Milaad: Khutba to celebrate Milad un-Nabi in Tanzania

Forwarded by: Mulla Juzar Shk Yusuf

Praise be to Allah who has made that 'Praise' the Key for His remembrance, a reason for earning more of His Grace, and a proof of His bounties and His Majesty. I praise Him, seeking more of His bounties, submitting to His Honour and seeking shelter from His disobedience. I invoke His help, beseeching only His sufficiency. Verily, he will not be lost whom Allah guides; he will never be safe whom Allah makes His enemy, and he will never be needy whom Allah suffices. Praise be to Allah Whose skies of grace are abundant with rain bearing clouds and Whose treasure-chests of generosity are wide-open. All this flows because of a Prophet whom He destined from the progeny of Ibrahim and Ismail. And graced him with honour and supremacy over other prophets, who preceded him. As He says: "Those Messengers have We exalted, some of them above others. Among them there are those to whom Allah spoke." Thus the diversities of their merits are gathered together in this, the Seal of all Prophets. Except His lineages and relationships all others shall terminate. That is Mohammed al-Mustafa (S.A.), whose origin and element is the purification of all elements and assences. His refined spirituality in the ideal of all spirits and his body is the noblest of all bodies. He is the mercy for the universe, in human form. He is the straight path, treading which; good people reach the higher abode. I praise Allah, Who brought forth the person of the Prophet. Eyes gaze upon the wonders possessed by him, and minds are perplexed by the novelties hidden in him. I thank Allah Who strengthened the Prophet by the Peace revealed upon him and sent him forth with the noble Book of clear verses. I bear testimony that there is no God except Allah Who sent the Prophets a Wise Reminder; and taught him what he knew not and Allah's grace upon us was very great. I bear testimony that Mohammed, Allah's Prophet strived to convey his messages, and held steadfast to His Shariah to justify its reasons. Allah's peace be on the Lord of those who are crowned with the crown of Risalah and on the noblest of those who have donned the garments of Majesty Mohammed al-Mustafa, Allah's servant and Prophet whom Allah has sent as a Mercy for the Universe and raised among the unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves; who recites unto them His signs and purifies them and teaches them the Book and Wisdom. Peace be on his noble progeny the Aale-Yasin and his chosen blessed companions. I praise Allah. He guided us with the Deen of Islam, embellished us with the ornament of Eman, and honoured us with the honour of Al-Quran.

I Praise Allah Whose grace has gathered us together-tonight-in his huge gathering to listen to His Zikre-eHakim, that is-Allah's Book. Falsehood cannot come to it, neither from before nor from behind it. It is revelation from the Wise the Praise-worthy. And Allah gathered us together-for the remembrance of His Prophet Mohammed (SA) whom he sent a witness, a Bearer of glad tidings and a summoner unto Allah by His permission and a luminous Light. How pleasing is this listening to the noblest Book, which Allah revealed. How felicitous is this Ijtimaa to remember the noblest of the Prophets whom Allah has sent.It is a listening that fills the heart with Eman and increases Marefat (comprehension) and Yaqeen (faith). It is a gathering that angles grace and seek pardon for him who comes to it with true Islam and honour of Eman, and Allah looks upon him with Mercy. It gives me happiness and pleasure that this auspicious gathering, the first of its kind, is held under the chairmanship of the Honourable Vice President of this State. I greet him with greetings of fraternity and hail him with the salutations of Islam and wish that Allah may keep him honoured always. I congratulate the organizers of this Ijtimaa on this grand Islamic effort and on this great religious service, so aptly rendered. I beseech Allah that he should always grant us inspiration for such gathering, and should benefit us abundantly by such listening. Because al-Quran is the foundation stone of a Muslim's life, and the starting point of his activities in all fields. Verily Allah has made Al-Quran the LIGHT; by following it, we seek guidance to dispel the darkness of doubts and ignorance. Allah made Al-Quran a cure for him who listens to it carefully, testifying to its truth. He has made it the balance of justice, whose needle never deflects from the path of righteousness. He made it the light of guidance, whose proof is never extinguished for on-lookers. He made it the beacon of salvation; he who seeks its straight path never goes astray. The hands of perdition do not touch him who holds fast to the handle of its shelter. Because al-Quran is the real eternal light, its light is sought where neither sun, nor moon nor stars shine. All the lights perceived by human eyes are illusory, as they will end; their power will fade away. As for the light of Al-Quran, it is a Reality, and a succour and eternal. Indeed, it is the light of Aakhira (Hereafter). Yes. It is a light. Coming out of light. And leading to light It is a 'MIRACLE': from every point of miracle and from all the aspects of knowledge. The truth is that the more man's comprehension advanced and the more his knowledge enlightens the more he shall know that al-Quran al-Majid is truly the greatest of miracles and the brightest of beacon lights. History - the history of knowledge and comprehension, bears witness to the fact that the more the periphery of learning widens and the greater the heights of comprehension reached the more shall appear the heights of Al-Quran at Hakeem and the more shall flourish the peaks of its honour and attribute.

