The Essential Difference between Zionism and Judaism by Shaykh Abdalhaqq Bewley

I am writing this to elucidate something that I believe to be generally recognised but that I have not seen clearly articulated elsewhere. It concerns the use of the term “antisemitism”. The adjective “antisemitic” has long ceased to have anything to do with semitic ethnicity and has come exclusively, in its present usage, to mean anti-Jewish. By definition an antisemite is now a person who is against Jews. However, it is an accusation that has, for instance, recently been levelled at many people participating in demonstrations against the present Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Yet the truth is that the demonstrators are not anti-Jewish. They are pro-Palestinian and in many cases anti-Zionist, in as far as the present policies of the Israeli government can be seen as furthering the political goals of the Zionist movement, but they are not against Jewish people. 

 

What has happened is that for a considerable period of time there has been a concerted and deliberate effort to equate Zionism – the political movement to establish a permanent homeland for Jews in Israel – with Judaism itself. The two things are in reality, of course, in no way synonymous. The one is a venerated, ancient religion and the other a modern political movement. But this connection between the two has been brought about so that supporters of Israel can accuse anyone who opposes Israel and its policies of being antisemitic. As we know, the accusation of antisemitism has, since the unspeakable horrors of the Second World War and the necessary measures to protect the Jewish community that followed it, become a powerful and effective indictment against anyone accused of it. But the end result of what has been done is that it has made it possible to by extension label anyone who is actively pro-Palestinian as antisemitic. 

 

Its effectiveness as a weapon on this basis can be seen in the way that it was used to oust Jeremy Corbyn firstly from the leadership of the Labour Party and then from the party itself. Jeremy Corbyn was clearly pro-Palestinian and against political Zionism – in as far as it affected Israeli government policy and its implementation – but he was in no way anti-Jewish. No one could be less anti-Jewish. So he was not in fact antisemitic. Yet the fact that Zionism and Judaism have been conflated enabled his enemies to wield the weapon of antisemitism against him and ensure his removal. It is now being used in the same way to discredit those demonstrating against Israel’s actions in Gaza. The demonstrations are pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist but they are certainly not anti-Jewish. 

 

The grave danger in what has happened is that that the conflation of Zionism and Judaism might actually come to be seen to be a reality and that people might indeed start to view Zionism and Judaism as the same thing. This would lead to the Jewish community being wrongly blamed for the actions of the Israeli government, something which must be avoided at all costs. It is, therefore, absolutely vital that the distinction between Zionism and Judaism is clearly delineated and the responsibility for the awful situation of the Palestinians in Gaza laid where it actually belongs, at the door of the Zionist policies of the Israeli government, aided and condoned by its international supporters, and nowhere else. 

Khutba for Eid al-Fitr 2024

Part 1

 

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر         لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر    ولله الحمد

الله اكبر كبيرا،  والحمد لله كثيرا، وسبحان الله بكرةً وأصيلا

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ ونستغفره ونومنه ونتوكل عليه ,ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ,ومن سيئات أعمالنا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ ,وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ وَأَنَّ سيدنا وحبيبنا ومولانا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه ﷺ

ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِی هَدَىٰنَا لِهَـٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهۡتَدِیَ لَوۡلَاۤ أَنۡ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُۖ لَقَدۡ جَاۤءَتۡ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ

عما بعد

فقال الله تعلى في كتابه العزيز

بعد أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

 

یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ

Allah says in His Generous Book:

You who believe, have taqwa of Allah with the taqwa due to Him and do not die except as Muslims.

 

This Eid has fallen at a time in which the worldwide Muslim community is in a state of shock, grief and anger due to the ongoing events in Palestine, not to mention other various injustices being committed against our fellow Muslims across the world. Thus, although we are entirely grateful to Allah for permitting us to live through, and take benefit from, yet another Ramadan, the joy we feel – which is usually a prominent feature of Eid al-Fitr – has been to some extent curtailed by sadness and outrage. 

