Praise be to Allah. We praise Him, seek His Help and seek His Forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls, and the adverse consequences of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, there is none that can misguide him, and whomsoever He misguides, you will find no protector to guide him. I bear witness that there is no Deity worthy of worship except Allah; He is Alone, having no partners, and I admit His Lordship, compelling this truth for those who denied Him and disbelieved in Him. And I bear witness that our Master Muhammad, may Allah have peace and blessings upon him, is the Messenger of Allah; the Master of the created and the human race, and I keep professing that for as long as sight can be seen with an eye and for as long as news can be heard with an ear.
O Allah, our Lord, have peace and blessings upon our Master Muhammad, upon his good and purified Folks, and upon his Companions, the trustees of his Da'wah and the leaders of his banners, and be pleased with them and us, O Lord of the Worlds.
O Allah our Lord, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion unto the lights of erudition and knowledge and from the muddy shallows of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity.
The signs of turning away from Allah Almighty:
Dear noble brothers, Muslims suffer from countless problems. However, the truth is that all these problems are signs of a single underlying disease: Turning away from Allah.
This leads me to speak about several factors behind our problems. In fact, they are the result of turning away from Allah, which indicates having weak faith. So, what are the signs of weak faith? Before I answer, let me tell you that weak faith is the most serious disease, as it leads to all kinds of familial, social, and economic problems.
In this blessed Khutbah, we will discuss the signs of turning away from Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He.
1- Faith that does not lead to obey Allah will not save its follower:
The first sign is that the faith which does not lead you to obey Allah is not sufficient. This kind of faith does not save its follower. Iblis said as Allah Almighty narrates:
﴾ [Iblis (Satan)] said: "By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all) ﴿
He believed in Allah as The Lord and As The Almighty. He also said as Allah Almighty narrates:
﴾ [Iblis (Satan)] said: "My Lord! Give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are resurrected." ﴿
According to the Ayah, Iblis believes in the Day of Resurrection, yet he is still Iblis. Therefore, not every kind of faith saves its follower. The faith that does not lead you to obey Allah will not save you.
Bear in mind that the bitter truth is a thousand times better than the comfort of delusion. So, beware of being trapped by the comfort of delusion, because as I have just said, the bitter truth is a thousand times better. Faith that does not lead you to obey Allah, to remain steadfast on His Path, to earn a lawful income, to raise your children according to Islamic teachings, and to choose a pious spouse will not save you. So again, beware of being trapped by the comfort of delusion.
Pay attention to the following Du'a (supplication), please:
We seek refuge in You from ignorance and illusion and we seek refuge in You from the muddy shallows of lusts. O Allah, lead us out from the muddy shallows of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity.
Proof of weakness in faith:
If you do not feel that mercy is cast into your heart to be merciful towards the weak, then you have a serious problem with your faith. Someone might say, "I am merciful to my children." Well, that mercy exists by Fitrah. With it, you love your children and care about their safety, future, and happiness.
(( It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: "When a young daughter of the Messenger of Allah was dying, the Messenger of Allah picked her up and held her to his chest, then he put his hand on her, and she died in front of the Messenger of Allah. Umm Ayman wept and the Messenger of Allah said 'O Umm Ayman, do you weep while the Messenger of Allah is with you?' She said: 'Why should not I weep when the Messenger of Allah is weeping." So, the Messenger of Allah said "Verily, I am not weeping. Rather it is compassion.' Then the Messenger of Allah said: 'The believer is fine whatever the situation; even when his soul is being pulled from his body and he praises Allah, the Mighty and Sublime"' ))
[ Sahih An-Nasa'i, by the authority of Ibn 'Abbas ]
Are you merciful to others? Being merciful to your family members is something instilled in you by Fitrah. The proof is in the following example: If a child is admitted to the hospital, his mother will weep; whether she is religious or not, pious or not. Hence, being merciful to our family members is instilled in us by Fitrah. However, our mercy should embrace all people. Allah Almighty says:
﴾ And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and
Harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah's) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). ﴿
The interpretation of this part of the Ayah: Because of the mercy in your heart, O Muhammad, you treated them gently, and as a result, they followed you.
