Thursday 10 th January 2013. Hadith #21: Concept of Istiqamah Lecture by Sister Eman al Obaid www.alhudasisters.wordpress.com How many words of Prophet Muhammad ṣallallahu alayhi wa sallam in this hadith? The sahabah asked an interesting question Sufyan will only be satisfied by an answer from Prophet Muhammad ṣallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Prophet Muhammad ṣallallahu alayhi wa sallam answered with a very short sentence. "Say I believe in Allah and then be steadfast." What would you tell Sufyan if you were asked this question? You would be confused. But the answer here is short and concise. 1 st Part faith. believe in Allah the 1 st pillar of آم ن ت ب ا ه لل 1
If you have this pillar you have everything else. The faith is in the heart and it should show on the limbs, it should show on the person. Say - you should say amantu billah and your heart should say amantu billah. Say it with ق ل your heart and with your mouth without seeing it. - the connector, the belief should be attached to the heart all the time. The faith increases and ب ا decreases. The faith is affected by the environment. Sinning and doing good deeds needs planning. We should be afraid how our faith will be affected. We need to believe in Allah subhana wa ta'ala s Oneness in everything, in His divinity, in His perfection. In life we go through situations where we should affirm our belief in Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Everything in the Universe should make you say Amantu billah, when doing anything, when dealing with people because. Allah subhana wa ta'ala can reward me Allah subhana wa ta'ala can punish me Allah subhana wa ta'ala disposes of all my affairs I am distressed and Allah subhana wa ta'ala is the only One Your heart and mouth says Amantu billah. All the words, all the actions, all the utterances, hidden or apparent make you to believe more in Allah subhana wa ta'ala. secure. Amantu comes from the security, you inner self feels آم ن ت ب ا ه لل Allah subhana wa ta'ala is the only Provider, the only One Who guides, the only Nurturer and Protector - then you feel secure. The opposite of feeling secure is doubts, doubts make you feel insecure. I.e. doubts about a person. You need to believe in all the Attributes of Allah subhana wa ta'ala without any doubts and that will give you the security. In life we are insecure about love, mercy, the provision, why? Because we don t fully believe in Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Hasan al Basri said The faith is not with wishes, neither with adornment. Al Iman is something that settles in the heart and the actions affirm it. Amantu billah is a great word as it is a trust from Allah subhana wa ta'ala. You should believe in Allah subhana wa ta'ala but you have a choice this is the trust which Allah subhana wa ta'ala gave you. Chapter (33) sūrat l-aḥzāb (The Combined Forces) 33:72 Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant. 2
This is about us. To carry the deen, to carry the religion & faith, we should be in this life believing in Allah subhana wa ta'ala no matter what happens. All the trials in life are a test of your faith, your faith in Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Everything which comes your way is a test of your faith. If a trial happens we give it more than we should. The belief is what is being tested. Anything in your life, what you believe, what you think, anything you hear and see is a test of your faith. Do you believe Allah subhana wa ta'ala is disposing of your affairs? When one matter goes, another matter comes so it is a matter of faith, the amanah, how you believe in Allah subhana wa ta'ala. The Heaven and Earth could not take this amanah. The human being took this trust as Allah subhana wa ta'ala tells us so in the Qur an. So you need to fulfill it and believe in Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Nobody deserves the attachment except Allah subhana wa ta'ala. We will be tested many times in our life when tested what do we attach to? Trials are not a tragedy, they are trials of your faith. Nothing is more important in your life except to be saved from Hell and to enter Paradise. If you get stressed and worried about anything in life, tell yourself this is not important. Only your belief in Allah subhana wa ta'ala is important. But we give more importance to other things. Be cool in life, relaxed, don t panic, nothing is a big deal unless you make it a big deal, nothing is important unless you make it important. Amantu billah this is what you will be asked on the Day of Judgment, nothing else. We need to know Allah subhana wa ta'ala by His Names and Attributes more than we need food and drink. Our focus should not be people, our main focus should be Allah subhana wa ta'ala. We need to live under the shade of - Ar Rabb - Ar Razzaq - Ar Rahman - Al Khaleeq - Al Quyyum - Al Hafiz We need to feel all the Names of Allah in our life. We need to believe in Allah subhana wa ta'ala more than we believe in somebody else or even ourselves. 2 nd Part stand firm and steadfast ث هم اس ت ق م I need to know more about Allah subhana wa ta'ala in order to believe in Allah subhana wa ta'ala, then you will do istaqim. Firstly I need to get my faith correct, your goal is the path you need to walk on amantu billah. Istiqim = siratal musta-qeem, the straight path. 3
