Life and Light - Class 3 of 5 (The Birth and Growth of Iman)

Lecture 3 of 5 on The Birth and Growth of Iman - Gambia July 2025  

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Allah Shaitan al Rajim Sillah Rahman Wahim Alhamdulillah Alameen Saddallahu alayhi Sayyidina Muhammadin Nabi almihi or Sahbihi and Kasira in the last two classes we had discussed the the process by which Iman takes root in the heart of a believer. So we saw the complex process that is entailed, which clearly indicates that no human design or effort can make uh even faith happen in somebody's heart. It can only be through the divine planning and power. Hence, in the qala hadima nahbabta, you indeed cannot uh guide whom you love. But Allah guide whom he loves. And a very good example, of course, is the uncle of the Prophet who was Abu Talib, whom he loved very much. He wanted him to be guided, but he never made it because God did not, for some reason that we don't know, God was did not count, did not prescribe for him to have to have that process, that operation. So he never believed, despite the fact that he sacrificed his entire life to protect, to support, and to help the Prophet, but he never went as he never went through this process, simply put it that way. So therefore, you know, we it we can't force people to believe. Allah says that if God had so willed that everyone on the earth will have been believers. So Mashiach. Had God so welled that everyone on the earth will have been believers. But that was not part of Israel, so we don't know why that is Mashiach, Shah or Fala. And he says the Afar under Tukri Hunas, are you going to compel people that they become believers? Are you? And you can't. You can force them, you can you can punish them, but they can be believers. It's not it's impossible. People can believe through compulsion. Like Rahafideen, there's no compulsion in the religion. I mean, because it's it's it's not possible. I think this was one of the points in the story, because this these verses are mentioned right after the story of uh Saint Nayunus, uh Jonah in the Bible. Said Nayunus, as though these verses are an explanation and answer to that story. Because he, as you know, he he left his people in it. He was angry at them for not responding to his call. And he left in that anger, and he ended up on the ship, he ended up being swallowed by the fish, and only then the realization came to him. There's no God but you. I was among those who have drawn drawn to their own souls. But the point is that he was trying to force them to believe. And he could not because he nobody cared. And therefore he got angry and left. So God is showing him that he can force people to believe. As much as he could not extract himself out of the fish, so a disbeliever cannot stop being a disbeliever except God helped them come from the darkness into light. So it's the same analogy God is using in the story of Saint Nayunus. So he went into the into the into the womb of the fish and in the darkness and came out. God brought him out into light. And none could have got him out of there was it not for God. So that's kind of the lesson that God was teaching him. That he can't force people to believe. Uh, it's only God who can uh allow to believe whom he pleases and not allowed to believe whom he pleases. But that the knowledge of that is not is not is beyond us. So that's the first thing. The second thing is uh also the analogy God draws between Iman and the conception of mothers. So the same scenario takes place. Uh Allah unsa, oh mydul or ham, or mat as dad, and the who be mak. Allah knows what every mother carries or every female carries. So but the conception goes through different phases. There are some conceptions, they begin and something comes in their way. So the the pregnancy does not uh come to town. Uh there is some accident that happens. Kind of we discussed that yesterday, the problems that surrounding the growth of Iman and how it demands rather protection and watch and watching. So the same thing. So like the pregnancies have many, some some of them have problems. Uh some of them never, never uh, they are never completed. Something happens and they miscarry. So the same thing for Iman also. When somebody begins to have Iman, all those scenarios can happen exactly as like pregnancies whereby your Iman, you begin you to have Iman, and something comes and then destroys it, and you miscarry sort of the Iman or the husband, God forbid, from that. And alhamdulillah, sometimes it grows to full term. Your Iman goes to full time, becomes that's what we discussed yesterday, and it's completely it's born. It's completely out of danger. But still, um, just like also a child, you still, when the child is born, it's very weak, and square still needs to be nourished, to be protected, to be looked after until he becomes a fully grown man or woman, and then they are okay. So Iman also is the same scenario, it's the same analogy. He has to be looked after and be cared for from the beginning up to the time that uh he comes to full term and is is is born uh into the light. So that's our kind of our main topic today. Uh the birth of Iman, the coming to full term of Iman and enlightenment because that comes after. You have Iman is one thing, but to have light, we call it Elm or Nul comes later. If the Iman is not come to full term, and usually if um enlightenment comes too soon, that also can keep kind of create some imbalance uh in the in the process of development of