Al-Quran Al-Kareem – Tafsir (Exegesis) Lesson 333

 

I seek shelter in Allah from the rejected Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

O my listening brother! Adorn your heart, cleanse it, and prepare it for Allah. Let your heart belong to Allah with every fibre of its being, and nobody else should be in it. That is why the esteemed figure who saw this reality starts supplicating as follows. He also bequeathed in this supplication.

Hodja recites said supplication.

Prepare your heart for your Rabb. Do you think Allah Ta’ala will manifest/tajalli to a heart that which you prepare for someone else? Do you think fayiz/success will come down into that heart? Talks about masiwa, and says, “Remove masiwa from your heart.” Now, what is that siwa? It means that nothing other than Allah should be in one’s heart, and one should adhere to Allah wholeheartedly. Only then does Allah manifest/tajalli to that heart, lights are manifested/tajalli to it, lights of ma’rifat encompass it, and the light of tawhid/monotheism starts shining therein. The light of tawhid/monotheism is one that never fades. Thence, Allah’s blessings/lutf become yours when your heart is devoted only to Allah. Then, what do you do in Allah’s affluence? You attain the blessing/lutf and bounty/nimat of Allah. Allah renders you an eternal inheritor out of grace/lutf. What more do you want? There cannot be two gods in one heart. It should be for Allah. Thereafter, the only sultan and ruler of your heart is Allah. So, let there be a heart in the command of Allah. Following that, your heart will start filling with love, which will reflect to creatures/makhluqat. You will love that are to be loved and defame that are to be defamed. You will take the command and inspiration from Allah. He who possesses monotheistic faith/tawhid iman takes command from Allah. Besides, isn’t the whole of Al-Quran Al-Karim command of Allah? Isn’t it the utterances/kalam of Allah? Isn’t Islam the laws and order of Allah? Isn’t Hz. Muhammad the Messenger of Allah? It is not Allah who has sent that Glorious Prophet to all the worlds/alamin as the Prophet of Mercy/Rahmat? That is why you are to know Hz. Muhammad and Al-Quran Al-Karim well, and then you will be a servant/qul under the command of Allah.

 

Time Stamp: 4:40

 

Hodja recites the previously recited supplication.

Purify your heart, otherwise your Rabb will not be manifested/tajalli to it. Purify your heart, wash it by seeking forgiveness/istighfar, wash your heart by repentance/tawbah. You should fill it to the brim with monotheistic belief/tawhid iman, and there should only be monotheistic belief/tawhid iman therein. Let your heart affirm/tasdiq the sovereignty of its Rabb with every fibre of its being. Be at the command of your Rabb, who is One; be devoted to your Rabb. Hear ye! Hear ye! I am telling this to my self/nafs! I address myself, and as I do, you are from me, and I am from you. We are us! We are all from each other, and we are servants/qul of Allah. I cannot pass without telling these truths to you as I tell them to myself. That is why I am telling you to come and let us help each other. Let us be servants/qul only to Allah and ask help only from Allah. O our Exalted Rabb! Render us servants/qul only to You! We beg of you! Do not leave us to ourselves!

Hodja recites a prayer/dua in Arabic.

Please, accept! O rahman (gracious)! O rahim (merciful)!

Hodja recites another prayer/dua in Arabic.

Please, accept!

Hodja recites yet another prayer/dua in Arabic.

 

Time Stamp: 8:41

 

–          The End        –

Al-Quran Al-Kareem – Tafsir (Exegesis) Lesson 334

On the 111^th to 129^th verses of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

 

I seek shelter in Allah from the rejected Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Hodja recites the 111st verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Most esteemed and reveres listeners, our lectures continue with the exalted verses/ayat of Al-Quran Al-Karim, which is the exalted book of our Almighty Rabb, and is the guide of the bounds of beginningless/azali and eternal/abadi source of light/nur and blissful life. We have started from the beginning of Al-Quran Al-Karim and came here respectively. We are not at the 111^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah, and our lesson continues with the verse/ayat we have just recited.

Astaizu billah.

Let us see what our Exalted Rabb says. Allah (c.c.) says, “Allah has purchased from the believers/mu’min their lives and wealth to give them paradise/janna.”

Allah tests servants/qul with their lives and wealth as well. Allah gives paradise/janna to those who devote their lives and wealth to Allah’s way. It is Allah who gives life and wealth. Allah also gives paradise/janna and blesses/lutf them with eternal bliss and beauty/jamal. And makes them reach the ultimate union/wuslat. Al-Quran Al-Karim teaches you the mysteries of the ultimate union/wuslat.

“They will fight in Allah’s cause and kill and be killed.”

Meaning, as you know, one may be attacked by tyrants while preserving the truth and bringing peace to the world, fight them, destroy them, or be a martyr/shahid for that cause while fighting against disbelief/kufr, against injustice/zulm, against unrest/fitnah and corruption/fasad in the world, against terror, against injustice/zulm, and against hypocrisy/nifaq. The verse/ayat says, “It is a promise in truth which is binding on Allah in the Torah, and the Bible, and in Al-Quran Al-Karim.”

Now, Janâb-i Haqq has placed this in Torah, in the Bible, and in Al-Quran Al-Karim. This is a divine promise of Allah Ta’ala, and Janâb-i Haqq absolutely says to the fighters/mujahidin who are in Allah’s cause, “And who can be more faithful to his covenant than Allah? So, rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted, and it is the great salvation.”

It is Allah who creates life, gives you your life, gives you your wealth. When you establish on earth this exalted order of Allah which is only justice, tranquillity, and peace; and when you establish the reality/haqiqa of Islam in the way of Allah, and when you ensure peace and justice, then you may become a martyr/shahid in this way. That is to destroy the enemy, the enemy of humankind. Surely, the enemy of humankind is those who are hostile to reality/haqiqa. As for Islam, it is a complete reality/haqiqa.

 

Time Stamp: 5:26

 

So, when you give your life and wealth for Allah’s cause, then Allah gives you paradise/janna in return, and Allah does not break a promise. Allah says, “I have placed My promise in the Torah, and in the Bible, and in Al-Quran Al-Karim.” Janâb-i Haqq says, “It was like that in the past, and it is like that today as well.”

That is why esteemed friends, we should understand Exalted Al-Quran Al-Karim well and be under Allah’s command.

Astaizu billah.

Hodja recites the 112^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Now, the attributes/sifāt of these esteemed fighters/mujahidin are praised by Allah here.

“The repentant,” meaning those who repent/tawbah and seek forgiveness/istighfar with every fibre of their being.

“Those who worship,” meaning those who worship only Allah – those who serve only Allah.

“Those who praise/hamd Allah,” meaning those who praise/hamd by knowing that the right of giving and receiving praise belongs completely to Allah.

Those who fast, those who journey; those fighters/mujahidin and those who struggle/jihad on the fronts or in the cause of knowledge/ilm and learning/irfan through scientific studies. Those who fast, those who bow/rukū, those who prostrate/sajdah, those who bid the good and dissuade from evil, those who observe the limits set by Allah.

That is those who observe the standards of the commands and prohibitions of Allah, which is Allah’s limit/hudud and Allah’s laws and rules. The standard is that of the sharia/law of Islam and the Quran. Janâb-i Haqq says, “Good news! Good news,” for those who fully observe this limit/hudud and protect the limit/hudud of Allah. Janâb-i Haqq says, “Give the good news to the believers/mu’min.

Good news after good news! It is for the believers/mu’min who bear these beautiful attributes/sifāt. It is for Muslims of true faith/iman. For they have been outfitted with truth/haqq and reality/haqiqa and the faith/iman of Islam. Allah Ta’ala says there are good news upon good news for those who are real faithful Muslims with good-deeds/amal-e-saleh and faith/iman that Allah Ta’ala wants. You see, this good news has been announced.

Hodja recites a part of the 112^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Janâb-i Mawla gives the good news to those who bear these attributes/sifāt. We should bear these attributes/sifāt, and attain Allah’s everlasting and inexhaustible grace/lutf, mercy/rahmat, along with endless, boundless, and unlimited bounties/nimat in the paradise/janna. In order to attain that, it is necessary to be a Muslim the way Allah has said, and Muhammad Mustafa has shown. It is not the way others say, rather that is by not deviating to ways of deviant innovation/ahlul bid’ah or misguidance/dalalah, but by following the way of Hz. Muhammad, the companions/ashab, and Ahlus-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah, and by thoroughly comprehending the mysteries of guidance/hidayat in Al-Quran Al-Karim. That is, one should be way wayfarer of the true/haqq and luminous/nūr path that leads to the beauty/jamal of Allah by discovering Hz. Muhammad thoroughly as an example, pioneer, and pinnacle/uswa.

 

 

Time Stamp: 10:30

 

Hodja recites the 113^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

It is not for the Prophet, or those who believe/iman to ask forgiveness for the polytheists/mushrik, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear that they are the people of hell/jahannam.”

See, if a person cannot renounce polytheism/shirk, and he is clearly a polytheist/mushrik, then you cannot say, “My Allah, forgive him,” because Janâb-i Haqq forbids that here. However, you can work for him to be saved from polytheism/shirk because there is no amnesty to polytheism/shirk, therefore you cannot ask for forgiveness/maghfirat, or seek forgiveness/istighfar for him even if the polytheist/mushrik is your father. You cannot say, “Forgive my polytheist/mushrik father.”

So, what can you do? You can try to save him from polytheism/shirk by resorting to the best approach, method, and course of action. You cannot seek forgiveness/istighfar before he is saved from polytheism/shirk, nor can you even say, “Forgive, O Allah.” These have been forbidden, and this verse clearly states that there is no seeking forgiveness/istighfar for the polytheists/mushrik. It was forbidden to our Prophet as well, and our Prophet said that he was going to seek forgiveness/istighfar for Abu Talib unless Allah forbids it. Allah has sent this verse and sent the 56^th verse of Surah al-Qasas [28].

Hodja recites a part of the 56^th verse of Surah al-Qasas [28].

Janâb-i Haqq says the following, “Surely, you cannot guide/hidayat whomsoever you wish, only Allah guides whomsoever Allah wishes.

See, our Prophet really wanted the guidance/hidayat of Abu Talip, but nobody has the chance to guide/hidayat someone except Allah. Guidance/hidayat is from Allah. Prophet is a means of guidance/hidayat, and the one who guides/hidayat is Allah. That is why it has been forbidden to seek forgiveness/istighfar or pray/dua for polytheists/mushrik and to pray their funeral prayer/namāz. It is said that after it has become certain that someone is a denier/munkir, a polytheist/mushrik, or a hypocrite/munafiq one cannot pray their funeral prayer/namāz or seek forgiveness/istighfar for them. However, the best approaches and methods may be observed to save them from fault, by means of showing them the true path/irshad with goodness. It is nice if he accepts willingly, for a faith/iman of Islam that one does not accept willingly is never accepted. If you make someone acknowledge the Creator by force, then the Creator does not accept him. Everyone is to acknowledge the Creator with pleasure, and adopt faith/iman, be at Allah’s command, and be a Muslim willingly.