﴾ And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you ﴿
This is a Divine Law.
Consider this point: When you establish a true relationship with Allah, your heart will be filled with mercy, and that mercy will lead to gentleness toward others. This gentleness, in turn, will draw people closer to you.
The previous Ayah needs to be applied by every father, mother, teacher, mentor, and whoever is in a position of leadership on earth.
﴾ And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. ﴿
The heart of the one who is disconnected from Allah, On the other hand, becomes filled with harshness. This leads to roughness and rudeness, which in turn drive people away from him. Accordingly, the previous Ayah outlines the principle of gathering and dispersing.
As a father, you always wish for your children to be close to you, just as a teacher does with his students and an Islamic missioner with those he calls to Allah Almighty. How does this gathering happen?
﴾ And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently.
﴿
Disconnecting from Allah Almighty leads to harshness and hardness of the heart, which drive people away from you. Hence, the more merciful we are, the closer we are to Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He.
﴾ Is he whose breast Allah has opened to Islam, so that he is in light from His Lord (as he who is non-Muslim)? So, woe to those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah! ﴿
2- The harshness of heart:
Having a ruthless heart is one of the signs of weak faith.
One more time, faith that does not lead you to obey Allah will not save you, and bear in mind: harshness of the heart is a veil between you and Allah.
3- Lacking submission in performing the acts of worship:
Dear brothers, some scholars said, "Lacking submission in performing the acts of worship indicates weak faith." Allah Almighty says:
﴾ Thus it is [what has been mentioned in the above said Verses (27, 28, 29, 30, 31) is an obligation that mankind owes to Allah]. And whosoever honours the Symbols of Allah, then it is truly from the piety of the heart. ﴿
Performing the acts of worship with full submission is a sign of closeness to Allah and love for Him. It is absolutely impossible to know Allah and not love Him, and to love Him without obeying Him.
You disobey Allah although you claim to love Him
By my life, how strange such a claim is!
If your love had been true, you would have obeyed
Him
The one who truly loves is obedient to the one he loves
Dear noble brothers, once again I am presenting the standards of the faith that saves its followers. However, faith that does not lead its followers to obey Allah and fill their hearts with mercy cannot save them, and its followers are under the delusion that it will.
Dear brothers, when you become lazy in performing acts of obedience, maintaining kinship ties, spending in the Cause of Allah, seeking Islamic knowledge, or following the Divine Commands, this laziness is a sign of weak faith, and it is one of the most common problems Muslims suffer from.
The father in a household will most likely ask his wife whether she helps the children with their homework, or if they eat dinner, right? However, it is rare for the father to ask whether the children perform their Salah or not.
Being concerned about your children's health and education is something most fathers do, but when you are concerned about their religion, that is when you truly succeed.
In fact, even if you hold the highest position on earth and possess the greatest wealth, you will still be the most miserable man if your son is not as you hoped.
We suffer from this problem in Islamic countries, but it is a million times worse in the western countries. Do you know why? Well, because the distractions that pull you away from your religion are countless, and the obstacles on the path of faith are immense. Due to the abundance of distractions and obstacles, the reward is proportional to the effort put in.
5- Straitening of the chest:
Dear brothers, straitening of the chest is a sign of weak faith. Allah 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." ﴿
Let me say this, and I hope I am right: if you cannot say that you are the happiest person on earth, except for someone more pious than you, then there is a flaw in your faith.
I once visited a man to congratulate him, for he had returned from Hajj. He said to me, "By Allah, there is no one on earth happier than I am unless he is more pious than me." You are truly happy as long as you are with Allah.
If your eyes saw the beauty of Ours they have seen,
you would never turn your back on Us for other's sake
If your ears heard Our nice speech,
you would throw away the arrogance garb and come to Us
If you taste an atom like of love,
you would excuse him who loved Us to death.
If you felt the breeze of Our closeness to you,
you would die in excitement and eagerness for Us.
If you saw any of Our illuminations,
you would leave all creations for Our sake
[ Ali bin Muhammad bin Wafa ]
Difference between knowing the facts of faith and tasting its sweetness:
There is a vast difference between tasting the sweetness of faith and knowing its facts; like the difference between having blueprints of a palace and actually living in it once it is built.
