(see archived sermons below)

Al-Hamdu

Ash-Hadu

Salli

“BELIEVE, WORK RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND GO STRAIGHT”

Surah 3, Ayaat 193-195

193 "Our Lord! we have heard the call of one calling (us) to faith `Believe ye in the Lord' and we have believed. Our Lord! forgive us our sins blot out from us our iniquities and take to thyself our souls in the company of the righteous.

194 "Our Lord! grant us what Thou didst promise unto us through thine Apostles and save us from shame on the Day of Judgment: for thou never breakest Thy promise."

195 And their Lord hath accepted of them and answered them: "Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you be he male or female: ye are members one of another; those who have left their homes or been driven out therefrom or suffered harm in My cause or fought or been slain verily I will blot out from them their iniquities and admit them into gardens with rivers flowing beneath; a reward from the presence of Allah and from His presence is the best of rewards."

BELIEVE

Surah 17, Ayah 82

Yusuf Ali We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe: to the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss.

Transliteration Wa nunazzilu minal qur'a_ni ma_ huwa syifa_'uw wa rahmatul lil mu'minin(a), wa la_ yaziduz za_limina illa_ khasa_ra_(n).

Doctrine ~~~ “Doctoring”

Surah 47, Ayaat 1-3

1 Those who reject Allah and hinder (men) from the Path of Allah their deeds will Allah render astray (From their mark). ⁴⁸¹⁷

2 But those who believe and work deeds of righteousness and believe in the (Revelation) sent down to Muhammad-for it is the Truth from their Lord He will remove from them their ills and improve their condition. ⁴⁸¹⁸

3 This because those who reject Allah follow vanities while those who believe follow the Truth from their Lord: Thus does Allah set forth for men their lessons by similitudes.

Surah 17, Ayah 9

Yusuf Ali Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable) and giveth the glad tidings to the Believers who work deeds of righteousness that they shall have a magnificent reward;

Transliteration Inna ha_zal qur'a_na yahdi lil lati hiya aqwamu wa yubasysyirul mu'mininal lazina ya'malu_nas sa_liha_ti anna lahum ajran kabira_(w),

Surah 7, Ayah 33

Say: The things that my Lord hath indeed forbidden are: shameful deeds whether open or secret; sins and trespasses against truth or reason; assigning of partners to Allah for which he hath given no authority; and saying things about Allah of which ye have no knowledge.

“Ignorance” IS THE TERM FOR THE PRE-Islamic life.

Surah 96, Ayaat 1-5

1 Proclaim! (or Read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher Who created ⁶²⁰³ ⁶²⁰⁴

2 Created man out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: ⁶²⁰⁵

3 Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful

4 He Who taught (the use of) the Pen ⁶²⁰⁶

5 Taught man that which he knew not.

“Ignorance” IS THE TERM FOR THE PRE-Islamic life.

WORK RIGHTEOUSNESS

Surah 9, Ayah 105

And say: "Work (righteousness): soon will Allah observe your work and His apostle and the believers: soon will ye be brought back to the knower of what is hidden and what is open: then will He

Definition:

SAALIHAAT is from salih which means fitting and appropriate.

After finding what the “healing reading” says as a “doctrine”, what work is fitting and appropriate ? Do we actually read the Qur’an to see what the doctrines actually are ?

After finding how Prophet Muhammad applied the Qur’an and how he modeled the work of the faithful human being, what work is fitting and appropriate ? Do we actually study the life of Muhammad to see what his pattern of conduct actually is ?

After finding how the hypocrites said they believed and they said that Muhammad was the Messenger of G-d and the moves that they made as hypocrites, what work is fitting and appropriate ? In the process of reading the Life of Muhammad and other source material, do we actually observe what the hypocrites declared, how they positioned themselves, what logic they put forward, so we can be sure not to fall into the same deviation ?

