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Youth and lusts:
Dear brothers, this Khutbah is addressed to the male and female teenagers, to every pious man and woman who are guarding their chastity after they realize the grave effect of forbidden desires on them, to every young man and woman who used to follow their lusts but now they are striving to find a way out, to every heedless man or woman who is still in the mud of lusts, to every father and mother who realize the immensity of the task of children upbringing and to every teacher who is supposed to educate this generation.
This Khutbah is meant to address the issues of our era including the inciting lusts, the prevailing dissoluteness and the half-naked women who wander around showing their body in magazines, newspapers, internet, satellite channels and other places, and it is meant to address the unprecedented levels of sexual madness. To all those dear brother I address this Khutbah.
The fruits of chastity:
Allow me at the beginning to start with the positive matters. Allah praises the greatness of His Prophets and Messengers, peace be upon them, indicating how they worship Allah with hope and fear. Thus, there must be some sort of balance between hope and fear.
Dear brother, the fruits of chastity are priceless, and I would like to mention them one by one.
1- Feeling prosperous:
One of chastity's fruits is that the chaste believer feels prosperous, and he can almost hear the Divine Praising of him. People usually rejoice being praised by those who are superior to them, and they are proud of it, like the student who is praised by his teacher. If these praises come from well-
known people, they become even more valuable, but how about being praised by the Creator of mankind, the Lord of the Worlds?
((Narrated Uqbah bin Amer, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet PBUH said: "Your Lord is amazed to see a young person who has distanced himself from following the desires of his lower passions.))
The upright young person is endeared to Allah, so is the repentant young man.
Dear brother, Allah Sublime and Exalted be He, says:
﴾ Successful indeed are the believers* Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness* And those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allah has forbidden)* And those who pay the Zakat* And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts)* Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame* But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors;﴿
2- Winning Paradise:
Dear brother, there is no praising more valuable than the one that comes from Allah the Almighty, for it is Allah's Testimony in the favor of that person. Allah promises his believing servants to admit them to Paradise (as a reward). He says:
﴾The men and the women who guard their chastity (from illegal sexual acts) ﴿
Then He says:
﴾ These are indeed the inheritors. Who shall inherit the Firdaus (Paradise)* They shall dwell therein forever. ﴿
The Prophet PBUH, who does not speak of (his own) desire, said:
((Whoever guarantees me (the chastity of) what is between his legs (i.e. his private parts), and what is between his jaws (i.e., his tongue), I guarantee him Paradise.))
Whoever controls his tongue, earns Halal money and guards his chastity, shall be rewarded with Paradise. When the young man distances himself from Haram and guards his limbs and senses from sinning, he is absolutely entitled to the Divine Promise of Paradise.
Dear brother, if you meet any knowledgeable scholar who spent his lifetime in seeking Islamic knowledge and teaching it, any worshiper who put up with the difficulties of offering the acts of worship, anyone who fights for the sake of Allah or any Da'iyah (caller) to Allah who strives day and night to spread the word of Islam shouldering the burden of Da'wah, and you ask them all, why do you bother doing so? You will get one answer, "We are seeking Paradise and the Honorable Face of Allah the Almighty"
Every young man or woman who distances him/herself from prohibitions, every young man who lowers his gaze from looking at Haram and every young woman who wears Hijab so that her beauty will not inauthor people are all included in the Divine Promise in the Quran and Sunnah that they are entitled to enter Paradise (as a reward). This is why they deserve to be praised by Allah, and there is no praising more valuable than the Divine Praising. Not to mention, they deserve the Divine Promise of entering Paradise and enjoying the eternal felicity, given there is no promise equal to such a great promise.
3- Feeling tranquility:
Dear brother, the third fruit of chastity is gaining tranquility and peace of mind. Verily, the peace of mind is only well-appreciated by those who miss it including those who follow their desires, because they suffer unbearable anguish and pain:
﴾"But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection."* He will say:"O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)."* (Allah) will say: "Like this, Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) came unto you, but you disregarded them (i.e. you left them, did not think deeply in them, and you turned away from them), and so this Day, you will be neglected (in the Hell-fire, away from Allah's Mercy)." ﴿
Dear brother, the believer does not have the concerns the worries or the fear of the unknown the common people have.