You need to walk on the straight path in life with all your actions. My tongue should be siratal musta-qeem My thinking should be siratal musta-qeem Anything I do should be siratal musta-qeem siratal musta-qeem = Do what Allah subhana wa ta'ala told me to do, abstain from what Allah subhana wa ta'ala forbade me from. This is istiqamah. A religious person is mustaqeem, upright and walking straight, with the iman and belief in Allah subhana wa ta'ala. When you do what Allah subhana wa ta'ala commanded and abstain from what Allah subhana wa ta'ala forbade you will be balanced. You walk in life straight. Walking in life means things around you are moving, the decree happens, people come, people go, you need to walk on the straight path, not right or left. o Walking right is taking it too easy, o Walking left is making things difficult, Either we do nothing or we do too much. These extremes are very easy, even with relationship s, you care too much or don t care at all. "O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about al-islam which I can ask of no one but you." An illiterate man asked Prophet Muhammad ṣallallahu alayhi wa sallam this question in this hadith. In Surat al Mulk Allah subhana wa ta'ala mentioned two types of people Chapter (67) sūrat l-mulk (Dominion) 67:22 Then is one who walks fallen on his face better guided or one who walks erect on a straight path? The guided one is the one who walks upright and straight. You need both things together, how? Amantu billah and Istaqim. Chapter (11) sūrat hūd (Hud) 11:112 So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah], and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do. Allah subhana wa ta'ala commanded Prophet Muhammad ṣallallahu alayhi wa sallam to be steadfast as Allah subhana wa ta'ala commanded him. Hadith: Aisha radi-allahu anha said about Surat Hud Prophet Muhammad ṣallallahu alayhi wa sallam said Surat Hud makes my hair grey. Ibn Abbas said: There is not one ayah revealed on Prophet Muhammad ṣallallahu alayhi wa sallam that was more difficult then this ayah (11:112). Allah subhana wa ta'ala commanded Prophet Muhammad ṣallallahu alayhi wa sallam to be on the straight path and that is very difficult. But it is a must. 4
You have the faith, but easily our emotions and dealing with people can make us to go left and right. When you know Allah subhana wa ta'ala is perfect you don t expect too much from people. We deal with people harshly when someone does not do what they are supposed to do. When you are on the straight path you don t expect from people. Istiqamah is very difficult so first you need the belief in Allah subhana wa ta'ala. When tragedy happens you need istiqamah, otherwise you will have no empathy for people or you will worry and stress for the people. First your heart needs to be straight and then everything else will be straight. Chapter (41) sūrat fuṣṣilat (Explained in Detail) 41:6 Say, O [Muhammad], "I am only a man like you to whom it has been revealed that your god is but one God; so take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness." And woe to those who associate others with Allah it for the Sake of Allah. and take a straight path to Him. When you want istiqama, you do Sometimes we are not istiqamah in everything so we need: and ask His forgiveness. Is tigfar will bring you back to istiqamah. So we need istiqamah to be constant in our life. How? Ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala to guide you on the straight path. I need to be mustaqeem I need to be istiqamah in everything in my life Who can make you istiqamah? Ihdinas siratal mustaqeem. Hadith: Prophet Muhammad ṣallallahu alayhi wa sallam said If you cannot go to istiqamah, you can go to al mukarabah. Come near to the straight path - If you cannot go on the straight path you need to at least come near to the straight path, don t so go far away. For example pardoning someone is difficult but at least come close to it. Patience is difficult but at least try. I come and learn but find I am not focusing, at least keep coming to learn. 5