On the blueprints, you see spacious rooms, a beautiful garden, and a stunning view, but at the end of the day, it is still just a blueprint, while you do not even own a small cottage. This is what knowing the facts of faith is like. in contrast, tasting the sweetness of faith is like actually living in that palace. Therefore, there is a huge difference between knowing the facts of faith and tasting its sweetness.
Likewise, having a picture of the latest model of a luxury car is not the same as actually owning it.
The sweetness of faith is the only thing that drives you to sacrifice, to choose obedience to Allah over obedience to anyone else, to weep during Salah, and to give both the precious and the ordinary, the priceless and even your very self, for the Sake of Allah.
(( Al-'Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib reported Allah's messenger as saying, "He who is well-pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as messenger will experience the savour of faith," ))
[ Muslim, by the authority of Al-'Abbas ]
(( Anas narrated: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith: 1. The one to whom Allah and His Apostle becomes dearer than anything else. 2. Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's sake. 3. Who hates to revert to Atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire." ))
[ Agreed upon, by the authority of Anas ]
Once again, tasting the sweetness of faith is different from knowing the facts of faith.
(( Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith: The one to whom Allah (in His Quran) and His Apostle (in his Sunnah) becomes dearer than anything else ))
When do you truly give preference to Allah and His Messenger? You do so when your own interests are at stake. Imagine working as an importer, and your company requires you to bring in merchandise that is Islamically prohibited. Agreeing may bring great profit, but refusing that for the sake of Allah, despite the financial loss, means paying the price for tasting the sweetness of faith.
When you choose obedience to Allah over serving your own deceptive interests, only then do you truly taste the sweetness of faith.
He whom Allah remembers will be blessed with noble qualities:
Dear brothers, when you recite Quran, perform prayer or remember Allah, yet you feel nothing, then know that your heart has become hardened.
There are signs for such a conclusion. Salah is prescribed for us in the following Ayah:
﴾ Recite (O Muhammad PBUH) what has been revealed to you of the Book (the Quran), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat). Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.) and the remembering (praising, etc.) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising, etc.) Allah in prayers, etc.]. And Allah knows what you do ﴿
The scholars of interpreting the Noble Qurna said, "Remembering Allah is the greatest thing in Salah. However, Ibn Abbas has another opinion, for he said, "O, you who perform Salah, the remembrance of Allah to you during your Salah is greater that your remembrance of Him."
When Allah remembers you, He grants you His Pleasure, Wisdom, Justice, Closeness and Tranquility with which you become happy even if you lose everything else and without which you become miserable even if you own everything else. Hence, when you perform Salah, you remember Allah and Allah remembers you.
﴾ "Verily! I am Allah! La ilaha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me, and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) for My Remembrance. ﴿
When Allah remembers you, He grants you noble qualities, and this is the meaning behind the following saying reported in the tradition:
(( Masajid are My houses on the earth. Those who frequent them are My visitors. Good tidings to a slave who purifies himself in his house and then visits Me in My house for it is the duty of the Host to honor His guest. ))
6- Heedlessness of the remembrance of Allah:
Dear brothers, shying away from the remembrance of Allah is a sign of weak faith. Allah Almighty says:
﴾ Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. ﴿
Allah says:
﴾ O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. ﴿
It is not about never remembering Allah, but rather, it is about remembering Him abundantly:
﴾ O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon [the early morning (Fajr) and 'Asr prayers]. ﴿
Allah described the hypocrites as follows:
﴾ …and they do not remember Allah but little. ﴿
Hypocrisy is either theological or behavioral.
7- Indifferent to violations of Allah's Commandments:
Dear brothers, being indifferent upon witnessing a violation of Allah's Commandments is a sign of weak faith.
If a father walks with his daughter, who is revealing her beauty and skin, and he does not feel anger, this indicates how weak his faith is. Also, when a wife hangs laundry on the balcony while dressed immodestly, and her husband never gets angry with her because of that, this reflects weakness in faith. So, whoever feels nothing upon witnessing a violation of Allah's Commandments has a serious problem with Allah. The true believer gets angry and hurt when Allah's Commandments are violated.
