And subhanAllah you look at Yusuf alayhis salaam. The command of استقامة, the command of staying firm, stay the course. Even when the course becomes most difficult, stay the course.

Think about how every episode in the life of Yusuf alayhis salaam would age a person beyond belief. The شَيب, right, because شَيب here, the grays are coming as a result of stress. Think about how stressful every single situation in Yusuf alayhis salaam life is.

In Yusuf alayhis salaam, if Yusuf alayhis salaam just got thrown into a well and found later and then returned to his father, that's a story. If Yusuf alayhis salaam just found himself enslaved and then came out of slavery, that's a story. If Yusuf alayhis salaam was just imprisoned, was just slandered, and absolved. Each one of these is a story in and of itself but the stress keeps on coming and the entire time Allah Azza wa Jal is present, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is decreeing and the command to stay firm is there and the fruits only show themselves at the end. And so that is the profound nature of Allah Azza wa Jal's لُطف with His decree, His subtlety with His decree.

Steadfastness Through the Stories of the Prophets

Even connecting between the surahs, these surahs are coming at a time in the life of the Prophet peace be upon him that's very difficult. And so while Surah Hud is the surah that may have been the cause of the gray, was also I think a surah that gave the Prophet peace be upon him reassurance and hope in his greatest difficulties and struggles. You have in that surah the story of Prophet after Prophet and Allah Azza wa Jal at the end of the surah ties it all together showing the journeys of these Prophets and then Allah is telling the Prophet peace be upon him why.

These stories are being given and told in order to give your hearts steadfastness and firmness. And so you find the stories of the Prophets are mirroring many of the challenges in the life of the Messenger peace be upon him and showing this is not just reassurance that things will be better but also guidance on what you should do in these parallel situations. And so it's the prophetic experience but then also by extension for us, the human experience as well.

Allah Al-Hafidh: The Protector and Preserver

I think one of the ways He does that through all the Prophets is how they connect people to who Allah is right through those names. So let's look at the names and hopefully this will enrich even how people read Surah Yusuf. Allah Azza wa Jal is Al-Hafidh and this shows up in verse 57. Allah Azza wa Jal protects.

He protects your efforts. He protects your deeds. He protects what you have put forth and He stores it for its ultimate reward. He protects the honor of the one who is slandered. He protects the safety of the one who is thrown in harm's way. He's ever watchful. He's ever preserving, Subhanahu wa ta'ala. He protects you from the plots of those that plot against you.

One old gentleman used to say to me, he used to say, we believe in Allah, but do we believe Allah? We believe in him. We know we're supposed to believe in him. We believe in his creed. We know he's a creator of the heavens and the earth. But when he says, I am this, and then he gives you a story that shows you the actualization of that particular name or names. I am Al-Hafidh. As a matter of fact, I'm going to show you the life of a prophet in this context, Hud, to show you how preservation of creation, preservation of Iman, of strength, of trust, and all the ways that the human being, the stressed human being can still turn to Allah.

And that in and of itself is a struggle and it can be stressful, but it's worship and eventually alleviates the heart with the remembrance of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala that brings the peace to the heart and the tranquility.

Hud's Unwavering Stand

Hud in particular, when the people that he called to said, all we can say is that some of our gods have afflicted you with evil. So they're claiming that Hud has been afflicted with this evil and they're not accepting his message. But what I want to capitalize on is Hud's response. He said:

That verily, I take Allah as my witness and you to be my witnesses that I have nothing to do with your association with Allah. So he makes his stance very clear. He finds his honor in sticking with this message. And when we look at all the prophets, Subhanallah, they were of the minority.

He says:

He challenges them. Subhanallah, he says that I am free from what you are associating other than Allah Subhanallah, than him and his divinity. So conspire against me, all of you, and give me no respite. Give me no respite. Conspire against me.

And this name of Hafidh, Subhanallah, for those that do ruqya, those that read on individuals that have been afflicted by the jinn, or been affected by some level of sorcery, for those that hold that strong opinion, and they have the courage and trust in Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, that he will preserve them by helping this person that has been afflicted. And we've seen some of those people. And they also know that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, with his knowledge and wisdom and preservation, that he will preserve that person, even if they're in that state of affliction.

So Hud continues on to say:

He says, if you then turn away from the truth, he's saying this with integrity, know that I have delivered the message with which I was sent to you. Now my Lord will set up other people in place of you and you shall have no way to be able to harm him. Surely, my Lord keeps a watch over everything.

