Weakness & Wisdom

Weakness & Wisdom - Imam Siraj Wahhaj

Opening and Introduction

(بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ - bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim), (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ - alhamdulillah), (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ - ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu), (أَمَّا بَعْدُ - amma ba'd).

Brothers and sisters, the reason that I'm standing over here and not here, I am a nightmare for the camera people. They want me to stand here like this, but I don't. I move.

This afternoon, I don't intend to speak to the best of you, but rather I intend to speak to all of you. I remember once the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, held out his hands and said, "(اللَّهُمَّ أُمَّتِي أُمَّتِي - Allahumma ummati ummati)" - "(اللهم أمتي أمتي - Allahumma ummati ummati)" - and he started to cry.

"Ya Jibreel, go down to Muhammad and ask him, why is he crying?"

You know why he's crying? He's crying for you, and you, and you, and you, and you. And so this afternoon, I want to talk to all of us, every extreme. I don't want to leave one Muslim behind.

The City of Bridges: Caring for Everyone

Sheikh, I was in a city in America called Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh has a name, a nickname. It's called the City of Bridges. 1,194 bridges in the city of Pittsburgh. I was giving a talk, and when I give a talk, I like to look at the people. I want to see who I'm speaking to.

And I noticed as I was speaking, everybody in the place was looking at me, except one table to my left. Not one of them was looking at me. About ten people in the table, not one looking at me. So I followed their eyes. I wanted to see what were they looking at. And I noticed to my right was an interpreter for the deaf people, because they couldn't hear. They're not like you and I who go to Salatul Juma'ah and hear a khutbah. So they heard me through the interpreter.

Allah is concerned about everybody. I was in South Africa, and I visited a school for the blind. Muslims reading the Quran from Braille, concerned about everybody.

The Uniqueness of Allah's Creation

I was in the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, recently. And as I was going through security, I noticed a security guard with a dog. And the dog was smelling everybody. It smelled me. And I was fascinated watching the dog and the security guard. And as I noticed, there was one man that this dog was interested in. He started making noise, and he sat in front of the man, and he was barking. And I know that the dog found something.

And it happens that the security guard was a white man, and the man who the dog smelled was a black man. So I took out my social media. I want to catch this. They're going to beat this man down. And I want to capture it.

And as I was watching, waiting for the security guards to come out to beat him, as I was waiting, I noticed that the man started laughing. He was laughing, and then he walked out of the area, and I knew what happened.

Every once in a while, they'll send a plant to put something on the person to see if the dog is alert.

Why say that? The greatness of Allah, the Almighty. Don't you see that Allah has subjected everything in the heavens and earth for you? So the dogs, Allah created the dogs for us. Did you know that we are so unique as human beings? Our fingerprints are different. Seven billion fingerprints, different. Our voice, different. Handwriting, different. And did you know our smell is different and unique? Allah made us that way. What a creator. Seven billion people with seven billion different smells.

Do you know right now they're training dogs to smell the breath of a human being to see if they have cancer?

Why say that? Allah has made us different. Everybody is not the same. And no wonder Allah said in Quran, if it were the will of Allah, He would have made everybody the same, but they will not cease to differ.

Understanding Our Circumstances

Why say that? Today, my short talk, I want every one of us here, no exceptions, to take a look in the mirror. Have you ever heard the term "(كَيْفَ حَالُكْ - kayfa halak)"? You heard that? Yes? What does it mean? Everybody said it means, how are you? It does, but it doesn't really mean that. The word "(حَالْ - hal)" in Arabic language means condition. It means circumstance. So when you ask somebody "(كَيْفَ حَالُكْ - kayfa halak)" - what's your circumstances? What's your condition? Because Allah always responds according to your circumstances.

So today, I want us to take a look at ourselves.

Islam: Not a Utopia, But Reality

For instance, Islam is not a utopia. It doesn't believe in a utopia. An ideal state. Things are real. People are real. And we go from one extreme to another. I'll give you an example. "(الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ وَفِي كُلٍّ خَيْرٌ - Al-mu'min al-qawiyyu khayrun wa ahabbu ilallahi min al-mu'min ad-da'eef wa fee kullin khayr)" - A strong believer is better and more loved by Allah than a weak believer, though there's good in all of them.

