1978-January-26

Bilalian News

The Clear Evidence: Part 2

Imam W. D. Muhammad

With the Name Allah (in the Name of God), the Gracious, the Compassionate.

As-Salaam-Alaikum

(Editor's note: The following article was taken from Friday Jumah Service, July 29, 1977, Masjid Elijah Muhammad No. 2)

All praises are due to Allah, the Guardian Evolver of the heavens and the Earth. I bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

Dear beloved believers, we are told in the Quran that prayer works to correct our lives, to purify us—that prayer works to cleanse us. We are told to keep up prayer. We are also told that being regular in prayer is a hard thing except on those who have strong faith. So if our faith is weak, then prayer is going to be a hard thing on us. But if we just accept that hard thing and drive our lazy bodies to pray more' regularly, then prayer is going to be the instrument to make things lighter for us. Let's not dread preparing ourselves, cleaning ourselves, preparing the place where we are going to pray, making it clean and decent. These efforts that are at times hard on us are going to be the very efforts that help make our faith strong and life easy on us.

Allah says, "Surely with difficulty, ease will come." And Allah says that he has created us to face toil, to face the difficulty. This strengthens us, this makes us strong. It gives us the opportunity to use the muscles of our right-loving will.

"By the night as it conceals the light. By the day as it appears in glory. By the mystery of the creation of male and female. Verily the ends you strive for are diverse."

Consider the verses from the Quran. We want more money and we want more righteousness. Sometimes we don't see any way to get more 'money without neglecting or losing some righteousness. Things are pulling us this and that way. But with the guidance of God, we can see we can accomplish all of these things. We can move out in all good directions and yet keep ourself together—intact. We don't have to split ourselves, we don't have to divide the self or destroy the unity of the natural and total human entity. Guidance of God will save us.

Verse 5: "So he who gives in charity and fears Allah"—and Who reverence God with due respect, with love and with a fear to disobey him. "And in all sincerity, testifies to the best."

Hope to complete the whole reading of the Quran, but remember, we are told not to rush. Don't read so fast that you don't hear what you are reading.

There are many people who I believe in their hearts they are sincere; they love truth, they love Allah, and they want very badly to live a good life. But the habits that they have deprived them of the fruits that their good potential can bring. The habit of thinking you're supposed to be an angel.

If I have a disobedient child, when I am seeing him in his disobedience, I am supposed to be nice with a strong hand or with a strong voice. That is being nice, you see. When someone is doing some wrong—they had been nice yesterday and last year, but I see them doing wrong now—I am not supposed to say, "He's such a nice person, I'm not going to disturb him," or—"That's such a good sister, I'm not going to say anything." If she is brought to the courts of Al-lslam and charged, no matter how sweet she had been, last week and last year—if she is brought to the courts and charged, and I am the witness to the wrong that has been done, when I give testimony, my testimony should be the best.

It can't be a good testimony if I hide pertinent truth, wanting to be nice to a nice person. Serve the society and give the whole truth of character and the crime. To stand on truth and follow truth, that’s the test. I mean for everybody—I don't care how wise, how big, how righteous, how pious. Many people are very pious, but truth will test them. Yes.

The problem is old sin-courting habits. We have to be very, very aware. Our belief can change, and the habits stay with us. I am not just talking about the habits of doing things physically as putting pork in your mouth. I am talking about the spiritual habits also. The way you think and act.

I see many believers who are Muslims, but I have observed some few of them behaving in an un-Muslim manner. It is not always because they are not good people, it is not that they don't believe. Most are good people— they believe. But they haven't yet practiced Al-lslam enough and understood it enough to recognize the confusing conflict in their life. Old un-lslamic habits, old un-Islamic attitudes of mind and spirit. Let us be aware and always support truth, follow truth; support truth, even though it be against—as the Quran says— "Yourself, your near relative." No matter who it be against, we have to stand on truth.

"Verily, the ends you strive for are diverse. So he who gives in charity and fears Allah, and in all sincerity testifies to the best, We will indeed make smooth for him the path to bliss."

Whenever you speak, speak the truth. You know people sometimes will speak the truth but will give half of it. They won't give the best of it, so make it full Speak the truth in the best way. "We will indeed make smooth for him the path to bliss." It won't be difficult. You will find the way to happiness, the way to bringing the joy in your life that you want will become easier and easier. You will come to feel just like it is guaranteed.

"Well I wake up now. I woke up this morning and it was very dark outside. Looked like it was going to be a terrible day. The sun hadn't come up, and the sky was cloudy. It looked like it was going to be a bad rainy day all day long. It stayed like that until about noon, and look how beautifully it faired off."

A lot of times we miss observing the small miracles that Allah is showing all of the time Just think how many times you come out here together as Muslims and be guided by Allah's teachings, the Quran, the life of Prophet Muhammad. Think how many times that you come out here and there is no rain. Very seldom you come here and there is rain. Summer, winter—most often if it is bad, it passes over. Sometimes I'm in here and I hear thunder roaring, and when I go out, everything has quieted. This doesn't mean that Allah is going to stop rain for us and make it nice all of the time. But Allah will show you that He controls everything in the skies and in the Earth. Whatever He lets bother you, it is for your own good if you are a believer, if you are a Muslim.

Keep the faith, work hard, never give up, persevere as the Quran teaches us. To persevere means to try over and over again and don't weaken the effort. Increase the effort as you go.

"We will indeed make smooth for him the path to bliss." Now you know Allah says in the Quran here, "We." He uses the term "We." Why does Allah say, "We"? We've had some mystics who say, "We" means "Allah in many forms." They give to us a plurality of gods. This misunderstanding is because they are ignorant of the Arabic language.

In Al-lslam, we greet one person, "As-Salaam-Alaikum," Alaikum addresses many people if you translate it literally. We do this to show how much we care for this Muslim. This Muslim to us is like many people. The one man is a value to me "like many." It shows the great respect. When you meet a dignitary in the East, or a high man in office, you speak to him in the plural. Not that he is many, but that he is so respected, he is like many. He has authority, he speaks for many. Allah has authority over all. He speaks for all. We address with terms of honor and respect. Allah speaks to us and lets us know that all are in His control. Whatever has done good for us, it is because of Allah.

The Angels that help, the blessings that we receive from our relatives and our friends are all because of Allah. So you might say that "My mother did this for me." Allah says that "We" did it for you, meaning that your mother did not originate the good you enjoyed from her and she was helped.

I have talked to materialistic people who appeared to think their wealth has given them a protection against everything, that even it would "prolong their lives." No guarantee. "But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient, and gives the lie to the best," the falsehood-lovers deny the blessings of God: "These favors are no favors of God." As the Qur'an says: "It is due to a certain knowledge that I have obtained." So they deny the excellence that Allah has created for us—that they enjoy in this life, the gifts of God. Falsehood-lovers deny the best when asked to give testimony —to bear witness to the truth, to the best, to the excellent things that Allah has created. They will deny. "No, I don't see it that way. That's your opinion." Can life be worthwhile under opinions and no established truth?

The most scientific work is the Quran. The most objective work is the Quran. This Book is not established on personal opinions. This Book is established on universal truth and revealed by the God of Truth.

"And gives the lie to the best. We will indeed make smooth for him the path to misery." And isn't this what happens? And is not it a just treatment? Allah is Greater.

— Yours in Service to Allah,
Wallace D. Muhammad