إجازة الشيخ أحمد بن محمد بن أحمد لبن بقراءة الإمام عاصم

Examples from the Perseverance of the Prophet

-May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him-

in Upholding Religion

Khutbah Topic
His Eminence Sheikh Faisal Ghazzawi
–May Allah protect him– delivered this Friday khutbahtitled “Examples from the Perseverance of the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒in Upholding Religion” in which hetalked about the necessity of having a role model for Muslims. He explained th at this model is clearly reflected in the personality of the Prophet ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ and mentioned one example: Perseverance in upholding religion. He also brought up a number of examples of the Prophet’s perseverance for Muslims to follow.

Part One
Praise beindeed to Allah! We praise Him, seek His assistance, pray for His forgiveness,and seek refuge withHim from our own evils and misdeeds. He whom Allah guides will never be led astray, and he whomHe misleads will never find anyone else to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone with no associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger. May Allah send His profuseSalat (Graces, Honours, and Mercy)and Peace upon him, his Family, and his Companions!

O you who believe! Fear Allâh (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islâm (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allâh.[Al Imran: 102]

O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allâh through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship) . Surely, Allâh is Ever an All¬Watcher over you.[Al-Nisa’: 1]

O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allâh and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth.He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger (SAW) he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise).[Al-Ahzab: 70-71]

Nowthen,
The existence of a role model in the Muslim’s life is a dire necessity. This model is to be followed and positive traits are to be gained therefrom. It can be a strong motive for the purification of the soul, for spurring it towards far-reachingaims, and raising it high towards perfection.

It is partof Allah’s Grace that He chose for the Muslim Ummah His close, select, and the best of His creation, Prophet Muhammad ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ to be the best model for them in complying with this religion and upholding its values, morals and rulings. Allah ‒Exalted be He‒ says:

Indeed in the Messenger of Allâh (Muhammad SAW) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allâh and the Last Day and remembers Allâh much.[Al-Ahzab: 21]

One of the many facets of role model in the life of the Prophet ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ is his perseverance in upholding religion until the very end. Such were the endurance, support, power and enablement granted to him by Allah in all situations that he became a rolemodel for Muslims to follow in upholding Islam until death.

O Muslims!
Hisper severance ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ has different forms and various examples taken from his actual life, perfumed Seerah(biography), and goodqualities and exploits, such ashis perseverance in adhering to the divine Revelationin accordancewith Allah’s commandment:

So hold you (O Muhammad SAW) fast to that which is inspired in you. Verily, you are on a Straight Path.[Al-Zukhruf: 43]

In HisWordsyou are on a Straight Path, there issupport to and praise of the Prophet ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ that he did not deviate an inch from the Message Allah sent him with. The Prophet ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ heeded His Lord’s Guidance and observed it to the letter notwithstanding attempts by the mushrikeen (polytheists) to detract him from the commandments and rulings of the Qur’an.

Reminding His Prophet of the blessings He has bestowed upon him, Almighty Allah says:
Verily, they were about to tempt you away from that which We have revealed (the Qur'ân) unto you (O Muhammad SAW), to fabricate something other than it against Us, and then they would certainly have taken you a friend! And had We not made you stand firm, you would nearly have inclined to them a little[Al-Isra’: 73-74]

O servants of Allah!
Among the clear forms in this context are his perseverance in adhering to the worship of his Lord and his indefatigable and continuous efforts to spread the Message.This manifests itself in his patience in obeying Allahand his unrelenting efforts to move closer to Him and augment his record of good deeds. May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him!

Aisha ‒May Allah be pleased with her– is reported to have said that the Prophet ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ used to spendthe night praying until his feet would crack.So, she asked him: “Why do you do this, while you have been forgiven all your former and latter sins?" He replied: "Should I not be a grateful servant of Allah?" [An agreed-uponhadith]

Think, O you Muslims ‒May Allah protect you‒ how he ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ used to exhaust himself and exert strenuous efforts in worship. Although he knew that Allah had forgiven him all his sins, he was keen on catching up with any good deeds that he might have missed but that would bring him closer to his Lord.

