In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Within the embrace of Allah, happiness pours into the hearts.
Increase your closeness to the Most Merciful.
The Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Musa Mosque.
Proudly presents:
The Musk of Discourse.
By Sheikh Usama Bahr, may Allah preserve him.
Everyone who obeys the Lord dissolves into the sweetest feeling.
The matter is one of refinement.
I am not speaking of refinement in terms of food and drink.
Although refinement is a beautiful word,
It carries within it the meaning of gentleness,
Good companionship, and proper conduct,
Avoiding embarrassment and the wounding of people’s feelings,
Through hurtful words, gestures, or the like.
People have come to recognize,
And it has become a matter of custom among them,
That when they wish to praise someone, they say,
"So-and-so has refinement,"
Or, "He is a person of refinement."
And when they wish to disparage him, they say,
"So-and-so lacks refinement,"
Or, "He has no refinement."
And so it goes.
Refinement, in this sense,
Pertains more to the abstract than to the sensory.
The seat of refinement in the abstract
Revolves around the intellect, the soul, and the heart.
While its seat in the sensory realm
Does not extend beyond the tongue.
Islam has encouraged the human being to possess refinement.
Even though refinement is supposed to come naturally from a person without prompting.
Nevertheless,
Islam encouraged the Muslim, when coming to prayer,
To be in a state of purity,
To adorn himself at every mosque,
To arrive with tranquility and dignity,
To lower his voice while communing with his Lord,
And not to come to the mosque having eaten garlic, onions, or the like,
Which might cause discomfort to the worshippers.
Here, the matter is one of refinement.
Islam calls for this.
Is it not part of the etiquette of zakat
That it be given to the poor in secret,
So as not to embarrass the needy?
Truly, the matter is one of refinement.
Were not the pilgrims commanded to maintain tranquility and avoid harming their brothers?
Is fasting not among the greatest things that refine the senses,
Elevate one's taste, and uplift the soul?
Does it not involve empathy for others,
And a sense of what they suffer from the deprivation of poverty and the humiliation of need?
You find this refinement in acts of worship.
Likewise, regarding prohibitions and forbidden acts,
You find warnings against a lack of refinement,
Or the weakening of its aspect.
Among the signs of a person’s happiness
Is to be blessed with a sound, refined taste.
For if he is such,
He knows how to enjoy life,
How to respect the feelings of others,
And how to bring joy to them.
The person of sound refinement
Is capable of drawing people toward him.
Indeed, sound refinement in a person
Elevates him to the point of choosing gentle words,
And appropriate conduct that prevents embarrassment.
Moreover, the person of sound refinement
Shuns conflict and intense anger.
So reflect upon that.
For the matter is one of refinement,
Nothing more and nothing less.
Strive so that joy may embrace you.
Attach your soul to your Lord,
And fill the surroundings with light.
Amazing!
For the one who obeys the Lord,
Dissolves into the sweetest feeling.
Darkness, then light,
And life after terror.
﴾When Allah wills a thing, He says to it, "Be," and it is.﴿