The Gift Of Divine Counsel

«إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ. يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا، يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ، وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا. أَمَّا بَعْدُ.»

One of the Tabi'een of Damascus, 'Atiyyah ibn Qays, a teacher of the Qur'an who learned from the companions, said:

«أَيُّمَا عَبْدٍ جَاءَتْهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي دِينِهِ فَإِنَّهَا نِعْمَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ سِيقَتْ إِلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ قَبِلَهَا بِشُكْرٍ»

If a reminder, a gift, a counsel is received from Allah regarding his religion, it is a gift from Allah delivered to him if he receives it with gratitude and recognition.

«وَإِلَّا كَانَتْ حُجَّةً مِنَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ لِيَزْدَادَ بِهَا إِثْمًا، وَيَزْدَادَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بِهَا سَخَطًا»

If, however, it is left abandoned and not responded to, it becomes a proof against him, leading to an increase in sins, and thus leading to an increase in the displeasure of Allah with him.

I begin with these words because every one of us in this masjid right now is living exactly what 'Atiyyah is describing here. Every Friday a maw'izhah, a reminder is delivered in this masjid. It is delivered to a brother who never misses a week. It is delivered to the brother who has come here for the first time in several months. It is delivered to the one who is also on the minbar. And by the time we sleep tonight, it becomes one of two things: a gift, or a proof against us.

Notice the word seeqat: driven to him, sent, delivered. The moment you hear a reminder and something in your chest softens, when an ayah in taraweeh stops you mid-breath, when you hear a talk whilst walking back from the masjid and your eyes tear up, when a friend says something quite honest and it's something you did not want to hear, these are not accidents. These are flashing lights that we receive from Allah ’Azza wa Jal throughout our lives. Allah ’Azza wa Jal addresses us in these moments, moments delivered to us with our names on the label.

And notice the word hujjah: proof, evidence. The very same reminder can become one of two things: a gift, or a piece of evidence. Received with shukr, it is a ni'mah, a blessing. Left unopened, it becomes Allah's proof against us.

So what does it mean to have received a maw'izhah, a good counsel with shukr? Allah says to the family of Dawud:

«اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا»

Work, O family of Dawud, in gratitude. Shukr is not, "Jazakallah khair, lovely khutbah." Shukr is action that you do. The thanks for a reminder is to act upon it.

Now, some people may hear all of this and come to a rather strange conclusion. It may be said, "If every reminder I hear can be used as an evidence against me, then I'd rather not hear any. Less knowledge, less accountability." So they stop coming to the masjid, they scroll past the reminder, sincere advice is avoided at all costs. But this is truly a form of spiritual suicide. It is to stay in the dark room because we are afraid the light will hurt our eyes. Yes, the light may sting just ever so slightly for a moment, but the dark does not protect us. It just means we are unaware of the dangers ahead, leaving us vulnerable.

So, what is actually inside of these gifts? Allah ’Azza wa Jal says:

«وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا»

But if they had done what was instructed, they had received the gifts and acted upon it, it would have been better for them and more conducive for them in faith, stronger in steadfastness.

Realise what that means. We tend to think steadfastness is something we need first, then we can act. But Allah ’Azza wa Jal puts it the other way round: act, and the firmness will come. We do not wait to feel strong before we obey; we obey, and Allah ’Azza wa Jal makes us strong.

And what happens to the gift that is never opened? Allah describes that too:

«وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَنَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ»

And We will turn their hearts and eyes, just as they refused to believe it in the first time, for having abandoned the divine gift for the first time, and We will leave them in their transgression, confused and wandering blindly.

«كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ»

As they refused it the first time.

Brothers and sisters, the first time truly does matter. When the truth knocks on the door and the heart says, "Not now," something is lost. What Allah sends in these moments of reminders is noor, is light. Headlights for the road that faces towards back to Him. And every time we hear and we do not act, it is as if the headlights begin to dim. First, we stop seeing the signs, then we stop seeing the edge of the road, and then—this is the truly frightening part—we start reading the signs backwards. The haqq becomes baatil to us, and the baatil looks like haqq to us. Truth and falsehood becomes synonymous with one another. We do not become lost and worried; we become lost and confident. «فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ», wandering blindly. SubhanAllah, this is the gift, this is the cost of a gift that is left unopened.