In his Sahih(title of a collection of hadith), Imam Muslim quotes Aisha ‒May Allah be pleased with her‒as saying: “When the Messenger of Allah ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒decided upon doing any act, he would continue doing it, and when he slept at night or fell sick, he would perform twelve rak'ahs during the daytime.”

UmmSalamah ‒May Allah be pleased with her‒ said:“The Prophet ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ offered two rak’ahs after ‘Asr prayer. So, I asked him about them;he said: “People from (the tribe of)Abd Al-Qais came to me and caused me to miss the two rak’as after Dhuhur. Those two were in compensation.” [An agreed-upon hadith]

The aforementioned does not mean that Allah’s servant should outdo the Prophet in worship and run against his Sunnah, thus outstepping moderation and the aimbehindworship.

Consider those three men saw what the Prophet ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ did was too little.One said: “I would stay up all night long praying all my life;” the second said: “I would fast all my life and would not miss a single day;” and the third said: “I would abstain from women and would never get married.” When the Prophet ‒May Allah's Salatand Peace be upon him‒ heard what they said, he respondedunhesitatingly, counselling them and rectifying their understanding of Islam and their conceptions about it. He told them: “By Allah, I am the most Allah-fearing, and the most pious among you; however, I observe fasting but not every day;I perform salatat night but not all and every night, and I take wives. So whoever has distaste for my Sunnah, he does not belong to me." [This hadith is agreed-upon as narrated by Anasibn Malik ‒May Allah be pleased with him!]

O Muslims!
Other examples of the Prophet’s persistence and endurance include holding on to morals, principles and values. The Prophet ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ had attained the pinnacle of human perfection in all his morals and traits and all facets of his life.

The equilibrium in his attributes ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ is the best evidence for his persistence. He is unchangeable, consistent under all circumstances and situations. He observes a subtle gradation of worship between patience in the face of misfortunes and gratefulness for Allah’s graces. He is the same before and after calamity: there is no disgruntlement or discontent, but total surrender to Allah’s Will and satisfaction withit.

Pleased or not, he was always the same; he did not do injustice or hurt others when he was angry. He would not get angry or seek vengeance for personal reasons; his wrath was a reaction to encroachment on Allah’s sanctities. His disposition was the same in peace and in war. He would never commit perfidy, mutilation, violation of covenants and pledges. He would never kill a child, a woman or an elderly person. He was merciful without weakness, clement without disability, and humble without humiliation.

His enemies embracedIslam because of the truthfulness, trustworthiness, good faith and the noble traitshe showed them.

O Muslims!
A further example of the perseverance of the Prophet‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ is his tireless call to Allah. He stayed in Makkah calling people publicly and privately, day and night, untiringly and unflaggingly to “There is no deity but Allah” (the oneness) and the worship of Allah alone, warning them against associating partners with Him and against worshipping idols.

However, he would not turn away from his Message becauseof the polytheists’ continuous efforts to prevent his Call from reaching people. This only sharpened his resolve to exert more efforts in the cause of Allah, conveying the Call and spreading Islam.

When the polytheistsasked his uncle, AbuTalib,to persuade his nephew to stop his Call, the Prophet ‒May Allah's Salat and Peace be upon him‒ said so persistently and resolutely: “[“Do you see this sun?” They replied: “Yes.”] I am not more capable of giving it(his Message) up for your sake than you are capable of brining me aflame from it (the sun).”

He –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– very patiently withstood the harm inflicted on him by the polytheists and did not accept what Quraish had offered him: Sovereignty, wealth, and glory. He faced, in the cause of Allah, the most severe forms of harm: They insulted him, made fun of him, accused him of witchcraft, lying, and of being insane. They once beat him unconscious,wrapped his cloak around his neck and strangled him to suffocation; they put the entrails of a slaughtered camel on his back while he was prostrating; caused his feet to bleed; slashed his face; broke his front incisor, among other forms of torture and cruelty they put him through. I would sacrifice my father and my mother for him–May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him!

