Why are We in Dunya?

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa Raḥmatullāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu Billāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi Rasūlillāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al-Ḥaqqānī. Madad. Ṭarīqatunā aṣ-Suḥbah wa l-Khayru fi l-Jam‘iyyah.

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm:

(Qur’ān 62:09). ‘Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū idhā nūdiya li ṣ-ṣalati min yawmi l-jumu‘ati fas‘aw ilā dhikri Llah wa dharu l-baya’a’, ‘O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu’ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade.’

Allah ﷻ orders Muslims and Mu’mins in the time of Jum’ah to go to pray Jum’ah Prayer. This is Allah’s ﷻ order. People in old times didn’t have days of holiday. They were working all seven days. For this, when Jum’ah time comes, Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says we must go to Jum’ah. Because it is one hour for Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla. You must respect, you must keep this one hour.

The Mu’min cannot at least leave – of course, there is Fazeelah, there is a big reward for Jum’ah. But where we are living, in whatever place or country, even Muslim countries are making it difficult for people to attend their prayers, to attend Jum’ah. May Allah ﷻ help us to not be in this position because it is really difficult. Because if you go, they can fire you from work. If you don’t go, it is also a big loss for you. You lose many rewards from Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla that you cannot take again. For this, we are saying, may Allah ﷻ forgive us and help us to make [pray] our Jum’ah every time without losing anything.

Our life is for Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla. BismiLlahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim:

‘Qul ‘Inna Salātī Wa Nusukī Wa Maĥyāya Wa Mamātī Lillāh Rabbi Al- ‘Ālamīna (162) Lā Sharīka Lahu, Wa Bidhalika ‘Umirtu Wa ‘Anā ‘Awwalu AlMuslimīn’, ‘Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds (162) No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims.” (Qur’ān 06:162-163). “My life, my death, my praying, my worshipping is for Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla who has no partner. This is what Allah ordered me.” It is said in Qur’an Azimu sh-Shan. Sadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm. He ﷻ is saying our life and our intention in everything must be for Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla. All what we do, where we are going, we are living, we are going, coming, even when we are dying; all for the way of Allah ﷻ, for the sake of Allah ﷻ. All of what we are doing, the intention of every thing you do will be for Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla. Allah ﷻ accepts this from you.

This is the purpose of our life on this planet which is Dunya; world we say. Dunya means the lowest in Arabic. The lowest, not a high place, not an acceptable place. It’s just for people to come and go. They’re not even tenants, they are like passengers; just passing through. There isn’t even time to sit a little bit. Everybody is coming, going; coming, going. For what are you coming? You should say we are coming insha’Allah to please our Lord, to do His ﷻ order. Everything is for Him ﷻ: “Salātī” my prayer, “Nusukī” all of what you do every day or what you do sometimes in a lifetime, or sometimes in a year. All of this is for Allah ‘Azza waJalla. And “Maĥyāya Wa Mamātī”, my life and my death are for Allah ‘Azza waJalla. For this we are coming.

Other people say, “Why are you coming here?” When you ask Dunya people who don’t know anything about spirituality or they know wrong [things about] spirituality, they say, “I don’t know. Why? Who am I? Where am I?” They just say so like it’s a difficult thing. When you put somebody in some place and he doesn’t know what will happen, it is too difficult for him. But if you know that you are in a place: wait here, after that we are going [according to] this program. This program: you are small, [getting] bigger and bigger, older and older and then you go to your Lord. If you know this, you’ll be restful. Who doesn’t know, he just [says], “Why are we here? What is this?” And everything that happens: they want it to be as they like. And they cannot find anybody in this life who doesn’t follow Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla satisfied with what he has. They are all looking for another thing. They get fed up quickly with what they have. They like to change. For this also, these clever crooked people every year make a new fashion for clothes, for hairstyles, for cars, for houses, for everything. Because people get fed up. They think that if it changes, it will be better for them. But nothing will be. Because what’s changing is around you, you are not changing [inside]. So it is the same for you. The most important thing for you is to change your thinking, to change your mind, to follow and look for the right thing and good thing. After that, you’ll be happy. But if you change into new clothes every day, nothing happens. If you change your car, also the same; you are going to the same place and same thing. Nothing changes, only your outside. When you don’t change the inside, it will be the same; no difference at all.

