بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله رب العالمين.  نحمده حمدا كثيرا طيبا مباركا.  هو اهل الثناء و الحمد و المجد.  سبحانه و تعالى عما يشركون.  اللهم صلي و سلم و بارك على اشرف الخلق المبعوث رحمة للعالمين سيدنا و حبيبنا و شفيعنا و قائدنا محمد بن عبد الله و على الخ و صحبه و من سار على نهجه و اقتدى بسنته الى يوم الدين.

 

أما بعد,

 

My dearest brothers and sisters; a person from those whom Allah (swt) bestowed on them His blessings by opening for him the gates of knowledge said:

 

مساكين اهل الدنيا!  خرجوا منها و لم يذوقوا أحلى ما فيها!

“Those who are seeking the pleasures of this world are truly poor losers!  They depart from it without tasting its greatest pleasure”

 

His followers asked him: “what is the greatest pleasure in this world?”

 

He replied:

محبة الله! والانس بالله !  و الغنى عما سواه!  و السعي في رضاه! و الرضا بقضاه !و الشوق الى لقاه!

 

“To be in love with Allah! 

To feel His presence and to be happy of His company!

To seek His pleasure and strive to please Him.

To in a state of longing to meet Him.

 And to accept whatever He decrees (His Qadhaa)”

 

Brothers and sisters,

 

To be in love with Allah is a topic that is rarely raised these days but it is very important.  It is important because it is the basis for leading satisfactory lives.  Allah (swt) had never promised us that we will live a life that is full of happiness in this world but He promised us that we can lead a life full of satisfaction.  If happiness in this world were to last, it would have been granted to our greatest Prophet Muhammad (saws).  It was not!  His life (peace be upon him) was filled with hardship, hurdles and he had to face sadness very frequently.  But that did not stop him from living a life full of satisfaction.

 

That is a fact of life that one feels sad for the loss of his beloved ones, and that happened even to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); imagine the sadness which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had to endure when his son Ibraheem departed from this world.  Ibraheem was born for Prophet Muhammad (saws) at the age of 60.  Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was so happy to have him, that when he was born, Prophet Muhammad (saws) carried him in his arms and went to the houses of Madinah.  He knocked their doors one by one and whenever a door was opened, he would say: Have seen my son, Ibraheem, come look at him.  Yet, my dearest brothers and sisters, this happiness did not last and he had to bury him less than two years later.  But what kept Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) going strong was his love to Allah (swt).  

 

أحبب من شئت فإنك مفارقه و أعمل ما شئت فإنك ملاقيه

 

Love whomever you wish, surely one day you will be separated.  And do whatever you like; surely you will be rewarded accordingly.

 

Yes! That is true we all will be separated.  But if you make Allah (swt) the object of your love; He will never forsake you and He will never leave or disappoint you.

 

Those who seek pleasure in wealth, they know how to reach it.  Those who seek pleasure in sex, they know how to reach it.  Anyone who seeks pleasure in something knows or learns how to get it.  But, how do you seek pleasure in the love of Allah (swt)?

 

قل إن كنتم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله و يغفر ذنوبكم

Say (O Muhammad to your followers): if you truly love Allah then follow my path?  It is only then, Allah will love you and forgive your sins.

 

When things got tough on Prophet Muhammad (saws) in Mecca, Allah (swt) took him up to heaven and told him of his true status:

 

وعزتي و جلالي يا محمد! لو سلكوا إلي كل طريق و أستفتحواعلي كل باب ما فتحت لهم حتى يأتوا خلفك

By My Glory and Might! O Muhammad!  Were they to follow every path to please Me; and were they to seek my pleasure in every in what ever way they find.  I would not admit them until they come following you O Muhamamd!

 

Your only way to Allah and the only door to Allah is following Prophet Muhammad (saws); following his sunnah; his character; his way of life.

 

Ayshah (may Allah be pleased with her) described Prophet Muhammad with three words:

 

كان خلقه القران

 

He was a living Quran.

 

To follow Prophet Muhammad (saws) is to follow the Quran and whoever follows the Quran will find satisfaction in his life.

 

When a person achieves true love to Allah (swt) he will find Allah (swt) in his company all the time (الانس بالله).

The greatest example of this is in Surah Al Noor:

 

الله نور السماوات و الارض مثل نوره كمشكاة فيها مصباح, المصباح في زجاجة, الزجاجة كأنها كوكب دري يوقد من شجرة مباركة زيتونه لا شرقيه و لا غربيه يكاد زيتها يضيء و لو لم تمسسه نار نور على نور يهدي الله لنوره من يشاء

 

“Allah is the Noor of heavens and earth, the example of His Noor is a cage inside it there is a lamp.  The lamp is inside a glass.  The glass is like a reflecting star it derives its light from a blessed tree.  An olive tree that is neither leaning east not does it lean west; its oil bursts with light without even it being burnt by fire.  Noor upon Noor.  Allah guides to His Noor whomever He wishes.

 

This whole verse describes the heart of a true believer.  And you cannot have more honor than the Noor of Allah in your heart.  Prophet Muhamamd (peace be upon him) told us that Allah (the Exalted) says:

 

ما وسعتني سمائي ولا أرضي و لكن قلب عبدي الموءمن

 

Neither the heavens nor the earth can contain Me, but the heart of My believing servant does.  

 

That is when the state of أنس goes a step higher to the state of الغنى عما سواه  (being independent of all but Allah).  The true freedom; comes only when your satisfaction is not connected to any material object in this world, because if it is, it will sooner or later weaken and dwindle and finally end or vanish.

 

When Allah becomes the object of your desires and the source of your pleasures, you will strive to please him and find satisfaction and pleasure in everything that comes from Him.  Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described this state when he said:

 

عجبت لامر الموءمن, كل أمره له خير.  إن أصابته حسنة شكر و ان أصابته سيئة صبر

The state of a true believer is amazing!  What ever happens to him is good for him.  He is thankful when good happens to him and he is patient when adversity touches him.

 

Hence, he reaches the stage of الرضا to be satisfied with Allah as his Lord and God, just as Prophet Muhammad (saws) said:

ذاق حلاوة الايمان من رضي بالله ربا و بالاسلام دينا و بمحمد نبيا

A person who accepts with full satisfaction: Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion and Muhammad (saws) as his messenger, has indeed tasted the sweetness of Iman.

 

And that is when the greatest reward from Allah (swt) comes:

رضي الله عنهم و رضوا عنه

Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.

 

For Allah to be pleased with you, that is a great reward but that your satisfaction being important, and to make it something of a value to Him is a great honour.  When Allah (swt) sends Jibreel (as) to Prophet Muhammad (saws) to tell him: O Muhammad! Convey salam from Allah to Abu Bakr an dtell him that Allah is pleased with him.  Is he pleased with us?

The message reaches Abu Bakr and he says: Yes we are pleased, yes we are pleased.  Hence, رضي الله عنهم و رضوا عنه.

 

اللهم ربنا أغفر لنا و ارحمنا و ارض عنا يا أرحم الراحمين