The 1st Khutbah (Sermon):
Man's value in Allah's Sight and the purpose of his existence:
Dear noble brothers, it is said, "The one who truly knows himself knows his Lord." Who are you, O man? Have you ever thought of the fact that you are the foremost creature?
You are given such a rank in Allah's Sight, because you are the only creature who accepted to bear the Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) when Allah, may His Glory be glorified, offered it to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, and they declined to bear it.
Since you, O man, accepted to bear al-Amanah, you are considered the foremost creature. Furthermore, Allah the Almighty for this reason has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. The subjection is for two purposes; the first purpose is to let you know about the Greatness of Allah the Almighty that is manifested in His Creation, and the second one is to make you honored among all other creatures.
The best stances man should take towards these two purposes is to believe in Allah after getting to know Him through His Divine Signs, and to be grateful to Him for being honored. Accordingly, he will be fulfilling the purpose of his existence by believing in Allah and being grateful to Him. The Almighty says:
﴾ Why should Allah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have believed in Him. And Allah is Ever All-Appreciative (of good), All-Knowing. ﴿
Dear noble brothers, most of you know that students at schools learn that the universe consists of inanimate objects, plants, animals and human beings, right? The inanimate object is something that occupies a space, and it has three dimensions and weight. Likewise, the plant has a tangible nature, it occupies a space, it has three dimensions, and it has weight, but unlike the inanimate object it grows. So, growth is the difference here. As for the animal, it has a tangible nature, it occupies a space, it has three dimensions and weight, like the inanimate objects, and it grows like plants. Furthermore, it moves. Such a movement makes it different from the plant.
Regarding man, he occupies a space, he has three dimensions and weight, he moves and grows and above all, he thinks. Hence, he is distinguished from other creature with the cognitive power Allah the Almighty has granted him. This privilege ranks man above all creatures. Thus, the perfect stance man takes towards the cognitive power he has been given is to believe in Allah, get to know Him and get acquainted with the truth of this universe, of this worldly life and of his own existence.
If man knows Allah, he will fulfill the purpose of his existence, and so he will put forth a proof of his humanity. Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, says:
﴾ And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). ﴿
The purpose of our existence is to worship. To make this point clear consider the father who sends his son to Paris in order to obtain the PH.D. from Sorbonne University. Paris is a very big city, and one might do whatever he wishes in it, but that student exists in such a city only to achieve one purpose; obtaining the PH.D.
Returning to our main idea, we should deeply believe that the only purpose of our existence is worshipping Allah the Almighty. Unfortunately, the majority of people think that worshipping Allah means performing Salah, observing Siyaam, performing Hajj, paying Zakat and uttering Shahadah (it is the Islamic declaration of faith, which means reciting the phrase "Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah" in Arabic. This translates to "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah").
These are ritual acts of worship, and they are not enough to reflect worshipping, because they are not what religion is all about. Actually, your success lies in applying Allah's Way, Exalted and Sublime be He. This Way consists of more than 500.000 items, starting with the private relationship with your wife and ending with the international relations. How compete and comprehensive such a Divine Way is! It explains how you eat, you drink, you get married, you raise your children properly, you deal with the powerful and the weak, and so on. There are lots of things and details in such a Way.
You should bear in mind upon thinking of your relationship with Allah that you are the most complicated creature in the universe, such like any electronic device whose inventor provides the manufacturing company with a manual. So, whoever buys the device should follow the operation and maintenance instructions written in the manual.
Allah is your Great Creator, and He has provided you with the Divine Orders and Prohibitions (in the Quran and Sunnah), so He is the only Party Whose Instructions should be followed, because He is the All-Aware One. The Almighty says:
﴾ If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad PBUH) like Him Who is the All-Knower (of each and everything). ﴿
We move to another fact. As a human being you are keen on your safety. According to the most recent statistics of the population, there are 9 billion people on earth, and I assure you all of them are keen on their safety, perfection and continuity.
Your safety is maintained by Istiqamah (steadfastness), and your perfection is achieved by righteous deeds, which in turn maintain your connection with Allah the Almighty.
﴾ Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allah belong all honour, power and glory (and one can get honour, power and glory only by obeying and worshipping Allah (Alone)). To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it (the goodly words i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allah unless and until they are followed by good deeds), but those who plot evils, theirs will be severe torment. And the plotting of such will perish. ﴿
Your continuity is guaranteed by raising your children according to Islamic teachings. Remember, if you are the wealthiest person in the world, and you occupy the most prominent position, but your son has been grown up against the way you wished, you will be the most miserable person ever.
Dear noble brothers, the most serious problem the Islamic Community suffers from in this country is raising children according to Islamic teachings and good morals. Neglecting the Islamic upbringing of the children let them grow up believing in things that contradict the Divine Way, the Aqidah and the ambition their parents believe in. Keep in mind that if your child is not raised as you intend, you will be the most miserable person.
