Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Humility

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

It is a good practice to recite Surah Kahf every Friday. We live in a very materialistic world and this Surah attacks the problems of materialism. The most materialistic people can be the most proud people. We should not let any pride enters our hearts because as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) warns:

“Whoever has pride in his heart equal to the weight of a mustard seed shall not enter Paradise.” [Muslim]

People, whether as an individual, as a family, as a group, as a community, as a country, can be so proud when they have accomplished something -- modernized road system, tall buildings, masjid, house, academic degrees, children, status, influence, and the list goes on. Even in religious areas, people can take pride in their efforts in the worldly sense. For example, someone donated lots of money to the masjid or someone who started or lead/oversee a masjid project and saw it to successful completion would take pride in it --"Alhamdulillah, I/We build this place (masjid)." What have you done to yourself?

قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَـٰلًا ﴿١٠٣﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا ﴿١٠٤

Say, [O Muhammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? (103) [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work." (104)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:103-104]

This worldly life is in its entirety a test. What we have been provided with in terms of family, wealth, health and opportunities are part of our question papers. What we do with them is our test.

The real great and successful people are those filled with humility. The mark of them is that they don't take credit for their accomplishments. They give all credit to Allah. Dhul-Qarnayn in Surah Kahf accomplished great things but when he achieved the most of his accomplishments, he immediately give credit to Allah.

قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى جَعَلَهُۥ دَكَّآءَ ۖ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى حَقًّا ﴿٩٨

[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true." (98)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:98]

In the last 2 verses of Surah Kahf, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) wants to make sure that when we praise the words of Allah, we don't confuse that with him himself (Allah bless him and grant him peace). The only thing is that revelation is given to him (Allah bless him and grant him peace) but the entity worthy of worship for us is one single entity, Allah.

The words of Allah is of two kinds -- revelation that He sends to His Messenger and His instructions (kalimah.) Every "kun" is a kalimah. If the ocean were used as means of documenting the instructions of Allah, the ocean will run out before even the words of Allah run out. Even if another ocean were to be brought out to further extend Allah's word, the ocean would be exhausted before the words of Allah were exhausted. On one hand this is showing us the greatest of the Qu'ran, on the other hand is the humility of the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace). The credit only goes to Allah, even though the medium of its delivery is the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) himself.

قُل لَّوْ كَانَ ٱلْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَـٰتِ رَبِّى لَنَفِدَ ٱلْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَـٰتُ رَبِّى وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِۦ مَدَدًا ﴿١٠٩﴾ قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ﴿١١٠

Say, "If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement." (109) Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone." (110)

[Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:109-110]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) praised people of the last generation, that one of them is like ten of the sahabah. Why? Because they believe in Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) without even seeing him. They live in the toughest time, around Dajjal, in the world that is beautified and materialistic but they pick allegiance in Allah's cause over all the temptations of the world.

You see materialism dies when someone develops hopes of meeting with Allah. They don't become materialistic anymore because there is nothing more desirable than meeting with Allah. You may want wealth luxury, beautiful things but when you develop inside of you that desire, "I want to meet with Allah," you lose desire of the things of this dunya.

May Allah save us from the fitans that lay ahead and help us be and raise the generation that bring Islam to the world. Ameen.

Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala aalihi wasahbihi wasallam