Iman. So Iman has to come to a certain point, then the person is exposed to light. So we'll see that there are many verses in the Quran that it kind of describe these three stages. So the one who was dead. So this one who was dead, that was before uh the the the drop of the droplet of Iman comes. So the core is uh that's at the bottom of the heart is dead, and that droplet comes in and the one who was dead, and we brought him to life. We brought him to life and then after coming to life, coming to life means having Iman. Iman is life for Aheinahu, and we brought him to life. Life of within, life of the heart. Not talking about just life of the body, talking about the life of your heart. For Aheinahu, we brought him to life. Your soul, your heart has come to life. After that, for Maitan, he was dead. We brought him to life, then we appointed a light, we assigned a light, by which light he or she works among people. So you also kind of another specification why light is given to you is that you can walk with light among people, not to not to hide the light, but to spread the light, to expose people to the light. So maiden, dead, life, then light. So this is kind of the uh the trajectory. And after the light, now it's time to to walk around, to travel around the earth. Sagot talks about the Ibadul Rahman, Ibadul Rahman and Ladina Yam Shuna Adul Ardehaunan, and the servants of Al-Rahman who walk who walks around on the earth. They walk around gently, and when the ignorant address them, they will respond by saying salam. That is to say that they don't avoid being in places where they have ignorant people, they have people who so they have those encounters. They will not have to deal with that. But that's not their mission. Their mission is to bring it to take light everywhere, and in the course of doing that, they will have encounters like that. Encounters with people who are unmannered, uncultivated, uh, who are ignorant, so to speak, who are transgressive. But they do not get entangled. And that is very important for us because we are also in that, we fall in that category. We are traveling around the earth, uh, sharing what God has given us. So we these are the some of the etiquettes that we need to keep in mind and don't get entangled with people because you are on your way, you are on your path. Uh don't get into arguments, don't get into uh deliver your message and carry on. That's don't get into things that's not really your business. So either khatabahumul Jahiloon, Salama. When the ignorant address them, they say peace. I'm here to spread peace. Peace be on you. I'm not seeking out people of ignorance. So don't get into a back and forth, you know, people, that's not good. Then talking about more, so they walk around on the earth. That implies that they have been giving a light because you can walk without a light. That's not so you have to have a light and then you walk around. And those who spend the night. So that means that the activities by day, we spoke about a little bit last night. The activities by day and night. By daytime, they go out and walk around on the earth. Encounter people, spread the word of peace. The hadith about that you cannot enter paradise unless you have faith, and you will not have faith until you love one another. Should I or would I point something to you that if you were to do, you would love one another? They said, Yes, indeed, we would love to know. He said, Of your salam, spread the word of peace. So salam alaykum, salam alaikum, as you go around. Oh, it doesn't have to always be in that actual wording, but whatever has the same meaning in any other language is fine. The message has to be the same. The message of non-violence and commitment to peace, no matter what. No anger, no uh mistreatment or looking down on the people that you encounter and so forth. So all this I are containing the word peace, salam. It's your commitment to say that I will I make a commitment that I will not transgress against you, and I will not reciprocate your transgression either. So by day, that's what they do by day. They go, they go around, they walk around. It is Allah who has made the earth, he paved the earth smooth for you. Walk around in its various sides. Go east or west, go north or south, walk up and down, across valleys and oceans and so forth. Thumbshua travel. But all that requires a light, properly speaking. It's not a misguided tourism just to go on and no, it is a it is one that is guided by a light from God, one that shows you the way of God as you travel around the earth. So from shoe manaki, travel around in its various parts, and what will eat from his capital he capital H. And eat from his provisions. So walk around the earth, eat from what God has provided for you. That is to say that God has spread the provision all around the earth. Wherever you go, you're going, he's going to provide for you. And travel on the earth, different parts of the earth, eat from his provisions, God, but know that after all of that, you're going to be raised unto God. So this should be after after being enlightened, this your life should look like this. I know sometimes people wonder why are we traveling so much? That's why we are traveling. So life, death, life and light, and then traveling. Then walking around. By day and by night, spend the night, spend the night in your Lord's presence. And those who spend the night for their Lord. They spend the night for their Lord in suit, in prostration, and in standing up. So by