Dear brothers, the following Hadith is reported in Sunnah:
(( Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as a reed mat is woven stick by stick, and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put in it, but any heart which rejects, them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that hearts will be of two kinds, one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by temptation as long as the heavens and the earth endure, and the other black and dust-colored like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is reputable or rejecting what is disreputable, but being impregnated with its passion. ))
[ Muslim, by the authority of Hudhaifah ]
The woman might be one of these countless temptations to man:
(( Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as a reed mat is woven stick by stick, and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put in it, but any heart which rejects, them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that hearts will be of two kinds, one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by temptation. ))
Human beings belong to two categories:
Regardless of their sects, affiliations, stances, parties, or orientations, people are at the end result, of two types only: The first group knows Allah, adheres to His Path, and treats others with good manners accordingly, and thus it is saved and granted happiness in this worldly life and the Hereafter.
The second group turns away from Allah, rejects His Path, and treats others with bad manners accordingly, and therefore it deserves misery and destruction in this life and the Hereafter. You will never find a third group.
In brief, a person has either a pure heart or an impure one; he is either close to Allah or distant from Him; he is either spiritually exalted or not; and he either prospers or lives in hardship.
Actually, the difference between the believer and disbeliever is huge, and the proof is in the following Ayah:
﴾ Have you (O Muhammad PBUH) seen him (i.e. Abu Jahl) who prevents* A slave (Muhammad PBUH) when he prays? ﴿
Where is the rest of the Ayah? A person's behavior reveals everything. So, observe his behavior, marital life, income, spending habits, the way he jokes, and his gatherings:
﴾ Tell me, if he (Muhammad PBUH) is on the guidance (of Allah)?* Or enjoins piety? ﴿
He, who is on the path of guidance, is knowledgeable, forbearing, modest, honest and truthful. An-Najashi asked our Master Ja'far, may Allah be pleased with him, to tell him about Islam, so he replied:
(O king, we were ignorant and ill-mannered. We used to worship idols, eat carrion (dead meat), mistreat our neighbors, cut kinship ties, and the strong used to assault the weak. However, we have changed after a man from amongst us, who is well known to us by his noble family, truthfulness, faithfulness and chastity…)
The true believer is honest when he speaks to you, trustworthy when he deals with you, and chaste when he is tempted.
I repeat what Ja'far, may Allah be pleased with him, said about the Prophet PBUH:
(…who is well known to us by his noble family, truthfulness, faithfulness and chastity.)
These traits reflect the transactional acts of worship, and the ritual acts of worship will not be correct or accepted unless the transactional ones are sound.
(( It was narrated from Thawban that the Prophet (PBUH) said, "I certainly know people of my nation who will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like the mountains of Tihamah, but Allah will make them like scattered dust." Thawban said, "O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us and tell us more, so that we will not become of them unknowingly." He said, "They are your brothers and from your race, worshipping at night as you do, but they will be people who, when they are alone, transgress the sacred limits of Allah." ))
[ Ibn Majah, by the authority of Thawban ]
(( The fear of Allah is the foundation of wisdom, and piety is the master of all deeds. Whoever lacks piety that restrains him from disobeying Allah Almighty when alone, Allah will not care about any of his deeds. ))
[ Al-Albani, by the authority of Anas ]
Dear brothers, this is a fact you should consider.
(( Narrated Al-'Urs bin 'Amirat al-Kindi: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When sin is done in the earth, he who sees it and disapproves of it will be taken like one who was not present, but he who is not present and approves of it will be like him who sees. ))
[ Abu Dawood, by the authority of Al-'Urs bin 'Amirat al-Kindi ]
It is bad enough to call a person smart, just because he amasses wealth through unlawful means; in doing so, you become a partner in his wrongdoing. It has been rightly said, "The sin brings misfortune upon those other than the one who committed it: If he mentions it, he has backbitten; If he mocks the sinner, he may be tested with the same sin; and if he approves of it, he shares in the sin."
If you have a friend who has sinned, you will be backbiting him the minute you speak about his sin. Furthermore, you will be falling into the same sin if you rebuke him. Such a situation is difficult, and so you need to be more knowledgeable about Islamic teachings.
