The Lives of the Prophets, Part 1
اَلْحَمْدُ لله ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلى سَيِّدِنَا محمد وَعَلَى اَلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّمْ
قَالُوٓا۟ أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَأْفِكَنَا عَنْ ءَالِهَتِنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ
فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ۝
They said: “Have you come to turn us away from our gods?
Then bring us that which you threaten us, if you are one of the truthful.
Now they challenged him.
They told him: Bring us the punishment if you are telling the truth.
And they were arrogant and proud because of their strength and their power and their so-called civilization.
By the way, we’re using this word “civilization” just because it’s commonly used,
but we’re not using it in the positive sense of the word
because always this word is used, or most of the time it’s used, to refer to Jahiliyyah(جاهلية).
It is used to refer to ignorance, nations that disbelieved in Allah
and the only reason why they are looked up at is because of their materialistic achievements.
They thought that this civilization of theirs and this wealth of theirs and this strength will save them from the punishment of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎.
And we see that trait - we see that trend, similar in all strong and powerful civilizations that disbelieve in Allah.
The great empire, Great Britain when they constructed a ship
that was the biggest and the most powerful in the world,
they thought that they can conquer the sea and they named it the “Titanic”.
Look at the name they chose; the “Titanic”.
And they thought that they can challenge Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ and the strength of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎.
But whenever you try to challenge Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎, what will happen?
This Titanic, this ship, that is supposed to conquer the sea
and it’s supposed to be the most powerful and greatest achievement of mankind,
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ sank it on its first trip.
And then the next civilization and powerful nation of the world, the United States;
When they were building their spacecraft that will challenge the creation of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎,
they called it the “Challenger”
to challenge the strength of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎,
and Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ blew it up, but nobody learns the lessons.
And the people of ʿAd(عاد) thought that their power and strength can avail them.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ۝
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
As for ʿAd(عاد), they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said;
Who is mightier than us in strength?
Who is stronger than us?
Who are you threatening us with Hud(هود)?
Who are you threatening us with?
You say that Allah can do anything against us?
Do whatever you want.
مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً
Who is more powerful than us?
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً
See they not that Allah, Who created them, was Mightier in strength than them?
And they used to deny Our Ayaat(آيات).
Don’t they realize, don’t they understand that Allah, the One, Who created them, is mightier than them?
Allah’s the One who created them; Whatever strength they had is created by Allah.
So Hud (هود), at that point, made Duʿa(دعاء),
and Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ said, Hud(هود) is saying;
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱنصُرْنِى بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ۝
He said: O my Lord, help me because they denied me.
And the Duʿa(دعاء) of Hud(هود) reached to Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ - Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ said;
قَالَ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ لَّيُصْبِحُنَّ نَـٰدِمِينَ۝
And Allah said: In a little while, they are sure to be regretful.
In a little while, they will be regretful.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ was taking the people of ʿAd(عاد) through a test to remind them.
See, Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ is giving them chances.
So, Allah did not bring the punishment at once.
Allah has made them go through a period of drought to remind them with their weakness as human beings
so that they may turn to Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ in Tawbah(توبة) and repentance.
So they went through a period of drought, they were receiving no rain,
their crops were drying, they were going through this difficult time.
But that wasn’t sufficient to turn their attention to the truth and to ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ for forgiveness.
So now Hud(هود) made the Duʿa(دعاء), and Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ accepted the Duʿa(دعاء).
Clouds started approaching in the horizon dark clouds
and there’s a story that is mentioned that they went to Al-Kaʿbah(ٱلكعبة) to ask Allah for rain,
and then they heard a voice that told them;
Choose whichever cloud you want: the red or the white or the black.
They said: We want the black cloud.
Anyway, so these clouds were approaching their nation,
and they saw these clouds in the horizon.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُّسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمْطِرُنَا۝
Then when they saw it as dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said;
This is a cloud bringing us rain.
Because this was very dark, and a dark cloud means what?
A lot of rain.
So, they were looking forward and happy and pleased that we are finally receiving rain.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
بَلْ هُوَ مَا ٱسْتَعْجَلْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ رِيحٌ فِيهَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۝
Nay, but it is a torment which you were asking for,
this is the torment you were asking for, a wind wherein is a painful torment.
تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۭ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا۝
destroying everything by the command of its Lord.
They thought it was rain, it was the punishment of Allah.
Rasool Allah ﷺ, when he would see clouds approaching Madina(مدينة), his face would change.
You can see that he’s worried, and ʿAishah(عائشة) would notice that,
and she asked Rasool Allah ﷺ - she said;
O Rasul Ullah, when people see the clouds, they’re happy,
especially in Arabia because they don’t receive a lot of rain
when people see the clouds coming, they’re happy, they’re very pleased.
So ʿAishah(عائشة) said;
When people see the clouds approaching, they’re happy, but you look anxious.
Rasool Allah ﷺ said: Because a nation before us saw these clouds, and thought that they had mercy.
They didn’t know that it had the punishment of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ in them.
Rasool Allah ﷺ had the fear in his heart,
and we, unfortunately, in the world today in general, are exactly like the people of ʿAd(عاد).
Exactly! you know, when the earthquake that happened few weeks ago and we felt it here in San Diego?
The next day, I watched some of the interviews they made with people.
They brought this lady; this lady said it was cool.
Another guy said it was fun.
Somebody else said it was an adventure.
Others said it was interesting.
Subhaan Allah(سُبْحَان الله), Allah is sending you these as a reminder.
Allah’s sending you these Ayaat(آيات) as a reminder, and you’re saying that they’re cool and fun and interesting and an adventure?
Look at the state of the hearts of people, exactly like the people of ʿAd(عاد),
because they are keeping Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ out of the equation.
And that is the situation of the people today; they only think in terms of natural phenomena and natural laws
as if Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ does not exist.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ نَّحِسَاتٍ لِّنُذِيقَهُمْ
لِّنُذِيقَهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ
وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَخْزَىٰ ۖ وَهُمْ لَا يُنصَرُونَ۝
So We sent upon them furious wind in days of evil omen for them.
رِيحًا صَرْصَرًا
Sarsar(صرصر) is explained as cold, severely cold and very ringing and loud voice, and very furious.
This is the wind Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ sent on them.
The closest thing that we have today similar to that is what?
The tornado.
Because the tornado, if you have seen it, it is very fast wind and it has a very loud voice.
I mean, if you heard, if you saw it on TV, it has an unbelievably loud sound.
And it could be very cold.
فِىٓ أَيَّامٍ نَّحِسَاتٍ
In evil omen days on them.
Tornados, it starts as a funnel in the cloud
and then it makes a touchdown and it starts moving,
and it would stay in one place only for a few minutes
and then it would keep on moving.
