A Human Truly Realizes Himself and Revives the Birth of His Prophet to the Extent of Enlightening His Heart with Values and Morals

A Human Truly Realizes Himself and Revives the Birth of His Prophet to the Extent of Enlightening His Heart with Values and Morals
This is the first sermon of Friday prayers on October 15, 2021, delivered by the esteemed Sheikh Tamam Ahmad, may Allah preserve him, at the Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq Mosque, Ain Hafad village, Safita.In these days, we commemorate an event that has profoundly changed the course of human history—a great event through which Allah, the Almighty, intended for His servants to return to their humanity, to revert to their morals, and to return to their consciences; the day on which Allah honored His servants with the birth of the Seal of the Prophets, our master Muhammad .

This noble occasion, which falls in this blessed month of Rabi' al-Awwal, is an opportunity that Allah has prepared for His servants to achieve a high status among nations, to restore their glory, and to reclaim the values they had neglected and that Satan had made them forget, thus taking hold of their hearts. So, Allah, the Almighty, sent His Prophet as a guide, reminder, bearer of good news, and warner.

What did Allah want to remind people of, and why did He send them the Prophet?

If we want to describe the state of ignorance (Jaahiliyyah), we find various statements, including those of our master Ja'far ibn Abi Talib  when the Negus, the King of Abyssinia, called him to ask: "Why did you leave your people, what is this religion that you have adopted which is different from your people's, and that you left your land for? You did not enter into my religion, nor into the religion of other nations."

Ja'far ibn Abi Talib  replied:

"O King! We were a people of ignorance, worshipping idols, eating carrion, committing immoral acts, cutting off family ties, mistreating neighbors, and the strong among us would oppress the weak. Then Allah, the Almighty, sent us a Prophet from among us, whose truthfulness, lineage, trustworthiness, and chastity we knew. He commanded us to worship Allah alone, to renounce the idols and stones we used to worship, to perform prayers, fasting, almsgiving, and to fulfill trusts. He forbade us from bloodshed and immorality, and commanded us to avoid false speech, errors, and injustice..."

If we wanted to describe our state in this era, we would find much of what was mentioned in this noble statement. The people in (Jaahiliyyah) were characterized by mistreating neighbors, cutting family ties, eating carrion, worshipping idols, and the strong among them oppressing the weak. Have we moved far from this state?

We live in similar conditions to those experienced during the era of ignorance/(Jaahiliyyah).

Many of us mistreat those around us, many of the strong oppress the weak, many wealthy people exploit the poor, and many commit immoral acts, seeking to gain more, elevating themselves, and oppressing others, without being satisfied by anything from the fleeting worldly gains.

Therefore, if we want to celebrate the birth of the Prophet , let us know that we celebrate his birth in this era when we revive our consciences and our morals. Allah, the Almighty, sent him when people were in a state of oppression and tyranny to save them from their injustice and to call them to the highest morals. Whoever calls people to high morals is one who has the Prophet born in his heart, and whoever can renew his conscience is one who has the Prophet born in his heart.

May Allah have mercy on the one who said:

"Do not think that glory is in what your eyes have seen,
or in what you possess, for sovereignty and prestige lie in how you handle wealth.
The wealth that you hold with greed is your master. Spend it in goodness, and you will be its master.
As long as your heart has mercy for a brother, you are a person who has Allah in his heart."

Whoever wants to celebrate the birth of the Prophet, let him enlighten his mind and suppress his desires, for the Prophet was sent to revive consciences and to stir morals, to lead humans from their desires to their intellects, from their oppression to justice, and to restore their humanity. Thus, celebrating the Prophet's birth in this era means reviving our morals, when a merchant adheres to what pleases his Lord, and when a worker adheres to what pleases his Lord. When we treat our neighbors well, we move from ignorance to Islam.

If Allah, the Almighty, sent His Prophet to bring people from the darkness of ignorance, bigotry, and tyranny to the light of humanity and justice, let him examine what they were upon and avoid it, and thereby he will be among those who have moved from ignorance to Islam.

To avoid immorality, to treat people well, to maintain family ties—indeed, we hear a lot about the mistreatment of family ties that reason cannot accept, nor can the soul bear. A child kills his father, and a brother kills his brother for the sake of fleeting worldly things. How are we different from the state of ignorance? They used to cut off family ties, and many of us today do the same.

If a person loses compassion in his heart and mistreats his father, mother, and brother, then he is not far from ignorance.

One truly revives the birth of the Prophet when he remembers the saying of Allah, the Almighty: And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and to parents, good treatment. [Quran 17:23].

When one maintains family ties, cares for his brother, shows mercy to his father, is compassionate towards the young, and respects the old, when one fills his heart with mercy, he/she is among those who have revived the birth of the Prophet.

One of the most touching expressions of this meaning is by Sheikh Abdul Latif Ibrahim, may Allah have mercy on him:

"Whoever does not have a noble compassion for people is as if he does not exist in this world."

Civilization has given us much, but it has deprived us of our values, consciences, and morals, and removed us from our humanity. Sheikh Abdul Latif Ibrahim, may Allah have mercy on him, expresses this meaning:

"The era of steam and the era of light are concerned with killing knowledge, morals, and virtues.
Had it not been for consciences and morals raising us above the level of ignorance, we would not have adhered to principles.
And they used to attack the weak among us like wolves attacking sheep.
Whoever does not have a noble compassion for people is as if he does not exist in this world."

A person truly realizes himself and revives the birth of his Prophet to the extent of illuminating his heart with values and morals.

We ask Allah, the Almighty, to make us and you among those who listen to the word and follow the best of it.

O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, a prayer that accepts our prayers, answers our supplications, forgives our sins, erases our misdeeds, enriches our poverty, and heals our brokenness. Indeed, You are capable of everything.

O servants of Allah, indeed Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and giving to relatives, and He forbids immorality, wrongdoing, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. [al-Nahl 90].

O Allah, make us among those whom You have reminded and they remembered, whom You have warned and they refrained, whom You have heard and they listened, and whom You have seen and they perceived.

I say this, and I ask forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you.