Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality

Bismillah, Elhamdulillah, Vessalatu Vesselamu Ala Rasulillah,

My dear and honored viewers!

For two days I have been trying to explain to you the subject of the basmala. Today too we will continue with the same subject.

Our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem', our Master, was a person who loved the guest very much, who wanted us too to love the guest, and who would not eat a meal without a guest.

Again such a desert bedouin came to his house and sat at the table — an uncouth man, an unlettered man. Our Prophet was the elder of that table; beside him were Ebubekir and Ömer. Without looking at them at all, without uttering the basmala, he began to eat from right and left, from his front and from behind.

Our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem' took his hand and said:

يَا غُلَامُ سَمِّ اللَّهَ وَكُلْ بِيَمِينِكَ وَكُلْ مِمَّا يَلِيكَ

which means: O boy! My child! Mention the name of Allah — first begin the meal by uttering the basmala, say 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim'. And eat with your right hand, my child. And eat from what is in front of you, my son. And he complied.

Now, what our Master wants from us is to eat by uttering the basmala, to eat with the right hand, and to eat from in front of us. You may say: my teacher, is it a sin to eat with the left hand? No, I did not say sin, I did not say forbidden. Our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem' recommends that we eat our food with our right hand and says he would be pleased if we eat with our right hand. He says: eat and drink with your right hand.

Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality (continued)

Also, when one sits at the table, just as one utters the basmala and eats from in front of oneself, first the elders begin the meal. This is the manner of Islam. After that the others begin. Our Master teaches that too.

My dear ones, our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem' says: when evening comes, close your door with the basmala. Now, have a steel door made; take whatever precautions fall to you so that the thief does not enter — do your part. But also take refuge in Allah. Close your door saying 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim'. Let no thief come, let no terrorist knock at your door; may Allah protect you.

أَغْلِقْ بَابَكَ وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ اللَّهِ

which means: close your door and mention the name of Allah. Close your door saying 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim', taking refuge in Allah. This is our Master's recommendation and command to us.

When night falls, when evening comes, if you have a stove, if there is fire burning in your hearth, if your electric lamp is on, extinguish it saying 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim'. This is our Prophet's command. You know, the newspapers are always writing about those poisoned by the stove; houses burn down; a man forgets electrical appliances on. How beautiful these recommendations of our Prophet are! You will take your precaution, and also take refuge in Allah saying 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim'. You will extinguish your lamp uttering the basmala, extinguish your fire.

Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality (continued)

How beautifully our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem' speaks! Now we say 'microbe'. Now there is the laboratory; in the laboratory they look and see. At that time there was no laboratory. Our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem', our Master, teaches us these things too. He says:

أَغْلِقُوا الْأَبْوَابَ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ وَخَمِّرُوا آنِيَتَكُمْ

which means: close your doors and do not leave them open, cover your vessels, and mention the name of Allah. We will also cover our vessels — the food vessel, the water vessel, the milk vessel, and the empty vessel — uttering 'Bismillah'. Did you not find a lid? Place a stick across it uttering the basmala, he says. Do that too saying 'Bismillah'.

What beautiful recommendations these are! Extinguish your lamp, extinguish your fire, cover your vessels, close the door of your house with the basmala, and check it. If you have a water vessel, tie its mouth too uttering 'Bismillah'. Let no microbe enter, let no evil enter, let no disease microbes fill it. Our Master gave such warnings.

We will also say the sentence 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim', the sentence of taking refuge in Allah, when entering the bathroom and the toilet. But we will say it outside. We will take refuge in Allah.

Because we have guardian angels. According to what Allah informs us in the Glorious Quran, there are guardian angels who protect the believing person; they follow him. And there are recording angels. These angels do not enter dirty places such as the toilet; they remain outside.

Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality (continued)

While we are in the toilet or the bathroom, we are in an unprotected and defenseless state. So we do our business in the best and quickest way. In the toilet one does not speak, nor recite anything. We sit to relieve ourselves without turning our front or back toward the qibla. We are Muslims. Being Muslim means adab, refined manners. The Quran means adab. Faith means adab. As Mevlânâ and Şems-i Tebrizî also said, do not turn your front or your back toward the qibla.

In this way we do our business. We do not linger too long, we do not fall into whisperings. After washing well and drying, we come out at once. On coming out we say 'Elhamdulillah'. We have thrown off a distress and the things that harm us, and come out.

Outside the door we will take refuge in Allah saying 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim' and enter. We will enter with the left foot and, on coming out, come out with the right foot. We will say 'Elhamdulillah'. We will do this when going to the toilet and when entering the bathroom to wash.

