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Bismillahi ar-rahmani ar-rahim

Today is a double festival, and we have double wishes for you: Ramadan Mubarak! Juma Mubarak! May Allah’s barakat (blessing) be with you in this special time. May he accept your devotion, may he hear your prayers, praises and intercessions.

As we begin our study of the path along which Allah’s providence is leading human history, I want to remind us of a couple ayahs about the beginning.

Al Baqara 2:34

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ

And when We said to the angels, 'Bow yourselves to Adam'; so they bowed themselves, save Iblis; he who abstained out of pride, and so he became one of the unbelievers.

Where did it go wrong? Why are we not in the garden where our parents lived happily in the beginning? Why did all the sorrows of our world begin?

1. because angels bowed before someone other than Allah
2. because Allah wants people to suffer
3. because of the pride of Iblis, and his deception

Remember this. At the beginning of all the world’s troubles was PRIDE. People who think: I AM BETTER THAN OTHERS, because I am a Turk (or an Arab, or a Hausa etc.), because I am Muslim, because I read namaz five times a day!, these people follow the path of Sheytan, the enemy from the beginning.

Our next ayah gives us two extremely important truths, which Allah himself told our father Adam (aws) after he, and our mother Hawa, disobeyed the will of the Almighty, and broke the trust and peace which was between them until that time.

Al Baqara 2:38

قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى فَمَنْ تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

We said: Go away from this (state) all; but surely there will come to you a guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, no fear will come upon them, and they will not grieve.

When Adam (aws) and Hawa followed the guidance of Iblis (ayah 2:36 says: But Shaitan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from that in which they were.) this is what happened

1. They had to leave and rely on their good deeds to come to Allah.
2. They had to leave and rely on guidance from Allah.
3. Allah simply forgave them, and everything was OK.

This ayah tells us about a curse, the consequences of which are still with us. We are not in the beautiful garden where our grandparents once lived. We live in a world, where war, illness, fear and sorrow are abundant, until the long awaited Jawm al-Qiyamat, the day of Judgement. Allah also gave an assurance to Adam in this same ayah. He gave him a promise of A GUIDANCE FROM HIM as well as a promise that anyone, who will follow that guidance, needs NOT TO FEAR. Great hope is given to us in these words! Let’s praise Salih Allah (the Righteousness of Allah).