Muharram and Greatness of Prophet Muhammad [s] Character
Nurjan MirAhmadi
Sacrifice, The Greatness of the
Character of Sayedena Muhammad
From the Teachings of Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
Sufi Meditation Center, Vancouver, BC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmpXQY562ec&feature=plcp
Bismillahi Rahmaani Raheem.
Holy Quran 68:4 Transliteration
Wa-innaka laAAala khuluqin AAatheem
Yusuf Ali
And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.
We are leaving the holy month of Dhul Hajj and for those who are on a path towards seeking reality to be as-Sadiq, seekers of reality, they are teaching that this path is eternal; it has a beginning and an ending and the ending has a new beginning. And so the cycle of our journey is a never-ending cycle especially in this dunya. And we start the year with the first month, Muharram, and as it open we start with our right foot moving with Bismillahi Rahmaani Rahmeen saying laa hawla wa laa quwatta illa billa hil aliyil adheem, "Yaa Rabbi grant for us another twelve months of marif’aa, moving towards Your reality." And each month has a tajalli, a different reality, and we ask awliyaullah to dress us, bless us and guide us from their realities.
And one understanding is that we are leaving the month of Hajj, the month of marif’aa and sacrifice, following the example of Sayyidina Ibrahim (as). He sacrificed what was given to him and Allah (SWT) asked back what He had granted him. And this is a teaching from the Station of Faith, that if Allah (SWT) says He wants something back from you, you have to submit; you give back everything from the best of what you have in His way and this is submission to Him, and it is the best choice to make from all possibilities. Allah (SWT) asked something very dear from Sayyidina Ibrahim, his child Ishmael. And the understanding from Mawlana Shaykh is that it was a very difficult thing to do; having to sacrifice something so dear was very difficult for Sayyidina Ibrahim (as). He took his son all the way up the hill and the young boy, Sayyidina Ismail said, "Don't worry father, I know what you have been ordered and inshaAllah you will find me to be patient with what Allah (SWT) wants from you."
From there the awliyaullah and our pious teachers begin to teach that Allah (SWT) was now opening for us the understanding that this was the difference between the prophets, and the Light of the Imaam of all Nabi's and Rasuls, Imaam al-Mursaleen, Sayyidina Muhammad (s), he was coming from the Light of that sacrifice. What Sayyidina Ibrahim (as) did not want to face and fulfill that wish as it was heavy, it took three dreams and the third time he submitted and then he was very worried.
One reality is to sacrifice from your possessions or your property. And at the end of the event, Sayyidina Ismail asked his father, "Whose sacrifice was greater, yours or mine?" And Sayyidina Ibrahim said, "My sacrifice is greater because I was about to sacrifice you and I love you so very much." And Sayyidina Ismail said, "O my father, you had to sacrifice your property and me, but I was willing to sacrifice my life, and as a child I am the purified reality, fitrat al-Islam, with purification and the innocence of youth." And from that purity and the innocence of youth, that Light was coming and saying that I will sacrifice myself for My Lord. That reality then begins the Muhammadan Light (s), from which came the Light of Prophet (s) and his lineage. And from the reality of that Light came the understanding that Sayyidina Muhammad (s) was going to show this dunya that sacrificing property is one level, but higher than that is to sacrifice your self for Allah (SWT). And the Lord and Master of (self) sacrifice, the Master of that reality begins to show us this month of Hajj is leaving and another month of Muharram is opening which will open for us a reality of Ashura and ash-noorah. And Prophet (s) and Allah are teaching that you must sacrifice your self for the Divinely Presence. And the example of that reality and Light is coming through Prophet (s), from the one with the Best of Character. Allah (SWT) said his character is khuluqul adheem, he is of a Magnificent and Munificent Character, and he teaches that his family will lay the foundation of self-sacrifice.
Holy Quran 68:4 Transliteration
Wa-innaka laAAala khuluqin AAatheem
Yusuf Ali
And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.
So there is the month of Muharram and the story of Imam Hussein (as). The khulafah were also martyred, just as the family of the Prophet (s) were also martyred, and in history all the Companions, the disciples and their families laid their life down for what they believed in without question. They say as others are running after dunya they were running for Allah (SWT) for their Akhira; they were not running away from the knife but they were running towards it. They showed their level of sacrifice, the level of annihilation, and the higher levels of no concern for themselves, but only wanting what Allah asked. It means the Sayyid ash-Shuhaada will open realities in the month of Muharram, and it shows the greatness of the sacrifice of Imam Hussein (as). The love for the way of the Prophet (s) and for Allah’s Way is to sacrifice your self. But then before that month is opening Prophet (s) is teaching from the Greatness of his Character, that when we talk about physical sacrifice, it is something elusive for all of us, but sacrificing our bad desires and bad characteristics is real. They say if you just give up one bad characteristic it is a battle against 700,000; it is that difficult. But to sit and say, "Ya Rabbi for your sake I am going to give up bad adab; I am going to give up anger and drinking, smoking and other bad characteristics. I am going to just give up one of them for You and sacrifice one bad characteristic."
