Masjid At-Taqwa – Lesson (121): The Righteous Deed, the Running Sadaqah, the Righteous Child is Man's Endeavor before he dies.
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- Masjid At-Taqwa- part 1
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Man is remembered by his good deeds:
Dear noble brothers, pay attention to the following noble Hadith:
(( Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased)." ))
Whoever leaves behind one of these three things or all of them will have his deed continued after his death:
((When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased). ))
How would be the case if whoever dies without leaving any good deed behind?
Once, a man was circumambulating the Ka'bah and was saying, "O My Lord, forgive my sin, but I think You will not do that!" Imam Al Shafi'e was behind him and he heard his saying, so he said to him, "Woe to you! Why are you so desperate of Allah's Mercy?" The man replied, "I committed a great sin." Al Shafi'e asked, "What is your sin?" He said, "I was a soldier helping my fellow soldiers suppress sedition in a town, and after we conquered the town, we were allowed to steal whatever we want from it. I entered a house where there were a man, his wife and his two children. I killed that man, and I said to his wife, 'Give me everything you have', so she gave me seven gold Dinars." However, he killed one of her sons, and when he was serious about killing the other one, she gave him a gilded armor. He liked it, but when he read the two lines that were written on it, he passed out. What was written on the armor? Listen to the lines that he read:
If the prince, his janitors and the judge
on this earth were unjust to people
Woe, Woe and Woe be to the earthly judge
When he meets the Divine Judge (i.e. Allah)
In a country 596 people were sentenced to death and they were to be executed in 24 hours according to a military law! Generally speaking, and according to the criminal law, death penalty sometimes takes years before it is carried out. I repeat the lines:
If the prince, his janitors and the judge
on this earth were unjust to people
Woe, Woe and Woe be to the earthly judge
When he meets the Divine Judge (i.e. Allah)
How would man's deeds go on after his death?
How would man's deeds go on after his death? Let me repeat this part of the Hadith:
(( …Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased)." ))
One of the books of the interpretation of the Noble Quran is written by Al-Qurtubi and this book is my reference in interpreting the Noble Quran. It was written 1000 years ago, and I think every scholar in the Muslim World use this book as a reference. Al-Qurtubi wrote it and died 1000 years ago. Yet, his work is still read and used as a religious reference all over the world, and whenever it is read, the reward will be added to his record.
Sometimes you listen to a religious lecture by a reverend scholar who died 10 years ago, and his lectures are still broadcasted in many satellite channels after his death. Unlike such a person who performed good deeds that go on after his death, there are singers whose songs are still sung and watched on T.V while they are in their graves.
In Ya'fur, a wonderful valley in Damascus Countryside, the richest people have beautiful villas, and what caught your attention if you drive in the street that leads you to Zabadani (a city in Damascus Countryside) is that on the right side of the street there is a nightclub, while on the left of it, there is a Masjid. The man who established the nightclub allowed all dirty things to be committed in it, while the man who constructed the Masjid invited me to the inauguration ceremony, and all the attendants made Du'a for him from the bottom of their hearts.
Both man died; the one who constructed the nightclub died few days after opening it, but he will be called to account for all the sins that are committed there. In contrast, the one who constructed the Masjid will be rewarded for everyone who comes to it to perform Salah, for everyone who returns to Allah in repentance in it and for every tear shed out of fear of Allah in it. Let me repeat the Hadith:
(( When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things… ))
You may have performed many good deeds and you are steadfast, but I hope, and this is the main point in our lesson, that you perform a good deed that continues after your death, such as calling people to Allah in many ways or constructing an institute for Islamic Teachings.
Once a conference under the patronage of the Ministry of Endowments was held in Damascus, and I was the representative of my country. During the conference the representative of a Golf country said that some useful projects are done under the patronage of the endowments in his country. One of those projects is publishing short stories for children. They are colorful and typed in an eye -catching way that makes children love reading books written in standard Arabic. Such books enrich the hobby of reading, which is the most useful hobby that conveys the experience and knowledge of their high-educated authors.
I would like to repeat this part once again:
(( …Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased)." ))
One of the orators of Umayyad Masjid was a righteous man, and when he died people offered their condolences in the Masjid. On the third day of offering the condolences, the son of the orator delivered a speech in a way that was similar to his father's. I shed tears upon listening to him, and I said to myself, "The deceased father is still alive as long as his son is righteous, and he makes Du'a to him."
I hope that every father takes care of his children. Your child needs to be brought up well, so you should take care of his education in general and his religious education in particular. Every child should be raised up well psychologically, socially, religiously, scientifically, morally, sexually and physically. Your child could be the reason of your happiness, and this is indicated in the following Hadith in which the Noble Prophet said:
(( A'ishah reported the Prophet as saying, "The pleasantest things you enjoy come from what you earn, and your children come from what you earn." ))
The best earning is man's child:
Your children are your best earning. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring… ﴿
According to the scholars of the interpretation of the Noble Quran, all the deeds of the offspring will be added to the records of the fathers when they are presented on the Day of Resurrection. Thus, the best trade ever with Allah is to bring up our children properly.
I used to travel a lot to the western countries where the members of the Islamic Community earn hefty incomes. Once I entered into a house where the height of its ceiling is 20 meters (while the height of the ceiling of usual houses around the world is 3 meters and a half), and the water of the swimming pool is filtered and warmed. The father's income is huge, but the minute his child is mentioned he burst in tears.
Once I delivered a speech in the Islamic Community of the U.S.A when Bill Clinton was the President then, and I said to the attendants, "If you have the high position of President Clinton, the wealth of Onassis and the intelligence of Einstein, you will be the most miserable father if your son is not as you wish."