8- Placing high value on outward appearances:
Dear brothers, cherishing appearances is a sign of weak faith.
(( Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet as saying, "You will be eager for the office of commander, but it will become a cause of regret on the day of resurrection. It is a good suckler but an evil weaner." ))
[ Al-Bukhari, by the authority of Abi Hurairah
]
Our Master Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "If a mule were to stumble on the bank of the Euphrates, I would fear that Allah would ask why I did not pave the way for it."
Once, Umar bin Al-Khattab asked one of his subordinate governors, "What do you do when people bring forward to you a thief?" The governor replied, "I chop off his hand." Umar said to him, "Then if someone of your people whom you govern comes to me hungry or jobless, I will chop off your hand. Allah has made us successors for his creations, so that we fulfill their hunger, provide them with clothes and make jobs available for them. If we make these available for them, we will be appreciated for that. These hands were created to work, so if they are not used for obedience and good deeds, they will find a variety of jobs that make them disobedient. Thus, get them busy with obedience and good deeds before they get you busy with sins and disobedience."
The last King of Al-Ghasasenah, Jabalah Ibn Al-Ayham was performing Hajj, and while he was circumambulating the Ka'bah, a Bedouin from Fazarah tribe trod upon his garment, so it fell from his shoulders. Jabalah got angry, and he boxed the Bedouin and broke his nose although the man said that he did it unintentionally. The man hastened to the Khalifah Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, to complain against Jabalah, so Umar requested that Jabalah be summoned to trial.
When he arrived, our Master Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked him:
- "Did the man tell me the truth?"
- Jabalah said, "I will never be like those who conceal the truth or deny it. I disciplined the guy and retained my right with my own hand."
- Umar said, "The guy's right has to be redeemed! Your nail is still stained with his blood! Or else he will break your nose as you did to him."
- Jabalah said, "How come, O Commander of Believers?! He is an ordinary man, and I am a king! How can you be pleased to see a star falling down?!"
- Umar said, "Desires of ignorance and insolent arrogance of Jahiliyyah have no place to dwell with us after we have established a new civilization of human equality and justice. Salves are now equal to free men; the poor are equal to the rich."
- Jabalah said, "It was a mere illusion when I thought that I would be with you stronger and more honorable! I will apostatize if you force me!"
- Umar said, "The neck of an apostate is to be chopped off by sword. It is a new world that we are now building – a world wherein wrong things are set right and differences between slaves and free men are eliminated!"
This is true Islam.
Dear brothers, stinginess is a sign of weak faith.
10- Hypocrisy in beliefs and actions:
Theological and behavioral hypocrisy are signs of weak faith. Theological hypocrisy is saying something you do not believe in, whereas behavioral hypocrisy is doing something reluctantly.
Dear brothers, I hope that all of us make use of these facts.
One of the signs of hypocrisy is rejoicing at the adversity that befalls believers. The proof is in the following Ayah:
﴾ If good befalls you (O Muhammad PBUH), it grieves them, but if a calamity overtakes you, they say: "We took our precaution beforehand," and they turn away rejoicing. ﴿
Simply rejoicing at an adversity that befalls a believer is a sign of hypocrisy:
﴾ If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious), not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allah surrounds all that they do. ﴿
[ Aal-'Imran, 120
]
This believer is your brother in Allah, and when you feel happy because someone has acquired a high scientific degree, then you are a true believer. Likewise, when you share in his pain when adversity befalls him, then you are a true believer. However, the one, who shows indifference towards
the suffering of Muslims, remains detached from what is happening in Islamic countries, and is content with his hefty income and peaceful life in a Western country, is not a true believer.
Showing sympathy and feeling the pain of what befalls Muslims is a sign of having true faith.
