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on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat

PROPHET MOHAMMED (SALA ALLAHU ALAYHI WA SALAM) LAST SERMON:

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived...



Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. You are all equal. Nobody has superiority over other except by piety and good action.

Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur'an and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness oh Allah that I have conveyed your message to your people."

This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat

THE WEAKNESS OF FAITH

Signs of weak faith
1. The passions and sins dominate
2. Permanently delay the prayers or not perform.
3. Your heart is hard and insensitive.
4. Lose time in things that do not provide benefits to the faith.
5. Do not feel rejected when you see these reprehensible acts and sins openly.
6. No longer voluntary good works as reading the Quran,
reflections on the Hadith, prayers do not volunteer, do not give charities or help your neighbor.
7. Do not you care to learn, not to spread Islam or knowledge.

Causes of weak faith

1. Have you away from environments where faith is strengthened, as the mosque, awareness meetings and encounters with siblings religious.
2. Spend much time with people who do not contribute anything to your faith.
3. You interact much with people who commit sins or not regularly
are in the path of faith.
4. 're not relate to the brothers who can guide you to
be a better Muslim.
5. You left dominated by materialism, and your time more valuable it get money spend on obsessively, relegating all others:
mosque, the family, the kinds of knowledge, helping others ...
6. Deposit false expectations that anyway Allah will forgive you
your sins and negligence and not doing anything to earn the mercy of Allah.
7. You exceed the food and drink, without checking if strictly halal.

8. Not pay attention to the small sins that you commit and let it
add one after another like a mountain without regret.

Remedies to strengthen your faith

1. Awaken your consciousness to the greatness of Allah, that you realize how great and sublime is who you're disobeying and abandoning.
2. Read, recite, study and reflect on the Quran.
3. Participates in the circles of knowledge.
4. Looking for siblings who are aware and are known for their
Islamic behavior and spend more time with them.
5. Make small good deeds, and do not despise any good deed to the
others, however small it may seem.
6. Remember that your life is not eternal in this world, and one day have to face death, and therefore a trial of your actions.
7. Think about the way you have to go if you want to enter paradise.
8. Júzgate yourself after each day before you will be judged one day you can not do anything to change your situation.
9. Do not give this world more attention than necessary, meet with your obligations, but do not let materialism dominate your heart.
10. Learn prayers for every situation, for the remembrance of Allah is always in your mouth.
11. Tell people about the virtues of Islam, whether Muslim or not.
12. Choose as friends religious people, having good character and
desire to practice Islam as a way of life.
13. Visiting the sick, make supplications for them and grateful to Allah for your health.
14. Have patience with the difficulties and always your heart to Allah guides, He just waiting to solve your problems.
15. Be moderate with things allowed, do not overdo it, all excess
are bad.
16. Always check your intention before doing things to make it sincere  for Allah, and mentions the name of Allah before every important work.
17. Be consistent, the Prophet said: "Allah loves that work that even  small, but steady. "

PROUD OF TO BE MUSLIM ANYWHERE WE ARE

Question:
 Some people are annoyed and embarrassed to wear the clothes that show they are Muslims when they travel to countries in disbelief.
What advice would you give to these people?

Answer:
 Unfortunately, what the questioner says is true: even while we were superior, we have no personality.
Therefore, we always feel we are in the queue and we follow others.
It is noted that if one of us is a useful thing, not ever assigned to him or any of the Muslims, but says: "That comes from Western and Asian civilization, " not giving any value, despite all the corruption representing others.
And when these people come where we are putting on their short and low cut dress without shame, to the point that the women are half naked, smack [make noise with her heels], and little need for land is not based on her feet .

They do not care about anything as long as women, then to say of us, Muslim men? How can you be ashamed of our Islamic clothing in their countries? Is not the evidence of our weakness of character?
The answer is actually, if we treat these people like they treat us, would be just. If they come dressed as our countries are, without worrying about our feelings, why do not we start our Islamic clothing for our trip to their country, no matter your feelings?

