The Prophet and the Reckoner

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - date unknown - 23 mins 3 secs

The Sheikh begins with the name of Allah ‘the Reckoner’; one of the “banners under which caravan of Prophethood triumphs”. Prophets have always repeated the maxim ‘Allah is our sufficiency and a best guardian is He’. These figures are the best exemplars of the trait of reliance as they stake the most, lost the most, risk the most, are hated the most and are loved the most. This khutba looks at the events that occurred at the genesis of our faith and how the Prophet, peace be upon him, dealt with his tremendous early test.

Even before formal Islam the Prophet was disenchanted with this world, his heart responsive to the poor and downtrodden. His purity of heart was rewarded with the righteous dream, and after nights of tahannuth – worshipping in the cave of Hira – was met with the Angel of Revelation. The impact of the uncreated Word brought from the unimaginably higher realm left his heart shaken, only to be comforted by his wife Khadija, Allah be pleased with her: “You uphold the ties of family. You give to the poor. You endure misfortunes. You honour your guests. You help other people when the misfortunes decreed by heaven descend. Allah will never humiliate you.” Indeed her cousin Waraqa b. Nawfal was to go further: “This is the namus (in Greek Nomos; the angel come bearing the law) that Allah sent down upon Moses…If only I were a young man again, alive on the day when they drive you out. Never does anybody come with that which you are coming with without being opposed. And if I live to that day, I will support you”.

Clearly the Messenger of Allah was tested with something that will never be visited upon his community; the sheer weight of revelation being cast into his breast by his otherworldly visitor. There are many lessons we can derive from the way he dealt with this shaking, not least of all his turning to the seemingly weak and disenfranchised for assistance and succour. The Sheikh ends with some wise words: “although we can never achieve his status we can still engage in his imitation as he was a basharun mithluna, a man like us. Human perfection does not mean that human beings are no longer human”.

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The Paradox of Forgiveness

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - date unknown - 26 mins 43 secs

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In this sermon, the sheikh discusses the Divine Attributes of Justice and Forgiveness, and how we can understand the relationship between these two apparently contradictory qualities. We know that God Almighty will manifest both His Justice and His Forgiveness absolutely on the Last Day without compromising either, because He transcends our comprehension. But how can we act upon His Divine Commands to enforce justice or grant forgiveness when they seem to conflict? The sheikh explains how we can try to overcome this through the perfect example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). In the Qur'an, the Prophet is enjoined 'Keep to forgiveness, command what is right and turn away from the ignorant' (7:199). Thus, although he strove to secure justice for others, especially the weak, the prophet in many instances when he himelf had been wronged set aside the case for strict justice and chose forgiveness. Through the profound and subtle wisdom granted to him by God, therefore, the Prophet exemplified the resolution of this apparent paradox, and guided us toward a clearer understanding of the Divine Guidance.

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Sincerity & Intention

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - date unknown - 22 mins 08 secs

In this sermon, the sheikh discusses the importance of differentiating between appearances and real value, and how to do so. It is true that Muslims are supposed to take care of their appearance and deportment, but as a famous invocation (dua') of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) reminds us, our inner character is more important than our outer appearance. The danger is that we can become distracted not just by the apparent nature of others, but - more importantly - by the success of our own reputation and outward deeds. The sheikh reminds us of the fundamental importance of clarifying our own intentions and sincerity to avoid this, mentioning several sound hadith (prophetic sayings) as well as the story of the Bosnian bear.

Sincere apologies from us at cketc for the delay between posts, due in various cases to the upcoming exam season, a thesis deadline and work. We will try to do better, God willing. Your prayers for our success would be very welcome indeed.

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