night they pray, they worship, they commune with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And by day they are out. They walk in the sun. They go out with the sun and they come back in with the sun. So how man gonna make them run? EM she behaving us gave him a light by which so that light so that the light here walking by the light has two things. Either the light is what actually carries them, as you know, or or they walk uh in in the light, in the sense that they see a light and they follow that light. The light takes them, they follow that light. All of that are possible. We have seen you have we have seen that in the life of um prophets and messengers and enlightened servants of God. God has given them a light so they don't they don't walk blindly in this world, they walk uh out of out of light. Then the other ayah in Surah too, Al-Hadid, which we decided this morning, or you who believe aftaqwa and believing in his messenger. You take m kiflaini murmati, he will give you a double measure of his mercy. A double measure of God's mercy, which means that the mercy of this life and the next one, the mercy of the inner and the outer. It's like Rabbana Atina Fiddunya Hasanatan of Allah give us Hasana in this life and hasana in the hereafter. So Allah gives you two, a double measure of his mercy, then after that, Rahma, of course, stands for the word life. So eja alla kum no run tam shuna bihi and he will appoint a light for you by which you will walk. So again the word walk around with the light, a light that is from God, not a light from your own from your own mind, the light that is appointed by God to guide you, to guide your steps. At the end of all of that, he will remove all your veils from you. That's what they mean by forgiving you. Indeed, Allah is the one who forgives and is merciful. But again, we have it. You who believe, revere Allah and believe in his messenger. So believe in Allah, revere Allah, believe in his messenger. If you do that, you take um kiflain, he'll give you a double measure of his mercy. So his mercy here and his mercy in the hereafter. And he give you a light, and that light is synonymous with knowledge. So God will grant you a knowledge. Knowledge is light. We're talking about knowledge of God. That knowledge is light, and so mercy and knowledge, mercy and light in the in this ayah. So in your study of Quran, where else in the Quran does God pair knowledge and mercy? You remember any? Any place in the Quran? Anyone? Yes? Somebody's the answer to Sahih. Where exactly in that story? Okay. That is your that answer that part of the answer is correct, but Zul Khan is not correct. Who was it? Exactly. Yes. Exactly. So God described Al-Khadr in those Surba. Can do not get a multi on that, can't I? Yes. That combination that was what came in the story of Al-Khadr. They found both of them, Senamusa and his and his servant, Yoshua. Yoshua Good Noon. They found a servant from our servants. We gave him Rahmah, which implies that he has Iman, because Rahmah is incumbent on Iman. So he had, we gave him Rahma and we gave him Ilm. We gave him a light. That's what Ilm stands for here. We gave him a light, and we see that how he works with that light. So Sendamusta said, Can I follow you that you may teach me? You can follow somebody who doesn't have a light. That will be a disaster, of course. Because a blind leading a blind, so you'll both end up falling somewhere in danger. So it has to be somebody who has a light who can see where he's going. And but they walked. They went traveling around the earth. Pantalaka. They came to the show, they crossed in the ship, they went on the land, they went in the city. What do you mean? By light by which he's walking. So he's walking around in the earth. And as they walk, you know, things happen. And that's and we see how he responded, how they responded differently to what happens. Before they went, of course, that was his condition. The Senamusa, don't in, don't interrupt and don't ask questions until I volunteer the answers. So this is a learning, it's a class, so it's a it's an active moving class. They are going, but it's learning at the same time. So don't ask questions until the answer comes. In in all the three cases, the way he actually was expected to. That's what we mean by, but exactly the story is an illustration of what we are talking about, about being enlightened and walking around, moving around, around the earth. And responding to what God makes happen in the world. Everything, something happens, and we need to respond to what happens, what God makes happen in the universe. So we see that he's he's responding. First, it was the cracking, cracking the ship, and then after that it was slaying the boy, and after that it was raising the wall. So as he's going by day, he is actively engaged in doing something good on the earth. So that's the purpose of also going around to do something good in the world, not to sit just at home and doing nothing. You go out and contribute to the betterment of the world, in whichever way you are empowered by God. So we see that he al-Kedr was doing a service. He was able to save the sheep of the uh the poor and the needy. That sheep belonged to Miskines. A mesquine is legally, like in legal terms, is somebody who and somebody who's entitled to charity. Because they may have a food for today and not food for tomorrow. And usually a fakir is what is worse than a miskin, is one who doesn't have food for today. Anyway, that's the