Friday Sermon Archive Series, delivered 28th December 2000
Introduction
From the many traps of Iblis is that he places amongst Muslims, both the weak and the strong, companions who call to evil, using the religion to entice the unsuspecting individual. The religion is used in a distorted manner in an attempt to confuse the individual, who lacks knowledge, or to arouse his desires, due to weakness. Look at how Iblis enticed Adam and Hawwa (Eve), swearing by Allah;
“And he (Shaytan) swore by Allah to them both, saying; ‘Verily, I am one of the sincere well wishers for you both. So he misled them with deception….” Surah Al A’raf (7:21–22)
One of the salaf said; “An intelligent person should refrain from brotherliness with three; the daft, the liar and the corrupt. As for the daft, he never talks good about you, nor can you expect him to aid you from misfortune. His silence is better than his speech, his distance better than his closeness. As for life with the liar, it can never be comfortable. He spreads news about you to others. They fix hatred and enmity between you and the people. The corrupt pretends that he wants to do good for you and does not help you in any matter in the religion.” (Characteristics of the Salaf, pps 100-101)
In Ramadan the shayateen are chained, the gates of Hell are closed; yet we still have Muslims committing evil and enticing others towards it!
- We have those amongst us who sell and traffick drugs
- We have Muslims getting non-Muslims to wear the veil/garments of Muslim women in order to smuggle drugs into the country! Yes this is what we have been accused of!!
- We have Muslims using other honest and God-fearing Muslims’ businesses, unbeknown to them, to ply their trade in weapons!
When Allah cursed Shaytan He told him, regarding mankind to; “….befool them gradually, those whom you can among them with your voice, (i.e. songs, music and any other call of disobedience), make assaults on them with your cavalry and infantry, share with them wealth and children, (by tempting them to earn money by illegal ways, riba, zina etc.) and make promises to them.” But shaytan promises nothing but deceit.” Surah Al Isra (17:64)
Some other characteristics of an evil companion:
- In the same way that Shaytan left the Quraish when he saw what awaited them at the battle of Badr, these companions leave their brothers/sisters in predicaments whereby they lose their livelihood, liberty and, in some cases, their families! Each to their own as they say!
- He follows his desires; “Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilah (deity) and Allah Knowing (him as such) left him astray and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a covering on his sight. Who will guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember?” Surah Al Jathiyah (45:23)
“And whosever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint for him Shaytan to be a Qareen (intimate companion) to him. And verily, they (the shayateen [devils]) hinder them from the Path of Allah but they think they are guided aright!” Surah Az-Zukhruf (43:36-37)
- They think they are guided aright with deviated ideologies like committing haram, i.e. theft, fornication etc. with non-Muslims and then using these ilicit means to make hijra (migrate) because this wipes out all previous sins!!
- His / her heart is dead; “This heart doesn’t know its Lord and instead focuses on its lusts and desires. Its whim is its imam – its lust is its guide – its ignorance the driver – its crude impulse the vehicle!”
Some of our salaf said regarding such an individual; “To associate and mix with the owner of such a heart is to tempt disease. Living with him is like poison and companionship with him is doom.”
- Some of these individuals corrupt the youth amongst us, be they sons or daughters, impressing them with nice speech, expensive clothes and such like from the dunya – to an extent where some of these children rebel and disobey their parents, preferring the empty promises of work and security from these individuals. When you look for those children now, you barely recognise any religion on them! This leads us onto the effects of such companionship
Craving for wealth and status: The hadeeth of Kaa’b ibn Maalik Al Ansaree; “Two hungry wolves let loose among sheep are not more harmful than a person’s craving after wealth and status is to his deen.” (At-Tirmidhee, classified hasan-sahih)
It is said; “So one who spends his days in gathering wealth, out of fear of poverty – then he has achieved only poverty.”
Also, it was said to a wise man: “So and so has amassed wealth.” So the wise man said; ‘Then has he amassed days in which to spend it?’ The reply was no. The he (the wise man) said; ‘Then he has amassed nothing!’
- These people now crave worldly possessions to such an extent that they forget the Hereafter. They ‘re always on a mission;
“Craving after this world torments a person. He is preoccupied and does not attain joy or pleasure whilst amassing. Since he is preoccupied he does not find time – due to his love of this world, for the Hereafter, and is preoccupied with that which will perish…..” (p.13 Ibn Rajab).
They have ignored the narration of Anas ibn Maalik from our Messenger;
“Whoever sets the Hereafter as his goal Allaah will give him richness of heart, gather his affairs for him, (i.e. make things easy for him), and the world will come to him without even his wanting it. And whoever sets this world as his goal, Allaah will make him see poverty before his very eyes. He (Allaah) will let his affairs become disunited and nothing will come to him except what Allaah had destined for him.” (Saheeh al Jaami no.6516 – At – Tirmidhee [vol.2 p.300 no.2005])
End of 1st part of Sermon
2nd part
Companionship: We shall consider this wrong type of companionship further;
“Superfluous companionship is the chronic disease that causes all evil. How often have the wrong type of companionship and intermixing deprived people of Allaah’s Favours/ Generosity and planted frictions in their hearts, which the passage of time, though enough to erode mountains, was unable to alleviate?”
Companionship can, in this instance, be divided into three broad categories;
“1st Those people whose company is like food, indispensable night or day, i.e. The Ulema (Scholars)
2nd Those people whose company is like medicine. They are required when the disease sets in. When one is healthy, they have no need for them. Mixing with them is essential for one’s livelihood, business, consultation etc. Once one’s requirements for them have been fulfilled, mixing with them should be avoided
3rd Mixing with this type of person is like disease, in all its variety and degrees, strengths and weaknesses. Associating with one or some of them is like an incurable, chronic disease. You could never gain in this life or in the Hereafter with them in your company and you will surely lose one or both your faith and livelihood because of them. If their companionship has taken hold of you and continued, it becomes a fatal, fearful sickness. Some of them neither speak with excellence that could benefit you, nor listen well of profit form you… If they speak, their speech falls on the listener’s hearts like the lashes of a cane, while they are in full admiration for, and delight in, their (own) words. They cause distress to their company while believing they are the sweet scent of the gathering. If they are silent, they are heavier than a massive grinding stone…..” (Purification of the Soul pps 26-27)
Abu Musa Al Asha’ree narrated from our Messenger;
“The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk and the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows. So as for the seller of musk, then either he will give you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the Blacksmith’s bellows, then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him.” Bukhari & Muslim
It is time that we look at our companions for verily you are on the religion of your companion. For those among us who are attracted to such evil company then know that Allah Has said;
“And whoever is saved from his own greed, such are those who are successful.” Surah al Hashr (59:9)
Also from our Messenger, reported by Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, that he (the Prophet Muhammed) said; “Beware of greed, for indeed greed destroyed those who came before you. It ordered them to cut off ties of relationship, so they cut off ties of relationship and it ordered them to be miserly, so they were miserly, and it ordered them to commit sins, so they committed sins.” Abu Dawood & others
Jaabir reported from the Messenger; “Beware of greed, since greed destroyed those who came before you. It led them to shed their blood and make lawful what was forbidden for them.” Muslim
Conclusion
Abu Hurairah reported from the Messenger; “Richness is not having many belongings, but richness is the contentment of the soul.” Bukhari & Muslim
Contentment comes through humble submission to Allah, being grateful for what He Has bestowed upon us, i.e. good health, offspring etc.
End
