Transcription
Dear friends, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself stated some of the purposes of his arrival. Among them, the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated one purpose, which is present in Bukhari. He said, "I have been sent to perfect noble character." To refine your character, your way of life, your mannerisms, your dealings – in all these things, I have been sent to spread good character. And regarding the character of the Holy Prophet himself, Allah said, "And indeed, you are of a great moral character." Your character is great.
There is a need for us to adopt good qualities very quickly. This is because the cruelty and indifference cannot be stopped by mere slogans. The impatience that is ingrained in our natures will not disappear by simply dismissing good advice. We need to implement certain things practically from the lessons that stem from these pieces of advice, from the lessons learned from these gatherings, and from the advice that is instilled upon us. For example, one thing that has spread very rapidly is restlessness, anxiety, impatience, lack of forbearance, and lack of tolerance.
And I submit to you, this lack of tolerance has become a global problem. People do not accept things. There is no stability in their temperament. Hearts appear to be constricted. People engage in trivial matters. In Arab society, people were harsh-tempered. Everyone complained about the rudeness of the Bedouins there. Their tone was harsher than stones. But the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) demonstrated forbearance. The Prophet, with that forbearance, with that patience. People also fail because they lack forbearance. They are impatient, hasty, and express restlessness in every matter.
Look at this authentic hadith from Bukhari. Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, "I was with the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), and he was wearing a red striped sheet. A Bedouin came and pulled the sheet of the Beloved (peace be upon him) forcefully. He says, 'I myself saw the mark of the sheet on the sacred neck of the Prophet.' When the Prophet turned his attention towards him, do you know what he said? He said, 'Give me something from the wealth that Allah has given you.'" He came as a beggar, came to ask, and the situation was that he was holding the sacred sheet and pulling it. He pulled it so hard that marks appeared on his neck. But Hazrat Anas bin Malik says, his action was so harsh that it left a mark on the sacred body of the Beloved. But when he said, "I have come to ask for something," he says, "At that moment, I wished I could sacrifice myself for him when the Prophet heard his words and began to smile."
This perfection was bestowed by Allah only upon the Beloved Prophet. He is the one who cares for the troubles of his own and others, who fulfills the desires of the poor, who helps others in times of distress. He is being treated so harshly, with the sacred sheet being pulled, yet he smiles. If a beggar knocks on our door forcefully, we say, "Brother, have you come for charity or to take a loan? You will break the door!" But the situation is that he left a mark on the sacred neck, yet the Prophet smiled.
My friends, there is a need to bring some stability to our natures. The forbearance of the Prophet, the patience of the Prophet. Our impatience, the entanglement of our natures, quarreling over trivial matters, getting entangled in small things. Believe me, this does not allow us to adhere to certain arrangements and matters in gatherings and assemblies. If someone is told, "Please wait a moment," "Come after waiting a bit," "Choose this door instead of that door." But our nature is such that we want everything to be as we desire. We do not want to be bound by any rule, any custom, any principle, because there is no forbearance.
O youth, knowledge will only benefit that person who has forbearance. The elder will be called an elder who has forbearance. The wise person will be called wise who has forbearance, who has the capacity to endure, whose chest is expansive. That is, the heart is like a vast ocean, deep and wide. Who can know the depth of the heart? An expansive chest.
And then, another important thing we must learn from our Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is courage, bravery, strong thinking, and a strong way of life. Not a fearful approach, not a timid approach. No, lest our hands and feet become weak at the slightest thing. Some people become victims of depression by thinking about things that have not even happened yet. And in homes where there is more comfort and ease, where life has become comfortable, anxiety and depression are more prevalent. If you become agitated and distressed at the slightest thing, it is a sign of restlessness.
And Allah says, "Indeed, We created man in struggle." He has to struggle, he has to strive. And a wise person, and a wealthy person, yet at the slightest thing, his hands and feet become weak. Look at this hadith as well, and gain inspiration from the noble character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
In Mishkat, Bukhari, and Muslim, there is a hadith from Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). He narrates, "One night, a voice was heard in Medina, someone was shouting and screaming. All the people of Medina got up and gathered spears, shields, and swords, and went towards the direction from where the voice was coming to find out what had happened. He says, 'We were preparing to go there when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) returned on horseback from there. And the Prophet said, "Sleep, sleep, sleep. I have seen, there is no danger."'" We were still preparing to go, but this is the courage, the bravery, the valor of my Beloved Prophet. You must keep your heart strong in life. You must keep your spirit strong. Some people get scared very easily, get distressed very easily. Before five minutes, their heart starts pounding, their heart beats rapidly. Oh brother, stop. "There are worlds beyond the stars, and further stages of love." This work has to go much further. But nervousness, restlessness, distress – this is not the characteristic of a believer.