It doesn’t stay for long in the same place just a few minutes and it keeps on moving.
But, it’s leaving behind it a trail of destruction.
In those few moments in those few minutes, it destroys everything that it passes over.
It just rolls over everything and it destroys it.
And we’ve seen that, in a few minutes, a tornado can make a touchdown and travel for a few miles and destroy everything.
This wind that Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ sent on the people of ʿAd(عاد)
Allah besieged them, so imagine a tornado coming down and besieging the whole nation, surrounding it from every side.
And it did not stay there for a few minutes, but it stayed there slamming them for 7 nights and 8 days.
Imagine a tornado besieging the whole nation of ʿAd(عاد),
surrounding them from every side, and this wind is violently turning with high speed,
slamming their bodies against walls and against trees and against their homes, and destroying everything.
And Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ put them under that siege for 8 days and 7 nights, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
حُسُومًا
Husuma(حسوما) means continuously without giving them a break, giving them no break, no chance to even breathe.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَـٰنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا۝
And as for ʿAd(عاد), they were destroyed with a furious violent wind
which Allah imposed on them for 7 nights and 8 days in succession, with persistence and giving them no break.
That’s the punishment of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ is Shadid ul-ʿIqab(شديد العقاب), His punishment is severe, it is serious.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
لِّنُذِيقَهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَعَذَابُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ أَخْزَىٰ ۖ وَهُمْ لَا يُنصَرُونَ۝
Allah says: That We might give them a taste of disgracing torment in this present world,
but surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing, and they will never be helped.
This is the punishment of this world, but the punishment of the Akhirah(آخرة) is even more severe.
What was the result?
When the dust settled down and you walk into the nation of ʿAd(عاد), what do you see?
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَىٰ كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ۝
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says: So that you could see men lying over throne as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.
These were very tall men,
so Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ said they are like palm trees that are knocked down, upside down, lying dead.
And then Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ asks us this question,
and this would go back to what I said before.
If Allah did not tell us about the people of ʿAd(عاد) and where the people of ʿAd(عاد) lived, we wouldn’t have known.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
فَهَلْ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٍ۝
Do you see any remnants of the people of ʿAd(عاد)?
We have remnants from the people of Firʿawn(فرعون), Al-Ahram Al-Awtad(الأهرام الأوتاد), the pyramids;
we have remnants from Thamud(ثمود), Diyar Thamud(ديار ثمود), the dwellings of Thamud(ثمود);
we have remnants from the Greek Empire;
we have remnants from the Roman Empire;
but from the empire of ʿAd(عاد), we have nothing.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ completely destroyed them because they were the most powerful.
So Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ completely erased them from the face of the earth,
and now it is a land called Al-Ahqaf (الأحقاف), sand dunes.
You don’t even see nothing, nobody even lives there.
It’s a desert now in Hadramaut(حضرموت), known Al-Ahqaf(الأحقاف), it’s a desert, empty.
This is the nation which Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ said;
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ ٱلْعِمَادِ ۝ ٱلَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ۝
Iram(إرم), the land of pillars which no other land was similar to.
Nothing remained, they were destroyed completely.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ saved Hud(هود);
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا هُودًا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ ۝
وَتِلْكَ عَادٌ ۖ جَحَدُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَصَوْا۟ رُسُلَهُۥ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟
وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَ كُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ ۝
وَأُتْبِعُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعْنَةً وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ
أَلَآ إِنَّ عَادًا كَفَرُوا۟ رَبَّهُمْ ۗ
أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّعَادٍ قَوْمِ هُودٍ۝
Allah says: And when Our Commandment came, We saved Hud(هود) and those who believed with him by a Mercy from Us,
and We saved them from a severe torment.
Such were ʿAd(عاد); they rejected the Signs of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎
and disobeyed His Messengers and followed the command of every proud obstinate.
And they were pursued by a curse in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection,
no doubt; verily, ʿAd(عاد) disbelieved in their Lord, so away with ʿAd(عاد), the people of Hud(هود).
Their wealth didn’t help them.
Their power didn’t do them any good.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ completely destroyed them, destroyed them completely,
and whoever follows the tracts of ʿAd(عاد), the same thing will happen to them.
And I would like to close with this saying of Sayyidina Abu ad-Darda(سيدنا أبو الدرداء).
Sayyidina Abu ad-Darda(سيدنا أبو الدرداء) was in Damascus, the capital of the Islamic Khilafah(خلافة) at the time,
and he saw the extravagance of the Muslim Ummah(أمة).
The Muslims were so wealthy at that time
and the lifestyle of the Muslims was changing, now they had so much wealth, so their lifestyle was changing.
Abu ad-Darda(أبو الدرداء) was on the strict ways that he was living on in the time of Rasool Allah ﷺ;
he did not change and he did not want the people to change.
So, he stood up in Damascus and he said;
يا أهل دمشق ! يا أهل دمشق، ألا تستحيون ؟
تجمعون ما لا تأكلون وتبنون ما لا تسكنون،
وتأملون ما لا تطيلون، وإن من كان قبلكم كانوا يجمعون فيوعون،
ويبنون فيوثقون، ويعملون فيطيلون،
فأصبح جمعهم بورا، ومساكنهم قبورا، وأملهم غرورا،
الا ان عاد ملكت ما بين عدن وعمان، خيل وركبانا فمن يشتري مني نير ثعاد بدرهمين ؟
Abu ad-Darda(أبو الدرداء) said: “O people of Damascus! O people of Damascus, don’t you have any shame?
You are gathering wealth that you will not use,
and you are building palaces which you will not live in,
and you are expecting to live longer than your life,
and the people before you, they used to gather and use what they gathered,
and they used to build and they would build better than you,
and they used to live longer than your life,
but then, whatever they gathered did not do them any good, and their palaces became their graveyards,
and their desires were false.
And remember that the people of ʿAd(عاد) had an army that extends from ʿAdan(عدن) up to ʿOman(عمان);
who will buy from me the remnants of ʿAd(عاد) with 2 dirhams(درهم)?
Who’s gonna buy from me the inheritance of ʿAd(عاد) with 2 dirhams(درهم)?
They left nothing.
This huge nation, if you would put it in the auction to sell it, it will not even fetch a dollar for you.
There’s nothing left.
So, we need to remember that whatever we see around us will not do us any good,
and if we disbelieve in Allah and the Ayaat(آيات) of Allah, and disbelieve in the Messenger of Allah like ʿAd(عاد) did,
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ will include us in severe punishment.
And if we stick to the truth that we have that we have with us now,
and we keep away from the ways of the nonbelievers,
and have our unique identity, and we are proud with what Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ has given us,
then whenever Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ punishes the nonbelievers,
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ would save the ones who believed in Him.