A person, who died, may Allah be merciful with him, told me that before, had traveled to a foreign country carrying with it its distinctive Islamic dress well. He said he found very good reception on his side, to the point that he opened the car door when he wanted to mount. Look at this story and how this man was proud to Allah, praised and exalted be-[to show that being a Muslim and his God is Allah through clothing], and praised and glorified Allah-is-it preserved their pride. It should not be humiliated in front of them, because the Muslim all the time should be proud of what it is.

If you browse the pages of our history books to see the behavior of Muslim soldiers with their enemies in war, one would find what was his pride against his enemies. Therefore the Muslim must keep his pride and dignity so they do not believe that his life is ridiculous citizen civilization. How can you call that "a civilization" while destroying the customs, preaching to deny Allah, praised and exalted be-and decay? True civilization is the remaining useful progress attached to our religion and morals, then why give them that so easily? Are they, the people of civilization and we retarded?
Our duty is to progress with our religion in the areas of belief and works for the civilization of ours, and we call on him
"Sincerity is not part of civilization? The answer is yes, and Islam insists on the quality. Allah be praised and exalted, says:

"Believers! Fear Allah and be with the truthful. "[1]

 And the Prophet(Sala Allahu alayhi wa salam) said:

 "Sincerity leads to good works and good deeds leads to Paradise. Man does not cease to tell the truth until he mentioned to Allah, praised and exalted be-being of the truthful. Lying leads to evil actions and bad actions lead to Hell. The man will not stop lying until I mentioned to Allah, praised and exalted be-being of liars. "[2]

So it seems, unfortunately, is that many Muslims lost this quality, then you can not say that Islam is very important in this respect.
We speak now of other qualities such as loyalty and honesty in the sale, the Prophet (Sala Allahu alayhi wa salam)-said about it:

 "The seller and buyer are free [to conclude the sale or not] until they separate. If they were sincere and if they did not hide anything from defects in their products. Allah bless your sale. But if you hide the flaws and if they lied, it voids the blessing. "[3]

Is the loyalty and sincerity are presented in all transactions by the Muslims? You could say that some Muslims lost this quality in their transactions. Some of them are sincere and show no defect in his goods, and worse still, is the liars and double the price, this is not a lie and a hoax?
 But Islam forbids it and the Prophet (Sala Aallahu alayhi wa salam) said about it:

 "Whoever deceives is not ours. " [4]

 Watch as the Prophet (Sala Allahu alayhi wa salam), disapproved of this genre of people, and yet, some Muslims deceive, may Allah protect us! A quick look at the status of Muslims find that the bulk of Muslims is far from the qualities and habits to which Islam invites [to be] and I am sad to say, some Muslims are fleeing to the people of Islam because of his [bad] behavior that contradicts Islam!

Fatwa of Sheikh Al-Uthaymeen, extracted from his collection fatawa
 Chapter of the Faith, p.: 787-789
 [1] Repentance, v.119
 [2] Al-Bukhari, Chapter of the rules of civility (no. 6094) and Muslim, chapter of the charity and kinship ties (No. 2607)
 [3] Al-Bukhari, Chapter of sales (no. 2079), and Muslim, Chapter of sales (no. 1532)
 [4] Muslim, Chapter of belief (n º 101)