﴾Then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery. ﴿
In another Ayah, Allah says
﴾And whoever follows My Guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve. ﴿
4- Conquering desires:
Dear brother, amongst the fruits of chastity, uprightness, lowering gaze and controlling limbs and senses is to take pleasure in conquering desires. Though sinners seek pleasures from fulfilling their lusts through unlawful ways, the chaste young man and woman take pleasure in conquering the ownself's forbidden desires. This pleasure is even greater than the former one. Those who follow their lusts are in mud, whereas those who obey Allah are in the Paradise of Allah's Vicinity, and how substantial is the difference between the two.
The perils of following lusts:
Dear brother, the lurking perils for the one who follows his lusts are so many:
1- Torment in the Hereafter:
Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And those who invoke not any other ilah (god) along with Allah, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment* The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; ﴿
Dear brother, before the eternal torment of the Hereafter, there is the grave torment for the adulterers which is confirmed in so many Sahih As7adeth. The other fact about adultery and which catches attention is that the Ayat in the Quran in which adultery is forbidden actually indicate forbidding whatever gets man closer to this major sin, simply because the sexual lust has something unique about it in the sense that when someone starts few steps in that course, he will end up in committing adultery at the end. Allah says:
﴾ And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a Fahishah [i.e. anything that transgresses its limits (a great sin)], and an evil way (that leads one to Hell unless Allah forgives him).﴿
2- Longing for women:
One more thing, women are the most effective means for Shaitan (Satan) to seduce men and Shaitan is sure that this trap works when he sets it up for the believer:
﴾ (Iblis) said: "Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path* Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You)." ﴿
These are the acts of Shaitan, given the woman is his utmost means and the most effective trap:
((Usama bin Zaid reported Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying: "I have not left after me any (chance) of turmoil more injurious to men than the harm done to the men because of women."))
3- Following Shaitan:
Dear brother, Allah says:
﴾ Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met (i.e. the battle of Uhud), it was Shaitan (Satan) who caused them to backslide (run away from the battlefield) because of some (sins) they had earned. ﴿
When you follow Shaitan in one step only, or in one insignificant move, you may not realize that this is dangerous, because in fact this will be your first step through which he can access to you:
﴾ Shaitan (Satan) who caused them to backslide (run away from the battlefield) because of some (sins) they had earned ﴿
Dear brother, when you are walking in the open and suddenly you run into a sign that says "Do not go forward, it is a minefield", will you get angry with the one who puts this sign? Not at all, on the contrary, you will thank him for it, and you will never consider it as means to limit your freedom, but rather it is meant to keep you safe. Hence, there is a big difference between the one who believes that Shari'ah rulings put limits to his freedom and the one who believes that they guarantee his safety.
4- Having a deviated heart:
Dear brother, the heart is but the vessel where man puts those he loves and whom he fears losing. Also, opposites cannot be brought together in it:
﴾ Allah has not put for any man two hearts inside his body. ﴿
This means that the heart can be filled with lusts, so there is no room for the acts of obedience, or it is filled with the love for the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and thus there is no room for lusts. You should believe beyond doubt that the heart can only be filled with either of these. Accordingly, if you fill it with love for Allah the Almighty, with control of your desires, with obedience (towards Allah) and with seeking Allah's Content, there shall be no room in it for lusts.
The believer can fulfill his lusts in lawful ways (through marriage), for there is no deprivation in Islam and the proof of that is in the following Ayah:
﴾Then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery. ﴿
﴾ And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah? ﴿
According to Mafhoom Al-Mukhalafah (an implicit meaning on which the text maybe silent but is nevertheless in harmony with its pronounced meaning), the one who follows his own lusts lawfully (with guidance from Allah) is on the safe side.
Dear brother, Ibn Al Qayyim commented on the following Ayah:
﴾ Nay! Man will be a witness against himself [as his body parts (skin, hands, legs, etc.) will speak about his deeds]. Though he may put forth his excuses (to cover his evil deeds). ﴿
He said, "Had the lover been asked to choose between pleasing the woman he loves and pleasing Allah, he will choose the woman, given meeting her is more endeared to his heart than meeting Allah, longing to be close to her is greater than longing to be close to Allah and avoiding her displeasure is more important to him than avoiding the displeasure of Allah. Thus, he pleases this woman even at the cost of displeasing Allah, and her interests precede obeying Allah." This is a fact since Allah has not put for any man two hearts inside his body.