Hodja recites the 114^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

 

Time Stamp: 14:50

 

“Abraham’s seeking forgiveness (istighfar) for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him. That being the case, he renounced that when it was disclosed to him that he was an enemy of Allah.”

Ibrahim was always concerned for his father, and he was an idolater. The father of Ibrahim (a.s.) was also a man of Nimrod. Ibrahim (a.s.) strived so hard to save his father but his father did not renounce polytheism/shirk, and he was an enemy of Allah. See, that is what this verse of Al-Quran Al-Karim says. It says that when Ibrahim realized that his father was an enemy of Allah, he gave up praying/dua and seeking forgiveness/istighfar for his father because it was forbidden. It is forbidden to pray/dua or seek forgiveness/istighfar for an enemy of Allah until he adopts faith/iman and repents/tawbah. Even a Prophet like Ibrahim couldn’t pray/dua for his father. Even a Prophet like Nūh couldn’t pray/dua for his son for he was faithless, and he wouldn’t adopt faith. Even a universal Prophet of the worlds/alamin like Muhammad, who was the possessor of the praised station/al-maqam al-mahmud couldn’t guide/hidayat his uncle Abu Talip because it was forbidden.

That is why esteemed friends, let us supplicate to Allah day and night. My Allah! Please make us have the faith/iman of Islam which You accept and destine us to its good deeds/amal-e-saleh and destine us to be real Muslims. We should supplicate day and night saying that, and ask for guidance/hidayat, for guidance/hidayat is from Allah. That is why nobody should be deceived by his position or chair. Nobody should be deceived by his knowledge/ilm and learning/irfan. That is a matter of faith/iman and guidance/hidayat, there must be faith/iman, an acceptable/maqbul one, and one must be a real Muslim. It is forbidden to pray/dua to a polytheist/mushrik father even if it is the father of a Prophet. Janâb-i Haqq says, “Surely, Ibrahim was tender-hearted and forbearing (halīm).” See, the verse says, “Ibrahim (a.s.).”

Hodja recites a part of the 114^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

He was a man who expressed sorrow and supplicated a lot, and he was a forbearing person. See, a forbearing/halīm person gives thanks/shukr a lot, is very patient, is very forgiving, and is soft on others, and it is said he was such a Prophet. Such a shame that his father sided with Nimrod instead of Allah. Even though it was his own son, he did not believe in Ibrahim’s prophethood. He stayed on the side of polytheists/mushrik.

Hodja recites the 115^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“Allah does not make a people fall into misguidance (dalalah) after having guided (hidayat) them, before making entirely clear to them that which they should avoid. Truth is, Allah is All-Knowing.”

Esteemed friends, Al-Quran Al-Karim came to earth, and Hz. Muhammad explained it to the world in the best possible manner the way Allah explained it to Muhammad, and he reached out/tabligh the religion/din of Islam. Islam was established entirely, and thereby emerged the companions/ashab, Tābi’ūn, real Islamic scholars/âlims emerged from among 1.5 billion Muslims, also emerged competent Islamic scholars/âlims who will preserve this Islam until last day/qiyamah the way they received it from Hz. Muhammad; also emerged mujtahids. Nobody has the chance to claim they don’t know the Quran, they haven’t heard the Quran, or say, “Was it present in the Quran.” Al-Quran Al-Karim has been challenging the world for centuries. The Quran has been exclaiming from arsh-i ala for the salvation of humankind. It has been exclaiming to the universe in the world, in the hearts, and in the tongues.

 

Time Stamp: 20:30

 

That is why being deprived of Al-Quran Al-Karim is to be at the command of the cadre of shaitans, and to be an intimate friend of shaitans. Is it not a pity? You will enter the grave with your shaitan, and you will be raised from grave with your shaitan and go to the great gathering/mahshar and hell/jahannam with your shaitan, which will be a pity. So, don’t do that! Come, let us thoroughly understand and listen Almighty Allah, Al-Quran Al-Karim, and Hz. Muhammad, let us believe and act upon the decrees/hukm. Come to the source of the life-giving light/nūr, one that gives immortal life and true happiness, and be enlightened/fayiz by its light/nūr, and drink as much as we want from its fountain and find immortal life. Immortal and blissful life is the lifestyle that Al-Quran Al-Karim gives, nothing else.

Hodja recites the 116^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“Surely, the dominion (mulk) of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah.”

My esteemed brother, true sovereignty which created the worlds/alamin is with Allah. Power/quwwat and omnipotence/qudrah are with Allah. Creation and command belong to Allah. The only Creator is Allah. The command and sovereignty are only from Allah. That is why we should know our Exalted Rabb well. The power/quwwat and omnipotence/qudrat belongs completely to Allah. It is Allah who knows all methods/ways to create. When we look at this universe/alam, what does the creation of various creatures/makhluqat show you? Won’t these works clearly depict that to you that the Creator is able to create, and knows how to create all kinds of creatures? It is so clear, and the omnipotence/qudrah is clearly seen in all the works, and it is seen that Allah is All-Able (al-Qadir). Come, thoroughly understand Al-Quran Al-Karim and be at the command of your Exalted Rabb and try to understand the cosmological verses/kevni ayat in the universe. You will not be mistaken in the universe if you look at it through Al-Quran Al-Karim. Many have been mistaken, as you know, many people divinized creatures/makhluqat whereas there are no equals or comparables of Allah. All exalted attributes/sifāt are of Allah. The best and most exalted names/asmā, all those beautiful names, and the best names are of Allah. Allah has no equals, no similars, no partners, no overseers, and no peers. That is why those who considered themselves clever have divinized themselves and creatures/makhluqat and went astray. They did not cherish what Allah sent down, and that is why they went astray. It is only a matter of time for those who do not act with Hz. Muhammad and Al-Quran Al-Karim to go astray, and they do go astray.

 

Time Stamp: 25:07

 

For it is the mentor of guidance/hidayat and has all mysteries of guidance/hidayat and guarantee of not going astray. The mysteries of guidance/hidayat that lead humankind to Allah without deviating them through eternal truth and reality are in Al-Quran Al-Karim. That is why Al-Quran Al-Karim came, for saving humankind. If humankind does not accept this guidance/hidayat, then this is a field of test and people may accept this by their own free will or not, that is up to them. However, those who deny the truth and reality that Allah Ta’ala the Creator brought forth are losing the test. Is it not a pity? They lose paradise/janna. They lose beauty/janna, and they lose the endless and boundless mercy/rahmat and bounties/nimat of Allah. They go straight to the punishment/azab of Allah. Is it not a pity?

Janâb-i Haqq says the following.

Hodja recites the 117^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“Indeed, Allah has granted repentance to the Prophet (Hz. Muhammad), and the emigrants (muhajirin), and the helpers (ansar) who followed him in his hardest day, after the hearts of a group of them were about to swerve aside and gracefully accepted their repentance (tawbah). Surely, Allah is most-lenient, most-merciful.”

That is, Almighty Allah is…

Hodja recites a part of the 117^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“Allah is raʾūf (lenient), raḥīm (merciful).”

Esteemed friends, in this verse Almighty Allah praises the emigrants/muhajirin and the helpers/ansar who revolved around Hz. Muhammad non-stop and worked to establish predominance of Islam in the world. Radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain. Allah also announces to the worlds/alamin and those who are in a weak state among them that Allah is raʾūf (lenient), raḥīm (merciful). Because on one hand faiths/imans are becoming powerful, and on the other hand the faiths/iman of new Muslims which are in a weak state are progressing to a more powerful state, and faiths/imans are becoming more powerful non-stop. The pioneers of these faithful people who are fortunate and heroic esteemed figures are the emigrants/muhajirin and the helpers/ansar. They are the grand companions/sahabah who are heroes that studied in Muhammad’s school, who are shining stars around Hz. Muhammad. Radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain.

Janâb-i Haqq says the following after announcing that.

Hodja recites the 118^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Exalted Rabb says the following in this verse of the Quran.

“Allah also forgave the three whose cases had been waiting for judgment.”

These three had fallen into negligence, and they did not join the Expedition of Tabuk due to their laziness and unwariness. They had tied themselves to the pillars and repented/tawbah, they were so whimpering, so bemoaning, and so sobbing because they were overwhelmed to such a degree that the earth became constrained to them despite its vastness, and their souls confined them. They realized that one may only be saved from Allah by seeking shelter in Allah. Thereafter, Allah turned towards them so that they may be repentant and accepted their repentance. Surely, Allah is the accepter of repentance ever so much, is most merciful, and there is no end to Allah’s mercy. For our Exalted Rabb is…

Hodja recites a part of the 118^th verse.

Allah, who incorporates all exalted attributes/sifāt; Exalted Allah is At-Tawwaab/Acceptor of Repentance. Allah accepts repentances/tawbah ever so much for whom Allah wills, and grants repentance/tawbah to whomever Allah wills and Allah is Al-Rahim/Most Merciful. Rahmat al-Rahim is the never-ending and eternal/abadi mercy/rahmat of Allah. Paradise/janna is a manifestation of Rahmat al-Rahim. That is why we should repent/tawbah in a real manner and seek forgiveness/istighfar. These three repented/tawbah like that, and Allah accepted their repentance/tawbah.

 

Time Stamp: 32:07

 

In a hadith-i sharif they sobbed and bemoaned, and the world became constrained to them, and they were ostracized from society for 50 days. After 50 days, verses came concerning the acceptance of their repentance/tawbah and their forgiveness for our Prophet sought forgiveness/istighfar for them. See, they were faithful, but they were stuck in negligence as their faith/iman was in a weak state, they got lazy and were deceived. They were neither disbelievers/kāfir nor they were hypocrites/munafiq. Pay attention, they were three people. A group of hypocrites/munafiq, about 80 people, were causing unrest/fitnah and disturbance/fasad in Madinah. They were preparing to stage a coup, and some of them were trying to cause corruption in the Islamic army from inside. Allah did not give an opportunity to any of them.

Astaizu billah.

Hodja recites the 119^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Janâb-i Haqq says the following in this verse of the Quran.

“O you who believe! Be duly afraid of Allah, love Allah with every fibre of your being, be mindful of the punishment of Allah, and be in the company of truthful/sādiq people.”

Allah says, “Be with the truthful/sādiq people.” Who are the truthful/sādiq? They are truthful people in Allah’s cause, and they are firm Muslims. Their faiths/iman and doings/amal are firm.