 

Khutba for Eid al-Adha 2023

Part 1

 

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر         لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر    ولله الحمد
الله اكبر كبيرا،  والحمد لله كثيرا، وسبحان الله بكرةً وأصيلا
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ ونستغفره ونومن به ونتوكل عليه ,ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ,ومن سيئات أعمالنا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ ,وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ وَأَنَّ سيدنا وحبيبنا ومولانا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه ﷺ
عما بعد
فقال الله تعلى في كتابه العزيز بعد – أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم:

 

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا   ٱلَّذِينَ   آمَنُوا   ٱتَّقُوا۟   ٱللَّهَ   وَقُولُوا۟   قَوْلًا   سَدِيدًا 

يُصْلِحْ   لَكُمْ   أَعْمَٰلَكُمْ   وَيَغْفِرْ   لَكُمْ   ذُنُوبَكُمْ   ۗ   وَمَن   يُطِعِ   ٱللَّهَ   وَرَسُولَهُۥ   فَقَدْ   فَازَ   فَوْزًا   عَظِيمًا 

 

You who have iman! have taqwa of Allah and speak words which hit the mark. He will put your actions right for you and forgive you your wrong deeds. All who obey Allah and His Messenger have won a mighty victory.

 

Taqwa is to obey Allah in all of His commands and to refrain from those things He has prohibited, inwardly and outwardly, thus protecting oneself from Allah's displeasure. His commands include performing the ‘religious obligations’ such as the daily prayers, paying zakat, fasting in Ramadan and going on Hajj if you are able, but also include ordinary transactions such as the way Muslims make money, contract marriages, and lend and borrow money. Moreover, it includes the way you treat others. It could be said that Taqwa is to be aware of Allah in such a way that it changes your behaviour. He is the Punisher and the Rewarder and so, the more we begin to realise that He is always present and observing us, the more we change the ways we behave. Then, as we become aware that His observing us includes both what we do and our inner condition, we begin to turn from our inner faults and work on the improvement of our character. The pinnacle of taqwa is for self-awareness to dissipate in awareness of His Presence. So having taqwa leads to the putting right of our actions and being given forgiveness.

KHUTBA for Eid al-Fitr 2023

 

PART 1

 

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر         لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر  ولله الحمد

الله اكبر كبيرا،  والحمد لله كثيرا، وسبحان الله بكرةً وأصيلا

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ ونستغفره ونومنه ونتوكل عليه ,ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ,ومن سيئات أعمالنا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ

 ,وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ,  لَهُ المُلْكُ، ولَهُ الحمْدُ، وَهُو عَلَى كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَدِيرٌ, وَأَشْهَدُ وَأَنَّ سيدنا وحبيبنا ومولانا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه وَحَبيبحُهُ ﷺ

عما بعد

فقال الله تعلى في كتابه العزيز

بعد أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

 

یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ

 

Allah says in His Generous Book:

You who believe, have taqwa of Allah with the taqwa due to Him and do not die except as Muslims.

We thank Allah for allowing us to have witnessed another Ramadan. There is no doubt that it is distinct from other months, and by His generosity and ever-present creative power, he removes other burdens through it so that we are more able to dedicate ourselves to His worship, making it easier for us to have awareness of His all-pervading presence. Alhamdulillah wash-shukru lillah!

 

This day of Eid is a celebration of this divine generosity. Allah says about Ramadan after a’oodhu bi’llahi min ash-shaytani-‘r-rajeem:

NATIONAL DHIKR DARS - MARCH 2023, by Shaykh Abdalhaqq Bewley

All of us are aware of the tremendous emphasis placed by our Shaykh on the restoration of zakat. He often referred to it as the fallen or missing pillar of the deen. He again and again stressed the need for the correct reimplementation of its collection and distribution. Indeed at times it seemed that he was more concerned about that than anything else. We have all accepted this aspect of his teaching and done our best in various ways to see it put into practice but why did he make it a matter of such paramount importance. It was because he understood the absolutely pivotal role played by zakat in the deen of Islam, not just in terms of taking care of those in need and ensuring the fair distribution of wealth in society, but in a far deeper way as that element in the deen that truly addresses the prevalent sickness of Islam in the present age.

Advice to the Community Following the Death of Our Shaykh: Reflections on Surat al-Hujurat

There is no doubt that that we, the world-wide community of Shaykh Abdalqadir al-Sufi, have been travelling through turbulent waters since his death, waters which were already unsettled as a result of the illness that took hold of him toward the end of his life, may Allah have mercy on him.