So he is making his claim to them and he is showing that I do not fear you. I trust in Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. And if you turn away from this message, then Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala will bring people other than you. I'm not worried about you. It's not up to me. I'm fulfilling my responsibility.

And this is important as well for we as Muslims to hold our integrity, whether we're on college campuses or whether we're talking to our relatives. Sometimes we'll have Muslim relatives and they may not believe that we are trying to be our best and coming back to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. But we're seeing and understanding that Allah will preserve me as long as I am following his message. And I can't rely on what I see or what I encounter when it comes to people's reactions and responses to my adherence to Allah, to my adherence to Islam.

So when looking at Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala being the one that preserves al-Hafidh, it is important to know that he will preserve you. And the way that he preserves can be in different manifestations. Like you may see something that is harmful to you, but that's how Allah chooses to preserve that person. That's how Allah chooses to protect that person.

When we look at the other names that we've covered, Allah's knowledge is that he is implementing it in a way that you may see it as harmful at the moment. Everyone is against you at the moment, but because you preserved your grandparents, your grandson, your granddaughter will be a scholar of Islam. So the way that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala preserves, it is not up to us to domesticate it to our own logic, our own experience, our own minds. It is to trust in the one that created all of these things and to know that we believe in Allah and also to believe Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala when he says that.

Allah Al-Qarib Al-Mujeeb: The Close and Responding

Subhanallah. I mean, Allah was preserving and Hafidh was preserving Yusuf Alayhis salaam in the well, preserving him in the house of Al-Aziz, preserving him in prison, right? So he was being preserved the entire time.

A few verses later, another two names show up. Al-Qarib and Al-Mujeeb. This comes up in the context of Salih Alayhis salaam calling his people to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. It's like he's introducing his people to these layers of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Each of these prophets are introducing their people to Allah in different ways, or Allah is showing us how they introduced their people to him. So one of the things that Hud said is, Allah Azawajal is Al-Hafidh. And Yusuf Alayhis salaam, إن ربي لطيف. And Shu'aib, إن ربي رحيم ودود. So there's this ربي، ربي. So they know Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, right? And they have that personal connection with Allah Azawajal.

And so the Prophet Alayhis salaam used to say, أنا أعلمكم بالله. I know Allah Azawajal the most. And so to trust not just their knowledge of Allah, but their experience with Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And so I think Salih here is coming to a people that we know obviously are rebellious, the camel. I mean, they're rejecting maybe one of the clearest miracles that will come. So that just shows where they're at. And so one of the first things that he brings to them is that door of coming back to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala:

He tells them, seek forgiveness from Allah Azawajal and turn back to Him, really what he's telling them is to turn back to Allah, right? And maybe a people like that, they themselves would feel like, how's that gonna happen? Or there's no interest in that. But then why or what's the mechanism? He tells them, my Rabb is Qarib.

So no matter how far you are, all it takes is turning back to Allah Azawajal instead of turning your back to Allah, right? When Allah is describing himself as Qarib and Mujib and his messenger is describing him as Qarib. These are names of constancy and permanence. It's not like sometimes he's close, sometimes he's answering. This is who he is. He's always close and he's always answering. So all that takes then is you to turn back to Allah, right? No matter how far you've gone and we're the ones who've created that distance, right? It's no matter when, when you turn back to Allah Azawajal, he's Qarib, right?

And it's not just, it's even beautiful the pairing of the names. When he says Qarib, because someone may be close in proximity, right? You feel, okay, physically they may be close or whatever, but maybe it's someone who ignores you, someone you don't benefit from, but then he says Mujib. So it's not just the closeness of proximity, but it's a closeness of accessibility. That Allah Azawajal is close and he doesn't even say Samee' here, he says Mujib, right? So it's like, he's not just listening, but he's responding and he's answering, subhanAllah, right?

So it's like this, at any moment, all it takes, whether it's the one who is so far from Allah Azawajal and doesn't feel like there's hope for them, or if it's the one who's experiencing a great level of tragedy or difficulty or hardship, I think those two things is usually what a person feels like. I feel alone, like I don't feel like there's anyone there who's close, who understands me, who's nearby. And I feel like no one is listening, right? No one can hear me or understand me. So it's like those two names, subhanAllah, answers both of those things, the closeness of Allah Azawajal and then the response, right?