5- Deserving the Divine Punishment:
The Prophet PBUH told his Companions the following Hadith but what it contains is relevant to the present time. As if he were living with us, and through this Hadith he told us the unseen, the future, the end of days and the signs of the Hour of Judgment, given this kind of Ghaib (unseen) was
revealed to the Prophet PBUH by Allah, because the Prophet PBUH does not know the unseen except what he was told through the Divine Revelation:
((It was narrated that 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) turned to us and said: 'O Muhajirun, there are five things with which you will be tested, and I seek refuge with Allah lest you live to see them: Immorality never appears among a people to such an extent that they commit it openly, but plagues and diseases that were never known among the predecessors will spread among them…))
When an Italian minister stands up and say, "I am gay" at a press conference, when the Secretary of State for Health in UK declares the same thing, when a princess confesses that she committed adultery several times mentioning the men one by one, when the most powerful country appoints an ambassador who is not ashamed of declaring that his spouse is a man, when adultery is announced in public and when homosexuality appears in public and men are proud of it wearing one earring to show that they are homosexuals, this means that committing this major sin reached unbearable levels.
Dear brother, let us continue the Hadith:
((…They do not cheat in weights and measures but they will be stricken with famine, severe calamity and the oppression of their rulers. They do not withhold the Zakah of their wealth, but rain will be withheld from the sky, and were it not for the animals, no rain would fall on them. They do not break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger PBUH, but Allah will enable their enemies to overpower them and take some of what is in their hands. Unless their leaders rule according to the Book of Allah and seek all good from that which Allah has revealed, Allah will cause them to fight one another.))
The accounts of 300 billion dollars (of Arabs' money) are frozen in the western banks following the incident of 9/11:
((…but Allah will enable their enemies to overpower them and take some of what is in their hands. Unless their leaders rule according to the Book of Allah and seek all good from that which Allah has revealed, Allah will cause them to fight one another.))
As if the Prophet PBUH were with us, and this is but the unseen that is Divinely Revealed to him.
Dear brother, I would like to mention some confirmed statistics. According to a statistic in 1977, the number of people who are afflicted with syphilis reaches 50 million, whereas those who are afflicted with gonorrhea are 250 millions. Lately, the plague of this era (i.e. AIDS) has spread in a geometric chain to such an extent that the number of people afflicted with this disease in the entire globe reaches 10.000 daily. Every minute, 6 toddlers (five years old and younger) are infected with AIDS. In 2000 only, 3 million HIV positive patients died. AIDS added 13 million orphans to the list of orphans in the world. Also, the number of HIV positive patients in 2000 reached 34 million around the world. The amazing fact is that the Islamic world is considered safety-belt with regard to AIDS, because Muslims are still holding on to their religion.
Dear brother, our master Ali, may Allah be pleased with him said, "O Kumayl, knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you, while you have to guard the wealth. Wealth decreases by 
spending, while knowledge multiplies by spending, and the results of wealth die as wealth decays." A rich man was touring in Italy and he checked in one of its hotels, then he allowed himself to commit adultery with a woman who before leaving his room she wrote a note to him on the mirror, "Welcome to the club of AIDS." As a result, he committed suicide.
Dear brother, there are prompt punishments in the worldly life. Pay attention to the following Ayah:
﴾ Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done﴿
AIDS is the plague of our time, and it is but part of that which they have committed.
The causes of dissoluteness and confusion:
Dear brother, what are the causes of this dissoluteness, this madness, this confusion and this bohemian lifestyle?
1- Having weak faith:
Faith is the basis of virtues and the restraint against vice. Believing in Allah the Almighty is the only protection and guarantee against sins, and it is the weapon which destroys inciting lusts. Thus, the weaker man's faith is, the darer he will be in committing sins. The Prophet PBUH told us in the following Hadith that when man commits adultery, it will be the outcome of his weak faith: 
((Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The one who commits an illegal sexual intercourse is not a believer at the time of committing illegal sexual intercourse"))
When I talk about adultery I mean all its aspects; the eye commits adultery by looking at Haram, the tongue commits adultery by uttering dirty words, the hand commits adultery by a forbidden touch and the major sin of adultery is the sexual intercourse.
Dear brother, weak faith is the first reason behind adultery, so if someone wants to protect himself from deviations that are prevailing among people, he should work on strengthening his faith by attending religious sessions and by befriending chaste believers:
((Abu Sa'eed narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: "Do not accompany except a believer, and do not serve your food except to one with Taqwa."))
