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- Friday Sermons
The first sermon:
Dear brother, Allah the Almighty says in the following ayah:
“By the night as it envelops; And by the day as it appears in brightness; And by Him Who created male and female;”
This, in fact, is a sequence of oaths:
“By the night as it envelops; And by the day as it appears in brightness; And by Him Who created male and female;”
And the answer to these oaths is:
“Certainly, your efforts and deeds are diverse (different in aims and purposes);”
The human being has free choice:
“Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve.”
“Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.”
If one thinks for a second that one is in all his actions and has no choice, he will be canceling the deen, the Mandate, the Trust, the orders and the prohibitions.
Man has free choice as regards obligations, yet he has no choice as regards his parents, his hometown, or the times in which he is to live.
If there were no free choice, there would be no point in holding men accountable for their deeds; there would no point in punishment; and, eventually, in Paradise or Hellfire. Hence:
“Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.”
“Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve”
“For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers).”
Everything on earth indicates the existence of Allah:
Allah the Almighty puts at our disposal three kinds of Signs. The first one is the Universe -with everything it contains, such as the heavens, galaxies, and celestial bodies; and the earth with everything it contains, such as plants, animals, fish, and birds:
“And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty,”
Everything points to the Creator (Allah), and when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, looked at the new moon, he said:
"A new moon -a good and a guide."
Every single thing in the Universe has two functions: to benefit and to guide; he western world fulfilled the former (by advancing at all levels), Muslims should fulfill both of them.
Hence, when you read an ayah which contains an order, you should, as a Muslim, comply with it; when you read an ayah containing a prohibition, you should refrain from it; you read an ayah telling a story about an ancient nation, you should take heed; and when you read an ayah providing you with legal ruling, you should apply it.
You should take a stance concerning every ayah in the Qur'an, and this is the exact meaning of cogitation. Thus, when you read 1300 ayaat in the Qur'an on the Universe, what should your stance be?
“And by the sun and its brightness; And by the moon as it follows it (the sun); And by the day as it shows up (the sun's) brightness; And by the night as it conceals it (the sun); And by the heaven and Him Who built it; And by the earth and Him Who spread it;”
What are these Universe Signs in the Qur'an? In fact, they are the most relevant themes for cogitation.
Cogitation is one of the best acts of worship:
Cogitation is one of the best acts of worship and is considered to be an act that leads to the knowledge of Allah:
“Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.”
This ayah establishes the basis for cogitation, given the fact that by means of cogitation human beings get to know Allah better and as a result are more righteous and disciplined.
The more you know Allah and are familiar with His commandments, the more you obey Him; whereas if you get familiar with the commandments without knowing the Commander, you will artfully avoid applying those orders, which will make you face a painful reality.
It is all in our hands since halal (the permitted) and haram (the prohibited) are obvious, yet our lack of acquaintance with the Divine leads us to invent loopholes in the law to avoid charges.
Therefore, if you know the Commander, and then the commands, you will be obedient; whereas if you know the commands without any knowledge of the Commander, you will artfully try to avoid applying them, and this is one of the diseases that Muslims are suffering from.
The way to knowing Allah:
This is a standing invitation for you to increase your knowledge of Allah, and as Sayyidina Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
"Knowledge of Allah is the core of the deen."
How do we come to know Allah?
The answer to that is: By means of three kinds of Signs, starting with the Universe Signs -His creation; Phenomena Signs -His acting (on earth); and ending with the ayaat of the Qur'an -His Words.
Those set up a clear way to the knowledge of Allah by reflecting on the Signs of the Universe, observing the phenomena on earth, and comprehending the ayaat of the Qur'an, such as the ones that follow:
“Say (O Muhammad): "Travel in the land and see what was the end of those who rejected truth."”
“Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.”
It is all about reflecting, looking closely and comprehending.
And when you know the Commander, and then the commands, you will devotedly obey Him. Hence, the following noble ayah says:
“By the night as it envelops; And by the day as it appears in brightness; And by Him Who created male and female; Certainly, your efforts and deeds are diverse (different in aims and purposes);”
Earthly classifications are meaningless before Allah:
There are countless earthly classifications of mankind, such as the Saxons, the Semites, the underdeveloped countries, the developed ones, the industrial and commercial ones, etc.
All these classifications are meaningless in Allah’s Sight. What has real value for Him is the two kinds of people mentioned in the following ayah:
“As for him who gives (sadaqah) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, and believes in al-husna…”
This is the first kind –those who believe in al-husna, which is Paradise, and that they were created for the Paradise the width of heavens and earth, in which they will find what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has imagined.
