Call to the Path of Allah with Wisdom - Ustaadh Mustafa George

I seek refuge with Allah from our souls and our deeds, who guide us and who guide us and who guide us. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and He has no partner. I bear witness that Muhammad, his servant and messenger, may peace be upon him, and upon his family and friends, have received a lot of blessings. In previous khutbas, we discussed the affair of nasiha, being sincere and advising one another. The prophet, peace be upon him, said, ad-dinu nasiha. The religion is sincerity, wanting good for one another. We also discussed the affair, the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding the evil. Allah, Az-Wajal, said, kuntum khaira ummatin ukhri jachlan nas, ta'murunna bil ma'roof wa tanhuna anil munkar wa tu'minuna bil lah. You are the best nation for the people. You enjoin good, you forbid evil, and you believe in Allah, Az-Wajal. We also discussed the affair of being patient. We also discussed the affair of calling to Allah, Az-Wajal. We also discussed the affair of raising our children, teaching our children, and other important affairs. My beloved brothers and sisters, from that which assists and supports an individual in fulfilling these obligations in a manner which is pleasing to Allah, Az-Wajal, is an individual understanding the importance of using wisdom. An individual understanding how important it is to use wisdom. For the individual to call to Allah, Az-Wajal, he needs wisdom. For the individual to advise others and teach others and remind others he needs wisdom. For the individual to enjoin the good and forbid the evil he needs wisdom. For the individual to raise your children and teach your children you need wisdom. Indeed, wisdom is a tremendous blessing from Allah, Az-Wajal. As Allah, Az-Wajal says, in Surat Al-Baqarah, as Allah, Az-Wajal said in Surat Al-Baqarah, yu'til hikmata man yasha wa man yu'til hikmata faqad ootia kairan kathira Allah, Az-Wajal said in Surat Al-Baqarah, Allah gives wisdom to whom he wills and whoever has been given wisdom from Allah, he has been given much good. Allah gives wisdom to whom he wills and whoever has been given wisdom, from Allah, he has been given much good. Allah, Az-Wajal mentioned this affair of wisdom in calling to Allah, in teaching, in reminding, in joining good and forbidding the evil. Allah, Az-Wajal said in Surat Al-Nahl, ud'u ila sabili rabbika bil hikmati wal maw'idatil hasana wajadil hum billati hi ahsan Allah, Az-Wajal said, call to the path of your Lord with what? With wisdom and good admonition. With wisdom and good admonition and debate with them in the best of manners. Indeed my beloved brothers and sisters, if we were to look into the sunnah of our beloved messenger, Muhammad, S.A.W., we see that the Prophet, S.A.W., used wisdom in calling to Allah. The Prophet, S.A.W., used wisdom in joining good and forbidding evil. The Prophet, S.A.W., used wisdom in reminding and encouraging his companions. And indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, we have the best example. Allah, Az-Wajal said, la qad kaana lakum fi rasool illa uswatu n hasana tun liman kaana yarju Allah wa li'um al aakhir. Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, you have the best example for the individual who hopes to meet Allah and prepares for the last day. We have the best example in the teachings of our beloved messenger, S.A.W. We have the best example in the mannerism and the character of our beloved messenger, S.A.W. So indeed it is upon the believers to follow that example. Wisdom, as the scholars mentioned, it is to put things in its proper place. And likewise, they mentioned wisdom is to act upon knowledge and intellect. Imam Ibn Mandord mentioned in Lisan Al Arab, which is an encyclopedia about the Arabic language. He says, he mentioned, you say a man is wise if he has experience that causes him to do things the right way. A man is wise when he has experience and that causes him to do things in the right way. So let us look at the example of our beloved messenger, S.A.W. How the Prophet, S.A.W. used to teach people. You have in the Hadith in Sahih Muslim, on the authority of Muawiyah bin Al-Hakim as Sulemi, radiAllahu ta'ala anhu, where someone sneezed in the prayer and he said, Alhamdulillah to himself, but it could slightly be heard. So Muawiyah was not aware that it was no longer permissible to speak in the prayer. So he said, while they were praying, YorhamakAllah, he did not know that Allah, S.A.W. had ordered