If the work is to be SAALIHAAT, it must be befitting of the situation and befitting of the faith, the doctrine of the faith, and the model of the Messenger in whom we have faith.

GO STRAIGHT

Surah 81, Ayaat 27-29

Ayah 27

Yusuf Ali Verily this is no less than a Message to (all) the Worlds:

Transliteration In huwa il la_ dzikrul lila_lamin

Ayah 28

Yusuf Ali To whoever among you wills to go straight.

Transliteration Liman sya_ a minkum ay yastaqim

Ayah 29

Yusuf Ali But ye shall not will Except as Allah wills, The Cherisher of the Worlds.

Transliteration Wa ma_ tasya_ u_na il la_ ay yasya_ al la_hu rabul a_lamin

Zig-Zag

(Deviation through the heart)

Surah 3, Ayah 8

Yusuf Ali "Our Lord!" (they say) "let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure.

Transliteration Rabbana_ la_ tuzig qulu_bana_ ba'da iz hadaitana_ wa hab lana_ mil ladunka rahmah(tan), innaka antal wahha_b(u).

Surah 61, Ayah 5

Yusuf Ali And remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! why do ye vex and insult me though ye know that I am the apostle of Allah (sent) to you?" Then when they went wrong Allah let their hearts go wrong: for Allah guides not those who are rebellious transgressors.

Transliteration Wa iz qa_la mu_sa_ liqaumihi ya_ qaumi lima tuzu_nani wa qad talamu_na an ni rasu_lul la_hi ilaikum, falam ma_ za_ghu_ aza_gal la_hu qulu_bahum wal la_hu la_ yahdil qaumal fa_siqin

- Duah -

Al-Hamdu

Ash-Hadu

Salli

Going straight, and not deviating, is aided by a sense of balance.

There is “BALANCED” and there is “UNBALANCED”.

We have a vision of a balanced community that Allah

establishes,

approves of

and

supports.

Allah says he establishes in strength those who believe with the word that stands firm… (Surah 14, Ayah 27)

Allah tells us time and time again in the Qur’an what He approves of and what He disapproves of, what He loves and what He hates.

Allah tells us in the Qur’an what the bargain is that will get us HELP FROM ALLAH AND A SPEEDY VICTORY. He tells us what kind of people He sends angels to for their support. He declares who(m) He is with.

For every soul that has chosen to go straight, look at the support that Allah has put together for your benefit……

- a book of guidance

- a perfected religion

- a universal and sufficient messenger

- a model of community life under Prophet Muhammad

- life and opportunity and multiple freedoms

- freedom to follow what is best or to follow what is less

- freedom to join together in mutual teachings of truth

- freedom to join together in mutual teachings of patience & constancy

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In the Qur’an Allah tells us….

Surah 55, Ayaat 7-9

7 And the Firmament has He raised high and He has set up the balance (of Justice)

8 In order that ye may not transgress (due) balance.

9 So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This calls for us to be conscious of balance.

And Prophet Muhammad taught “None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” This, too, calls for balance.

There is a natural challenge for us to conform to a BALANCED perception of self-interest compared to the interest of others, so that we do not fall short in the balance or exceed due limits at the expense of other interests.

The concept of BALANCE and the scriptural guidance to maintain the balance is older than the Qur’an. The previous scriptures had the same concept and guidance. It’s called the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule calls for balance between self-interest and the interests of others.

Now as to the UNBALANCED, we know that the media presents a distorted and unbalanced picture of Islam. The media is rooted in the popular culture where the home culture’s virtues are presented in a cleaned-up and whitewashed image, with its own defects omitted or minimized, while “the other” is presented with virtues omitted or minimized and its perceived defects are repeatedly presented and exaggerated in a stereotypical manner. This happens where a significant mass of the people have awareness of the Golden Rule in name only, where there’s no conscious shame in repeatedly treating your own image in a self-serving way while treating the image of others “as you would not have it done to yourself”.

