Part of The Story of Maryam, peace be upon her (series completed)
· Lesson 7 of 21
The story of Mary, peace be upon her | Episode (7) | Mary and the shrine of worship
0:000:00
Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
0:00
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
0:03
The story of Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran.
0:07
Peace be upon her.
0:10
Maryam and the sanctuary of worship.
0:15
Maryam, peace be upon her, was raised in a righteous upbringing.
0:22
She remained steadfast in worship and obedience.
0:26
So much so that she designated for herself a private sanctuary in which to worship.
0:31
And she would seclude herself in intimate conversation with Allah, Lord of the worlds.
0:36
Allah the Exalted alluded to this in His saying:
0:40
“And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)
0:53
And Zakariyya took charge of her.
0:55
“And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)
1:03
He said, "O Maryam, from where have you gotten this?"
1:08
“And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)
1:12
“And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)
1:21
The *mihrab* (sanctuary) is a place of worship.
1:24
This indicates the frequency of her prayers and her devotion to her sanctuary.
1:30
Al-Tahir Ibn ‘Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
1:34
She used to worship in a place she had taken as a sanctuary.
1:38
And Zakariyya would oversee her worship.
1:42
She placed her sanctuary, where she worshipped, to the east of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem).
1:48
Allah the Exalted said:
1:49
“And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East,” (19:16)
1:56
Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
1:59
Meaning, she secluded herself from them and withdrew from them.
2:02
She went to the east of the Holy Mosque.
2:06
Maryam did this for a specific reason:
2:08
To devote herself to worship, far away from people.
2:12
So that she would not be preoccupied with them, nor they with her.
2:16
Abu Zahra, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
2:18
The meaning is that she withdrew from people and cast them aside.
2:23
She isolated herself to worship Allah alone.
2:26
And let nothing fill her heart except His remembrance.
2:29
The meaning is:
2:31
She withdrew from her family to an eastern place.
2:34
That is, she isolated herself from her family in a place to the east of Bayt al-Maqdis.
2:39
Where her sanctuary was located.
2:41
And the sanctuary of her guardian, Zakariyya, peace be upon him.
2:46
Behind this seclusion,
2:48
She took a veil to serve as a barrier between her and them.
2:52
Maryam, peace be upon her, was not content with merely distancing herself physically from people and isolating.
2:58
Rather, she went further by taking a veil to screen herself from people.
3:04
So that she could devote herself to the worship of her Lord.
3:07
Allah the Exalted said:
3:08
“And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East,” (19:16)
3:15
“And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man.” (19:17)
3:19
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
3:22
He says:
3:23
She took, apart from her family, a screen to hide her from them and from the people.
3:29
And Ibn ‘Atiyya, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
3:32
She took it to conceal herself from people for her worship.
3:37
And al-Sa‘di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
3:39
This distancing of hers and the taking of the veil,
3:43
Was to seclude herself and be alone in the worship of her Lord.
3:47
And to stand before Him in a state of sincerity, humility, and submission to Allah the Exalted.
3:53
Therefore, my noble sister,
3:55
If you wish to be among the righteous female worshippers,
3:59
You must emulate Maryam, peace be upon her.
4:03
The first step in emulating her is:
4:06
Designating a place in your home for your prayer, your dhikr, and your recitation of the Qur’an.
4:12
The second step:
4:14
Distancing yourself from all distractions that occupy you from your worship,
4:19
Or that corrupt your heart.
4:22
Among the most dangerous of these distractions:
4:23
The mobile phone.
4:26
So, when you stand to worship your Lord,
4:28
Turn off your phone completely.
4:30
So that the heart is not preoccupied with it.
4:34
These are the steps for preparing a place for worship.
4:38
After that, you must take steps to train your soul for worship gradually.
4:43
For a small, consistent deed is better than a large, interrupted one.
4:48
Therefore, I advise you, my noble sister, with two things,
4:52
To achieve the first steps on the path of the righteous female worshippers.
4:57
The first matter:
4:59
Attending to your prayers, both the obligatory and the supererogatory.
