Tranquility in a Troubled World
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
209 |
| Khutbah Date: |
09/01/06 |
[b]هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِيمَانًا مَّعَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ [/b][b]وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا[/b][b]لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا[/b][b]وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عِندَ اللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا[/b][i]“It is He Who sent down Tranquility into the hearts of the Believers …that they may add Faith to their Faith; for to Allah belong the Forces of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom;that He may admit the men and women who believe, to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever, and remove their ills from them; and that is , in the estimation of Allah , the highest achievement.” [/i][b]Troubled Times[/b]We seem to be living in times of tremendous negativity, great stress, devastating anxiety, overwhelming fears and ever-growing uncertainty.Social, economic, political and environmental conditions of the whole world are deteriorating. Injustice, crimes, violence, evil and injustice abound everywhere. Many feel pessimistic and disheartened. Wars are waged in the interest of multi-national corporations and conglomerates in different parts of the world at the expense of the poor and downtrodden, and in the process thousands of innocent men, women and children are dying, millions of refugees are going through most tragic difficulties. Here in the United States, we have legitimate anxieties about our civil rights and liberties, while anti-Islamic propaganda and Islamophobia is running rampant. [b]Need for Inner Peace[/b]What the whole humanity needs; now more than ever, is inner peace. Islam is the religion of peace. One of the attributes of Allah is as-Salaam / Source of Peace, the very name of our faith al-Islam means ‘peace’ and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), used to say to and write in his letters to the chiefs of the tribes in his time, aslim taslam / accept Islam and find peace. Islam places great emphasis on peace and particularly beginning with the concept of ‘inner peace’. In the Qur’an, among the terms used to refer to this sought after inner peace are … [list][*]sakinah = inner calm and tranquilityMost often used in context of social relations [30], and often in times of trial and tribulation …[/*][*][Q48:4] Treaty of Hudaybiyyah [/*][*][Q9:40] Migration to Madinah [/*][*][Q48:26] Muslims refused entry to Makkah for pilgrimage [/*][*][Q9:26] Difficulty at Battle of Hunayn [/*][*]sharhus-sadr = understanding, openness of heart, restfulness, capacity to undertake challenges [Q6:125][Q94:1] (see prayer of Prophet Moses [Q20:25] [/*][*]tuma’ninah = comfort of the heart, blissful satisfaction and contentment [/*][/list] [b]Dimensions of Itminaan[/b]Itminaan; like all concepts and all matters of spirituality, could have various manifestations and people may have a variety of conceptions regarding what they consider itminaan to be. The Qur’an makes reference to these dimensions of itminaan …[list][*]being content merely with material satisfaction or the material world [Qur’an 10:7] [/*][*]superficial contentment emanating from a celebratory occasion [Q22:11] [/*][*]psychological affirmation that confirms intellectual quests [Q2:260] [/*][/list] Inner peace could provide the strength to make people steadfast and capable to face the seemingly insurmountable challenges. If there is no inner peace people lose courage and strength to face the harsh realities; they become weakened, developing many physical, emotional and psychological problems; and may have difficulty to maintain their regular composure, effectively perform daily work, maintain good family ties, develop positive relationships and efficiently fulfill responsibilities. Attaining Inner Peace? Attaining contentment, peace of mind, inner peace … does not come from material things, neither from drugs or painkillers, nor from sinful lifestyle. Unless our relationship with Allah is good, we can never initiate the actual process towards real inner peace. In order to have inner peace, we should …[list][*]develop the capacity for patient perseverance in all circumstances. [/*][*]be with good people and be good to people. We must always say good words and do good deeds. [/*][*]own the world, but do not let the world own you[/*][*]be helpful and charitable, for deeds of goodness and charity beckons inner peace. [/*][*]love for others what you love for yourself [/*][*]be most forgiving for forgiveness is the best healer and it first heals the person who forgives. [/*][/list] [b]Dire Need[/b]There is a dire need for …[i]Ihsaan, Haqq, ‘Adl, Mahabbah & Salaam… [/i]We Must manifest what is best by striving to overcome …evil with Good/ Ihsaan ,falsehood with Truth/ Haqq oppression with Justice/‘Adl hatred with Love/ Mahabbah and chaos with Peace/ Salaam There is nothing new about this message, except the practice of it. And the practice of it is required not only in the socialsituations but also in personal situation. I believe that often the negative situations in the world are reflections of our own immaturity . The most significant aspect of attaining inner peace is to have strong faith and trust in Allah. Make There is nothing new about this message, except the practice of it. And the practice of it is required not only in the socialsituations but also in personal situation. I believe that often the negative situations in the world are reflections of our own immaturity . The most significant aspect of attaining inner peace is to have strong faith and trust in Allah. Make dhikr / rememberance of Allah as much as we can in every dimension of our existence for dhikr brings comfort; [Qur’an 13: 28][b]الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ[/b][i]Surely, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find contentment. [/i]The Qur’an exhorts us to evolve our understanding of itminaan from mere physical pleasure and temporary satisfaction and gratification by emphasizing the spiritual dimension as the ultimate manifestation of itminaan; a state attained with a spirit/self that [b]يا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِيوَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي[/b][i]is at peace (or contented) with that which the Divine is pleased[/i][Q 89:28-29] ; an inner contentment that emanates from Allah-consciousness and living a life that is Allah-oriented.
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