To turn back, to pounce, to pounce and turn back – this is just an excuse to keep the blood warm. Live a strong life, spend time with a strong spirit. Make up your mind that problems will come in life, you have to face them. Your mind should be prepared. Tell me, the young person has to become old, hasn't he? If someone is sick, then at some point, God forbid, that will also come when illness arrives, strength weakens. But if you always have this thought of being distressed, then how will things progress? So, seek the grace of the Prophet for bravery.
The noble companions say that when there was a battle, we found the Holy Prophet closest to the enemy. In one battle, we intended to retreat a little and attack again. But Hazrat Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) says, "The Beloved would spur his horse and enter the battle and keep moving forward." The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) would advance. So I submitted, "O Messenger of Allah, let us retreat a little and attack again." He said, "No, brother, we will not retreat. I am a Prophet." This is also true, and I am Abdul Muttalib. This is also true. Therefore, we will not retreat, we will advance forward.
So, my friends, no nervousness, no restlessness, no entanglement. From the Beloved of the Mawlid Sharif, gain this inspiration that we must always keep our spirits strong.
Then, Allah, in His wisdom, has distributed wealth among people. This is His wisdom. In Surah Ash-Shura, Allah says, "And if Allah were to enlarge provision for His servants, they would surely commit oppression on the earth. But He sends down by measure as He wills. Indeed, He is, of His servants, Acquainted and Seeing." If everyone were given abundance in wealth, there would be mischief and rebellion on earth. Not everyone is given abundance in wealth. But the wealthy whom Allah bestows wealth upon, they have a right of the poor. The Quran says, "And in their wealth is a right for the petitioner and the deprived."
Consider what I am saying. It is a right upon the rich person, for the poor. You have a concern for them. They have come to ask, and Allah's Quran says they have come to claim their right. When a person's temperament becomes financially constricted, they become stingy, miserly. Allah has given them abundance financially, but there is a slight constriction in their temperament. Then, even then, trouble arises in the environment. Allah bestows more wealth upon some people. Their responsibility is to care for their poor sisters and brothers, friends, beggars, the needy, orphans, widows, the weak. Help them financially and consider it their right.
If we remember just one saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), then believe me, our hearts will never be constricted while spending. The Prophet said, "What Allah gives you, He gives you by the blessing of your weak ones. And He gives you because of the poor who eat the bread in your house." So, if this mindset is formed, that "Allah knows by whose blessing He is giving," then when someone comes, the person's heart will not be constricted, they will not be distressed, they will not be agitated.
There are also generous people in history who, when someone came to take something, would thank them, saying, "My dear, thank you for considering me worthy enough to be of some help to you." From the noble character of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), from his pure life, the inspiration we receive, understand this point well. You will read in biographies of the Prophet that for months, no fire was lit in their homes, no stove was lit. They lived on dates and water. And if a piece of gold remained in the house, the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would quickly go home after praying and give it away in charity for the sake of Allah. He did not keep anything in the house. They prayed for one meal to be hungry and one meal to have bread.
But Hazrat Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates in both Bukhari and Muslim, "Whenever anyone asked the Prophet for something, we never heard the word 'no' from the Prophet's tongue. The Prophet never said 'no'." May Allah make me able to explain to you. That is, for months, the stove was not lit in the house, they were praying for food, but when someone came to ask, the Prophet never uttered the word "no" from his tongue. Is there any beloved like this anywhere? Is there? He sits on a mat, but he is seated on the Throne. What does the universe not have from your door? There is no word that is not on your lips.
And look, Fazil Barelvi says, "What generosity and kindness, O King of Kings! What generosity and kindness, O King of Kings! Your beggar does not hear, does not hear!" And Ala Hazrat Fazil Barelvi (may Allah have mercy on him) says, "Torrents of giving flow, that is a drop from you. And constellations of generosity bloom, that is a speck from you." Beloved, when torrents of giving flow, it is known that my beloved has given a drop to someone, and torrents are flowing in their house. And Fazil Barelvi says, when the entire constellations of generosity and magnanimity bloom, and the entire house and palace are illuminated, it means that the generous beloved has given a speck to someone.