Hodja recites the 120^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

 

Time Stamp: 35:05

 

Let us see what Exalted Rabb, the Rabb of all the worlds/alamin, Allah who sent Al-Quran Al-Karim, and Almighty Allah who sent Hz. Muhammad as a mercy/rahmat upon the worlds/alamin says in this verse of the Quran.

“Just as it does not behove the people of Madinah and the bedouins around them to act contrary to Rasulullah’s command; it also does not behove them that they are not set against bearing the troubles he borne. Because whatever thirst, fatigue, or hunger strikes them in Allah’s cause, and whenever they step into a place which enrages the disbelievers/kāfir, and every time they make a success against the enemy; in return a virtuous deed/amal is written for the righteous/saleh.

See, it is said their deeds/amal do not go in vain. Plenty of rewards are written in return, and there is a great reward for every trouble for Allah does not waste the reward of good doers. Allah does not waste it even if it is as much as an atom, and show it to you, places it on the scale/mizan. If Allah wills, Allah may multiply your single reward/sawāb by 10 times, and 700 times for some, and more for some.  As for sins, Allah does not write 1 sin as 2 sins. Allah’s mercy/rahmat precedes.

Esteemed friends, Janâb-i Haqq explains us light-shedding realities/haqiqa in these exalted verses/ayat.

Hodja recites the 121^st verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Let us see what is said in this verse of the Quran.

“Whatever they do in Allah’s cause; whatever they spend, whether it is small or great, whatever path they intercept, whatever distance they travel, and whenever they cross a valley; it is not possible that better reward/sawāb is not written for them compared to what they did.”

Janâb-i Haqq says ample reward/sawāb will be written and has been written for them. That is why Muslims always win. And winning is that every work that you do as a faithful person for the better good of humankind is written in your deed-book as manifold rewards/sawāb. Whatever you do to the detriment of humankind is written against you, in the page of sins. That is why we should compete in rewards/sawāb.

Hodja recites the 122^nd verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

However, it is not proper for the believers/mu’min to join the fight all at once. Certain people from every tribe should become learned in religious knowledge/ilm. That is, they are to stay behind for knowledge/ilm. Those who stay back from fight/jihad are to stay to strive/jihad for knowledge/ilm. Primarily, jihad has two types, one is the fight/jihad on the front lines, and the other is to strive/jihad for knowledge/ilm. After these, every beneficial work is a jihad, but these two are on the lead. That is why they should become learned in religious knowledge/ilm, and when their tribes return from the fight they should be warned by them, so that they may beware of the punishment of Allah. Thus, knowledge/ilm and learning/irfan will establish on earth. Truth/haqq, justice, and peace will establish. Supremacy of rights/huquq will be taught, and it will be established. True justice will be established. There cannot be a world without knowledge/ilm. Peace and knowledge/ilm are fundamentals in Islam. Ignorance should be extinguished, but with what? Ignorance in humanity may be removed by true/haqq education, learning, and by true/haqq sciences/ilms that are practiced and implemented. Thus, humankind will be saved.

 

Time Stamp: 41:15

 

Hodja recites the 123^rd verse of Surah al-Tawbah.

O you who believe! First, fight against deniers and disbelievers/kāfir who are in your vicinity and remove disbelief/kufr near you. Establish peace in your vicinity, meaning at your homeland and act for peace in the world so that they may see there is a power and strength in you. O men of truth/haqq and cadres of reality/haqiqa, you are to be powerful so that evil-powers may see you powerful.

What is the prerequisite of a deterrent force for peace in the world? It is that those who side with peace are powerful. They should see there is a power and strength in you. O cadres of peace and armies of peace! O men of peace, love, and justice! Tyrants and denying heathens who don’t want peace should see that you are powerful and strong. That is a deterrent force, and there won’t be war if you are this powerful, but why?  Because those tyrants will be disheartened, and peace will become predominant, which is what Almighty Allah wants. Besides, it is not me who says that. I cannot say it, but Allah Ta’ala says it. And you should know that Allah is with those who are the pious/al-muttaqûn.

Hodja recites a part of the 123^rd verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“Allah is with those who are the pious/al-muttaqûn.”

So, who are al-muttaqûn? They are those who obey Allah and do not rebel. They are those who properly know Islam in regards to knowledge/ilm, doings/amal, morals/akhlaq, and laws/huquq and do deeds/amal of it, who observe worship/taat and obedience/itaat, who do not overstep the bounds of sharia/law, who stay within the limits of Allah and do not get out, and they are people who are wary of Allah’s punishment/azab, and they are the cadres of peace for the religion/din of Islam is peace from a to z, and it is necessary to know that well.

Hodja recites the 124^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“Whenever a sūrah is sent down, one of them comes about and says, ‘Who among you has been increased in faith by this sūrah?’

 

Time Stamp: 45:00

 

“As for the believers/mu’minun, actually every sūrah has been sent down has increased their faith/iman, and they are always rejoicing.”

See, the hypocrites/munafiq who disbelieve had an unserious conduct with each other, they were saying, “Which of you has this sūrah increase in faith/iman?”. But the faiths/imans find strength in the revelation of every verse/ayat.

Janâb-i Haqq says the following.

Hodja recites the 125^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“As for those with whom there is a sickness in their hearts…”

People with corrupted hearts increase in corruption as verses/ayat of the Quran are revealed, whereas they should adopt faith/iman.

“As for those with whom there is a sickness in their hearts, – whose hearts are corrupted – they add further disbelief/kufr to their disbelief/kufr, and they die as disbelievers/kāfir.”

But why? This is because they couldn’t accept reality/haqiqa in no way. Regardless of the era, there were those who couldn’t accept back then, today, and there will be in the future. Every era has its people who cannot understand, comprehend, and acknowledge truths in their own way. There are people who bog down deeper as they deny, who add further disbelief/kufr to their disbelief/kufr, who proceed to hell/jahannam, who ruin their own changes in every era.

Al-Quran Al-Karim came to save them, but do you think you will be saved when you escape Allah and the Quran? Allah Ta’ala is ready and prepared therein no matter where you escape. Allah’s armies, Azrail’s armies of death are everywhere. They have a list at hand, and they are breathing down your neck. No matter where you, whether you ascend to heavens or go underground, it doesn’t matter. Such a shame! One should not run away, but rush towards Allah wholeheartedly. So, rush towards Allah. Seek shelter in Allah. Your escape should be towards Allah, you should seek shelter in Allah. You should love Allah with the fullness of your heart! Your servitude/qulluq should be to Allah. Sultanship, salvation, and bliss are therein. Where are you seeking it? There is no other creator, where are you seeking it? What are you seeking? There is no second god/ilah, there is no other deity. There is no god but Allah. Where are you going? Get your mind straight!

Let us see what Janâb-i Haqq says after announcing this truth.

Hodja recites the 126^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“Do they (hypocrites/munafiq) do not see that they are put to various troubles every year once or twice?”

Please pay close attention, Janâb-i Haqq makes troubles befall them every year once or twice in order to warn them, that is for them to wake up, whether they know it or not. If only they woke up, what would they do? They would have adopted faith/iman and repented/tawbah. Janâb-i Haqq says, “Do they not see they are afflicted with various troubles? Still, they neither repent/tawbah, nor do they take a lesson.”

If only they repented/tawbah and taken heed that no troubles would befall them because that is what Al-Quran Al-Karim wants. That is what our Exalted Rabb wants, and calls everybody to paradise/janna. However, some people proceed to hell/jahannam because Allah has given them freedom, and they do not want to pass this test in no way. The remedy of all trials of life and questions are in Al-Quran Al-Karim; all answers are in Islam and Al-Quran Al-Karim. All solutions and ways of salvation are in Islam and Al-Quran Al-Karim.

 

Time Stamp: 50:40

 

Hodja recites the 127^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“Whenever a sūrah is sent down against them, they look at one another as though saying, ‘Does anyone see you.’”

They are still hypocrites.

“And then they slip away. Allah has turned away their hearts (from faith/iman).”

For they do not wish to believe/iman.

Janâb-i Haqq says, “Because they are people who do not understand.”

There is no understanding where there is no belief/iman because you need to look through the window of truth/haqq. Heart, soul, reason/aql, sound intellect/aql-e-saleem, and obedient intellect/aql-e-maad has been primarily given to humankind by Janâb-i Haqq. You ruin yourself when you use these for evil. We do not have the chance to misuse what is given by Allah. Everything has been given to us by Allah. Only sins belong to us, but why? Because we have misused what Allah has given to us, and committed sins, that is why. Otherwise, everything that has been given to us belong to Almighty Allah. As for sins, they belong to our self/nafs.

Astaizu billah.

Hodja recites the 128^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

“Verily, there has come to you such a Messenger from among you.” Such a Messenger came to you, and the name of that Messenger is Hz. Muhammad Mustafa, Ahmad, Muhammad, Mahmud, Bashir, Nazir, Prophet of Mercy/Rahmat upon the worlds/alamin. That is, Muhammad Mustafa, salla Allahu Ta’ala ‚alayhi wa sallam.

Such a Messenger came, and he was surely mighty/izzah, such an exalted and honourable and Prophet that his mighty/izzah and glory reaches to the praised station/al-maqam al-mahmud, and Arsh-i Ala. This is a Prophet who possesses a mighty/izzah, an honour, and a great glory who reached a rank given by Allah. He is Allah’s greatest servant/qul, greatest Messenger, the Prophet of all the worlds/alamin and all humans and the jinn. He is the leader of a universal spirit of Islam, which incorporates all values of past. He is the leader of souls who incorporate all souls. He is the leader of the national spirit. He is a Prophet who is the pioneer and guide of all right and real consciences. The Prophet is an excellent model of conduct/uswa hasana. Mighty/izzah and glory are with him. Janâb-i Haqq says, “Such a Prophet came to you.” It is Almighty Allah who says that, and adds, “He feels it very hard on him if you face a hardship. He is concerned about you.” That is, he came for the salvation of humankind.

 

Time Stamp: 55:01

 

He is a Prophet who wishes happiness for the whole of humankind does not anyone to be distressed. He was a Prophet who was concerned over his people/ummah and humankind. He was a Prophet of Mercy who wanted everyone to be happy, nobody to cry, and nobody to be distressed. He was a Prophet of Rahmat, Prophet of Love. He is the Prophet to whom divine justice has been manifested/tajalli. It is said that he is quite merciful and compassionate to believers/mu’min.

Hodja recites a part of the 128^th verse. Almighty Allah has given 2 names out of Allah’s own names to Allah’s beloved/khabib. These beautiful names were given to him in his innate nature/fitrah, and he was approbated with these attributes/sifāt. There are narrations that suggest no 2 names were given to any Prophet by Janâb-i Haqq. These were given only to Hz. Muhammad. See, he is the complete person/al-insan al-kamil, the sultan of all Prophets. The leader/imam of all Prophets is Hz. Muhammad.

