The Fifth Pillar of the Quran - The Laws
English Transcript of Khutbah by Sheikh Mustafa Hegazy
Friday 3rd March 2023/11th Shaban 1444
My dear brothers and sisters,
We started our trip with Al-Qur’an a long time ago, and by the Help of Allah SWT today we reach our last stop, the last and fifth pillar of Al-Quran.
We mentioned that there is no other way except Al-Qur’an. The last revelation of Allah SWT.
If it's Dunya that you are looking for, it is by the Qur’an.
If it is Akhira, it is by the Qur’an.
If it is both, it is by the Qur’an.
And as we all know the Qur’an is a blessed book.
Blessings come with the Qur’an.
Guidance comes with the Qur’an.
Cures come with the Qur’an.
But how? How do we get the blessings of the Qur’an?
By writing the Qur’an on a piece of paper? Put it in our pockets? By writing the Qur’an on all the walls?
Allah SWT said in the Qur’an:
Kitabun anzalnahu ilayka mubarak - It is a blessed book that We descended to you.
When will the blessings come?
Le yaddabaru ayateh- so they ponder in its verses.
When you understand the meanings of the verses. Get the message of Allah SWT.
Kitabun anzalnahu ilayka mubarakun fat-tabi3oo - The blessings will come when you act according to the Qur’an.
So we said we’ll try to take a small step towards Understanding the Qur’an.
But unfortunately, as a nation, even when it came to the meanings of the Qur’an, we focused on the partial meanings, and we ignored the major topics of the whole Qur’an.
So we said there are major topics that you will find in maybe every page of the Qur’an. Five major topics that the Qur’an came to establish, to make it clear, and we started to talk about them.
- Allah.
- The Universe which leads to Allah.
- The stories in the Qur’an.
- The Day of Judgement.
- And today we talk about the last, the fifth pillar which is:The laws in the Qur’an. The rules. The Shari’ah in the Qur’an.
My dear brothers and sisters. The verses of the Qur’an either verses of laws (Ahkaam) or non-law verses.
But, what do we mean by verses of Ahkam?
It’s the verses that tell what to do and what not to do, or you have a choice.
The verses which tell us what is haram (forbidden), what is permissible, what is disliked and so on.
It is very common among us and among many that Islam has many obligations - haram, haram, halal, what to do! What to eat! What to drink!
So when we look at the verses of the Qur’an, how many verses in the Qur’an represent the laws? Tell us what is haram and what is halal?
The total number of verses in the whole Qur’an are 6236 verses. How many of them are verses of the Shari’ah?
Let's say half of them? Like 3000?
No! Less.
Quarter?
1000?
No, even less!
The majority of the scholars said: 500 verses. From the whole 6000 verses, there are just 500 verses that tell us what is haram and halal, what to do and what not to do. And the rest of the verses of Qur’an, either stories, or talking about the universe, the sun the moon, the stars, the trees, the creations of Allah SWT. Verses either talking about the Day of Judgement and how the Jannah will be. How the punishment will be, the hellfire. Verses talking about Allah SWT. How Allah SWT is and the Knowledge of Allah.
And here the question comes, why?
Why the majority of the Qur’an are not about what to do and what not to do.
Because the main objective of the Qur’an is to build the Muslim personality. The Muslim Character
The Qur’an talks to our mind and to our soul and to us as a whole!
The main objective of the Qur’an is to correct our knowledge about Allah SWT.
What does Allah look like? Laysa Kamithleehee shay - Not like anything you can imagine.
Does Allah SWT manage every small and big issue in our life?
Yes! Al-Hay Al-Qayyum - He sustains all of our matters, either small or big.
Does Allah listen to us?
Ma Yakoonu min najwat - if we are two, Allah is the third by His knowledge. If we are three, Allah will be the fourth. Allah is more close to you than your veins.
So it becomes very clear.
The Qur’an came to teach us about Sunan Allah fil kawn - how nations arise and how nations go down.
The Qur’an tells us many times: Afalam yaseeru fil ard – walk in Earth and discover! See how the empires have risen and how the empires have fallen. What makes an empire to rise, and what makes an empire to be destroyed?
The Quran’s main concern was to make the Day of Judgement very clear to everyone of us, taking away any doubts regarding the hereafter.
The Qur’an’s main objective was to create self-consciousness, to teach us to watch Allah SWT in every step, in every move. This is the main objective of the Qur’an.
The Prophet PBUH said: Who is the most worshipper among you?
Is he the one with more prayers?
Is he the one with more reading of the Qur’an?
The one with more tasbeeh, staying in the mosque?
No!
The Prophet PBUH said: Fear Allah SWT in every small issue, in everything you become the most worshipper. Fear Allah in every penny you enters your house you become the greatest worshipper to Allah. Fear Allah in what you look at. Where you go. In every step. In every word you say. You become the greatest worshipper to Allah SWT.
Let’s learn little bit about the verses of Ahkam – Laws:
The verses of Ahkam are of two types:
The first type are the ones that give the order without explanation, without the details
Example: Aqeemus-salah - establish the prayers. How many rakats ??? mentioned in the Quran , what to say in each Raka , not in the Quran.
Salu kama ra aytumuni usalli – See as you have seen me pray.
How to establish az-zakat. Give the charity. It is not mentioned in the Qur’an.
All this explained through the Sunnah.
The Second type are the ones that come in the fine details, where everything is mentioned,
Example: Inheritance in the Qur’an. It is mentioned very clearly with everything. What will be given to the mother, what will be given to the wife, what will be given to the boy, to the girl, the one who doesn’t have a father or a son. Everything in fine details.
And if we look in the Qur’an, which type is the majority do you think?
Is it the verses with no explanation in the Qur’an or the verses with detailed explanation?
The one mentioned mostly in the Qur’an is the one mentioned in general, without explanation. Then the explanation come from the Prophet PBUH.
Why?
The question we must ask, Why?
Because the Qur’an was made for us to memorise. This is the first thing. If everything was explained in the Qur’an it would be huge. The second thing, Allah SWT by His knowledge, He knows there are some matters will never change, a thousand of years before, and another thousand of years after.
For example, the family issues, marriage, divorce, inheritance.
Another thing, which is for example
wa amruhum shura baynahum, Allah said: the Muslims they manage all their matters through consultation.
Did Allah tell us how? No. Why? Because Allah SWT has left this, time changes, the means, the tools change by time. And it's not about the tools. It's about applying consultations. Shura. Did we apply consultation in our nation? Definitely as we all know, No! In our countries you find something which we all know is a fake! Huge institutions for consultation and at the end it is fake. But before we judge those, we should judge ourselves first. Do we establish shura, consultation on the small scale. Do we do consultation within our own families, in our institutions, in our community. Do we take the opinion of our kids, of our wife, of whatever? A true consultation.to get the opinion and respect whatever everyone says. If we don’t do it, how do we expect from those who lead us to apply it. Kama takooni walla ‘alayk – as you are, those will be the ones who lead you. Thats why some verses of the law, Allah has left it, without explanation. So the tools change, and its not about the tools. It is about applying the principle of Allah SWT.
First Khutbah Ends.
Second Khutbah Starts.
My dear brothers and sisters.
Islam is very simple. But we complicate Islam.
Islam is all about pure heart. A heart that fears Allah SWT. Watch Allah SWT. (Illa Man Ata Allah Bekalbin Saleem) When you approach Allah on the Day of Judgement it is about your heart.
About active mind, a mind that thinks and ponders the Qur’an. Many verses in the Qur’an say: won't you ponder, won't you look. Those who have minds.
Islam is about seeking to please Allah in everything we do. Allah SWT says in the Qur’an Allah has bought from us ourselves, The reward is Jannah. Make your intention to please Allah SWT for everything.
And Islam is about beautiful manners. What is the point in doing Ibaadah (worship) and then you hurt others? Then you say something bad, then you have this arrogance in your heart. Allah SWT says in the Qur’an: a nice word and forgiveness to your brothers is better than giving charity and then coming and hurting them after that. Allah says keep your charity for yourself. There is no point.
This is Islam, so simple.
But we complicate Islam.
So, the whole thing about Islam is that only Allah is to be worshipped and to be worshipped by what Allah SWT has given us.
My dear brothers and sisters, .Ramadan is approaching, very few days and we approach Ramadan. And Ramadan as we know is the month of the Qur’an. So, just to remind ourselves with all we have been talking about understanding the Qur’an.
One of the Sahabah (Abdullahi ibn Masoud) said, don't make your main concern when you sit with the Qur’an, the end of the line, or the end of the page, or how many pages you finish today.
If you stay with one verse, one verse in the Qur’an, and close, and go back and see when did it descend on the Prophet PBUH. What is the message? Why did it descend? What is the beauty, al i’jaaz, of this verse?
Read the Qur’an every day but At least every day choose one ayah to understand and ponder on this ayah. I swear by Allah the blessings and the sweetness and the happiness you will get, you cannot even imagine.
I just remind you of our brothers and sisters in Turkey and in Syria. As we know the situation is so hard. Still they need our support, so we do our best to support our Muslim brothers and sisters in Syria.
Allahumma Ballighna Ramadan
Oh Allah, let us reach the month of Ramadan.
Ends with Dua.