Allah has associated His Book in Unison with His Prophet and referred as AL-ZIKR. AL-ZIKR is one of the qualities and characteristics of al-Quran, and Allah mentioning His Prophet says: "Allah has sent down to you a Zikr, a Prophet" He thus named him as AL-ZIKR. Because he is the one who operates Al-Quran, points out its benefits, and ushers in the unknown to the realm of the known. In the mirror of the Prophet's life reflected the lights of Allah's noble Book, and so Al-Quran's noble meaning illuminated and its gathering shone bright. And thus each one for the other became proof and with both together the edifice of Dean arose, and with both together proved right for the Quran the words and explanation. Thus in these together, namely Rasulallah (S.A.) and the light sent down with him, the saying of one of the righteous erudite scholar comes true: "He, by whom the proof of AL-ZIKR, is established is himself ZIKR He, by whom the proof of SALAT (prayers) is established, is himself SALAT He, by whom the proof of ZAKAT is established, is himself ZAKAT He, by obedience to whom, ascension to SALVATION is realized, is himself SALVATION" Lo, How much, we Muslims, then need to hold fast to both of them and follow them. How much inwant we are to make both our noble ideals. They alone are our starting points and they alone are our destinations. How much it is necessary for us to draw from them LIGHT for our behaviour in thought and life. How much it is compulsory that we should seek them as the KEY for the methodology of our knowledge and action. How much, we are in no need of others than, these two whilst, we were committed to truth and were seekers of the right path. Amir al-Mumineen Syedna Ali ibn Abi Talib (S.A.) has truly said: "Follow the guidance of your Prophet, it is the superiormost of all guidance; follow his Sunnah, it is the most right of all paths; learn al-Quran, it is the best discourse, recite it beautifully, it is the most useful of all narration." Why, then, does one, who recites al-Quran with understanding and with Eman, not rise high over people? Why, then, does one, who follows the prophet and the qualities of nobility and magnanimity of al-Quran brought by him, not surpass human society? Lo! It behoves the Muslim to rise high and surpass, which is possible for him, if only he holds fast to his Deen, the noblest of all Deens; if only this holding fast to Allah's dictates and proscription, and to its preparation for that leadership which its faith grants, and leads him to the embellishment with the honour

which is granted to him by Allah's command: "Verily, the true honour is for Allah, for this Messenger and for the believers" For, these reasons, we Muslims, whenever we listen to Allah's Book - the noble Book, and celebrate the Prophet's Milad - the one praised in it for his high moral excellence, - are obliged to explain to the whole world by what we imbibed as knowledge, and by what we manifest in our lives as actions, that the Muslims, whom Allah has so honored and enjoined with duties, in its wake, has in obedience to Allah and His Prophet and in his relationship with mankind to establish himself by his

Aqidah (belief) and Shariah Thought and Philosophy Deen and Dunya Knowledge and Action Character and Behavior - his fellow beings, the sons of soil and mankind at large.

