This is the draft of my sermon for this Fri at ISGH Main Center.
Preamble: Remember
After the liturgical opening...
I remind in addition to urge you lot in addition to myself to live mindful of God, who said:
In this context, the exegetes assured us that the blinding “visitation from Satan” is anger. The verses leading to this 1 (201) had ordered the Prophet (p) to respond to others' negative demeanour alongside positive kindness in addition to forgiveness:
When the Prophet (p) received the initiatory of all poetry (199), he asked the Archangel Gabriel (p) most its meaning, in addition to Gabriel (p) returned alongside the explanation that this is what God had ordered:
Then the Prophet (p) asked:
In answer to which the side past times side poetry (200) was revealed, calling that anger "an illness from Satan," advising us to seek refuge inward God, mindfulness of whom reminds us who nosotros are in addition to who nosotros strive to be, therefore restoring our vision.
Adversity As Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Blessing In Disguise
We alive inward a fourth dimension of apparent difficulty, in addition to nosotros should live rattling thankful for this.
First, nosotros should never tell (or think) that our fourth dimension is especially bad:
Second, during times of ease, whenever nosotros marking some small-scale victories, inward business, elections, or other endeavors, nosotros are prone to brand to a greater extent than mistakes past times losing our discipline, becoming haughty, insulting others, in addition to so on. Times of apparent hardship, similar the electrical flow one, are necessary to re-teach us discipline.
For this reason, Ibn `Ata’ Illah said inward his Hikam:
Al-A`mash reported that this poetry was sent every bit admonishment to the Prophet's companions (r) later they had settled inward Madina in addition to institute ease. Abu Bakr (r) was sitting alongside a grouping from Yamama when this poetry was recited, in addition to they wept. He said: We used to live similar this before our hearts hardened (هكذا كنا حتى قست القلوب).
Conclusion:
We own got no selection but to sentinel this frivolous game, which is played past times rattling few, in addition to watched past times all. But nosotros must non forget what the game is in addition to who nosotros are, lest nosotros may human activeness incorrectly.
Preamble: Remember
After the liturgical opening...
I remind in addition to urge you lot in addition to myself to live mindful of God, who said:
إن الذين اتقوا إذا مسهم طائف من الشيطان تذكروا فإذا هم مبصرون
[Those who are mindful of God, when a visitation of Satan troubles them, remember, in addition to their vision is restored.] (Elevated Places: 201 الأعراف)In this context, the exegetes assured us that the blinding “visitation from Satan” is anger. The verses leading to this 1 (201) had ordered the Prophet (p) to respond to others' negative demeanour alongside positive kindness in addition to forgiveness:
خذ العفو و أمر بالعرف و أعرض عن الجاهلين * و إما ينزغنك من الشيطان نزغ فاستعذ بالله إنه سميع عليم
[Take what comes easily to people, bid them to what is honorable, in addition to plough away from the ignorant. And if an illness from Satan should provoke you, seek refuge inward God; He is All-hearing, All-seeing.] (Elevated Places: 199--200 الأعراف)When the Prophet (p) received the initiatory of all poetry (199), he asked the Archangel Gabriel (p) most its meaning, in addition to Gabriel (p) returned alongside the explanation that this is what God had ordered:
صل من قطعك و أعط من حرمك و اعف عمن ظلمك
[Reconnect the ties of kinship alongside those who severed them; live generous to those who withheld your rights; in addition to forgive those who did you lot injustice.]Then the Prophet (p) asked:
و الغضب يا ربي و الغضب
[My Lord: And what most anger?]In answer to which the side past times side poetry (200) was revealed, calling that anger "an illness from Satan," advising us to seek refuge inward God, mindfulness of whom reminds us who nosotros are in addition to who nosotros strive to be, therefore restoring our vision.
Adversity As Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Blessing In Disguise
We alive inward a fourth dimension of apparent difficulty, in addition to nosotros should live rattling thankful for this.
First, nosotros should never tell (or think) that our fourth dimension is especially bad:
:روى البخاري و مسلم عن أبي هريرة (ر) قال، قال رسول الله (ص) ، قال الله تعالى
يؤذيني ابن آدم يسب الدهر، و أنا الدهر، بيدى الأمر، أقلب الليل و النهار
و في رواية أحمد: و أبدل الملوك
[Bukhari in addition to Muslim narrated on the potency of Abu Hurayra (r) that the Prophet (p) said that God said: Humans insult me when they curse their time. For I am time. I command everything. I alternate solar daytime in addition to night, (and inward the narration of Ahmad:) I supersede kings.]Second, during times of ease, whenever nosotros marking some small-scale victories, inward business, elections, or other endeavors, nosotros are prone to brand to a greater extent than mistakes past times losing our discipline, becoming haughty, insulting others, in addition to so on. Times of apparent hardship, similar the electrical flow one, are necessary to re-teach us discipline.
