Imam Muhammad Al Durrah Jumuah Khutbah

Opening Announcements

Imam Abdullah is here, جزاكم الله خيرا Imam. So as you know that the bad weather is around the corner, so with all deliberations I think we have come to a conclusion starting tomorrow Fajr, starting, yeah, Fajr tomorrow morning all the services will be closed, so there will be no organized services, Salahs or any programs at EPIC tomorrow and day after tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday due to bad weather. It is recommended that إن شاء الله don't take a chance driving in bad conditions, it's okay if you pray at home إن شاء الله as opposed to trying to take a risk to come to the masjid, but the masjid will be open but there will not be any organized programs, Salah, it's up to you if you want to come pray and go that's okay but highly recommended stay at home.

That's number one. Number two, الحمد لله our shelters are open, bad weather, the city of Plano have reached out, we are the official shelter for the city of Plano, we're going to be keeping our shelters open tonight all the way through Tuesday إن شاء الله, so this is a great help that we are saving lives and during these inclement weather, this is all because of your donations, your support, إن شاء الله, جزاكم الله خيرا for that.

Next, we have the food drive, so on your way out if you can support the food drives, we need 500 meals, this is during Ramadan food drive, we help the families overseas, I think $100 will take care of five families, so really help if we can sponsor a few families إن شاء الله, our goal is 500 families and we've always been able to achieve those every year إن شاء الله, this year we want to do the same, we're looking forward to your support for that إن شاء الله, we also have a blood drive that's on 31st of this month, 31st of January, right here in the multi-purpose hall, our goal is to get about 75 people donating blood, each donation saves three lives, إن شاء الله, so looking forward especially the shabab, إن شاء الله, they can donate multiple times perhaps, so جزاكم الله خيرا, السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Sha'ban: A Month of Preparation

It's a month people don't give it enough attention, because it's between Rajab and Ramadan. So don't say, where should I start? Don't say, where should I start? Any door could lead us toward Allah, we should try to enter it. Anything could get us closer to Allah, we should practice it with full of sincerity. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala accept from all of us.

The Story of the Guided Soul

Shaykh Abdul Fattah Moro, he said, when I was young, I used to go outside after Salatul Asr and try to convince anybody from those who are not connected to the masjid and say, Please, come to the masjid, pray, don't end your life without praying. So he said, once I kept trying, trying, until I got somebody before Salatul Maghrib and he accepted.

So I took him to the masjid, I was so happy, as if I have a treasure in my hand. We entered the masjid, while we were walking, and almost Maghrib Iqamah, and the people started smelling something not good from this guy, alcohol. So they told him, get out. And I was trying my best to protect him as if he is my treasure. And they started hitting him and myself. And the Shaykh came, the Imam, and he said, what happened, why are you doing this with my son, with Abdul Fattah? And he said, they wanted to get him out of the masjid and he refused. The time of Salatul Maghrib started. So the Shaykh said, let him make wudu and pray with us. And there was no time for argument.

He made the wudu, stood next to Shaykh Abdul Fattah when he was young. In the sujood, everybody got up except this guy. Shaykh Abdul Fattah said to himself, when I finish my Salat, I will teach him how to pray. It seems like he does not know what to do after sujood. And they found out that his soul was gone in his sujood.

Being Keys of Goodness

Brothers and sisters, the seed of khayr and goodness in the heart of every human. And we should try our best to be the keys of khayr. Sometimes as father, or mother, or imam, or teacher, we could be the opposite. Someone who is coming to the masjid for the first time, some of the brothers may welcome him in a weird way. Why are you here? It's our first time to see your face. Do you have any business here? And we opened a lot of questions for this person to rethink about his connection to the masjid. And this was not the way of Muhammad ﷺ.

And you know the story of the guy who was urinating next to the masjid, inside of the masjid of Rasulullah ﷺ. Rasulullah ﷺ told the sahaba, let him finish. Then he taught him how to deal with the masjid.

