Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 10th May, 2024
Sermon 1: Incorrect interpretation of Tawassul has created another religion against Quran
Sermon 2: Pakistan youths should make Pakistan a rising ground for Palestinians
Emphasizes on Taqwa is the most as compared to other orders of worship. In Surah Maida , verse 35, one more field of Taqwa is prescribed by Allah
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُوا فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ {35}
O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah and seek means of nearness to Him and strive hard in His way that you may be successful.
There are three orders in this verse, one address and one outcome. The address is to believers which is fundamental point to understand the type of guidance. The address of Quran is to society of believers. O you who believe means the society being addressed is established on the basis of faith. Societies can have several foundations like economy, welfare, education, jobs, weather, tribes , race etc. but in general today’s societies are based on human personal interests and communities. They are not considered as society of believers. Today people in Lahore together are living on what basis? It is for things other than faith and belief. No one can say that I have come to Lahore for my belief and faith. Someone has come for education, relatives, communities etc. The society of believers is based on common values related to faith and their lives are established based on faith. The concept of faith (Emaan) present in our minds is not the Quranic meaning but instead academic which means to just believe by heart and testify by tongues that there is a creator. What relationship I have with Allah is not part of our faith. It is just a concept in mind but Quran does not consider those who claim by tongues as believers. We are believers by birth, biological or by culture. The faith in perspective to Quran implies that in your individual, social life the things on which you depend or take support for managing your affairs is faith. Faith on Quran means to rely on Quran but instead we only take spiritual tranquility from Quran. We do not take orders, laws from Quran to spend our life. We get peace and tranquility only by reading Quran. Faith means those realities which Allah has kept for you ,connected those with you and ordered you to rely , trust on those realities to deliver the affairs of your life. Such a society is addressed.
Then there are three orders; one is to acquire Taqwa, seek nearness and then do Jihad in the way of Allah. As a result of this believers will get Falaah (prosperity). If believers do not do these three things, they will never become prosperous. The field of Taqwa over here is that the field of prosperity (Falaah) whereby it can be acquired with two other actions.
We have elaborated the verse in context to seeking means in a manner that we have acquired means which have distanced us from Allah. The meaning of “Waseela” (means) has not been expressed correctly. No one in Arabic literature has written that Taqwa means fear or abstinence and all have unanimously written it means protection, but when they enter Quran, they interpret Taqwa as fear or abstinence, which then distances from Quran.
Waseela in Arabic literature (wow, seen, Laam), there is one more Wasl which has Swaad instead of Seen. When Wasl is with Suad then it means connecting one thing with something else. Fasl means to cut and Wasl means to join. When Wasl is with Seen, it means nearness , proximity. Some experts say that Wasl means proximity with Raghbat (ardent desire). We do many things due to pressure, enforcement and not with ardent desires. Those things done without Raghbat are not beneficial. Most of the things we do are under pressure like children study due to parental pressure. The knowledge gets inside man only when there is Raghbat. Medicines affect even if taken without desire but it is not applicable for guidance and fostering. Certain people are given best nurturing but it does not affect them because there is no Raghbat inside them. The Raghbat (strong orientations, desire) acts like a soil and water in nurturing (Tarbiyat). When teacher sows the seed of knowledge and fostering (Tarbiyat) then Raghbat cultivates the seed else all the teaching, education, Tarbiyat have no impact. Even for people who do good things, listen to lectures for the sake of Thawab (rewards). Those who are listening even good things spoken also do not affect them because there is no Raghbat inside them.
In the Dua of Imam e Zamana (a.t.f.s), for the students of knowledge he says , Grant Juhd and Raghbat to them. If there is no Raghbat then the entire religion is waste for them. This experience is present with all of us including myself from the time of being student. I have got experience teaching both types of students. Those who had Raghbat listened and developed, but those who had no Raghbat even after listening to my lectures are still the same as before. The students when they study for the sake of passing examinations do not help them.
If there is Qurb with Raghbat then this is Tawassul. Like in our societies there are two types of marriages, one is where family arrange it and the boy, girls should be in agreement. A marriage done by force is not valid. Even if the boy and girl were married with agreement but the Raghbat they or one of them had towards someone else where they could not get married. Without Raghbat he got married somewhere else. There is nearness in this but there is no Raghbat. When there is proximity developed with Raghbat this is Tawassul.
Allah is ordering to acquire Taqwa and seek (Talab). Ibtegha means severe seeking without any break and being done continuously with practical efforts till objective is achieved. The translation done of the verse is to find means that can bring you near to Allah. Then in Tafseer of this verse a complete religion has developed against Quran. Tawassul does not mean to acquire a spiritual leader or personality who can take us near Allah. As per this verse Allah has closed all doors of nearness to him directly because he is asking us to find means to seek nearness to him. The doors of Allah are open for every human being even on criminals, sinners and even on enemies of Allah. When he does repentance, turning towards Allah the doors of mercy, forgiveness, pardoning is not closed on him. Allah has sent guides, prophets and this not because the doors of Allah are closed, but instead it is because people are not acquainted , aware about these doors. Allah has made teachers who should not take you to closed doors, but instead to nurture your abilities so that you can do the journey yourself through these open doors. The Prophets, scholars are going to nurture your ability and make you capable for this journey through education and Tarbiyat. And there is no one on whom the doors of proximity of Allah have closed. This is not because which generally scholars say that due to sympathy Allah has done this, but instead it is the prerequisite of hir lordship, that one whom he has created , he shows the ways, provides all the means as part of his divinity.