So how did the companions receive these reminders? Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu 'anhu) was a young man pouring drinks for the guests in the house of Abu Talhah when a caller came to them through the streets of Madinah announcing that khamr, intoxicants had been made forbidden. Abu Talhah did not say, "Let's just finish this round." He did not say, "Let me check the exact wording." What did he say? He said, "Anas, go out and pour it away." And Anas describes the flowing nature of all of the wine on the streets of Madinah. The gift was opened the moment it arrived.

Ibn Mas'ud (radiyallahu 'anhu) described that when they received ten verses from the Prophet ﷺ, they would not move on to the next ten until they have learned something and acted upon it. "So we learned," they would say, "knowledge and action together."

Now compare that with you and I. We have more Islamic content within reach of our thumbs than any generation in history: lectures, podcasts, clips, reminders on every feed. And yet, let us be honest, are we transformed in proportion? Too often we consume reminders the way we consume anything else: as information or a nice feeling. We nod, we forward it to the family member, and we go to sleep exactly the way that we woke up.

Yet consider the time Sufyan ibn 'Abdillah Ath-Thaqafi came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam that I will never need to ask anybody about after you. No commentary, no explanation, no further details required." He ﷺ said:

«قُلْ آمَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ»

Say, "I believe in Allah," and be upright.

Seems rather strange. Out of all the things the Prophet ﷺ could have advised him on, it was kept small and sweet: eman, then istiqamah, staying on the road. That was all that was needed for hearts that are permeable to the gifts of counsel.

The more responsive we are when receiving reminders from the Divine, the more Allah discloses the flaws of our own nafs. And what a great gift that is, a gift for having received a gift: to see our own arrogance, to see our own stinginess, to see our own impatience with our parents very clearly whilst there still is an opportunity to fix them, and to see the road ahead, the lights of Jannah in the distance, and the side roads we must not take. All of this is if we receive the gifts of reminders sent to us on a regular basis with gratitude and action.

«أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَٰذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.»

«الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ الْأَمِينِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَيَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ، بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ.»

Brothers and sisters, this khutbah today itself is a delivery. All of us in this room have just received that delivery, and by tonight it will become one of two things: a gift for us, or a proof against us.

So today let us part with one another with this one rule: whenever a maw'izhah, whenever a reminder, some counsel, some advice, a moment to reflect reaches us, act on it, in any form that might look like, even the smallest, before you go to sleep that same night. Not perfectly, not completely, just something before our heads touch the pillow.

If you hear a reminder about family ties, send a message to that relative before you sleep. If a talk about gentleness moves you, go out of your way to show that gentle nature with at least one person tonight, be it your parents, be it your spouse, be it the kids at bedtime. If you hear about the night prayer, squeeze in two rak'ahs before Witr, just two.

And even if they are small, small actions, immediate acts are the ones that balance the powers inside of us and shifts. Every time we act on a reminder the same day, the rooh, the soul grows a little stronger, and the nafs grows a little hungrier for more divine gifts. And this is the cycle Allah ’Azza wa Jal has promised:

«وَلَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ»

If you are grateful, I will surely increase you.

Act on the reminder, that is shukr. Allah increases us: more light, more clarity, more thabaat. Yet the opposite cycle is just as true. We ignore, our moral lights begin to dim, and our hearts harden. Which cycle you and I are on depends on how we react to it between now and the end of the evening.

And notice, every Friday this khutbah ends with the same ayah: Allah commands justice, and ihsan, and giving to relatives, and forbids indecency, and wrongdoing, and oppression. And then He says:

«يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ»

He gifts you with reminders so that you may take heed.

We ask Allah to make every reminder that reaches us a gift for us, and never a proof against us. We ask Allah to make us of those «الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ», those who listen to what is said and follow the best of it. We ask Allah to show us the faults of our own selves whilst there is still some time left to mend them, and to keep the lights of the road to Him in front of our eyes, and to grant us thabaat until we meet Him.

«إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ. اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ. اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنَا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنَا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنَا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لَنَا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنَا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَىٰ عَلَيْكَ، إِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، وَلَا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ، يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ. إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ. اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى نَعْمَائِهِ وَاشْكُرُوهُ عَلَى آلَائِهِ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ، وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ، وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ.»