If anyone asked my generous beloved for a drop, he gave rivers, he gave oceans. Cultivate a generous disposition and a request to the poor: The Prophet said, "Allah deals with a person in the same way as he thinks of Him." Cultivate a generous disposition. The Prophet said, "A person is rich in heart." You intend to say, "O Allah, give, and I will distribute among Your servants." You intend to say it. He is generous, what delay is there in giving?
The generosity of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and what kind of generosity? What was the style of that generosity? The servant of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates that a person came to the Prophet's court and asked for the flock of sheep that stood between two mountains. This is the court of the Prophet. The Beloved (peace be upon him) gave it all away. He gave it all away. Now, that villager went and announced according to his own style. Everyone has their own style of announcing, right? He announced in his village according to his own style, saying, "Go to Medina, everyone! The Prophet gives so much that the fear of poverty is removed. Go to Medina Munawwara, the Beloved distributes like this."
O my friends, where should generosity begin? The Prophet said, "Eat two meals for three, and three are enough for four, and four for five." Make up your mind, intend to share, intend to give. Then see what approach Allah adopts.
Do not be angry with me. Generally, when money comes to a person, they first leave their village, they leave the neighborhood they live in. Because now, to the right, to the left, in front, behind, there are "bad people." And they feel it is very important to go where there are only bungalows, only palaces, only mansions. Because they do not remember their old neighborhood, the broken road. My village's poor villager was happy about the road being built. Why was he upset when his children went to the city and never returned? People understood.
Sometimes it happens that Allah has given you something. It was supposed that you would distribute to the right, to the left, in front, behind. You went and sat among the rich. Go, there is no harm, no prohibition. But do you also remember those people who used to live with you, who used to spend time with you? Create space in your heart, in your nature, for them as well.
My dear, the Messenger of Allah distributed, the Holy Prophet gave. And Fazil Barelvi says, "Whichever direction the hand was raised, he made them rich. The Prophet, to whom he gave, he also made them givers." So, this habit of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Another thing, sometimes people demand certain things from us that are apparently difficult for us. I tell you the truth, sometimes our nature does not want to do those things, and apparently, it feels like, "This work is not right." You are not looking at the time, you are not looking at the environment, you are not looking at the weather. Sometimes such demands are made that are not appropriate. But this is also a perfection of the noble character of my Beloved: the Prophet always tried to please the one who came. If he said something out of season, he would change the tone a bit.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), when he used to leave after the Fajr prayer, Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the slaves and maidservants of Medina Munawwara would bring water in their cups and offer it, saying, "Dip your hand in this." You will find this hadith in Bukhari, Muslim, and the six authentic books. That is, their belief was that if the Beloved touched it, it would become blessed.
Now, sometimes what happens is a cold winter morning. That is, a cold morning in winter. They are accustomed to bringing water in the morning. Cold water, Fajr time, winter time. But when the slaves brought it and offered the cups, Hazrat Anas bin Malik says, "May I be sacrificed for the son of Sayyida Amina! He never withdrew his hand. He would immediately dip his hand." The Beloved would console them, show kindness, and give. The Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never withdrew his hand. He did not look at the weather. They brought it in the cold, but this is the Generous One. And no one ever left the door of the Generous One empty-handed. "Whichever direction the hand was raised, he made them rich." Millions of salutations upon the ocean of generosity. The Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) would give.
O friends, perhaps sometimes a mother might give an order out of season, or a father might say something that does not suit your temperament. Perhaps sometimes family members might say something that is temporarily unbearable. But look at the character of my Prophet, look at the way of the Prophet. O celebrators of Mawlid, O those who shout in the name of the Beloved, cultivate that expansiveness in your own temperament as well. Perhaps some people might do something that is apparently not according to your nature. But say, "We are followers of that Messenger who always used to be the support of hearts, who used to bring coolness."