legal definition of this. But miske has a more spiritual uh connotations. The word miskin comes from the word sakina or sukum. So it has that meaning inside. But that's not the legal legal legal meaning of the word miskin. So somebody who is who is subdued to God. So that's what kind of it means. So when he said that the ship belongs to Miskines, Masaakin, who are walking in the ship, in the ocean. I mean their job is to cross people. And the in in in both sense, in the in the physical sense and the spiritual sense of word, helping people to go across. That's what a mischievous does. A real meschine of God. So these mischines who have this, this is their job, and this is what this is what God pays them for, to help people to cross the ocean, those who cannot cross. So he's so he saved their ship by doing what he what he did to the ship. So that was a huge uh achievement. In one day, he did that, he went on, and he as they carried on, so we see that he's he's helping people who are needy uh and and disadvantaged. So one is the Miskines, he helped them save their ship, and the next one is the the two uh parents, the two believers, believing parents, but who were at the mercy of their own child. So he saved he saved those two, those those, the three of them, the child, the parents as well. So we see that each of his uh actions went to benefit someone who is in need. And a true man of knowledge, that's how should be he should be right. Because this knowledge God has given him and this wisdom is to uh to to use it to help those who need help. And not to use it to just simply to to earn money for yourself, or simply to earn status, or to to put it at the service of tyrants and and rulers, as many scholars do. So that's why they're not real scholars. Yeah, the true knowledge that God gives to a true scholar is one that is you employed for the benefit of those who are in need, yeah. So, like the mosquines, yeah, and the two parents, and finally, the two orphans. So you see orphans, the needy, the poor, and so forth and so forth. This is what a person of knowledge should be employing his knowledge to help and to rescue and to save, and not to put your knowledge at the service of people of power. And so then the third one, which is the wall. So they went, so they are traveling from one from one area to another. So they went into what so they settled by what through water, and then they came to land. Yesterday we spoke about the sea and the land, travel in the sea and the land, God said travel in the earth that includes the sea as well. So travel the oceans and travel also on the dry land, both travel in the wilderness, hmm. And eventually they ended up now into a city, so a big human habitation. So land, see, city. Land, see, city. And they and that's why and that's where the the the main, the final, the culminating action took place. Because it is much harder to live in the city because of the the dynamics, the complex dynamics that of so many human beings in in one the same environment is more challenging than even the ocean and the land. So when they enter the city, of course, by this time they they are hungry and thirsty and tired. And on top of that, the people of the city, as usual it is, they are they are stingy. Because they are driven by fear of poverty because of cities are always like that. People are not hospitable as in the villages in the countryside. Anywhere in the in the world, it's not only one, everywhere in the world, country people in the countryside are more giving than people in the city. Yeah. They are less selfish. Yeah. So so when they get to the city, you know, nobody wanted to host them, offer them free hospitality, shelter and food and things like that. So they went. So as they sat down to rest, they are hungry. Then the guide, Al-Khadr, saw the that's when he saw the wall, and the wall is about to uh collapse. He didn't know who the wall belonged to, and that is not necessary either. If you're going to do something good, you don't know who is the beneficiary. If the if you are serving, if you're doing it for God, then it doesn't matter who benefits from it. It is not this person, is a believer, is a non-believer, is this and that, no. No, he just immediately got up and then fixed the world. As simple as that. And again, Sendamusa, of course, had interrupted him. And that was that was the end of uh their day. Probably they would have, if Saint Amusa had not interrupted him, they would have had many other episodes, but this was it wasn't meant to be. I only wish that Musa would be more patient so that we can hear more about their story. But that wasn't what was written. It's a very nice story. So, anyways, that's uh an example of walking around in the earth and and what what do you do as you walk around? You do you do good things, you help people, you you guide those who need guidance, you teach those who need to be taught, you help those who need to be helped. That's the purpose. And it's not it's not it's a sacred tourism, and it's it's that's that is that is meant to be uh to be useful to others, and not simply just to go around and look at buildings and uh and things like that. That is that's purposeless. One should not travel for that for that reason only. Yeah. So inshallah, that's kind of the um our lesson today about um life and the light, enlightenment that comes after Iman and the purpose of having a light. We used to walk around around the earth and and do service to humanity and the universe in general.

