1 LEADERSHIP TALK By SYED OTHMAN ALHABSHI

2 of Peace: In Preparation Towards the Real World INCEIF 17TH October 2018

3 CONTENTS

• Introduction: The Setting • Spreading Salam • Feed People • Preserve Relations with Kith and Kin • Praying at Night when People Sleep • Enter Paradise in Peace • Conclusions

4 SYNOPSIS “The (sallallahu álaihi wasallam) commanded four fundamental acts covering social, economic, political and spiritual aspects of life as the foundation of balanced life for success in this world and the next”

5 INTRODUCTION just arrived during his migration and ﷺ Prophet • was eagerly waited by the people of Medina comprising only about 20% • This will be his first ever address to the people of Medina • Among the first group of people was a very special person, Abdullah bin Salam, a Jewish Rabbi who was keen to ascertain if this man is a true Prophet as claimed and as foretold in Torah. • Abdullah Bin Salam later said, “the moment I see his face I know he is not a liar”. He became Muslim immediately.

6 THE HADITH

1166/7- َوﻋن ِﻋﺑد ﱠ ِا ِﺑن َﺳﻼَ ٍم ، أَ ﱠن اﻟﻧﱠﺑِ ﱠﻲ ﷺ َﻗﺎل : أَﯾﱡ َﮭﺎ اﻟﻧﱠ ُﺎس أَ ْﻓﺷوا ﱠاﻟﺳ َﻼم، َوأَ ْط ِﻌ ُﻣوا ﱠاﻟطﻌَ َﺎم ، َو ِﺻ ُﻠوا اَﻻَ َرﺣﺎم َو َﺻﻠﱡوا ﺑﺎﻟﻠﱠ ْﯾل َواﻟﻧﱠ ُﺎس ﻧِ ٌﯾﺎم، ﺗَ ُدﺧﻠُوا َاﻟﺟﻧﱠﺔ َ ﺑِ َﺳ ٍﻼم . رواه ُ ﱡاﻟﺗرﻣذي َوﻗﺎل : ٌﺣدﯾث ٌﺣﺳن ٌﺻﺣﯾﺢ .

7 MEANING OF HADITH

•From Abdullah Ibn Salam”(Radhiallahu ánh) said, ,said, “Oh people (ﷺ) I heard the Prophet“ spread salam (or exchange greetings of peace), feed people, strengthen ties of kinship, and be in prayer at night when people are asleep, you will enter paradise in peace”.

8 SPREADING SALAM

• As- Salam is one of the beautiful Names of Allah. Hence it becomes not only a greeting but a prayer (doá) that Allah will be all over you or protecting you • The first phrase taught by Allah to Adam (álaihis salam). He was told to say “Assalamu alaikum warahmatullah” to the angels and remember what the angels answered. The angels answered “Wa álaikumussalam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh”. Allah said, That will be the greetings you and all your progeny will practice. • When someone says “Assalamu alaikum” to you it means that he assures safety, security and harmony with you, your wealth and your family. You cannot say Assalamu alaikum, and then harm him or scold him or do any kind of mischief to him.

9 SPREADING SALAM

• When Imam Shafiee (Radhiallahu ánh) was arrested in Yemen with a few other scholars for an accusation that they were teaching something deviating from , they were brought to the Caliph Haron Ar Rashid. The others were found guilty and had been punished while Imam Shafiee (Radhiallahu ánh) when he arrived the first thing he said was “Assalamu álaikum” to the Caliph. When the Caliph answered he then said, “could you harm me after answering my salam to you? In the end the caliph was having a good debate and learning from the scholar and he escaped death sentence. • Hadith: The best of you is the one who feeds people and gives salam to those he knows and those he does not know

10 SPREADING SALAM (IMPACT)

• In the work place you create Love, Trust, Co-operation, Commitment, Dedication, Harmony, Caring, Helping One Another through salam • Examples: • The typist who deleted an article from my diskette • The driver who locked the ignition key in the boot of the car when the car was locked • Creating friendly atmosphere to diffuse tension among groups of peers, by playing volley ball in IIUM

11 FEED PEOPLE

• Imagine during the early Islamic period, the first command was to worship Allah alone. The other rituals such as • Prayer was obligatory after Isra & Mi’raj, 10th year after revelation • was obligatory 13 years after revelation • Fasting was obligatory 15 years after revelation • was obligatory 20 years after revelation • What were the Muslims doing as Muslims? Look after the poor, the orphans, the captives, the deprived to strengthen them and the economy

12 FEED PEOPLE

• Allah says in one of the early Meccan Surahs (Al-Insan 8-9) • َوﯾُ ِطﻌ ُﻣ َون ﱠاﻟطﻌﺎَ َم َﻋ َﻠﻰ ُﺣ ﺑِّ ِﮫ ِﻣ ِﺳﻛﯾﻧﺎً َوﯾ َﺗﯾِﻣﺎً َواَﺳﯾِراً ه ِاﻧﱠﻣﺎَ ﻧُ ِطﻌ ُﻣ ُﻛم ِﻟ َو ِﺟﮫ َا َﻻ ﻧُ ِرﯾد ُ ِﻣ ُﻧﻛم َﺟ َز ًاء َو َﻻ ُﺷ ُﻛورا ً And they feed for the love of God, the poor, the orphan and captive. • (Saying) We feed you for the sake of God alone. Nor reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.

13 FEED PEOPLE

•اَ َر َء َﯾت اﻟﱠ ِذي ﯾُ َﻛ ِذّ ُب ﺑِ ِ ﺎﻟدّﯾن ه ﻓَذَ ِﻟ َك اﻟﱠ ِذي ﯾَدُ ﱡع اﻟﯾَﺗِ ِﯾم ه َو َﻻ ﯾَ ُﺣ ﱡض َﻋﻠَﻰ َط ﻌَ ِﺎم ِاﻟﻣ ِﺳﻛﯾن ه •(٣-١ اﻟﻣﺎﻋون) Do you see one who denies the Judgement? Then such is the man • who repulses the orphan (with harshness). And encourages not the feeding of the poor.

14 FEED PEOPLE

• Helping one another is a great virtue: (‘alaihis salam) once asked Allah the greatest virtue. Is it the prayers, the fasting, the hajj? Allah said, “No, those are for you. But when you relieve others of their difficulty that is virtuous for Me” • In Makkah and Medina, not only during fasting month that the people would feed almost everyone in the , but nowadays even on Mondays and Thursdays, they feed people. • How about in INCEIF? • Imagine if people keep on helping others in need, not only in providing food but other basic needs, the economy should be stronger

15 PRESERVE RELATIONS WITH KITH AND KIN ﷺ Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu ‘anh) narrated, ‘Allah’s Apostle • said, “Allah created the creations and when He finished the RAHM (womb) got up and Allah said to it, ‘Stop! What do you want?’ It said, ‘At this place, I seek refuge with you from all those who sever me (ties of kinship).’ Allah said, ‘Would you be pleased that I will keep good relations with the one who will keep good relations with you and I will sever relation with the one who sever relations with you.’ It said, ‘Yes, Oh my Lord.’ Allah said, ‘That is for you’. And then Abu Hurairah (Radhiallahu ‘anh) recited the following verse:

16 PRESERVE RELATIONS WITH KITH AND KIN

• ﻓَ َﮭل َﻋ َﺳﯾﺗُم ِان ﺗَ َوﻟﱠﯾﺗُم اَن ﺗُ ِﻔﺳدُوا ﻓ ِﻲ اﻻَ ِرض َوﺗُﻘَ ِّطﻌُوا اَ َرﺣ َﺎﻣ ُﻛ م (٢٢ ﻣﺣﻣد) • “Then is it to be expected of you, if you were put in authority, that you will do mischief in the land and cut your ties of kith and kin” Sahih Bukhari, Vol 9, Book 93, No 593 • Allah derives two of His Most Glorious Names from the word RAHM which are AR RAHMAN and AR RAHIM • When it is your own kith or kin then drown your ego and swallow all the bitterness and forgive them in order to preserve the relationship. Ample reward awaits you

17 PRESERVE RELATIONS WITH KITH AND KIN

• Building a united family is very important in Islam because family acts as the building block of society, and then to nation. It is a very powerful political tool. • Impact to society is the nurturing of the spirit of tolerance, unity, solidarity, loyalty, etc. Imagine someone who comes from a very strong family unit, well nurtured in the practice of tolerance, selflessness, etc. there will be no more “I” and “ME” but “WE” and “US” • The whole nation state can easily move in the same direction to achieve higher goals. Embrace this culture from the tender young age

18 PRESERVE RELATIONS WITH KITH AND KIN

• From the verse 22 in Surah Muhammad above, why do you think Allah mentions in the same verse, authority, mischief in the land and cutting of family ties. • In other words it applies to leaders as well as all others.

19 PRAY AT NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE SLEEP

• Why was the spiritual aspect mentioned last? • It has to be a private thing • Prayer is the only ritual that has been made compulsory at that point • Allah loves those who spend private time with Him, seeking all you want for this life and the next. This is the time when Imam Shafiee (Radhiallahu ‘anh) describes all the requests (do’a) are like arrows hitting the target (bull’s eye) • If one does tahajjud it is unlikely that he does not do the rest • This is the most recommended ritual for leaders because it makes one sober, patient, balanced in thought and practice, etc.

20 ENTER PARADISE IN PEACE

• If you do this four commandments, it will not only be good for you socially, economically, politically, spiritually but more importantly is that YOU WILL ENTER PARADISE IN PEACE.

21 CONCLUSION

ﷺ The appropriateness of this hadith at the time when the Prophet • just arrived Medina from Makkah where the community was mainly non-Muslims showed the wisdom he had, to choose such words of address so effectively. Indeed it is applicable and relevant throughout the ages.

22 WALLAHU A’LAM THANK YOU VERY MUCH

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