Seeking Islamic knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim:
Dear brothers, pay attention to the following Noble Hadith, please:
(( An-Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "What is lawful is clear and what is unlawful is clear, but between them are certain doubtful things which many people do not know. So he who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and his honour blameless. But he who falls into doubtful things falls into that which is unlawful, just as a shepherd who grazes his cattle in the vicinity of a pasture declared prohibited (by the king); he is likely to stray into the pasture. Mind you, every king has a protected pasture and Allah's involved limits is that which He has declared unlawful. Verily, there is a piece of flesh in the body, if it is healthy, the whole body is healthy, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Verily, it is the heart." ))
[ Al-Bukhari and Muslim, by the authority of An-Nu'man bin Bashir ]
Allah says:
﴾ And We sent not (as Our Messengers) before you (O Muhammad PBUH) any but men, whom We inspired, (to preach and invite mankind to believe in the Oneness of Allah). So ask of those who know the Scripture [learned men of the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], if you know not. ﴿
[ An-Nahl, 43
]
If you do not know something, ask about it. You will not get a free consultation from a professional without paying, save the religiously committed person. You receive his advice for free, because it is for the Sake of Allah. So, ask whatever you wish and seek advice or knowledge, and you will get it for free. This is a grace Allah has bestowed upon you.
(( What is lawful is clear and what is unlawful is clear, but between them are certain doubtful things which many people do not know. So he who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and his honour blameless. ))
When you take a loan from someone and pay a fixed amount every month, this is not a Qard Hasan (interest-free loan); rather, it is Riba (usury), and indeed it is the worst kind of Riba. Similarly, if you invest your money and agree to receive a fixed amount every month regardless of the actual profits from the investment, then you should know that this is Riba as well.
There are many matters about which you need to be knowledgeable. It is rightly said, "Whoever enters the marketplace without having any knowledge of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) will consume the unlawful whether he likes it or not."
When you enter the marketplace, you should be knowledgeable about Ahkam Al-Buyu' (Islamic rules of buying and selling), Ahkam al-Ja'alah (Ju'alah is an agreement in which a person declares that anyone who does or achieves a specific task will be given a specific reward), and other types of transactional rulings. Therefore, seeking religious knowledge is essential.
11- Showing no remorse upon sinning:
One more sign of having weak faith is indicated in the following Noble Hadith:
(( I certainly know people of my nation who will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like the mountains of Tihamah, but Allah will make them like scattered dust." Thawban said: "O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us and tell us more, so that we will not become of them unknowingly." He said: "They are your brothers and from your race, worshipping at night as you do, but they will be people who, when they are alone, transgress the sacred limits of Allah. ))
When your private deeds differ from your public ones, this reflects a form of duality. As long as you do one thing and say another, you have entered the path of hypocrisy, which manifests weak faith.
Dear Noble brothers, one of the things that mark the true believer is the way he sees his sin.
(( Al-Harith bin Suwaid said: " 'Abdullah [bin Mas'ud] narrated two Ahadith to us, one of them from himself and the other from the Prophet (s.a.w). 'Abdullah said: The believer sees his sins as if he was at the base of a mountain, fearing that it was about to fall upon him. The wicked person sees his sins as if (they are) flies are hitting his nose" he said: "Like this" - motioning with his hand - "to get them to fly away." ))
[ Jami' at-Tirmidhi, on the authority of Al-Harith bin Suwaid
]
When you recognize the gravity of a sin, you are a true believer; whereas belittling a sin is a sign of hypocrisy.
Dear noble brothers, it is appropriate in this context to mention the following Hadith:
(( Do not belittle any act of kindness, no matter how small it may seem — even if it is offering a piece of rope (to help someone), pouring a little water from your bucket into the vessel of one seeking to drink, greeting your Muslim brother with a cheerful face, keeping a lonely person company, or giving away even the strap of a sandal. ))
No matter how much the good deed you do is little, it is significant in the Sight of Allah, so do not belittle any good deed, for it is recorded for you, and you will be rewarded for it.
12- Giving no concern to Muslims' hardships:
Being unconcerned with the hardships of Muslims is another sign of weak faith. Whoever is indifferent to the problems faced by Muslims around the world carries a trait of the hypocrite.
13- Abundance in arguments and disagreements:
Arguments and disagreements are means of weak faith.
We beseech you, O 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 be our Protector, together with those for whom You have become their Protector.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds
The 2nd Khutbah (Sermon):
All praise is due to Allah, over and over again. Praise be to Allah Who has guided us to this, and we would never have been guided had Allah not guided us. My success, my steadfastness, and my reliance are only upon Allah.