The first effect of this belief is discipline, therefore whoever gives and fears Allah by avoiding disobedience and whose life is based on giving, deserves this Paradise.
In a book about the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, we read in the acknowledgment:
"To him who came to this life to give not to take, to sacrifice his whole life, to take care of man’s cause, to refine his way of thinking and alleviate his herd instinct.
To him whose excellence designated him to be the best of all people, so outstanding was he among the sh3er.
To him whose mercy was his essence, justice was his law, compassion was his nature, and solving people’s problems was his worship."
Therefore, the first group is those who believe in al-Husna, that is the Paradise, as well as in the fact that they were created for it.
How many years do you think Paradise lasts?
This is something hard to imagine as it has to do with eternity, which is also hard to imagine. To give you an approximation: If you put 3 zeros after number one, that will be one thousand; 6 zeros will make it into one million. Imagine now that you put a number of zeros that fills the distance between the earth and the sun, and we are talking here about one zero in every millimeter of that distance. What will that number be?
It will be a huge number indeed, but still, if you compare it to eternity, it can be considered as zero.
Much in the same line, you can imagine that earthly life, with all its wealth, delights, mansions, gardens, positions, and women, is just a zero in Allah’s Sight and that is why losing the Hereafter is the biggest loss:
“So worship what you like besides Him. Say (O Muhammad): "The losers are those who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Verily, that will be a manifest loss!"
Requirements of faith:
Therefore:
“As for him who gives (sadaqah) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in al-husna;”
They believe that they were created for Paradise the width of heavens and earth, in which they will find what no eye has seen. So, if you lived for a thousand years and collected a huge amount of wealth, that would be nothing compared to Paradise the width of heavens and earth, in which you will find what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has imagined.
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave and never took, and the believers should follow in his footsteps and act imitating his conduct.
The giver is likable, far away from stinginess, far away from people’s envy, and he forces them (through his manners) to praise and appreciate him.
Among the prerequisites of the belief in Paradise are abiding by the permitted and the forbidden, staving off disobedience to Allah, and building life on giving.
Hence, there are two kinds of people at the top of mankind: one of them being the Prophets, who own the hearts; and the other one being the powerful, who own the necks. The Prophets give and never take, whereas the powerful take and never give. Furthermore, the Prophets live for the sh3er, whereas the powerful use the sh3er. With no exception, the inhabitants of this world are the followers of either a Prophet or a powerful man, and the right thing is to be among the former.
In the Sight of Allah people are of two kinds:
1- Those who follow Allah’s Way:
Dear brother,
“By the night as it envelops; And by the day as it appears in brightness; And by Him Who created male and female; Certainly, your efforts and deeds are diverse (different in aims and purposes);”
The first group:
“As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in al-husna;”
They are those who believe that they have been created for Paradise, so they are pious and disciplined; they abide by the orders and avoid the prohibitions; and build their life on giving.
Unfortunately, people are measured by the standard of their houses, their cash and properties. Yet, the real measurement should be according to the transcendent measurement, namely, what you give, not what you take:
“As for him who gives (sadaqah) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in al-husna;”
“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable
of you with Allah is that (believer) who fears Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing,
All-Aware.”
What is the Divine response to their deeds?
It comes in the following ayah:
“As for him who gives (sadaqah) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in al-husna. We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness).”
All his affairs run smoothly –his marriage, his work, his health, his family relations, his children and people around him, not to mention his being optimistic. Thus, is he honored by Allah, as mentioned in the following ayah:
“We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness).”
Wouldn't you like to be one of those?
Wouldn't you like to be one of those who are under Allah’s care, close attention, and protection?
“As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in al-husna.”
So this is the first group.
2- Those who turn their backs at Allah’s Way:
“But he who is greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient. And gives the lie to al-husna;”
To the second kind belong those who disbelieve in Paradise and who believe only in the earthly life and nothing else, and as a result they discard obedience to Allah and build their life on taking.
Therefore, in accordance with this ayah people of all races, origins, sects, schools of thought and beliefs are only of those two kinds:
The first:
“As for him who gives (sadaqah) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in al-husna).”
And the second:
“But he who is greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient. And gives the lie to al-husna;”
The Divine response to the second group is in the following:
“We will make smooth for him the path for evil;”
He will experience hardship, unsuccessful marriage and professional life. Allah the Almighty says:
"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."
Serenity grants you happiness:
A man once asked: What is the matter with the rich and the powerful?
He was answered –I think by Al-Hasan al-Basri: "The distressed heart brings no felicity".
I swear by Allah, you might find the ultimate happiness in a very humble home, while a luxury house might entirely lack it.