(Sahih Muslim 2664)

The Story of the Three Sisters

I'm not here to condemn sisters who don't wear hijab. I remember a few years ago, I had given a talk in some city in the United States. And after the program, three young sisters, maybe high school, college, three of them, not wearing hijab. They said, Imam Siraj, we want you to show us in the Quran, why a Muslim woman have to wear hijab, and we don't want no hadith.

So instead of showing them ayat in Quran, I asked them this question. I said, sisters, do you make salat? They said, no, not really. I said, do you find in Quran where you should make salat? They said, yeah, many places. I said, if you find many places you should make salat, and you don't make salat, what make you think if I show you one ayat from Quran that you should cover, then you start covering?

Because, believe it, brothers and sisters, their problem isn't hijab. The problem is iman. If you get the iman together, everything else will come together.

Measuring Your Iman

So today I'm asking the question, what is the level of your iman? You, Australia, speak English. What do I speak in America? English. But I'm not sure if your English is like my English. So I need your help. Would you help me? Okay.

How many of you drive a car? Raise your hand. Okay. Question. There's an instrument in your car that measures how fast the car goes. What is it called? Speedometer? Speedometer? No? Speedometer? Okay. There's an instrument in the car that tells you the distance that the car has traveled. And what is that called? Odometer? Yes?

If the speedometer can measure the speed and the odometer can measure the distance, question. What is that instrument that measures your iman? Can I tell you? It's called an imamometer. No, I'm serious. Measure your iman.

The Bedouin and the Five Pillars

Islam is not a utopia. For instance, Allah always takes in consideration of everybody. Look at this scene with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. A man comes to the Prophet. He wants to learn about Islam. So the Prophet said, five prayers a day. "(قَالَ هَلْ عَلَيَّ غَيْرُهَا - Qala hal 'alayya ghayraha)" - He said, is there anything more than the five prayers? "(قَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ تَطَوَّعَ - Qala la illa an tatawwa'a)" - No, except what is extra. Do you have to make extra?

And then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said "(صِيَامُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ - Siyamu shahri Ramadan)" - fasting in the month of Ramadan. "(قَالَ هَلْ عَلَيَّ غَيْرُهُ - Qala hal 'alayya ghayruhu)" - Is there anything more than that? "(قَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ تَطَوَّعَ - Qala la illa an tatawwa'a)" - No, except what is extra.

(Sahih al-Bukhari 46, Sahih Muslim 11)

There are some of you right now. You don't have to raise your hand. There are some of you right now who fast the fast of Dawud. You fast every other day. And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said "(أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ - Ahabbu as-siyami ilallahi siyamu Dawud)" - and the best siyam for Allah is the fast of David. "(أَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ - Ahabbu as-salati ilallahi salatu Dawud)" - the best prayer to Allah is the prayer of David.

(Sahih al-Bukhari 1131, Sahih Muslim 1159)

Do you have to fast every Monday and Thursday? Do you have to fast the fast of Dawud? No, most people don't. But if you do, it's good.

And then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said the salat, the fast, and zakat. "(قَالَ هَلْ عَلَيَّ غَيْرُهُ - Qala hal 'alayya ghayruhu)" - is there anything more than that? "(قَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ تَطَوَّعَ - Qala la illa an tatawwa'a)" - No, except what is extra.

The Woman Who Built Masjid Ibrahim

Most of us, alhamdulillah, we pay zakat, but there are some of you who pay extra. I'm gonna ask you a question, sir. Have I met you before? I don't think so. Have you been to America? Okay, good. Have you ever heard of Las Vegas? You did? Might you visit one day? I love you, man. I've been to Las Vegas, Sheikh, many times. There are many masjids in Las Vegas. And they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. How do you know that? How do you know that?

Anyway, in Vegas, the next time you go there or Google, I want you to check out a masjid called Masjid Ibrahim. Masjid Ibrahim is famous in Las Vegas because it's the first masjid in America built entirely by an American Muslim woman, hasibullah. She said, I don't want no fundraisers. I want to build the masjid. She's a pharmacist. Her husband had died. She invested her money in real estate. And she took out of her pocket $3 million to build the masjid. Do you have to do that? No. Extra.

So the man, he turned around and said "(وَاللَّهِ لَا أَزِيدُ عَلَىٰ هَٰذَا وَلَا أَنْقُصُ - Wallahi la azidu 'ala hadha wa la anqus)" - I swear by Allah, I'm not going to increase nor decrease. "(أَفْلَحَ إِنْ صَدَقَ - Aflaha in sadaqa)" - He will be successful if he's telling the truth.