Dear brother, I have one more thing to mention to you. This anger that is in a person's nature, not getting angry is also a disease. Anger should also be there. One should be wrathful towards the enemies of religion. The Beloved also used to get angry. Hazrat Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) says, "If someone broke the limits of religion, the Sharia, then he would get angry." Some people say, "So-and-so never gets angry." I said, "This is also a disease. This also needs treatment." If the commands of religion are not obeyed somewhere, and he does not get angry, then this is also a treatable disease, or it also needs treatment.
You should also get angry sometimes in matters of religion. In the hadith where this phrase is present, "Love for the sake of Allah's pleasure," it also says, "And have enmity for the sake of Allah's pleasure." Anger is also needed. But our problem is, we do not get angry at the enemies of religion. Humanity awakens there. We get angry at personal enemies. And the Prophet's character is that one should not get angry at personal enemies at all.
Hazrat Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) has stated the hadith. She has given this word, and this is a great moral principle. We should never break this principle in our lives. Sayyida Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates, "The Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never took revenge on anyone for his own sake. Never." This is present in Muslim Sharif. And friends, never for his own sake. O those who have come to celebrate Mawlid, O those who are present in the gatherings of Mawlid, there are so many quarrels right now that are purely personal quarrels. We have made ourselves idols, God forbid. We have distanced ourselves from people. The Prophet never took revenge for his own sake. If he ever got angry, it was for the sake of the limits of religion. Where it is a personal matter, we will shatter the idol of our own selves.
And then a person gets angry. People get angry at their subordinates. They get angry. And some are so foolish that they even get angry at women. But this habit of my Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is present in the authentic books and authentic hadith. The Beloved never hit any servant with his blessed hand, nor did he ever raise his hand against any woman. The Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated this boundary: you should never take revenge on anyone for your own sake. Try to form this thought. Try to implement this rule in your life. We have created personal quarrels and personal matters everywhere.
This is a very famous incident of Taif. People threw stones. And when the angel came and said, "O Messenger of Allah, command me, and I will crush them," what did the Prophet say? He said, "They do not believe, so it is hoped that their descendants will embrace Islam. Allah will raise people from their progeny who will be saved from polytheism and declare the oneness of Allah. Therefore, we should not adopt a harsh approach towards them."
My friends, another problem has arisen among us. I am coming towards concluding the talk, but seeing your enthusiasm, my spirit is also increasing to talk more with you. Someone had said, "No, deny it today, O Saqi, the weather is very pleasant. Pour down the wine of intoxication, the thirst is unbearable." So, my heart feels like opening my heart to you and sharing some of the feelings I perceive in society.
Another tendency that has become strong in us is to curse, to speak ill, to say harsh and unpleasant words. Believe me, nowadays, words are spoken from religious stages, God forbid. And such conversations are carried out in a market-like language that does not befit such a stage. Sitting in such an honorable place, you are speaking such weak words, such raw words, and uttering such a phrase that is merely a market phrase. "Well, so-and-so said it, so I am saying it in response." You will descend to their level.
"The ignorant said, 'Peace be upon you.'" When conversing with the ignorant, one is greeted with peace. One does not speak by descending to their level. This method is not correct, my dear. Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when it was said at one place, "O Messenger of Allah, pray for their destruction," the Prophet said, "I have not been sent as a curser. I have been sent as a mercy to all worlds." Listen, what you have been sent as. Hazrat Isa Alaihissalam was being insulted by a person, and you were praying for him. A companion said, "O Messenger of Allah, he is insulting you, and you are praying for him." He said, "What is inside him is coming out, and what is inside me is coming out." So, what is stored inside will come out. Now, what is filled inside some people will come out.
May Allah make the Ummah remember this saying of Hazrat Anas bin Malik. Hazrat Anas bin Malik narrates, "The Holy Prophet was not vulgar. He did not say anything that was against etiquette. He was not a curser, and his speech was not like the way people converse with vulgar language." He says, "If the Prophet ever got very angry, he would say only these words: 'May his forehead be covered with dust.' Never did my Noble Prophet utter any other word of anger." "May his forehead be covered with dust." Never did a phrase of anger come from the Prophet's tongue.
I will submit to you, your tone should be so sweet, so respectful, your words should be so measured and beautiful. You should not have to shout and say, "I am a slave, I am a slave of the Messenger." Rather, it should be understood from your tone that this is no ordinary person, this is a slave of the Messenger of Allah. Your tone indicates that this is a slave of the Messenger of Allah. The impact of your words and phrases shows that this is a slave of the Messenger of Allah. That is, you should say, "I am a slave of the Prophet of the garden of roses, my sweet words are, I am a salt-eater of the Prophet." I eat the Prophet's salt, therefore there is sweetness in my tone.