To sum up the main point, man's safety is achieved by Istiqamah upon the Divine Instructions of the Creator, which are the Quran and Sunnah. His perfection is achieved by righteous deeds and his continuity is maintained by raising his children properly.
Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, has made man's lifespan limited, and this fact is well-expressed by the words of the great Imam and Tabi'i Al-Hasan Al-Basri. He said, "O son of Adam! You are nothing but a number of days; whenever each day passes, then part of you is gone."
According to this definition, you are but time, and your asset is time, so either you waste it in eating, drinking and enjoying life like the majority of people, and then death surprises you, or you use it wisely and invest it properly since it is your only asset in life.
The importance of this asset is highlighted by Allah the Almighty when He swore by it, saying:
﴾ By Al-Asr (the time). ﴿
Here is the Divine Oath one more time:
﴾ By Al-'Asr (the time). ﴿
This is a Divine Oath, in which Allah the Almighty swore by the non-finite time. The complement of the Oath is:
﴾ Verily! Man is in loss ﴿
How come that man is in loss? Why? Scholars said, "Man is in loss, because the passage of time consumes him." Days, months, seasons, years and decades pass quickly in man's life, which is short no matter how long he might live. Out of sudden, he will find himself face to face with death.
Upon asking a 40-year-old man, "How did these 40 years pass?" He will say to you, "I have no idea." Those 40 years passed in the blink of an eye, and what is left of man's life will pass faster. Man will find himself in the Hereafter reckoned for every word, every step, every smile, every donation, every time he refused to give money to the poor and every relation he established or severed in his life:
﴾ So, by your Lord (O Muhammad PBUH), We shall certainly call all of them to account* For all that they used to do. ﴿
﴾ By Al-'Asr (the time)* Verily! Man is in loss* Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allah has forbidden), and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah's Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc.). ﴿
Man's salvation is based on his faith and good deed:
Most Muslims say, "We are believers", but believing in Allah means remaining steadfast on His Order. Hence, one's belief in Allah should leads man to remain steadfast, lest such a belief is valueless in Allah's Sight. Take for example, the case of cursed Iblis; he believes in Allah, and the following Ayah is the proof:
﴾ [Iblis (Satan)] said: "By Your Might, then I will surely mislead them all ﴿
He believes in Allah as the Lord and the Mighty, as mentioned in the Ayah above, and he says the following words in another Ayah as Allah the Almighty narrates:
﴾ [Iblis (Satan)] said: "My Lord! Give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are resurrected." ﴿
He, the cursed, even believes in the Hereafter as Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Verily, He used not to believe in Allah, the Most Great ﴿
Iblis does not believe in Allah as the Most-Great, but he believes in Him as the Creator. Had he believed in Allah as the Most-Great, he would not have disobeyed Him. In this respect, I would like to give this piece of advice to every believer: Do not measure your faith according to the Islamic knowledge you have but rather measure your belief according to the level of your Istiqamah on Allah's Path. Therefore, if you are steadfast, then you are a believer by the Lord of Ka'bah.
I asked a merchant once, "Can you summarize commerce in one word?" As you know the domains of commerce are endless, and they have different levels, yet this merchant was able to summarize them all in one word. He said, "Win". Then he said, "If you do not get profits, then you are not a successful merchant."
Much in the same line, the entire religion, with all its Aqidah, acts of worship, transactions, history, books and fundamentals, can be summarized in one word: Istiqamah. Accordingly, if you are not steadfast on Allah's Path, you will not reap the fruits of religion.
Without Istiqamah, religion turns into tradition. To clarify, Islam without Istiqamah is mere background, values, activities or concepts, whereas it is something totally different. Islam is a Divine Way that embraces every detail in man's life starting with the marital affair and ending with the international relations.
When you follow Allah's Way in earning your money, in spending it, in choosing your wife, in raising your children, in times of weakness, in times of power, in your affairs, in your moves and in your stills, then you are a true believer by the Lord of Ka'bah. I repeat the whole Surah:
﴾ By Al-'Asr (the time)* Verily! Man is in loss* Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allah has forbidden), and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah's Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc.). ﴿
Imam Ash-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, commented on this Ayah, saying, "These are the pillars of salvation." We may survive (in the Hereafter) only if our belief in Allah remains us obedient to Him. So, the depth of our belief is measured by how much obedient it makes us to Allah the Almighty. Furthermore, we may survive by our good deeds, and in this regard, our value in the Sight of Allah is decided by how worthwhile the good deeds we offer is.
