‘Uqbah bin ‘Amir (May Allaah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allaah (salla llaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Do you not know that last night certain Ayat were revealed the like of which there is no precedence. They are: ‘Say: I seek refuge with (Allaah) the Rabb of the daybreak’ (Surah 113), and ‘Say: I seek refuge with (Allaah) the Rabb of mankind’ (Surah 114).”
[Muslim].
In this Khutba Ustaadh Rayaan mentions briefly the meaning of each verse of the greatest Surah in the book of Allah.
Reciting Surah al-Faatiha as we all know, is an essential part of our daily prayers. It was narrated by Ubada bin As-Samit that Allaah’s Messenger (salla llaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, ” Whoever does not recite Surat Al-Faatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid”. This motivates every Muslim to understand the deep meanings behind the words of this Surah. Consequently, this helps us in keeping Khushoo’ while standing in front of Allaah in our prayers.
In this thought provoking khutba, Ustaadh Rayaan reminds us of the coming of Yawm al Qiyaamah and the signs leading up to it.
In discussing the various narrations related by the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu ‘alahi wa salam) regarding the severity of this day, Ustaadh Rayaan also discusses the explanations of the scholars related to these narrations.
Many benefits are brought and extracted including a very important question pertaining to every single person that being “What have you prepared for this tremendous day?”
In the times that we live in, it is important as Muslims that we understand the Islamic stance regarding non Islamic Celebrations and participating in them.
Ustaadh Rayaan mentions various narrations relating to abstaining from them and instead partaking in the two blessed Eids Allah has blessed the Muslims with.
In this Khutba Ustaadh Rayaan discusses the importance of having hope and fear in worship for the sake of Allah.
In this Khutba Ustaadh Rayaan discusses the means to which we attain our sustenance and bring blessings to our lives.
In this Khutba Ustaadh Rayaan discusses Tawheed and the implications of Shirk.
Allah protects those that fear Him. And He guides those that He is pleased with. It is compulsory on every Muslim to understand and to apply the principles of Tawheed.
Remember, Allah did not create us to entertain and amuse ourselves. He created mankind and the jinn to worship Him alone.
Know that every command in the Quran to worship is a command to Tawheed.
Also, we should be aware of the dangers of Shirk, and we should master this topic and the different categories of Shirk.
Shirk spoils your worship, your actions, your good deeds and nullifies their rewards. And whoever dies upon major Shirk will be entered into the hell fire.
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Indeed, remembrance of Allaah and drawing close to Him through righteous deeds and statements cannot be accepted by Allaah unless the worshipper fulfils them based on three Pillars, and they are: Love, fear and hope.These three pillars are the pillars of servitude of the heart and no act of worship is accepted except through them. Allaah [جلّ وعلا] is to be worshipped out of love of Him, hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment. Allaah [The Blessed and Most High] mentioned these pillars of worship in Surah Al-Faatihah which is the best Surah of the Qur’aan.
Love as a pillar of worship is found in statement [الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ – All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)]. That is because Allaah is the Bestower of all favours (or blessings) and the Bestower of blessings (or favours) is loved in accordance with the favours (or blessings) He bestows, and [الْحَمْدُ] is to praise alongside having love for the one who is praised. Hope as a pillar of worship is found in the statement [الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ -The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful]. That is because the believer hopes for Allaah’s Mercy and desires its attainment. Fear as a pillar of worship is found in the statement [مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّين -The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)]. [يَوْمِ الدِّين – The Day of Recompense] is the day of reckoning.
Then the statement [إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ – You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)] follows thereafter, which means: O our Lord! We worship You based on those aforementioned pillars- love, hope and fear. These are the three pillars upon which[إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ is established. They have also been mentioned in Surah Al-Israa Ayah 57:
[أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ يَبۡتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّہُمۡ أَقۡرَبُ وَيَرۡجُونَ رَحۡمَتَهُ ۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ ۥۤۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ -Those whom they call upon [like ‘Iesa (Jesus) – son of Maryam (Mary), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angel, etc.] desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the nearest and they [‘Iesa (Jesus), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angels, etc.] hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment].
In the above Ayah, the statement ”desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah)” means seeking to get close to Allaah through love and doing what He loves. Then Allaah stated, ”(They) hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment”. Therefore in this Ayah, love, fear and hope are mentioned, and likewise stated in Surah Al-Anbiyaa:
إِنَّهُمۡ ڪَانُواْ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡخَيۡرَٲتِ وَيَدۡعُونَنَا رَغَبً۬ا وَرَهَبً۬اۖ وَڪَانُواْ لَنَا خَـٰشِعِينَ
Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us.