(Sahih al-Bukhari 46, Sahih Muslim 11)

Make Sure You're in the Circle

What am I saying? Islam is a big circle. Make sure you're in the circle. I'm not going to deny you because of your weakness. Strong iman, weak iman, and all between.

Give me one or two examples. "(مَنْ رَأَىٰ مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَٰلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ - Man ra'a minkum munkaran falyughayyirhu biyadihi fa in lam yastati' fabilianihi fa in lam yastati' fabiqlbihi wa dhalika ad'afu al-iman)" - Whoever sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, and whoever cannot change it with his hand, change it with his tongue. If he can't change it with his tongue, change it with his heart. This is the weakness of faith.

(Sahih Muslim 49)

Our masjid, Masjid al-Taqwa, in 1988, Allah blessed us and closed down 15 crack houses, 15 drug houses on the block of our masjid. Everybody can't do that. I don't expect everybody to do that. And whoever cannot change it with his hand, change it with his tongue. If he can't change it with his tongue, change it with his heart. This is the weakness of faith. But it's faith. We don't deny. That is faith. That is not faith.

The Most Beloved to the Prophet

So now, brothers and sisters, let me get to the crux of what I wanted to say and I'm going to finish. Amr ibn al-As, radiallahu anhu, asked the Prophet, who among mankind do you love the most? Who did he say? Aisha. "(قُلْتُ فَمِنَ الرِّجَالِ - Qultu famin ar-rijal)" - I said, from among the men? "(قَالَ أَبُوهَا - Qala abuha)" - her father, Abu Bakr. "(قُلْتُ ثُمَّ مَنْ - Qultu thumma man)" - I said, then who? Umar.

(Sahih al-Bukhari 3662, Sahih Muslim 2384)

Aisha, Abu Bakr, and Umar. Let me take Umar for a moment. Great Sahaba? Did the Prophet love him? Of course. The son of Ali asked his father, who was the best person after the Prophet? He said, Abu Bakr. Then who? He said, Umar.

Umar's Relationship with the Prophet

Umar important in Islam? Have you ever studied the relationship between the Prophet and Umar? It's a magnificent study. I can give you off the top of my head ten incidences where Umar, radiallahu anhu, had a different opinion than the Prophet.

I need a brother to come up here for a minute. Sher, you come here. Hurry up. Hurry up. Okay. You okay? Alright. Do you know Masha'an? Not really, no. Oh boy. Now I'm not going to hurt you, right? You good? You got relatives here? You have no relatives. That's good. I'm going to show you something. Everything is going to be good. Let me see if you have enough room. What's the matter? I just want to make sure you have enough room. Okay.

Listen to this, man. I love this deen. Wallahi, I love this deen. Allah loves us. The Prophet, alayhi salat wa salam, really loved us.

The Story of Abdullah ibn Ubay

I remember once reading in the Quran. Allah mentions Surah Tawbah. "(اسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ أَوْ لَا تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ إِن تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً فَلَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ - Istaghfir lahum aw la tastaghfir lahum in tastaghfir lahum sab'eena marratan falan yaghfirallahu lahum)" - Ask Allah's forgiveness or do not ask Allah's forgiveness. If you ask Allah's forgiveness 70 times, Allah will not forgive them.

(Quran 9:80)

True? In the Quran? Okay.

Context of that, Allah is speaking about the munafiqun, the hypocrites. Okay. So this verse is revealed. Abdullah Ibn Abdullah Ibn Ubay Ibn Salul comes to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, says that my father has died. Can I have your shirt to shroud him?

And Jabir said about the Prophet, alayhi salat wa salam, "(مَا سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَيْئًا قَطُّ فَقَالَ لَا - Ma su'ila Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam shay'an qattu faqala la)" - The Prophet never said no to anything he was asked.

(Sahih al-Bukhari 6034)

The Prophet actually gave him his shirt.

Ordinarily I would say take your shirt off and give it to me, but I'm not going to do that now, right? You good? Okay. And then he said, could you lead my father in salatul janazah? And the Prophet stood up to lead the salat.