Serenity is the mark of the believers and one of the greatest blessings of Allah.
It is the same serenity that overwhelmed the Sleepers of the Cave, Ibrahim in the fire, peace be upon him, and Prophet Mohammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the cave of Thaur; and you too will be overwhelmed by this serenity, even if you lose everything else, and will be miserable if you lose it, even if you owned everything else:
“As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in al-husna. We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness). But he who is greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient. And gives the lie to al-husna; We will make smooth for him the path for evil; And what will his wealth benefit him when he goes down (in destruction).”
Hence, the most repentant person is the one who lived poorly and died wealthy, and the most repentant person on earth is the one whose heirs earned Paradise because of his money (as they spent it in Allah’s Cause) whereas he earned Hellfire (having earned his money unlawfully).
Dear brother, once again I assure you that these are the issues of fate, peace, and happiness in the earthly life and in the Hereafter.
“By the night as it envelops; And by the day as it appears in brightness; And by Him Who created male and female; Certainly, your efforts and deeds are diverse (different in aims and purposes); As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in al-husna. We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness). But he who is greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient. And gives the lie to al-husna; We will make smooth for him the path for evil; And what will his wealth benefit him when he goes down (in destruction). Truly! Ours it is (to give) guidance, And truly, unto Us (belong) the last (Hereafter) and the first (this world). Therefore I have warned you of a Fire blazing fiercely (Hell); None shall enter it save the most wretched, Who denies and turns away.”
Dear brother, call yourselves to account before you are called to do so, and weigh your deeds before they are weighed, and you should know that the Angel of Death has been reaching sh3er and will reach us soon, so pay heed. The clever one is he who upbraids himself and works for what comes after death; and the weak one is he who follows his desires and lives on wishful thinking; and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
***
The second Khutbah:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds and may He bless and grant peace to Muhammad, the Faithful and the Honest, and may He bless his Family and Companions.
Universe Signs are the most relevant themes for reflection:
Dear brother, I mentioned in the first khutbah that there are more than 1300 ayaat in the Qur'an on the Universe, such as the following one:
“Verily, Allah is not ashamed to set forth a parable even of a mosquito or so much more when it is bigger (or less when it is smaller) than it.”
From the human point of view mosquitoes are one of the most insignificant insects. If one kills a mosquito, one certainly doesn't feel like a killer, do they? Yet, this mosquito is mentioned in the Qur'an.
Interestingly, the oldest make of a microscope magnified 8 times; the electronic microscope is able to magnify 500,000 times, so when this 1/1000-gram creature was placed under it, they found out that it has 48 teeth in its mouth, three hearts in its chest (the central one and one for each of its wings; that each heart has two atriums, two ventricles, and two valves; that it has infra red receptive system that planes don’t have –mosquitoes are able to see thanks to the heat produced by the objects, not thanks to their colors, shapes or mass; that it has blood analysis system –a mosquito inserts its trunk in a person’s flesh, takes a blood sample and analyzes it as not all kinds of blood suit its needs, to the extent that if two brother happen to be in the same bed, it stings one of them and not the other. Furthermore, a mosquito has an anesthetic system –to avoid getting killed: the mosquito anesthetizes the skin before inserting its trunk so by the time the person feels the sting, it is high up in the air, laughing.
The mosquito has, apart from the blood analysis system, the liquidizing system (because blood is too thick to be sucked by its trunk), it has the radar and, as already mentioned, the anesthetic system. Moreover, it has claws, in case it alights on a rough surface, and suckers, in case it alights on a smooth surface such as glass. So when Allah the Almighty says:
“Verily, Allah is not ashamed to set forth a parable even of a mosquito or so much more when it is bigger (or less when it is smaller) than it.”
These are considered as ayaat that deal with the Universe Signs, and a subject for reflection.
Supplication:
We beseech you Allah to show us the way of rightness, together with those to whom You have showed it; and give us good health, together with those whom You have healed; and to be our Protector, together with those for whom You have become their Protector; and bless us in what You have bestowed on us and save us from the afflictions that You have decreed, for You rule with justice and You are never judged. He whom You protect shall never be humiliated and he whom You make enemy shall never be exalted. Blessed and dignified are You, and we thank You for what You have decreed.
We seek your forgiveness and we repent for our wrong deeds. O Allah, instill in us doing good so that it may bring us closer to You. O Allah, give us and don’t withhold from us, honor us and don’t disgrace us, choose us and don’t turn away from us to sh3er, satisfy us and be satisfied with us. O Allah, lead those who are in charge of the nation of Islam to what pleases You.
