Hujjatul Islam Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi
(Principal Jamia Orwatul Wuthqa – Lahore)
Delivered at: Masjid Baitul ul Ateeq
Lahore – Pakistan
Friday Sermon – 22nd March, 2024
Sermon 1: Dua of Imam Sajjad (a) – Ramadan is the scale of discriminating believers and hypocrites
Sermon 2: Sawm strengthens will power to stop oppressors
For acquisition of Taqwa the opportunities which Allah has provided one of the most privileged is the Holy month of Ramadan. In this month Allah has ordained certain obligatory and other recommended acts.
Imam Sajjad (a) in his dua (Continued)
وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّه الَّذِي جَعَلَ مِنْ تِلْكَ السُّبُلِ شَهْرَهُ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ،
And praise belongs to God who appointed among those roads His month, the month of Ramadan,
شَهْرَ الصِّيَامِ، وَشَهْرَ الإِسْلاَم، وَشَهْرَ الطَّهُورِ،
the month of fasting is one attribute, the second attribute is that this month is of Islam, and the month of purity,
وَشَهْرَ التَّمْحِيْصِ، وَشَهْرَ الْقِيَامِ،
the month of putting to test, the month of rising,
الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدىً لِلنَّاسِ،
“In which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance to the people,
وَبَيِّنَات مِنَ الْهُدى وَالْفُرْقَانِ،
and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Separator” (2:185)!
Imam Sajjad (a) expresses Holy month of Ramadan as the path to reach the pleasure of Allah. The attributes of this month are first it is the month of Sawm which is an act, worship. The translation of Sawm is not fasting. We should try to use the terminology of Quran like we use for Zakat, Hajj. Similarly, we should use world Sawm and Salaat. We will talk about the effects and purpose of Sawm in second sermon. The most effective key for implementing Taqwa in life is Sawm. Imam (a) says that this month is of Islam. One meaning of Islam is religion and second is terminological meaning which is submission, that is to accept, surrender to everything ordered by Allah unconditionally without raising any question. Those who make some excuses at the time of taking responsibilities is the sign of not being submitted. They portray in a good way that we do not accept your words. Some people openly say we will not do this which is Kufr-e-Sari (open denial), and second way is to deny with some excuses in a gentle manner. These are all denials. The month of Ramadan is the month of submission. It is the month of Islam as well as submission to the orders of Allah absolutely. In certain traditions it is been interpreted that man should submit to Allah like a dead body is submitted when taking funeral bath. Wherever Allah turns our face we should move there, and wherever Allah stops we should stop. Against submission is disobedience and this is the month of purity. The month of Ramadan is the month of purity. The way we clean our clothes and keep it pure as well. There is a difference between purity and cleanliness. The cleanliness means to remove dirt and stains. Purity is to remove the impurity which are unacceptable for human nature. Wudhu, Ghusl and Tayammum gives purity. The month of Ramadan is month of purity to purify souls from all impurities. Allah has provided such means in the month of Ramadan whereby soul of human being gets purified completely. Hajj and Ramadan are two events whereby human soul gets purified. We clean our dress and body in routine. Certain parts of body get polluted more and a third thing is also there which is your existence. Body and dress both are clothes for soul. So, should the soul not get purified? Like if the body is dirty, greasy, oily and you put on new clean clothes without cleaning the body, then these clean clothes will not clean body but the cloth itself will become dirty.
Then Imam (a) says this is month is kept for Tamhees ( مْحِيْصِ ) . Tamhees is used when certain things get mixed up. It is like grains are mixed with dirt, pebbles. To remove the adulteration from the actual thing is Tamhees. Similarly, when human beings become adulterated today specifically in a society where different types of people live together. To separate something whereby it gets mixed with other things which reduces its value is Tamhees. In this month the adulteration that has come in human self and of society gets separated. In the month of Ramadan, we can find out who is believer and who is hypocrite. If someone delivers the full etiquettes of Ramadan, like fulfills the demand of Sawm. Those who bring excuses from doctors to leave fasting is not believer and this gets identified from Ramadan. In Ramadan the discrimination comes out who is believer. The impurities, adulteration that takes place in our soul are cleansed. We get intentions adulteration. At times we do sincere intention but next day that intention breaks.