the believers to be silent in the prayer. Once they enter into the prayer, they have to be silent. So he said, YorhamakAllah, the Sahaba radiAllahu ta'ala anhu looked at him and they began to tap on their thighs. He said, what's wrong with you? Why are you looking at me? What's going on? And then he realized that they were ushering him to be silent. So he was silent. At the end of the prayer, the Prophet, S.A.W. summoned him and he said, Bi Abi Wa Ummi, he said, may my father and mother be ransomed. Ma Raaytum Mualliman Qablahu Wa La Baadu Hu Ahsanat Aalima Minhu. And the Prophet, S.A.W. told him, he said, indeed this prayer is not for the speech of the people. It's not for the outside speech. The prayer is to praise Allah, to glorify Allah and to recite the Quran. Muawiya, when he mentioned what happened, he said, I swear by Allah, I have never met a teacher before him or after him better than the Prophet. He said, the Prophet, S.A.W. did not admonish me. The Prophet, S.A.W. did not hit me. The Prophet did not belittle or insult me. Indeed, the Prophet only said to me that this prayer is for the remembrance of Allah. This prayer is to glorify Allah. This prayer is to recite the Quran. Notice what the companion said, he did not admonish me. He did not belittle me. He did not insult me. Notice me, I've never seen a better teacher before him nor after him. Look at the way of our beloved Messenger, S.A.W. and correcting the wrong. Look at the way of our beloved Messenger, S.A.W. and reminding someone. Look at the way of our beloved Messenger, S.A.W. and teaching someone. Look at this other example and we've mentioned it before. The authentic hadith reported in the Muslim of Imam Ahmed, where a young man came to the Prophet, S.A.W. who was being tested with temptation, who was being tested with his desires. He came to the Prophet, S.A.W. and said, Ya Rasulullah, then leave. O Messenger of Allah, allow me to commit fornication. O Messenger of Allah, allow me to commit fornication. He's struggling with it. It is his weakness. He's seeking from the Messenger of Allah to allow him to fornicate. The Prophet, S.A.W. brought him close and by the way, the Sahaba began to rebuke him. They began to admonish him. What are you, foolish? What's wrong with you? They began to admonish him roughly, strongly. They began to admonish him. The Prophet, S.A.W. brought him close. Then the Prophet, S.A.W. was disgusted with him in a manner that was wise. We've mentioned it before. Would you love it? The Prophet, S.A.W. said, would you like this for your mother? He said, no, Ya Rasulullah, I do not like it for my mother. Then the Prophet, S.A.W. said, and people don't like it for their mothers. Do you like it for your daughter? No, Ya Rasulullah, I don't like it for my daughter and people don't like it for their daughters. Do you like it for your aunt? No, Ya Rasulullah, I do not wish this for my aunt. And the Prophet, S.A.W. continued mentioning his mother, his daughter, his aunt, his niece, and the likes. Then the Prophet, S.A.W. put his hand on that man's chest. And he said, Allahumma, the Prophet, S.A.W. said, Allahumma, Iqfir dambah, wataher qalbah, wahassen farja. O Allah, forgive his sin and purify his heart and protect his chastity. The man stood up and walked away and no longer struggled with temptation. No longer struggled with temptation. Look at the wisdom of the Prophet, S.A.W. in correcting this man. Look at the wisdom of the Prophet, S.A.W. in teaching this man. Notice how the Prophet, S.A.W. sat him down. Let's have a discussion. The Prophet, S.A.W. said, made him think. The Prophet, S.A.W. made him reflect. Think about what you're saying. Think about what you are asking. He made him think. He made him reflect. And then the Prophet, S.A.W. touched him with his blessed hand. And then the Prophet, S.A.W. made dua for him. He stood up and he would never forget what happened. He would never forget this moment, this intimate moment that he had with the Messenger of Allah, S.A.W. My beloved brothers and sisters, that's why the companion said, We never met a teacher before him, nor after him better than him, S.A.W. Now let's compare that to how. Let's compare that to how we remind one another. Let's compare that to how our father reminds his child. Let's compare that to how a husband reminds his wife. Let's compare that to how a mother reminds her children. Are you stupid? You idiot. I can't stand you. I'm fed up with you. Get out of my face. That's the type of statements our children hear from their