2- Befriending bad people:
The second cause is the bad company. Allah the Almighty tells us what this loser says:
﴾ "Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a friend! ﴿
Man should evaluate his friends, those he deals with, those he spends long nights with and the people he meets, so if they are deviated from the Right Path of Allah, and they adorn sins and discourage obeying Allah, he should not take them as Awliya' and friends lest Allah considers him one of them. Allah says:
﴾ And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya', then surely he is one of them. ﴿
They (who lose) also say:
﴾ "Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a friend! ﴿
This is what they say on the Day of Resurrection.
Dear brother:
((Narrated 'Abdullah: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Everyone will be with those whom he loves."))
Hence, watch out whom you befriend and admire and see whether you admire a believer or a rich person, a believer or a sinner.
﴾ Is then he who is a believer like him who is Fasiq (disbeliever and disobedient to Allah)? Not equal are they.﴿
Dear brother, in another Prophetic Hadith, the Prophet PBUH said:
((Abu Hurairah, May Allah be pleased with him narrated that the Prophet PBUH said: "One imitates his close friend, so watch carefully who you choose to be your friend."))
((Narrated Abu Musa: The Prophet (PBUH) said, 'The example of a good pious companion and an evil one is that of a person carrying musk and another blowing a pair of bellows."))
Dear brother, when you realize that this friend is adorning sins to you, that he is not a religiously committed Muslim and that he discourages you from obeying Allah, you should break up this friendship right away and seriously without any delay lest your doom comes from his side.
3- Looking at Haram:
Dear brother, the third cause is looking at Haram. Looking at forbidden things is the spark that inauthors locked lusts, and such a look transfers photos to the mind, which cannot forget them easily. Let alone, they are stored sub-consciously forever, and they mayl encourage man to commit a sin. Allah says:
﴾ Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do* And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.)﴿
Dear brother, scholars said, "The look leads to a thought, which in turn leads to a notion, and the latter inauthors desire, and with desires comes the will which grows to be a determination to act." This chain shows us how man moves from step to another till he does an action. Hence, the chaste is the one who escapes the first step in the path towards the major sin. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse﴿
Man's desire is like a steady rock on the top of a mountain, and moving it even a little bit will not move it one meter or tow, but rather it will keep it moving till it ends up in the bottom of the valley. Thus, success lies in keeping this desire where it is without moving it even slightly, because man will be surprised how fast this will lead him to adultery.
4- Loneliness and having extra time:
Dear brother, if you do not keep your ownself busy in good matters, it will make you busy with evil things. The gravest thing about the youth is the leisure they have, 
and filling this time with worthwhile activities like acquiring some useful skills, calling to Allah, reading a useful book or meeting with other believers, will leave no room for negative matters.
The cure from forbidden desires:
Dear brother, the cure lies in having strong faith which is achieved by doing the following things:
1- Following a religious scholar:
You should have a religious reference (like a scholar):
((Narrated Abi Umamah Al Bahili, may Allah be pleased with him: Once a young man came to the Prophet (pbuh) asking permission for committing fornication. The people, then, started to rebuke him and said, "shush, shush." Then he asked him, "Do you like it for your mother?" "No may Allah make me a sacrifice for you", the man replied. "So are people." the Prophet (pbuh) asked again, "Do you like it for your daughter?" No may Allah make me a sacrifice for you," the man replied. "So are people." The Prophet (pbuh) commented. The Prophet asked once more, "Do you like it for your sister'?" the man replied "No may Allah make me a sacrifice for you." The Prophet (pbuh) commented. "So are people." The Prophet (pbuh) eventually asked, "Do you like it for your aunt?" The man replied" No may Allah make me a sacrifice for you." The Prophet (pbuh) commented, so are people." Whereupon the Prophet (pbuh) placed his hand upon him and said, "O Allah! May you forgive his sins, purify his heart and make him chaste. The young man did not pay attention to anything else thereafter.))
2- When man has a religious reference, a Masjid to go to and a scholar in whose knowledge and piety he trusts and who he can ask about what to do, only then he will be fine. On the other hand, the heedless is not in control which makes him err over and over again without receiving any piece of advice from anyone. Therefore, you should strengthen your faith, because the 7 billion people on earth including you are keen on their existence, safety, perfection and the continuity of their existence. Unfortunately, the majority of people become miserable because of their ignorance which is the fiercest enemy to man, given the ignorant harms himself in ways that even his enemy will not harm him with.
