Don’t Judge Others, Judge Yourself

Summary of Maulana Shaykh Nazim’s Suhbah

15th December 2009, Tuesday

Don’t Judge Others, Judge Yourself

A’uzubillah himinsh shaitan nirrajeem

Bismillahir Rahman-nir Raheem

Assalamu’alaikum wrh wbkt

• Maulana says that divine knowledge teaches Man to KNOW HIS LORD. All of creation, even the individual parts of an atom, know who their Lord is, and are always in Remembrance of Allah, Glorifying Him, reciting SUBHANALLAH, SUBHANALLAH…….all the time.

• Each creation gives his highest praises and glorification to ALLAH. Maulana says that each atom is drunk – intoxicated by awe and overwhelmed by the Glory of Allah, unlike Man, who is drunk with alcohol, drugs and worldly pleasures. Every creature, even ants, are glorifying Allah. What about you, Oh Man!

• When asked on matters of religion, we should NOT give our OPINION. We are not connected to divine inspiration, we are like wires not joined to the main socket. So our ‘fatwas’/inputs/thoughts/suggestions/opinions are from our ego. AwliyaAllah never speak from their opinions, they connect their hearts to the divine, and teach what is sent to them through inspirations. Maulana says that he knows nothing, but he opens the ears and eyes of his heart to accept divine teachings, as these are nur (light), for those that receive them. Only when the given answer is from divine inspirations, will it bring peace and satisfaction to hearts of the listeners.

• There are some who question is this is really possible, Maulana asks if we have seen how incredible technology is today, and he asks you – who is a more complex creature to create? Man or our technological gadgets? Allah has created Man of the highest and best form, we are far more able than such gadgets, to connect to divine sources.

• Wahabi/Salafi ulama like to give their opinions, which often labels other Muslims’ acts as BIDA’AH/SHIRIK/KUFUR. For example, they label those who do abundant Zikrullah (remembrance of Allah), as performing BIDA’AH. Maulana says that, perhaps, these so-called ulama, would like to label all atoms and ants as performing BIDA’AH too, as they too are glorifying Allah ceaselessly! If only they listened to the beating of their own hearts, they would realize that it too, was reciting ALLAH, ALLAH….

• Maulana warns against the free use of the word KAFIR/KUFUR to label people. We must never be like these so-called ulama, who use this word freely and regularly, without fear of retribution or respect for fellow Muslims. Maulana tells us to throw away this word, to avoid using it, as it is a Judgement of a person’s faith, of which we are in no position to know.

• Maulana related a story of how a Companion was in the heat of battle with an unbeliever, and just as the Companion was about to kill the unbeliever, the unbeliever said, “Assalamu’alaikum” to the Companion, who still proceeded to kill him. When the Companion met Rasulullah (saw) after the battle, the Prophet (saw) asked him, why he proceeded to kill the man despite the salam that he had uttered? The Companion replied that the unbeliever had given the salam, only to avoid being killed, and was not actually a true believer. To which Rasulullah (saw) replied, “Did you cut open his heart to see his faith, that he is really an unbeliever?”

• In other words, the Prophet (saw) is teaching us NOT to judge others, we are not able to see the secrets of their hearts’ intentions, we must accept what we see before us, and not jump to conclusions. Even the mere recitation of the Islamic greeting of AsSalamu’alaikum by the unbeliever, made him a Muslim in the Prophet’s eyes, so how is it that Salafi/Wahabi ulama are labelling all Muslims who do not ascribe to their ideology, as Kafirs?

• We cannot simply label anyone as a Kafir. A Kafir is one who openly declares his disbelief in Allah. Anyone who has taken the Shahadat, and has not openly renounced it, is a Muslim. We should never judge anyone on this matter of faith. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, “Allah is the best to Judge.”

• We should remember that shaitan is leading us to the fire, by teaching us to be busy judging and labeling others. Maulana says that none of us have a Divine Certificate guaranteeing that we are a true Muslim, or a true Mukmin, or that we are destined for Paradise. Instead of judging others, leave them to Allah’s Judgement and we must look after ourselves and blame our egoes. When we are all raised on Judgment Day, we will all be busy with ourselves, and none of us will be concerned about the faults of others. Hence, in this life, we must correct ourselves, and leave Judgement upon others, to Allah, for none of us will ever know the intention (niat) of another’s deed, and every deed, is according to the intention.

• Maulana says that in a Hadees Qudsi, Allah says that any believer who reaches the age of 90 years old (like Maulana himself), Allah forgives him, relieves him of reckoning, and saves him.

Fatihah.