The Man Who Returned After 50 Years

A 60 years old entered the masjid and he was crying. And the young people came to him and they said, why are you crying? He said, الحمد لله. Say الحمد لله. الحمد لله that we have the chance to be here in this place. Other people are not. So الحمد لله.

So this guy he said, الحمد لله that I have the chance to come back to the masjid. 50 years ago, when I was 10 years old, I was in the masjid. I stood behind the imam. And the line was almost half of it. And somebody came and he wanted to take my place. And he pulled me in a harsh way to the second row. I looked around. I was alone by myself in the second line. I left the masjid. I hate the salah. The masjid. The ibadah. Because of the act of this person. So now الحمد لله I have the chance to come back to the masjid. So الحمد لله.

We have to try our best to be the keys of khair. The messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, he mentions about the righteous people. He said about some people that they are keys of khair. And some people are keys of sharr.

Focus on the Soul

We have to try our best to look at our weaknesses. And try to work on it. It's a shame on any Muslim to be successful in the dunya and the business. And to fail in the akhira and the deen. To work hard on his body. And to leave his soul. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala told us in the Qur'an:

So let's try our best to focus on our souls.

Our value is not only in our bodies. And the moment the soul leaves, the body is not going to be anything. We will be brought to the masjid. صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ صَلَاةِ الْجَنَازَةِ We will not be able to do anything, to say anything, to act in anything. And the wish of anyone, رَبِّ ارْجِعُونَ I wanted to give sadaqah. I wanted to pray two raka'at. I wanted to fix my problem with my parents, with my family, with the people around. خَلَاص

The Importance of Acting Now

And some people, سبحان الله, they had the chance to enter any door of khair, and they neglected it. Then, when you go to their own family, I remember once, a brother passed away during COVID-19. And they came to his son, and they told him, your father left millions of dollars. Why don't you send somebody to do the hajj, on behalf of your father, who was planning to go, but because of the sickness, he got sick and he passed away.

Then the son, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless and protect all of our kids. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make them قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ يا رب العالمين So he said, he had the money in his hand. Now it's mine, I'm not going to waste 10,000 or 50,000 or 15,000 for the hajj of my father. That's it. سبحان الله.

And I'm sure none of us will have this mentality, إن شاء الله wa ta'ala. But I'm telling you, if you have the chance to enter any door of khair, do it by yourself.

The Story of the Changed Mind

Once, you know the idea of waqf. And I love to see, EPIC has this mentality and idea. A brother, wanted to write a piece of paper and to give one of his lands, and he has a lot, as waqf for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And he was sick in the hospital thinking that I'm leaving. So I wanted to write part of my properties for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for my akhirah.

He did that and signed the paper that my property in that place will be as waqf for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. After a few weeks, he got better. Then he asked for that piece of paper and he said, I changed my mind. سبحان الله. سبحان الله. Then two months after, he passed away.

Sometimes, you may see the door of khair is open in front of you. And you have the power, the ability to give, to enter, to participate. But shaytan will get you in many ideas and prevent you from that. You are the loser. If you have this mentality. Give, Allah will give you better and more. Do for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will surprise you. Leave the haram for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah will open many doors of halal for you.

Importance of Opening Doors of Halal

And because of that, I have to say this, just for the time. You know, when we become a reason for the haram without our attention or intention. In our society, once one of the young people attended one of my lectures. And he came to me after and he said, Sheikh جزاك الله خيرا, to be honest with you, I established a relationship with a Muslim girl after I heard that this is haram and the best way to deal with it is to go to her family and enter from the right door.

He said, I told her, you know, let's cut this relationship and I will talk to my parents to establish a relationship with pure halal. He said, الحمد لله رب العالمين, that's good news. Ya Shabab, the door of khair and tawbah has opened. And don't let your sins or problems or weaknesses to become a reason for you to get more far from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Allah loves those who repent to Him. And those who have so much of sins, Allah is saying in the Qur'an:

Don't give up from the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Just come. You may say, I have this, this and that sins. Allah is saying, if you come with full of the earth, full of the earth of sins and you repent to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah will not will accept you only. Allah will change those sins to become hasanat in your book.