The wisdom behind the Prophet's instruction to avoid cutting off the animal's head entirely during slaughter:
The Noble Prophet PBUH gave us an instruction; he forbade us from cutting off the head of the animal upon slaughtering it, teaching us to cut only its jugular vein while keeping its head connected to its body.
The rest of the world usually cut off the head entirely and hang the animal from its feet. So, what is this instruction? What is the wisdom behind it? What is the connection between this instruction and the scientific facts?
The scientific explanation for this instruction was not revealed in the Prophet's era PBUH, nor was it revealed 100, 500, 1000 or 1400 years after his death. It was only 20 years ago that the wisdom behind this instruction was revealed. What is this wisdom?
To begin with, man's heart rate is 80 beats per minute by its own internal command. The heart contains three electrical systems; if the first system stops working, the second one works, and if the second one stops working, the third one takes over.
The main point is that the electrical system of the heart gives the order to the heart itself to beat only 80 beats per minute. However, in some exceptional cases, such as running away from an enemy or climbing the stairs, man puts an effort, so 80 beats per minute are not enough for the muscles to accomplish their function.
The order to have heartbeat acceleration is not received from the heart itself since the normal heart rate is 80 beats per minute, but it is received from the pituitary gland; a tiny gland in the brain that weighs about half a gram.
If man is in danger, this gland sends a hormonal signal to the suprarenal gland, which is located above the kidney, asking it to face this danger. The suprarenal gland in its turn sends five hormonal messages: The first one is an exceptional order to the heart to raise its rate from 80 beats to 180 beats per minute. The second message is to the lungs which expand, so the terrified man breathes quickly. Also, in such a situation the person needs sugar, so the suprarenal gland sends the third message to the liver to release extra sugar. Thus, upon analyzing the blood of the frightened person we will detect extra sugar in it. Furthermore, the vessels which gives man's face the rosy color, stops working as normal as they receive a message to narrow their lumen. As a result, man turns pale.
I repeat the changes in order: The heartbeat is accelerated, the lungs are accelerated, the vessels narrow, turning the scared person pale, the liver releases extra sugar and thrombosis hormone is released as well. These five orders are given by the suprarenal gland to certain organs to react. Actually, these changes are accomplished in a few seconds. Who has created this reaction? Whose Wisdom is behind it? Whose Power designs it? Whose Greatness does this?
If the animal's head is completely severed, the heart continues beating at about 80 beats per minute, and therefore only about one quarter of the animal's blood will be expelled. However, keeping the head attached to the body sends a signal to the brain to increase the heart rate from around 80 to 180 beats per minute, allowing most of the blood to be expelled. This is why the meat of the animal that is slaughtered according to Shari'ah ruling is pink. In contrast, when the blood remains in the slaughtered animal, the meat turns blue. Who taught the Noble Prophet PBUH this fact?
This is our religion; the religion of knowledge, revealed to us by Allah. It is the Divine Way of the Creator and the manual from the Maker.
You are the most complex creation in the universe, made by the All-Wise Creator, who sent down the operational instructions for you. You should obey Allah, because you love yourself, care for it, and desire the safety, the perfection, and the continuity of your existence.
﴾ He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise). ﴿
We beseech you, O 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 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.
O Allah, give us and do not withdraw from us, dignify us and do not humiliate us, choose us and do not turn away from us, please us and be pleased with us.
O Allah, guard our dignity by affluence and do not make us lose our dignity because of poverty, lest we resort to the worst of your creations, praise those who gave us and dispraise those who withheld from us, while You are above them all, and You are the All-Giving, and to You belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth.
O Allah, protect the blood of Muslims (from being shed) in the various countries and in the lands of the Levant. O Most Merciful of the merciful, O security of the fearful, O Protector of those who seek refuge.
O Allah, give us and do not withdraw from us, dignify us and do not humiliate us, choose us and do not turn away from us, please us and be pleased with us.
O Allah, bless and grant peace to our Master Muhammad, the Faithful and the Honest, and may Allah bless his folks and companions.