 

I do not wish in this short piece to make proclamations about the titles and positions afforded the great men and women of our path, rather I wanted to advise myself and all who read this to turn to the Wise Qur’an to help us through this difficult time. There are a number of passages that would offer profound advice, but I would particularly like to take a look at Surat al-Hujarat, in which Allah lays out some of the guidelines needed for a Muslim community to function in a healthy and balanced manner. It is enough to simply read the excellent translation of our dear teachers, Shaykh Abdalhaqq and Hajja Aisha Bewley, but I will offer some reflections on it to plunder some of its jewels.

 

Allah says:

 

In the name of Allah, All-Merciful, Most Merciful

1  You who believe! do not put yourselves forward in front of Allah and of His Messenger; and have taqwa of Allah. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

Do not put forward your opinion, or assert the correctness or incorrectness of a thing, before first consulting the guidance found in the book of Allah and the Sunna of His Messenger ﷺ. Rather, we are warned that we must have taqwa of the One who hears our conversations, both those we have in our own minds and those we have with others.    

2  You who believe! do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet and do not be as loud when speaking to him as you are when speaking to one another, lest your actions should come to nothing without your realising it.

3  Those who lower their voices when they are with the Messenger of Allah are people whose hearts Allah has tested for taqwa. They will have forgiveness and an immense reward.

4  As for those who call out to you from outside your private quarters, most of them do not use their intellect.

5 If they had only been patient until you came out to them, it would have been better for them. But Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Thus, when speaking to anyone who in one aspect or another is an inheritor of the Prophet ﷺ, such as our Amirs, Ulema, Shaykhs and awliya, it is imperative to do so in a way which is courteous. Moreover, Allah’s sunna is that the majority of the awliya are hidden, and are only known to Him. Thus, we must be careful of our behaviour because we may be dealing with someone that seems to be of no importance, but who is loved by Allah. We have in the famous Hadith Qudsi, that Allah says:

Whosoever shows enmity to a wali (friend) of Mine, 

then I have declared war against him

It is clear from this that we must be very careful. It can be said that good adab is a reason for spiritual growth and increase, as made clear in the Diwan in the Qasida ‘The Buraq of the Tariq’:

Make adab your companion as you follow the Shari‘a,

and as you recognise the Haqiqa.

The mithal of adab in these matters

is like mixing iron with elixir.

Do you not see how it turns the iron

in an instant to new gold?

In the same way adab acts on the heart and

carries it to the Presence of the Unseen.

How many a man of earnest right actions He has left to himself,

and how many men of adab He has brought near.

The adab of looking at created beings

is that you see the Creator – no second!

Thus you discern the Creator in the created

and the Provider in the provision.

Indeed, it is incumbent on us to have good adab in every situation in which we find ourselves, as Allah is present at every moment, and it is He who is the Actor that is manifesting in everything. Thus, bad adab is a means for diminishing the value of our actions and cutting ourselves off from Allah’s mercy. The People of the path are known for their adab, and it is this that our shuyukh have always been calling us to: “Tasawwuf is all adab”.

6 You who believe! if a deviator brings you a report, scrutinize it carefully in case you attack people in ignorance and so come to greatly regret what you have done. 

In an age of social media, smartphones and the technological ingress into every aspect of our lives, we are constantly being bombarded by information. Yet, it is difficult to ascertain who the information is coming from; we may know the website or even the name on the profile, but we cannot always be sure of the source. News corporations, political PR machines, and websites run using artificial intelligence to manipulate who we vote for are clear examples of “deviators”, but sometimes even our own thoughts are in fact Shaytan’s insinuations and the impulses of the nafs (self) and hawa (desire). Indeed, the deviator within is the one most likely to be a cause of our regret. Whatever the source, we must be extremely careful about what we listen to and what we pass on. Anyone who has been active in the political sphere of our tariqa can tell you that many of the problems faced by our community were enflamed by gossip and talebearing. 

7 Know that the Messenger of Allah is among you. If he were to obey you in many things, you would suffer for it. However, Allah has given you love of faith and made it pleasing to your hearts, and has made unbelief, deviance and disobedience hateful to you. People such as these are rightly guided. 

8 It is a great favour from Allah and a blessing. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

We could never adequately thank Allah for His generosity to us. The gift of Islam is the greatest gift we have, and the fact someone loves Allah’s Deen and wishes to avoid that which He dislikes is a sign that Allah loves that person. This is guidance. 