Prophet (s) described that the outer battle is difficult but the internal struggle is far greater. It shows that the present days are more about sacrificing the bad characteristics of the self. We ask, "Ya Rabbi how am I going to overcome all the bad desires to follow the real example of Prophet (s)?" And we wish to lay down the foundation of realities that Prophet (s) showed. And Prophet (s) teaches that before we go into understanding the sacrifice of Imam Hussein, we have to examine the magnificence of his character that led to it. Prophet (s) was given uloom awlaeen wal akhireen, knowledge from beginning till the end of time, and throughout his life he was kissing Imam Hassan (r) on his lips and always kissing Imam Hussein (r) on his neck; always kissing and nurturing his grandchildren this way. Awliyaullah then teach that do you think that Prophet (s) did not know about the coming events and what was going to happen to them? And we can't even imagine that event, and the unimaginable Greatness of Character of Prophet (s); he knew who was going to harm his family and how they were going to do it and which tribes were going to harm them. And despite knowing all of that Prophet (s) laid for us the foundations of moral excellence, Maqam al-Ihsan. If we are truly following Allah (SWT) then don't speak; there is no need for you to curse anyone, or to attack anyone. Prophet (s) was sent to this dunya as the Mercy of Allah (SWT), Rahma tul lil alameen. In one dua Sayyidina Muhammad could have annihilated all of them, but he was kissing the grandchildren to show that he knew what was coming to them and which tribes were going to be responsible for that, still he didn't say anything. It means the amr al-Jabbar, the Order of Allah (SWT) was coming and Prophet (s) was seeing what was going to happen and he was not going to come against siffat al-Jabbar, Allah's Destiny, and he was going to be patient. He had sab’r, and he was teaching us that if we follow his way, his sunnah and his love, it is the way of sab’r; wa tawasu bil Haqq wa tawasu bi s-sab’r. It means if we are going to be on the path of Haqq, then every brick of Haqq is made from sab’r, and we don't curse or fight or attack somebody especially those who have harmed us or are intending to harm us; Prophet (s) asks us to have patience. Make your zikr and dua to Allah (SWT) and see what Allah (SWT) has in store for you.
For us to have that sab’r is impossible; if someone hurts our family tomorrow what would we do? We would beat them up before we even let anything happen. Prophet (s) was teaching that he didn't do anything; he didn't go out and curse or make fun of those tribes. Throughout Ramadan he fasted with them and ate with them as well as prayed with them. Not once did he make a curse against them. It means Allah (SWT) was teaching from these realities that he was of a Magnificent Character; the character of love and tolerance, of patience and he showed us how to be a role model. When the role model is of such a Magnificent Character, then every time we have been wronged or upset and have an issue with someone, he is teaching that if we are on the way of Truth, the way of sacrificing bad desires and character, then we have to remember his patience. He knew who was going to harm his family and we say family because if someone takes your property you don't care and you say, "O I am a mu'min, if they take my property, it doesn't matter." But if someone is harming something that is most precious to you, what would you do? Prophet (s) showed that he was most patient with what Allah (SWT) ordered, there was no yelling or pulling hair or screaming or any beating or attacking. It means he gives us the secret of the opening of Muharram, no haraam can be done in this month; keep haraam actions and thoughts away from your body and enter the month saying, "Ya Rabbi I am asking to only sacrifice myself, I want to put my head on the block; I want to make zabiha on myself and I want to make myself halaal for Your Divinely Presence. I want to be the qurbaan, I want to put myself down, I want all my bad characteristics to pour out of me, to be taken out of me, so that if we get invited to the table of Sayyidina Muhammad (s) and he is khuluqul Adheem, how would I sit at his table filled with bad character?" How can I have a violent character where I always want to curse and attack, it is not the table of Prophet (s). He was teaching that even though the event was something involving the dearest of his family members, he did nothing; he (s) struggled in Allah's Way but he did not enter a battle for his family to be saved. And what Allah (SWT) wanted, he did it without a doubt. Whatever concerns that involved his personal family were left to Allah (SWT) and this was the character he left as an inheritance for the people of the Sunnah Path. This is the sunnah of Prophet (s); it is the teaching of wa tawasu bil Haqq wa tawasu bi sab’r ( In You I place my Trust and in You I find patience). If you are on the path of Haqq, have patience with what Allah's (SWT) has destined for us. And then Prophet’s (s) grandchildren were showing sab’r, and they were told to head towards a difficulty that was going to happen.
InshaAllah we will go into that in the month of Muharram and there is always a reminder first to myself that as we are moving into the New Year with the start of Muharram we pray that through all these difficulties, Allah (SWT) will inspire our hearts to follow the true way of Sayyidina Muhammad (s), his love and example, and to take any difficulty and be patient and build our faith. When we want to build patience we ask, "Ya Rabbi let me do everything that You love, and You have every good intention for me, and You know what is best for me and what nourishment and sustenance I need, and let me be patient with what You want from me."
Visit Us Online
sms mobile 778-846-1921
Rumi Rose Phone 604-558-4455
Canadian Fax 604.608.9040
mailing:3660 E Hastings Vancouver
BC V5K 2A9