A person in a state of major ritual impurity (cünüp) may utter the basmala. A menstruating woman may utter the basmala. Because the basmala is a supplication of taking refuge in Allah. One may supplicate without ablution; without ablution one does not read the Quran and does not perform the prayer. We said that 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim' is a verse from the Quran. But here we utter the basmala as a supplication, with the aim of taking refuge in Allah — not with the aim of reading the Quran.

Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality (continued)

So a person in major ritual impurity, when entering the bathroom, will take refuge in Allah outside the bathroom saying 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim' and enter. He will try not to turn his front or back toward the qibla.

Two people may wash in the bathroom — that is, a husband and wife may wash together. Of course, two people who are strangers to each other may not wash together; I want to say this too, because certain things reach our ears. My teacher, may a husband and wife not wash together? Why not? These claims are not correct; they may wash together. But it is necessary not to speak much in the bathroom, to do one's business and come out at once, because we are in an unprotected state there. The guardian angels wait outside.

So we enter outside saying 'Bismillah' and with the left foot. We come out with the right foot and saying 'Elhamdulillah'. In the bathroom and the toilet we do not turn our front or back toward the qibla. This too is our Prophet's recommendation to us.

So the basmala is a blessed sentence. Because it is a verse of Allah, and because it carries within it the names Allah, Rahman, and Rahim, it is not uttered in dirty places. I have also tried to explain to you the meaning of the basmala: in the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. My Lord, I have believed in You, I have trusted in You. With the strength and power You have given me, by Your grace, I begin this work.

Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality (continued)

Now, if a man utters the basmala while drinking rakı or wine, if he begins gambling with the basmala, if he utters the basmala while stealing, while giving a bribe or taking a bribe — what happens? Does it not amount to defying Allah, saying: O Allah, You commanded this work, I am doing it using Your name? Is it not insolence? Is it not an insult?

The scholars say that the man who does this deliberately toys with his faith. In such evils the basmala is not uttered.

كُلُّ أَمْرٍ ذِي بَالٍ لَا يُبْدَأُ فِيهِ بِبِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ أَقْطَعُ

You will begin every important and good work with 'Bismillah' — not evil works!

'Elhamdulillah', Allah has granted us faith. We are Muslims. He has placed the crown of the honor of being Muslim upon us. This is a very great blessing; there is no blessing greater than this. So we will protect our being Muslim and will not do wrong things.

We look at shops. A man has hung the writing 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim' on the wall of his shop; he had it written by an expensive calligrapher and framed. If beneath that basmala he lies, weighs wrongly, and measures wrongly, has he not mocked the basmala? Is it not an insult to the basmala? Is it not dangerous?

Please let us pay attention to these. Let us not begin a work without the basmala, but let us also not do wrong. Let us know that we believe in Allah and that we do our works by Allah's grace. When we utter the basmala, let us say it knowing these meanings. Let us consider that if we make Allah a witness to a wrong work, we may incur Allah's wrath.

Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality (continued)

My dear ones, if a believer, on leaving home in the morning, says:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

which means: in the name of Allah, I have put my trust in Allah; there is no power and no strength except by Allah — then our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem' says that Allah assigns guardian angels to him. Until evening, until he returns home, they protect him from evils.

We believe in our Prophet. He does not lie.

وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ ۝ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

which means: he does not speak from desire; it is nothing but a revelation revealed. He does not speak from his own self; what he says rests on the revelation conveyed to him. He does not talk nonsense.

Let us give ear to this voice of our Prophet too. When leaving home in the morning, let us go out with our right foot and say: 'Bismillah', I have put my trust in Allah. O Allah, I have leaned on You. 'Maşallah'; my Lord, if You will, everything happens; if You do not will, nothing happens. 'La havle ve la kuvvete illa billahil-aliyyil-azim'. O Allah of majesty, power and strength are Yours; without Your might and power no one can do anything. You are the source of everything, of power and of strength. Grant me too power and means in good works, bestow and grant it. If you go out saying this, you take refuge in Allah.

Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality (continued)

Our beautiful Prophet says that until evening the guardian angels will protect you. When the president comes, he has many guards. When the minister comes, he has guards. You too, when you utter the basmala, will suddenly see that Allah is protecting you. Allah does not leave His believing servant alone.

I have tried to present these things briefly about the basmala. The manner of beginning a work has two parts: the basmala and the hamdele.

To give thanks to Allah — O my Lord! You granted it, You created me as a human being, You gave health and well-being, You gave reason, You gave the faculty of thought, You granted me this work. Praise be to You! — renewing our faith in Allah in this way is the second part, the hamdele.

My dear ones, our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem' had an acquaintance named Dımâd. This man was a polytheist. He had heard that our Prophet had become a prophet. Everyone, all the tribes, had heard this; the news had spread from mouth to mouth.