Syrian doctors from America once came to Damascus, and they held a conference in it. I was invited to the conference to deliver a speech. While I was speaking, I quoted few lines from a well-known scholar who said, "If you cannot guarantee that the grandson of your son will be a Muslim in the foreign country you live in, you should not stay in that country." After I finished my speech one of the doctors came to me with tears in his eyes, and he said, "Do you really mean my son's grandson?" I answered, "Yes, of course." Then the doctor said, "I have a son, and he is not Muslim, so what should I do with the grandson of my son then?"
When I was in Australia, I established a friendly relationship with the head of the Islamic Community there since we used to meet together daily during the lectures I used to give there. Upon leaving Australia, he accompanied me to the airport and said to me, "Tell our brothers in Damascus that the garbage there is much better than the gardens in Australia." I was surprised at his words, and I said, "Excuse me, but I do not understand what you mean." Then, he said, "The son in Australia is either an atheist or gay. Ask whoever you want if you do not believe me."
Actually, no matter how many the problems we suffer from in the Middle East, the family in our countries is still coherent, and the respect in the household is mutual. An Arab father who lives in America once entered his daughter's room, and he saw her sleeping with a young man (her boyfriend). He rebuked her for that illicit affair, but he was taken to the police station and a restraining order was issued against him. It is a long story, but the main point is that whoever lives with polytheists and is happy about that would not be protected by Allah anymore.
Permanent residence in a foreign country has negative effects on one's life. You may travel abroad to get your Ph. D, but you should get back to your country to offer your knowledge and experiences in order to a pay back some of the debts your country owes you. Unfortunately, 5000 Arab doctors are Board certified, and they stayed there with their rare majors although their Muslim countries need them badly.
One of the doctors who used to live in America was convinced by my lectures after listening to them, and he said to me, "The main goal of your lectures to us is urging us to get back to our homelands." I bear witness to Allah the Almighty that he used to earn an astronomical income in America. Yet, he got back to his homeland, and he constructed a clinic that has the same design of the American one. It is a health care clinic of several majors, such as the neurology, the gastroenterology and so on, so the patient can get in and find the doctor he needs. Because of this clinic, Allah the Almighty granted him prosperity.
Prudent man prepares himself for the hour of death:
We should think of the end of our life; there is a journey from the house to the grave no matter how big and well-decorated the house is. Man will leave behind all his children, sons in law and daughters in law to stay alone in the grave. Also, he will leave behind all his properties, wealth, picnics, feasts, parties, meetings and travels and so on. Does anyone of the attendants dare to say, "I will never die?"
(( O My worshipper, they left you alone here after they put you in the dust, and even if they stayed with you, they would not be useful. No one is left with you but I – Allah – and I am The Ever Lasting Who never dies ))
I attended the burial of my relative, and I saw how his face was uncovered when his body was placed inside the grave. He was put to face Qiblah, then the grave was closed and it was covered with soil. By Allah, the Only Deity, at that moment I thought to myself that the smartest and the wisest man ever is the one who prepares himself for this inevitable hour.
I do not mean that you should not get married, but rather, you can get married, establish a project, establish a factory or start a trade. Also, you can eat, drink and enjoy whatever Allah the Almighty has allowed you to enjoy, because these things do not contradict seeking the gaining of the Hereafter. I have been to America several times, and I have noticed that people there live only their moment; they care about their houses, their tasty food, their meetings, their evenings, their banquets, and their vacations in a summer resort, such as Honolulu, but they are heedless of the hour of death. In fact, success lies in preparing for this hour, and this never means that you give up your basic needs, but rather it means you have a sublime goal to achieve; you become a person who has a message to convey, which is a great thing.
Man is either a humanitarian or a racist:
People belong to two groups regardless of the million categories they are classified according to. In other words man is either a humanitarian or a racist. To clarify, the racist allows himself to do things that he does not allow others to do. For instance, an oppressing husband spends the evening with his wife while making fun of his mother -in- law, but if she complains against her mother -in- law before him, he will get angry. This is racism; it is to give yourself the right to do something, but you deprive others of this right.
What does the right of veto indicate? If one of the five permanent member states cast a veto against a U.N resolution even if it is humanitarian, it is cancelled. A resolution may support weak, poor and needy countries, but when the veto is casted, the resolution will not come into practice. This is racism, and as long as it is practiced against certain counties and peoples, wars will never stop. Wars are over when a humanitarian resolution is adopted.
Man's success lies in leaving behind a continuous righteous deed:
Dear noble brothers, think deeply and seriously of performing a righteous deed that continues after leaving the worldly life. I repeat the Hadith:
(( Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased)." ))
Believe it or not; hundreds of households grieve the death of the head of the family, manifesting their sadness by covering the chandeliers with while cloth and wearing black clothes. However, after only one month or so, they get back to their habitual activities, such as their parties, evenings, tourism, travels, jokes and so on.
Let me mention this fact, when man is born, everyone around him is happy and is laughing, while he is crying alone, but when the Angel of Death comes to him and takes his soul, everyone around him cries, and only the hero laughs at such an hour. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ It was said (to him when the disbelievers killed him): "Enter Paradise." He said: "Would that my people knew! ﴿
Dear noble brothers, by Allah I just want to give you (and me) a piece of advice: success lies in leaving a righteous deed behind so that it will be your supply in the grave. The righteous deed makes the grave vast, and it makes it look like a garden from Jannah (Paradise). The bad deed, on the other hand, makes the grave very narrow to such as extent that the deceased gets his ribs broken. Hence, success lies in preparing for the Hereafter.
O Allah! Increase us [in Your Blessings and Rewards] and do not decrease us, honor us and do not humiliate us, give us [from Your Gifts] and do not deprive us, be in favor of us and not against us, and make us satisfied and be satisfied with us, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah bless and grant peace to our Master Muhammad, his folks and companions.