Seeking Allah's Help:
Dear brother, if you act upon Allah's Order, Allah will always support you:
﴾ "Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who follow you of the Ghawin (Mushrikun and those who go astray, criminals, polytheists, and evil-doers, etc.).﴿
﴾ Verily, those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious - see V.2:2), when an evil thought comes to them from Shaitan (Satan), they remember (Allah), and (indeed) they then see (aright).﴿
Dear brother, is it rational or does it befit you as a believer to read pornography magazines, to watch indecent soaps or to be one of the callers of TV shows where women appear half-naked? Those, who produce these sorts of TV shows, are filling their pockets with your money without your knowledge, whereas other people are dying out of hunger.
3- Getting married at a young age:
Dear brother, what maintains your chaste is to get married at an early age as long as you can meet your basic needs. In other words, if the young man has a place to live (of any kind), he finds the suitable future wife and he can make a living, he should get married as soon as possible depending
on the following Hadith:
((Narrated 'Alqamah: It was narrated from 'Alqamah and Al-Aswad that 'Abdullah said: "The Messenger of Allah PBUH said to us: 'Whoever among you can afford it, let him get married, and whoever cannot then he should fast, for it will be a restraint (wija') for him.'))
Someone might wonder, is fasting here refers to refraining from food and drinks?
This is the meaning of fasting that comes to your mind, while there is a deeper meaning of the word "fasting", and it refers to staying away from whatever inauthors desires, from the streets that are full of half-naked women, from public places where women show up in their best looks, from assemblies where adulterers' adventures are told and from any topic, action, soap or TV show where there are half-naked women. Therefore, fasting could have a wide meaning. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And marry those among you who are single (i.e. a man who has no wife and the woman who has no husband) and (also marry) the Salihun (pious, fit and capable ones) of your (male) slaves and maid-servants (female slaves). If they be poor, Allah will enrich them out of His Bounty. And Allah is All-Sufficent for His creatures' needs, All-Knowing (about the state of the people).﴿
The following Sahih Hadith fills the heart of every young man with trust and hope:
((Narrated Abu Hurairan, May Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet PBUH said: "There are three for whom it is a right upon Allah to help him: The Mujahid in the cause of Allah, the Mukatab who intends to fulfill (the Kitabah), and the one getting married who intends chastity."))
One more thing, when man longs to get married, he is Divinely granted a great reward:
((Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet PBUH said: "…and in man's sexual intercourse (with his wife) there is a Sadaqah." They (the Companions) said: "O Messenger of Allah, is there reward for him who satisfies his sexual need among us?" He said, "You see, if he were to satisfy it with something forbidden, would it not be a sin on his part? Similarly, if he were to satisfy it legally, he should be rewarded."))
When you seek chastity, Allah will find you a way though people might not have solutions for you, and when you seek chastity, Allah's Help will be endued upon you all the time, because when you act upon Allah's Order, do you think that anyone can do you any harm?
4- Avoiding minor sins:
Dear brother, when man looks at Haram and mistakenly assumes that he is committing a minor sin, this will lead him to major sins. Actually, people belittle minor sins, while they are the traps of 
Satan:
((The Shaytan (Satan) is hopeless that you may worship him but he is content with your small misdeeds, do not obey him in that.))
Sahl bin Sa'd said: The Prophet PBUH said:
((Beware of the sins that are belittled, for they are like a people who settle in barren land. Then their leader comes and orders the men to go out one at a time and each bring back a stick until they have gathered a large number of sticks. Then they kindled a fire and burned everything that they threw into it, so are sins for verily, they are gathered in a man until they destroy him.))