The following is said in a report narrated/riwayat from Ibn-i Abbas. From Al-Masjid-ul-Harām to Al-Masjid-ul-Aqsā, to the masjid in Jerusalem, with a buraq and Jibril (a.s.), from Al-Masjid-ul-Harām to Al-Masjid-ul-Aqsā, meaning he came to the Al-Masjid-ul-Aqsā in Jerusalem, and he became the imam of all Prophets therein. There is a narration/riwayat from Ibn-i Abbas where Jibril (a.s.) says, “O Muhammad! Step ahead of all Prophets and lead the prayer/namaz, be their imam.” And after that he said, “O Muhammad! Ask them whether there is a god other than Allah. Can one worship someone besides Allah? Have you told anything of the sort to your peoples?” Hz. Muhammad said the following when he was asked to ask them. “I believe and trust each Prophet did a good job, and I trust them. So, I will not ask,” and he did not ask because each Prophet has performed his duty well.

Esteemed friends, this and the last one are the last two mighty verses/ayat of Surah al-Tawbah [9]. Let us see what Janâb-i Haqq says in the last verse/ayat.

Astaizu billah.

Hodja recites the 129^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

O Muhammad! If they turn away from you, say to them, “Sufficient for me is Allah.”

Allah is sufficient, sufficient, sufficient… Allah is sufficient without there being a beginning/azal or an end/abad. Allah suffices, meaning say the following.

Hodja recites a part of the 129^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Let us all recite that.

Hodja recites a part of the 129^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

There is no other god.

Hodja recites a part of the 129^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Recite this often.

Hodja recites a part of the 129^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Drives off māwarā from the heart, the heart will adhere to Allah. Allah’s unity and sovereignty becomes predominant in your heart. From then on, the sole ruler of your soul/ruh is Almighty Allah. Destroys all idols, has no partners, no overseers, no equals. Allah is One. So, adhere your heart to Allah the One.

 

Time Stamp: 1:00:05

 

You should know Allah well by Allah’s book the Quran, and know by Allah’s names/asmā, know by the textual/kitābi and cosmological/kevni verses/signs, know by Hz. Muhammad and his sunnah, know by ijma/consensus, know by qiyas/analogy. That is, know Allah through real/haqq and essential/asl-i documents, and know Allah’s commands and laws.

Hodja recites a part of the 129^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9].

Says, “On Allah I have put my trust completely, I believed in Allah, I sought shelter in Allah, Allah is my refuge, Allah is the Rabb of the Mighty Arsh/Throne.”

Arsh-i Ala encompasses all the worlds/alamin, and Almighty Allah is the possessor of arsh and kursi, and possessor of an exalted omnipotence/qudrah that encompasses all the worlds/alamin from inside and outside in a beginningless/azali and eternal/abadi fashion. Allah has control over everything by the omnipotence/qudrah, and also encompasses everything by the knowledge/ilm, and there is no end to the mercy/rahmat of Allah. Allah has infinite mercy/rahmat and omnipotence/qudrah.

You see, we are at the end of Surah al-Tawbah [9] with the enlightening verses/ayat of Al-Quran Al-Karim. Insha ‘Allah, I will try to give you exploratory notes on the meanings of the verses/ayat whose meanings I gave you. In my upcoming lecture, we will continue with exploratory notes and the lessons of the life-giving light by Allah’s grace/lutf and generosity/karam because power/quwwat and omnipotence/qudrat are all Allah’s and they are from Allah. Whatever we have belongs to Allah.

Hodja recites a supplication/dua in Arabic.

 

Time Stamp: 1:02:38

 

–          The End        –

Al-Quran Al-Kareem – Tafsir (Exegesis) Lesson 335

 

I seek shelter in Allah from the rejected Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Beloved listeners, Ja’far al-Sadiq has said the following, “Our bodies have price other than paradise/janna, and do not sell it for anything other than it.” That is, he said you should use your power, body, and soul/ruh in Allah’s cause. Poet Fuzuli has said the following in this matter.

Can-ı canan dilemiş, vermemek olmaz ey dil,

Ne niza’ eyleyelim ol ne senindir ne benim.

Now let’s see the translation.

O my heart! The beloved want the life, and it does not behoove to withhold.

Why should we dispute? It is neither yours, nor mine.

– Fuzuli –

Do you know what is being said in this beautiful message? If you are told one day, “Give your life,” because it is the One who gave your life who wants it from you, Address your heart, turn to it and say, “O my heart! This life is neither yours, nor mine for the One who gave this life wants it back. It does not behoove to withhold. Therefore, submit your life to the One who gave it to you with pleasure. Submit your life willingly, with faith/iman, Islam, and the Quran! With pleasure, and with a love/muhabbat to your Rabb/Lord, with an utter longing, sorrow, enthusiasm because to whom can you give that life except the One? Isn’t it the One who gave the lives? Can you withhold life from the One who gave us our lives? You see, that is what this esteemed poet says. If you give our lives to our Exalted Rabb in the cause of Allah, then we may give one life, but Allah will give us eternal and immortal lives. Allah gives the immortal life. Why do you think martyrs/shahid are eternally blissful? It is because they give their lives in Allah’s cause.

That is why esteemed friends, this is such a blissfulness that if Janâb-i Haqq is pleased/razi, and says, “My servant/qul, I am pleased/razi with you,” then eternal salvation, the greater salvation is yours. So, let us work and strive for it.

 

Time Stamp: 4:13

 

–          The End        –

Al-Quran Al-Kareem – Tafsir (Exegesis) Lesson 336

 

I seek shelter in Allah from the rejected Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Hodja recites a prayer/dua in Arabic.

O esteemed audience, those who follow the lessons of the life-giving light/nūr! May it be easily granted to us and all faithful/mu’min brothers to be recipient of never-ending bounties/nimat and comfort to eyes, to attain Almighty Allah’s beauty/jamal, and to attain Almighty Allah’s mercy/rahmat, forgiveness, eternal happiness and salvation/najat. Exploratory notes on the lessons of the life-giving light/nūr continue, and in order to further clarify the exalted verses/ayat whose meanings we gave you, and to make exploratory notes clearer, we will try to give you preliminary notes on them by relying on authentic sources regarding narration/riwayat and comprehension/dirayat.

May Janâb-i Haqq grant us accomplishments through Janâb-i Haqq’s successful guidance/tawfiq-i hidayat, and grace and generosity/lutf-u karam because guidance/hidayat and success/tawfiq are from Allah, and our intimate friend (rafiq) is Allah.

Seventy people from the helpers/ansar obeyed our Prophet (asw) in the second pledge at al-Aqabah. Abdullah ibn Rawaha, radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain, has said to our Prophet, “O rasūlullah! You may place any condition you wish for us.” Then, our Prophet (asw) said to him, “I stipulate by Allah that you are to worship/ibadat to Almighty Allah, and don’t you ever associate partners/shirk with Allah, and worship nobody but Allah. As for me, you should protect me the way you protect yourself and your possessions,” thus he took a pledge from them.

They said, “O rasūlullah! What is in it for us?”

He said, “There is paradise/janna for you.”

Al-Suyuti is among the sources of this narration, and it is present in Al-Dur al-Manthur.

One day, Ibn ʿArabi came as he recited a verse/ayat. Ibn ʿArabi listened and asked, “Such a good exchange,” and this heroic man fought until he was martyred/shahid, and he became a martyr/shahid. Every living creature, wealth and property are Allah’s possession/mulk. If you have reason/aql, then you should submit your life and your wealth to Allah’s cause, and sacrifice. You will give one and receive eternal and infinite reward. Infinite blessings/lutf will return to you.

 

Time Stamp: 5:00

 

If you have reason/aql, then enter Allah’s command with every fibre of your being because all lives belong to Allah. All goods, properties, sultanates are of Allah. They are Allah’s property/mulk. That is why you say this in Fatihah al-Sharif.

Hodja recites the 5^th verse of Surah al-Fatihah [1].

You recite this in five times of daily prayer/namāz. You recite the following. “You alone do we worship/ibadat, and from You alone do we seek help.” You say this and say “only”. You say, “You alone do we worship/ibadat, we only serve you, and we only seek help from you.” Pay attention to this and be a servant/qul of Allah only. Janâb-i Haqq invites the servants/qul to jihad and worship/ibadat for Allah is deserving of worship/ibadat, and Allah is our Creator. Allah is the Rabb of the worlds/alamin, and Allah is our Rabb. Worship/ibadat and servitude/qulship to Allah is a sultanate. We are mortals/fani at the command of Exalted, who is beginningless/azali and eternal/abadi, and what do we do in Allah’s richness? We are being recipients of Allah’s blessings/lutf. Us mortal/fani servants/qul earn eternal/abadi blessings/lutf when we are at Allah’s command. “Sacrifice mortals/fani things for Allah so that you may earn what is eternal/baqī.” Don’t forget quote ever! Besides, there is no word that may be forgotten in Islam and Al-Quran Al-Karim for they are all sacred, exalted, and holy. They are more and more exalted. That said, let me repeat so that you may never forget! “Sacrifice mortals/fani things for Allah so that you may earn what is eternal/baqī.” Eternal/abadi good/khayr and benefit be yours, and you may be blissful for eternity. Allah left the matter of trading mortal/fani life with eternal/baqī life to the will/irada of the servant/qul. Now, servant/qul is to contemplate, and trade mortal/fani with eternal/baqī if he wants to win eternal/baqī. Use mortal/fani in Allah’s cause so that you may win eternal/baqī life. What did martyrs/shahid do? They have given a single life. They have given their lives, but Allah has given them an immortal and endless/abadi life.

This is how our all lives and livelihoods should be. We should use what is given to us for Allah, so that we may submit mortal/fani ones and earn the eternal/baqī one. This life is but a trial. Pay close attention now. Allah left the matter of trading mortal/fani life with eternal/baqī life to the will/irada of the servant/qul, which is only for a test. The truth of the matter is, the lives and wealth of all servants/qul, paradise/janna and all the worlds/alamin are Allah’s property/mulk. This is a relation like a rich guardian giving capital to a poor child, encouraging him to go into business and open a shop, on the condition that he does not seek any other customer but him and sell his goods only to him, and give manifold money each time he buys something. That is a small representation of a trade that is done only with Janâb-i Haqq. If you do trade with Allah, then it is Allah who gives the capital you spend and says, “My servant/qul, always sell it to me and do not seek any other customer. You will receive manifold reward from Me.”