9 If two parties of the believers fight, make peace between them. But if one of them attacks the other unjustly, fight the attackers until they revert to Allah’s command. If they revert, make peace between them with justice, and be even-handed. Allah loves those who are even-handed. 

Alhamdulillah, we are not generally given to physical acts of violence against each other. However, this advice can be applied to any disputes that may arise among us. We should be even-handed while defending the one who has been dealt with unfairly, had accusations thrown at him or her, or been subjected to insulting and discourteous treatment. Above all, the energy we should bring to such disputes is one that could lead to reconciliation, which implies patience, forgiveness and forbearance.

Courtesy of Khalil Mitchell

10 The believers are brothers, so make peace between your brothers and have taqwa of Allah so that hopefully you will gain mercy. 

This is what distinguishes the Muslims from other groups. We are bonded by an asabiya that is rooted in love of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and it is vital to maintain this bond of brotherhood. The du’a of Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Habib and all our shuyukh is: “O Allah, make us those who love each other in Allah” and it is through sharing our lives, working together to implement Allah’s Deen, and gathering to recite the Qur’an and do dhikr of Allah that this bond is strengthened. 

When a group of the fuqara from Britain had travelled to the Moussem in Cape Town one year, we were invited by Shaykh Abdalqadir to his house in the week following the nights of dhikr as was his custom. The shaykh wanted to address us and we gathered on a rug in his garden after the meal. Shaykh Abdalqadir was sitting at the end and we were gathered around him. He told us to huddle closer together and said, “it is like the prayer; if there are gaps, the shaytan will get between you.” It was understood from this that he was indicating something about us. He was teaching us at that we must be more united and that the way to do this was to come together. Distance leads to resentment. From this, quarterly national gatherings of dhikr were established, and I remember it as being a time of growth.

11 You who believe! people should not ridicule others who may be better than themselves; nor should any women ridicule other women who may be better than themselves. And do not find fault with one another or insult each other with derogatory nicknames. How evil it is to have a name for evil conduct after coming to faith! Those people who do not turn from it are wrongdoers. 

Therefore, we must be respectful on one another and speak well of one another. This is adab. We do not want to be wrongdoers, and we do not want to hurt others, especially those with whom we are bonded. In Imam al-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith, we have:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Do not envy one another, and do not inflate prices for one another, and do not hate one another, and do not turn away from one another, and do not undercut one another in trade. Be slaves of Allah and brothers. 

A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim: he does not oppress him, nor does he fail him, nor does he lie to him, nor does he hold him in contempt. Taqwa is here [and he pointed to his chest three times]. It is bad enough for a man to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. 

The whole of a Muslim is inviolable for another Muslim: his blood, his property, and his honour.”

Shaykh Abdalqadir once said in a night of dhikr, “You must think well of Allah and think well of each other; you must speak well of Allah and speak well of each other.” This mirrors the lines from the Buraq of the Tariq:

The highest and most praiseworthy qualities are contained in these two good practices:

Think the best of Allah and then think the best of His slaves. Hold to these two things and avoid being wilful.

This is, in fact, a reference to a hadith that says:

Two qualities above which there is nothing higher and more noble are a good opinion of Allah and a good opinion of the slaves of Allah and the two most harmful qualities are a bad opinion of Allah and a bad opinion of the slaves of Allah.

Continuing the theme of the adab, Allah says:

12  You who believe! avoid most suspicion. Indeed some suspicion is a crime. And do not spy and do not backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat his brother’s dead flesh? No, you would hate it. And have taqwa of Allah. Allah is Ever-Returning, Most Merciful. 

We must have clean hearts. We cannot allow our hearts to be poisoned by bad opinion which leads to suspicion and bad behaviour towards others. Backbiting (ghiba) is to reveal the faults of others. If someone spreads false information about another Muslim, it is considered to be slander. While the latter is more serious, the first is no light matter and it is likened to eating the flesh of a dead brother in the ayat.

13  Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah’s sight is the one with the most taqwa. Allah is All- Knowing, All-Aware.