Thus, Islam is pictured in terms of assassins, hijackers, and sneak-bombers - people who put into action some ideas of “righteousness” that they themselves would consider evil if non-muslims were to do such to them. In short, there’s the strereotype of the UNBALANCED Muslim who may jump up and do unto others what nobody would want done to themselves, while all the time they think they are being “righteous”.

And, truthfully, with the emphasis the Qur’an places on “righteousness”, there is some unbalanced righteousness that shows itself from time to time in Muslims,. Very seldom does the phenomenon of unbalanced righteousness manifest itself in physical taking of life. But we’ve seen the self-righteous Muslim take property and honor of others. Even on the internet forums in association with Imam WDM, some declare themselves to be loyal true students of the Imam, in the best light, while characterizing other students of the Imam in the worst possible light, “devils”, etc..

There is balanced and there is unbalanced. There is straight and there is zig-zag. To be candid, we can look at the so-called daily news and see where somebody has gone ZIG-ZAG in the name of Islam.

They burst into the news with something they jumped up and did, probably feeling in their heart that they are serving Allah.

But they get something in their heart, and then the doctrine of the Qur’an ceases to be a guide for them.

The USWAH of Muhammad (SAWS) ceases to be a corrective model for them.

They get into a jacked-up “righteousness” that is independent of requirements of appropriateness.

Instead of a self-ACCUSING spirit, they get a self-EXCUSING spirit.

They’re on their way to blow up something or somebody in their fevered mind-state with their so-called “righteousness”, which actually is unbalanced and it is leaving considerations of great value out.

So we have an opportunity to follow a balanced strong leadership that calls us to the faith, but not to the unbalanced thinking that is out there.

Brothers and Sisters, we Muslims haven’t all learned to roll up our sleeves and WORK righteousness. There’s still that tendency to SMOKE righteousness like the old time assassins, fire up some rhetoric and pass it around the circle so the others can each “get a hit”.

We still have that tendency to puff on and pass around that psychedelic righteousness. We see it in the emails, on the forums, etc. It’s not Christian escapism; it’s Muslim escapism.

Let’s join together as Believers to Work appropriately and promote and practice the mutual teachings of truth and of patience and constancy so we go straight and not ZIG-ZAG.

Lastly, in An-Nawawi’s Hadith #7, Prophet Muhammad said

AD-DEENU NASEEHA

(Religion is sincerity - or also translated – Religion is good advice)

The companions asked “To whom?”. The Prophet replied …..

“ To Allah and His Book

And His messenger

And to the leaders of the Muslims

And their common folk.”

When the belief is the doctrine Allah gave, and the pattern of conduct is the conduct the Messenger of Allah modeled, and the work is truly fitting and appropriate for a believer, and the heart is going straight, how could there be a problem being sincere to Allah and His book, And His messenger, and the leaders of the Muslims, And their common folk, all at the same time?

If the religion is supposed to be sincerity that manifests itself in 4 relationships, but you find yourself being able to relate with sincerity

to only 1 out of 4,

or only 2 out of 4,

or only 3 out of 4,

but not 4 out of 4,

then check your doctrine (your belief), check your work, and / or check your direction.

The right doctrine (belief), the right work, and the right direction - these and sincere religion go together just right.

- Duah -

O Allah, do not cause our hearts to deviate, now that Thou hast guided us. And grant us mercy from Thy very own presence. Truly Thou art the Grantor without measure.

Amin.

MAA LAKUM. KAIFA TAHKUMUUN

WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU ? HOW JUDGE YE?

(Surah 10, Ayah 35)

(Surah 37, Ayah 154)

(Surah 68, Ayah 36)

Surah 10, Ayaat 31-40

31 Say: "Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth? Or who is it that has power over hearing and sight? And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living? And who is it that rules and regulates all affairs?" They will soon say "Allah." Say "Will ye not then show piety (to Him)?"

