Islam Suffices As A Blessing

Islam Suffices As A Blessing

By Imam Zaid Shakir

Opening Supplications

(إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ - ʾinna l-ḥamda lillāhi naḥmaduhu wa nastaʿīnuhu wa nastaghfiruhu wa naʿūdhu billāhi min shurūri ʾanfusinā wa min sayyiʾāti ʾaʿmālinā man yahdihillāhu falā muḍilla lahū wa man yuḍlil falā hādīya lahū wa ʾashhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lahū wa ʾashhadu ʾanna sayyidanā muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluhu)

"O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims."

"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer."

"O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will correct for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great achievement."

As for what follows, the most authentic speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. And the worst of all things are the newly invented matters, and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire.

Praising Allah for His Guidance

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. All praise is due to Allah, who has guided us to this path, and we would not have been able to guide ourselves had not Allah chosen to guide us. All praise is due to Allah, who has revealed this scripture unto His servant and has made no crookedness therein.

Alhamdulillah, Allah has blessed us abundantly. He has blessed us with Islam. If we left this world and we had nothing of possession, no house, no car, no yacht, no scooter, no bicycle, no shoes, little food, bad water, but we left with Islam in our hearts, then we have been blessed in this world.

Islam Suffices as a Blessing

Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, amongst the sayings attributed to him is the following:

From the blessings of this world, Islam suffices as a blessing.

الْإِسْلَامُ يَكْفِيكَ نِعْمَةً - Islam suffices you as a blessing.

The Challenge of Materialism

Sometimes we frequently talk about Allah, we talk about Jannah, we talk about Heaven, we talk about Hell. And some people, speaking of believers, find these things difficult to internalize. Because we are in a materialistic society, and whether we acknowledge it or fail to acknowledge it, we are constantly receiving a message, a

subtle message sometimes and an overt message at other times, that the only thing that exists is that which can be perceived through our senses, or that can be empirically verified.

Because there are realities, such as microwaves, electromagnetic beams, that we cannot perceive with our senses, but we can verify empirically. But other than that, there is no reality. And of course we know there is a reality far, far greater than all of them, because it is reality that endures. And it is reality in the case of Allah, whose reality precedes and is absolutely necessary for all other realities.

Knowing Allah Through His Names and Attributes

In any case, one of the ways that we can make the reality of Allah more real in our lives, and begin to internalize the meaning, is by studying His names and attributes. Just as a person whose name we do not know, that person, we might see them in passing, but they do not have any impact on our heart. We do not know their name, we do not know any of their characteristics, because we do not know their name, because we do not know any of their characteristics, for us to say that we love that person, there is no foundation or basis.

But once we know the name of that person, and we know the characteristics of that person, that this is a kind person, a very generous person, a very courageous person, a very charitable person, then the love for that person, and the reality of that person, over and beyond just someone we just passed on the street, begins to grow inside of our hearts. Thus is the case with Allah.

So, we should study the names of Allah. And as we study the names of Allah, we come to know Allah. And it is not just the case of you should love Allah, you should know Allah, you should try to attain to ma'rifah. What does that mean if there is no foundation to bring that reality into our hearts?

Ar-Rahman: The Most Merciful

So Allah is Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, Allah is merciful. And we should begin to look for the mercy of Allah. And as we see it manifested throughout everything, not just in our lives, everything in this creation, then that reality begins to impress itself upon us. And the greatest mercy Allah has given us is the Quran.

And so in Surah Ar-Rahman, Allah reminds us of the greatness of this mercy, that this Quran being an entrance into the world of the speech of Allah. It is eternal. Whereas we are, our existence was after that, after the fact and reality of the Quran. And our existence is contingent.

And so Allah reminds us first of the eternality of the Quran. And then He created us to take benefit from the Quran.

"The Most Merciful, He has taught the Quran. He created the human being, He taught him eloquence."

Allah, the Merciful, He has taught the Quran (عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ - ʿallama l-qurʾān). And then He has created the human being to benefit from that teaching. And then He has taught us, and the greatest, anyone who studies Arabic - if you go to an Arabic university in the Muslim world, the greatest foundation of your mastery of the language will be the Quran.