This is Allah’s criterion. The best of us is not the one with the nicest car, the biggest and most powerful family, or the most knowledge. It is the one who has the most taqwa. The lowest level of taqwa is to obey Allah in all the commands and prohibitions. The highest is to be aware of Allah at every moment. Whatever situation we are confronted with, Allah is the Actor. He is never absent, not even for the blink of an eye. Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Habib says in the Qasida “Annihilation in Allah”:

With us, ‘other’ is impossible, 

for true existence belongs to Allah.

Constantly cut through your illusion 

with a Tawhid that is purely for Allah.

Again, the link between adab, which earlier was seen to be based on our awareness of tawhid, and spiritual growth is apparent. 

14  The desert Arabs say, ‘We believe.’ Say: ‘You do not believe. Say rather, “We have become Muslim,” for faith has not yet entered into your hearts. If you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not undervalue your actions in any way. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’ 

The truth is that we are on a journey and there are degrees; Islam, Iman and Ihsan; or you could say, Sharia, Tariqa and Haqiqa; outward practice, inward journeying, direct perception of Reality. In taking this journey on Allah will not undervalue your actions in any way.

15  The believers are only those who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then have had no doubt and have done jihad with their wealth and themselves in the Way of Allah. They are the ones who are true to their word. 

Becoming Muslim is only the beginning. It is both a great honour to be a follower of the Best of Creation ﷺ and a great responsibility. Shaykh Abdalqadir often used to say that we must take it on, that the responsibility is ours and that the fuqara are the princes of spiritual knowledge. He has left us with a blueprint which is set out in The Time of the Bedouin, The Interim is Mine, The Engines of the Broken World and The Entire City and we must do what we can to acquire the knowledge that will lead to right action (which implies recognising the time in which we live), sound domestic and social interactions and spiritual fulfilment. 

16  Say: ‘Do you presume to teach Allah your deen when Allah knows everything in the heavens and everything in the earth? Allah has knowledge of all things.’

After all, it is called Islam – Submission. We take the knowledge we have been given and act by it. Shaykh Abdalqadir left us a great legacy and renewed many aspects of the Deen of Allah that had been cast aside, and we – all of us – are his inheritors, on the condition that we take it on. 

17  They think they have done you a favour by becoming Muslims! Say: ‘Do not consider your Islam a favour to me. No indeed! It is Allah who has favoured you by guiding you to faith if you are telling the truth.’ 

18  Allah knows the unseen things of the heavens and the earth. Allah sees what you do. 

Allah knows everything, and He is with us at every moment. He is closer to us than our jugular vein. Shaykh Abdalqadir, may Allah have mercy on him, often used to quote the wird of Sahl al-Tustari:

 

Allah is with me; 

Allah is looking at me; 

Allah is the witness of my acts.

 

This brings to mind the very definition of Ihsan, the science for which is tasawwuf:

 

Ihsan is to worship Allah as though you see Him. 

If you are not seeing Him, 

He sees you.

Courtesy of Khalil Mitchell

Courtesy of Khalil Mitchell

Courtesy of Khalil Mitchell

Courtesy of Khalil Mitchell

Khutba for Eid al-Adha 1443/2022 By Yusuf Rowland

Part 1

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر              لا إله إلا الله            الله أكبر الله أكبر      ولله الحمد

الله اكبر كبيرا،  والحمد لله كثيرا، وسبحان الله بكرةً وأصيلا

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ ونستغفره ونومنه ونتوكل عليه ,ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ,ومن سيئات أعمالنا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ ,وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ وَأَنَّ سيدنا وحبيبنا ومولانا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه ﷺ

عما بعد: فقال الله تعلى في كتابه العزيز            بعد أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا   ٱلَّذِينَ   آمَنُوا   ٱتَّقُوا۟   ٱللَّهَ   وَٱبْتَغُوٓا۟   إِلَيْهِ   ٱلْوَسِيلَةَ   وَجَٰـهِدُوا۟   فِى   سَبِيلِهِۦ   لَعَلَّكُمْ   تُفْلِحُونَ

Allah says in His Mighty Book:

You who have iman! have taqwa of Allah and seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His Way, so that hopefully you will be successful.