For this, Mu’min people, Muslim people must not look at people who think that it’s better for them to do what others are doing. No. You can be living life in the same place and same thing. But if you are with Allah ﷻ and accepting, and your intention for everything is for Allah ﷻ, this will be good for you. This is the order of Allah ﷻ, to make everything for Him ﷻ, according to what He ﷻ loves. This is as my Lord Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla likes, accepts and is happy with. Our aim and our thinking must be to do this.

Because Dunya, as we said, Allah ﷻ created it for people to pass through. Wherever you are, everywhere, in the end - if you are in London, if you are in Paris, you’re in Moscow, you’re in New York, you’re in Africa; all of this is outside. After that when you finish, you will go under earth. All of this will become the same place; no difference. Maybe to be in another country, where you will go: under earth, is better than all of these luxury countries, rich countries.

The worst thing, Allah ﷻ Muhafaza (may Allah ﷻ protect us), is to die in this country. Because in other countries, if you die in the evening, they’ll make Dafn (burial) in the morning. But here, it sometimes takes at least a week, or ten days, or one month, or ten months. Some people we’ve heard that one year [passed] and they’re not yet going to their place for Akhirah.

For this, we are praying for Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla to make our Akhirah better than this. This is what they say when making Dua when somebody passes away: , “Allāhumma abdilhu dāran khayran min dārih, wa ahlan khayran min ahlih”, “O Allah, give him an abode better than his home, and a family better than his family.” O Allah, make him a better house than his house, and give him better people than his people. This is the Dua. Everything in Islam is very good to take example from and to take Naseeha (advice); like from Dua and from other things. In Islam AlhamduliLlah, it’s like this. So our next life, our place after we pass through here, must be better.

Wherever you are living on this earth, follow this order of Allah: ‘ )162 ( ’, ‘Qul ‘Inna Salātī Wa Nusukī Wa Maĥyāya Wa Mamātī Lillāh Rabbi Al-‘Ālamīna (162) Lā Sharīka Lahu, Wa Bidhalika ‘Umirtu Wa ‘Anā ‘Awwalu Al-Muslimīn’, ‘Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds (162) No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims.” (Qur’ān 06:162-163). This is the order of Allah ﷻ. Wherever you are; [whether] you are in the desert, you are on the mountain, you are in the country, you are in the city, you are in the village – there’s no difference. Do not think, “I must go here, I must go there to be better.” Wherever you are, if you do this, you are the best, you are the winner. May Allah ﷻ make us from these people, and help us to do our duty, what Allah ﷻ orders us.

Of course we know, many people cannot go even for prayer. They cannot take five minutes to pray in their place. We said, may Allah ﷻ help them, may Allah ﷻ forgive us and forgive them insha’Allah. May Allah ﷻ give them better [conditions] to do what He ﷻ orders on time and not lose any time of this.

There are of course many people, even in Muslim countries – the Jum’ah Adnan (call to prayer) is called and only twenty percent or ten percent maybe are going to pray. Others, even in Muslim countries, even though they have time and they have everything, they are not praying.

For this, we are asking from Allah ‘Azza wa-Jalla to give us Hidayah (guidance), to give us love. And to give us the most important thing here: to taste this sweet taste of Iman, the sweet taste of worshipping. Because many people don’t have this taste. And they are saying, “It is difficult for us to do this. What will we do?” Of course your ego doesn’t like that. But if you force it one day, two days, one year, two years, five years, ten years; in the end, it will accept and you will taste this sweet taste of worshipping. When you taste this, you cannot leave it at all. May Allah ﷻ give all of us, from the Barakah of Mawlana and from the Barakah of Prophet salla Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, this taste to not leave it.

And of course, many people make excuses. They bring some people, if you say “Allah”, they are shouting, there is Jinn inside. You must force this Jinn to become Muslim also. Don’t leave your prayer. Do it as much as you can. Even if he shouts, force him also. Insha’Allah this bad thing that you have on you, He ﷻ takes it away insha’Allah. May Allah ﷻ accept this insha’Allah.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 02 February 2023/ 11 Rajab 1444 Peckham Mosque - Peckham, UK