The Means for Istiqamah (Steadfast) Allah subhana wa ta'ala wills you will be mustaqeem. For example you will find in a household only one person will be istiqamah. In your heart ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Allah subhana wa ta'ala will put the istiqamah when the person deserves it. Istiqamah is one means to attach to Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Al istighfar wa tawbah When you are sitting quietly and making istighfar, this is one means to make you istiqamah. Do the means, this is your duty in life, don t deprive yourself from these things. Account yourself Chapter (59) sūrat l-ḥashr (The Gathering) 59:18 O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow - and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. Taqwa will make you istiqama disciplined for the Sake of Allah. You account yourself, you don t need other people to account you. You don t want to be exposed infront of another human being. How do you account yourself? In a situation you will - Talk less - Argue less - Judge less Before you talk you think, when you say you need to account yourself. Be frank with yourself. You cannot account yourself all the time, but Allah subhana wa ta'ala gave you detectors within yourself to realize the wrong, the shortage, the faults you account yourself afterwards. When we make mistakes we account ourselves. Sometimes you feel guilty, or you feel depressed for no reason, you don t know what you did so you go back to yourself. Our sadness is because of ourselves. This will make you reconsider your actions or thoughts. Umar Khattab said Account yourself in life before you are asked for the accounting. It is better to account ourselves now before the Day of Judgment. If we account ourselves now the accounting will be less on the Day of Judgment. For some people the accounting will be fast, for those who account themselves now, every day. The accounting is a means to the istiqamah. Salawat al hams Praying five times a day and your prayer is the highlight of the day. 6
Chapter (29) sūrat l-ankabūt (The Spider) 29:45 Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, If we perform our five prayers a day well, we will be mustaqeem because we are following the obligations. Seeking the knowledge This is a discipline, sitting and writing for the Sake of Allah is a way of teaching istiqamah and being mustaqeem because it will teach you about Allah subhana wa ta'ala. When seeking knowledge all the ants, the fish and the angels will make istighfar for you because you are busy. So you will be mustaqeem. Sisterhood in Islam Those whom you meet for the Sake of Allah. Be aware of shaytan Shaytan said he will come, but you don t see him. Shaytan does not want the good for the Sake of Allah so he will whisper, whisper and whisper. We need to know what are the steps of shaytan (workshop coming soon). Fruits of the Istiqamah What will a person get? Chapter (41) sūrat fuṣṣilat (Explained in Detail) 41:30 Verily, those who say: "Our Lord is Allah (Alone)," and then they Istaqamu, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): "Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised! 41:31 "We have been your friends in the life of this world and are (so) in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have (all) that your inner-selves desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask for. 7
41:32 "An entertainment from (Allah), the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Allah subhana wa ta'ala will give the people who are mustaqeem a glad tiding at the time of death. The malaika will descend upon them giving them a glad tiding: - Don t be afraid of what will happen in the future, - Don t be scared, don t be sad of what you left in the dunya, - Allah subhana wa ta'ala gave you a glad tiding of Paradise. You were firm on the siratal mustaqeem and look how Allah subhana wa ta'ala will deal with you, you will have the security and your guardian will be Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Anything you desire in Paradise, you will get it. O Allah subhana wa ta'ala give us istiqamah, rabbil alameen. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala make us to act upon this hadith. Ya Rabbi, increase me in guidance and keep me on the way of guidance until the last moment of my life. This is a transcript of a lecture given by Sister Eman al Obaid. We ask Allah subhana wa ta ala for His forgiveness and His Mercy. Anything that is good from these notes is from Allah subhana wa ta ala. Any mistakes & misrepresentations are my own. I ask Allah subhana wa ta ala for His forgiveness and to put forgiveness in the hearts of those who read them. JazakAllah Khairan. 8