FROM THE MINBAR- BY DR. MUSTAPHA BELLO

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent the Most Merciful. May the Peace and Blessing of Allah continue to abide with the Noble Prophet, his household, his companions and all Muslims till the Day of Resurrection (aamin)

Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the Dominion; and He is Able to do all things. Who has created and life that He may test you is deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving. Who has created the seven heavens one another; you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious. Then look again: “Can you see any rifts?” Qur’an 67: 1-3 

I bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped except Allah. To Him belongs all authority and offer of gratitude and He has capability over all things. I also bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is His chosen and beloved Servant and Messenger. He was sent by Allah with True Guidance and True Religion to prevail over all other creeds and Allah is sufficient as a witness. 

O Allah, Bestow Your Boundless Blessings and Mercy on our Prophet Muhammad, His household, his companions and the generality of Muslims, male and female till the Day of Judgement (aamin).

Today is the first Friday in the year 1446 AH; I wish all Muslims a HAPPY NEW YEAR, kullu aamin wa nahnu bi khayr! In starting the new year of 1446 AH, today’s sermon is aimed at strengthening us with a vital tool (after faith in Almighty Allah) that we all require in navigating the trouble waters of the life of this world. This tool is WISDOM. Wisdom which can be interpreted to mean divine or spiritual intelligence is often understood on the surface level assessment as a combination of knowledge spiced with skill and complementing attitude. This mundane understanding falls short of what constitutes it from the point of view of Islam. This is because while knowledge can be acquired, skills learnt and attitude painstakingly cultivated over time, the combination of all these more often than not are insufficient to unravel the mysteries about life.

This is where INTUITION as an outsourced intelligent quotient becomes a necessary and vital companion of every man. While Allah had created man wholesomely and endowed him with different senses and capabilities to be able to recognize right from wrong, smell and sense dangers, feel and appreciate good things and understand other intricacies of life and living through education and experience, yet the limitedness of all these attributes/endowments which often exposes his vulnerability makes the need for an external help compelling. This external help is INTUITION on a lower level to mere mortals like us and REVELATION on a higher level as bestowed on Prophets of God. Intuition is not only the icing on the cake of every thought process and every action completed but the real indispensable ingredient which often determines the success or failure of any enterprise or endeavor. It is the inner prompting of the mind which constantly and consistently engages the host and directs him/her to do what is right, take bold decisions and make unusual moves, all at arriving at a destination that would be positively pleasing and beneficial. This type of wisdom is not gender or status discriminatory as every soul is endowed with it in differing measurement. It is recognizable as been divinely inspired once it commands goodness and repels evil.

In underscoring the importance of intuitive knowledge as codified through revelatory message, Allah warned our progenitors- Prophet Adam and His wife- to insulate themselves from misery and perdition which define earthly life by adhering strictly to outsourced guidance (intuition/revelation) that would come to man from time to time from their Maker:

We said: “Get down all of you from this place (Paradise), then whenever there comes to you Guidance from Me, and whoever follows My guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve. Qur’an 2: 38

Guidance which is referred to here is wisdom which every man requires to navigate successfully in this world of so many socio-economic, political and spiritual contradictions. This is because without it, man would find himself incapable of understanding and coping with the so many challenges which fate keeps throwing at him at different intervals. In the same way, finding explanations for many mysteries of life in order for man to retain both his health and sanity in an ever changing world requires wisdom. Or how do you rationalize the many pure and bountiful women still struggling with child bearing while the impure and impoverished are burdened with more than enough children? Or that of the strong, heavily built and hardworking left scavenging scrubs from garbage heaps while the indolent and the weak are graced with stupendous wealth? Or what can we make out of a jezebel still blessed with kids after many abortions while a virgin is left to suffer searching for the fruit of the womb? Or how the innocent and defenseless suffer in the hands of the oppressors without any reprieve in sight? No human wisdom can unravel these mysteries without an insightful connection with the divine realm. It is for this reason that our Lord (Allah) describes the endowment of wisdom as the greatest goodness that He can bestow on any man. This is succinctly put in the language of the Qur’an:

He grants wisdom to whom He pleases, and he, to whom wisdom is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember (will receive admonition) except men of understanding. Qur’an 2: 269

In realization of the indispensable role of this “abundant good” for capacity building in the discharge of any task, the divine arrangement of Allah guarantees that every of His servants designated for Prophetic assignment is so endowed and empowered with it. From Prophet Adam (AS) to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), wisdom was the most important tool deployed in the discharge of their responsibilities:

And indeed We bestowed upon Luqman al-Hikmah (wisdom) (saying) “Give thanks to Allah” and whoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for (the good of) his ownself. And whoever is unthankful, then verily, Allah is All-Rich (free of all needs), Worthy of Praise. Qur’an 31: 12

And We made Sulayman to understand (the case); and to each of them We gave Hukm (right judgement of the affairs and Prophethood) and knowledge. And We subjected the mountains and the birds to glorify Our Praises along with Dawuud (David). And it was We Who were the doer (of all these things). Qur’an 21: 79

Just as they were endowed, they were also given the responsibility to in turn transfer it (wisdom) to their ardent and receptive followers:

He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from amongst themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them and teaching them the Book and al-Hikmah(wisdom) and verily, they had been before in manifest error. Quran 62: 2

 

Hikmah which is the Qur’anic word for wisdom should therefore be understood as deep understanding of Allah’s revealed message which the Qur’an and the Sunnah represent. Beyond understanding the message and Prophetic precepts, Hikmah is also about the abiding presence of mind and resolve to speak and act in the correct and right way. This is because many of us just take the surface value interpretation of the revelatory message without given deep consideration to the underlying wisdom which is often discernable to only receptive minds amongst men. We often chase the shadows of the literal meaning of some of these verses, engage in hairsplitting arguments on the correctness or otherwise of different interpretations and in the process lose touch with the underlying edifying wisdom. It is for this reason that Allah Himself demands deep reflection and scrutiny of the message of the Qur’an to unravel the underlying wisdom beyond mere recitation for liturgical purpose:

Do they not then consider (scrutinize) the Qur’an carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein many a contradiction. Qur’an 4: 82

In giving practical meaning to the foregoing message, I share with you my own understanding of some aspects of family life of Prophet Ya’qub as told in Surat-ul-Yusuf. His familiar story at the point when his misbehaving sons wanted to take Bonyamin (Prophet Yusuf’s younger brother from the same mother) to Egypt as requested by Prophet Yusuf reveals an edifying directive to every discerning person on how to deploy the Qur’anic wisdom as he dispatched his sons to the land of the Pharaoh:

And He said: “O my sons! DO NOT ENTER BY ONE GATE BUT ENTER BY DIFFERENT GATES, and I cannot avail you against Allah at all.  Verily, the decision rests only with Allah. In Him, I put my trust and let all those that trust, put their trust in Him. Qur’an 12: 68

The following verse emphasized the role of INTUITION in decision making in spite of the capacity of Allah to bring anything into reality with or without human factor:

And when they entered according to their father’s advice, it did not avail them in the least against (the Will of) Allah, it was but a need of Ya’qub’s inner self (INTUITION) which he discharged. And verily, he was endowed with knowledge because We had taught him, but most men know not. Qur’an 12: 69

The expressive instruction of Prophet Ya’qub is indicative of the wisdom in not putting all ones eggs in one basket. If we truly understand the underlying wisdom behind this instruction, the question is when are we going to be more circumspect in enrolling our children in the same school or travelling in the same means of conveyance (buses or planes) knowing very well the carelessness of our system occasioned by high rate of human error as well as the unpredictability of nature? While it can be said that accidents can happen even at homes when all members of the family are around, yet taken precautions in reducing casualties by dispersing siblings in certain situation as travelling would do no one no harm. If Prophet Ya’qub in spite of his spiritual pedigree could be weary of the consequences of putting all his eggs in one basket by directing his sons to enter through different gates, is it not enough to understand that living life requires some measures of carefulness and circumspection in decision making? Even in the best of climes where the margin of human error is minimal, no one can predict when tragedies would occur. It is as a result of this unpredictability of nature that the Qur’an asked rhetorically, “who (amongst you) is comfortable with the scheming of Allah?” and as if the Qur’an is saying that it takes a foolish person to be careless, the verse responded “No one is comfortable with the scheming of Allah except the losers” (Qur’an 7: 99). So when next you are either travelling with multitude who are members of the same family or sending forth same on a journey, think of these words and disperse them to minimize the risk in case of any eventualities. Truly, only Allah guides and protects and whatever He wills would come to pass in spite of man’s planning, yet He often mitigates calamities when man is circumspect and prayerful.