5:03
For maintaining the obligatory and the supererogatory,
5:06
Elevates you to the rank of Allah’s love for you.
5:09
According to the Hadith Qudsi which the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, narrates from his Lord, the Almighty and Majestic:
5:16
Where He said:
5:18
Indeed, Allah said:
5:20
"Whoever shows enmity to a friend (wali) of Mine, I have declared war against him.
5:25
And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him.
5:31
And My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory deeds until I love him.
5:36
So when I love him,
5:38
I become his hearing with which he hears,
5:41
And his sight with which he sees,
5:43
And his hand with which he strikes,
5:46
And his foot with which he walks.
5:49
And if he asks Me, I will surely give him,
5:51
And if he seeks My refuge, I will surely grant him refuge.
5:54
And I do not hesitate about anything I do as I hesitate about the soul of the believer;
6:00
He dislikes death, and I dislike harming him."
6:05
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
6:07
So the path of sainthood (wilayah) begins with maintaining the obligatory duties.
6:12
Then the supererogatory deeds that follow the obligatory ones.
6:16
Allah has granted you flexibility in the time of prayer.
6:19
And He has not made congregational prayer in the mosque mandatory for you.
6:23
So accustom yourself to a prayer filled with khushu‘ (humility) and deliberation.
6:27
And choose for it the time most suitable for you.
6:31
For khushu‘ and intimate conversation with Allah are the essence of prayer.
6:36
And among the most important supererogatory prayers you should maintain:
6:39
The regular Sunnah prayers (al-sunan al-rawatib).
6:42
Umm Habiba, may Allah be pleased with her, says:
6:45
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
6:50
"Whoever prays 12 rak‘ahs in a day and night,
6:54
A house will be built for him in Paradise because of them."
6:57
Umm Habiba said:
6:59
I have not abandoned them since I heard them from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
7:06
Narrated by Muslim.
7:08
The regular Sunnah prayers are four rak‘ahs before Dhuhr,
7:12
And two rak‘ahs after it,
7:14
And two rak‘ahs after Maghrib,
7:17
And two rak‘ahs after ‘Isha’,
7:19
And two rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer.
7:23
And among the important supererogatory acts in your life to become a worshipper:
7:27
The Duha prayer.
7:29
It is the prayer of the oft-repentant (awwabin).
7:32
As the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
7:35
"None maintains the Duha prayer except the oft-repentant."
7:40
He said: "It is the prayer of the oft-repentant."
7:43
Narrated by Ibn Khuzayma in his Sahih.
7:47
The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aisha the Truthful, may Allah be pleased with her, daughter of the Truthful,
7:53
The beloved of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his wife in Paradise,
7:59
The one declared innocent from above seven heavens in a Qur’an recited until the Day of Resurrection,
8:06
Used to maintain the Duha prayer.
8:09
‘Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
8:12
"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would abandon a deed,
8:17
Even though he loved to perform it,
8:20
For fear that people would perform it and it would become obligatory upon them.
8:24
And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, never prayed the Duha prayer,
8:30
But I pray it."
8:33
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
8:35
As for the foundation of the worship of the righteous,
8:38
It is the night prayer (qiyam al-layl).
8:40
About which the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
8:44
"You must perform the night prayer,
8:47
For it was the habit of the righteous before you,
8:50
And it is a means of drawing near to your Lord,
8:53
And an expiation for sins,
8:56
And a deterrent from transgression."
8:59
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Khuzayma.
9:02
This is among the most noble deeds of the righteous female worshippers.
9:06
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, encouraged his wives,
9:10
To perform the night prayer in more than one way,
9:14
And on more than one occasion.
9:16
Among these:
9:18
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, encouraged women,
9:21
To perform the night prayer when tribulations descend.
9:25
For Umm Salama said:
9:27
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, woke up one night,
9:32
And said:
9:33
"Subhan Allah!
9:35
What tribulations have been sent down tonight!
9:38
And what treasures have been opened!
9:41
Wake up the inhabitants of the chambers (his wives),
9:44
For many a woman clothed in this world will be naked in the Hereafter."