We’ll start with the story of Sayyidina Salih(سيدنا صالح).
وَلَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْحِجْرِ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ۝
And verily, the dwellers of the Hijr(ألحجر) denied the Messengers.
Al-Hijr (ٱلحجر) is the rocky track.
They used to live in a rocky track, it’s a very rocky area, solid rock.
وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَكَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ۝
And We gave them Our Signs, but they were averse to Them.
وَكَانُوا۟ يَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا ءَامِنِينَ۝
They used to carve out of mountains houses, feeling secure.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
They used to carve out these houses in the mountains, palaces in the mountains, Amineen(ءَامِنِينَ).
In the tafsir (تفسير) of Ibn al-Jawzi (ابن الجوزي), he gives a few meanings of Amineen(ءَامِنِينَ).
One of them is that they were feeling secure and safe from the punishment of Allah.
The second meaning is that they were feeling secure and safe that these buildings will never be destroyed.
They’re carving it out of solid bedrock.
Imagine you have a solid rock, like this Masjid(مسجد), and you carve into it a house.
They were not building houses from bricks of stone; no, they were carving out houses in solid rock.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
أَتُتْرَكُونَ فِى مَا هَـٰهُنَآ ءَامِنِينَ۝
Will you be left secure in that which you have here?
When you have a house carved in rock, what will destroy it?
I mean, rock, solid rock, earthquake cannot harm it, wind cannot affect it - a hurricane, tornados…
I mean, it’s rock, solid rock, you’re in the middle of a mountain.
So they used to feel that they’re secure from everything, nothing can harm them.
Plus, they’re in high ground, so if there’s any floods, it will not affect them.
They have a guaranteed safety - 100% sure, as they thought, Amineen(ءَامِنِينَ).
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎’s asking them: Do you think that you will be here, safe?
A human being should never feel safe as long as he’s on the face of this earth.
We should always be worried of the punishment of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎.
Therefore, Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
أَفَأَمِنُوا۟ مَكْرَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ۝
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
The only ones who feel secure from the Planning of Allah are the losers.
If you feel that you’re safe, you are a loser.
The Mu’min(مؤمن) is always afraid.
The Mu’min(مؤمن) always has fear from Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎.
So their Nabi (نبي‎), Salih (صالح), is telling them;
أَتُتْرَكُونَ فِى مَا هَـٰهُنَآ ءَامِنِينَ ۝
فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ وَعُيُونٍ ۝
وَزُرُوعٍ وَنَخْلٍ طَلْعُهَا هَضِيمٌ ۝
وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا فَـٰرِهِينَ۝
Will you be left secure in that which you have here?
In gardens and springs, and cornfields and date palms with soft spadix?
And you carve houses out of mountains with great skill.
They had great skill, they were very excellent architects.
They were great in construction and structures of their houses.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ عَادٍ وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا
تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ ٱلْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا ۖ فَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ ءَالَآءَ ٱللَّهِ
فَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ ءَالَآءَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ۝
What the people of Thamud(ثمود) used to do is
they would build, they would carve out these houses in the mountain,
and then they would build palaces on the valleys.
So they have palaces in the valley, and they have these houses carved in the mountains.
But they were corrupt, and their Nabi(نبي‎), Salih(صالح), told them;
وَلَا تَعْثَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ۝
Do not go about making mischief on the earth.
They were very corrupt people.
What was the message of Sayyidina Salih(سيدنا صالح)?
وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَـٰلِحًا ۚ
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ
O my people, worship no god other than Allah.
The same message of ʿAd(عاد) and the same message of Nuh(نوح).
And he repeated the same thing that they did.
What did they also say?
ثُمَّ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ
Istighfar(ٱستغفار).
Every Nabi(نبي‎) is telling his people to make Istighfar(ٱستغفار).
So, this was the Daʿwah (دعوة) of Sayyidina Salih(سيدنا صالح).
What was the response?
Sayyidina Salih(سيدنا صالح) was a young man, and he was very intelligent and strong, and he was from a noble family.
He was from the high class of the society
and they were preparing him to be their leader.
He was a young man and they were looking forward that, one day, he will assume responsibility for the people of Thamud(ثمود).
They had a lot of expectations in Salih(صالح),
and suddenly Salih(صالح) presented them with the Message of Islam.
So what happened?
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰصَـٰلِحُ قَدْ كُنتَ فِينَا مَرْجُوًّا قَبْلَ هَـٰذَآ ۖ أَتَنْهَىٰنَآ أَن نَّعْبُدَ مَا يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَإِنَّنَا لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَآ إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ۝
They said: O Salih(صالح), you have been among us as a figure of good hope.
We had good expectations of you, till this.
Do you now forbid us the worship of what our fathers have worshipped?
Subhaan Allah(سُبْحَان الله), the disease and the illness that people have is that they do not want to give up what their fathers used to worship.
Taqlid(تقليد) - imitation;
we are willing to change, look at the people around you, take any nation on the face of the earth, advanced nation, Japan or the United States.
Look at the difference between the United States now and the United States 100 or 200 years ago,
or Japan of today and Japan of 200 years ago.
Big difference, look at the advancement in technology and science,
look at the different lifestyle, look at the standard of living, look at the way people think and speak and behave
professors in math, professors in physics, experts in economics, experts in engineering, experts in medicine.
They learned a lot, there’s a big difference between one of them today and their forefathers 100 years ago.
Big difference…in everything but religion.
There’s a big difference in everything, but religion did not change.
So this PhD in math who’s working in the most advanced lab in the world
from 8 o’clock until 5 is dealing with logic and numbers,
and then when he goes back home in the evening, he doesn’t have a problem making Sujud(سجود) to an idol or worshipping a cow.
When it comes to religion, Shaytan(شيطان) is telling people;
Don’t change. Stay on the religion, the false religion that you’re doing.
إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا
وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم مُّهْتَدُونَ۝
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says: We found our fathers following a certain religion, we’re gonna follow them.
This is the disease and illness,
but Shaytan(شيطان) is telling them;
No problem, go and advance in everything else, that's’s ok. Do whatever you want, that’s not gonna do you anything in Akhirah(آخرة).
But in terms of religion, stay on the religion of the cow and the religion of Buddha(بدها) and the religion of the cross.
So the people of Salih(صالح), they knew Salih عليه السلام, they knew him, and they knew his qualities,
and they were looking ahead at giving him the responsibilities of leading their people,
but when he came with Islam, they said: “Now we change our mind.”
وَإِنَّنَا لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَآ إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ۝
Now we are in doubts of you.
First, we used to have trust in you. Now when you’re Muslim, we’re doubting you.
And then they accused him of magic;
قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مِنَ ٱلْمُسَحَّرِينَ۝
They said: “You are only of those bewitched.