There is a Policy of grace (Qayda e Lutf) whereby Allah has made obligatory on himself to provide means of guidance, fostering for his creation. The creation whom Allah has given creation he has arranged all the means for his creation, guidance, growth etc. If you see your body whatever Allah has kept in your body every part has its own food, like bones have different food, muscles have different, eyes have different food and every part needs different food. Today the sciences have discovered and names them as vitamins, minerals and nutrition. The way Allah has made something in body he has made its food itself. Similarly for the guidance of human being Allah has made means and provisions accordingly. And it does not mean that to seek nearness to Allah we need means in between. Allah knows every creation very well and Allah has sent means like Moosa to guide them, give them sense, educate them so that they can do the journey themselves. The Prophets do not take every person to Allah and ask Allah to forgive them.
We have kept Allah very far in skies and no one knows about it. There is a traffic of Angels between Allah and creation who do a long journey. This is incorrect perception of Lord. Quran says your Rabb is more near to you yourself. Today for the sake of seeking nearness to Allah you need means. These are those people, who have distanced people from Allah and they have become Lords. People worship them. The Quran says seek nearness of Allah with Raghbat, or develop Raghbat of nearness towards Allah. Our desires have exhausted the entire quota of Raghbat inside us. We have no Raghbat left for Allah. Develop Raghbat for nearness to Allah and this is the big engine which motivates and makes man rise for the sake of Allah. Worship with intention and Raghbat is beneficial. Along with Raghbat acquire nearness of Allah. Taqwa, Ibtegha e Waseela and Jihad are three orders in the verse to become successful (Falah)
SERMON 2
Today we can see due to lack of Taqwa every one has lost humanity. Everyone should prove their humanity and only one criterion for this is the oppression, tyranny being done in Palestine. They should punish the tyrants, hate them and show them their destiny. The scene in the world is grievous both in Gaza and around. We can see certain categories of people in the world are raising voice in world in American and Western universities. The voice for so heavy that the oppressors had to listen to them and the entire world has listened and Palestinians have expressed gratification to them. The rulers in America have got impacted. The voice is going on despite of the suppression being done.
The biggest crisis is in the Islamic world which is just a name but there is no reference for this. The references for Islam are those who are without any humanity. The 58 Muslim countries have adapted criminal insensitivity towards Palestine. The Scholars despite of learning religion lack humanity because there is no Taqwa. Today on Friday every one, specifically the Ahle Sunnah attend Friday prayers in big numbers and the mosques run out of capacity. But Friday passes without any voice for oppressors and condemnation of oppressors. The way Ali (a) says that they are collection of body gathering in one place, but their hearts are not united. They are not Islamic Ummah but instead abased, lowly people. What could be the worse humiliation that in this era of technology, media where they can witness all forms of oppression and everyone remains silents. The religion which they have been taught is without Taqwa.
You can see the disgrace. They have destroyed Gaza, Khan Younis whereby 40,000 people have been martyred and these ruined people have taken refuge in Rafah near Egypt border. Israel has attacked the refugees in Rafah. They have kept the condition that if Israel does not attack Rafah the hostages will be freed. This is big disgrace for Egypt, Qatar, Jordan who did this deal to release hostages if the oppressor does not attack. These nations are now supporting Israel to besiege Iran. Hamas has been ordered to leave Qatar. The Hamas, Palestinians are not ready to release hostages and give up. To ruin cities, kill women, children is not success in war and in fact a war crime. Hamas has fought successful battle whose effects can be seen. One more betrayal being done is under Saudi leadership where Pakistan is also part of it. Imam Kaaba has given sermon that Gaza war is Fitnah and Muslims should stay away from this. They are announcing conference for Islamic unity to divert the minds of people from Gaza which was condemned in Pakistan. The third thing done is the conference arranged by OIC on Islamophobia. Modi is doing Islamophobia daily but they are not paying attention to it. They are not calling conference on Gaza. These are way of misguidance. America says if Israel attacks Rafah, we will not give weapons. So, for 7 months they have been given weapons to Israel like Turkey who has been supporting for 7 months. The pressure on Israeli is only from Iran, Hezbollah, Yemen and small minorities in pockets. This pressure is not to the extent that their governments can get pressurized. Pakistani government is trying to please America every day, they are supplying weapons to Israel through some weapons dealers in front of the eyes of government. General Zia ul Haqq had his hands red in blood of Palestinians when he was on deputation in Jordan. In Pakistan these oppressors have network, their education institutes and other interest. The nation of Pakistan, youths of Pakistan should break this in every possible manner and make Pakistan an open ground of rising for Palestinians. The Muslims of Pakistan who possess Taqwa should raise voice and do everything possible for the oppressed of Palestine.