However, he did not care and never felt dispirited. Rather, he continued his path unwaveringly and imperturbably, calling to Almighty Allah, enjoining good and prohibiting evil, with perspicacity.

So, how was the result of adheringto his principles – May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him?!

People had converted to Allah’s religion in droves, and Allah defeated and drove away the impeders who used to prevent people from following His path. He‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ died after he conveyed his Lord’s Message fully and clearly, shouldered his duty perfectly well, and was, to his Ummah, the trustworthy advisor.

The firm stance of the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– in the face of harm, enticement, and bargaining served as an educational lesson to his Companions ‒May Allah be pleased with them!Just like him, they persevered during his lifetime and after his death. The believer may learn from this how to stay firm on faith, hold tight to Muslim principles and values,adhereto the right approach, never to give in to tribulations or temptations offered to him to distract him from his religion and from his call to Islam.

O Muslims!
Among the examples of his perseverance –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– is his steadfastness at times of hardships and ordeals. On the Day of Hunain , Muslims were subjected to aseveretrial and an austere affliction, when they weredeludedby their huge number, butit was of no avail to them.Thepolytheistshurled upon them and almostdefeated them had it not been for Allah Who sent down tranquillityupon themand made steadfast his Messenger ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– who began calling back those fleeing from battle saying: “Come back to me, O people! I am the Messenger of Allah; I am Muhammad Ibn Abdullah.” Only a small number of theMuhajiroon and theAnsaar remained with him on the battlefield. Then, he started galloping his she-mule towards the unbelievers saying: “I am the Prophet, no lying; I am the son of Abdul Muttalib” with great courageandremarkable steadfastness.

O brothers and sisters!
Perseverance during the days of trials, afflictions and ordeals is a characteristic of Allah’s rightly guided servants, and evidence of unshakable belief and strong conviction. Therefore, persevere –O servants of Allah– in upholding your religion, and hold tight to your Lord’s Sharia in order to be successful.

I say this and pray Allah, the Sublime, to forgive you and me. Therefore, do pray Him to forgiveall your sins and wrongdoings, and repent unto Him.Verily, my Lord is All-Forgiving,All-Merciful.

Part Two
Praise be to Allah Who expandedfor the Muslims their breasts (with assurance), granted them perseverance in upholding the Clear Truth, and helped them and was indeed their best Helper! May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon the best of mankind (Muhammad), who was sent as Mercy to the Worlds (Humans and Jinn)! He continued calling to (the path of) Allah until his death. He was patient, and his patience was help for hisfollowers on the path of Allah and perseverance to the believers.

Now then,
Perseverance inupholding Allah’s religion is anessential requirement onthe partofevery upright Muslim. The Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– used to supplicate his Lord for perseverance in all circumstances.He ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– used to supplicate Allah thus: “O Controller of the hearts!Make my heart perseverant in upholding your religion!”Also, he ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ used to pray Allah in the following words: “O Allah! I pray You to grant me perseverance in all matters and resolution to remain rightlyguided.”

If perseverance lies in Allah’s Hand alone and is a divine blessing and a gift from the Lord, and if the dignified Prophet who is supported by the Revelation and promised by Allah victory and empowerment asks for the help of his Lord and supplicates Him to keep him perseverant, then, by the same token, it would be more appropriate for a believer to pray Allah sincerely forperseverance, to beseechHim not to mislead his heart or test him with anything from the splendor of this worldly life.

Conversely, he should be careful not to be among those whose end is described by Allah thus: Lest a foot my slip alter being firmly planted[Al-Nahl: 94]. For,once his foot slips, man’s condition will shift from good to bad. In this there is a warning that man must not deviate from uprightnessand slip away from the path ofGuidance and Truth.

