Perfection of Faith

Khalid Mustafa Abdul Kader/Royal Holloway College/Univ. of London /UK.

http://www.khutbahbank.org.uk/Royal_Holloway_khutbahs/Br_Khaled/Perfection%20of%20Faith.htm A-ْthu billلhi minash shaytلnir rajeem. Bisillلhir rahmلnir raheem.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

Just over 2 months ago we celebrated Eid Al Fitr. Celebrating these 2 annual Eids is a sunnah established by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) shortly after laying the foundations of the Islamic State in Al-Medinah to replace the 2 days that the people of (Yethrib- the pre-Islamic name of Al-Medinah) celebrated in the pre – Islamic era. The idea of celebrating certain days was condoned but it was linked to Islamic values and traditions.

At least 2 highly significant occasions come to mind this Eid. The 1st and most recent is described in ayah no 3 of Surat Al-Ma’ida the meaning of which reads:

“This day are those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your Deen; so fear them not (but) fear Me. This day have I perfected your Deen for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you Islam as your true Deen.”

The message of Islam revealed unto the prophet of Allah and His Messenger (peace and salutations be upon him) came to perfect the earliest messages of Islam revealed unto the earlier prophets and messengers. (peace be upon them all)

From that moment on the Deen was complete and whole and does not allow for any additions or deletions. Prior to that date (the 10th year after Hijra) revelations were sent down unto the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) which gradually perfected the Deen. Scholars agree that any attempted additions or deletions amount to kufr [apostasy] in the Deen of Islam as revealed. What scholars have done over the 1400 years of Islamic history is to explain what ordinary people fail to comprehend without altering the fundamental Message which Allah (The Most Exalted) undertook to preserve until the Day of Resurrection.

“We have (without doubt) sent down the Message and We shall assuredly guard it (from corruption). “

This is the Deen that Allلh (Subhanah) has chosen for mankind and will not accept any other. Therefore, we need to beware of (Bida’a - Innovation) and beware of (Shirk- Attributing partners to Allah).

The 2nd occasion and furthest away in history is what Allلh (Most High) revealed in the ayat 100 – 107 of Surat Al-Saafaat the meaning of which read:

“Oh my Lord, grant me a son. So We gave him tidings of a gentle son. Then when the son reached the age of serious work with him, he said: ‘Oh my son, I have seen in a dream that I offer you in sacrifice. Now see what is your view?’ The son said: ‘Oh my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allلh so wills, one of the steadfast. So when they had both submitted to Allلh, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead, We called out to him ‘Oh Ibrahim’ ‘You have already fulfilled the dream’, thus indeed do we reward those who do good. Lo! That verily was a clear trial.”

These ayat do not only teach us a lesson in true submission to the will of Allلh (Subhanah) and trust in His Judgement and infinite wisdom, but also a lesson in human relations. The father, having properly bought up his son, knew his son perfectly well and the son knew his father just as well – he knew that his prophet father would not wish to harm him. And so that neither father nor son would see the anguish of the other at that most difficult of moments, the son was laid prostrate on his forehead in readiness to make the ultimate sacrifice.

We, the Muslim Ummah, are the proud and honoured heirs of this Divine Message. As such, it places on us certain responsibilities and obligations.

First and foremost, we must believe that:

“This day are those who disbelieve in despair of (ever harming) your Deen.”

They might succeed in harming you physically or materially but they shall never be able to harm your Deen – and that is not for lack of trying but Islam shall always, by the Grace of Allah frustrate their efforts.

We must also always act in accordance with the command of Allلh (The Most Exalted) in the same ayah:

“So fear them not but fear Me.”

If your Deen is safe, and by the Grace of Allلh, it is, you have nothing and no one to fear, no matter how physically or materially powerful. Place your trust in Allلh as did our father (Ibrahim) and his son (Ismail). These values and traditions have been handed down from one generation to the next. Throughout the history of the Muslim Ummah, there have been millions of (Ibrahim’s) bringing their sons up to be (Ismail’s) to face the evil powers of (kufr) and (shirk). Examples abound – their most effective weapon: the very same words used by (Ibrahim) and (Ismail) to give thanks:

“La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar”

Islam is not just acts of worship and devotion. It requires us amongst other things, to: -

Do more than believe; practice.
Do more than belong; participate.
Do more than dream; work.
Do more than care; help.
Do more than be fair; be kind.
Do more than forgive; forget.
But the real challenge is:-

Do more than think different; make a difference.