The Shaitan we present is a being who is effective on all human beings at one time. This is the power of Satan who is present everywhere as illustrated by us. This means the Satan is very powerful as it has high reach, his awareness about intentions. He knows what everyone is thinking. One Shaitan we say is Iblees who is so powerful. The second powerful source is the essence of Allah. In the creation some have deprivation, some have means and some don’t. And the relationship with Allah is different. The followers of Satan have kept this foundation that to get near to Satan is not difficult. To become near to Allah is difficult and Satan has not kept any conditions. The more you do wrong things, evils Satan accepts and will give you this power. We also unintentionally accept that Satan is a power who cannot be dominated and man cannot succumb Satan. The Quran has identified Satan and expressed its meaning as well. Satan is not the name of Iblis, Jinn but it’s an attribute. Like Driver, Pilot is not the name of a person, it is a capability that can develop in anyone. These are skills, abilities and traits. Satanism is also an attribute which can get developed in anyone and anyone can take this attribute away. Satan is the one who is distanced and distances others way from Allah.
We have distanced from the path of Allah many times. You should ponder who has distanced you from Allah? There won’t be name of any Jinn, he would be someone near one. Satan is within your friends and related people as they distance you from Allah. Those who are stranger to us they don’t distance from us anyone. The parents take us away from Allah but at the same time they distance us also from Allah. Many parents have got their children admitted in corrupt, misguidance education systems by paying heavy fees. The first Satan to distance parents from Allah is parents. There are many students who have been bought here by some people, but there are some who have distanced children from Jamea. They are Satan who present things in Jamea to take the students away. Like you are reading some good book, someone will say what are you wasting time upon. You were doing something good and some companion said what are you doing. You were going for Jamaat prayers and someone said you can recite at home itself. These are real Satan’s around us. In the month of Ramadan, we get freedom from this Satan due to Tamhees. In Ramadan Allah separates believers from Satan. The system, schedule which Allah has kept for this month itself separates Satan. Today believers and Satan are living together. The act of Ramadan is kept so that we can recognize Satan.
Then this the month of Qayam which is the fundamental terminology of Quran. In these foundation principles one is Qayam, we should analyze all the verses of Quran where this is used. Qayam is for Allah whereby Allah says I only do only one exclusive counselling to you, Rise in the way of Allah, whether single or two. Whether someone supports you or not you should rise in the way of Allah. This is the only preaching, counselling from Allah. The other Qayam is rising socially. In personal development or social development, revolution, for establishing the system of Allah in society you need to do Qayam. I have mentioned this about Ayatullah Yahya Noori who came to Pakistan at the time of revolution. One Ahle Sunnah elderly person asked him how did you bring revolution. He replied beautifully in Arabic that we did three things, Qumna (we stood), Aqamna (made others rise) and Wastaqamna (remained steadfast). Iqama of Salaat, Imamat are all the related to Qayam. The Aqamatus Salaat need to be done so that religion gets established. To rise for the sake of Allah, the month of Ramadan is the workshop for this. In this month mean learns Qayam. Some people say that Salaatul Layl is the Qayam, this is objective reference. Qayam means to rise in the way of Allah.
Then this is month of descend of Quran. The Nuzool of Quran we have expressed several times before and needs repetition. Nuzool means something that comes down from higher level. The descend of Quran means it is in the knowledge of Allah. To bring it to the level of man’s knowledge and understanding is Nuzool. This thing becomes effective in the month of Ramadan. In this month the seed of guidance gets planted in the heart of man. We recite Quran for the sake of Thawaab (rewards) which is kept for attraction and not purpose which is guidance. The means of attraction bring person near to Quran and then Quran takes control of the person. Allah descended Quran on the heart of Prophet (s) and from the Prophet (s) heart it has to descend on the heart of believers. For Quran it is said by Imam (a) that it is guidance for human beings, but if you survey the Ummah you can see how many people agree that Quran is the book of guidance? At present the tunes of Quran is above all, then after this is Naat and then after those others globally. There is no one other then the Qari’s of Quran who can produce such tunes. This was said for Prophet (s) that words, tunes will remain and guidance will not be there. If we are getting guidance from Quran then you should be contented that you are getting what Quran is meant for. If not then you are using Quran against the direction for which Quran has come. The other attribute of Quran is that it has enlightened, clear proofs of guidance. If man tries to understand Quran he won’t find any doubt in Quran. There are clear proofs of guidance in Quran. The attribute of Quran is that it is Furqan, that separates truth from falsehood. The Quran is that scale whereby man can identify truth and falsehood. You should assess everything like Aql, society, hadith, sunnah on the scale of Quran and you will know what is knowledge, foolishness, truth nd falsehood. This scale of truth and falsehood Allah has provided in the month of Ramadan. This is the season for planting the seed of Quran in this month.