32 Such is Allah your real Cherisher and Sustainer: apart from Truth what (remains) but error? How then are ye turned away?

33 Thus is the Word of thy Lord proved true against those who rebel: verily they will not believe. ¹⁴²⁷

34 Say: "Of your `partners' can any originate creation and repeat it?" Say: "It is Allah Who originates Creation and repeats it: then how are ye deluded away (from the truth)?" ¹⁴²⁸

35 Say: "Of your `partners' is there any that can give any guidance towards Truth?" Say: "It is Allah Who gives guidance towards Truth. Is then He Who gives guidance to Truth more worthy to be followed or he who finds not guidance (himself) unless he is guided? What then is the matter with you? How judge ye?"

36 But most of them follow nothing but fancy: truly fancy can be of no avail against Truth. Verily Allah is well aware of all that they do.

37 This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it and a fuller explanation of the Book wherein there is no doubt from the Lord of the Worlds. ¹⁴²⁹

38 Or do they say "He forged it"? Say: "Bring then a Surah like unto it and call (to your aid) anyone you can besides Allah if it be ye speak the truth!" ¹⁴³⁰

39 Nay they charge with falsehood that whose knowledge they cannot compass even before the elucidation thereof hath reached them: thus did those before them make charges of falsehood: but see what was the end of those who did wrong! ¹⁴³¹ ¹⁴³²

40 Of them there are some who believe therein and some who do not: and thy Lord knoweth best those who are out for mischief.

Surah 2, Ayaat 81-91

81 Behold! Allah took the covenant of the Prophets saying: "I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you an Apostle confirming what is with you; do ye believe him and render him help." Allah said: "Do ye agree and take this My Covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses." ⁴¹⁶

82 If any turn back after this they are perverted transgressors.

83 Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allah? While all creatures in the heavens and on earth have willing or unwilling bowed to His Will (accepted Islam) and to Him shall they all be brought back. ⁴¹⁷

84 Say: "We believe in Allah and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham Isma`il Isaac Jacob and the Tribes and in (Books) given to Moses Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord; we make no distinction between one and another among them and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)."

85 If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah) never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good). ⁴¹⁸

86 How shall Allah guide those who reject faith after they accepted it and bore witness that the Apostle was true and that clear signs had come unto them? But Allah guides not a people unjust.

87 Of such the reward is that on them (rests) the curse of Allah of His angels and of all mankind.

88 In that will they dwell; nor will their penalty be lightened nor respite be their (lot). ⁴¹⁸

89 Except for those that repent (even) after that and make amends: for verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

90 But those who reject faith after they accepted it and then go on adding to their defiance of faith never will their repentance be accepted; for they are those who have (of set purpose) gone astray.

91 As to those who reject faith and die rejecting never would be accepted from any such as much gold as the earth contains though they should offer it for ransom. For such is (in store) a penalty grievous and they will find no helpers.

Surah 7, Ayaat 26-31

26 O ye children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you but the raiment of righteousness that is the best. Such are among the signs of Allah that they may receive admonition! ¹⁰⁰⁸

27 O ye children of Adam! let not satan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the garden stripping them of their raiment to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them: We made the evil ones friends (only) to those without faith. ¹⁰⁰⁹

28 When they do aught that is shameful they say: "We found our fathers doing so"; and "Allah commanded us thus": say: "Nay Allah never commands what is shameful: do ye say of Allah what ye know not?"

29 Say: "My Lord hath commanded justice; and that ye set your whole selves (to him) at every time and place of prayer and call upon him making your devotion sincere as in his sight: such as he created you in the beginning so shall ye return." ¹⁰¹⁰ ¹⁰¹¹

30 Some He hath guided: others have (by their choice) deserved the loss of their way: in that they took the evil ones in preference to Allah for their friends and protectors and think that they receive guidance. ¹⁰¹²

31 O children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: but waste not by excess for Allah loveth not the wasters.