مَآ أَنتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا فَأْتِ بِـَٔايَةٍ
فَأْتِ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ۝
You are but a human being like us, then bring us a sign if you are truthful.
They said they wanted a sign.
What sign do you want?
They were given the option.
Thamud(ثمود) - the people of Thamud(ثمود) were given an option that was not given to the other nations.
They got to choose their miracle.
Salih(صالح) told them: “What do you want?
They said: Do you see this rock over here?
We want you to produce out of it a living camel.
This solid rock, produce for us a camel.
Sayyidina Salih(سيدنا صالح) asked Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎.
The miracle was performed, Muʿjizah(معجزة).
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ gives life to the dead.
I mean, for Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎, what's the difference between creating from a cell, or creating from dirt, or creating from a rock?
They’re all dead things, it’s no difference for Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎.
It looks different to us.
But for Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎, it’s;
كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
Be, and it becomes.
Suddenly out of this rock, and the people of Thamud(ثمود) are watching, a huge she-camel came out,
huge, bigger than the regular camels.
Sayyidina Salih(سيدنا صالح) told them;
This is the agreement.
This camel that you asked for, you can drink from your water one day
but then the next day, you have to allow the water for the camel. You don’t touch it.
You can take from the wells today, but tomorrow, the next day, it’s only for the camel.
You don’t drink any water. If you wanna drink, you can drink from the milk of the camel, but no water.
قَالَ هَـٰذِهِۦ نَاقَةٌ لَّهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ
He said;
Here is a she-camel, it has a right to drink water and you have a right to drink water, each on a day known.
This is the schedule and then he told them;
وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوٓءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ۝
And don’t touch it with any harm, otherwise you would be punished.
So this was a sacred camel, you cannot touch it, you cannot harm it.
So the camel was drinking from the well one day and they would drink one day,
but there were some conspiracies occurring, there was something brewing.
There were a group of men out of the people of Thamud(ثمود) who were planning not only to harm the camel - but to kill it.
They were ordered;
Don’t touch it with any harm.
These were planning to kill the camel.
How many men are these?
How many do you expect?
How many?
9.
Out of the whole nation of Thamud(ثمود), the ones who conspired to kill the camel were 9.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
وَكَانَ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ۝
And there were in the city 9 men.
So the Ayah(آية) is;
And there were in the city 9 men who made mischief in the land and would not reform.
These were 9 men who were corrupt.
They are the ones who made the conspiracy and planned to kill the camel.
It wasn’t all of the people of Thamud(ثمود), it was only 9.
These men agreed, and these were from the leaders of Thamud(ثمود).
They came together and agreed: We’re gonna kill the camel.
So they made their move, and when they got next to the camel, they hesitated because the camel was huge.
But one of them, the most evil among them, he took his sword and he hit the camel in its front legs
and that is called “ʿAqar(عقر)”.
So the camel fell down, and then they attacked it with their swords and killed it.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَىٰهَآ ۝ إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا۝
Thamud denied their prophet when the most wicked man among them went forth.
So out of these 9, only one dared to make the attack on the camel.
إِذِ ٱنۢبَعَثَ أَشْقَىٰهَا
The most evil one, the wicked among them, he’s the one who made his attack.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
فَعَقَرُوه
But they killed her.
And “ʿAqar(عقر)” is when you chop the front legs.
So the camel fell down and then they cut her into pieces.
فَعَقَرُوا۟ ٱلنَّاقَةَ وَعَتَوْا۟ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ وَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰصَـٰلِحُ ٱئْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَآ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ۝
So they killed the she-camel and insolently defied the Commandment of their Lord, and said;
O Salih(صالح), bring about the threat if you are indeed one of the Messengers of Allah.
The camel is dead, bring your threat.
We challenge you, we dare you to do anything.
Here’s the camel, you said this is the camel, this camel is sacred, Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ is protecting it, look at it, it’s dead.
So now, bring us the punishment that you promised.
Not only did they do that, they went back and they made a conspiracy at nighttime
that they will assassinate not only Salih(صالح) but they would exterminate his whole family.
They made a plan that “the next step - after we kill the camel - we’re gonna kill Salih(صالح) and all of his family.”
قَالُوا۟ تَقَاسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُۥ وَأَهْلَهُۥ
ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِۦ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَصَـٰدِقُونَ۝
They said: “Swear one to another, by Allah, that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household,
and afterwards we will surely say to his near relatives;
We witnessed not the destruction of his household and verily, we are telling the truth.
So they’re planning to kill Salih(صالح) and his family,
and then they’re planning to lie and say that “we didn’t kill him,”
and they’re gonna say that “we’re telling the truth.”
Salih(صالح) came out and told his people;
تَمَتَّعُوا۟ فِى دَارِكُمْ ثَلَـٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ
You have 3 days to enjoy yourselves.
ذَٰلِكَ وَعْدٌ غَيْرُ مَكْذُوبٍ
This is a promise that will not be belied.
You have 3 days - 3 days to enjoy yourselves and that’s it.
You’re not gonna live anymore.
The first day passed - nothing happened.
The second day passed - nothing happened.
The third day passed - nothing happened.
They started joking at nighttime and saying
Look at this liar, he told us 3 days - here, the 3 days is over.
They went to bed - Amineen(ءَامِنِينَ), secure.
Early in the morning;
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ مُصْبِحِينَ۝
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ sent on them the awful cry in the morning of the 4th day, the exact deadline.
They went to bed safe - Amineen(ءَامِنِينَ).
In houses carved from solid bedrock, nothing can destroy it.
Wind cannot harm it, earthquake will not do it any harm; a hurricane, a tornado, torrential rain, a storm, floods will not harm it.
They thought they were safe.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ destroyed them with a sound wave, an awful cry.
Very, very loud voice that was so loud
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلرَّجْفَةُ
it caused the earth to shake.
The cry, this awful cry, was so violent and powerful, it made the earth under them shake.
Only nowadays are we learning the power of sound waves,
and now we hear that they’re trying to use and they’re thinking about ways to use sound waves as a weapon.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ destroyed these people with sound.
It is said that it was so violent that it shook their insides so their hearts were falling.
It was so violent, no matter how strong your house is, it’s like a microwave.
These are waves that came in and could pass through anything, through rock, through walls.
It is a sound wave, it can go through anything.
It can travel through any medium that Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ created.
There’s nothing that can stop it.
So the sound reached and it was shaking their insides so their hearts fell down dead.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
وَأَخَذَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ فِى دِيَـٰرِهِمْ جَـٰثِمِينَ ۝ كَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْا۟ فِيهَآ ۗ
أَلَآ إِنَّ ثَمُودَا۟ كَفَرُوا۟ رَبَّهُمْ ۗ أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّثَمُودَ۝
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
And the awful cry overtook the wrongdoers, so they laid dead prostrate in their homes as if they never lived.
