Transcription
Just some brief reflections on what I recited in the first, which is the ending of Suratul Furqan. And it is one of the places in the Quran where Allah lists the characteristics of the believers. There are around five places in the Quran where Allah Azzawajal has a list, and this list is about the righteous and the believers. And in Surah Al-Furqan, the ending of Suratul Furqan, Allah Azzawajal has another such list. It's a beautiful list, and it is a list that every one of us should think about, contemplate, and try our best to achieve all of the characteristics on this list.
Allah Azzawajal begins this series by saying, "This is the series of Ibadur Rahman." Ibadur Rahman, those who are the servants of those whom Allah has chosen to worship Him. This is their list. You want to be among the Rahman? Then this is the list you need to be having in your mind.
So, the first characteristic, the defining characteristic of Ibadur Rahman, is humility as they are walking on this earth. The defining characteristic is a lack of arrogance. They have humility. They are humble. They are not people that are known for their abrasiveness, for their callousness, for their harsh manners. Not at all. The number one defining characteristic. This means they are interacting with people. They're not hermits. They haven't cut off from people because of because of they don't like people or they don't like socialization. No, Ibadur Rahman have to be active. They have to be involved in society. And as they're involved in society, their interactions have to always be the best. Our Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, "The believer who interacts with other believers and is patient at the negative interactions is better than the believer who cuts off and remains at home." We don't just stay and cut off from society when a bad incident happens, when somebody is rude to us, you know, in our gatherings. No, we have to be involved. But as we're involved, when some person with a foolish characteristic confronts them, wants to start an argument, they don't even get involved in the argument. Subhanallah, how difficult that is. When somebody says something negative about you, somebody slanders you, somebody wants to drag you down to the to the dust to do something negative, you have to be above that. Not just above that, but say "Salaam," smile, and move on. This is, in the short term, the other person might think he's weak. In the long term, it is always the people of Akhlaq that just move on with dignity.
Then Allah, so by the way, so number one defining characteristic, that's where it begins. Number two is what? Number two is what? Who knows? Have you ever memorized these verses? It's very important to understand. Number two, they are the ones praying to Tahajjud. Subhanallah. The first characteristic, even more important than Tahajjud, is how you interact with people. This is a very profound verse here, that more important than your private rituals. By the way, all of them are important. In order to be among the Rahman, you have to have all of these. But the number one, your interaction with others. And so many of us, we consider our private rituals, our Ibadah, more important. And Allah begins the list, "No, your Akhlaq is what really people know you and define you by." Then, of course, you must have rituals. So then, number two, they're the ones praying to Tahajjud. They're the ones in the middle of the night, nobody else is watching them, and they are standing and praying and Ruku and Sujud.
Wallah, so the second defining characteristic of Ibadur Rahman is private rituals. And the queen of all private rituals is Tahajjud. There is no ritual that is more beloved in your private life, and it really demonstrates the righteousness of the person, than Salat. By the way, there are two Duas in this series of verses, two Duas only. And it begins with the Dua of this one, and it ends with a Dua. So there is this motif that they're constantly making Dua. Even though only two are mentioned, but in this list, the second thing mentioned is a Dua, and the last thing mentioned is a Dua. So there is this this understanding, this intuition, that the Ibadur Rahman are constantly making Dua to Allah. And the first Dua that is mentioned on the list is the Dua of saving yourself from Jahannam. Now, this Dua is not just about the the concept of Jahannam. It's the concept of being conscious that Allah is watching, that you have Muhasaba, that there is an Akhirah. So when you ask Allah to save you from Jahannam, what does it illustrate? It illustrates your Ihsan. Allah is watching you. Your concept. So even if Allah Azzawajal, even if you cannot see Allah, Allah is watching you. And you know Allah is watching you. So you are constantly monitoring the concept of Muhasaba. I have to answer to Allah. Allah Azzawajal is going to call me to account. And so you are cognizant that there is going to be an Akhirah. So you make Dua to Allah that is so...