He loved our Prophet very much. Among those who knew our Prophet there was no one who did not love him. Even those who did not believe in him would say: there is no beautiful person like him — the trustworthy Muhammed, the beautiful Muhammed, the truthful Muhammed, the Muhammed who dies for his friend, who gives his life.

Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality (continued)

Dımâd was someone who did a bit of reciting and blowing, who said he understood jinn and illnesses. Among the people there are such reciters-and-blowers; the matter of believing or not believing in them I will explain later. The Muslim's guardian is Allah; he expects everything from Allah and takes refuge in Allah in every matter. Do not expect help from jinn and the like.

This man thought he was treating people by reciting and blowing. He set out, crossed the deserts, and came to Medine. He asked after our Prophet. They said: there is the one sitting in the mosque, he says he is a prophet. He went to him.

He said: do you know me? Our Prophet said: how could I not know you? Dımâd said: I have heard that you say you are a prophet. Have you lost your mind a little? I treat such things. I love you; I have come to recite and blow over you.

Look, if it were us, we would beat him, would we not? Our Prophet smiled. However ignorant the person before him, he treats him humanely. Smiling, he said:

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ

Dımâd said: one moment, one moment! The Arabs did not know reading and writing, but they knew Arabic literature and beautiful Arabic very well. He said: what beautiful sentences you have spoken! It seems it is I whose goats have run off; it seems it is I who needs to be recited over. I ask forgiveness.

Lesson Three

The Prophet's Hospitality (continued)

Here is the point: our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem', with a beautiful sentence, with the word of praise, at once changed the man's polytheism and idolatry. He left him full of admiration and became a cause of his entering faith.

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ

Praise belongs to Allah. We praise Allah. We are beholden to no one. We know everything to be from Him. We do not bow our head before anyone. We are free believers.

نَحْمَدُهُ

We praise Him. We bow our head and our soul before Him. We submit to Him and ask help from Him. This is true freedom.

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

I believe, as though seeing with my eye, that there is no god but Allah. He is One.

When our Prophet was about to say, but look now, my brother, Dımâd said: stop, stop! Enough. You have spoken such beautiful sentences that I have understood it is I who needs to be recited over. The man came into line. You see the blessing of beginning with the hamdele.

We too, after saying 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim', will say:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

which means: praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The first sentence of the Glorious Quran is 'Bismillahirrahmanirrahim'. After it comes 'Elhamdülillahi Rabbilâlemîn'.

Allah 'celle celaluhu' tells us to praise after the basmala, so we will begin thus. Our Prophet 'sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem' informs us that the work not begun with the hamdele will not come to an end and will not reach its goal. As with the basmala, we will comply with this too. After the basmala, we will begin our work saying 'Elhamdülillahi Rabbilâlemîn'.

Farewell. May you be entrusted to Allah.

The Noble Qur'an

Qur'anic Verses

The Prophetic Sunnah

Hadîth

The Prophetic Sunnah

Hadîth (continued)

Glossary

Concepts in This Lesson

Basmala

Beginning in the name of Allah with "Bismillâhirrahmânirrahîm".

Hamdele

Praising Allah; saying "Elhamdülillah".

Hutbetü'l-hâce

The introductory sermon of need, beginning with praise of Allah and the two testimonies, with which our Prophet would open his addresses.

Table manners (sofra adabı)

Beginning with the basmala, eating with the right hand and from in front of oneself, and precedence for elders.

Hospitality (misafirperverlik)

The love and care shown to the guest, exemplified by our Prophet.

Guardian angels (muhafaza melekleri) and Kirâmen Kâtibîn

The angels who protect the believer and the noble scribes who record deeds; they do not enter unclean places.

Cünüplük (major ritual impurity) – Hayız (menstruation)

States in which the Quran is not recited and the prayer is not performed, but supplication and remembrance are permitted.

Kıble

The direction of prayer, toward which one does not turn the front or back when relieving oneself.

Glossary

Concepts in This Lesson (continued)

Helal – Haram

The lawful and the forbidden.

Rüşvet (bribery); short measure and weight

Forbidden gains and dishonesty in trade.

Tevekkül

Trust in Allah after taking the due precautions.

Hamd

Praise of Allah. Şirk: Associating partners with Allah.

Persons and works mentioned

our Prophet Hazreti Muhammed ‘sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem’; Hazreti Ebubekir; Hazreti Ömer; Ömer bin Ebî Seleme; Mevlânâ Celâleddîn-i Rûmî; Şems-i Tebrizî; Dımâd el-Ezdî; Sahih al-Buhârî; Sahih Müslim; Sünen Ebû Dâvûd; Sünen Tirmizî.