As if they never lived.
After moments of cry, as if nobody was living in Thamud(ثمود),
it was a haunted, deserted area.
أَلَآ إِنَّ ثَمُودَا۟ كَفَرُوا۟ رَبَّهُمْ ۗ أَلَا بُعْدًا لِّثَمُودَ۝
Thamud(ثمود) disbelieved in their Lord, so away with Thamud(ثمود).
With Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎, it’s;
كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
وَمَكَرُوا۟ مَكْرًا وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْرًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ۝
So they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not.
When these 9 men were meeting, they were meeting in secret, whispering to each other.
But Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ is listening to them.
And they’re trying to hide their plan from Allah, but Allah is hearing their plan,
but then Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ is planning and His Plan is hidden from them.
مَكَرُوا۟ مَكْرًا
They planned, but Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ is also making a plan,
but the Plan of Allah is secret and their plan is not because Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ is listening to them.
فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَـٰهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ۝
Then see how the end of their plot. Verily, we destroyed them and their nation altogether.
Let’s go back.
How many are the ones who made this plan?
9.
And then who was the one who went ahead and made the first move?
1.
9 men are the ones who administered the execution of the camel and the plan to kill Sayyidina Salih(سيدنا صالح).
How come the rest of the people of Thamud(ثمود) were destroyed?
It was only 9, Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ told us in Qur'an.
How come because of 9 the whole nation was destroyed?
Because they knew about this corruption and they did not stop it,
because they were a silent majority,
because they thought that they can eat and drink and have sex and sleep and they can be secure and safe
we are safe in our houses, nothing is gonna affect us.
There is no gray area, there is nothing in between.
You’re with Hizb ur-Rahman(حزب الرحمن), the Party of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎,
or the other side, it’s Hizb ush-Shaytan(حزب شيطان) - the party of Shaytan(شَيْطَانْ);
there’s nothing in between.
That is how the masses of the people are.
Take any nation, let’s take the US for example.
Who are the decision-makers in America?
President,
the National Security Council,
a few influential men in Congress,
a few CEOs of big corporations in America,
a few heads of major banks,
a few of the strong Jewish lobbyists,
and then a few of the professors and think-tanks in major universities in the U.S.
200, 300, 400 people,
and the rest of the people are between the aisles and the malls and the grocery stores,
sitting on the benches, watching games,
or on their couches, eating and drinking and sleeping.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ وَٱلنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَّهُمْ۝
They eat and drink like cattle, and Hellfire is their final abode.
The masses of the people - that’s what they do.
There’s a few of Al-mala(الملأ)
and Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ said about them in Quran, Al-mala(الملأ).
We have been talking about Al-mala(الملأ) a lot until now.
Al-mala(الملأ) are the ones who rejected the Message of Nuh(نوح).
Al-mala(الملأ) are the ones who rejected the Message of Hud(هود).
And now Al-mala(الملأ) are the ones who rejected the Message of…? Salih(صالح).
Al-mala(الملأ) are the chiefs and the leaders.
The rest of the people, they are after Duniya(دنيا),
running after Duniya(دنيا), running after this world.
But they are not secure, you cannot stay on the fence, you have to make a decision.
You want to be with Hizb ur-Rahman(حزب الرحمن) or Hizb ush-Shaytan(حزب شيطان), because there’s nothing in between.
And when these 9 men plotted their evil and no one of the society stopped them,
everyone else in the society was included in the punishment.
A very important lesson for us to learn;
now, there is Israaʿ Bil-Haqq Wal-Batil(الصراع بالحق والباطل),
now there’s a conflict between truth and evil.
The conflict is happening.
There’s a conflict between Islam and kufr(كفر),
and the ones who are leading and representing Islam are a very small minority.
And then the ones who are leading kufr(كفر) are a very small minority.
And then the masses of the people are like the people of Thamud(ثمود), doing nothing.
So, we need to choose and make a decision.
Are we going to be with the ones who are representing Islam,
or are we going to be with the ones who are representing evil? Because there’s nothing in between.
When they were completely destroyed, Sayyidina Salih(سيدنا صالح) and his followers were saved.
Allah saved them.
And after Thamud(ثمود) were destroyed, Salih(صالح) came back.
He came back to his town that was empty, a ghost town.
And he started speaking to the dead bodies;
فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّى وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ
وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تُحِبُّونَ ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَ۝
Then he, Salih(صالح), turned from them and said;
O my people, I have indeed conveyed to you the Message of my Lord and have given you good advice,
but you like not good advisors.
He was talking to these dead bodies and telling them;
O my people, I’ve conveyed the Message, I advised you, but you don’t like the true advisors.
When Rasool Allah ﷺ was speaking to the dead bodies in Al-Qalib(القليب) after the battle of Badr(بدر),
the leaders of Quraysh(قريش) were all buried in Al-Qalib(القليب),
and Rasool Allah ﷺ came to them and said;
يا أهل القليب، هل وجدتم ما وعدكم ربكم حقا ؟
فإني قد وجدت ما وعدني ربي حقا
O people of the grave, do you find the Promise of Allah on you to be true?
Because I find the Promise of Allah to me to be true.
Allah promised Muhammad ﷺ with victory, and it happened.
And Allah promised you with Hellfire; did it happen?”
ʿUmar bin al-Khattab(عمر بن الخطاب) said;
يا رسول الله
O Messenger of Allah, are you speaking to bodies that are already decomposed?
This was a few days after they were already buried.
You’re talking to bodies that are already decomposed.
Rasool Allah ﷺ said;
ما أنتم بأسمع لما أقول منهم
You cannot hear me better than they.
They can hear me, but they cannot reply back.
Rasool Allah ﷺ was travelling with an army and they passed by the ruins of Thamud(ثمود).
So some of the Sahabah(صحابة) went in and they took some water from the wells of Thamud(ثمود),
and they wanted to make some bread, actually, they mixed flour with that water to make bread.
And they brought some of that water.
Rasool Allah ﷺ told them;
Don’t eat from it, don’t eat from that bread,
and feed it to the camels, and throw all of the water that you brought.
And do not go in there…
إلا أن تكونوا باكين
except if you are going to cry.
Do not go in there except if you are going to cry.
Today, when we go into the ruins of Thamud(ثمود) or the ruins of Firʿawn(فرعون)
or the ruins of the Romans or the ruins of the Greeks, we go and we smile and we take pictures.
And we are fascinated with the civilization of the Romans and the Greek civilization and the civilization of Firʿawn(فرعون) and the advancement of humanity.