parents. That's the type of statements that a wife possibly hears from her husband. That a husband possibly hears from his wife. You're useless. You're a deadbeat. What do you desire to accomplish with those types of statements? What do you desire to accomplish with those types of statements? Compare that to the statement of the Messenger S.A.W. O Allah, forgive his sin. O Allah, purify his heart. O Allah, protect his chastity. Strip and never struggled with temptations ever again. I say what you hear. I ask Allah to forgive me and you forgive me. And repent to me. He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. In the name of Allah. All praise is due to Allah. And peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet Muhammad and Tabal Huda. So the way of Abiyal Abiyal's Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, he used wisdom. Allah, Azawajal blessed him with wisdom. Allah, Azawajal said whoever is given wisdom, he is given much good. It's possible that what an individual is saying is correct. It's possible that what an individual is presenting is proof from the Quran and the Sunnah. But the manner in which you present it. The manner in which you engage with the listener is not in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger S.A.W. Allah, Azawajal said to his Messenger S.A.W. Wala kunta faddan ghaliddan Lan faddo min hawlik If you were rough, if you were staunch, they would have dispersed. They would have dispersed. They wouldn't have listened to you. Even if what you were saying was the revelation. Even if what you were saying was the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger S.A.W. The manner in which you present it. Allah, Azawajal said udu'u ila sabili rabbika bil hikma wal ma'idahil hasana Call to the path of your Lord with wisdom and good admonition. And that was the way of our beloved Messenger S.A.W. And that's why you have it reported in Sayyid Bukhari under the authority of Salim bin Abdullah who heard from his father. His father had a dream and by the way his father is a Sahabi. His father had a dream one day and in the morning he went to the Messenger or he couldn't find the Messenger so he told his sister Hafsa. His sister told the Prophet S.A.W. about the dream because they used to go to the Messenger to interpret the dreams. The Prophet S.A.W. said to Hafsa said to Hafsa how wonderful is Abdullah and by the way Abdullah is her brother. Abdullah bin Omar is her brother. It was his dream. The Prophet S.A.W. said how wonderful is Abdullah and by the way Abdullah bin Omar he is a wonderful man. Your brother, he is a wonderful man if only he would stand in prayer at night. If only he would stand in prayer at night. Hafsa went back and told her brother the Prophet S.A.W. I told him your dream instead of interpreting your dream you know what the Messenger said? How wonderful a man you are if only you would stand in prayer at night. Look at this encouragement my brothers and sisters Abdullah bin Omar read you out to An-Huma when he heard that statement of the Messenger thereafter he only slept a portion of the night and he made sure to stand in prayer the other portion of the night. Why? Because the Prophet S.A.W. said it in such a gentle manner. The Prophet S.A.W. praised him how wonderful of a man your brother is Abdullah bin Omar. He is a wonderful man. My beloved brothers and sisters once again compare it to what we hear compare it to what we say you're you fooled you idiot you stupid you don't know nothing do you ever sit down with your child and said you know what you're a wonderful child I'm blessed by Allah to have you my beloved sister when you speak to your husband do you say to your husband I'm blessed by Allah to have a man like you you are a wonderful husband I would just ask that you do this or do that. Look at this wisdom of the Messenger S.A.W. the type of wisdom when a person hears it they feel shy to go against it they feel shy to oppose it that was the way of our beloved Messenger S.A.W. the Prophet S.A.W. came with the truth and the manner that he presented it was the best of manners may Allah make us those who implement this may Allah make us a people of wisdom may Allah make us a people of knowledge and understanding may Allah make us true followers of the Prophet S.A.W. to give this message of truth and the manner of truth may Allah forgive us for our shortcomings may Allah rectify our affairs may Allah make us true callers to this wonderful religion of Islam true callers to this wonderful religion of Islam