(Hadith Qudsi - Sahih Muslim)

So may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala forgive us all.

Back to that door, I have to say it because we are facing some problems in our communities. This young brother, he said, I went to my parents and we decided to go to visit that family and to enter the door. السلام عليكم. We are interested to engage your daughter through the book of Allah and the sunnah of Rasulullah. صلى الله عليه وسلم.

And because of our cultures and the wrong mentality outside of the circle of the Quran and the sunnah, look at the result. Without of saying, we will talk to the girl because she will be so happy. They said, we are sorry. Our family is not honored to have our daughter for your son. We are higher than you. We are different than you. And because of that, we closed the door, as if we are saying, we are closing the door of halal. And we are opening the door of haram. And those young shabab who don't have a strong iman enough, they may practice something haram because of our cultures and our mentalities. Who is going to be asked about that? May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guide us all.

Conclusion: Don't Delay

So, don't say, where should I go? The way of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is clear. The masjid is our station to charge our hearts and our souls. And the doors of khair are open right and left. Don't say, tomorrow I will change myself and I will start. You may not be able to live until tomorrow. So fix your relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala now.

Drawing Closer to Allah Through Prayer and Reflection

Try your best to get closer to Allah. Fix your salah. Sometimes when we pray, may Allah accept from all of us. I feel sometimes when we pray, we pray just to get rid of the salah and to finish it fast. Why don't we change our relationship with Allah when it comes to salah?

Sometimes we ask ourselves after we finish the salah, what did I myself recite in my salah? And we will be surprised. And sometimes in your mind, just to say إن شاء الله تعالى in this salah I will recite from this surah and that surah so I will change the short surahs I do every time. And as soon as you stand for the second rak'ah, you go to... I love this surah. But not because it's short. Because of the value of it and the meaning of it.

So it's good to try our best to change our salah and to have some خشوع in it.

The Wisdom of Ibn Taymiyyah on Prayer

Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله, they asked him, which position is better to make longer in our salah? When we stand for قراءة القرآن and تلاوة or in our سجود? Then he said, رحمه الله, حيث تجد قلبك. Wherever you find خشوع, wherever you find your heart and your soul, try to take advantage of those moments and make du'a. And recite the Qur'an with reflection.

And in the du'a, in the سجود, Rasulallah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 979)

"The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration, so increase your supplications therein."

Remembering Our Brothers and Sisters in Gaza

In your سجود, and I'm sure all of us, we have so much challenges and problems. Either with yourself, your family, business, and for the Muslim ummah. If you look around and you will see the brothers and sisters in Gaza and Palestine. May Allah make it easy for them.

In this winter, you see how we prepare ourselves. And if you go to the store, you may not find some of the stuff you need. Those people, they don't have those stores. And can you imagine a mother, father, with few kids, under the weak tent in this wind with the freeze. And they have nothing to do. Waiting for the morning, maybe they will get something. And the mother is trying her best to cover and to protect her baby because of the cold. In the morning, she finds out that her child passed away.

This is not only one child from ours in Palestine. There are many. There are many. May Allah make it easy for them. And may Allah protect them. May Allah send His mercy on them.

Being Keys of Goodness

Again, try your best to get closer to Allah through any door. Be a key of خير. Try to fix your salah, your relationship with the people around you. If you have any rights for others, give it. If you don't do that, your family may not be able to give it. And we will be asked about it in front of Allah.

May Allah accept from all of us. And may Allah give us the chance to take advantage of Sha'ban and to fast the month of Ramadan. May Allah accept us all.

Quranic Recitation

"Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remained on a right course - the angels will descend upon them, [saying], 'Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised. We [angels] were your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request [or wish] - as accommodation from a [Lord who is] Forgiving and Merciful.'"

"And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, 'Indeed, I am of the Muslims.' And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; then the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good]."

آمين