O Muslims!
Perseverance means continuingdown the path of guidance, commitment to the requirements of that path, persistence on doing good, and a constanteffortto enhance one’s faith and piety.

Perseverance in upholding religion cannot be achieved by intensive listening to exhortations, but by implementing these exhortations in real life.

Allah, the Almighty, says:
But if they have done what they were told, it would have been better for them, and would have strengthened their (Faith) [Al-Nisa’: 66]
Allah does grant the believers perseverance because of theirsincere faith. This means doing what they have been exhorted to do. So Allah grants them perseverance in the Herein when trials and adversitiespop up in following Allah’s orders andavoiding His prohibitions. They are then granted perseverance which helps them follow Allah’s orders and avoidHis prohibitions.

When Allah’s servant is struck by adversities, he is guided to be persevering,patient, contented or thankful. Help from Allah will be sent down upon him,andhe will be grantedperseverance in upholding religion at the moment of death and in the grave.

Now‒O servants of Allah!Do pray Allah to send His Salat and Peace upon the best and the purest of mankind, the Master of the perseverant and the role model of the pious, as your Lord commanded you to do so saying:

Allâh sends His Salât (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), and also His angels (ask Allâh to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salât on (ask Allâh to bless) him (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islâmic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As-Salâmu ‘Alaikum). [Al-Ahzab: 56]

O Allah! Send Your Salatand Peace upon Muhammad and upon his Family as You did upon Ibrahim and his Family! You are All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious! O Allah! Send Your Blessing upon Muhammad and upon his Family as You did upon Ibrahim and his Family, as You are All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious!

O Allah! Be pleased with all his Companions, the tabi’in(the contemporaries of the Companions of the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ after his death) and those who follow them righteously till the Day of Judgement!O Allah!Be pleased with us along with them, by Your Grace, Generosity, and Mercy, O You the Most Merciful!

O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims and let down unbelief and unbelievers! O Allah! Grant victory to Your servants who believe in Your Oneness!Destroy Your enemies, the enemies of religion! O Allah! Make safe and secure this country and all the Muslim countries!

O Allah! Grant victory to whoever supports religion and let down whoever lets down Your believing servants!

O Allah! Make preoccupied with their own selves those who wish to harm us, Islam and Muslim countries! O Allah! Turn their plots and their cunning against them and make that the cause of their own destruction, O Lord of the Worlds!

O Allah! Grant us safety in our homelands, set right our Imams and rulers, and entrust our government to those who fear You, observe taqwa(fear of disobeying Allah) and pursue Your Satisfaction, O Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Guide our ruler to do and say whatever You love and accept, O You, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting!

O Allah! Fill the hearts of Muslims with love for one another, set right their condition, guide them to the paths of peace, unite them on the Truth, O Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Grant them victory over Your enemy and theirs, O You, the Almighty, the Majestic!

O Allah! Be with our brothers and sisters who are so defenceless, those who are mujahidinin Your cause, and those who are protecting the borders! O Allah! Grant them help and support! O Allah! Save the defenceless believers! O Allah! Relieve them from all forms of grief, distress, and grant them recovery from every calamity! O Allah! Cover their short comings, reassure them, and send down upon them serenity and perseverance!

"Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower."[Al Imran: 8]

O Allah! You are the Guardian of Islam and Muslims; help us adhere to Islam until we meet You! O Allah! We pray You to help us stay steadfast on the Truth till we die! O Allah! We pray You forperseverance in all matters and resolution to remain rightlyguided! O Allah, the Controller of the hearts!Make our hearts perseverant in obeying You!

O Allah! Keep us Muslimsfor as long as we live, let us die as Muslims, and let us join the righteous (in Paradise), by Your Mercy, O You, the Most Merciful!

The last of our supplications is praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!

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» The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
» Banning a Hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
» Defaming the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Newspaper Cartoons
» People embrace the Religion of Allâh in Large Crowds
» Description of the Prophet, peace be upon him