Divine Weapons Against Sadness and Depression
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
3 January 2012 Singapore
`Isha Suhbah at Simply Islam
(Final Event of Far East Tour, Winter 2011)
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`ala fee haadha 'l-masjid.
There is a saying, “You must not make the busy one busier.” It has many meanings, one of which is important to us: “Don’t make the attention of the one busy remembering Allah (swt) go somewhere else; don’t bother him.” Similarly, it also applies to people who are busy with their families and trying to provide for them: don't make them busier. So I hope we are not keeping you busy and giving you a lecture until midnight!
Prophet (s) said:
Kalimataan habeebataan ila ‘r-Rahman khafeefataan `ala ’l-lisaan thaqeelataan fi ‘l-meezaan, subhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ‘l-`Azheem astaghfirullah. “There are two words (sentences) that are very light on the tongue, but very heavy on the Scale.” They are better than all academic lectures given from the beginning to the end which, all compiled, are not worthy of these two words of Allah (swt): subhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ‘l-`Azheem astaghfirullah.
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytani r-rajeem. Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem. Madad yaa Sayyidee. Prophet (s) said these two sentences are far better than what any lecturer around the world can say in their speeches. They are very light on the tongue and very heavy on the Scale on the Day of Judgment. If you add up all your deeds, even all the deeds of Bani Adam from beginning to end, to recite “SubhaanAllah wa bihamdihi subhaanAllahi ‘l-`Azheem astaghfirullah” is still heavier on the Scale. So what do you want better in this dunya? Allah (swt) gave these two sentences for us to be happy, just as we also say, Rabbana atina fi 'd-dunya hasanatan, “O our Lord! Give us goodness in this life.” (2:201) Allah (swt) gave you that goodness, so take it! If you want to be successful, say these two sentences.
Prophet (s) also said, “If you say these four words, you will be saved and enter Paradise,” and the four words are in the Qur’an: SubhaanAllah, alhamdulillah, laa ilaaha illa-Llah, and Allahu Akbar. These four words will make humans feel they are doing something, although they are not worthy to be doing something, but Allah (swt) is making it easy for us. That's why a man came to Prophet (s) and said, “Yaa Rasoolullah! It is too difficult to keep all these rules of Islam; give me something easy.” He (s) said, “Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah,” meaning loud dhikr, not silent, because for silent dhikr you don’t use your tongue. In Naqshbandi Tariqah, “Dhikr al-Khafi” means you keep your tongue on your palate, not moving your tongue, but making (silent) dhikr in your heart. But in this hadith it says, “Make your tongue wet with dhikrullah.” How to keep it wet? You keep it moving and it makes a sound, that is “Dhikr al-Jahri.”
Allah (swt) gave Ummat an-Nabi (s) things to do that are for the Prophet (s), and that is to say, “Alam nashrah laka sadrak,” as Allah (swt) said to Prophet (s) in Surat ash-Sharh, “Why are you sad, yaa Muhammad?” It means, “O People, why are you sad?”Allah (swt) is saying to the Prophet (s), “I don't like to see you sad, so I have expanded your chest to make you happy; I'm giving you something to make you and your whole ummah very happy!” It means, “Am I not giving you that expansion of the chest to be happy?” Be happy! Don't think too much, because thinking too much makes you sad. People who think too much about a problem become depressed, and they either blow up from anger or go into a corner so no one can talk to them. No! Enjoy Allah's mercy, not at a disco, but in His mercy.
Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur’an:
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُواْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
Qul bifadlillahi wa bi-rahmatihi fa-bidhaalika fa ‘l-yafrahoo huwa khayrum mimmaa yajma`oon.
Say, "In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy, in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate." (Yunus, 10:58)
He is saying, “You must be happy in Allah’s favor and mercy!” Awliyaa and `ulama say that rahmah is Muhammad (s). So whenever you have a sad moment in your life, recite seven times Surat Alam Nashrah (Surat ash-Sharh) on water and drink it every day; that depression will go away and you will be healed from that sadness. One tear of a Muslim for Allah (swt) and His Prophet (s), and if you zoom in and go deeper, it means specifically the tear of a mu'min, is more valuable than the whole dunya, because Allah doesn't like to see His servant who loves Him and His Prophet (s) to be sad.
Sayyidina Ibraheem (a) was thrown in the fire by Nimrod and he didn't become sad. Sayyidina Jibreel (a) asked him, “Do you need help?” and Sayyidina Ibraheem said, “I don't need your help. The One Who sent me here knows what is happening.” So Allah made the fire “bardan wa salaaman,” cool and safe for Ibraheem, not bone-chilling cold or unbearable, as Allah (swt) doesn't like the heart of His believer, His lover, who is praying, fasting, giving sadaqa and reciting dhikr, to be sad during his life.
Look at how mush sadness was in Prophet’s life, how much he was tortured and the Sahaabah (r) were tortured in front of him (s) and he could not do anything! Is it true that he couldn’t? No, he could have done something, but Allah (swt) is teaching us through the Prophet (s) to be patient. The Prophet (s) was tested with everything, but he was patient as he was given from the Divine Attributes of “ar-Ra`uf,” The Most Kind, and “ar-Raheem,” the Most Merciful:
لَقَدْ جَاءكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Laqad jaa-akum rasoolun min anfusikum `azeezun `alayhi maa `anittum hareesun `alaykum bil-mu’mineena ra’ufun raheem.
Indeed, there has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. He grieves for your suffering and is anxious about you. To the believers he is most kind and merciful. (at-Tawbah, 9:128)
He received more, but in this ayah alone there are two. So be happy! This life isn't worth it if it makes you sad. Shaytan plays with people to make them sad and unhappy and to make all those around them unhappy.
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
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