The fourth characteristic is when they give charity. Not the ones who constantly give charity. No, this is they are giving charity. It is assumed. It is how they give that Allah describes, not the fact that they give. It is understood that they're giving. This is an interesting play on words here. It's an interesting way of phrasing it. Allah did not say about the Rahman are those who constantly give. It's understood they're constantly giving. So Allah describes the quality. Allah describes how they're giving. He doesn't describe the fact that they are giving. When they give, then they give such that it is neither too much or too little. So there's a constant amount that they give. And lam yusrifu, they're not going to give with Islam. They're not going to go bankrupt in Sadaqah. This is not the way of the believer. And neither are they going to be stingy. Right? Rather, they are in the middle of this. So Allah Azzawajal says, "They're generous in a healthy manner without being in a foolish manner." This is the characteristic of Ibadur Rahman, constantly giving in a way that is suitable for what Allah has given them. They don't just go bankrupt and they leave nothing. No, but they give, and they give, and they give, and they keep for their family as well. So this is another defining characteristic of Ibadur Rahman.
They don't worship false gods, and they don't commit murder, unless, you know, it is crisis or something that you have to for the sake of a proper execution. And they don't commit Zina. Now, a question here, why is this coming so late on the list? Surely murder and Shirk, these are such major sins. Why, why is it coming in the middle of the list? Why not in the beginning? And the response is that these characteristics, if Allah mentioned in the beginning, it is not befitting of the Rahman. Can you imagine? "Those who are the Rahman are those who don't murder." Well, everybody doesn't murder. But Allah wants us to know about the Rahman. Do not commit any major sins. And three sins are listed to illustrate all major sins. The biggest major sin is Shirk. Then the biggest major sin against the creation is murder. Then the biggest major sin in your private life between you and Allah is Zina. So these are the three major sins that characterize all of the other major sins. Because a major sin either it is Shirk, which is the worst, or it is hurting other people, the worst is murder, or it is in your private life, and the worst is Zina. So Allah says, "Do not have any major sins." And then whoever has a major sin, that person, they cannot be among the Rahman. They're going to be punished.
Major sins. The threat is punishment. But then, what if somebody has committed a sin? Is there all hope lost? Nothing can be done? No, Allah says, "Even those that have done a major sin, you can still become among the Rahman." How? What is the mechanism? If you have committed a major sin, then you repent, and you renew your Iman, and you follow up with good deeds, then Allah will take that major sin and substitute it for a good deed. So there is a chance to become among the Rahman, no matter what you have done. Even if you have done murder, the verse is saying, if you have truly repented to Allah, turned over, and you leave committed, you renewed your Iman, and done good deeds after that, then Allah Azzawajal will allow you to reach the ranks of the Rahman. This is one of the most optimistic verses in the Quran. You can become Ibadur Rahman, even if you've done Shirk, even if you've done these major sins, if you truly repent to Allah. Not just that, but if a true repentance will actually bring about a conversion of the sin into a good deed. Rather than being punished for drinking alcohol, let's say, rather than being punished, if the drunkard truly repents and makes a complete change with his life and turns over a new leaf, it is possible that a life of sins will then be rewarded. Because in fact, those sins were used as a catalyst to become among the Rahman. Allah gives this opportunity. Even if you've done these sins, you still have the opportunity to be among the Rahman.
Then Allah says, "They are not giving false testimonies." Right? So their, their tongue is always speaking the truth. They're not giving falsehoods. They're not giving lies in business contracts, in the Shahada of the court, when they're interacting with other people. They have integrity. They have honesty. This is very similar to what has come in the beginning of the verse, when the foolish confront them, they say "Salaam." This is similar, but it's even higher than this. When they pass by gatherings of Laghw, what are gatherings of Laghw? The scholars say anything that is a waste of time, anything that is undignified. They pass by with dignity. So they don't get involved in that which is not their business. They don't get involved in that which will be of no benefit. They don't get involved in, you know, every society and culture, the default is they just waste their time. People just get together and do something of no value. And Ibadur Rahman are not like this. They are higher than this. So they pass by such gatherings with dignity. At the same time, and if nothing Haram is happening there, they're not going to become irritated or angry, but they're not going to waste their time over there. So when they go by Laghw, they go by with Kiram, with dignity.