So, Allah the Almighty sent the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the world with the heights of noble character. One thing that the Ummah needs to understand greatly today, and on which the Ummah needs to ponder a lot, is that the Ummah will now have to adhere to certain boundaries. You will have to establish certain principles in your lives, make certain rules. Do you know that the people who live the best lives in the world are those who manage their time? The most valuable person is he who has strengthened his time.
If we show strictness even as a reaction, then what have we learned? What have we gained? We have to travel on the heights of noble character. On the heights. One great characteristic of the Prophet is that the Noble Prophet used to forgive. The Prophet used to pardon. And not just pardon. What I am about to say is special. One is to forgive someone, and after forgiving, to remind them of the favor and to maintain your attitude towards them as if, "See, I have forgiven you, that is enough." It is not enough to say, "I did not say anything to you." This is not the attitude. Rather, many people forgive in such a way that they first open their entire diary, turn all the pages and leaves, and tell them so many things: "You did this too, you did this too." And finally, they forgive. So, it is not forgiveness. They have punished them fully with their words. They have already done everything. Now, that forgiveness is not like forgiveness. It feels like, "Those were your words. They became like swords and spears and pierced the chest completely. Now what are you forgiving?"
Look at the perfection of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Hazrat Abu Sufyan remained the leader and commander in every battle, fighting against us. But on the occasion of the Conquest of Mecca, when he came seeking forgiveness and when he embraced Islam, my Beloved accepted his conversion in such a way and forgave him in such a manner that he did not just forgive him, but my Messenger also bestowed honor upon him. The Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him) also bestowed honor. Hazrat Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) was forgiven. He said, "You are forgiven. You have recited the Kalima, it is accepted. And also said, 'Whoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan will also be forgiven.'"
See, he was forgiven, and he was also honored. He was given honor and status. What would Hazrat Abu Sufyan have thought? What would those people have felt? Where did our time pass, and what honor did we receive? He said, "We forgive you and give you honor." This is the disposition of my Noble Prophet. He said to Uthman bin Talha, "You can visit the Kaaba from inside." The Prophet said, "I will take the key from you one day." On the occasion of the Conquest of Mecca, the Prophet took the key. He says, "I took the key." The Prophet said, "I took the key." But when I came forward with the intention of seeking forgiveness, I was forgiven, and the key was also returned. That is, the Prophet forgave and also bestowed honor.
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) honored Hazrat Saad bin Ma'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), the chief of his tribe. He became a Muslim, a servant of the Prophet. And such a dignified person, in whose funeral procession the Beloved himself participated, at whose grave the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stood and recited Tasbih. The Beloved Prophet gave him so much honor. Hazrat Saad bin Ma'adh came, and the Prophet said, "Stand up and welcome him, your chief has come." The Prophet bestowed honor.
We, if we forgive, do not cleanse our hearts. We do not create expansiveness. Those who made mistakes, they asked for forgiveness many times. A mistake was made by the daughter-in-law, her father also came and asked for forgiveness, her mother also asked, that daughter also asked many times. We said, "Okay, fine." We did not cleanse our hearts. The burden does not remain in the heart of a believer. There are no burdens in the heart. The believer's heart is clean. A mistake was made by our younger brother. Our neighbor made a mistake once. That's enough, man. We are followers of that Beloved, who first gave forgiveness. The Prophet used to forgive immediately. The Prophet's way was to forgive.
We will intend to be patient in our attitudes, and Allah will also help us. If we think, "I will work on changing my habits one by one," then Allah is very generous, He will be merciful. You try. May some of your nature change. The burden of our attitudes is unbearable for many people. The harshness of our tone has become a source of pain for many people. Our demeanor hurts the hearts of the elderly, oppresses the poor, and creates trials in many places. We need to pay special attention to our character.
Today, when you leave this dignified gathering, ponder deeply on your tone, your demeanor, your character, and your attitude. Bring about some beautiful changes within yourselves so that people realize that "this person has changed from this Mawlid." I pray to Allah that He accepts our presence.