﴾ And for all, there will be degrees according to that which they did, that He (Allah) may recompense them in full for their deeds. And they will not be wronged. ﴿
We survive by our belief in Allah the Almighty and good deeds:
﴾ Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds… ﴿
Your position in Allah's Sight is determined by the value of your good deeds
﴾ And for all, there will be degrees according to that which they did… ﴿
These are two main pillars of salvation:
﴾ Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds… ﴿
Pat attention to the following part of the Ayah, please:
﴾ …and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allah has forbidden.﴿
Do you believe that Da'wah to Allah (calling people to believe in Allah as the only Deity worthy of worship) is Fard Ayn (An obligation on every individual Muslim)?
Well, it is well-known that Salah, is Fard Ayn on every individual Muslim, and as mentioned in Surat Al-Asr, Da'wah is Fard Ayn too, provided that it is within the framework of your knowledge and among those you know.
(( Abdallah bin 'Amr reported Allah's messenger as saying, "Pass on information from me, even if it is only a verse of the Qur’an; and relate traditions from the Bani Isra'il, for there is no restriction; but let him who deliberately lies against me come to his abode in hell." ))
[ Al-Bukhari, by the authority of Abdallah bin 'Amr ]
Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Say (O Muhammad PBUH): "This is my way; I invite unto Allah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allah i.e to the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge. And Glorified and Exalted be Allah (above all that they associate as partners with Him). And I am not of the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah; those who worship others along with Allah or set up rivals or partners to Allah)." ﴿
This means whoever does not invite unto Allah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge is not a follower of the example of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Here is the proof:
﴾ Say (O Muhammad PBUH to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." ﴿
Let me elaborate. Da'wah is Fard Ayn, provided that it is within the knowledge you know and is addressed to those you know. In other words, if you attend a Khutbah, and you are impressed by it, pass the information to your wife, to your children, to your neighbors or to your partners at work.
Passing the knowledge you get in that Khutbah to those you know is Fard Ayn on you. Hence, Da'wah is Fard Ayn as long as it is within the knowledge you know and is addressed to those you know. On the other hand, Da'wah that is addressed to all Muslims is Fard Kifayah (if some Muslims offer it, other Muslims are excused from its duties and responsibilities).
I repeat the Ayah:
﴾ Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allah has forbidden)… ﴿
Consider this part of the Ayah, please:
﴾ …and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allah has ordained and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allah has forbidden. ﴿
Da'wah to Allah is implied in recommending one another to the truth. The Ayah goes as follows:
﴾ …and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah's Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc.). ﴿
Muslims should recommend one another to patience for believing in Allah, offering good deeds and inviting others unto Allah.
The Companions of the Noble Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, used to recite this Surat before they finished their gatherings and separate from one another to handle their affairs:
﴾ By Al-'Asr (the time)* Verily! Man is in loss* Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar) which Allah has forbidden), and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah's Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc.). ﴿
Our Master Sa'd bin Mu'adh said, "I consider myself a real man upon doing three things…" The word "man" in the Quran and Sunnah does not refer to the gender (i.e. male), but rather it refers to the heroic man. Such a man is included in the following Ayah:
﴾ Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the Remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue), nor from performing As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), nor from giving the Zakat. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (from the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection). ﴿
I repeat, Sa'd bin Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I consider myself a real man upon doing three things…" What are these things? He said, " I never hear something from the Prophet, peace be upon him, but I knew for sure that it is the truth that is revealed to Him from Allah the Almighty. I never get myself preoccupied with anything while praying till I finish my Salah. I never attend a funeral and discuss anything other than it till it is over."
The Creator of the universes sent to us the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, so our religion is contained in the Noble Quran and Sunnah.
(( Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I have left two matters with you. As long as you hold to them, you will not go the wrong way. They are the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His Prophet." ))
[ Malik in Muwatta', by the authority of Malik bin Anas
]
In your house and all Muslim's houses, there should be a book of Hadith or Sirah, so that you read and learn the Prophetic Sunnah. Keep in mind that being admitted to Jannah (Paradise) requires efforts, commitment and Islamic knowledge seeking.
Allah the Almighty has given man a cognitive power, but this Divine Gift should be maintained by seeking Islamic knowledge, so that you know who you are, why you exist in the worldly life, what the reality of the worldly life is, what the reality of the universe is and what the reality of the Hereafter is. Knowing the answers of all these questions is very delicate.
It is said, "Not every smart person is prudent." Who is the truly prudent person, then? He is the one who understands the secret of his existence, the purpose of his creation, the reality of this worldly life, and the truth of the Hereafter, then he lives and moves in harmony with Allah's Divine Way. This is the truly prudent man.
As I have said earlier, man is naturally driven by three deep concerns, the safety of his existence, the perfection of his existence, and the continuity of his existence. Safety is achieved through Istiqamah, perfection is attained through good deeds, and continuity is ensured by raising his children according to Islamic teachings and good morals.