Then Allah says, "When they are reminded of Allah's signs, of the Quran, of something they're falling short in, they're not arrogant. They accept the advice and they listen to it." So another characteristic of the believer, of Ibadur Rahman, is that they are receptive to Nasiha. They're receptive to being corrected. They're receptive to listening to the good. There's an indication here as well that they love to attend circles of knowledge. They want to be amongst the righteous. They want to listen to the Quran and Sunnah. They want to be taught Islam. So to be associated with, to be associated with knowledge, to be reminded of Allah and His Messenger, this is of the signs of Ibadur Rahman.
And then the final characteristic that is mentioned is the final Dua. As well, they want righteous family, righteous spouse, and they ask Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to make their family righteous as well. So a characteristic of Ibadur Rahman is that they're not only interested in themselves. They have to monitor their families as well. They have to take care of their families as well. You cannot be a righteous person and neglect your family. You cannot be among the Rahman and your family has nothing to do with their Ibadah of you. You have to be involved in their life, bring the barakah up with them, constantly make Dua for them, want them to be better and good as well. And make Dua to Allah Azzawajal, "Give us of our progeny and of our children that which will be a comfort of our eyes and souls."
The final thing that is mentioned, "And make us an Imam for the Muttaqin." I've talked about this phrase multiple times. The meaning of Imam here is not the prayer leader. The meaning of Imam here is role model. And we desire to be role models for the believers. We desire to be so pious and so righteous, not for them, but so that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala makes us role models for the other righteous. The Muttaqin should look at us and say, "Oh, this is a person who has Sabr. This is a person who has Iman. This is a person who has generosity. This is a person who is generous." But we do so not for our ego. We do so so that we can get the Sadaqah. We do so so that we rise to the highest ranks. And we ask Allah for this. We don't ask the people. Yes, we want to be role models and we want to be the Imams of the Muttaqin. But not for our ego. We want them. How else are we going to get to the highest rank? How else are we going to be the best of the best? By becoming the Imams of the Muttaqin. We want to get that piety and righteousness to leave Sadaqah, to cause an impact on people. It is not wrong to want to be the best of the best. On the contrary, that is the essence of Iman. We want to be the best of the best. But we ask Allah to be the best of the best. We don't ask people. We don't make that the direct goal. It's an indirect goal that, "Ya Rabb, make us so good, make us so righteous, make us so pious that even the pious consider us to be a leader amongst them." This is a Dua we're making. Into we're making in the middle of the night. That's the Dua we're making. Imam.
These are all of the characteristics. The final one of them. You want to be the best of the best. If we reach that, and if we're able to do that, those are the people. They will get the Firdaus. The Firdaus is the highest place of Jannah. If you went over this in my lecture series of Jannah, that Jannah has two broad categories, two largely broad categories. The higher category is the Firdaus. And the highest of the Firdaus is Jannatul Firdaus. So the Firdaus, you can say the VIP suites, right? This is the highest level. As in Surah, you have the S, right? The Sabr. That's the Firdaus. That's, you know, the average. You go to the, the plane section. You have the economy class, you have the business class, right? So the Firdaus is the, the business class. The Firdaus is the front row. That's what we want. So, uh, those are the people. They're going to get the VIP suites. The so the Ibadur Rahman are the higher level of the believers. These are the, if you want to say 11, and if you say 13, depending on how you sub-categorize them. These are the characteristics. I advise myself and all of you to go back to this section, read it on your own with your own translation, understand this list, put it in your mind, and then try your best to implement all of these things. Even if you can't do it regularly, at least partially begin this, so that Insha'Allah, we could be of those who are the people of the world. I am.