For this reason, Ibn `Ata’ Illah said inward his Hikam:
العارفون إذا بسطوا – أخوف منهم إذا قبضوا، ولا يقف على حدود الأدب في البسط إلا قليل
[Those who know are to a greater extent than apprehensive during times of ease in addition to expansion than they are during times of difficulty in addition to constriction; because rattling few tin plough over the sack rest disciplined during times of ease in addition to expansion.] With regard to which status nosotros larn to experience inward whatsoever given time, faith is primarily most accepting fate. That is why Ibn `Ata'Illah every bit good wrote inward Hikam
It's Just Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Frivolous Game, As God Said
What nosotros uncovering so troubling, fifty-fifty to watch, is only a frivolous game. It is a game for accumulation of delusional wealth in addition to power. This is what God tells us inward the Chapter that mentions Iron:
Impermanence is the yell of this game. Today's winner is tomorrow's loser, in addition to the spoils all plough to dust.
So why produce nosotros larn to a greater extent than unsettled watching this game -- watching news, hearing insults, or suffering discrimination -- compared to how nosotros experience when watching a frivolous game of baseball game or basketball?
I recognize that it is hurtful when nosotros uncovering ourselves -- to belabor the frivolous-sport simile -- turned into the balls beingness kicked around, or the ants beingness stomped upon. But the betoken of religion, at its best, piece nosotros convey every legal precaution to protect ourselves, is to produce the necessary internal move to avoid counterproductive anger.
Notice hither that suppression of anger is non sufficient, albeit the initiatory of all stage. If nosotros halt at suppression of anger, nosotros tin plough over the sack eventually live so total of anger that it overflows inward our conduct; every bit the poet said that every pot overflows alongside its content: كل إناء بما فيه ينضح. Rather, nosotros own got to expire through the iii stages that God has listed:
Because our tradition does non learn non resisting evil in addition to turning the other cheek, nosotros tin plough over the sack for certain duck or block to avoid the side past times side slap, piece assuming a spectator's perspective to comprise anger. Beyond that, our tradition teaches إحسان: responding to negativity alongside positivity:
When nosotros adopt the spectator attitude, nosotros tin plough over the sack encounter that all mundane occurrences, including hateful politics in addition to social strife, are only parts of a frivolous game. Admittedly, some people brand ungodly amounts of coin from diverse mini-games, in addition to some others suffer, or fifty-fifty lose their lives or livelihoods. But inward the grand system of things, every bit nosotros own got recited before inward (Iron: 20), it remains a frivolous game! All joy, pain, lucre in addition to loss are temporary phenomena that wither away in addition to plough to dust.
It is oftentimes hard to retrieve this. Therefore, the verses inward the Chapter that mentions Iron began alongside a telephone telephone to remember: Is it non fourth dimension to remember?
ما ترك من الجهل شيئاً من أراد أن يحدث في الوقت غير ما أظهره الله فيه
[He is all-ignorant: The 1 who desires to displace something dissimilar from what God has made manifest inward whatsoever given time.]It's Just Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Frivolous Game, As God Said
What nosotros uncovering so troubling, fifty-fifty to watch, is only a frivolous game. It is a game for accumulation of delusional wealth in addition to power. This is what God tells us inward the Chapter that mentions Iron:
إعلموا أنما الحياة الدنيا لعب و لهو و زينة و تفاخر بينكم و تكاثر في الأموال و الأولاد كمثل غيث أعجب الكفار نباته ثم يهيج فتراه مصفراً ثم يكون حطاما و في الآخرة عذاب شديد و مغفرة من الله و رضوان و ما الحياة الدنيا إلا متاع الغرور
[Know that the introduce life is but a frivolous game, an adornment, a displace for boasting amidst you, in addition to a rivalry inward wealth in addition to children. It is similar pelting whose vegetation pleases farmers; in addition to so it withers, in addition to turns yellow, in addition to lastly lies inward ruin. But inward the globe to come upwards at that spot is severe punishment, forgiveness from God in addition to contentment; in addition to the introduce life is but the joy of delusion.] (Iron: xx الحديد)Impermanence is the yell of this game. Today's winner is tomorrow's loser, in addition to the spoils all plough to dust.
So why produce nosotros larn to a greater extent than unsettled watching this game -- watching news, hearing insults, or suffering discrimination -- compared to how nosotros experience when watching a frivolous game of baseball game or basketball?
