Original khutbah taken from KhutbahBank few days ago, and edited yesterday 'here and there' with some addition from an article forwarded by one of my friend.
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All Praise is due to Alláh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him.
We ask forgiveness from Him.
We repent to Him, and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him.
I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad SAW is His servant, and His messenger.
O You who believe, Fear Allah, as He should be feared, and die not except as Muslims.
He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds.
O You who believe, Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word.
And whoever takes Allah and His prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today I’d like to deal with a topic that we all encounter, whenever we discuss natural disasters and personal grief with our friends and neighbours outside the Muslim community. It’s the “problem,” as they see it, of Suffering.
Some people argue, that if God is Love, if Allah is All Merciful, then why do people suffer? There are so many earthquakes, floods, volcanoes. There’s so much warfare, hunger and disease.
Why do innocent men, women and children have to endure unspeakable hardship? Why do the real sinners seem to get away with their crimes? Sometimes we hear people say, “How can I believe in a Merciful and Loving God when He allows so much suffering?”
These people take the existence of suffering as proof that God doesn’t exist, or if He does exist, then He doesn’t deserve to be worshipped, because He appears to be so unjust [wa na’uzubillah!]
How do we deal with such arguments?
First of all, we must be clear that every human being, without exception, will at some time or other have to endure hardship, pain, and death.
The same Quran also poses the rhetorical question, in Surah Al Baqara [2:214]:
Allah’s help is always near! It’s much nearer than we think! Allah wants us to really feel and experience our desperate need for Him. He wants us to persevere, patiently.
He wants us to repose our complete trust in His mercy, so that we can set ourselves apart from those who disbelieve, those who stand against faith. How blessed we are, we who believe in the Lord of all the worlds, and who have absolute certainty, yaqeen, of our Day of meeting with Him!
How miserable and lonely, how futile and pointless the life of those without faith, who live from day to day, without any hope and without longing for what lies beyond death!
My dear brothers and sisters,
Here is the key to what some people see as the “problem” of suffering. We know that suffering is a test for us, a test of our patience. We know that peace and prosperity is also a test, a test of our gratitude to Allah. Those who see suffering as a “problem” are really saying that they believe they have a right to a life of uninterrupted happiness, with no discomfort, no pain and no grief.
But that’s not what this earthly life is all about! That’s what Allah promises us in akhira, not in dunya! We’re not there yet! We still have to earn the right to enter Allah’s garden!
When believers suffer hardship, they say, "Inna lil-laahi wa inna ilayhir-raaji-oon!” “From Allah do we come, and to Him is our return."
Our human perception is limited, lets make an analogy if we are ants crawling over a carpet, we will complain about the rough surface, the knots and the texture that make our journey difficult.
But we cannot see the beauty of the carpet from above. We cannot see the beauty of Allah’s master plan, until we step outside our small, selfish worlds.
Believers suffer, but they know their suffering is an expiation of their sins, and their patience and contentment brings them closer to Allah.
But the non-believer suffers at a much deeper level. Charles [Hassan] le Guy Eaton writes in his book, Islam and the Destiny of Man:
It’s only when we try to generalize our suffering into a philosophical level, that we have a problem. When non-believers suffer, their lack of faith leads them to endless despair, and sometimes, even to suicide.
Let us thank Allah for illuminating our hearts with the light of His guidance. Even if our faith, our iman is as small as a mustard seed.
If we truly believe in Allah and we learn to rely on Him completely, then we are much richer and more blessed than the wealthiest non-Believer, whose wealth and happiness stand on shaky foundations. Alhamdulillaah, Praise to Allah!
Second Khutbah:
All glory is for Allah, and all praise is for Allah.
We repent to Him, and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Alláh, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him.
I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad SAW is His servant, and His messenger.
O You who believe, Fear Allah, as He should be feared, and die not except as Muslims.
He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds.
O You who believe, Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word.
And whoever takes Allah and His prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today I’d like to deal with a topic that we all encounter, whenever we discuss natural disasters and personal grief with our friends and neighbours outside the Muslim community. It’s the “problem,” as they see it, of Suffering.
Some people argue, that if God is Love, if Allah is All Merciful, then why do people suffer? There are so many earthquakes, floods, volcanoes. There’s so much warfare, hunger and disease.
Why do innocent men, women and children have to endure unspeakable hardship? Why do the real sinners seem to get away with their crimes? Sometimes we hear people say, “How can I believe in a Merciful and Loving God when He allows so much suffering?”
These people take the existence of suffering as proof that God doesn’t exist, or if He does exist, then He doesn’t deserve to be worshipped, because He appears to be so unjust [wa na’uzubillah!]
How do we deal with such arguments?
First of all, we must be clear that every human being, without exception, will at some time or other have to endure hardship, pain, and death.
كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ۬ ذَآٮِٕقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۗ
Says the Holy Quran; "Every soul will taste Death."