Even if the whole of humankind strived they couldn’t buy a handsbreadth of land from paradise/janna. Janâb-i Haqq grants paradise/janna by rendering your faith/iman and deeds/amal as a means and gives immortal and eternally blissful life.

 

Time Stamp: 11:08

 

Gives inexhaustible bounties/nimat, and unfading comfort to eyes, which are indefinable and unimaginable bounties/nimat, a unique blessing/lutf, and a beneficence/ihsan. This is an offer and acceptance contract. We have made a covenant with Almighty Allah (c.c.) in the realm of spirits/bazm-e-alam in qālū balā. Allah created us, and we acknowledged Allah. And we entered Allah’s command for there is no god but Allah. If we live under Allah’s command and die under Allah’s command; if we do not break our promise, then Allah will not break the promise either. Without a doubt, Allah will give the inexhaustible blessings/lutf that are promised to us because Allah does not break a word. Hear ye! This is such a profitable pledge that Allah has sold every believer/mu’min, and such a overweigh scale that there is no believer/mu’min who did not join this pledge. The whole of real believers/mu’min and Muslims are in this pledge. Ja’far al-Sadiq says, “Your bodies have no price other than paradise/janna. Do not sell yourselves to someone else.”.” Now, what he means is that your bodies have no price other than paradise/janna. Thus, you should use your soul/ruh, body, organs, systems, intellect/aql, zakat/alms, brains, and will/irada in Allah’s cause for the price of these is paradise/janna on the condition that you use it in Allah’s cause, in the way of faith/iman, Islam, and the Quran. Moreover, it is a very good and clear expression.

Now, let us see what Fuzuli, who was a Turkish poet says.

 

Can-ı canan dilemiş, vermemek olmaz ey dil,

Ne niza’ eyleyelim ol ne senindir ne benim.

Now let’s see the translation.

O my heart! The beloved want the life, and it does not behoove to withhold.

Why should we dispute? It is neither yours, nor mine.

You see, Fuzuli has seen the truth here. We supplicate that Allah may bestow abundant mercy/rahmat and forgiveness upon all believers/mu’min, our ancestors, all Islamic scholars/âlims, all truthful/saleh people, all mujtahids, all martyrs/shahid, all veterans/ghazi, and howsoever many believers/mu’min lived in the past. We supplicate that may Allah grant them non-depletable bounties/nimat and unfading comfort to eyes because they brought this holy entrustment to us without a single letter or dot being omitted. They brought us the Holy Quran, Holy Islam. They brought us this exalted, enlightening, and true/haqq religion/din to us. Many of them were martyred/shahid to protect the entrustment, and many of our Islamic scholars/âlims shed tears to bring us this entrustment.

 

Time Stamp: 15:25

 

You should appreciate this entrustment. O Muslims! O humankind! Sit at Allah’s table of mercy/rahmat, and do not incur Allah’s wrath and rage. Do not dive into disbelief/kufr or polytheism/shirk. Do not rebel against Allah. Be at the command of Islam and Al-Quran Al-Karim. Thereafter know that you are under Allah’s command. There is no obedience to Allah without Islam. Allah revealed how one can obey Allah by the sharia/law of Islam. See many people are spreading wisdom/hikmat but the Quran if filled to the brim with light/nūr and reality/haqiqa. The complete prescription of immortal life is present in Al-Quran Al-Karim. Paradise/janna, without a doubt, is one of Allah’s promises, an executory promise, a divine promise. That means Allah has promised that paradise/janna will be given to faithful/mu’min servants/qul who have good deeds/amal-e-saleh, and this is an executionary promise regarding which there is no doubt, it is a divine promise. This is a promise of the Real/al-Haqq. So, get it right, and there is no doubt about it. There is paradise/janna, there is hell/jahannam, there is afterlife/ākhira, and just like there is a life on earth and just like we were created we will die, resurrect, and come straight to the great gathering/mahshar. Allah’s armies will have sieged it as well. That is why you should rejoice. Rejoice this good news and promise of Allah. Eternal/abadi bliss/falah and success/najah is that because Allah does not break a promise and has promised paradise/janna to the faithful/mu’min people with good deeds/amal-e-saleh. Allah has promised the beauty/jamal of it, and you are to rejoice, long for the beauty/jamal of Allah with every fibre of your being, feel the longing of Allah. See, due to your love/muhabbat to Allah, love Allah with every fibre of your being, be loved by Allah, and seek Allah’s pleasure/riza.

Hodja recites the original text of a hadith-i sharif.

What is being said in this narration reported from our Prophet, Hz. Muhammad? Our Prophet says, “The siyāhat/tourism of my people/ummah is fasting.” There are Ibn-i Abbas, Ibn Mas’ud, radeyallahu anhuma, Hz. Aisha, radeyallahu anhā, and Abu Huraira along with others among the sources of this news, and this is the exegesis/tafsir came from them. This is about the exegesis/tafsir of the word “essaihune.” Siyāhat/tourism is a somatic riyādat/chastening. Pay close attention to this! Siyāhat/tourism is a somatic riyādat/chastening. And fasting is a spiritual riyādat/chastening and siyāhat/tourism.

 

Time Stamp: 20:00

 

Fasting is the riyādat/chastening and siyāhat/tourism of the soul/ruh. Now, let us see what is said in a narration/riwayat that comes from Ata. It says, “Essaihune” is the fighters/mujahidin. That is, those who siyāhat/travel on earth are Allah’s mujahid/fighter servants/qul. Our heroes, martyrs/shahid, and veterans/ghazis who strive/jihad in order to realize justice, peace, and sovereignty of the Real/al-Haqq, meaning our male and female fighters/mujahid; it is said that these are the righteous/salihun who travel/siyāhat on earth.

A narration that comes from Abu Dawood and recited by Abu Umama, our Prophet (asw) says the following.

Hodja recites the original text of the hadith-i sharif.

“The tourism/siyāhat of my people/ummah is to strive/jihad in Allah’s cause.”

He says, it is to strive/jihad in Allah’s cause, and every Muslim male and female must become fighters/mujahid, they are obliged to be fighters/mujahid, and they are fighters/mujahid. If they are Muslims, then they are obliged to be fighters/mujahid because the scope of jihad is very wide. For example, emigration/hijra is jihad. Those who emigrate/hijra, those who collect knowledge/ilm, these are among jihad. Those who emigrate/hijra, those who collect knowledge/ilm, these are among jihad. Those who collect knowledge/ilm are complete fighters/mujahid. Those who emigrate/hijra are complete fighters/mujahid. And those who are on front lines are complete fighters/mujahid. There are also who travel/siyāhat on earth to draw a lesson. To draw noteworthy lessons on earth.

Hodja recites the 42nd verse of Surah al-Rum [30].

What is said here? The 42^nd verse of Surah al-Rum [30] says, “Travel over the land and then carefully observe what is going on.” Also, in the 137^th verse of Surah Ali Imran [3], those who travel/ siyāhat to see and recognize the omnipotence/qudrah of Allah in the works of Allah are mentioned. Where can you see the omnipotence/qudrah of Allah? You can see it in the works of Allah. That is, heavens and the earth, from the smallest atom to planets and even all the galaxies, and whatever there is in the worlds/alamin. Allah’s omnipotence/qudrah is clearly seen in Allah’s works. It is Allah’s mirror of omnipotence/qudrah, and Al-Quran Al-Karim is a manifest exegesis/tafsir of this, the explorer and exegesis/tafsir that explores the universe is Al-Quran Al-Karim. You will understand the universe if you read Al-Quran Al-Karim, and vice versa. One of these are textual/kitābi signs/ayat and the other are cosmological signs/ayat. That is why about those who perform prayer/namāz properly, prayer/namāz is a journey/miʿraj, an ascension to heavens and the arsh. It is ascension to Allah Ta’ala, and once you ascend to the pleasure/riza of Allah, then your degree/daraja stars levelling up. If you can attain Allah’s pleasure/riza… The question is for you to attain the pleasure/riza of Allah. See, prayer/namāz one of these. “Those who perform the prayer/namāz properly,” pay attention, properly. That is, those who bid obedience/itaat and faith/iman, meaning those who understand and explain Al-Quran Al-Karim well, those who forbid from polytheism/shirk, disbelief/kufr, hypocrisy/nifaq, sins and evil. Meaning, those who explain the prohibitions of Allah to people and obey the rules of sharia/law so that people may not fall into these evils. These are the ones who collect good traits in their person.

 

Time Stamp: 25:43

 

See, whosoever collects these good traits in himself reaches happiness. Let me repeat, those who perform the prayer/namāz properly, who bid obedience/itaat and faith/iman, who forbid polytheism/shirk, disbelief/kufr, hypocrisy/nifaq, sins and evils, and those who conform to the rules of sharia/law are those who collect these and similar other traits in themselves, and these are the people who will certainly enter paradise/janna, who are praised by Allah.

A narration from Ibn-i Abbas says the following.

When the 111^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9] was revealed, a person from the Distinguished Companions/Ashab-i Gûzin said, “Even if he commits zinā and thievery, and drinks alcohol?” It is said that after this the 112^th verse was revealed. That is, if a person has committed a sin, he is to repent/tawbah and seek forgiveness/istighfar with every fibre of his being. He is to repent/tawbah with a sincere repentance/tawbah nasuh and fulfil all prerequisites of repentance/tawbah. See, this is one of the pre-eminent gates of salvation that Islam calls to itself and says, “come” for the salvation of the whole of humankind. What does it say? It says adopt faith/iman, come, and repent/tawbah. Come with faith/iman, come with repentance/tawbah; meaning become a Muslim. In Islam, the gates of salvation have been fully opened for the whole of humankind. The remedy is not lack of faith/iman, lack of Islam or to make concessions from Islam. Those are only to destroy remedies and faith/iman of a person. You are to call humankind to faith/iman and Islam, that is where remedy lies. You cannot explain the truths to people by twisting or distorting them, flattering others, or making concessions from Islam. If you do that, then you are doing the gravest evil to yourself and humanity. You are to explain what is right in the right manner for Islam is truth/haqq and reality/haqiqa, and the address of all rights is Islam. Those who don’t explain this correctly, who distort it, who flatter others, who gush out flatters are doing wrong to themselves and the world of humanity. So, understand Islam and the Quran correctly, and explain them correctly; stop this flattery! Allah’s command cannot be omitted or augmented. You are to explain the command of Exalted Allah as is, and you cannot side with anyone. You cannot be from this or that group either. You are obliged to be on the side of Allah, the Quran, and Hz. Muhammad. You are obliged to be on the side of the truth/haqq and reality/haqiqa. Some say they will explain the religion/din to the extent a certain person or group wants, and not explain things that they don’t want. What about that is religion/din?