Rasool Allah ﷺ is saying;
That water that you brought from Thamud(ثمود), don’t even drink it,
and that bread, don’t feed it to yourselves, feed it to the camels because it’s evil.
And don’t go in there, don’t go in Thamud(ثمود) except if you are going to cry.
Why?
You are going in and benefitting from the ʿibrah(عبره).
Why would you cry?
Because you would look at what happened to this people when they disbelieved,
and you would fear Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ and you would ask Allah to save you, so you would cry.
So if you’re gonna go in there and be impressed with their civilization, don’t go in.
But if you’re going to go and learn the lesson,
if you are going to go there and contemplate and think about what happened to the nonbelievers
even though they were wealthy and powerful and strong,
if you’re gonna go there with that mentality and thinking, then go in.
That is completely opposite of what the people today do.
Unfortunately, some Muslims are even proud with the Firʿawnic so-called civilization.
SubhanAllah(سبحان الله), a Muslim can be proud of Firʿawn(فرعون)?
Firʿawn(فرعون) - At-taghiyah(الطاغية).
The worst evil in Quran - Firʿawn(فرعون)
and we would be impressed with the civilization of Firʿawn(فرعون)?
SubhanAllah(سبحان الله), Firʿawn(فرعون) is a symbol of evil.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ gave us a symbol of Haqq(حَقّ) - Musa(موسی)
and on the other side, the symbol of evil was Firʿawn(فرعون).
And the battle and the conflict between Musa(موسی) and Firʿawn(فرعون)
was a battle and the conflict between Haqq(حَقّ) and batil(باطل), between truth and evil.
And then we go and choose the side of Firʿawn(فرعون)?
That is how we should deal with these ruins.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ left them behind for a reason.
These are left behind for a reason, so that we would learn the message,
so that we can see a physical representation in front of us of how Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ has destroyed the nonbelievers.
Physical representation, so we read it in Qur'an and then we can see it in an actual example.
Next we have Abul-Anbiya(أبوالأنبياء),
father of the Prophets, Min ‘Ulul-ʿAzmi Min Ar-Rusul(من أولو العزم من الرسل) - Ibrahim عليه السلام.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم), who was mentioned in 73 places in Qur'an, in 25 Surahs(سورة) of Qur'an.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم), in English, Abraham, Prophet of Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎.
He was born in Babylon, Babil(بابل).
And he was from Al-Kaldaniyyeen(الكلدانيين), the Caldanians, who used to live in modern-day Iraq.
Iraq(عراق), that is the origin of Ibrahim(إبراهيم), from the Caldanians, and he lived and he was born in Babylon, Babil(بابل).
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) started his Daʿwah(دعوة) to his father.
He started preaching in the beginning to his father.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ mentions to us that story in Qur'an;
وَٱذْكُرْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَّبِيًّا ۝
إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لَا يَسْمَعُ وَلَا يُبْصِرُ وَلَا يُغْنِى عَنكَ شَيْـًٔا۝
When he said to his father;
O my father, why do you worship that which hears not, sees not, and cannot avail you in anything?
يَـٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّى قَدْ جَآءَنِى مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ
فَٱتَّبِعْنِىٓ أَهْدِكَ صِرَٰطًا سَوِيًّا۝
O my father! Verily, there has come to me of knowledge that which came not unto you,
so follow me, I will guide you to a straight path.
Now look at this.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) was very young when he did this; he was less than 16 years old.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) is directing this Daʿwah(دعوة) to a man that is not only older than him but his father.
Follow me.
A young man, less than 16 years old, telling a man that is older than him and his father; Follow me.
Why is he telling him so?
What was the justification that he has to tell his father to follow him?
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) told his father the reason why, He told him;
قَدْ جَآءَنِى مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِكَ
Because I have knowledge that you do not have.
His father had to follow him, so the leadership should be given to the people of understanding and wisdom.
And that’s why we find that the best leaders that ever lived were the most knowledgeable;
Dawud عليه السلام, Sulaiman عليه السلام, Dhul-Qarnayn(ذو ٱلقرنين); Muhammad ﷺ was a leader.
And then after the Anbiya(أنبياء), the Sahabah(صحابة) of Rasool Allah ﷺ;
Abu Bakr(أبو بكر), ʿUmar(عمر), ʿUthman(عثمان), ʿAli(علي) - they were all scholars, the 4 of them were scholars.
And then the best who came after these 4 Sahabah(صحابة) of Rasool Allah ﷺ was ʿUmar bin Abd al-Aziz(عمر بن عبد العزيز).
But now when we have given the positions of leadership to the ignorant military leaders, everything ran corrupt.
ظَهَرَ ٱلْفَسَادُ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ۝
Corruption appeared on land, and not only on land, even in the sea.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
ظَهَرَ ٱلْفَسَادُ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِى ٱلنَّاسِ۝
Corruption appeared on land and on sea because of what the hands of the people have reaped.
We have the ability, not only to corrupt land, we can also corrupt the sea.
Look at the fasad(فساد) that we have in the Muslim world and in the world in general
because the positions of leadership are given to the unfit,
which Rasool Allah ﷺ has said in the hadith (حديث);
one of the signs of the Day of Judgement, Imarat As-Sufaha(إمارة السفهاء), the leadership of the unfit, the ignorant, the foolish.
So Ibrahim(إبراهيم) is telling his father: You have to follow me.
And then he told him; If you follow me,
فَٱتَّبِعْنِىٓ أَهْدِكَ صِرَٰطًا سَوِيًّا۝
if you follow me, I will guide you to the straight path.
His father said;
قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنتَ عَنْ ءَالِهَتِى يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ ۖ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ ۖ وَٱهْجُرْنِى مَلِيًّا۝
He, the father said: “Do you reject my gods, O Abraham?
If you stop not, I will indeed stone you.
So, get away from me safely before I punish you.
He said: I will stone you, I’ll kill you.
For a father to say this, it’s not easy.
For a father to threaten his son that he’s gonna kill him is not easy,
but this shows you the difference between kufr(كفر) and Eeman(إيمان).
This shows you how bad relations could become when the separation is Eeman(إيمان) and kufr(كفر).
The father is willing to kill the son.
What was the response of Ibrahim(إبراهيم)? He said;
قَالَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكَ ۖ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِى حَفِيًّا ۝
وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوا۟ رَبِّى عَسَىٰٓ أَلَّآ أَكُونَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّى شَقِيًّا۝
Peace be upon you, I will ask Allah to forgive you.
إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِى حَفِيًّا
He is, unto me, ever most Gracious.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) is making istighfar(ٱستغفار) for someone who is a nonbeliever.
Is that allowed in Islam?
No.
Obviously, at that time, Ibrahim عليه السلام did not know that.
He promised his father that he will do Istighfar(ٱستغفار) for him, and he did Istighfar(ٱستغفار).
