Advice to those who want to be on the Straight Path
Shaykh Saleh as-Suhaimi
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Brothers and sisters, I praise Allah tabaraka wa Ta'alaa that he has gathered us together and has gathered us first and foremost before every and anything upon Islaam. And the greatest blessing that Allah subhana wa ta'alaa has showered upon us is the blessing of Islaam. The blessings of Allah subhana wa ta'ala are many. As Allah says :
"Were you to count the blessings of Allah you could not do so."
But out of all of those blessings is the greatest blessing...the blessing of Islaam. For Islaam guarantees for the one who sticks to it a good ending. A good ending for the one who sticks to it and is sincere and stays upon the path that his final destination will be Jannah. But as for him who doesn't enter Islaam then his final destination is an Nar - the hellfire and we seek refuge in Allah from that. So the greatest blessing of an individual is the blessing of Islaam. No matter what his status may be in this world the greatest blessing is Islaam. And this is due to the grace of Allah upon us. And we praise Allah who has guided us to this because if it wasn't for the guidance of Allah we would not have been guided.
When Islaam ruled the world and when Islaam was in a state of superiority hundreds of years ago , then the world was lead with justice. And the world was lead with goodness and safety and security. All of those matters that the people call today
" human rights ", Allah guarded them. Islaam put them in their proper place. Islaam reserved them and preserved them without exaggeration in either direction. As Allah has said in the Quran :
" And we made you into middle nations so that you may be a witness over them and so that the Messenger of Allah may be a witness over you."
The Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam stated " Give glad tidings and make things easy for the people and do not make them hard." And the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam stated " This deen is easy, and no one goes in extreme with it except that it overcomes him." So were the Muslims to put into practice this deen and were they to follow the Quran and Sunnah without any extremeness or lacking then they would be upon that which was sound and they could guide those amongst the creation.
My brothers and sisters, this middle course that we are been talking about is what we have been ordered by Allah subhana wa ta'alaa to ask for everyday in salaat and it is
Guide us the straight path. Not the path of those who have angered you or earned your punishment nor those who have gone astray.
So the straight path is the path that has no crookedness in it whatsoever. It is that path between going to the extreme and the lacking in not doing your responsibilities whatsoever. It is not too much to the right, nor is it too much to the left. But it is in the center and it is straight. Allah subhana wa ta'aal says :
"And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will lead you astray. "
Abdullah ibn Masud radiallahu anhu narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam drew a straight line. And besides that straight line he drew smaller lines to the left and the right of it. Then he pointed to the straight line and said " This is the straight path." Then he pointed to the smaller lines and said " These are paths upon which are devils calling to it." He then recited :
"And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will lead you astray. "
This is what you are to be advised so that you may achieve taqwa.
Brothers and sisters, in order to follow this middle course there are certain qualities and principles that we must stick to. The first is Ilm, knowledge and learning and having fiqh in deen. Because this is the only way anyone will be able to practice this deen in a manner that pleases Allah. Knowledge is very important to such a degree that Allah subhana wa ta'alaa , amongst the first matters that were revealed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam was that matter pushing him towards knowledge and that was
" Read in the name of your Lord who created you. He created man from a clot and then taught him to write with the pen.. "
to the end of the verses that are well known to us. So ÇÞúÑóÃú read and learn and study is pushing towards the matter of knowledge . Imam al Bukharee raheimahullah has a chapter in his saheeh entitled that Knowledge comes before every saying and action
Knowledge is before every saying and action. Then he brings some evidence for it and that is an ayat in Suratu Muhammad
" You should know that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and seek forgiveness for your sins."
So brothers and sisters, there's no success, there's no honour, there's no way of actualizing tawheed, there's no way of properly following the Sunnah unless one has knowledge Neda one has fiqh in the matters of deen.
The next advice to be amongst those who are upon the middle course, the straight path, is having or possessing the quality of taqwa, the fear of Allah subhana wa ta'alaa and the awareness of Allah subhana wa ta'alaa. And taqwa is the means to every good and he who wants to learn must have taqwa. And he who has taqwa Allah will educate him. As Allah says: And fear Allah and Allah will teach you. So taqwa is to be upright and to be upon the orders of Allah. And to strive to make worship, and to be upon the Sunnah of the Messenger sallallahu alayhe was salaam . This is what is meant by taqwa. And taqwa has many benefits, from the removal of difficulties and obstacles. From the raising of illnesses and sicknesses. From the forgiveness of sins and protection from that which is harmful. Allah says :
" And he who fears Allah, He will make a way out for that person and provide for them ."