Time Stamp: 30:00

 

It is like cutting off the legs, wings, and head of an eagle. What is left behind from the eagle? Nothing. Can it fly ever again? No, it can’t. Those who do not explain Holy Islam correctly are not aware, but they have cut off their own heads. They are not aware that they deprive themselves and people from their lives, religion/din, and faith/iman when they swallow the wrong pill. Why do you think our ancestors said, “A half-doctor is a sure way of losing your life, and a half-religion is a sure way of losing your religion,”? They did say that a half-hodja is a sure way of losing your religion/din. Al-Quran Al-Karim cannot be omitted or enhanced. Al-Quran Al-Karim is a divine/ilahi knowledge/ilm that incorporates beginningless/azali eternal/abadi realities/haqiqa; a divine/ilahi book, and it is not fabrications of certain people, rather it is the last book, and it has no chance of being corrupted for eternity.

Esteemed friends, our lecture continues with exploratory notes on the 113^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9]. We have given the meanings of these verses/ayat before, and now we are giving exploratory notes on them. The community/jumhur of authors/mufassirs suggest this verse was sent down concerning Abu Talib, which is the 113rd verse.

In a narration that comes from Said ibn al-Musayyib, Zuhri, Amr bin Dinar, and Mamer, our Prophet (asw) says, “O uncle!” The death of his uncle Abu Talip drew near at the time. He says, “O uncle! Say, ‘La ilaha illallah,’ so that I may use it as a proof in favour of you.” See, there were Abu Jahl, and Ibn Abi Umayya were with him, they came to visit Abu Talip. They, meaning Abu Jahl and his entourage said, “O Abu Talib! Are you going to renounce the religion and nation of Abd al-Muttalib?” Then, our Prophet (asw) said, “I shall seek forgiveness/istighfar unless it is forbidden.” Such a shame that Abu Talib said, “I am with the religion of my ancestors.” He could not say, “lā ʾilāha ʾillallāh, Muḥammad rasūlullah.” Now, our Prophet still said, “I shall seek forgiveness/istighfar unless it is forbidden,” this verse and the 56^th verse of Surah al-Qasas [28] were revealed. What did they say?

Hodja recites the 56^th verse of Surah al-Qasas [28].

“Surely, you cannot guide whomsoever you wish, only Allah may guide whomsoever Allah wishes.” These verses/ayat were either revealed in Mecca, or our Prophet (asw) continued to seek forgiveness/istighfar. In the end, when these verses/ayat were revealed it became forbidden for him to seek forgiveness/istighfar anymore because one can neither pray/dua for a polytheist/mushrik, nor seek forgiveness/istighfar for him, nor pray his funeral prayer/namāz, nor marry his daughter, nor eat what they slaughter; polytheists/mushrik are like that. In certain narrations/riwayat it is said that this was revealed when he wanted to visit his mother’s grave and seek forgiveness/istighfar after the Conquest of Mecca. There are also other narrations/riwayat concerning this matter.

 

Time Stamp: 35:10

 

There were also those regarding whom it was said, “Even if you seek forgiveness/istighfar 70 times, I will not accept it. I will not forgive them.” There is a narration/riwayat that say it was about them. Again, the hypocrites/munafiq and polytheists/mushrik come foremost, but our Prophet was warned about these hypocrites/munafiq as well. Janâb-i Haqq has said, “Even if you seek forgiveness/istighfar for them 70 times as the greatest Prophet, I will still not forgive them.” There is no forgiveness to hypocrites/munafiq, polytheists/mushrik, disbelievers/kāfir, and for rightful dues. So, pay attention! That is why believers/mu’min should abstain from every minor or major sin and make no distinction between minor or major and abstain from all sins and we should also compete for reward/sawāb whether it is small or big. We have a limited number of breaths, and our lifespan is limited, our minutes are limited. Our time may pass in the blink of an eye, and everybody in the world has a short lifespan, even those with long lifespans died. However, if you observe the current world, we are not in a position to waste a single breath for we only come to the world once. After we die we do not have the chance to go back to earth because we have been deceived and mistaken. We do not have the chance to go back and be a better Muslim. We should not waste a single breath. Therefore, let us breathe in the way of Allah.

In another narration that comes from Ibn-i Abbas, radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain, a group of believers/mu’min suggested they should seek forgiveness/istighfar for their dead just like Hz. Ibrahim sought forgiveness/istighfar, it has been said it was sent down for that reason. Certain Islamic scholars/âlims have said that seeking forgiveness/istighfar is prayer/namāz because prayer/namāz incorporates all. It has prayer/dua, seeking forgiveness/istighfar, glorification/tasbih, and remembrance/dhikr. That is, prayer/namāz is such a good worship/ibadat that it incorporates all types of worships/ibadat. It encompasses remembrance/dhikr, giving thanks/shukr, knowledge/ilm, learning/irfan, journey/miʿraj; meaning prayer/namāz is such an education and such an ecole/school that nothing beautiful has been omitted from it and it is filled to the brim with beautiful things. Seeking forgiveness is also one of these, and it is present in prayer/namāz. The 114^th verse mentions “awwāh” which is one of the attributes/sifāt of Ibrahim (a.s.). It means he was most plaintive, soft-hearted, tender-hearted, sorrowful, and a man in love. See, the word love is used in place of muhabbat. It is not a synonym of muhabbat, this word has been used later, they saw it fitting. The correct term would be ilahi muhabbat. That is, someone who misses his Rabb/Lord a lot, who has a burning desire for Allah’s beauty/jamal, who wishes to see Allah’s beauty/jamal. The term awwāh is also used for those who pray/dua a lot, who are merciful, who are very faithful/iman, who have no doubt or second thoughts. Muqīm, meaning repentant, those who recite Al-Quran Al-Karim often, who have certainly believed in Allah with a certain/yaqeen faith/iman, who attained certainty/yaqeen. As you know, there are degrees/daraja of ilm-ul-yaqeen, ayn-ul-yaqeen, and haqq-ul-yaqeen. In this regard, a person who has a belief/iman in the degree of certainty/yaqeen is someone who repents/tawbah and seeks forgiveness/istighfar a lot, who reads Al-Quran Al-Karim a lot, who sobs a lot, who is deeply moved, who is a faqih; meaning a person who knows all delicacies of the religion/din of Islam, who knows the whole of the religion/din with its signs and proofs whether they are for or against, who knows the decrees/hukm of the religion/din with its proofs. That person is called an awwāh of a faqih. The following is a narration from Al-Suyuti on the authority of Abdullah ibn Shaddad: One day, our Prophet (asw) said the following.

Hodja recites the original text of the hadith-i sharif.

“An awwāh supplicates and invokes in awe.”

 

Time Stamp: 41:33

 

The authors/mufassirs of the last period suggest tender-hearted is a parable that means merciful and compassionate. Ibrahim (a.s.) was both forbearing/halim and safe/salīm person who was away from violence, and he was patient. When he realized his father was an enemy of Allah he abandoned praying/dua and seeking forgiveness/istighfar for him. Allah informed him, “O Ibrahim! Your father is an enemy of Allah,” said Almighty Allah. After hearing that and receiving this news from his Rabb/Lord, he couldn’t pray/dua or seek forgiveness/istighfar for his father, and he stopped seeking forgiveness/istighfar. Let me remind you, even if a father is a Prophet, or his son if a Prophet, regardless of one’s position and chair, if a person lacks belief/iman and good deeds/amal-e-saleh he is in a terrible danger, which is more dangerous beyond any danger. There must be belief/iman and good deeds/amal-e-saleh, this is minimum. Also, these must in the manner that Almighty Allah taught Hz. Muhammad in Islam and Al-Quran Al-Karim. It should not be someone’s made-up act of worship/ibadat or a fabricated belief/iman. Rather, it must be the belief/iman that Islam, the Quran, and Hz. Muhammad brought forth. This belief/iman is mentioned in kalām and aqidah knowledges/ilms in the ecole/school of Ahlus-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah. An ecole of science of discourse/ilm al-kalām has been founded concerning the creed/aqidah and belief/iman in Al-Quran Al-Karim, and Al-Quran Al-Karim has been understood in the best manner. The belief/iman in al-Quran Al-Karim has been turned into an ecole/school by the way of Ahlus-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah. Today, there is a perfect and true/haqq understanding of belief/iman that Ahlus-Sunnah brought forth. That is why no other belief/iman is valid except the belief/iman of Islam; others are not true/haqq, nor are they considered a belief/iman. Nobody should deceive himself! Now, let me repeat, this is for the better good of all humanity. Almighty Allah renewed the past with Islam and the Quran and placed eternal signs of future into Islam and the Quran. There can neither be a belief/iman without the Quran, nor can there be a religion/din without Muhammad. There can neither be a belief/iman or religion/din without Islam and the Quran. Everyone should understand this! The beliefs/imans of all Prophets and all valid aspects of all holy books are present here.

 

Time Stamp: 45:12

 

What did Allah Ta’ala personally do with their invalid sections with Al-Quran Al-Karim? Allah removed the invalidated their decree/hukm with the Quran. Just as the previous consecutive sharias/laws that came from Adam to Muhammad have been personally renewed by Allah. Lastly, the past has been renewed by Allah with the fresh and brand-new Quran. The beliefs/iman of all Prophets are the same belief/iman, and they are all Muslims. None of them claimed Allah is two. The fundamentals of belief/iman in every sharia/law brought by Prophets are the same, some things have been fabricated in the name of Isa/Jesus and Musa/Moses or others. With that said, there is no religion/din or faith/iman fabricated in the name of Isa, Musa, or others who deviated from the way and slandered Isa, Musa, Bible, Torah, and Al-Quran Al-Karim. They have been betrayed in the past, but Janâb-i Haqq renewed the past with the Quran. Islam and Al-Quran Al-Karim have no chance of being corrupted. People may corrupt themselves. People may become corrupt, but they have no chance of corrupting Islam or Al-Quran Al-Karim. Stay on top of this with everything you got and comprehend this truth. That is why nobody has a right of partnership over the smallest atom of the worlds/alamin, and favours/inayat and help are only from Almighty Allah. Allah did not receive aid from anyone while creating the worlds/alamin, and Allah does not need it. Nobody has a right or partnership neither in the smallest atom nor in the biggest planets nor in the whole of the universe/alamin; they have been personally created by Allah. Favours/inayat is from Allah. Help is also only from Allah. Creation, command, and precaution are all from Allah. It is Allah who manages, and the absolute ruler in all the worlds/alamin is Allah (c.c.).

