Part 1

Tareeqah Muhammadiyah Itikaaf 2014

Saturday 19th July 2014 (21st Ramadhan)
Discourse after Zuhr by Shaykh Ahmad Dabbagh

One of the fitnahs of our times and bidahs which began after the time of Prophet (sallallahu
alayhe wasallam) and sahabah, which even kuffaar of Makkah were not in the mind set of.
What is that? It is that the ilm (knowledge) is something different, separate from practise
and the thought that one can benefit from one without the other.

We cannot understand it sometimes because we are born centuries after and when
something becomes a norm already it doesn't surprise us. They started this new thought,
which was opposite to how Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) brought up the sahabah.

There was no room and no space in the lives of sahabah that they should hear something on
the deen and they will think about it and then they will act upon it when it is suitable for
them. This is one of the biggest fitnas which began afterwards. There mentality the Quran
says "we have heard and we have obeyed". Even the kuffar knew that if we accept this
person and recite the kalima that they will totally have to change aswell. They knew it was
one statement but they will never be the same. They couldn't say it's not the right time
now.

The space between knowledge and practise became more and more with time.

Allah revealed in stages and if Allah revealed all in one the sahabah would have tried to
follow all.

Today there is many CDs and DVDs and lots of knowledge available. Knowledge is available
but the state of people is deteriorating because shaytaan has diseased them with his
thought. When Allah said -" Oh Iblis what stopped you from what I have commanded" he
was thinking "it's not the right time for me", he mentioned "I am better than him and he
gave a justification"

Think about yourself, not shaytaan. Do you sometimes here the verse of Quran and do you
say, "it is finished now I have heard and I will obey." Or do you think, "it is a nice command
but I will follow when I feel the time is rights."

If the knowledge of many scholars is put together, he has more. We sometimes say we wish
we could've heard from Prophets, well he heard direct from Allah.

If you have this mentality then look at the universities in the world that have done high level
studies. It's good to know but as though they are different from it. Inspite of their vast
knowledge. Imam Ghazali realised after 30 years, it wasn't easy to realise but easy to say "I
am struck with this misunderstanding of what I know" but he realised that all of these are
suppose to take one closer to Allah and Allah to be pleased. "I myself am witness that I am
not in that state." He tried to match that knowledge with his practise. "How am I going to do
it now?" It was his search but what I am saying to you is that you should be vigilant and
careful that you don't fall into this mentality.

Shaytaan was the first person but Adam alayhissalam was asked the same question. He did
not justify, he rather had an immediate action and he repented. Allah says "Adam forgot".
Their intention is never intended for disobeying never mind doing a sin.

He never came up with this excuse. When a person comes up with excuses seldom can he
be rectified.

That was one of the wisdom of taraweeh that whatever had been revealed will be recited
and acted upon.

That is one thing which I wanted to share with you in the beginning. That's why people go to
shuyukh for tazkiyah. Don't they know what's right and wrong. They have become victims of
this disease of separating knowledge and practise.

The shaykh will take one point of that knowledge and say "do it". The seeker will say "yes".
The path to Allah can be shown in 5 minutes but taking them on the path is a different
matter.


Main discourse
This time we will be using an example of a house in order to explain the tareeq ilallah. I have
recited the 10 verses of surah muminoon because they are a foundation for all the Turuq.

Hadith "today such verses have been revealed upon me, whoever acts upon them will enter
Jannah"

Surah Fatiha is a summary of Quran but it is a question. You are asking guidance. From alif
alam meem to wannas is the answer to that question. But where is the summary of the
answer.

When some of the Tabieen went and visited Hazrat Aisha radiallahu anha and asked we to
tell us something about the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam). She said your asking me
when The Lord Himself mentioned him. His inner self was the walking and talking Quran.
They said the Quran is lengthy so she then read the 10 verses of surah mumin as the
summary.

Every book has a reflection of the inner self of the Prophet it was revealed. If you read the
Quran with understanding that is one part of the inner self of the Pophet (sallallahu alayhe
wasallam).

"Ramadhan comes and go, season come and go, the world is changing every day, time is
going like a cloud: the same cloud never returns but the people are too busy to recognise
that their world is drifting into tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day of resurrection and every
second is precious.

The people are coming and going. The most valued are the souls on this earth and that
which houses it. "

"This world houses many in different ways, some live in different places, they live in
different ways. Some live in palaces and some are homeless.

Allah has given you all a house to live in, a house which holds the greatest value and
treasures. It is your body which you possess. It has housed the greatest treasure, the spirit."

"Many people build their houses in latter ages of life and not much time to live there. It is
just a wish they are fulfilling. "

"Your hearts are like a house of closeness of Allah, every house needs to be built...

We have lost the motivation or the thing which keeps us away. Is it enough to know does
and donts. But rather we have in the Quran 20% is does and donts. And the other 80% is
motivation to get you to do the does and abstain from the donts.