As we appeal every day to God for His Mercy in the New Year, we must pray for His abiding grace to be able to understand that even though hard work alone is not the sole determinant of success yet without it all chances are lost. We must understand that though forgiveness look like foregoing one’s right yet it is more meritorious and rewarding than retaliation. We must know that obedience is better than sacrifice and sometimes temporary inconvenience even though may slow down our progression in life but may be a saving grace we require to move surefootedly to our destination. In the same vein, as we seek protection with Almighty Allah from the machinations of the evil people, we would do well if we show greater restraint and discretion in our relationship with others. In our quest to assert our authority, demand for our rights and enforce justice, we should know that sometimes patience (rather than haughtiness) is more reassuring, silence could be golden, apparent stupidity could be wisdom, and letting go could earn oneself the much desired peace of mind, prosperity and longevity.

In strengthening our capacity to receive divine intuition from time to time, the following tips become handy:

• Strive to live a righteous life- The import of this is that we should always keep our faith in constant repair. Strive to do what is right at all time and struggle as much as possible with running away from sin. Even, at any time we falter as mortals we should immediately reconnect back to our Creator through sincere repentance.

• Never Get Involved in Shirk- No matter how alluring it is, never fall into the temptation of associating partners with Allah through recognition, obedience or worship of any other being aside or alongside with Him. Getting involved in Shirk automatically disconnects the Mushrik from the Source of Divine Intuition-Allah.

• Observe Quiet Time- Very many of us generate internal noise without knowing because we hardly listen to people or to ourselves. Intuition is the prompting of the mind and it can only be discernible or recognizable when we are quiet. So for us to receive divine intuition from time to time, we must develop the habit of listening to others and listening to ourselves by observing quiet time regularly. The human mind is divinely empowered to generate auto-suggestions which if promptly recognized and adhered to are capable of assisting man in unraveling mysteries/riddles of life. Even though the mind is constantly under the influence of both good and evil thoughts competing fiercely for its domination and control, the good thought is easily recognized by the fact that it does not suggest or recommend evil and immorality out of any difficult situation.

• Practice Observation Regularly: As a corollary to the above, man must keep both his conscious and subconscious mind at alert to receive direct inspiration from the Source. The conscious mind gives us the thoughts that we know and it is aided by our physical senses while the subconscious mind is our hidden boss that gives orders to the former. Both minds must be trained and sharpened through living some of the steps above. Our Creator is a Merciful God even when burdened with self-inflicted problems, He does not abandon man. His Unlimited Grace covers all situations of life and man is at liberty to source help and breakthroughs from Him at all times. His Door of Mercy is never closed except to those who have lost hope in Him. The divine rescue offered to Qabil (the perverted son of Prophet Adam) in his confused moment occasion by his murder of his innocent brother is quite instructive here as recorded in Surat-ul-Maidah verse 30-31. After murdering his brother he became confused as to what to do with his corpse and he had to carry it about for almost three days. Then Allah sent a crow who (after fighting and killing its mate) scratched the ground (to cover its body) to show him how to hide the dead body of his brother. If Allah can provide guidance to a murderer so that his sinful act would not afflict the society, He is ever willing to come to our rescue in moment of need if only we can be more receptive and observant of His many signs around us.

• Read the Qur’an Passionately: Very many of us get familiar with the Qur’an only for liturgical purpose. We read special passages, verses and chapters of the Qur’an in thanksgiving to Allah and to seek for our worldly needs in wealth, children, good health, longevity and prosperity without pondering over the meaning and the underlying wisdom behind each of those portions we parrot all the time in supplication. While the efficacy of Qur’anic supplication is never in doubt, the Qur’an is much more than a prayer book. It is a Book of Guidance and only the one who reads it with passion and desire to scratch beyond the surface would discover the eternal wisdom in each of the over 6000 verses of the Book. 

• Ask for it: Just as majority of us often pray for wealth (money) in our individual or congregational prayer sessions, we should also pray for wisdom from the Wise One Himself (Allah). This is because the application of divine wisdom in our lives will ultimately lead us to the fulfillment of our desire for wealth (money), children, good health, longevity and prosperity! 

May Almighty Allah expand our breast and grant us the receptiveness to understand this message better than the way it has been presented. May His Choicest Blessing and Salutation continue to abide with noblest of mankind, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his companions and his household (aamin).

Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error. Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us. Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving people! (aamin)

Subhana Rabbika Rabbi-l-‘Izzat amma ya’sifuna, wa-s-salaam ala-l-mursalina wa-l-hamdu-li-Llahi, Rabbi-l-‘Aalamin

IMAM MUSTAPHA ADEBAYO BELLO (PhD)

DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR THEOLOGY AND SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE

- Nigeria