Now, we continue with exploratory notes on the 117^th and 118^th verses. Let us dwell on the word tāba a little bit and explore it. It is when Almighty Allah destines/nasip a person to repent/tawbah. It is Almighty Allah who destines/nasib repentance/tawbah to the servants/qul whom Allah wishes. Moreover, Allah knows the contents and wisdom/hikmat of it. Allah knows best to whom to grant and to whom to not. See, it is when Allah accepts repentances/tawbah. Look, grants the ability to repent/tawbah, and then accepts the repentances/tawbah. Allah knows best which repentance/tawbah to accept and which ones to not. Ibn-i Atiyya says that Allah is a divine recourse/rucu who rises a servant/qul to a higher state than he previously was in. Please pay close attention to this. Allah is a divine recourse/rucu who renders a servant/qul to a higher state than he was in, and that is, Allah looked at them with favour/inayat and nazar-e-rahmat. Transforming a case of sin to a case of worship, and then transforming a case of worship into something even higher. This is called divine recourse/ilahi rucu. So, it means that it is when Janâb-i Haqq reduces them to a state of absolution/gufran and approval/riza.

 

Time Stamp: 50:05

 

It is when Allah reduces them to a state of absolution/gufran and approval/riza, and when Allah compliments them with mercy/rahmat and favour/inayat. A person may rise to a higher state or position than his previous state by Allah’s grace and generosity/lutf-u karam.

Another word mentioned is usrat. Difficulty, severity, depravity. Sāat-i usrat is moment of difficulty. The 10^th verse of Surah al-Azhab [33] says the following.

Hodja recites a part of the 10^th verse of Surah al-Azhab [33].

Just like the Battle of the Trench, “when the hearts jumped to throats,” and Jaish-al-Usra/Ghazwa of Tabuk, army of hardship, there are worldly troubles suffered in the way of Allah. Also, when the heart of an agonal person jumps to his throat, clogging it. See, he does not lose his life. The angels under Azrail (a.s.)’s command who are assigned to take lives took their lives by pulling and stretching. Those who suffer trouble in Allah’s cause in the world are saved from eternal trouble. That is why you should be at Allah’s command while having a good time in the world, and while suffering troubles in the world, and then eternal bliss will be yours.

Hodja recites a hadith-i sharif.

Hz. Muhammad (asw) says, “There is paradise/janna for whomsoever supplies the army of hardship.” Hz. Uthman had given one thousand camels and one thousand dinars to supply the army of Islam while going to the Expedition of Tabuk. Let us see what our Prophet (asw) says.

Hodja recites said hadith-i sharif.

After this, there is no harm in whatever Uthman does. There is an allocation about the person of Hz. Uthman here. That is why there is a major glad tiding here, and Hz. Uthman was one of the people with glad tidings of paradise/janna, besides, he is among Aşere-i Mübeşşere and Khulafāʾ al-Rāshidūn. Hz. Abu Bakr, Hz. Umar, Hz. Uthman, and Hz. Ali are Khulafāʾ al-Rāshidūn or rightly guided caliphs. Radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain. That said, there are 10 people who were given glad tidings of paradise/janna by our Prophet, and these 4 esteemed figurers are among these 10 people. Also, a hadith-i sharif has been narrated/riwayat from our Prophet which translates to, “My companions/ashab are like stars shining in the skies in total darkness, you will find the way whichever you follow.” That is why the companions/ashab of our Prophet are valuable figures, and the emigrants/muhajirin and the helpers/ansar come first and foremost. Now, a person from among the helpers/ansar, radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain, had brought 7000 vesk kile wheat. Throughout the Expedition they had a lot of trouble concerning matters such as dinit, food and water. In the Expedition of Tabuk there was 1 camel for every 10 people, and 2 people had to share a single date. They were drinking the water in the camel’s stomach.

 

Time Stamp: 55:02

 

That is a narration from Hz. Umar. Our Prophet (asw) prayed/dua, and clouds came. Allah bestowed upon hem rain. Food had depleted, our Prophet commanded them to gather up crumbs, and they did gather a little bit but the army of 30.000 had nothing left to eat. Our Prophet, Hz. Muhammad prayed for a handful of crumbs, and Allah bestowed such a plentifulness/barakat that 30.000 soldiers filled it to their vessels and ate, and some remained still. There are narrations that say the army had reached 30.000 soldiers. The peoples of Ezrah, Eyle, and others were imposed to jizyah/tax on non-Muslims in the Expedition of Tabuk. The Byzantium army fled. The greatest superstate of the world could not face Muhammad and the army of Islam. Alaihissalatu wassalam. They fled. They couldn’t come to Tabuk, and they fled. Polytheism/shirk, disbelief/kufr, hypocrisy/nifaq, injustice/zulm, ignorance, bigotry, and fanaticism has no chance of standing against faith/iman because Islam is a reality/haqiqa, a manifestation/tajalli of the Real/al-Haqq that embraces humanity, one that calls the whole of humankind to paradise/janna, and a religion/din that ensures divine justice and peace on earth; Islam is the right religion/haqq din, and it is the name of truth/haqq and reality/haqiqa. Islam came for all nations, and Hz. Muhammad is the Prophet of all nations; he is the Prophet of all eras. That is why if someone is seeking contemporaneity, then the world should primarily explore Al-Quran Al-karim which encompasses all ages. Otherwise, it will be a pity to humanity. The helpers/ansar were present in the hardest days. See, the emigrants/muhajirin and the helpers/ansar followed our Prophet in the most troublesome days, never leaving our Prophet’s side. They were with Hz. Muhammad in the hardest days. That is, the emigrants/muhajirin and the helpers/ansar, radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain. Almighty Allah looked at them with nazar-e-rahmat. Al-Quran Al-Karim praises both emigrants/muhajirin and the helpers/ansar. Is there anyone who is more valuable than a person who is praised by Al-Quran Al-Karim? These emigrants/muhajirin and helpers/ansar are praised by Al-Quran Al-Karim. The verses/ayat that mention emigration/hijra praise the emigrants/muhajirin, and the verses that mention helpers/ansar praise the people of Madinah who aided emigrants/muhajirin. The emigrants/muhajirin are generally from Mecca, and the helpers/ansar are from Madinah, and they are those who helped the emigrants/muhajirin. O Muslims! Muslims are emigrants/muhajirin in the world, and they emigrate/hijra. They go towards Almighty Allah. Thereafter they help. See, emigrants/muhajirin are those who go towards Allah, who emigrate/hijra to Allah. They are those who mobilize every means available for that path in order to practice holy Islam. What did emigrants/muhajirin of Mecca did take with them?

 

Time Stamp: 1:00:05

 

They only took their lives and beliefs/iman. They left behind their wealth, property, farms, gardens, and whatever fortune they had; they took their beliefs/iman with them and emigrated/hijra towards Allah. They walked to Allah. They revolved around Hz. Muhammad. They strived/jihad to establish this true religion/haqq din on earth, and they only worked for salvation of humankind and ensuring peace. Abu Lubaba, Ka’b b. Mâlik, Ibn-i Rabiʽ, Hilal ibn Umayyah were the ones who were granted repentance/tawbah. Ka’b was from people of Aqaba, and two of them were from companions/ashab of Badr. Nobody was looking at their faces, they were deceived believers/mu’min who stayed back from the Expedition of Tabuk, and they weren’t hypocrites/munafiq or something like that. They were deceived for an instant. Nobody was looking at their faces, they wended their way to Allah. They sought refuge in Almighty Allah from Allah’s wrath, they sought refuge in Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. A verse/ayat was revealed about them. There is no end to Allah’s grace/fazl, generosity/karam, benevolence/ihsan, and mercy/rahmat. Almighty Allah’s grace/fazl and favour/inayat are also infinite. As it is narrated also in Bukhari, Ka’b b. Mâlik said he did not stay back in any war/ghaza except Tabuk. I did not join Badr. Those who did not join Badr were not reprehended because Almighty Allah made them face the enemy without notice. He said, “I was present in Aqaba. As for the Expedition of Tabuk, I was very strong at the time. Shadows were good and the fruits were ripe. I was playing about, they marched forth suddenly and I couldn’t go after them in no way. Ones I saw were either people with excuses or hypocrites/munafiq. I stayed among those who had excuses and the hypocrites/munafiq. I couldn’t join the Expedition of Tabuk,” he said.

“Our Prophet (asw) asked about me upon reaching Tabuk, two answers were given, one positive one negative. I was thinking about how to save myself, and I decided to say the truth. Our Prophet (asw) returned from the Expedition, about 80 people presented their excuses, and he submitted those to Allah and sought forgiveness/istighfar for them. I was present. I greeted him but he was angry with me, he said, ‘Come near,’ and I sat down. He asked, ‘Why did you stay behind? Didn’t you bear pledge/biat?’ I said, ‘O rasūlullah! If I lie, then Allah will inform you of the truth. I had no excuses,’ and I told the truth. He told me to get up and await the judgment/hukm of Allah. He said that to two other people as well. They were Murara ibn Rabiʽ and Hilal ibn Umayyah el-Vakifi. They were righteous/saleh people from the companions/ashab of Badr. He forbade all three of us from speaking with people, he even forbade us from drawing near our wives. Earth became a foreign place to me; others were sobbing in their homes and 50 nights went by like this. I would join the congregation/jama’ah and greet our Prophet (asw), but he wouldn’t look at my face. My uncle’s son did not acknowledge my greet, he did not answer my questions. I was crying. A well-known Nabātean trader was looking for me, and he came to me and brought me a letter from the King of Ghassan.” See that is a different kind of trial.

 

Time Stamp: 1:06:04

 

The enemy checks the inner worlds of Muslims through secret spies all the time, and a letter was brought from King of Ghassan right away. The man in the letter said, “Your owner.” See, King of Ghassan said, “You owner,” meaning Muhammad, “has been inflicting pain on you. Were you created by Allah for that? Join us, and we will do the necessary.” That is what King of Ghassan said.”

Ka’b says, “I said this is a different trouble and trial, and I tossed the letter into fire. An envoy came from our Prophet (asw) at the 40^th night, and he brought news which said, ‘Stay away from your family and do not divorce your wife.’.”

His two friends were also sent similar news, same thing were said to them.

“I sent my wife to her family.”

Hilal’s wife came to our Prophet (asw) and said, “O rasūlullah! Hilal is old and he needs care, would you give permission?” Our Prophet gave them permission.

Ka’b says, “Fifty nights went by. I prayed the morning prayer/namāz. I was gasping, and the world felt constrained. A voice from the Seri Hill was shouting out, “O Ka’b! Good news!” and I prostrated/sajdah right away. Our Master wished repentance/tawbah for us, – he repented/tawbah for us to Janâb-i Haqq – and verses/ayat were sent down. This was announced to public, and I gave whatever I had on my back to the harbinger. I borrowed some food and ran to our Prophet. People welcomed me and said, ‘Allah’s repentance/tawbah may be blessed/mubarak.’ Talha ibn ʿUbayd Allāh congratulated me, but other emigrants/muhajirin did not stand up. I also greeted our Prophet (asw), and his face was shining with bliss.”