And then, even some of the scholars, they said the qurb, نتيجة القرب الإجابة, like the results of qurb. So the closer then that you come to Allah Azawajal, the more that you will get the response or it will be at that higher level, right? So it's like these names of Allah that they can be more meaningful the closer that you are.

The Ultimate Closeness: The Hadith of the Wali

And then you just connect it even so beautiful, that hadith of the wali of Allah, who becomes the wali of Allah. What's that path? And the Prophet peace be upon him, he said, you know, through the fara'id, through those obligatory actions. And then you keep doing the actions that are beloved to Allah until Allah Azawajal loves you. And then the result of that is what, that's the highest level of closeness. What does the Prophet peace be upon him say?

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6502)

So he said, I become the hearing that this person hears with and the seeing that they see with and the grasp that they grasp with. What level of closeness, right? Other than that spiritual guidance from Allah Azawajal. It's the highest. And then right after he says:

Same thing, mujib, right? So if he asks me, I give. So it's like that's the ultimate, subhanAllah, manifestation of qarib mujib. It is the one whose closeness is always there. And then it's the response that never fails, subhanAllah.

The Distance Created by Our Deeds

You know, subhanAllah, as you're mentioning, every hadith that speaks about du'a as a means of qurb has something that highlights what you just said. Like the person who's the opposite of qarib, the one whose clothes are haram, whose food is haram, who's nourished in everything haram. And he's raising his hands in the desert. أنى يستجاب له Why would, on what basis would he be responded to? Right? When you're that far away from Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, why do you expect Allah Azawajal to answer you with anything? And the distance is being created by your own deeds, right? So you create distance with your deeds and then your du'as become ineffective.

When you find closeness to your deeds, your du'as are immediately and intensely answered, but with his lutf, with his subtlety, right? He has al-latif. So sometimes he's answering you in a way that to the outside, it looks like you're not being answered. Like that hadith of a person raising their hands and saying, Ya Rabb, Ya Rabb, you could see a believer that is qarib that is actually experiencing al-mujeeb, but no one else sees it except Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. Right? How many people in Gaza, right? Look like that, right? Ya Rabb, Ya Rabb. But they're not abandoned, you know? So there's something deeply profound about that.

The Closeness of a Mother and Beyond

It's a beautiful concept because it's almost a qarib, short to the ijaba. Because when you think about it, you mentioned a hadith that speak about dua, but really when you look at the virtuous actions, it talks about whoever does this, gets this. That action that you are doing, as long as it has the intention to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, that's an act of coming closer to Allah. When you come to the masjid and you pray, for instance, 25 to 27 blessings in congregation, the seven that are shaded under the shade of Allah is the one that comes to the house of Allah. Any of those seven, that they do any of those seven, they will be under the shade of Allah.

So that's the ijaba, Allah is giving you his fadl, he's giving you his virtue, he's answering your dua at the end of the prayer. Any of these actions that you're doing to come closer to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. So it's kind of that targhib, to kind of entice you and to push you to do that action of good.

The other thing I was thinking of, Subhanallah, ولله المثل الأعلى, Allah is a much greater example, much greater than in comparison to his creation, is when we think about our mothers. You think about our mothers, when you're alone, if you were to think of anyone that would listen to me, anyone, if I was to call them, they would answer me, it would be my mom, right? So when you, individuals that they lose their mother, it's tough, especially when you start to think about them in those moments you have. So when you're close, you know that you could easily come close to your mother and she would respond to you. There's no way she would leave you.

And there's so much wisdom on the Prophet, peace be upon him, mentioning the mother three times when he was asked, من أحق الناس بحسن صحابتي, who has a right to my close companions, companionship. He said, your mother, and then he asked again, your mother. So it shows the importance of the mother. ولله المثل الأعلى, Allah is a much greater example.

And I love, you gave the example too, of the person that tries to come back to Allah. This is the month to do it. And it's a catalyst. We don't want it to be seasonal, right? This is the month that you look at those, the shortcomings you had, the successes that you've had, and you come close to Allah. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, al-Hafidh, the one that preserves, he will never, never leave you. Just remembering that is beautiful. And knowing that when you make that effort, and you come to him walking, Allah, he will come to you running. So may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept it from us.

Jazakumullah khairan, Mashayikh. We're out of time. Jazakullah khairan, Shaykh Omar, for being with us. Inshallah we'll see you all tomorrow. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.