Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 27th January, 2023
Sermon 1: Mosques are places of social relationship to achieve spirituality
Allah has established Taqwa for protection of human life as a divine plan from creator of human beings for every segment of life where there is specific Taqwa. The most important segment of life is social under whose laps the other segments of life gets nurtured. If the social life is not secured then the individual life and other dimensions of life would become insecure. There is Taqwa established both for personal and social life of man.
In verse 200 of Surah Ale Imran.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ {200}
O you who believe! be patient and support others for patience and remain connected, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, that you may be successful
The address is to a society of believers to acquire patience, support others, do Murabeta and Taqwa so that you can achieve prosperity. Taqwa in the social field is protection in the same segment. We spend major portion of life socially hence more danger is here. Taqwa is protection against such threats which are of such nature that it ends life of human being. When man has been ordered for Murabeta and a practical map is also presented for the same. There is Murabeta required for society, amongst believers, with the leaders of guidance and centers of guidance. Wherever there is relationship, connection the dangers are also present. The social relationships are vast like family relationships, between classes, political relationship, defense affairs are all part of this Murabeta. In these an important Murabeta of man is with their religious center. They are not those centers which we have made ourselves, but instead those which Allah have instructed and told us. Like Kaaba is the global center for development of Ummah. Similarly mosques are those centers which are made for social relationship. We consider mosques only for spirituality like Salaat. We consider Salaat as spiritual which if we are not able to achieve we find Salaat as meaningless. One dimension of mosque is relationship with Allah through worship, but this is not the entire reality of mosque. It is one dimension of mosque only because the relationship with Allah can be established at homes as well, and it is better done in seclusion. In rush it is difficult to establish relationship with Allah as attention can be drawn out by man.
We can see that we have gathered for Friday prayers and still there are things which have taken our attention away. The only thing we don’t pay attention towards is Sermon. The people sitting next to each other, the ones come later all draw attention of others. We can say then it is better that man sits in isolation where only he and Allah is present without any interference. The spirituality can be obtained more but we are stopped from doing this in caves. The relationship with Allah gets established amongst and with people. The condition of relationship with Allah is to first establish relationship amongst yourself. When you establish relationship amongst yourself then you get connected with Allah. The Prophets have come amongst people. The people were not having good terms with each other and they were cut off with Allah. The Prophets first connected them and then connected them with Allah. This is the order of religion. One important dimension of mosque, centers is the same to establish relationship with each other. Mosque is a social place where you have to establish congregation in Salaat. The Jamaat means to gather together. Friday is the day of gathering and mosque is the place. Both the day and mosque are Jumah , means day and place of gather. You first establish relationship amongst yourself. The purpose for which these relationships are made is to get connection with Allah. On Friday we are being ordered to gather together. On Friday if you have to travel also then it should be after Friday prayers. Then after the gathering and delivering the Salaat the Quran says you can disperse in land. The day of Friday is the day of gathering to be done in the ordained place that is mosque. The daily five times prayers are for locality and Friday is gathering for a bigger region where they should gather in the Central mosque. This gathering is the purpose and through this you can do your journey towards Allah. This gathering is being blessed on this gathering. The hand of Allah is with the society and not with individual.
For this gathering we have been given two blessings, one is Salaat and second is mosque. There is spirituality present in these, but we only consider this only as purpose. We have been told to be highly attentive in Salaat and not divert attention even for a moment. Who can achieve this? Might be you will be available to do as special favor from Allah but you can achieve the same purpose through gathering. In this gathering the discussion should be done in accordance with this. The Friday gathering every time should give a new outcome and not that the same thing gets repeated every Friday. Have you taken a new step every Friday in relationship and society? If you have stopped where you were, despite of attending Friday prayers throughout the life then you have not achieved anything from Friday prayers. Similarly for Salaat, like Ali (a) says that man for whom two days pass alike he is in loss and deception. So what if two weeks, months, years and entire life passes the same way is accursed. If you see the people of world in business, they always want to take a step forward. If you find a businessman who is not growing wealth he becomes upset.
Allah has given the map of Murabeta as Mosque, Salaat, Hajj, Friday. Then there is relationship with the leader. We should acquire that purpose of this gathering. It should not be that we just attend and pass the time. Man is invited together with everyone to do something. The narration we have referred to before that when people come to attend the Friday prayer they record attendance and give them grades. Those who come first they get higher grade. Some of our believers are very cautious to not attend unless Salaat starts. The Angels will also make you wait. In narrations it says your paradise is getting prepared in accordance to the preparation you do for Friday prayers. I have mentioned this reality that paradise and hell are not separate cities where we will be moved there like shifting homes. We make these here and only curtains are lifted to see what we have made for ourselves. In a tradition when a righteous believer enters the world of grave, where the soul goes certain beautiful faces surround him. The first most beautiful face comes near and asks believer to recognize him. The believer says I have never heard or seen , imagined such beauty. That picture says I am your Salaat means your act only. Then all the faces’ identity themselves as Fast, Hajj, certain righteous things. These are all the acts of believer. The face of acts in Barzakh is different from this world. That world is different. Whatever we are taking from here is our paradise or hell.