Because the Prophet (SA) was himself sent to MANKIND in its ENTIRETY as Bearer of glad tidings and as Warner; And indeed Allah sent him as Mercy for ALL THE PEOPLES. The Prophet's Ummah is the best Ummah raised for the GOOD of MANKIND. As a consequence, the message of Islam became distinct. It is a message for the whole of mankind and a call to all human beings. The Muslim must understand this basic fact. It is a fundamental principle that requires of him to lean on to it. Yes, Islam aims at all this. And it demands that the Muslim should remain committed to his perfect Deen and all-inclusive way of life, for his own success and for the betterment of his society, so that - the good prevails among Allah's action, and the bounties became abundant in Allah's lands. The Muslim was called upon to practise it is the past. He is called upon to practise all of it today, continuing until the end of time. Therefore, our Prophet (S.A.) has pronounced. "This creation is the Allah's case. And the dearest of it all to Allah is, one who is most beneficial to those who are in His care" These are some of the thoughts that arise in our hearts when we celebrate Milad al-Nabi, and when we gather together to be inspired by listening to the verses of Zikr-e-Hakeem. In the month of His auspicious Milad to gather Barakaat, we remember the Prophet who is a guide to the straight Deen. It is the month, which leads to his remembrance and leads us on to follow our Prophet whilst we offer him our thanks. It is a Milad, which is full of barakat and a guarantee of happiness for us. His Milad is replete with blessings, For Islam it comes as a greatest Idd. There is merit and reward in the recitation of Allah's Book as there is salvation and worth in its guidance. Therefore the Prophet (SA) and his Ahle Bait and the chosen Ulema of his Ummah have placed great emphasis on the better recitation of al-Quran and deriving pleasure from listening to it. In this way is provided the incentive for contemplating on its verses, and pondering over its clear arguments. So it may become the cause of our outward betterment, and save us from the devilish temptations of our hearts. Allah has said: "And recite the Quran slowly and thoughtfully"

And the Prophet said: "Embellish al-Quran by your voices. Nothing is more dear to me than the recitation of al-Quran". Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (A.S.) said: "When we recite al-Quran in our homes, we shine for the people of Heaven as stars shine for the people of Earth". At the end of this contemplation I cannot but sincerely thank the Vice President of Tanzania His Excellency Ail Hasan Mwinyi for graciously attending this auspicious gathering. His chairmanship of the function signifies the success of all those who laboured diligently to organize this Ijtima. His participation is the source of encouragement for Muslims and proof that Muslims are enjoying the religious freedom, to hold fast to their Aqidah and act in accordance with their religious conscience. Allah has said: "Say, everyone acts according to his own way" I also heartily thank all those countries that encouraged and helped us in organizing this Ijtima. Lastly, I beseech Allah that He should continue to shower His bounty on this good land - the land of Tanzania, and should gather over her rich clouds of Barakaat. He should provide for this land, through its wise leaders, Respected President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and the Vice President Syed Ali Hasan Mwinyi the inspiration for wellbeing and progress in the diverse fields of life and open his gates of munificence. I beseech Allah, urging the sanctity of His Prophet (SA), as that sanctity is the grandmost of all other sanctities, to spread His peace in the world and save it from contingencies and calamities. I invoke Allah and say: "O' Allah shower on Mohammed and his progeny the noblest of your blessing; lead us to the foundation of Your grace. Bestow on us from Your bounties the perfect one and grant us all-embracing safety. Make our efforts worthy of thanks, our actions fruitful and our sins pardon. O'Allah furnish our hearts, the ranks of Your nearness and grace our intentions with the signs of Your love. O'Allah enlarge for us our provisions. Be kind to us with great kindness. Grant us noble characters." Praise be to Allah, the praise of thanksgivers. Allah's peace be on Mohammed the Prophet and His progeny, the pure. And our last prayers in that all praise be to Allah the Lord of the Universe.