Faraz Rabbani – Don’t Fear, Truly God Is With Us: The Unconditional Hope
About this lecture
One of the key sunnas of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is that he was always positive and full of hope in Allah Most High. It didn’t matter what was happening to him or around him, the Prophet’s positive attitude and hope were unconditional. In this Friday khutba, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani highlights Allah’s call to all believers to have unconditional hope. He explains how the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) maintained unconditional hope in Allah. Shaykh Faraz points out that most people are hopeful only when matters seem to go according to their plan or seem to be in their control. However, he explains that the reason behind the Messenger’s unconditional hope was the complete realization that ultimately all matters are absolutely in Allah’s control. Allah is the Lord who is absolutely Merciful, Caring and Cherishing. Shaykh Faraz encourages us to place our trust and hope in Allah and call upon Him while bringing to our consciousness those meanings. He calls us to not at all have fear or lose hope about how things are. Allah promises in the Qur’an that “whoever places their trust in Allah, then Allah is their sufficiency” [Surat al-Talaq, verse 3]. Therefore, to the extent one places their trust in Allah, to that extent He will be sufficient for them. Shaykh Faraz counsels us to have trust and hope in Allah by seeking the good from Him and then taking the means to attaining that good. Whether the matter is personal, communal or global, one should first direct themselves towards Allah and asking Him for the good. Finally, Shaykh Faraz highlights lessons from the hijra (migration) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as an example of true hope in Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) took the means outwardly to preform the migration. And all while there were multiple dangers on the way, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had absolute trust in Allah and reassured Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) with what was revealed to him from The Lord of the worlds, “fear not, for Allah is with us”. This Friday khutba was delivered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani in March 2017 at the the Jame Masjid Oakville, Noor-ul-Haram.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "Be avid for all that benefits you; seek Allah's help; and don't deem yourself incapable." Being avid for all that benefits entails striving to do that which is most likely to be most pleasing to Allah and closest to the beautiful example of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace blessings be upon him his folk). Shaykh Faraz describes himself as a "global nomad", as he spent his childhood in Canada, England, Egypt, and Spain, before returning to Canada to complete his high school and university studies. Having come from so many places, when he began to reflect on who he was, he discovered the only clear answer was "a Muslim." And so began his journey as a student of knowledge. At university, he became active with the Muslim Students Association at a local and national level. He helped develop MSA National's MSA Starter's Guide and founded and ran The Muslim Voice, MSA University of Toronto's magazine, now in its 17th year. He also founded and ran the first online African news service (Africa-N), and worked as an editor on his college paper, The Strand. Even while completing his Bachelors in Economics and Commerce at the University of Toronto, Shaykh Faraz developed a deep interest in Islamic learning, studying with local scholars such as Shaykh Talal al-Ahdab and Shaykh Faisal Abdur-Razak. After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1997, he and his wife (Ustadha Shireen Ahmed) travelled to Damascus and then to Amman, where he studied with leading Islamic scholars, including Shaykh Adib Kallas (Allah have mercy upon him), Shaykh Hassaan al-Hindi, Shaykh Muhammad Jumuah, Shaykh Akram Abd al-Wahhab, and Shaykh Nuh Keller. In 2001, Shaykh Faraz began answering questions for his family and friends online; this grew into the Hanafi Fiqh list at Yahoo Groups. On the advice of his teachers, the SunniPath web site was created, which featured both a question/answer service and online Islamic courses. After ten years overseas, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in the Summer of 2007. In May 2008 he founded SeekersGuidance to deal with the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge--both online and on the ground--in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. With fellow SeekersGuidance teachers Shaykh Yahya Rhodus and Shaykh Omar Qureshi, Shaykh Faraz hopes to establish a model Islamic seminary that will produce Islamic scholars of the highest caliber, through excellence in teaching, curriculum, spiritual training, and a deep spirit of service--with knowledge of both religion and contemporary social and intellectual realities. Shaykh Faraz also serves as a partner and legal advisor with StraightWay Ethical Advisory. He is the author of Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) In 2009, Shaykh Faraz was named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center. His personal interests include reading, both in English and Arabic. He is very interested in management, economics, environmental matters, international development, technology (especially in its social, human, and spiritual impact), law, theology, and spirituality. He loves classical Islamic poetry and singing--but cautions that moderation is needed in listening to even permissible music, as the Qur'an should be given primacy in one's life over all other interests.
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