Allah has given us a full map of life which Quran has come with. The structure of Ummah should get renewed daily and weekly. For this Salaat, Friday, Hajj are presented. There are dangers to these as well. The way there are threats to life and every part of the body. The means of protection from these dangers are made by Allah and we have been ordered to protect your body, heart, society and then in this verse protect your patience, relationship with these.
Allah is asking believers to protect your Sabr, Saberu , Rabetu with Taqwa. First assess what are the threats. Since we are drowned in these threats we do not realize. It is a philosophical law that man when drowned in something does not realize it. As an example a daughter of perfume seller went to a leather tanner. The girl got disturbed with the smell of leather there. She started to perfume things to end the smell. After a week she told her mother-in-law that the smell is gone. She said that it is not ended but you have got habituated. You can see people working in gutters because the feelings end. The dangers in which the Pakistani community are engulfed like the dirty politicians, a corrupt culture which we are all enjoying. Our feelings have ended about what society we are living. Quran says what people have done due to which dry and wet lands both are engulfed in corruption. If we analyze our society then you can see and feel the threats. A sick person does not realize that sickness has entered inside him but others can realize by looking at him. If we take an outward analysis then we can see the inner state. Like standing outside the door see your room as to where we are living. To improve this society we need Taqwa.
Allah has kept Taqwa in the system but the Pakistanis did not consider that as important. They thought political parties, capital, other things as essential which we achieved. Allah has kept Taqwa in the formation of society . You have to make mosque, society, colonies on the basis of Taqwa. It protects man and society from dangers. We can see everyday societies; colonies are made with protection. The forces are made for borders. Every believer is responsible for the protection of self and society. This type of Taqwa is taught in books or in other subjects. In Fiqh there is no subject of Taqwa because Fiqh only consider orders where Ittaqu is an order. From Iqamus Salaat, the book of salat got formed. On verse of Taharat, the book of Taharat got made, for hajj verse the book of hajj rituals came out. But Ittaqu present so many times but Fiqh did not make it a subject. The ethical scholars took Taqwa somewhere else, due to which society is without Taqwa. This is the reason these dangers have come on society. As I said before Imamat has been kept in a plan for guidance, we took Imamat out from that plan and got on pulpits for lectures. Hence our Imam is not a leader, guide, ruler is not taken but instead for Tawassul. Allah has made Imam for governance and we have used him for Tawassul, we need political dirty leaders for governance. We think we can run the government without Imam, we can make Saddam, bin Salman as Hakim. Allah has kept Imam so that you should not make Fasid as Imams. The authority of your life is with Imams and not as means for seeking. You have taken the rights of Imamat and given to political dirty thugs. And then sit every Tuesday to recite dua e tawassul. We say in tawassul that we are presenting you before our desires. This means primary object is our desires and to get those accepted we are placing you in presence of Allah to get those fulfilled. We are ourselves saying that we are presenting you to Allah for our desires. Allah has presented them for our guidance, salvation. Allah sent them as custodian of our life and hereafter. They are the pillars of lordship of Allah. We have kept Shahbaz Sharif in the place of Imamat. We have to develop seriousness about religion and specifically we have understood Taqwa in social aspects and then act upon it.
SECOND SERMON
Sermon 2: One is Self-love gets isolation-1
In saying number 113, Imam Ali presents a beautiful system for believers.
113. وقال عليه السلام : لاَ مَالَ أَعْوَدُ مِنَ الْعَقْلِ، وَلاَ وَحْدَةَ أَوْحَشُ مِنَ الْعُجْب، وَلاَ عَقْلَ كَالتَّدْبِيرِ، وَلاَ كَرَمَ كَالتَّقْوَى، وَلاَ قَرين كَحُسنِ الخُلْقِ، وَلاَ مِيرَاثَ كَالاْدَبِ، وَلاَ قَائِدَ كَالتَّوْفِيقِ، وَلاَ تِجَارَةَ كَالْعَمَلِ الصَّالِحِ، وَلاَ رِبْحَ كَالثَّوَابِ، وَلاَ وَرَعَ كالْوُقُوفِ عِنْدَ الشُّبْهَةِ، وَلاَ زُهْدَ كَالزُّهْدِ فِي الْحَرَامِ، ولاَ عِلْمَ كَالتَّفَكُّرِ، وَلاَ عِبَادَةَ كَأَدَاءِ الْفَرائِضِ، وَلاَ إِيمَانَ كَالْحَيَاءِ وَالصَّبْرِ، وَلاَ حَسَبَ كَالتَّوَاضُعِ، وَلاَ شَرَفَ كَالْعِلْمِ، وَلاَ مُظَاهَرَةَ أَوْثَقُ مِن مُشَاوَرَةٍ
113. Amir al-mu’minin, peace be upon him, said: No wealth is more profitable than wisdom, no loneliness is more estranging than vanity, no wisdom is as good as tact, no honor is like fear from Allah, no companion is like the goodness of moral character, no inheritance is like civility, no guide is like promptitude, no trade is like virtuous acts, no profit is like Divine reward, no self- control is like inaction in time of doubt, no abstention is like that (which is) from prohibitions, no knowledge is like thinking, no worship is like the discharge of obligation, no belief is like modesty and endurance, no attainment is like humility, no honor is like knowledge, no power is like forbearance, and no support is more reliable than consultation.