LIFE AND MISSION IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH

This article is based on a lecture given by Shaikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Baz about the life and Mission of Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab.
Published by Darussalaam
Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab was a great man, an outstanding reformer and a zealous preacher, who appeared in the Arabian Peninsula in the twelfth century A.H. He was educated by his father in his homeland, Oyayna, a village located at Yamama in Najd, northwest to the city of Riyadh. He learnt to read the Qur'aan at a very early age and exerted himself in studies and advanced learning at the hands of his father, Shaikh Abdul Wahhab Ibn Sulaiman, who was a great jurisprudent and the Judge of Oyayna.
Having attained puberty, the Shaikh traveled to Makkah and then to Medina to learn from learned personalities there. Then he went to Iraq (Basrah) to seek after knowledge. It was in Iraq that he started his mission. There he called the people to Tawheed and the Sunnah of the Prophet (Sala Allahu alayhi wa salam). He announced that it was the duty of every Muslim to follow his or her religion (Islam) strictly in accordance with the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. He engaged in debates and discussion with scholars and thus became famous. However, some characterless scholars rebelled against him and he faced some harms and persecutions from them. So, he left Basrah moving towards Az-zubair, then to al-Ahsa, and then finally to Huraymela, where also he faced much suffering at the hands of the wicked because he enjoined the good and forbade the evil and persuaded the rulers to punish the criminals severely. So, some of them even attempted on his life, but Allah saved him. Then he moved to Oyayna, which was then governed by Prince Uthman Ibn Muhammad Ibn Muammar, who welcomed the Shaikh with hospitality and promised him all support and help in calling people to Islam.
People in Najd at that time lived in a condition that could not be approved by any believer. Polytheism had spread widely; people worshiped domes, trees, rocks, caves or any persons who claimed to be Awliya (saints). Magic and soothsaying also had spread. When the Shaikh saw that polytheism was dominating the people and that no one showed any disapproval of it or no one was ready to call people back to Allah, he decided to labor singly and patiently in the field. He knew that nothing could be achieved without Jihad, patience and suffering.
The Shaikh continued calling people to the Path of Allah and guided them to piety, righteousness and love in the cause of Allah. Gradually, the Shaikh became famous in and around Oyayna. People came to Oyayna to meet him from neighboring areas and villages. He also wrote to many scholars requesting their support and reminding them of their task of helping Allah's Religion and fighting against polytheism. Many scholars from Najd, Makkah and al-Medina accepted his request, while some disagreed with him, reproached his mission, condemned him and kept him away.
The Shaikh and those with him were in between two types of people; one group consisted of the ignorant people, who knew nothing about Islam and followed deviations and innovations, superstitions, etc. which their forefathers had upheld. The Qur'aan says about them, "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion and we will indeed follow their footsteps." The second group, on the other hand, was related to knowledge but responded negatively to the Shaikh because of their envy and also because they were ashamed and afraid that the people would question their integrity, 'why did you keep silent without warning us against such and such evils until Abdul Wahhab appeared?'
But the Shaikh carried on patiently seeking the Help of Allah in all matters. He strove hard in studying the Qur'aan and reading useful books. He had a special skill of interpreting the Qur'aan and deducing from it. He also worked hard in studying the life of the Prophet r and the lives of his companions (radhi allahu anhum).
The Shaikh went on teaching and preaching. Gradually, he exerted himself on practically removing polytheism when he noticed that his call to Islam had no affect on some. One day, the Shaikh said to the governor, 'Let us demolish the dome at the grave of Zaid Ibn al-Khatab t (Zaid Ibn al-Khatab was the brother of Umar Ibn al-Khattab t and a martyr, who died in the fighting against Musailimah Khaddhab in 12 A.H, he was buried and later on people built a dome on his grave). It is erected on deviation and the Prophet r has forbidden building domes or mosques on graves. Moreover, this dome has destroyed the people's belief with polytheism. So, it must be demolished.'
The Prince agreed and mobilized an army of six hundred soldiers and marched towards the grave, headed by the Shaikh. As soon as they approached the dome, the people came forward to defend it but when they saw the Prince with his army, they changed their decision. Then the Shaikh took the action of demolishing and removing the dome. Allah removed it by his hands and Al-hamdulillah, none of its traces remains now. Similarly, there were other domes, caves, trees, etc. that were also destroyed and removed. The Shaikh, thus, continued his mission by words and action, for which he became very famous. Also, one day a woman came to him and confessed that she had committed adultery. After realizing that she was sane, married and had confessed without external compulsion, he gave the order according to the Sunnah that she should be stoned to death as a punishment, as he had now become the Judge of Oyayna.
Meanwhile, the Prince of al-Ahsa (and surrounding villages) feared the Shaikh's position, because committing wrong, robbery, murder, etc, were usual for them. He wrote to Prince Uthman threatening him and demanding him to kill the Shaikh. The Prince approached the Shaikh saying, "the nomad prince has sent me a message to do so and so. We never wish to kill you, but we are afraid of the prince and we are unable to fight him. So if you think you may leave." The Shaikh replied: "I am simply calling people to Islam and to the fulfillment of the testimony of Faith that there is no god except Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger. Whoever holds fast to Islam and upholds it truthfully, Allah will help him and make him ruler of his enemy's countries. And if you endure and be righteous and accept this Religion, then be glad that Allah will help you and protect you from the nomad prince and others. Allah will also give you power over his country and his kinfolk." But Uthman said: "O Shaikh! But we cannot fight him nor can we stand his oppression." So, the Shaikh had to leave Oyayna for Dareyya on foot because Uthman did not even provide him any means of transportation.
On reaching Dareyya, the Shaikh stayed in the house of a man who was one of the best personalities in Dareyya, but he feared the prince of Dareyya, Muhammad Ibn Suad. The Shaikh said to him, 'be glad and hope for the best. I am simply calling the people to Allah's Religion, and He will undoubtedly make it victorious.'
The news of Shaikh's arrival in Dareyya reached Muhammad Ibn Suad. It is said that his wife first informed him of the Shaikh. She was a kind and pious lady and she addressed her husband saying, 'Here is a great fortune sent to you by Allah. A man who is calling the people to Islam, calling to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah of the Prophet r. What a good fortune! Rush to him and support him. Never resist him or stop him from that.' Muhammad Ibn Suad accepted her advice and went to the Shaikh and made a contract with the Shaikh that he should not leave the country.
The Shaikh now settled in Dareyya. People started to come to him for learning from everyplace - from Oyayna, Iraq, Manfooha, Riyadh and other neighboring places. Respected, loved, supported by the people, the Shaikh arranged lectures on various topics; Creed, the Holy Qur'aan, the Qur'aanic commentaries, Islamic Jurisprudence and its principles, the Hadeeth and its terminology, and others. He arranged classes for the public as well as for the selected persons. Thus, he continued his mission and activities of preaching in Dareyya. He wrote to the scholars and rulers establishing his arguments and warning them against polytheism and innovation. Because of his correspondence with scholars and rulers and his struggling in the cause of Allah, the Shaikh became famous. His mission continued and spread all over the Islamic world and also other countries.
It is a known fact that every favor has its envier, as every preacher has his enemies. Allah, the Exalted, said in the Qur'aan:

"And so We have appointed to every Prophet an enemy - devils among the men and Jinn - inspiring to each other adorned speech as a delusion. And had your Lord willed they could not have done it. So, leave them alone to their fabrication."

                       [Soorah al-An'aam (6): 112]

When the Shaikh became famous for his teaching, and his writings received wide popularity among the people, many envious groups emerged as his opponents. One group consisted of characterless scholars who saw the truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth, and believed that building domes and invoking the engraved as pertaining to Islam. The second group was associated with knowledge but was ignorant of the reality of the Shaikh's mission. They simply believed others and kept aloof from the Shaikh. The third group that opposed the Shaikh consisted such people who feared the removal of their positions and ranks. They showed humility so that the supporters of the Islamic mission might not reach them and remove their positions and take over their lands.
So, some opposed him in the name of religion, while other opposed him in the name of politics though they hid under the cover of knowledge and religion and exploited the enmity of those scholars who had hated him and accused him of deviation. Sometimes, his opponents argued that he belonged to the Khawarij, at times some criticized him out of their lack of proper knowledge, etc. Thus, the fighting between words continued through debates and arguments. He would write to them and they would reply to him, and he would refute them, and thus numerous questions and answers were accumulated and compiled into volumes. And Al-hamdulillah, most of them have been published. Then the Shaikh turned to Jihad in 1158 A.H, he wrote to people to enter the field of Jihad and remove polytheism, which existed in their countries.
The Shaikh, thus, strove in his preaching and Jihad for fifty years from 1158 A.H. until he died in 1206. He resorted to all methods of his mission - Jihad, preaching, resistance, debates and arguments until people adhered to obedience and demolished the domes and mosques built by them on the graves and agreed to run their affairs in accordance with Islamic Law, discarding all rules and laws which had been applied by their fathers and forefathers. Then after the death of the Shaikh, his sons, grandson and supporters continued his mission and struggle in the cause of Allah.