I recognize that it is hurtful when nosotros uncovering ourselves -- to belabor the frivolous-sport simile -- turned into the balls beingness kicked around, or the ants beingness stomped upon. But the betoken of religion, at its best, piece nosotros convey every legal precaution to protect ourselves, is to produce the necessary internal move to avoid counterproductive anger.
Notice hither that suppression of anger is non sufficient, albeit the initiatory of all stage. If nosotros halt at suppression of anger, nosotros tin plough over the sack eventually live so total of anger that it overflows inward our conduct; every bit the poet said that every pot overflows alongside its content: كل إناء بما فيه ينضح. Rather, nosotros own got to expire through the iii stages that God has listed:
الذين ينفقون في السراء و الضراء و الكاظمين الغيظ و العافين عن الناس الله يحب المحسنين
[Who pass inward prosperity in addition to adversity, trammel their anger, in addition to pardon the offenses of others; in addition to God loves the good-doers.] (Family of Imram: 134 آل عمران)Because our tradition does non learn non resisting evil in addition to turning the other cheek, nosotros tin plough over the sack for certain duck or block to avoid the side past times side slap, piece assuming a spectator's perspective to comprise anger. Beyond that, our tradition teaches إحسان: responding to negativity alongside positivity:
و لا تستوي الحسنة و لا السيئة إدفع بالتي هي أحسن فإذا الذي بينك و بينه عداوة كأنه ولي حميم
[Good in addition to bad cannot live equated. Repel alongside the most beautiful response, in addition to behold, he who was your enemy volition expire similar a closed friend.] (Well Explained: 34 فصلت)
When nosotros adopt the spectator attitude, nosotros tin plough over the sack encounter that all mundane occurrences, including hateful politics in addition to social strife, are only parts of a frivolous game. Admittedly, some people brand ungodly amounts of coin from diverse mini-games, in addition to some others suffer, or fifty-fifty lose their lives or livelihoods. But inward the grand system of things, every bit nosotros own got recited before inward (Iron: 20), it remains a frivolous game! All joy, pain, lucre in addition to loss are temporary phenomena that wither away in addition to plough to dust.
It is oftentimes hard to retrieve this. Therefore, the verses inward the Chapter that mentions Iron began alongside a telephone telephone to remember: Is it non fourth dimension to remember?
ألم يأن للذين آمنوا أن تخشع قلوبهم لذكر الله و ما نزل من الحق
و لا يكونوا كالذين أوتوا الكتاب من قبل فطال عليهم الأمد فقست قلوبهم و كثير منهم فاسقون
[Is it non fourth dimension for the hearts of the faithful to live humbled to the Remembrance of God in addition to the Truth that He has sent, in addition to for them non live similar those to whom the previous Book was given, but the term seemed long, so their hearts own got hardened, in addition to many of them are sinners?] (Iron: xvi الحديد)Al-A`mash reported that this poetry was sent every bit admonishment to the Prophet's companions (r) later they had settled inward Madina in addition to institute ease. Abu Bakr (r) was sitting alongside a grouping from Yamama when this poetry was recited, in addition to they wept. He said: We used to live similar this before our hearts hardened (هكذا كنا حتى قست القلوب).
Conclusion:
We own got no selection but to sentinel this frivolous game, which is played past times rattling few, in addition to watched past times all. But nosotros must non forget what the game is in addition to who nosotros are, lest nosotros may human activeness incorrectly.
As I recited inward the commencement of this sermon from the Chapter that mentions Elevated Places, the Prophet was -- in addition to past times extension nosotros were -- ordered to respond to negativity alongside positivity, in addition to to role mindfulness of God every bit a vehicle for protection from blinding anger.
The vantage is immense, every bit God said:
The vantage is immense, every bit God said:
ألا إن أولياء الله لا خوف عليهم و لا هم يحزنون * الذين آمنوا و كانوا يتقون * لهم البشرى في الحياة الدنيا و في الآخرة لا تبديل لكلمات الله ذلك هو الفوز العظيم * و لا يحزنك قولهم إن العزة لله جميعا هو السميع العليم
[Those only about God; fearfulness non for them, nor shall they grieve, (they are) those who own got faith in addition to God consciousness. For them are glad tidings inward this globe in addition to the next; in addition to God’s words are immutable: This is the nifty victory! And allow non detractors’ words displace you lot grief. All glory belongs to God, who hears in addition to knows all.] (Jonah: 62--65 يونس) عن سعيد بن جبير، قال: سئل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن أولياء الله، فقال: الَّذِينَ إذا رُؤُوا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ
[It was narrated on the potency of Sa`id ibn Jubayr that the Prophet (p) was asked most who those close to God were, in addition to he (p) said: Whenever they are seen, God is remembered.] May nosotros live blessed to live inward their company!
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