If you ask any person " are you a useless person doing things that there are no benefit". He
will not want to be referred to as useless. So as a human being you don't like to do useless
things and be attributed to uselessness. So how can Allah who is all wise be saying useless
things. So that 80% of no commands is there for a very big reason because without them
you won't be able to do the 20%. In that 80% is about arkhirah, death, barzakh, day if
judgement, details of hell and paradise. Also is the mention of the company of saliheen and
ambiyah and the stories of the Prophets and sahabah and auliya. And the stories of the
kuffar and pharaoh. They are stories, they don't tell you to do anything. The fazail of the
good deeds and the consequences of the bad deeds. The greatness of Allah and the status
of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wasallam). These are all the foundation that will help you
to act upon the does and donts. And that is the wisdom that Allah revealed these before the
does and donts. There are mostly in the Meccan surahs.

When we bombard people with does and donts this is a mistake as Allah did not do this.
Wen did Salah come, after many years. The forbiddance of alcohol and the hijab. Some
people in our age are living in Meccan period and you are responding with madinah verses.
Some sahabah said if the command for some things were revealed in Makkah we would not
have been able to follow it fully.

When it was revealed, they spat the alcohol out and vomited it out if t was in their stomachs
immediately. How was this want to obey developed, there was 10 years of tazkiyah and Zikr.
Zikr came with the very verse command, remembrance if Allah, recitation of the name of
Allah. Thereafter there's no command. The Zikr and tazkiyah were from very beginning. And
if that's not there all the knowledge goes to waste.

Shaytaan excelled in knowledge but he did not do tazkiyah, his illness of arrogance would've
been removed first by any shaykh he would've gone to. He didn't adopt or take a shaykh in
his life. He was a self made scholar. He sat in angels company but wanted to teach them.
Angels were surprised as he was a strange creation like if an angel came here we are
surprised. That disease brought him to the deepest and darkest parts of hell.

Hadith "you are the best purifier oh Allah. " if Allah is the best then learn His methodology
that He adopted to purify us. Allah adopted the methodology of not bombarding people but
Zikr and the love and motivating factors. Then his inner self starts to change and then he will
stand his ground for tazkiyah. This is a major difference between ulama batin and ulama of
dunya. People feel bad. They don't want to stay close to them because they are criticized.
But auliyah, the don't focus on does and don't and they don't give him anything to do. They
might mention a story of a pious person or sinful person, they will mention all things but not
directly addressed. Really they are addressing everyone here but indirect. Sometimes the
people will say "oh that's about me". And that is sunnah.

One of the aarrifeen said if Isa alayhissalam could speak in the cradle then prophet
(sallallahu alayhe wasallam) could do that Aswell. Why he did not, because Allah wanted
rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) to I've dawah by action for 40 years. I'm mentioning
the approach. That's why 100,000s people become guided by auliyah. Because of the
methodology and mentality because they have got the fahm (understanding) of deen which
is a very big blessing, without which they do more harm.

A battery example, if your battery is not charged, inspite of knowing you will not be able to
do work. Eg by attending gatherings of knowledge a person feels closer and then gets the
strength to practise.

1) Attend
2) listen - they listen when they like you
3) reflect - the change has started although they might still be doing sin. Telling a person
something and then seeing him not do it, high expectation. Look at the master of
purification, year after year. Allah -" for some people it's equal you warn them or not" but
he (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) never stopped because you do not know who they are and
when they will change.
4 -"interest develops, not because if words but because of akhlaq. The most attractive
personality in the universe is of rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhe wasallam) and Allah said -" if
you were harsh with them, they will not be surrounding you as they are now" even though
he has the most beautiful. They are not bothered because it's only the akhlaq that affects
them.

Hazrat Hasan basri radiallahu anhu fell ill. His non Muslim neighbour smelt it. He said this is
from me. He said no it's from a toilet smell. Hasan basri said its from your house and
because I'm ill I could not fix it. He said why didn't you tell me, I could've fixed it. He said our
prophet said "Forbear the difficulties that come to you from the neighbour and don't offend
them. " this struck him and this brought him into Islam.

5 - weighs the options

6- makes intention

7 - makes a decision

8- becomes active

9 - takes step I start journey to Allah

9 step process a person goes through to change. For majority of mankind, they don't have
thirst, this is how to develop their thirst.

Modern day shockers say they should come to us, we are the wells of knowledge. The
auliyah said you are making an assumption that all people have the talab and thirst for Allah
which is a wrong assumption. Your example is correct when people have thirst. Now the
situation is the majority of people outside done have any thirst. He said what shall we do?
Become a cloud giving rahma, not like a well. Why should they do this because their Prophet
(sallallahu alayhe wasallam) did this aswell. He didn't sit in cave of hira, he was a cloud over
Makkah and Madinah and all creation.

House example "to build a house of closeness of Allah one needs the best and strongest
foundation which can withstand the pressure of any weight of whisper of shaytaan.

Some people have built their houses on sand or sea.

The foundation can't be seen.

"Aqeedah fiqh repentance mujahadah are layers of foundation which can withstand
anything.

What are the other 108 verses of surah muminoon for if with only 10 of them you will enter
paradise. They are the motivators.