Sermon 2
Sawm (Fasting) is one arrangement of Ramadan
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ {183}
O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil).
Taqwa is most strongly related to Sawm. Taqwa which is protection mechanism which man has to execute himself and for this man needs one power. This power comes to man from Sawm. The power of man is not due to his body but his will-power (Iraada). The strength in body also comes from will power. We can see very powerful body persons but cannot do anything, against that there are weak persons who do hard and impossible things as well due to will power. The secret of power of Allah is also will power which Allah has not granted to anyone other than man. If we see in the world around us, we will find successful and unsuccessful persons both in every field. In 250 million people we can see how many are successful in the field of education whereby they have reached a highly esteemed educational status. There is no data but if you try to find you will be upset. They are very few, and what is the secret of their success? Like Qaroon at that time was like Bill Gates and Ambani. How they become successful? There is a Qarooni vision whereby Qaroon said that it was all due to my skills, wisdom and intellect. If you clearly analyze then the paths which Allah has kept for success in the materialistic world is the firmness of will-power. Everyone has enthusiasm to be successfully materialistically but they don’t because there is no strong will-power in them. Very few successful people are those who inherited from parents, most of them are those who put efforts and the secret was their will power. Thus, whether it is materialistic field, social or spiritual the secret is only one that is will power. Our will power (Iraada) is weak. If the will power dies in 250 million they are zero and against that if will power comes in 25 persons then can they do impossible things.
The most important thing to strengthen will power is Sawm. How sawm strengthens will power? The Arabic meaning of Sawm is Imsak. They both mean to stop, apply break while doing some work. To stop your limbs, tongues, hands, words, food is Sawm. You were eating throughout the day and now you are asked to stop. So how stopping something strengthens will power? For man to do something is difficult but more difficult for man is to stop from doing something. It takes less power to see but to close eyes needs more power. To lower the eyelid when Na Mahram is coming, to stop grazing is very difficult. They cannot control things coming on tongue. To stop from legitimate things strengthens will power. There are people who take a path, when they find some difficulties, they change their intention and will power. The will power strengthens with Sawm. When you develop will power by stopping, then you stop others as well.
In this year people are doing fasting, serving Iftar, doing charity, do Zikr, Salaat, Tarawih, Quran, attend congregational prayers. If you ask all these people, can they stop Israel, America from the oppression being done on Muslims. They cannot stop and if they could they would have stopped Israel from being formed, from its oppression. All these Qari, worshippers could not stop Israel from this oppression. This means the exercise of Sawm is of no use. Sawm came to strengthen your will to the extent that you can stop everyone who is doing oppression. The Muslim world is victim of weakness in will power. These worshippers are weakest in will power and intention. In this month, Imam e Rahil (r.a) got attentive that if you have strengthened your will power, then come and stop the enemies who are trying to do aggression on you. He ordered to come out for Yawm al Quds which has also become ritual whereby we come out with a rally on the last Friday. If everyone’s fasting would have strengthened will power. But majority refrained from it because this announcement was done by Shia leader. Anything which Shia does the followers of Banu Umayyah would not do this. All these worships, fasting would get wasted and if you want to prove it is not wasted, then Iftar won’t prove that. The value of your Fasting would be how much power to stop and to stop others. We do this ritual of Qods every year and this year it carries special significance. If one Hajj of Ibrahim is enough to solve the problems of entire Ummah says Imam Khomeini (r.a). In a book being published, Asrar e Hajj where we have expressed the power of Hajj. The same power is present in the month of Ramadan. To prove before Eid that I have kept correct Sawm.
Recently in Cricket, PSL took place which was sponsored by business entities. All the companies who were sponsoring PSL were Zionist companies. On the first day one spectator took the flag of Palestine and was stopped. Throughout the tournament no flag of Palestine was seen due to sponsor’s control. Some journalists objected to this and there was pressure on this league. When the attack on Palestine started, the music festival started in Shahi fort of Lahore for a month. When pressure came, the last team which won took the flag of Palestine in the ground to show that we are with Palestinian. All this operation was done to show that how much they are doing to strengthen Israel. There is no restriction on Palestine flags outside stadium in mosques, madrasas on your home. We have to remove this stain. Today 170 days have passed and everyday there is criminal silence. We should seek forgiveness for this. Now practical repentance till the day of Qods would be to decorate all cities with the flag of Palestine. We should all come out and express our solidarity with Palestine on that day. No one should stay at home. We should show that Ramadan has awakened the feelings, Islam and Quran. We should start the movement from today and take it to peak on Qods day and then after that do everything possible for Palestine.
