A Reminder to Take Warning from Time and to Learn from Those Who Have Passed Away
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The Shaykh : This is from the month of Muharram, year 1413, and it is the first session in this month, and indeed for this year as well. I ask Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, to make our gatherings always in goodness and blessing, in what benefits us and benefits the Muslims. O my brothers:
You know what Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has of perfect wisdom in the succession of night and day, months, and years. Among this is what Allah referred to in His saying:[Al-Furqan 25:62] meaning: one succeeds the other [Al-Furqan 25:62]. So a person remembers whenever a new day and night come; he remembers and does righteous deeds, and this renews for him an energy he finds in himself and a comfort he finds in his heart through the renewal of time upon him and the succession of night and day. And so it is with years and months.
If the merchants of this world calculate what they have gained in the year at its end, then it is obligatory for the merchant of the Hereafter, whose trade is greater, better, and more lasting, to account himself for what has passed of his year and to renew his energy for what he will face of his new year.
I say this while considering myself the most negligent of people, but I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him. And the believer remembers, among what he remembers with the renewal of years and seasons, the brothers who were with him at this time last year, who are now alone with their deeds in their graves, bound, unable to add a good deed or subtract a bad one. And he knows with certainty that this will be for him, whether soon or later. So he seizes the opportunity to do righteous deeds so that he is not cheated in his life.
As came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2304Sahih (Darussalam) How many people have had their health pass by them for days, or even months, or even years, without benefiting from this health in any way. And if he does not benefit from it in any way, he has lost it, by the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-'Asr 103:1-3].
So if he loses it, he is cheated in it. And how many people have had many empty times pass by them, where they do not tire themselves mentally or physically in obtaining their livelihood, and indeed Allah has blessed them with grace and abundance, and yet they are cheated in this, in this emptiness.
Until it is as if they are occupied with these empty times and cannot free themselves for the worship of Allah. So take, O my brothers, from your health for your sickness, and from your life for your death, and prepare for the day of departure. And deposit in your book of deeds good deeds that you will find with Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, which are better and a greater reward.
I say this and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you and for all Muslims from every sin. And since many of you performed Hajj this year and witnessed what happened among the pilgrims of violations of the Shari'ah or of regulations where there was some negligence, I am asking you now, and urgently, to write to me, may Allah reward you with good, what you witnessed of negligence in the regulations or in the business men, or violations among the pilgrims, so that it can be looked into and studied, perhaps Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, will help in correcting what, what happened.
And I limit this to Monday only, because I am in a hurry with it. And I hope that you do not write anything except what you knew for certain, as for what is rumored and transmitted without verification, it is not relied upon. But there must be observations, and this from you is assistance and cooperation in righteousness and piety. May Allah improve our conditions and the conditions of the Muslims. And now we come to the round of questions, so the brother Salih starts with what he has.
You know what Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has of perfect wisdom in the succession of night and day, months, and years. Among this is what Allah referred to in His saying:
And it is He who has made the night and the day in succession
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةًfor whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude.
لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُوراًIf the merchants of this world calculate what they have gained in the year at its end, then it is obligatory for the merchant of the Hereafter, whose trade is greater, better, and more lasting, to account himself for what has passed of his year and to renew his energy for what he will face of his new year.
I say this while considering myself the most negligent of people, but I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him. And the believer remembers, among what he remembers with the renewal of years and seasons, the brothers who were with him at this time last year, who are now alone with their deeds in their graves, bound, unable to add a good deed or subtract a bad one. And he knows with certainty that this will be for him, whether soon or later. So he seizes the opportunity to do righteous deeds so that he is not cheated in his life.
As came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Two favors that many of the people squander are health and free time.
نعمتان مغبون فيهما كثير من الناس : الصحة والفراغ(1) By time, (2) Indeed, mankind is in loss, (3) Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.
وَالْعَصْرِ * إِنَّ الإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ * إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِSo if he loses it, he is cheated in it. And how many people have had many empty times pass by them, where they do not tire themselves mentally or physically in obtaining their livelihood, and indeed Allah has blessed them with grace and abundance, and yet they are cheated in this, in this emptiness.
Until it is as if they are occupied with these empty times and cannot free themselves for the worship of Allah. So take, O my brothers, from your health for your sickness, and from your life for your death, and prepare for the day of departure. And deposit in your book of deeds good deeds that you will find with Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, which are better and a greater reward.
I say this and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you and for all Muslims from every sin. And since many of you performed Hajj this year and witnessed what happened among the pilgrims of violations of the Shari'ah or of regulations where there was some negligence, I am asking you now, and urgently, to write to me, may Allah reward you with good, what you witnessed of negligence in the regulations or in the business men, or violations among the pilgrims, so that it can be looked into and studied, perhaps Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, will help in correcting what, what happened.
And I limit this to Monday only, because I am in a hurry with it. And I hope that you do not write anything except what you knew for certain, as for what is rumored and transmitted without verification, it is not relied upon. But there must be observations, and this from you is assistance and cooperation in righteousness and piety. May Allah improve our conditions and the conditions of the Muslims. And now we come to the round of questions, so the brother Salih starts with what he has.