9:49
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
9:52
In this is an indication of the importance of raising a young woman to perform the night prayer,
9:58
In facing the tribulations of this time.
10:01
Just as the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, encouraged,
10:04
A woman to cooperate with her husband in performing the night prayer,
10:09
And to invite him to it,
10:11
And to respond to him if he invites her.
10:14
For Abu Sa‘id and Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with them, said:
10:20
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
10:24
"If a man wakes his wife at night,
10:27
And they both pray two rak‘ahs together,
10:31
They are recorded among the men and women who remember Allah much."
10:34
Narrated by Abu Dawud.
10:37
This is the first matter of the first steps on the path of worship.
10:42
Once you follow it and remain steadfast upon it,
10:45
It will, by the permission of Allah, bring you the other steps with ease and simplicity.
10:51
As for the second matter of the steps on the path of worship,
10:55
It manifests in controlling the tongue.
10:58
And controlling the tongue involves several matters.
11:02
Among them is that it be occupied with the remembrance of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic.
11:06
For Yasira, may Allah be pleased with her, who was among the emigrants (Muhajirat),
11:11
Said:
11:12
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to us:
11:17
"You must perform tasbih (saying Subhan Allah), tahlil (saying La ilaha illa Allah), and taqdis (sanctifying Allah),
11:21
And count them on your fingertips,
11:23
For they will be questioned and made to speak.
11:27
And do not be heedless, lest you forget the mercy."
11:30
Narrated by Abu Dawud.
11:33
And Umm Hani’, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
11:37
I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said:
11:42
"O Messenger of Allah,
11:44
Guide me to a deed,
11:46
For I have grown old, become weak, and gained weight."
11:50
He said:
11:51
"Magnify Allah (say Allahu Akbar) one hundred times,
11:53
And praise Allah (say Alhamdullilah) one hundred times,
11:56
And glorify Allah (say Subhan Allah) one hundred times,
11:59
It is better for you than one hundred horses bridled and saddled in the cause of Allah,
12:04
And better than one hundred camels (for sacrifice),
12:07
And better than freeing one hundred slaves."
12:10
Narrated by Ibn Majah.
12:12
This, as you notice, my noble sister,
12:16
Is a great reward for a deed that is easy for those whom Allah makes it easy.
12:21
And it is the remembrance of Allah, His glorification, and His declaration of oneness.
12:25
The other matter in controlling the tongue,
12:29
Is distancing oneself from wronging people with it.
12:32
And the one a woman wrongs most with her tongue is her husband.
12:36
Therefore, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, forbade,
12:40
The woman from being ungrateful to her spouse (kufran al-‘ashir).
12:43
He said:
12:45
"O assembly of women, give in charity,
12:47
and seek forgiveness frequently,
12:50
for I have seen that you constitute the majority of the inhabitants of the Fire."
12:53
A sensible woman among them asked,
12:57
"And why is it, O Messenger of Allah, that we are the majority of the inhabitants of the Fire?"
13:01
He replied:
13:02
"You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your spouses.
13:05
I have not seen anyone more deficient in intellect and religion
13:09
who can more effectively sway the heart of a sensible man than you."
13:12
Narrated by Muslim.
13:14
Thus, the primary reason a woman enters the Fire is her tongue,
13:18
which may even nullify her righteous deeds.
13:21
For it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
13:25
A man said, "O Messenger of Allah,
13:28
a certain woman is known for her frequent prayer, fasting, and charity,
13:34
but she harms her neighbors with her tongue."
13:38
He said, "She is in the Fire."
13:41
The man asked, "O Messenger of Allah,
13:44
what about another woman who is known for having little fasting, charity, and prayer,
13:51
and she only gives small pieces of dried yogurt in charity,
13:54
but she does not harm her neighbors with her tongue?"
13:58
He said, "She is in Paradise."
14:01
Narrated by Ahmad.
14:03
Therefore, the quality of a true worshiper is not realized
14:06
except by combining two matters:
14:09
drawing near to Allah through righteous deeds,
14:12
and restraining your harm from people in all its forms.
14:17
We shall continue in a future meeting, if Allah wills.
14:20
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.