The discussion about Aql is very vast in Quran and teachings of AB. The second sentence is
وَلاَ وَحْدَةَ أَوْحَشُ مِنَ الْعُجْب
no loneliness is more estranging than vanity
Man is social and is a creation that cannot live without relationship with others. But at time man becomes victim of isolation. This can be due to some limitation, force, problems and at times in prison where man is secluded. Even in prison if there are other prisoners it is not that tough punishment. But if man is placed in a place where there is no other human being it is very tough. One martyr says that when I was first arrested, they gave him the hardest torture to make me confess whatever they wanted. I would desire at that time for death so that I get freedom. Then he says I got refuge where I was placed in prison isolated. He was placed in a small chamber where he could not come out. There used to be no light, an iron door with no glass. A small light line would come inside from which he would know it is day. They would drop food inside and rest all would be done inside. After some days passed in that dreadful isolation I got frustrated. I banged the door the guards came , I told him to take me out of this isolation and take me to the place of torture. At least I can see some human being, I can’t tolerate this. There are some people who get isolated in society, in home and for some other reasons. At times due to choose or at times by persuasion. The isolation for man is very tough as he is human who is a social creation. If man gets social relationship he can spend time. If he remains isolated he will die.
In isolation Ali says the most dreadful isolation is UJB which means self-conceit, or liking his own self. He likes his home, self, his own talks, work. Man likes man things in world to eat, see, scenes. There are many likes and dislikes in himself. Someone who becomes sick only likes himself and is always in the state of self-praising. You talk about Kaaba, mosque, education, book, Imams he does not like anything. He only likes his self. But a believer is not one on contrary who does not likes anything of himself and likes everything with others.
Man by Fitrat loves himself. The gnostic says that Allah has made this universe out of self-love of Allah to his own essence. There is nothing other than the essence of Allah which can establish love. In Hadith e Qudsi Allah says, that I was a given treasure and I developed love to express myself. For Hadith Qudsi our teacher would say that they are weak in authenticity but the content is very high.
The entire religion is not like this, because Quran, teachings of Ahlulbayt (a) are all from Allah only. We cannot derive entire religion from one Hadith. The Qawwali singer picks up one word from a prose and then keeps on repeating it and everyone becomes passionate. The orators also pick one hadith and gets the entire religion in that one sentence. The entire Quran is religion, all the sayings of Prophet and Ahlulbayt (a) is also religion. The self-love is in the attribute of Allah and also loves his creation, acts because they all originate from Allah.
Man also has self-love but this is not wrong. Because this self-love gives movement. The negative expression of self-love is different. If you don’t have self-love then you won’t nurture yourself, you won’t develop any perfection inside yourself. You have self-love that gives you the paint that I am incomplete and want to complete it. Hence man takes education. This self-love is in the Fitrat of man, and religion does not fight with Fitrat, it nurtures it. In Tarbiyat we start a war against Fitrat. When man becomes young, he needs marriage and he is told to acquire Taqwa. Why are you making him fight against Fitrat. If he is hungry you feed him. By nurturing, completing Fitrat man reaches the purpose. There are things present inside man against which man has to fight. The Fitrat needs of man should not be fought against. The children fulfill it by doing Haram.
If man does not love his self, then should he hate it? This is against Aql and religion and is not present. This love is the asset of human life. But for love Allah has kept a regulatory system of guidance. The self-admiration is not the love of self. The self-love takes man towards perfection and near to Allah. At times self-love becomes lustful. The Quran says that Man becomes desirous of lust of wealth, self, women, power. These are those precisions in religion which we present in dubious manner. In show off, we say that if I like my act it would be show off. This is not true. One maulana would not lead prayers. He would say that it would become show off if I stand in front. If man understands deviated religion then this becomes a satanic thinking. Like the world is to live and condemned as well, hence they should be elaborated.
The love of self is not self-love in negative sense, but there are certain acts which makes it negative. We will discuss later.