Some scholars say, "Man is a mind that has a cognitive power, a heart that has feelings, and a body that has a motion. The nourishment of the mind is knowledge, the nourishment of the heart is love, and the nourishment of the body is food and drink. When you feed your mind with knowledge, and your heart with pure, elevating love, such as love for Allah, and your body with wholesome sustenance, you excel and rise in balance and harmony. However, if you nourish only one of these parts and neglect the others, you fall into imbalance and extremity." The Almighty describes the people of the worldly life in the following Ayaat, by saying:
﴾ Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worst than cattle). ﴿
﴾ As if they were frightened (wild) donkeys* Fleeing from a hunter, or a lion, or a beast of prey. ﴿
﴾ And when you look at them, their bodies please you; and when they speak, you listen to their words. They are as blocks of wood propped up. They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies, so beware of them. May Allah curse them! How are they denying (or deviating from) the Right Path. ﴿
This is the description Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, gives.
Dear noble brothers, this topic is very crucial, because it is related to man's destiny, which could be eternal happiness or ongoing misery.
Man, as I have said earlier, is the foremost and honored creature:
﴾ And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, andWe have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Taiyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference. ﴿
Allah assigned man to worship Him, and worshiping Allah is a voluntary act of obedience, mixed with heartedly love, based on confirmed knowledge and leads to eternal happiness.
O Allah, give us and do not deprive us; honor us and do not humiliate us; prefer us and do not prefer others over us; satisfy us and be pleased with us.
The 2nd Khutbah (Sermon):
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. I bear witness that Allah is the Protector of the righteous. I bear witness that our Master Muhammad is His Servants and Messenger, the one of the Exalted Character. 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.
Types of Allah's Divine Signs:
Dear noble brothers, all of you knows that Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, refers to the different types of His Divine Signs in the following Ayah:
﴾ These are the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.) of Allah, which We recite to you (O Muhammad PBUH) with truth. Then in which speech after Allah and His Ayat will they believe? ﴿
The Divine Signs which are functioned to be means through which we know Allah the Almighty, are of three types: cosmic Signs, existential Signs, and Quranic Signs.
The cosmic Signs are His creation, the existential Ones are His Actions and Decrees, and the Quranic Signs are His Words. Hence, if you want to know Allah as you are supposed to, you have to do this through these Signs, starting with pondering over them in the universe, then reflecting upon them in Allah's Actions, Exalted and Sublime be He, and finally contemplating them in the Quran.
Scientists tell us that the nearest burning star to our planet is situated about four light-years away. What is a light-year exactly? Light travels at a speed of 300.000 kilometers every second. Multiply that by 60 seconds to get the distance covered in a minute, then by another 60 to get the distance covered in an hour, then by 24 to get it in a full day, and finally multiply it by 365 to get the distance traveled in a year. If you multiply it all by four, you will get the distance the light travels in such a period of time.
Even a child with a calculator could compute in two minutes the distance that separates the earth from the nearest burning star in space. All he needs to do is multiplying 300.000 kilometers by 60, then by another 60, then by 24, and after that by 365, and finally by four.
If a road could somehow be built to that star, and we were to travel towards it by an ordinary spacecraft, the journey would take nearly 50 million years, merely to reach the closest blazing star!
Consider the distance between starts and galaxies and the earth: the North Star (Polaris) lies about 4.000 light-years away from the earth; the Andromeda Galaxy, our cosmic neighbor, is nearly two million light-years distant from us; and one galaxy recorded in the Life Encyclopedia is said to be twenty-four billion light-years away from earth.
Open the Quran and read the following Ayah attentively:
﴾ So I swear by Mawaqi (setting or the mansions, etc.) of the stars (they traverse). ﴿
The setting of the stars are the distances that separate them from one another. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ And verily, that is indeed a great oath, if you but know. ﴿
Imam Ash-Shafi'i said, "If you seek success in this world, pursue knowledge. If you seek success in the Hereafter, pursue knowledge, and if you desire both, then again, pursue knowledge. Knowledge yields nothing to you unless you are totally devoted to it. If you offer it only part of your effort, it will give you nothing in return." He also said, "A person remains a seeker of knowledge for as long as he continues to learn; but once he believes he has learned enough, his ignorance begins. The true Islamic knowledge seeker gives preference to the Hereafter over the worldly gain, and by doing so, he earns both. The ignorant, on the other hand, favors the worldly life over the Hereafter, and thus he loses them both."
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. 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 You Forgiveness from all our sins and we return to You with sincere repentance.
Praise be to Allah, The Lord (The One and Only) of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon our Master Muhammad. O Allah, we know nothing but what You teach us, You are the All- Knower, the Wise. O Allah our Lord, teach us what is useful for us, let us make use of what You have taught us and advance us in knowledge. O Allah, show us the righteous things as righteous and help us do them.
O Allah, protect the blood of Muslims (from being shed) all over the world and in the Levant, O Lord of the Worlds.
