All praise is due to Allaah, Rabb of the Worlds. May peace and blessings be upon Allah’s Messenger, his household and companions.
Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah for it is the fear of Allaah that illuminates the hearts and erases sins.
Brethren in Faith! Allaah has endowed us with His favour on us by ordaining for us a religion that is compatible with human nature and intellect, suitable for all times and places, combines between knowledge and worship, between saying, deed and belief and beside which Allaah will never accept any other religion. He says,
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islaam, it will never be accepted of him and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.” (Aal ‘Imraan 3:85)
In this religion, there is a word that whoever says it sincerely from his heart and acts in accordance with its meanings, seeking there from the pleasure of Allaah, will enter Paradise with no reckoning and no punishment. The word is “La ilaaha illa llaah” (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah). It is the best word and deed and the highest part of eemaan. Whoever says it truthfully is elevated to highest rank of religion. Saying this word alone is not enough to make one a Muslim, but one should also know its meaning and act according to all that it necessitates like refuting associating partners with Allaah in worship and believing in the Oneness of Allaah. One must also believe in the authenticity of its meanings and purports. A Muslim who is truthful in his belief always surrenders to Allaah in all legal matters and in all his affairs. He never ask for his needs except from Allaah Alone and never seeks for the removal of his sorrows except from Him. Allaah says,
“And if Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He and if He touches you with good, then He is able to do all things.” (Al-An‘aam 6:17)
Supplicating to Allaah alone is a great act of worship. Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said, “Nothing is dearer to Allaah than supplicating to Him.” (Ahmad)
Ibn Abbaas said, “The best act of worship is supplication.”When calamities and afflictions befall you and all avenues are closed in your face, call unto Allaah for He gives to whoever calls Him and protects whoever seeks refuge with Him. Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said, “When you ask, ask from Allaah and when you seek for help seek it from Allaah. Know that if all the people gathered to benefit you with something, they can not benefit you except with that which Allaah has written down for you and know that if all the people gather to harm you with something, they can never harm you except with that which Allaah has written down for you.” (Al-Bukhaaree)
Also, do not look down upon invoking Allaah for even insignificant matters. Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said, “Invoke Allaah for everything even for your shoelace when it is broken, for if Allaah does not make it easy, it will not be easy.” (Abu Ya’laa)
As for the dead, they can never do themselves any benefit or harm let alone benefiting others. They themselves are in need of who will invoke Allaah for them as Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) has recommended us to pray for them when we visit the graveyards.
Our Rabb hears and sees and it is an act of disregard for His Rabbship to seek an intermediary between yourself and Him while praying or supplicating, for He says,
“Invoke Me, I will respond to your invocation.” (Ghaafir 40:60)
It also negates the belief in the Oneness of Allaah to sacrifice animals for other than Allaah. He says,
“Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, the Rabb of the Worlds. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded and I am the first of the Muslims.” (Al-An ‘aam 6:162-163)
Circumambulation of the House of Allaah is also an act of worship that entails submission and humbleness for Allaah. Therefore, circumambulating graves earns one forbiddance from entering Paradise. Further, swearing by Allaah when necessary is a sign of glorifying Him while swearing by others means a disregard for Him. Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said,
“Whoever swears by others than Allaah has disbelieved or committed an act of shirk.” (At-Tirmidhee)
Whoever takes an object as a protection against evil eye or get a benefit has been cursed by Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) when he said, “Whoever wears a talisman, may Allaah let him not achieve his aim.”(Abu Daawood)
The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has even refrained from taking an allegiance from a person who was wearing talisman. ‘Uqbah bin ‘Aamir narrated that some people came to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) to give their allegiance. He took the allegiance of nine of them and withheld his hand from the tenth. They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, you took allegiance from nine of us and withheld your hand from this man.” He said, “He is wearing a talisman.” So the man broke the talisman and the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) took allegiance from him and said, “Whoever wears a talisman has associated partners with Allaah.” (Ahmad)
Brethren in Faith! Whenever you are in hardship, take refuge with Allaah, for He answers the invocations. Whoever has faith in Allaah, seeks his needs from Him and surrenders all his affairs to Him, Allaah will provide for his needs and make all difficult things easy for him. But whoever believes in others than Him and depends on his own knowledge, intelligence, talismans and power, Allaah will leave him to all that and disgrace him. Of the things that destroys one’s religion is visiting the magicians, sorcerers and fortune-tellers. Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said, “Whoever visits a fortune-teller or sorcerer and believes in what he says has disbelieved in what is revealed to Muhammad.” (An-Nasaa’ee)
Whoever requests the sorcerers to harm other people will have that harm returned to him. Allaah says,
“But the evil plan encompasses only him who makes it.” (Faatir 35:43)
Darkness can not be prevented through another darkness and the darkness of sorcery can only be prevented or removed through the light of the Qur’aan and not by similar sorcery. Allaah says,
“And We sent down of the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe.” (Al-Israa 17:82)
Dear Muslim brother, hold fast unto your correct belief for it is your most precious possession and know that shirk blows out the natural light that Allaah endows you with and that it is a cause of misery. Allaah (S.W.T.) says,
“So hold you fast to that which is revealed to you. Verily, you are on the straight path. And Verily, this is indeed a reminder for you and your people and you will be questioned (about it). ” (Az-Zukhruf 43:43-44)
Brethren in Islaam! The first thing that man will account for on the Day of Resurrection is prayer. Do not therefore be negligent with congregational prayers. Do not prefer laziness to obeying your Rabb. Endeavour to have share of the bountiful reward that Allaah has provided for those who observe the prayer. It is in accordance with man’s relationship to his Rabb that doors of blessings are opened for him. Keep away from sins, for it makes acts of obedience difficult for you.
Call people to Islaam, for that gives Islaam more glory and that is the path of the Messengers of Allaah. That is the best speech and the most honourable. Endeavour to know the conditions of those whom you call to the way of Allaah as well as the things that they need. Help people solve their problems but do not burden people with your own problems.
Dear Pilgrim! Seek forgiveness for your sins and repent to Allaah, what matters in a deed is its ending in a perfect and righteous manner and not the defects at its beginning. The sign of an accepted act of worship is to follow it up with other righteous deeds. Qataadah said,
“This Qur’aan leads you to your ailments and remedies. As for your ailment, it is your sins and as for your remedies, it is seeking forgiveness from Allaah, for that leads to Paradise, increases you in power and blessings and removes from you afflictions.”
Abul Minhaal also said,
“Man has no neighbor in his grave that will be dearer to him than his acts of seeking forgiveness.”
By Sheikh Abdul-Muhsin Al-Qaasim
Khutbah (Friday Sermon) in Madina Al-Munawarra
Dhul-Hijjah 24, 1422 (March 8, 2002)
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