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
وَٱغْفِرْ لِأَبِىٓ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ۝
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) said: O Allah, forgive my father because he’s one of those misguided.
But then Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ taught Ibrahim(إبراهيم) the truth, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
وَمَا كَانَ ٱسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَآ إِيَّاهُ
فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥٓ أَنَّهُۥ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ ۚ
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لَأَوَّٰهٌ حَلِيمٌ۝
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
And Ibrahim’s invoking of Allah for his father’s forgiveness
was only because of a promise he, Ibrahim, has made to his father.
But when it became clear to him that he is an enemy of Allah, he disassociated himself from him.
Verily, Ibrahim(اِبْراهِيْم) was Awwah(أوَّاة) and was haleem(حليم).
Awwah(أَوَّاهٌ) is someone who always is in a state of khushoo(خشوع) and asking Allah سبحانه وتعالى and making Duʿa(دعاء) continuously,
and Haleem(حَلِيمٌ) is someone who is forbearing.
So Ibrahim(إبراهيم) only made Istighfar(ٱستغفار) for his father because of the promise,
but when Ibrahim(إبراهيم) knew that his father is one of the nonbelievers and died on kufr (كفر), Ibrahim(إبراهيم) stopped.
There is a hadith(حديث) mentioned in Bukhari(بخاري)
that on the Day of Judgment, Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ will tell Ibrahim(إبراهيم) that
I will fulfill My Promises on you and I will not dishonor you because Ibrahim(إبراهيم) has made a Duʿa(دعاء);
وَلَا تُخْزِنِى يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ
O Allah, do not dishonor me on the Day of Resurrection.
And Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ accepted the Duʿa(دعاء) of Ibrahim(إبراهيم), so He will not dishonor Ibrahim(إبراهيم) on the Day of Judgement.
So Ibrahim(إبراهيم) said;
What is a greater dishonor than punishing my father?
Because the father of Ibrahim(إبراهيم) will come to him on the Day of Judgement
and this is mentioned in Bukhari(بخاري)
the father of Ibrahim(إبراهيم) will come to Ibrahim(إبراهيم) on the Day of Judgement and tell him;
Today, I will not disobey you, today, I will follow you.
On the Day of Judgement, the father of Ibrahim(إبراهيم) will come and say;
On this day, I will do whatever you want.
At that moment, Ibrahim(إبراهيم) will tell Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎;
How come my father could be punished?
This is a dishonor to me.
So Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ will tell Ibrahim(إبراهيم);
Look at your father.
So Ibrahim(إبراهيم) will look at his father and will find him in the form of Deeh(ضيح), Daba(الضبع) hyena.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) was talking with his father and then he made Duʿa(دعاء) to Allah.
Allah told him: Look at your father,
so Ibrahim(إبراهيم) will look at his father and find him in the form of a hyena.
And then Ibrahim(إبراهيم) will walk away from him and the father will be thrown in Hellfire.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم), when he was seeing his father in his physical form, it was difficult for him to have his father go to Hellfire.
But, when the veils were lifted and Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ showed him the truth
that this man is not your father, this man does not belong to you, this man is different,
and his father even came in a different physical form,
at that moment, Ibrahim(إبراهيم) walked away from his father and disassociated himself from him.
And then Ibrahim(إبراهيم) told his father,
after he told him: “I will ask Allah to forgive you,” he said;
وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوا۟ رَبِّى عَسَىٰٓ أَلَّآ أَكُونَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّى شَقِيًّا۝
And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke besides Allah.
وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ
Aatizilukum(أَعْتَزِلُكُمْ) Means “I will disassociate myself from you,
I will separate myself from you,I will be in seclusion from you,
a very important principle for your survival as a Muslim.
You have to have what is called ʿUzlah Shaʿuriyyah(عزلة الشعورية),
psychological separation, from the environment of kufr(كفر) that is around you.
Ibrahim عليه السلام immediately when his father chose kufr(كفر)
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) said that I will disassociate myself from you, the society of the nonbelievers.
وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ
I will be separated from you.
We, as Muslims, have an identity that we have to protect
and we cannot blend in with the society and be a sheep among the sheep,
and follow the stream, and follow what everybody else is doing, and follow the crowd.
We have an identity that we need to preserve and we need to be separate and different.
But that doesn’t mean we have to separate ourselves physically from the society
and live on monasteries on top of mountains or in the forests or in the deserts.
No;
we could be part of the society and be within the society, intermingling with the society,
but in our hearts, we are separate.
So, physically, we are actively participating in active participation with the society,
but in our hearts we have this psychological barrier and separation
where we always are carrying with us the understanding that we have an identity of being a Muslim.
So, if you are able to be a part of this society
but preserving your Muslim identity that is better than separating yourself physically from it
because then you can be an agent of change and affecting others and Daʿwah(دعوة).
But when you’re secluded and alone, you’re only benefiting yourself and nobody’s benefiting from the good that you have.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) made Daʿwah(دعوة) to his people also;
إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِۦ مَا هَـٰذِهِ ٱلتَّمَاثِيلُ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَـٰكِفُونَ۝
He said: What are these images to which you are devoted?
What are these idols?
And then he also told them in other Ayaat(آيات);
قَالَ هَلْ يَسْمَعُونَكُمْ إِذْ تَدْعُونَ ۝ أَوْ يَنفَعُونَكُمْ أَوْ يَضُرُّونَ۝
Do they hear you when you call on them or do they benefit you or harm you?
Do they respond to your Duʿa(دعاء)?
I mean, a god that does not respond to your Duʿa(دعاء), what god is he?
And do they harm you or benefit you?”
قَالُوا۟ بَلْ وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا كَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ۝
They said: Nay, but we found our fathers doing so.
They did not disapprove what Ibrahim(إبراهيم) said, they did not say;
Yes, they do accept our duʿa, and yes, they do benefit us.
No; they didn’t argue with that.
Their response was; We’re doing this because our fathers were doing it.
Just like when you talk to somebody: What’s your religion and why’re you doing this?
He said: I was born a Christian, I was born Catholic. Don’t argue with me, I was born like that.
This is Taqlid(تقليد) of Al-aba(الآباء), following the forefathers which Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ has mentioned in Qur'an;
إِنَّهُمْ أَلْفَوْا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ ضَآلِّينَ ۝
فَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِمْ يُهْرَعُونَ۝
They found their fathers misguided and they’re following their tracks.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) said;
قَالَ لَقَدْ كُنتُمْ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُمْ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ۝
Indeed you and your fathers have been in manifest error.
Clear statements, he said that you are in error.
This was a shock to the people; they couldn’t believe this statement, so they said;
قَالُوٓا۟ أَجِئْتَنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ أَمْ أَنتَ مِنَ ٱللَّـٰعِبِينَ۝
Are you bringing us the truth, or are you one of those who are playing around?