Allah commands us to have taqwa of Him, to have an awe in the knowledge of His Ever-Presence that leads to right action, to seek the means to draw near to Him and to strive fee sabilihi – to strive in His way so that we may have success, which is to earn the pleasure of Allah and His nearness. From one point of view, the greatest means is the taqwa mentioned in the verse, which from a practical standpoint is to obey Allah in all His commands and prohibitions. The Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is reported to have said:

إنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ: "مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقْد آذَنْتهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْت سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَلَئِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ".

“Allah ta’ala has said: ‘Whosoever shows enmity to a wali (friend) of Mine, then I declare war against him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the duties I have imposed on him. My servant continues to draw near to me with the nawafil (supererogatory acts of devotion) until I Love him. When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge.’”

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر         لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر    ولله الحمد

This tremendous hadith qudsi demonstrates the great position of His awliya and also the means to having such a position with our Lord. May Allah open the doors of wilaya for all of us. The Deen of Allah is a Deen of action. We have to act. This is indicated in the hadith as, in it, drawing near to Allah is related to acting on the obligations Allah has placed on us and we draw closer by doing the extra, non-obligatory acts of devotion. Of course, it is central to tawhid that only Allah has power and that what good we do is the gift of Allah to us. Thus, if we want His pleasure, we have to earn it, yet at the same time that in itself is a gift from Him to us. This understanding moves the believer to a higher level of awareness. When Allah loves us, He becomes the hearing with which we hear, the sight with which we see, the hand with which we seize and the foot with which we walk. There is a great secret in this for those who reflect on it. 

الله أكبر      الله أكبر الله أكبر   لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر    ولله الحمد

It can be said that the highest station is the station of ‘Abdallah – the slave of Allah. It is the title of the one who has given himself to Allah completely. In Arabic, the word ‘Abd – slave – is linguistically from the same root as ‘Ibada, worship. ‘Abd is the name given to our beloved Rasool, salla Allahu alayihi wa sallam, when Allah describes the event of the Isra and Mi’raj, his night journey and ascent into the presence of Allah. 

We live in a time in which the ideological slogan of ‘freedom’ is often banded around and has become synonymous with both hedonistic modes of living and consumer culture. Yet, when you reflect on the condition of the human being, you see that we are all enslaved to something. Whether it is the pursuit of pleasures, the gathering of consumer products, the opinion of others or our self-opinion, or the stockpiling of wealth, power and influence, we all have things that we have attached ourselves to and to which we are slavishly dedicated. Such attachments take up a great deal of time and energy and exert influence over our decisions and the way we look at the world. However, the true slave of Allah only has Allah in his or her heart. Allah dominates his or her awareness. In short, we are either enslaved to created things or we are devoted to the Creator of All Things. The station of being Allah’s slave is freedom itself because the one who has only Allah in his or her heart is completely free from all else. Nothing in creation can defeat him or her and he or she is content – rich in Allah. 

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر         لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر    ولله الحمد

The greatest slaves of Allah and our exemplars in the pursuit of seeking Allah’s pleasure are the Messengers and Prophets that Allah sent to guide humanity to reach our highest potential, which is the purpose of our creation. Allah says:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

I only created jinn and mankind to worship Me.

The mufassirun explain that the phrase ‘to worship me’ indicates ‘to know Me’. Our worship or slavehood to Allah is the reason we were created and will open the way to knowing Him, subhanahu wa ta’ala. This is the reason for our existence and the path to total freedom.  

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر  لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر            ولله الحمد

Allah is worshiped based on knowledge. Thus knowledge of the Deen is another important means in the path of Allah. The Messenger of Allah conveyed to us how to please Allah, and his advice is not limited to set acts of devotion, such as prayer and fasting. Every aspect of our lives can entail obedience or disobedience, taqwa or deviation, and so it is important to know what pleases Allah and what does not. Having good company is also important because the people we associate with naturally have a big impact on us. It is indicative that the followers of Sayyinduna Muhammad, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, are called his Companions – Sahaba. They were blessed with his companionship, suhba, and were completely transformed by it; they became the greatest community. It was not just that they learned information, but that they were changed by his company and his teaching in a way that purified their hearts and they became clothed in his noble radiance and exalted qualities. The next generation took from them in the same way and that transmission has reached us to this day. If you wish to be truly successful, the company of people who have received this transmission and who can pass it on to you is essential. Therefore, I advise you and myself to take heed of this ayat, to have taqwa of Allah, take the means to him and strive in His way so that we can be successful.

