Seeking Refuge Through Trust, Discipline, and Truth

Second condition: فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ (“So when you recite the Qur’an, seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the expelled (one)(16:98). “This does not mean merely repeating the Arabic words:  It means one should have a sincere desire and utter one’s utmost to guard against Satan’s evil suggestions when reciting the Holy Qur’an and should not allow wrong doubts to enter the heart.”

إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًا (Indeed, over My (faithful) servants there is for you no authority. And sufficient is your Lord as an Advocate.”*16:99)

Therefore, whoever relies on Allah has no dominion over him from Satan. Satan’s control is over those who do not lean on Allah; their reliance is on material causes and worldly conditions. But if Allah becomes one’s sole support, then be certain that Satan can do nothing.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ للهِ الْمُتَجَلِّي لِخَلْقِهِ بِخَلْقِهِ، وَالظَّاهِرِ لِقُلُوبِهِمْ بِحُجَّتِهِ، خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ مِنْ غَيْرِ رَوِيَّة، إِذْ كَانَتِ الرَّوِيَّاتُ لاَ تَلِيقُ إِلاَّ بِذَوي الضَّمائِرِ وَلَيْسَ بِذِي ضَمِير فِي نَفْسِهِ، خَرَقَ عِلْمُهُ بَاطِنَ غَيْبِ السُّتُرَاتِ، وَأَحَاطَ بِغُمُوضِ عَقَائِدِ السَّرِيرَاتِ.

Praise belongs to Allah, Who is Manifest before His creation through His creation, Who is apparent to their hearts through His clear proof;   

“He created creation without prior deliberation (tarawwul), for deliberations are only befitting those who have conscience/inner awareness (dhawī al-ḍamāʾir), and He is not one who possesses a conscience within Himself.”

1. What does “MIN GHAYR RAWYYAH” (مِنْ غَيْرِ رَوِيَّةٍ) mean?

Rawyah (رَوِيَّة) comes from the root راوَى and means:

• Deliberation, careful thought, consideration before action
• Pausing to think: “Should I do this? Is this the right thing? Let me think it through first”

This phrase does NOT mean Allah created “without thinking” or “without knowledge”. Rather, it means:

Allah did not need to pause and deliberate before creating.

Why? Because:

• Deliberation implies doubt, uncertainty, or seeking knowledge about what to do.
• Allah is all-knowing (ʿAlīm). He already knows what will happen, the consequences, the wisdom—nothing is new to Him.
• Deliberation is a sign of weakness in created beings who must think before acting.

2. “Deliberations are only befitting those who have ḍamīr” (الضَّمائِر)

Ḍamīr (ضَمِير) means:

• Inner conscience, self-awareness, moral awareness
• A being who questions: “What should I do? Is this right or wrong?”

Only creatures with consciousness need to deliberate because:

• They do not know everything beforehand.
• They have limitations and must think through choices.
• They have moral responsibility and must weigh consequences.

3. “He is not one who possesses a conscience within Himself” (وَلَيْسَ بِذِي ضَمِير فِي نَفْسِهِ)

This is the theological core of the statement:

Allah is not bound by the limitations of created beings. He:

• Does not have a “conscience” to question or deliberation to pause for.
• Acts with perfect knowledge, perfect wisdom, and perfect will from eternity.

What He wills, happens instantly: “فَيَكُونُ” (fayakūn) — “So it is”.
وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عليا و أبىنائه المعصومين حجج الله ، 

أُوصِيکُمْ عِبَادَاللهِ و نفسي، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ،

Visionary Parents دور اندیش والدین

رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ;  

My Lord! Make me and those ˹believers˺ of my descendants keep up prayer. Our Lord! Accept my prayers.

امام صادق (ع) الْوَلَدُ سَيِّدُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ، وَ عَبْدُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ، وَ وَزِيرُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ.”   

0-7: Freedom + Love

8-14: Discipline + Teaching  

15-21: Partnership + Leadership 

8-14 The child should now be disciplined, learn obedience, responsibility, and moral conduct. 

Parental Role: Begin serious education, establish boundaries, teach halaal and haraam, train in worship and ethics. 

Why this change? 

At this age, the child can understand right from wrong, develops moral reasoning, and needs structure to form good habits. 

Practical Application: 

Teach prayer (ṣalāh) (command them at age 7), study, manners, honesty, respect for rights, prevent bad behavior. 

Key Principle: “يُؤَدَّبُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ” — “He should be disciplined for seven years”

Sermon: 2 

اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ وَالْحَمْدُ حَقُّهُ كَما يَسْتَحِقُّهُ حَمْداً كَثيراً وَاَعُوذُ بِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسى اِنَّ النَّفْسَ لاَمّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ اِلاّ ما رَحِمَ رَبّى وَاَعُوذُ بِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ الشَّيْطانِ الَّذى يَزيدُنى ذَنْباً اِلى ذَنْبى وَاَحْتَرِزُ بِهِ مِنْ كُلِّ جَبّار فاجِر وَسُلْطان جائِر وَعَدُوّ قاهِر اَللّـهُمَّ اجْعَلْنى مِنْ جُنْدِكَ فَاِنَّجُنْدَكَ هُمُ الْغالِبُونَ وَاجْعَلْنى مِنْ حِزْبِكَ فَاِنَّ حِزْبَكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ وَاجْعَلْنى مِنْ اَوْلِيآئِكَ فَاِنَّ أولياءك لا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ 

والصلاه والسلام علی حبیب رب العالمین، شفیع المذنبین، رحمه للعالمین ابی القاسم محمد….

The holy Quran talks about ‘mustakbirīn vs. mustaḍʿafīn’

وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ ﴿قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَضْعِفُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا لَوْلَا أَنْتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ

“If not for you, we would have been believers.”

قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَضْعَفُوا أَنَحْنُ صَدَعْنَاكُمْ بَلْ كُنْتُمْ مُجْرِمِينَ 

The arrogant will answer that they did not prevent guidance; rather, the others were themselves guilty.  

فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَضْعَفُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا بَلْ مَكْرُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَا أَنْ نَكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَتَّخِذَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا وَأَسِرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ وَقَفَّنَا الْأَعْقَابَ بِالْحُكْمِ وَلَنْ نُمَكِّنََّكُمْ مِمَّا سُلِّطْتَ عَلَيْهِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ كَانَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لَا يَرْحَمُونَ

“And those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, ‘Rather, [it was your] plotting night and day when you would order us to disbelieve in Allah and to set up equals to Him!’ They will hide [their] regret when they see the punishment. And We have put chains around the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they to be rewarded except for what they used to do?” (34:31-32) 

“Dahwul-Ardh” (دهو الأرض) literally means “the spreading/extending of the Earth.” According to narrations from the Ahlulbayt (ع), this is the day when Allah spread out the Earth from beneath the Ka’bah, making it habitable for mankind. 

Key Insights from Ahlulbayt (ع)

1. Imam Ali al-Rida (ع) — Major Events on This Day

Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (ع) said after dinner:

“On the twenty-fifth night of Dhul-Qa’dah:

• Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was born
• Prophet Jesus (AS) was born
• The Earth was spread (Dahwul-Ardh) on the water where the Holy Ka’bah is now situated.” 

Rewards of Fasting on This Day 

According to narrations from Ahlulbayt (ع): 

Fasting = 70 years Expiates 70 years of sins 

The sun is directly overhead the Ka’bah (causing shadows to disappear) twice a year. The first occurrence is in late May 27-28. 

Second Occurrence July 15-16.