THE LOVE OF ALLAH

Imaam Abu `Abdillah, Shamsuddin Muhammad, ibn Abu Bakr, ibn Ayyub, ibn Sa`d, ibn Hurayz, al-Jawziyyah, al-Hanbali mentioned ten causes that result in Allah's love for His slave and the slave's love for his Lord.

These ten are:
First, reciting the Qur'an while pondering over its meanings and what is meant by it.
Second, getting closer to Allah by performing voluntary deeds after completing obligatory deeds. This is as is stated in a Hadith Qudsi: "My slave continues getting closer to Me by performing voluntary deeds until I love him." (al-Bukhari)
Third, continual remembrance of Allah under all circumstances, with one’s tongue, heart and actions. The extent of one’s love of Allah is determined by this.
Fourth, giving precedence to what He loves over what you love when you are overtaken by your desires.
Fifth, the heart being avid of Allah's Names, and Attributes and the heart roaming in that garden of knowledge
Sixth, observing Allah's kindness, goodness and bounties, both hidden and open.
Seventh, and this is the most wonderful, the heart being soft, subdued and meek before Allah.
Eighth, being alone with Allah during the time when the Lord descends during the last portion of the night while reading His Book and ending that by asking for forgiveness and repenting.
Ninth, sitting with the beloved and sincere, benefitting from the most fruitful of their speech. And not to speak unless speaking is more beneficial and you know that it will improve your state and be beneficial to others.
Tenth, remaining away from every cause that comes between the heart and Allah.
These ten causes take the lovers to the station of true love and bring them to their Beloved.
Imaam Ibnul Qayyim al-Jawziyyah,From the book Madarij as-Saalikeen, Vol. 3, pp. 17-18

AL FATIHAH: UMM AL KITAB

This Surah is called Al-Fatihah, that is, the Opener of the Book, the Surah with which prayers are begun. It is also called, Umm Al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book), according to the majority of the scholars. In an authentic Hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih, Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

"Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin is the Mother of the Qur'an, the Mother of the Book, and the seven repeated Ayat of the Glorious Qur'an."

It is also called Al-Hamd and As-Salah, because the Prophet said that his Lord said,

"`The prayer (i.e., Al-Fatihah) is divided into two halves between Me and My servants.' When the servant says, `All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of existence,' Allah says, 'My servant has praised Me.'"

Al-Fatihah was called the Salah, because reciting it is a condition for the correctness of Salah - the prayer. Al-Fatihah was also called Ash-Shifa' (the Cure).
It is also called Ar-Ruqyah (remedy), since in the Sahih, there is the narration of Abu Sa`id telling  the story of the Companion who used Al-Fatihah as a remedy for the tribal chief who was poisoned. Later, the Messenger of Allah said to a Companion,

"How did you know that it is a Ruqyah"

In the beginning of the Book of Tafsir, in his Sahih, Al-Bukhari said;

"It is called Umm Al-Kitab, because the Qur'an starts with it and because the prayer is started by reciting it.''

It was also said that it is called Umm Al-Kitab, because it contains the meanings of the entire Qur'an. Ibn Jarir said, "The Arabs call every comprehensive matter that contains several specific areas an Umm. For instance, they call the skin that surrounds the brain, Umm Ar-Ra's. They also call the flag that gathers the ranks of the army an Umm.'' He also said, "Makkah was called Umm Al-Qura, (the Mother of the Villages) because it is the grandest and the leader of all villages. It was also said that the earth was made starting from Makkah.''

Further, Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah narrated about Umm Al-Qur'an that the Prophet said,

"It is Umm Al-Qur'an, the seven repeated (verses) and the Glorious Qur'an."

"It is Umm Al-Qur'an, Al-Fatihah of the Book (the Opener of the Qur'an) and the seven repeated (verses)."

SOURCE: Tafsir Ibn Kathir, http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php