1981-September-4

Bilalian News

Submission To Allah's Will: Part 1

Imam W. Deen Muhammad

(Editor's note: Following are excerpts from a Khutbah delivered by Imam Warith Deen Muhammad at Masjid Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Friday. June 19. 1981 -- Continued from July 31. 1981.)

Praise be to Allah, Guardian. Evolver. Cherisher, and Sustainer of all the worlds. We seek His help. We ask forgiveness of Him. We put our trust in Him. We pray to Him on the gift of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah to us all.

What does this tell us about the content of the right faith? It tells us that if we don't have a fear in us of displeasing Allah, our faith is not constituted as it should be. It tells us that if we don't expect to answer for our deeds one day before Allah, then our faith is not correctly constituted. If we don't expect to return to Him one day. our faith is not correctly constituted.

Some of us think we can live as God. There is but One Allah? You can't live as God; you're no God. You're a creature made to serve Allah. Your title is "slave." "Abd" — that's what Allah says. You are the "e-badu-llah." "E-bad" is the plural form of the word "abd." "Abd" is one slave; "e-bad" is the term for many slaves. Allah says of all His creatures. Prophet Muhammad included — the highest human being is included — all are the "e-bad" of Allah. Your title is slave, not God.

We have to have the right attitude — know what constitutes real faith. Then we have to accept what Allah has ordered. Allah has ordered wisdom, justice, fair dealing, truth. He has ordered the Quran as a light for all times, as a judgment against those who claim this faith. Allah says in this Quran. "What do people have to stand on, except that that was revealed to them?" He revealed the Torah to the Jews. The Jews have nothing to stand on but what was revealed to them. The Injil — or the Gospel, as it is called — to the Christians: they have nothing to stand on but what was revealed to them.

And the Muslims have nothing to stand on but the Quran  which  was  revealed  to the believers through the Last Prophet. To say Allah is One, no partners, no associates, no one sharing His power or in the kingdom with Him. Never was born, never will die. Never eats, never is fed. Never slumbers, never sleeps. He is nothing like any of His creations.

Praise be to Him, Most High. Then if we are Muslims, we accept that. We don't argue with that. Then Allah says to us, "See how We have created you and given you intelligent speech that you may converse, that you may be able to express yourselves intelligently." Then what is this telling us? Allah has obligated us to live an intelligent life. I can't run away with my superstitions that won't let me communicate to intelligent people, and claim that I'm a Muslim and that I have the right religion. When I can’t give intelligent conversation. I have something that is a burden on me.

We should come into the language of the Quran. We should accept God as He is in the Quran. We accept the Angels as they are presented in the Quran. Allah says of the Angels that they come with wings -- two, three, and four. Do I have the right to question that? No, I know Allah said it; it's true. And if Allah blesses me with more knowledge, then I'm thankful for that. But the first understanding is to believe what Allah has said, and not to doubt it.

The act of prayer, going through our daily prayers, is said to be a hard thing, a big thing, a difficult thing, except for those who have in them the fear of displeasing God. Those who feel embarrassment for a wrong they have done.

You know how we don't like to see our parents, our wives, our husbands or our children witness an ugly act by us. or vulgar or inferior conduct on our part. It brings to us a sense of embarrassment and shame. The believer feels that way before Allah, when he has done something that he knows is against what Allah wants. It's a fear -- "I've been caught wrong, I stand blameworthy."

This is the kind of fear that the believer should have within him. The mortal fear, the fear of losing one's physical life or the fear of suffering mental anguish, or some other pain; that's another kind of fear. We also should have that kind of fear. But the better fear is the fear of displeasing our Guardian Creator. That's the better fear.

It is the nature of every creature to fear a threat to the life of that creature. That animal fear is not the highest fear for man. The highest fear for man should be a fear that originates from a sense of worth, a sense of obligation, a sense of excellence. "And I have failed my excellence before my Lord; 1 am embarrassed. I'm embarrassed."

If they never pray, they feel that they are falling short, they are falling down on the excellence that is required of them. If they don't make zakat, if they give nothing to zakat to help others, they feel that somewhere a very important area, is unattended: they are falling. They are not living up to the measure of excellence that Allah has put in them and expects of them.

Being constant doers of prayer obligations is a hard thing. What will make it easy? Turning to Allah sincerely, giving your complete devotion to Allah. Saying "No. I'm not going to put this above Allah. I'm going to put it in its proper place."

Everything has a place, I'm going to give Allah the respect that He is justly due. That means I cannot bargain off things against pleasing Allah. I can't make excuses. I can't say, "Well, I have to do this because I have to live." No you don't have to live. You can die. The Muslim is one who will die, before he lives a life of disgrace in crime.

I hear you say, "Well, I have to live. Brother. A man has to live." A man has a choice. He can live honorably or he can die. The real man reaches a point where he says. "No, I don't want to live. If this will be the state, I will die. I will accept poverty, homelessness and even starvation to keep from sin, to please Allah." Not for the country's sake, not for the President's sake. Not for the revolution's sake, not out of weakness; it should be for Allah's sake only that we accept death or suffering.
To be continued