The People of Harmony

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 11 March 2016 - 21 mins 26 secs

'And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.' 

(Surah Al-Kahf, Verse 28)

In this sermon the Shaykh talks about the qualities of the people who desire only to please the Almighty. The Shaykh mentions the ‘wool wearers’ amongst the sahaba (ra) who were the best examples of those who submitted fully to Allah. He goes on to mention how the modern material world gives us a delusional notion of status, pushing us to fantasise about being with those who have nothing to offer our spiritual soul, seeking for role models amongst celebrities and the elite of society; thus going directly against the prophetic tradition of seeking the company of the people who are in remembrance of their Lord.   

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Thankfulness to The Bestower

Jum'ah khutba - Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 7 November 2014 - 20 mins 52 secs

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Allah has given the poor human blessings beyond his power to imagine, yet he finds comfort in ingratitude. Belief is thankfulness (shukr) to the Bestower. The Holy Prophet prayed at night not to atone for some sin, but simply out of a thankfulness so powerful that his tears flowed. Allah’s universe is fine-tuned to support matter and life; we live in the midst of extreme improbability. ‘But few of My servants give thanks.’

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The Power of Monotheism

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 11 December 2010 - Cambridge - 46 mins 59 secs

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In this subtle and beautiful talk, delivered at the FOSIS Winter Conference, held late last year in Cambridge, Sheikh Abdal Hakim reflects on the amazing transformative power of a true understanding of the Divine Unity (tawhid). Why was it that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forgave the people of Mecca when he had conquered them? How was it that Islam was welcomed and honoured as it spread? What is it that brings people from all over the world to the Two Holy Cities in peace and brotherhood? Each of these and many many more examples testify to the unparalleled power of the pure monotheism of Islam to overcome hostility, division and the lust for revenge. By fully perceiving the One True Reality, we let go of the petty hatreds of our many apparent differences. But perhaps because we are so familiar with these stories, we seem to have forgotten how clearly this real capacity for forgiveness and empathy contrasts with the usual course of human behaviour. Certainly the state of the world today strongly suggests we are failing badly in our responsibility to enact the message of La ilaha illa Allah. May Allah grant us a true understanding of tawhid that will transform our hearts and through our hearts the world around us.

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