A person’s salvation was a holiday to Muhammad (asw). Three people from among his ummah were being saved. Their repentances/tawbah were being accepted. Hz. Muhammad wished repentance/tawbah and sought forgiveness/istighfar for them, and his prayer/dua was accepted. Our Prophet was so happy about their salvation that his face was shining.

Then, our Prophet said, “Glad tidings to you with a most fortunate day!”

 

Time Stamp: 1:10:00

 

“His face was shining like a beauty, and I told our Prophet that I am giving my entire wealth for repentance/tawbah. Our Prophet (asw) said, ‘Reserve some of it for your family, that is better.’ I personally had made a complete decision that I was not going to diverge from what is right, and all the liars were destroyed.”

In the narrations/riwayat of Bukhari, Muslim, and others the matter was about them staying back/tahalluf, the decree being deferred, and tawbah nasuh/sincere repentance; and theirs were tawbah nasuh/sincere repentance. Islamic scholars/âlims have said that the repentance/tawbah of Ka’b b. Mâlik and his friends was tawbah nasuh/sincere repentance. The world felt narrow to them, thus they repented/tawbah. They waited for 50 days. Their repentances/tawbah were accepted 50 days later. However, a message has also been given to the world until last day/qiyamah, noteworthy lessons were given. O Muslims! Think about the parable of those who do not carry out their duties arbitrarily if this was what happened to those who couldn’t join the Expedition of Tabuk. O Muslims! Think about the parable of those who do not fulfil Allah’s commands arbitrarily!

We continue our lecture with exploratory notes on the 119^th and 123^rd verses/ayat. “Be with those who are truthful in essence and in word.” An absolute command is given by Almighty Allah. Allah does not say, “Be with the hypocrites/munafiq,” or “Be with the polytheists/mushrik and help the unjust/zalimun.” Almighty Allah rather says, “Be with those who are truthful in essence and in word.” That is, be with those who follow the Prophet. What does it mean? It means that you should be with those who follow the command of the sharia/law today, and those who side with peace, tranquillity, justice, faith/iman, knowledge/ilm, and learning/irfan. To follow Hz. Muhammad is to follow the sharia/law of Islam and the Quran. Only then will you be with the truthful/sālihun.

See the example of Abu Haytham, there is a noteworthy lesson here. Now, Abu Haytham, radeyallahu anhum wa ardahum ajmain… This was when the 79^th verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9] was revealed. He went to a date garden, and Abu Haytham had a gorgeous wife. He was under a dark shadow, eating fresh and cold dates, with a beautiful woman. At that time the Messenger of Allah was in battle, and it was very hot. See what Abu Haytham said to himself, “I swear to Allah. This is not good/khayr for me. I am in a garden, under a dark show, next to cold water, with fruits, and with a beautiful woman, leading a life of pleasure while the Messenger of Allah is on the way of jihad under scorching sun. The Messenger of Allah is in hot deserts, fields of jihad.”

He told himself, “O Abu Haytham! That which you do is not good for you.” It is said that he immediately equipped his sword and spear, mounted his camel and even though he was very far away, he rode like a wind, at breakneck speed, making dust fly. See, our Prophet (asw) could see behind him as he saw his front, and revelations/wahy were coming. Our Prophet (asw) saw him from far away. He said, “The one who comes is Haytham. The one who comes is Haytham.”

Time Stamp: 1:15:30

 

Our Prophet (asw) rejoiced and prayed/dua for him and sought forgiveness/istighfar for him. See how he rejoices salvation of his people/ummah. If Abu Haytham did not do that, he could be struck by Allah’s anger and wrath. Our Prophet would be sorry for him because Hz. Muhammad is a Prophet who dotes over the whole of humankind, one who encompasses humankind with his wings of compassion. He is the Prophet of mercy/rahmat, compassion, knowledge/ilm and learning/irfan. He is a Prophet who embraces the whole of humankind with a national spirit/ruh-i milli. What did he say? He rejoiced about Abu Haytham, prayed/dua and sought forgiveness/istighfar for him, and said, “You are late, maybe Allah will punish you,” that is why he sought forgiveness/istighfar and said to Allah, “O Rabb! Forgive him. O Rabb! Forgive him.”

It is not permissible/jaiz to stay behind from a battle, and it is not permissible/jaiz to stay behind from jihad.

Friends do not forget about jihad in Islam! It is to ensure peace and justice on earth, to destroy terror, and to make the Real/al-Haqq predominant. It is for the prosperity of the whole of humankind. Jihad is like that, and Allah Ta’ala says that some people should be occupied in religious knowledges/ilm as well. Allah Ta’ala says a group of people should be occupied in knowledge/ilm even while marching out to jihad in moments of total mobilization. Allah says they should not join the battle, for their jihad is knowledge/ilm and learning/irfan. They should mobilize for showing the right path/irshad, jurisprudence/fiqh, and education and learning of religious sciences, for knowledge is also a fard. Knowledge is a fard, and that is jihad of knowledge/ilm. This is called mobilization for knowledge/ilm. Mobilization for knowledge/ilm is a jihad by means of documents, meaning, by the documents of knowledge/ilm. Battle, however, it is a jihad with weapons. It is to earn the major jihad/jihad al-akbar against yourself/nafs. The actual aim of jihad is for a person to make himself/nafs obey Allah and be a Muslim. Chastening yourself/nafs and making yourself/nafs a Muslim is a major jihad/jihad al-akbar. So, educate/tarbiya yourself/nafs, and chasten yourself/nafs. This comes first in major jihad/jihad al-akbar, and those who earn this, those who achieve this victory are brave fellows who achieve every victory. The goal of both jihads is that it is to educate/tarbiya the soul/nafs, and to achieve the major jihad/jihad al-akbar. They should become deeper in religion/din, announce it and warn humankind. They should start with those who are closest to them. They should begin the jihad with their own souls/nafs, and their family, their entourage, their close relatives. You are to begin your jihad of showing the right path/irshad and announcement/tabligh from there.

Now, the 214^th verse of Surah Shu’ara [26] says, “Begin with your kinsfolk.”

 

Time Stamp: 1:20:06

 

Hodja recites the 214^th verse of Surah Shu’ara [26].

“Warn the nearest of your kinsfolk.”

Jihad is piety/taqwa, do not think jihad is something else. Jihad is such a thing that it is the source of all virtue/fazilat, and at the same time jihad is piety/taqwa. Do not go to absolute destruction like the hypocrites/munafiq whose hearts are rotten, daunted, shy. The hearts of hypocrites/munafiq are rotten.

Conquer those who are near, and then go to those who are far. Do not neglect those who are close, because it is dangerous to neglect those who are close. Those who do not straighten themselves up, those who do not straighten their own society up cannot succeed outside either. That is why it is the best course of action to begin with those who are closest to you, otherwise the coup-plotters and those who seek unrest and riot/fitna and fasad look for an opportunity to cause unrest/fitnah in people/ummah.

Our exploratory notes continue with the 124^th to 127^th verses/ayat. To strengthen belief/iman; to augment its level and excitement with lustre/rawnak… Pay attention! It is necessary to augment the level and excitement of belief/iman with lustre/rawnak, strengthening belief/iman. The 260^th verse of Surah al-Baqarah [2] says, “For my heart to be at ease/mutmain.” That is to ask for the utmost degree of joy of belief/iman. So, what does it mean for a heart to be at ease/mutmain? A narration that comes from Ahmad ibn Hanbal says the following.

Hodja recites the original text of the narration.

It says, “Receiving news of it is not like seeing it.” That does not belong to the essence of certainty/yaqeen, rather belongs to its level and strength. That is, a faith/iman being at ease/mutmain is not about the essence of certainty/yaqeen, it belongs to its level and strength. An ijmalī iman/total observance may be more powerful than a tafsiliī iman/detailed observance, but exceptions do not break the rule. It may also receive a high degree/daraja, but still, exceptions do not break the rule. With that said, tafsiliī iman/detailed observance is the name of believing/iman by knowing Islam with its proofs. Belief/iman is existential but disbelief/kufr is non-existential. Belief/iman is existent, but disbelief/kufr is condemn to non-existence. For one thing, there is never a justification for disbelief/kufr, and people invented and acquired disbelief/kufr themselves. Belief/iman has been essential. Belief/iman is fundamental. As for disbelief/kufr, it is non-existential, meaning it is condemned to non-existence. However, people earned disbelief/kufr themselves, and such a shame that they ruined themselves. That is why hypocrites/munafiq were speaking ill about the verses/ayat. It is utter disbelief/kufr to speak ill about the verses/ayat of Al-Quran Al-Karim. You cannot speak ill about it. If you don’t know Al-Quran Al-Karim, then you may learn it. If you learn it, then you may affirm/tasdiq and confess/iqrar it and do the necessary. Those who doubt cannot have belief/iman; if you don’t know, then you need to learn. Now, what is ijmalī iman/total observance? The heart affirms/tasdiq and the tongue confesses/iqrar all contents and all values of Islam as a whole, and then the person works non-stop to learn Islam until grave, within possibility. He learns and practices. Knowing is never enough, you are to practice what you learn, implement it. It won’t be of any use to you unless knowledge/ilm is turned into good deeds/amal-e-saleh. That is why the 33^rd verse of Surah al-Tawbah [9], the 28^th verse of Surah al-Fath [48], and the 9^th verse of Surah al-Saf [61] have been shedding light to these truths. Some people in our time say, “What did Muhammad bring?” If a person says, “What did Muhammad bring,” then he has no knowledge of beginningless/azali and eternal/abadi realities/haqiqa, which is disbelief/kufr and being a disbeliever/kāfir. Muhammad brought beginningless/azali and eternal/abadi realities/haqiqa. Islam and the Quran came to his heart. If you don’t know Islam, if you don’t know the Quran, and you disacknowledge Muhammad, then you do not know anything other than your ignorance. You are left in eternal darkness your own ignorance. Come! Come to the eternal horizon of Islam, enter the light of Islam. Come to the seas of light of Islam. So, what did Muhammad bring? He brought eternal felicity/saadat. He brought the laws of Allah Ta’ala. He brought whatever Allah said and gave. He brought endless and boundless blessings/nimat and unfading comfort to eyes. He brought eternal salvation. He brought the values that bring world to paradise/janna. He brought the sacred values that shall convey people from the Dar al-Islam in the world to Dar es-Salaam. He brought so many things, and he came with a manifestation/tajalli of the endless, boundless, and infinite mercy/rahmat of Almighty Allah.

 

Time Stamp: 1:28:03

 

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