The same Quran also poses the rhetorical question, in Surah Al Baqara [2:214]:
أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأۡتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوۡاْ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۖ مَّسَّتۡہُمُ ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلۡزِلُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ ۥ مَتَىٰ نَصۡرُ ٱللَّهِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصۡرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ۬
"Or do you think that that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When (will come) the Help of Allâh? Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allâh is near!" [Al-Baqarah: 214]
Allah’s help is always near! It’s much nearer than we think! Allah wants us to really feel and experience our desperate need for Him. He wants us to persevere, patiently.
He wants us to repose our complete trust in His mercy, so that we can set ourselves apart from those who disbelieve, those who stand against faith. How blessed we are, we who believe in the Lord of all the worlds, and who have absolute certainty, yaqeen, of our Day of meeting with Him!
How miserable and lonely, how futile and pointless the life of those without faith, who live from day to day, without any hope and without longing for what lies beyond death!
تَبَـٰرَكَ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ
ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ وَٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبۡلُوَكُمۡ أَيُّكُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ عَمَلاً۬ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفُورُ
"Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion, and He is Able to do all things. Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving." [ Al-Mulk: 1-2]
My dear brothers and sisters,
Here is the key to what some people see as the “problem” of suffering. We know that suffering is a test for us, a test of our patience. We know that peace and prosperity is also a test, a test of our gratitude to Allah. Those who see suffering as a “problem” are really saying that they believe they have a right to a life of uninterrupted happiness, with no discomfort, no pain and no grief.
But that’s not what this earthly life is all about! That’s what Allah promises us in akhira, not in dunya! We’re not there yet! We still have to earn the right to enter Allah’s garden!
When believers suffer hardship, they say, "Inna lil-laahi wa inna ilayhir-raaji-oon!” “From Allah do we come, and to Him is our return."
Our human perception is limited, lets make an analogy if we are ants crawling over a carpet, we will complain about the rough surface, the knots and the texture that make our journey difficult.
But we cannot see the beauty of the carpet from above. We cannot see the beauty of Allah’s master plan, until we step outside our small, selfish worlds.
Believers suffer, but they know their suffering is an expiation of their sins, and their patience and contentment brings them closer to Allah.
But the non-believer suffers at a much deeper level. Charles [Hassan] le Guy Eaton writes in his book, Islam and the Destiny of Man:
"First there’s the pain and suffering itself. Then there’s the belief that it shouldn’t have happened at all. They suffer because something is wrong, then they suffer again because, now everything is wrong. At the end of this particular road is the abyss of despair, a grave sin for the Believing Muslim as it is for the Believing Catholic. A wound which might otherwise be cleaned and healed now becomes suppurated and poisons the bloodstream."
It’s only when we try to generalize our suffering into a philosophical level, that we have a problem. When non-believers suffer, their lack of faith leads them to endless despair, and sometimes, even to suicide.
Let us thank Allah for illuminating our hearts with the light of His guidance. Even if our faith, our iman is as small as a mustard seed.
If we truly believe in Allah and we learn to rely on Him completely, then we are much richer and more blessed than the wealthiest non-Believer, whose wealth and happiness stand on shaky foundations. Alhamdulillaah, Praise to Allah!
Second Khutbah:
All glory is for Allah, and all praise is for Allah.
There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
My dear Muslim brothers and sisters,
The mystical poet, Jalaluddin Rumi said that, "Suffering is a gift. In it is a hidden mercy."
Suffering teaches us patience, sabr, and it also teaches us Redhaa, which is total reliance on Allah, and serene acceptance of whatever He has decreed.
It teaches us to persevere, to work hard to seek Allah’s good pleasure, his Ridwaan. It teaches us humility, it teaches compassion for those less fortunate than ourselves.
How fortunate is the Believer, he endures hardship, and it is good for him [it teaches patience]; then he enjoys relief from hardship, and it is good for him [it gives a chance to be grateful to Allah]. Indeed, the Auliya' of Allah are always overflowing with gratitude, in good times and in hard times.
There is really no ‘problem’ of suffering. The problem is our human ignorance.
If we don’t know Allah, we won’t know His Plan. We won’t be able to accept His Decree.
We won’t know our place in the vast cosmic scheme of things. We won’t know who we really are, why we’re here, where we’ve come from and where we’re going to, after our death.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) often reminded us about the vital importance of self-knowledge. One saying that has been attributed to him, affirms that:
"He who knows himself, knows his Lord."
Brothers and Sisters,
Let us be truly grateful to Allah, that we have this wonderful gift of Iman, this gift of Faith, to illuminate our way through life’s challenges.
In many places the Holy Quran reminds us,
No fear and no grief, and yet, if you study the Auliya' of Allah, you’ll find that their lives were filled with incredible hardship, pain and endurance.