I would like to address every young man and woman: Do not forget that you are engaged in an ongoing battle with a very fierce enemy (i.e. Shaitan) who invites you to your doom in every way he can:
﴾ Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You)."﴿
The believer who is proud of Allah and who resorts to Him is well-fortified:
﴾ Verily! He has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord (Allah)* His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Satan), and those who join partners with Him (Allah).﴿
Dear brother, when the young man commits a minor sin and he keeps repeating it, committing it will become easy for him, and it will even turn into a habit. Afterwards, Shaitan will seduce him to commit a bigger sin, and he will keep seducing him to move from committing a minor sin to committing a bigger one till he commits adultery:
﴾It was Shaitan (Satan) who caused them to backslide (run away from the battlefield) because of some (sins) they had earned.﴿
5- Sitting with pious people:
Dear brother, amongst the effective cures is choosing good religious friends who give you sincere smile, who have rich knowledge and who are honest. In brief, your friends should be true believers:
﴾ And keep yourself (O Muhammad PBUH) patiently with those who call on their Lord (i.e. your companions who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, etc., and other righteous deeds, etc.) morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.﴿
((Asma bint Yazid reported: She heard the Messenger of Allah PBUH say, "Shall I tell you about the best of you?" They said, "Of course, O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet PBUH said, "The best of you are those who inspire sh3er to remember Allah the Exalted when they are seen."))
You will be well-fortified as long as you are with believers. Pay attention to the following Hadith:
((Hanzalah Al-Usayyidi (May Allah be pleased with him) who was one of the scribes of Messenger of Allah (PBUH), reported: I met Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) he said: "How are you O Hanzalah?" I said, "Hanzalah has become a hypocrite". He said, "Far removed is Allah from every imperfection, what are you saying?" I said, "When we are in the company of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and he reminds us of Hell-fire and Jannah, we feel as if we are seeing them with our very eyes, and when we are away from Messenger of Allah (PBUH), we attend to our wives, our children, our business, most of these things (pertaining to life hereafter) slip out of our minds." Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah, I also experience the same thing". So Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) and I went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and I said to him, "O Messenger of Allah (PBUH), Hanzalah has turned hypocrite." Thereupon Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "What has happened to you?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah, when we are in your company, and are reminded of Hell-fire and Jannah, we feel as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but when we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much of these things go out of our minds." Thereupon Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "By Him in Whose Hand is my life if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your roads; but Hanzalah, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time should be devoted (to prayer)". He (the Prophet (PBUH)) said this thrice.))
Upon entering any house of Allah (the Masjid) and upon meeting your fellow believers, you will be in deep comfort, and you will feel exalted. It is mentioned in the relic:
((My houses on earth are the Masajid, and those who attend them regularly are My endeared visitors. Congratulation to My servants who purify themselves in their houses before they come and visit Me (in the Masjid). Those deserve to be welcomed warmly.))
On the other hand, choosing bad friends, who are heedless and sinners, will make you one of those who are described in the following Ayah:
﴾And (remember) the Day when the Zalim (wrong-doer, oppressor, polytheist, etc.) will bite at his hands, he will say: "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger (Muhammad PBUH).﴿
In another Ayah Allah says:
﴾ When those who were followed, disown (declare themselves innocent of) those who followed (them), and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them.﴿
All these Ayat confirm the fact that as a Muslim you should be with the believers:
﴾ O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).﴿
6- Being upright on the Path of Allah:
Dear brother, when man distances himself from sins, and when he becomes upright, he will feel the real security. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security? If you but know."* It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping sh3er besides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided.﴿
((Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Seven people Allah will give them His Shade on the Day when there would be no shade but the Shade of His Throne (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection): And they are: a just ruler; a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the Masajid, two men who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer and) says: 'I fear Allah'; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a man who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes become tearful."))
Dear brother, why did the Prophet PBUH address the youth in this Hadith? The answer is because the youth are easy preys to desires; the young man or the young woman has all the means to fulfill lusts. Some scholars said in interpreting this Hadith, "Each one of those, who keeps holding on to religion at the end of days, is like someone who holds a blazing coal in his hand."
Finally:
Dear brother, call yourselves to account before you are called to do so and weigh your deeds before they are weighed against you, and you should know that the Angel of Death has passed over us to reach sh3er, and will pass over sh3er to reach us, so let us pay heed. The wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires. and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
The 2nd Khutbah:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and I testify that there is no Deity worthy of worship but Allah Alone, the Guardian of the pious, and I testify that our Master Muhammad is his slave and Messenger, who is on an exalted standard of character. O Allah, send your peace and blessings on our Master Muhammad, his Folks and his Companions.