أقول قولي هذا واستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين

واستغفرواه ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ 

***** 

PART 2

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر         لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر    ولله الحمد

الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على خير المرسلين       وعلى آله وصحبهِ أجمعين

عما بعد

 We return to the ayat that we began with:

بعد أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا   ٱلَّذِينَ   آمَنُوا   ٱتَّقُوا۟   ٱللَّهَ   وَٱبْتَغُوٓا۟   إِلَيْهِ   ٱلْوَسِيلَةَ   وَجَٰـهِدُوا۟   فِى  سَبِيلِهِۦ   لَعَلَّكُمْ   تُفْلِحُونَ

Allah says:

You who have iman! have taqwa of Allah and seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His Way, so that hopefully you will be successful.

I said earlier that the greatest slaves of Allah and our exemplars in the pursuit of seeking Allah’s pleasure are the Prophets and the Messengers. They dedicated their lives to fighting against the darkness and oppression they faced, especially where shirk was used as a political tool of control and exploitation. This took various forms. Sayyiduna Musa alayhissalam stood against the Pharoah and his claim to divinity, eventually emancipating Banu Isra’il from his clutches. Sayyiduna Muhammad salla Allahu alahi wa sallam stood against the Quraish, eventually having to physically fight them to ensure that the Deen of Allah could survive and be fully established. 

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر  لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر            ولله الحمد

The day of Eid al-Adhaa celebrates another of the great Messengers who strove vehemently in Allah’s way. Sayyiduna Ibrahim, alayhissalam, had an extraordinary gift of being able to see through the social norms of his time. In reading the accounts of his life in the Qur’an, you cannot help but be struck by the valour with which he confronted Allah’s enemies as well as his passion for, and devotion to, his Lord. He was fearless in standing against the shirk which dominated his people, which was so pervasive that even his own father had become involved in it. Because he confronted his people with clear proofs, smashing their idols and speaking passionately of Allah’s Oneness, they tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire. But Allah protected him by making the fire cool and peace for him. This was clear proof to his people that only Allah has power and that created things do not. If the fire was intrinsically able to burn, it could not become cool. The truth is that Allah creates the fire, its heat and its burning of things. Allah says about this event:

وَأَرَادُوا۟   بِهِۦ   كَيْدًا   فَجَعَلْنَٰهُمُ   ٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ

They desired to trap him but We made them the losers.

This is Allah’s sunna. He protects those who strive in His way to earn His pleasure. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (ra) reports that:

كُنْت خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم يَوْمًا، فَقَالَ: يَا غُلَامِ! إنِّي أُعَلِّمُك كَلِمَاتٍ: احْفَظْ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْك، احْفَظْ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَك، إذَا سَأَلْت فَاسْأَلْ اللَّهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْت فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاَللَّهِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَك، وَإِنْ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْك؛ رُفِعَتْ الْأَقْلَامُ، وَجَفَّتْ الصُّحُفُ

One day I was behind the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said, ‘Young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you. Be mindful of Him, and you shall find Him with you. If you ask, ask Allah. If you need help, seek it from Allah. Know that if the whole community were to gather together to benefit you in some way, they would not be able to benefit you unless it were something Allah had written for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you in some way, they would not harm you unless Allah had written it to go against you. The pens have been lifted, and the pages are dry.

This reality is clearly seen in the story of Sayyiduna Ibrahim, alayhissalam. Allah protected him, and although his community tried to kill him, they were unable to do so because it was not written.  

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر         لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر    ولله الحمد

Allah says in surat al-Nisa:

 

وَمَن  يَعْمَلْ   مِنَ   ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ  مِن  ذَكَرٍ   أَوُ   انثَىٰ   وَهُوَ   مُوْمِنٌ  فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ  يَدْخُلُونَ   ٱلْجَنَّةَ   وَلَا   يُظْلَمُونَ   نَقِيرًا

وَمَنْ  أَحْسَنُ  دِينًا  مِّمَّنْ  أَسْلَمَ  وَجْهَهُۥ  لِلَّهِ  وَهُوَ  مُحْسِنٌ  وَٱتَّبَعَ  مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ  حَنِيفًا  ۗ  وَٱتَّخَذَ  ٱللَّهُ  إِبْرَٰهِيمَ  خَلِيلًا

Anyone, male or female, who does right actions and is a mumin, will enter the Garden. They will not be wronged by so much as the tiniest speck.