The Auliya' of Allah taught us Redha, that wonderful, peaceful and calm in accepting of Allah’s will.
If we can be islands of calm in the oceans of turbulence; if we can show others a kind and helpful manner, in the midst of life’s problems, we will truly hold high that noble legacy of the Prophets and the Auliya of Allah.
This is what our world needs today. Our friends and neighbours out there, are in dire need of spiritual guidance. They need a gentle helping hand to show them how to cope with natural and manmade calamities, how to keep their own pain and personal grief in perspective.
Let us set a good example, let us inspire our communities with our serenity, our dignity and our strength that come out of true faith in Allah, and total reliance on His Mercy, His Rahma.
Ameen. Aqeemus salaah!
My dear Muslim brothers and sisters,
The mystical poet, Jalaluddin Rumi said that, "Suffering is a gift. In it is a hidden mercy."
Suffering teaches us patience, sabr, and it also teaches us Redhaa, which is total reliance on Allah, and serene acceptance of whatever He has decreed.
It teaches us to persevere, to work hard to seek Allah’s good pleasure, his Ridwaan. It teaches us humility, it teaches compassion for those less fortunate than ourselves.
How fortunate is the Believer, he endures hardship, and it is good for him [it teaches patience]; then he enjoys relief from hardship, and it is good for him [it gives a chance to be grateful to Allah]. Indeed, the Auliya' of Allah are always overflowing with gratitude, in good times and in hard times.
There is really no ‘problem’ of suffering. The problem is our human ignorance.
If we don’t know Allah, we won’t know His Plan. We won’t be able to accept His Decree.
We won’t know our place in the vast cosmic scheme of things. We won’t know who we really are, why we’re here, where we’ve come from and where we’re going to, after our death.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) often reminded us about the vital importance of self-knowledge. One saying that has been attributed to him, affirms that:
"He who knows himself, knows his Lord."
Brothers and Sisters,
Let us be truly grateful to Allah, that we have this wonderful gift of Iman, this gift of Faith, to illuminate our way through life’s challenges.
In many places the Holy Quran reminds us,
أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ
"No doubt! Verily, the Auliya' of Allah, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve." [Yunus: 62]
No fear and no grief, and yet, if you study the Auliya' of Allah, you’ll find that their lives were filled with incredible hardship, pain and endurance.
The Auliya' of Allah taught us Redha, that wonderful, peaceful and calm in accepting of Allah’s will.
If we can be islands of calm in the oceans of turbulence; if we can show others a kind and helpful manner, in the midst of life’s problems, we will truly hold high that noble legacy of the Prophets and the Auliya of Allah.
This is what our world needs today. Our friends and neighbours out there, are in dire need of spiritual guidance. They need a gentle helping hand to show them how to cope with natural and manmade calamities, how to keep their own pain and personal grief in perspective.
Let us set a good example, let us inspire our communities with our serenity, our dignity and our strength that come out of true faith in Allah, and total reliance on His Mercy, His Rahma.
When becoming humiliated, remember the Prophet (Peace be upon him) in Ta'if.
When being starved, remember the Prophet (Peace be upon him) tying two stones to his stomach in the battle of Khandaq.
When becoming angry, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) control of anger on the martyrdom of his beloved Uncle Hamza.
When losing a tooth, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) tooth in the battle of Uhud.
When bleeding from any part of the body, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) body covered in blood on his return from Ta'if.
When feeling lonely, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) seclusion in Mount Hira .
When feeling tired in Salaat, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) blessed feet in Tahajjud.
When being prickled with thorns, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) pain from Abu Lahab's wife.
When being troubled by neighbours, remember the old woman who would empty rubbish on the Prophet (Peace be upon him).
When losing a child, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) son, Ibrahim.
When beginning a long journey, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) long journey to Madinah.
When experiencing less food in the house, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) days of poverty.
When losing a family member, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) departure from this world.
When becoming an orphan, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) age at six.
When sponsoring an orphan, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) sponsor for Zaid ibn Haritha.
When fearing an enemy, remember the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) saying to Abu Bakr in Mount Thour.
Whatever situation you may find yourself in, remember your role model, the best of creation: Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآىِٕ ذِى ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَيَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنڪَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡىِۚ يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ
"Surely Allah commands justice, good deeds and generosity to others and to relatives; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, so that you may be reminded." [An-Nahl:90]
فَٱذۡكُرُونِىٓ أَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ وَٱشۡڪُرُواْ لِى وَلَا تَكۡفُرُونِ
"And remember Me: I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject faith." [Al-Baqarah: 152]
وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۗ وَلَذِكۡرُ ٱللَّهِ أَڪۡبَرُۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَصۡنَعُونَ
2 comments:
Alhamdulillah :)
Would it be ok if I copy this to my blog?
InsyAllah for others to read and gain benefits as well.
yes of course its more than ok =)
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