Therefore, a slave (i.e. the one who worships Allaah alone) must combine these three pillars [love, fear and hope] in his (or her) acts of worship and remembrance of Allaah. It is not permissible to worship Allaah with only one of them without the others, such as worshipping Allaah with love alone without fear and hope, or worshipping Allaah with hope alone, or worshipping Allaah with fear alone. And due to this, some of the scholars said, ”Whoever worships Allaah with love alone is a Zindeeq (i.e. such as the extreme soofees etc); and whoever worships Allaah with fear alone is a Harooree (i.e. from the Khaarij), and whoever worships Allaah with hope alone is a Murji, and whoever worships Allaah with love, fear and hope is a believer and person of Tawheed. [End-Ref 1]
We should know that fear of Allah should be combined with love and hope, so that fear does not become a cause of giving up hope in Allaah’s Mercy. A believer should have both fear of Allaah and hope in Allaah’s Mercy, so that fear alone does not lead him to give up hope in Allaah’s mercy, nor will hope alone make feel secure from Allaah’s plan. That is because giving up hope in Allaah’s Mercy and feeling secure from Allaah’s plan are two affairs that negate perfect Tawheed. Allaah [The Most High] said:
فَلَا يَأۡمَنُ مَڪۡرَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرُونَ
None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers. [7:99]
And Allaah [The Most High] said:
إِنَّهُ ۥ لَا يَاْيۡـَٔسُ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ
Certainly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve.” [12:87]
And Allaah said:
وَمَن يَقۡنَطُ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ رَبِّهِۦۤ إِلَّا ٱلضَّآلُّونَ
“And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray. [15:56]
Ismaa’eel Ibn Raafi (rahimahullaah) said, ”Feeling secure from Allaah’s plan is when the slave is persistent in committing sin, whilst hoping for Allaah’s forgiveness’’.
The Scholars (rahimahumullaah) say, ”Despair is to distance oneself from having hope for relief and losing hope in that, and it is the opposite of feeling secure from Allaah’s plan. Both these two affairs are a great sin. It is neither permissible for a believer to adhere to fear alone, and thus despairs of Allaah’s Mercy, nor should he adhere to hope alone, and thus feels secure from Allaah’s punishment; rather he should have fear and hope – fearful due to his sins, performs acts of obedience to Allaah and hopes for Allaah’s Mercy, just as Allaah [The Most High] stated:
إِنَّهُمۡ ڪَانُواْ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡخَيۡرَٲتِ وَيَدۡعُونَنَا رَغَبً۬ا وَرَهَبً۬اۖ وَڪَانُواْ لَنَا خَـٰشِعِينَ
Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us. [21:90]
And Allaah said:
أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ يَبۡتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّہُمۡ أَقۡرَبُ وَيَرۡجُونَ رَحۡمَتَهُ ۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ ۥۤۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحۡذُورً۬ا
Those whom they call upon [like ‘Iesa (Jesus) – son of Maryam (Mary), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angel, etc.] desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the nearest and they [‘Iesa (Jesus), ‘Uzair (Ezra), angels, etc.] hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily, the Torment of your Lord is something to be afraid of! [17:57]
When fear of Allaah and hope in Allaah are combined, it urges a slave (i.e. a worshipper of Allaah) to perform deeds and utilise the beneficial means to that; for indeed alongside having hope in Allaah’s Mercy, he performs acts of obedience and hopes for reward; and by way of fear, he abandons disobedience due to being fearful of Allaah’s punishment. But if he despairs of Allaah’s Mercy, he may stop performing righteous deeds, and if he feels secure from Allaah’s punishment, he is pushed towards acts of disobedience. [Ref 2]
[Ref 1: Abridged & paraphrased. Source: Fiqhul Ad’iyah Wal-Adkaar’ page 99-100′ parts 1&2′ by Shaikh Abdur-Razzaaq al-Badr (may Allaah preserve him)
[Ref 2: Abridged & paraphrased. Source: ‘Al-Irshaad Ilaa Saheeh Al-I’tiqaad War-Raddu Alaa Ahlish-Shirki Wal-Ilhaad’ pages 85 onwards’ by Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him). Publisher: Daarul Aa’simah’ 1st ed (Year 1423AH- year 2002]
A beneficial reminder by Ustaadh Rayaan about the destroyer of pleasures – Death!
Many have neglected preparing for the moment of death, knowing it’s reality a what comes after it. It is a moment you will be returned to your Lord, so fear it.
Allaah ‘azza wa jal says in Surah al-‘Ankabut in ayah 57:
“Everyone shall taste the death. Then unto Us you shall be returned.”
Death will no doubt reach us so we need to prepare for it.
Ustaadh mentions a heart-warming hadeeth describing the moment of death of a believing slave. The moment of the shrouding by the angels and moment the soul is brought out from the soul.
In this Khutbah Ustaadh Rayaan mentions a few points regarding the high station of the scholars.
The true scholars are those that return the people back to the Quraan, the Sunnah and the understanding of the early pious generations. They are upon goodness and they are the inheritors of the Prophets.
The scholars have a virtue above all of the other believers, in every time period. Allaah has raised them in terms of their knowledge.
We preserve their status with love & respect and with our tongue by praising their knowledge & goodness.