When you begin to study rhetoric, your foundational text will be the Quran. Eloquence, the Quran (عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ - ʿallamahu l-bayān). So these are all connected. And then we should try to be merciful ourselves. So we should try to adorn ourselves with the character traits of Allah to the extent humanly possible. And as we do that, the reality of Ar-Rahman grows within us.

It grows within us through our familiarizing ourselves with the mercy of Allah in our hearts. And it grows through our emulation of that character, that trait to the extent humanly possible. Our mercy will not be perfect or absolute like the mercy of Allah. But it will become more and more real to us.

Al-Malik: The Sovereign

So Allah is Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, Al-Malik. He is the sovereign. His is the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And there is, how do we manifest that? How do we adorn ourselves with that particular trait? Allah has given us all some dominion, be it our family, be it in a particular realm. And this idea is reinforced in the Quran.

Someone might say that sounds strange. But Allah reminds us in the Quran. Allah is the possessor of all dominion. And He extends that to whomsoever He pleases in a limited way. And He withdraws that from whomsoever He pleases. And so in any realm that we occupy and that Allah has entrusted with us, and Allah has given us a limited amount of dominion, in that realm, we should try to be just. Because Allah executes His dominion with justice. And so we should try to be just.

The Just Leader

The first person Allah mentions, or the Messenger of Allah mentions, who will be shaded in the shade of the throne of Allah on the day there will be no shade except that shade:

(سَبْعَةٌ يُظِلُّهُمُ اللهُ فِي ظِلِّهِ يَوْمَ لَا ظِلَّ إِلَّا ظِلُّهُ: إِمَامٌ عَادِلٌ - sabʿatun yuẓilluhumu-llāhu fī ẓillihi yawma lā ẓilla ʾillā ẓilluhu: ʾimāmun ʿādilun) (Sahih Bukhari 660, Sahih Muslim 1031)

A just leader. And Allah reminds us in a Hadith Qudsi related by Abu Dharr, by the Prophet:

(Sahih Muslim 2577)

O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you. Therefore, do not oppress one another.

So we should try to be just in the limited realms we occupy with justice, imitating this quality of Allah.

تَخَلَّقُوا بِأَخْلَاقِ اللَّهِ

Adorn yourself with the characteristics of Allah. This is how we internalize these meanings.

Al-Quddus: The Most Holy

(الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ - ar-raḥmānu r-raḥīmu l-maliku l-quddūsu) - The Sanctified. So Allah is sanctified. We will never be sanctified or holy in the sense that Allah, Almighty God is. But we should extol His sanctity. And this strengthens our hearts. We should not make light of Allah. We should not make light of the great symbols of Allah. We should exalt them as we are ordered.

"And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts."

Whoever magnifies, upholds, extols the sanctity of Allah, this is from the piety of the hearts. This is something that brings piety to the hearts.

Avoiding Mockery of Sacred Symbols

And people make light of God, make light of the Prophet. Please come forward. There are people in the back trying to squeeze in. Make light of the Prophets. And you see some people claiming to be Muslims doing this. What happens? Their hearts become void of any true, deep, impressionable faith. The faith that makes an impression on the heart and then it impacts the actions of the limbs. As we are told, as related from the Prophet:

(لَيْسَ الدِّينُ بِالتَّمَنِّي وَلَكِنْ مَا وَقَرَ فِي الْقَلْبِ وَصَدَّقَهُ الْعَمَلُ - laysa d-dīnu bi-t-tamannī wa lākin mā waqara fī l-qalbi wa ṣaddaqahu l-ʿamal)

That deen, here meaning faith, is not a whim or a fancy or a wish. Rather it is that which settles in the heart and then is testified by the actions.

And so people who make light of the signs of Allah, then the taqwa goes from their heart. And their religion, if they even have any after that process, it becomes very, very superficial and not deep.

As-Salam: The Source of Peace

(الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ - ar-raḥmānu r-raḥīmu l-maliku l-quddūsu s-salām)

Allah is As-Salam. As-Salam. Sometimes those of us who converted to Islam, like myself, and we think we are clever, one of the first things we read is, learn rather, the greeting. They tell you, brother, when you meet another Muslim, you say As-Salamu Alaikum. You say, what does that mean? That means peace unto you. Which part is peace? As-Salam, that is peace.