The Prophetic acts of worship during the day and at night:
Dear brother, if we track down the Sirah (biography) of the Prophet PBUH and try to find out what he used to do during the night and the day, we will come up with the following facts:
1- Working:
First of all, the Prophet PBUH used to work. According to a very accurate statistic, the employee in the advanced countries, which takes over the entire world, works more than six hours continuously every day, whereas the employee in the backward countries works only 27 minutes daily. If we
ponder over the following Ayah, we will realize that we are required to work hard:
﴾ And make ready against them all you can of power﴿
This preparation entails hard working whether you are a merchant, an employee, a student or a housewife, and this work is called Al-Jihad Al-Bina'i (the constructive striving). There is also Jihad An-Nafs (striving against ownself (evil ideas, lusts and desires)) which refers to conquering the desires and lusts, and there is Al-Jihad Ad-Da'awi (calling people to Allah):
﴾But strive against them (by preaching) with the utmost endeavour, with it (the Qur'an).﴿
Al-Jihad Al-Bina'i is the response to the Ayah "And make ready against them." You should excel in a major or master a craft so that your hand will be the upper one in order to use the money you earn in solving Muslims' problems. The individual Muslim should not be a burden on sh3er' shoulder and should not live on the crumbs of sh3er, but rather he should become the first in everything, and he should use part of his time in working.
2- Worshiping Allah:
The Prophet PBUH used to offer night prayers. If you make a promise (to yourself) that you will offer two Rak'at before Fajr, reauthor few pages of the Quran, making Adhkaar(supplications) as mentioned in Sunnah and offer Fajr in congregation in Masjid, you will be applying the worshipping aspect in the life of the Prophet PBUH.
3- Mingling with people:
You should dedicate some time to spend with people in order to strengthen your relation with them such as spending time with your wife, children, relatives, neighbors and colleagues. Also, you should dedicate some time to spend in the Masjid or for the purpose of Da'wah.
4- Looking after the physical health:
You must use part of your time to build your body. Unfortunately, Muslims spend astronomical sums of money for treating their bodies from diseases due to neglecting their health when they were young.
5- Having a balance in doing the daily matters:
Man should have a balance in doing all his affairs. It is said in a book of psychology, "There are three matters to be maintained in order to reach balance, and neglecting even one of these three will affect the other two negatively. They are: Your connection with your Lord, with your work and with your health", and let me add one last matter which is your relation with your family. Hence, they are four pillars in man's life which need to be performed to reach balance and neglecting even one will negatively affect the sh3er. Your relation with your Lord should be rich with the acts of worship, the acts of obedience and the performance of good deeds. Your relation with your family should be strong, simply because sh3er have people to look after them other than you, but you are the only person your family has got. Looking after your health will maintain the body which helps you offer good deeds and have a living to preserve your dignity.
You should manage your time by working hard to make a living and own the upper hand, by looking after your health which helps you offer good deeds and by building social connections through Da'wah, through enjoining Ma'roof and forbidding Munkar and through strengthening kin ties. By doing these things, you will deserve to be called a follower of the Prophet PBUH.
The supplication:
O Allah, we beseech You to show us the way of righteousness together with those to whom You showed it; and to give us good health together with those whom You have healed; and to be our Protector, as You are of those whom You protect; and to bless what You have bestowed on us; and to save us from the affliction that You have decreed –for You rule with justice and You are never judged; and he whom You protect shall never be humiliated, and he whom You make Your enemy shall never be elevated, blessed and dignified are You. We thank You for what You have decreed, we ask You for Forgiveness for our sins, and we repent to You.
O Allah, please lead us to the good deeds, for no one leads to them but You; please lead us to the good conduct, for no one leads to it but You; please make us do well in the Deen, which is our dignity, make us do well in our worldly life, in which we dwell and grant us safety on the Day of Judgment for it is our Final Destination. O Allah, please supply our life with all good things and make our death a rest from every evil.
O our Master, the Lord of all Worlds, please make us desire what You have made lawful and reject what You have made unlawful, make us by Your benevolence independent of all sh3er and make our obedience to You turn us away from our disobedience. O Allah, let us not be oblivious to Your planning; do not deprive us of Your shield and do not make us forget Your remembrance.
O Allah, by Your Mercy and Benevolence, raise high the word of truth and this Deen, grant triumph to Islam, dignify Muslims, humiliate polytheism and polytheists O Lord of the Worlds.
O Allah, destroy Your enemies; the enemies of this Deen. O Allah, disrupt them, make them scattered and afflict them, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, show us Your Omnipotence against Your enemies, as You have showed us their power in destroying us, O Lord of the Worlds as You are the only One Who is capable over His decreed, and Who responds to our supplication.
