Captioning provided by MUHSEN (www.muhsen.org)
If you walk into a place and you see someone on a pulpit,
that denotes that they probably have some level
of authority in that place.
Now in this life, there are those who judge with integrity,
but they're not seeking any elevation or personal gain.
And there are those
who don't seek out positions of leadership,
but it comes to them, and when it does,
they act with a great sense of amana, with responsibility.
And then there are those
that establish relationships with others,
but they have no ulterior motives
to seek some sort of access or high place here.
And Allah Azawajal says,
"Tilka al-dar al-akhira
naj'aluha lilladhina la yuridoona 'uluwwan fil ardi
wa la fasada wal 'aqibatu lil muttaqeen (28:83)"
This is the ultimate abode, being the Hereafter.
We reserve it for those
who seek neither elevation, meaning through tyranny,
nor do they seek corruption on earth.
And the best end is for the people of taqwa,
the people of piety.
And that's why 'Isa Alayhi Salaam
Jesus, the son of Mary,
was narrated to have said,
"Tooba lil mutawadi'ina fil-dunya
hum ashabul manabiri Yawm-al-Qiyamah"
Glad tidings to those that walk humbly on this earth.
They are inheritors of pulpits on the Day of Judgment.
There are levels of elevation on the Day of Judgment
that denote some sort of distinction.
While many are familiar with manabir
being the pulpits of lights, which we'll get to,
there are other levels before that.
So the prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said
that there are three people who will be spared
from the shock of that day.
And they'll be spared from the hisab,
meaning from actually being held accountable.
And he said, Sallallahu Wasallam,
that they're going to be on kathibin min misk,
which is like a hill of musk,
until Allah finishes holding everyone else accountable.
So imagine these people
that are standing on hills of musk,
and they're off to the side
during and after the hisab,
after the accountability,
and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
enters them into paradise after it's all done.
The prophet Sallallahu Wasallam said
that these three people are a man
who recites the Quran,
sincerely seeking the pleasure of Allah,
and he guides the people with it
and they're pleased with him.
So this is a person who's truly ahlul-Quran,
from the people of Quran.
Then a da'ee, who is a preacher that calls people
to the five prayers, again,
seeking the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And then you have a servant that sets things right
between himself and his Lord and
between himself and those that are entrusted to him.
So the underlying theme here
is that the reciter of Quran and the preacher,
they could technically seek elevation in this world.
But they're doing it only for Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
And the person who has an upper hand in the relationship
could easily transgress,
but he doesn't out of fear of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
On the other hand,
the most hated people are the tyrants,
and they are varying types.
And Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is not going to wait
until the questioning to make His disdain known for them.
The Prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam said,
"Yuhsharal mutakabbiruna al-jabbaruna Yawm-Al-Qiyama
fi soor al-dar"
That the arrogants and the tyrants
will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment
like tiny little atoms.
They're not even ants.
And they're small people like they actually are.
And the prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam said
that people will trample upon them
due to their disgrace before Allah Azzawajal.
On the other hand,
you look and you see these elevated platforms of light.
Who do they belong to?
The prophet SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam said,
"Innal muqsitina 'inda Allah 'ala manabira min noor
'an yamin ar-Rahma"
Verily, those who were just
will be in the presence of Allah
upon pulpits of light,
near the right hand of The Most Merciful.
"Wa kilta yadaihi yameen"
And the prophets SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam said
both of his hands are right and that there is no deficiency.
So, who are these people?
Are they just leaders of nations?
No, he said, SallAllahu Alaihi Wasallam,
"Alladhina ya'diluna fi huqmihim wa ahlihim
wa maa waluh"
That these are people
who practice justice in their judgements
with their families and in all that they did,
whoever was entrusted to them.
And Allah knows when someone is in a position to judge,
they have immense powers, sometimes unchecked.
So when they use it right, what does Allah do?
He gives them an immense pulpit and position
on the Day of Judgment that everyone can admire.
All the while, the tyrants are being trampled
and the people of justice
are being raised up on these platforms.
Now this is someone who judged with justice
with the people and stayed mindful of Allah.
The other category of those who have manabir, these pulpits,
also includes the relationship of people to people.
But this one is laced, not with justice,
but with the love for Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
And to appreciate this category,
think of people fighting each other on the day of judgment
and they're assigning blame to one another.
Why?
Because they supported each other in transgression.
So they're literally asking Allah,
"Show me that person who led me astray
so I can trample him under my feet.
I want to jump on that person
and beat them up because of what they did."
And they're shouting out in regrets:
"Al akhilla-u yawma idhin ba'duhum li ba'din 'adu"
Allah's Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la says,
close friends, close friends who are going to be enemies
to each other on that day except for the pious.
And they're putting their fists
in their mouths out of nervousness.
And they're saying,
"Ya waylata laytani lam atakidh fulaanaha"
I wish I never took that person as a friend.
So while these people are quarreling
and trying to stomp on each other
and denouncing one another
and yelling at each other for leading each other away
from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala,
then you have these pulpits of light
and Allah calls out, where are
"al mutahabbuna fi jalali? Lahum manabiru min noor."
Where are those people that loved each other for My sake?
They have pulpits of light.
"Yaghbituhum an-nabiyuna wa shuhadaa'"
Those people that love each other
for the sake of My Majesty,
that are on these pulpits of light,
they're going to be admired
by even the prophets and the martyrs.
And in one narration the companions said,
"Tell us ya Rasulullah who are these people?"
And he said, these are people who love one another
for the sake of Allah.
They come from far away lands.
They have no family ties.
I swear by Allah, their faces will glow
and they will be sitting on these pulpits of light
and Allah will put light on their faces
and light on their garments.
And they will have no fear when the other people have fear,
and they will have no grief
when the other people are grieving.
And then the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam recited,
Ala inna awliya Allah la khawfun 'alaihim wa la hum yahzanun
"Behold verily, as for the friends of Allah,
they have no fear nor shall they grieve."
So the pulpits of light and the Hereafter,
are for those who didn't seek prominence
or position in this life,
nor did they betray the trust of leadership
that was given to them for the sake of some worldly gain,
nor did they maintain relationships
with people with some lowly worldly motives.
These were people that loved
and led with the light of Allah.
And so what is Allah doing?
He's elevating them with that light
in a way that even the prophets
and the martyrs would admire them on the Day of Judgment.
"Fa amma man thaqulat mawaazinuhu
fa huwa fi 'ishatin raadiyah"
Captioning provided by MUHSEN (www.muhsen.org)