And so we start learning the names of Allah, we get to As-Salam, Ar-Rahman, I do not know that one. Ar-Rahim, do not know that one. Al-Malik, do not know that one. Al-Quddus, do not know that one. As-Salam, I know that one. That is the peace.

Allah is the peace. No, As-Salam means Allah is the one free from any defects or imperfections. This is the basic meaning of Salam. That is why Jannah is called Dar As-Salam, the abode of Salam. Because why? The imperfections that exist in the world do not exist in Jannah. In the world we die. In paradise there is no death. In the world we get sick. These are the imperfections that afflict us. In Jannah we do not get sick. Paradise we do not get sick. Here we eat and pass waste.

There in paradise we will not pass waste. We will eat and we will have a fragrant burp. It will not be like the Ramadan post-iftar garlic burp. It will be a very fragrant, sweet burp. And that is it, there will be no waste. These are the imperfections of this world that are absent in Jannah.

The True Meaning of As-Salamu Alaikum

So Allah As-Salam is the one who is free from any defects. And from that comes peace. So when we say As-

Salamu Alaikum we are saying I am not going to render you defective in any way. I am not going to lessen you in any way. I am not going to harm you in any way. I am not going to lower your status in any way.

The Definition of a Muslim

The definition of a Muslim. So we can give a technical, theological definition but the best definition is the definition given by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:

(Sahih Bukhari 10, Sahih Muslim 40)

The Muslim is the one the other Muslims are safe from their tongue and hand. (الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ - al-muslimu man salima l-muslimūna min lisānihi wa yadihi)

The Muslim is one the other Muslims are safe from their tongue and their hand.

And so what? I am not going to lessen you. I am not going to lower your status. I am not going to harm you in any way. And so a state of peace will exist between us because of that.

Guarding Our Tongues in the Digital Age

We should always remember that because now the temptations to harm people with our tongues are very, very easy. Because you meet some people you know you could not harm them with your hand. But in the anonymity of your bedroom or your basement or your dungeon when you are all alone and safe and isolated with your keyboard, start letting your fingers do the walking not through the yellow pages but across your keyboard and start unleashing all sorts of vindictiveness.

(الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ - al-muslimu man salima l-muslimūna min lisānihi wa yadihi)

Al-Mu'min: The Granter of Security

So we do not say Allah is the believer. Al-Mu'min - Allah is the one who extends belief to others. Allah is the one who extends belief to others. Allah is the one who gives safety and security to others. So it is related to As-Salam. They are together for a reason. السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ

The one Allah mentions in surah:

"Who has fed them from hunger and made them safe from fear."

Who has fed them from hunger and made them safe from fear. And so how do we internalize this meaning? We do everything in our power to make others, to grant safety and security to them. And to ensure that they feel safe around us. And so we do everything in our power to extend safety to them. This is the Mu'min.

We mentioned the As-Salam, they are together. (الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ - al-muslimu man salima l-muslimūna min lisānihi wa yadihi) The Muslim is one the other Muslims are safe from their tongue and hands. And someone might write me and say, what about non-Muslims? So right after that:

(Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2627, Sunan An-Nasa'i 4995)

And the believer is one the people, the generality of people are safe from any evil from them.

Internalizing the Divine Names

And so we try to internalize those meanings. And the internalization of the meanings makes the reality of the one who is named with those qualities more real and more deep in the very depths of our hearts. So the time does not permit to go beyond this. But we sneak in one more, which is, it might be the next one anyway.

(الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ - ar-raḥmānu r-raḥīmu l-maliku l-quddūsu s-salāmu l-muʾminu l-muhayminu l-ʿazīzu l-jabbāru)

Al-Jabbar: The Compeller and The Mender

If you want to skip Al-'Aziz to Al-Jabbar, there are two basic categories. We say the names of mercy and beauty, (أَسْمَاءُ الْجَمَالِ - ʾasmāʾu l-jamāl) and the names of majesty (أَسْمَاءُ الْجَلَالِ - ʾasmāʾu l-jalāl). And some of the names combine those two meanings.

One of those is Al-Jabbar. It has a Jalali quality and it has a Jamali quality. The Jalali quality is Al-Jabbar, the Compeller, one who compels, imposes His will on His creation.