"(فَأَخَذَ بِثَوْبِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - Fa'akhatha bithawbi Rasulillah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)" - And Umar, he grabbed the shirt of the Prophet and said "(يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَتُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ وَقَدْ نَهَاكَ رَبُّكَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلَيْهِ - Ya Rasulallah atușalli 'alayhi wa qad nahaka rabbuka an tușalli 'alayhi)" - Are you going to pray over him when your Lord has prohibited it?

(Sahih al-Bukhari 1366, Sahih Muslim 2400)

And Umar kept talking, talking to the Prophet and talking to the Prophet. And the Prophet led the salat. You did good, see? Painless, right? Did he do a good job or not?

And you know what happened? The Prophet made salatul janazah and the rest of the Muslims over Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salul. For years, sheikh, I asked myself the question, why? Why did the Prophet do it? When it appears, because he told Umar, he said, Ya Umar, Allah has given me the choice. And if I believe that I would pray, I would ask forgiveness more than 70 times that Allah would forgive him, I would do it more than 70 times.

So for years I'm baffled. Why did the Prophet do that? And soon after that, Allah revealed never to pray over them ever nor stand at their grave. Was the Prophet wrong? No.

The Wisdom of the Prophet

Finally, I read a tafsir of Tabari. And the tafsir said, someone asked the Prophet alayhi salatu wa salam, why did you pray for him? He said, my shirt cannot help him on Yawm al-Qiyamah. Nor can my prayer help him on Yawm al-Qiyamah. But I hope that 1,000 of his people will become Muslim as a result of that prayer that I made, and it said that happened. The Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, had unbelievable vision.

Now I thought about this. Does Allah know what's going to happen in the future? Didn't Allah know that the Prophet would do that? Could not Allah have stopped him if he wanted to? He didn't. Because this man, Muhammad alayhi salatu wa salam, he's concerned with everybody. He wants everybody to make it.

Don't you see, brothers and sisters, Sheikh Abu Hamza was right. I'm saying the same thing he's saying. We have got to get to the people because you know what? Everybody not the same. All disbelievers are not the same.

The Incident at Ta'if

I think it was Umar Isa, he talked about, he talked about like everyone else talked about, I think you talked about it, about what happened at Ta'if. Listen to what Aisha said and then I'm going to try to wrap it up. You got a couple more minutes? You don't mind? You're not going to throw me off the stage? You better not. Listen to this. What was I saying? Yeah.

Aisha said and this is her own perspective, is there a day more difficult than Uhud?

The Leaders of Quraysh Who Became Muslim

How many of you studied Uhud? Work with me. The commander of the Quraysh fighting against Muhammad, Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb. True or not? Khalid Ibn Waleed, commander of the right flank. True or not? Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl, commander of the left flank. True or not? Amr Ibn al-As, commander of the cavalry. True or not?

Every one of them in this great battle wound up becoming Muslim.

The Story of Wahshi ibn Harb

There's a companion that hardly nobody ever talks about. Few people talk about him, but yet he's there in history. His name is Wahshi Ibn Harb, Ethiopian slave. You heard about him or not? He's famous for doing what? Killing the uncle of the prophet Hamza, radiallahu anhu. He didn't have no beef with Hamza. He had no beef with the prophet. He had no beef with the Muslims except his master say, if you kill Hamza, I will free you.

So during the battle of Uhud, he was watching Hamza. He was following Hamza. And when he got a chance, he killed him. And when he killed him, he walked off the battlefield. Because he ain't got no beef with the prophet. You know what I mean by beef? You know what I mean by beef? I ain't talking about the food you eat. And so look at this. He becomes Muslim too. At the hand of the prophet, peace and blessing be upon him.

And listen to what the prophet asked him. "(أَنْتَ وَحْشِيّ - Anta Wahshi)" - Are you Wahshi? Are you Wahshi? "(قَالَ نَعَمْ - Qala na'am)" - Yes. "(أَنْتَ قَتَلْتَ حَمْزَةَ - Anta qatalta Hamza)" - Did you kill Hamza? Did you kill Hamza? He said, it is as you have heard. Yes.

The prophet made a very unusual request. He said "(هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تُغَيِّبَ وَجْهَكَ عَنِّي - Hal tastati'u an tughayyiba wajhaka 'anni)" can you hide your face from me? He said, can you hide your face from me?

(Musnad Ahmad 16748)

Can you imagine, Sahaba always wanted to be around the prophet. But this man, Wahshi, every time the prophet was around, he would get lost. He didn't want to be around the prophet. Why? Because he knew the prophet, the sadness that would come to him, because the