SPEAKER_01 42:15

You mentioned that uh not to get distracted with the back and forth, especially as like the young plants and calling. But what if those distractions are within your own family, those closest to you who might be causing crumbles or trying to speak to people Iman is worth everything.

SPEAKER_00 42:40

If you'd have if you have the cutoff from your from the whole world to save your Iman, that's what you have to do. Iman is not a it's not a it's not a joke. This is this has to do with your your very salvation, your very life. So it is not uh it's not there's no compromise about that when it comes to your Iman. There's no compromise. Everything else can you compromise beyond that. You can you can uh extend yourself as much as possible, but when it comes to your Iman, that should be out of question. Period. Yeah.

unknown 43:36

So yourself.

SPEAKER_00 43:37

Yeah.

unknown 43:38

That's the biggest charge.

SPEAKER_00 43:40

It is. So very, very. That's why I gotta say, you think you will have Iman and it will not test you? That's what it means to test. Your wealth, you are tested through your wealth, you are tested through your your family. And then waluku. Your world is a test for you, mean test of your Iman, and your children is a test of Iman for you and so forth. Yeah. So must, every Iman must come with challenges. That's the very nature of it. So I asked him a lot, uh, why is it that it's easy for people in the countryside or so forth to be more generous? I said, because usually people living in the city, their um their their income is is is is all calculated. Yeah. And how it's going to be spent every month. So every every amount is assigned to something that it is your build and so forth. So it can give beyond that. Because you know, if I take this away, I won't have money for my phone bill. If I take this away, so so those calculations make you haul back. But people usually in the in the you don't have those kind of problems. They live off their farm or their crops or so forth. So they give very, very generally, very easily. Yeah. You don't have to calculate too much, as people do in the city. Exactly. Yeah. That is actually true. Yes. Yes. The farmers are more in more in touch with God through nature than the than those are in the city. Yeah, yeah. That's why it's good to leave the city. Glory a little bit. And do the nature and so forth. Yeah. No. Yeah, so it's about that in a few places in the Quran. The one in Surah tul Anam. I took after talking about the the the whole process of the rainwater and this and the seed coming out and how you know a date is formed. You know, then at the very end of all this long detailed process of growth, look at the fruit when it fructifies and look at how it ripens. From being a fruit to become a ripe fruit. Look at it, you ponder on the complex, you know, process it went through to get to this point. So that you can have more appreciation for the blessings of God. Instead of just like an animal, just come and eat and you're done. But you reflect, you watch, you observe. Yeah. So you come to your and a farmer usually will do that. He'll come and look at his field and marvel at, you know, the success. And that's from God, not from him. He knows that only God can make this happen. From the seed to a ripe uh fruit. Then in the same sora, an arm, later on they talks about eating. So he says that you know, eat from it when it ripens. So look at it first and then eat after. Yeah. And surah to l abas, the theme also gone. Falianulin san or illata, so masha than abashaka, but nafi ah. Why so it this is about the whole let him be not seen, uh look at his food. Falianulin son, let the human be look at his food. Illa ta a me. How we how we pour down the rain, water, and then we we cut open the earth, ashaka, and we make to grow, uh, so all the kind of foods. Faliyandur, then look at your food. Don't just eat like an animal. And food comes in, people rush and eat. It's not it's not on the feeling of a human being. Faliyandur is done with army first, uh, then at the end you can eat. After all that nadr and tamut, you reflect and so forth, and then at the end you can eat that. When you eat that way, the food is not just to sustain your life, but it it heals you. It's a blessing. That food will will glorify God in your body. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

It's interesting because like in the West it's normal to that you turn on the TV or you watch while you're eating.

SPEAKER_00 49:33

A lot of people eat aimlessly. Yeah. You put the TV on and it just you just you know stuffing your body with with ingesting your body with things, yeah. There's no reflection or Tamil or no in that process. Alhamdulillah, if if if if you you know begin properly, and that prop beginning properly entails you know reciting Allah's name on the food that you're going to eat. Because once you do that, then that food continues to to glorify God's names that you have said at the beginning. Until the food is transformed, then that ends. But until then, it continues to to do tasbih and the meet as it's in your body. Yeah. Yeah, so if after all that if you well, you can watch GB and eat. Well, as long as you know you you you st you make the right the right start.

SPEAKER_02 50:52

No, there's also like a personal one that's supposed to travel a little to see what was the end of those people objectively. So I'm just wondering how does what would that look like to do and how would you think about that? And then is that also related to traveling with the light to help people with the yeah.

SPEAKER_00 51:23

Yeah, definitely. Traveling um well it talks about the shield, uh traveling the earth and see how creation started. And also traveling the earth and and by knowing the beginning of creation, it gives you an idea of the end of creation because the end and the beginning are intertwined. So that is for your own uh uh growth and development that you make those type of travels that and visit the the traces of people who uh lived before us and uh either they did not live their life according to God's pleasure and after all that after all that so after all those of the after all the blessings that God had given them, uh they they did not appreciate those blessings and they end up losing it. So that's kind of the mainly the main the main lesson in visiting those type of sites. What ingratitude uh has has brought up on people, nations before us. And the same thing also will visit us unless we change our course and and be more grateful to God. Yeah. So and that lesson, once you have once you learn yourself that lesson, then you know you can you can bring it back and teach others because you have experience, you have witnessed it. Well, in the in the campaign of Tabuk, they went through the uh the the the Sabbath, the process on the Sabbath they went through the um uh the homes of the people of Samut, the people of uh Saint Nasaleh, his nation. So they went through their homes. Their homes are still there in Jordan. No, their homes that they had cut in the in the mountain and so forth. And he told and he told his companions that uh if you go in by their homes, either you weep or at least pretend to weep. So that God can have mercy on you and not have the ending of people like this. Yeah. And while they were going, I think so the some people they they there was they fetched water from some water fountain that was there. And when he came, he asked them to throw everything away. Yeah. And not to use anything of of their remains.