Who could have a better deen than someone who submits himself completely to Allah and is a Muhsin, and follows the religion of Ibrahim, a man of pure natural belief? Allah took Ibrahim as an intimate friend.

So Allah took Sayyiduna Ibrahim, alayhissalam, as a Khalil – an intimate friend and he is an example to all. Because he was a pure slave of Allah, he was completely free and was loved by Allah.

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر         لا إله إلا الله        الله أكبر الله أكبر    ولله الحمد

As you all know, today is Eid al-Adhaa, the Eid of Sacrifice. It is the day that Sayyiduna Ibrahim, Khalil-ullah, the Close Friend of Allah, was ordered by his Lord in a dream to sacrifice his son. His son said, “Do what you have been ordered, you will find me among the patient”. But when the time came, and his son was laid down on his side for the slaughter, Allah said to Ibrahim: “You have been true to the dream” and he was ordered to sacrifice a large ram in place of his son. This act of sacrifice was so great that Allah made celebrating it part of His Deen on this blessed day.

قُلْ بِفَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُواْ

Say: ‘It is the favour of Allah and His mercy that should be the cause of their rejoicing.’

Therefore, we celebrate and remember this great event in a number of ways. Firstly, by attending the Eid prayer. Secondly, by making arrangements for a sacrifice if one has the means to do so – which should be a healthy sheep or goat (both of which should be at least a year old), or a cow (which should be at least three years old), or a camel (which should be at least five years old). We do this as soon as possible after the Eid prayer and it is forbidden to sell or exchange the meat. You can use it to feed your family and friends, you can set some aside, and you can give some to the poor. It is good to do all of these. The days of Eid are a time to visit family and friends and to remember and be thankful for the blessings Allah has given you. During the three days of the Eid, we also recite takbirs after each of the next fifteen obligatory prayers, the last of which is subh on Wednesday. This can be done using the wording I have used throughout this khutba:

الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر          لا إله إلا الله         الله أكبر الله أكبر    ولله الحمد

In Ibrahim’s sacrifice is an important indication. Making sacrifices is essential if we wish to deepen our connection with the Divine. Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ اشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ الْمُومِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ

The meaning of which is:

Allah has bought from the muminun their selves and their wealth in return for the Garden. 

At the end of this passage Allah declares:

وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

That is the great victory.

Sacrifice opens the way to great victory and we can be sure that, in making sacrifices fee sabeelillah – in Allah’s way – and dedicating ourselves to Him, we can only gain from it. It may seem as though we are giving up something, but in reality we will only gain from it. Allah says:

مَا عِنْدَكُمْ يَنْفَدُ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ بَاقٍ

 وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

What is with you runs out but what is with Allah goes on for ever. 

Those who were steadfast will be recompensed according to the best of what they did.

Let us enjoy this day and the company of our family and friends. May Allah make this Eid a springboard from which we can renew our taqwa. May Allah help us to see through the deceptions we face and have the ability to discern that which will protect us from His anger and expose us to His pleasure. We ask Allah for mercy for us and the whole umma, we ask Him to purify our hearts and we ask Allah for the establishment of the Deen in our time.

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّاب

اللهم أرنا الحق حقا وارزقنا إتباعه وأرنا الباطل باطلا وارزقنا إجتنابه‎ ‎

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 

إنَّ اللهَ ومَلائِكَتَهُ يُصلُّونَ على النَّبِي يَا أَيُها الذينَ آمنوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وسَلِّمُواتَسْليماً. اللهمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّم وبارِك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِأجمعين. 

وارضَ اللهم عن الخلفاء الراشدين أبي بكرٍ وعمرَ وعثمانَ وعلي ، وعنسائر الصحابة أجمعين، خصوصا الأنصارَ منهم والمهاجرين، وعنالتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَامُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ وَإِیتَاۤىِٕ ذِی ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَیَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَاۤءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡیِۚ یَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ

اذكروا الله يذكركم                   ولذكر الله اكبر            والله يعلم ما تصنعون 

Eidukum Saeed!