And He says :
" He who fears Allah, He will make it easy."
And He says :
" He who fears Allah He will remove their sins and increase their rewards."
The Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam said in an authentic hadeeth " Fear Allah wherever you are.." meaning whatever time, whatever place , whatever circumstance or situation and the individual should be aware of and Fear Allah.
The next matter is sticking and holding on to the rope of Allah tabaraka wa ta'alaa and the rope of Allah is the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger sallallahu alayhe was salaam. Sticking to it and applying it and acting upon it. This is the way that brings about unity. So holding onto the rope of Allah tabaraka wa ta'alaa as Allah says:
" And hold fast all of you together to the rope of Allah and do not seperate."
and Allah says:
" Help one another in birr and taqwa , but do not help one another in sin and transgression. "
And Allah says:
" Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he has forbidden, abstain from it."
And Allah says:
" Answer the call of Allah and His messenger when they call you to that which will give you life."
And the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam said " I have left you two matters, that if you hold onto you will never go astray, the Book of Allah and my Sunnah." And the Messenger sallallahu alayhe was salaam said : " Stick to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khulafa. Bite upon it with your molar teeth"
So this is the matter that must be understood. That we must practice the Sunnah, and stick to the Sunnah, and be upon the Sunnah for this is the means of unity and we must be warned against seperating and differing because it is evil and dangerous. Seperation is evil. Seperation is dangerous. Splitting and differing is evil. Splitting and differing is dangerous. For it makes the muslims to the enemies of Islaam like a well placed meal on a spoon that they eat upon or place in their mouths. And due to the differing and seperation of the muslims, they are able to achieve their goals of control and dominance. And splitting is something that Allah has mentioned as blameworthy throughout the Quran. Allah says :
" And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment."
And the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam has stated that there will come a time when all of the nations will gather upon you like a diner gathers around a plate to eat the food. So the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam asked " Will this be because we are a small amount O' messenger of Allah?" He said " No, you will be many but you will be like the filth upon the ocean." This is how the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam described them when they split and they seperate and they differ in the matters of their deen, that they will be like the filth upon the ocean. So they way to solve the matter of seperation and bring about unity is to stick to the Book of Allah and stick to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhe was salaam and gather the people upon that and push the people towards that.
Imaam Maalik radiallahu anhu stated that nothing will correct this latter part of the Ummah except that which corrected the earlier part of this Ummah. Allah says in the Quran:
" Whoever follows the Messenger after the guidance has been made clear, and follows a path other than the path of the believers, Allah will lead him to that which he has chosen and will place him into the hellfire."
The Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam established matters of the Sunnah, and those in authority after him , the khulafa, established the same matters of Sunnah. So it is not for anyone to change this. And it is not for anyone to do other than this. For he who supports it, the Book and the Sunnah , then he is mansur, meaning he is supported. And if he was guided by it then he is mubtadi, meaning he is guided. And he who turns away then Allah will lead him in that path he has chosen and will severely punish him in the hellfire. So this shows that it is dangerous to seperate. And this shows that seperation is one of the main issues in opposing Allah tabarak wa ta'alaa and the Messenger sallallahu alayhe was salaam.
The next matter is to not feel sad, depressed or worried about the small amount of people who are treading this path along with us. This means that the believer doesn't look at the number . He doesn't look at that the kufaar are the majority, or that those upon sin are the majority. This is not the scale by which that Allah weighs matters. Allah says in the Quran:
" And few of my servants are grateful."
And He says in the Quran:
" If you were to follow the majority of the people they would lead you astray."
And He says:
" The vast majority of them worship Allah while they are in a state of committing shirk."
So we don't look at the majority. No the believer looks to the truth. The truth is his source and the truth is his support. And the truth is his way. Abdullah ibn Masud said " The Jamaat is that which agrees with the truth even if your by yourself." Even if your by yourself. So it is upon the Muslim to practice the deen of Allah , All of it, and all of its matters and to stay away from all of those matters that Allah subhan wa ta'alaa has forbidden. Because the end result is for the people of the Sunnah. Its for the people from righteousness and in the end they will be those who are succesful. Allah has promised that the end is for those who have taqwa. So it is upon us as Muslims to concern ourselves with nourishing and raising our community upon that which is correct. Teaching them the virtues of Islaam and showing the virtues of Islaam. Removing every evil and bad thing from our community and trusting and doing that which is correct that which is from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger sallallahu alayhe was salaam.