They thought that he’s playing around.
I mean, bluntly he’s saying that “you are wrong and your fathers are wrong, and these idols cannot do you any good and they’re false.”
They said: “Are you joking?
قَالَ بَل رَّبُّكُمْ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّذِى فَطَرَهُنَّ وَأَنَا۠ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ۝
He said: Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth who created them, and of that I am one of the witnesses.
And he said;
ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَنِى فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ۝
The One who created me so He will guide me.
وَٱلَّذِى هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِى وَيَسْقِينِ۝
And the One, Who feeds me and provides me with drink.
وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ۝
And if I become ill, He is the One who cures me.
وَٱلَّذِى يُمِيتُنِى ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ۝
The One who will make me die and the One who will give me life.
This is the God that I worship, this is Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎.
So Ibrahim(إبراهيم) told them that, I worship Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎, and Allah is your Lord and the Lord of the worlds,
and then Ibrahim(إبراهيم) said silently to himself, he was speaking to himself;
وَتَٱللَّهِ لَأَكِيدَنَّ أَصْنَـٰمَكُم بَعْدَ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ مُدْبِرِينَ۝
By Allah, I shall plot a plan to destroy your idols after you have gone away and turned your backs.
He made a plan;
he said: I am gonna destroy your gods.
Somebody heard Ibrahim(إبراهيم) making that threat, but maybe they didn’t take it seriously.
These people, they had a day in which they would go out of the town and they would celebrate.
All of them would go out in their Jahiliyyah(جاهلية), ignorance, and they would go out in celebrations of Shayateen(شياطين).
So they would go out of their town, all of them would go together.
So they came to Ibrahim(إبراهيم) and told him: Come on, let’s go.
فَقَالَ إِنِّى سَقِيمٌ۝
He said: I am ill.
He wasn’t physically ill.
What he meant is that I am sick of what you’re doing.
I am sick, he’s not physically sick, he said: I am sick of what you’re doing.
They understood that he means that he is physically ill, so they allowed him to stay.
But what he had in mind was that I’m sick of this worship that you are doing.
So they left him alone thinking that he’s ill, and they all went out of town.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) followed through his plan; he took his axe
and he went to the temple, he destroyed all of their idols except for the large, big one
the humongous one, the biggest one, he left him intact, he destroyed all of the rest and then he hanged the axe on the shoulder of this large idol.
He left this axe on his shoulder.
They came back. Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
فَجَعَلَهُمْ جُذَٰذًا إِلَّا كَبِيرًا لَّهُمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ يَرْجِعُونَ۝
So he broke them to pieces, all except the biggest of them that they might turn to it.
So they came back; they looked at these idols, they said;
قَالُوا۟ مَن فَعَلَ هَـٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَآ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ۝
Who is the one who did this with our gods?
He must be indeed one of the wrongdoers.
Who’s the one who did this?
The one who heard Ibrahim(إبراهيم) speak, he came and said, actually it was more than one who heard Ibrahim(اِبْراهِيْم),
قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا فَتًى يَذْكُرُهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُۥٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ
They said: We heard a young man talking against them who is called Ibrahim.
Two things I want to turn your attention in this Ayah(آية);
First of all, a young man, Fata(فتى), young man.
He was young.
This is the responsibility that the youth need to realize that major changes and Daʿwah(دعوة) that was done, were done by the young.
The second thing;
When, for example, I’m speaking with you and I’m telling you: Muhammad(محمد) called you,
it’s different than if I say: A guy named Muhammad(محمد) called you.
What’s the difference between the two?
If I tell you: Muhammad(محمد) called you, or I tell you: A guy named Muhammad(محمد), he called you?
If I tell you: Muhammad(محمد) called you, both of us know who Muhammad(محمد) is.
When I tell you that a guy named Muhammad(محمد) called you,
it’s either both of us or one of us doesn’t know who Muhammad(محمد) is.
Over here, they said: We heard a young man called Ibrahim(اِبْراهِيْم).
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) wasn’t even known to the society.
He was a young boy; he wasn’t even known to the society
and he’s coming up with this change that will bring down a whole society,
carrying all of this load on his shoulders.
A young boy, carrying all of this load on his shoulder, going against the whole society.
قَالُوا۟ فَأْتُوا۟ بِهِۦ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْيُنِ ٱلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْهَدُونَ۝
They said: Then bring them before the eyes of the people that they may testify.
They gathered all of the people, and they wanted to bring Ibrahim(اِبْراهِيْم) and put him in court in front of everyone.
So they brought everyone, and they said;
قَالُوٓا۟ ءَأَنتَ فَعَلْتَ هَـٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَا يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ۝
Are you the one who did this against our gods?
He said: No.
قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُۥ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَـٰذَا فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ
فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ يَنطِقُونَ۝
No, it’s not me. It’s the big idol who did it, so go and ask him.
That was the point of the lesson, that’s the point that Ibrahim(إبراهيم) wants to drive home.
Go and inquire from your gods.
Let them tell you what happened.
If you believe that your gods can do anything, then maybe the big one did it.
If you believe that your gods cannot do anything, then why are you worshipping them?
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) said: Nay, this one, the biggest of them did it.
Ask them, if they can speak.
Ask them, if they can speak, this is the whole point.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
فَرَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّكُمْ أَنتُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ۝
So they turned to themselves, and said;
Verily, you are the wrongdoers.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) woke them up.
This was a shock to them, so for a moment, they woke up and realized their insanity and their mistake and their foolishness.
So, they started to think about their position,
but then Shaytan(شيطان) came in with his influence and his waswasah(وسوسة),
so he made them override that thought, and they went back to their ignorance again.
They woke up for a while, but then they lost the opportunity, and they said;
Allah سبحانه وتعالى‎ says;
ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رُءُوسِهِمْ
Then they turned on their heads,
meaning, they were going on the right way, they were starting to think, but then they fell down on their heads upside down.
ثُمَّ نُكِسُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رُءُوسِهِمْ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ يَنطِقُونَ۝
And they said: You know that they cannot speak.
They said: You know that they cannot speak.
Ibrahim(إبراهيم) said;
قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ ۝
أُفٍّ لَّكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ۝
Do you then worship besides Allah things that can neither profit you nor harm you?
Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship besides Allah.
Have you then no sense?
You have no understanding, no thinking.
You’re worshipping gods that cannot speak, cannot do you any harm, cannot even defend themselves
how can they defend you when they’re not able to defend themselves?
These gods are lying dead on the ground, they can’t even help themselves.
صَلَّى الله عَلى سَيَّدِنَا محمد وَعَلى اَلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّم