You Have No Excuse

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Every time you give an excuse for not following the command of Allah and the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), Abdullah dhu al-bijadain (may Allah be pleased with him) will say to you, "You have no excuse." Everytime you give an excuse not to seek Islamic knowledge and teach it to others, Abdullah dhu al-bijadain (may Allah be pleased with him) will say to you, "You have no excuse."

Abdullah dhu al-bijadain belonged to Musayna tribe. His father was the leader of the tribe. He became orphaned when he was small and his uncle took care of him. He was a very spoiled kid. By today's standard he was like a teenager owning a sports car, the best laptop, the best smartphone and all new gadgets that come to the market. Among other things, he owned two horses and had all the comfort of dunya that others around him didn't have. The door of the dunya was opened wide to him.

He became Muslim at the age of 16. Although his uncle was good to him but when he heard that Abdullah became Muslim he took everything from him.

He learned the verses that were revealed from the Companions but later the Companions stopped teaching him because they had to emigrate to Madinah.

He used to go outside into the desert everyday to learn the religion and pray. How about some of us? You are home on your bed and the Deen come to your lap (laptops, smartphones, wifi) but you don't learn the religion, you don't follow the Sunnah, you don't practice the religion like you should, you don't read the Book of Allah like you should. Abdullah went out to the desert to pray. You have masjids all around you but you have many excuses not to go to the masjid to pray.

Abdullah didn't leave his uncle and his family right away to join the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) because he wanted to call his family to Islam and save them from Hellfire. He did this patiently for 3 years. Do we have that patience to teach our family the Deen or we just take the passive route and say, "Allah guides whomever He wills." While this statement is true, what does that got to do with you? Your job is to learn your Deen and learn it well, practice it and teach it, starting with your family.

At the age of 19, he emigrated to Madinah and joined the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). His uncle had taken everything from him even his clothing. So he cut a large sack into two pieces to clothe him and so he traveled to Madinah in only this two-piece covering. He was nicknamed Abdullah dhu al-bijadain by the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) when he arrived in Madinah because of what he had on him. When he met the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) he had a lot of knowledge of the Deen--three years being a Muslim under difficult situation, surrounded by community of hostile non-believers. How about some of us who Allah blessed with pretty easy life or ? How many of us still can't read Qur'an and pray properly?

Many of us have been Muslims for decades and had a pretty easy (some very comfortable) life. How much do we know of this Deen? Why are we not following the teachings and the Sunnah of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)? Is it because you think religion is for old people? Do you think you are too young to die? Are you thinking you will start getting your act together and start to pray, put hijab, learn and read the Qur'an, get up for night prayer, go to hajj and learn Islam seriously after you finish college? Or after you have a steady job? Or after you get married? Or after your kid have grown up? Any excuse you have in your mind, Abdullah will tell you that it is not a valid excuse.

At age of 23, Abdullah followed the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) to Tabuk for a battle. On the way, he asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) to make du'a for him to die as a martyr. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) made du'a: "O Allah, make his body safe from their swords."

Abdullah dhu al-bijadain had a high fever during the journey. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that: It was in middle of the night that I got up and saw some activity at the fire at the edge of the camp. When I pursued the light, I saw Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) with Abdullah dhu al-bijadain who had passed away. I saw the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) digging a grave for him and and then he lied down in it. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "O Allah, I am pleased with him, so be pleased with him."

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "I wish this is my grave and I have been a Muslim 15 years before him."

Abdullah died at the age of 23. The deen is here now and it has to be practiced now. We cannot run after this temporal life and destroy our next eternal life. We have to work hard and not waste any time. Death can come anytime and we have to use how ever many breaths we have left to strive for Allah's cause and continue the mission of His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace). And then we too can die a martyr inshaa Allah. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught is to live for the sake Allah, to strive for His Cause.

Anything we strive for the sake of Allah-- seeking knowledge, serving your parents, etc., you are in a state of jihad, and if you die in that state, you die a martyr inshaa Allah. Obviously, there are ranks of martyrs. Allah knows best.

May Allah purify our intentions and our hearts. May Allah grant us an excellent ending and join us with the prophets, siddiqeen, martyrs and the soliheen in the Hereafter. Ameen.

وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّ‌سُولَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ وَٱلشُّهَدَآءِ وَٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ رَ‌فِيقًا ﴿٦٩

And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth (siddiqeen), the martyrs (shuhada') and the righteous (soliheen). And excellent are those as companions.

[Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:69]

Allhumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam

And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.

Wassalaam