The next matter that must be understood is those who want to be upon the middle course they must possess a quality of fulfilling all the rights , giving everyone their rights. And first and foremost is Allah subhana wa ta'alaa. Giving Allah tabaraka wa ta'alaa His rights of making sure you are doing your upmost and your best. All of your Ibaadah, all your worship in the best form. And of course first is actualizing the tawheed of Allah. Singling Him out alone for worship and singling Him out alone for all acts and His Names and Qualities. Also the rights of the Messenger sallallahu alayhe was salaam . By loving him, following him, and taking his guidance in every major and minor issue, and these matters. Similarily, the rights of the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam, the sahaabah radiallahu anhu, making du'aa by saying
" May Allah be pleased with them." Being silent about the differences that they had amongst themselves and so on and so forth. Rights to the general Muslim, advising them and treating them in a nice way. Loving for them what you love for yourself. As the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam stated:
None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. And then the particular rights that are between a husband and a wife. The rights that are due to the husband is that she make sure she fulfills them, such as obedience and not going outside of the house without his permission, and giving him his full rights and taking care of the house and so on and so forth. Similarily the rights of the wife upon the husband is that he grant her food and shelter and clothing and that he honours her and that he treats her in a nice manner. And that he has good behavior with her and he does not beat her. If it comes to a point where he has to hit her then it does not break the skin, or break a bone and it does not leave a mark or a bruise or anything of that nature. And that it is in the proper limits of the conduct of a Muslim.
Also the rights of the parent and that we do not disobey them and that we show them goodness. Also the rights of the neighbor , whether that neighbor is a kafir or a muslim, that we have good conduct. Good doesn't mean that we mix with them until we dissolve amongst them , but at the same time we don't show them so much roughness that they think that the Muslims are just people who are harsh and bitter and oppressive . But we show them the good qualities of Islaam and we give them their rights as neighbors. And everyone is given their rights from what is due . This is the quality of those who are trying to be upon the middle way.
My sisters in Islaam, you have a great responsibility in this country. You have a great responsibility in this country and that responsibility is for you to stick to your deen. And push others to stick to their deen and not to look at anything that is outside of this matter. And not to be swayed by any obstacles or challenges that may come from anyone even if they are from amongst other muslims or if they are from your family. But upon you is to stick and hold onto your deen. No matter what the case is, no matter what the circumstance. It is a matter that you stick to your deen even if it is like holding onto burning coals. Even if its like holding onto hot coals, you must stick to your deen. And in sticking to your deen, there is a great reward. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam stated that there are three qualities that if an individual possessed it, they would taste the sweetness of Eemaan. And amongst them he said, is that individual who hates to go back to kufr as Allah subhana wa ta'alaa saved them from it as much as they would hate to be thrown into fire. So sister you must stick to your deen, you must stick to your Islamic dress, you must stick to your Islaamic behavior and you must not be similar to the enemies of Allah in their dress or manners or behavior. For the greatest matter is the deen of Allah tabaraka wa ta'alaa. And I give you glad tidings , and this is glad tidings from the Prophet sallallahu alayhe was salaam for the believing women, for the Muslim women in which he says: " If a woman prays her five daily salaah , and she fast her month of fasting and she obeys her husband and guards her private parts then she will enter Jannah from any of the eight doors of Jannah that she pleases."
My brothers and sisters , I close my talk with saying that I advise you to have taqwa, advising that you fear Allah subhana wa ta'alaa and be aware of Him. And all that you have heard of truth, of calling to the book of Allah, of calling to the Sunnah , of calling to tawheed , of calling to unity, of calling to recitation and reflection of the book of Allah, of calling to all that you have heard of good, that you take it and that you stick to it. And you hold onto it with your molar teeth and that you never seperate yourself from it. But if you have heard from me any mistake , because we are humans and we make mistakes, we say that which is correct and we say that which is incorrect, if you have heard from me anything that goes against the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhe was salaam , then throw it to the wall. Then throw it to the wall.