Dr. Basem Hameed

وَبَعْدُ فَيَا عِبَارَ اللَّهِ. أُوصِيكُمْ وَنَفْسِيَ الْمُذْنِبَةَ الْمُخْطِئَةَ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ. وَأَحُثُّكُمْ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ.

All praise be to Allah, our Creator, Sustainer, and Cherisher. We bear witness there is no deity worthy of worship save Allah. And we bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and last messenger. We ask Allah to bestow His blessings, peace, and mercy upon His beloved Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, his household, his companions, and all of his followers till the end of time.

My dear respected brothers and sisters, fear Allah and be God conscious. Allah has warned you in the Quran by saying, O people, fear Allah. Be prepared for a day when no one would be concerned with another person. And you'll be seeing people as if they're intoxicated and they're not. When every woman would let go of her own conceived children, and indeed it is the wrath of Allah, it is the torment of Allah that is severe.

The Path to Paradise Through Love and Legacy

My beloved Muslims, my dear respected brothers and sisters, in the previous khutbas, we discussed the deeds that are most relevant and most important to you as a Muslim in order to achieve the highest ranks in paradise. And we started by addressing the love to the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم as the most important one because as we repeated the hadith over and over, and we should never be tired of repeating it again because that's our path to the jannah, to the highest ranks of the Prophet, that يُحْشَرُ الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ. A person would be gathered with those whom he loved. So that's our slogan that we need to keep in mind, and that's the most important deed we need to focus on in order to acquire and raise our children on acquiring so they become companions of the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام in the day of judgment and be at the same level in paradise by the grace of Allah.

Seven Deeds with Everlasting Rewards

And then we moved on to a different class of deeds that the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام has taught us as important because they are not limited to this world. Many deeds, when you stop doing or when you die, you stop acquiring benefits or rewards such as your fasting, your prayers. But the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام has pointed seven different deeds that even after you die, their reward would continue and it's everlasting so long as the impact of those deeds last.

And we started by spreading the knowledge and then securing the water supplies by either flowing a river or digging wells, and then we moved to the importance of planting the trees. And the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام, as in the hadith that we would repeat for the benefit again, he said:

Making an Impact Beyond Yourself

So the first one, as we mentioned again, is to spread the knowledge, because that is the benefit you get from teaching the good to other people, and then securing the most important element for life, that is water. We mentioned before that if you look at the common denominator of these deeds, you find that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم taught us what would leave an impact on the community, on humanity.

A deed that is not limited in benefit and impact on yourself as an individual, but it would go beyond to involve the community around you, the environment, and the entire humanity. And this is why the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم specified these acts. When a lot of people think about any project in life, they have a good idea, they have a project, and what's the ultimate result and the standard of success for this project? It's how we monetize, and what's the dollar value associated with, right?

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, with the divine guidance of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, had a paradigm shift on how you think, on how you plan things in life, and made your purpose in life bigger than your limited life. It is the ultimate eternity, the glory in paradise, living in the mercy and grace of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and in the companionship of His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. And as such, he chose the deeds that would be most rewarding are those of impact.

And when you think about any project, when you think about doing any work or deed, it's not about the money value, it's not about the dollar sign, and it's not how it impacts you as an individual, it is about how big of an impact you're going to leave in the society, for humanity, and this is what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم emphasized by emphasizing the concept of leaving a legacy. Leaving a legacy behind you, making a change in the course of humanity.

Making a Dent in the Universe

Many companies, in their mission, take an example, the great company of Apple. They made it, their mission, as to do one thing. They wanted to make a dent in the universe. It's a very powerful, intense statement. Very ambitious. To make a dent in the universe.

This slogan, my brothers and sisters, this tagline, is what a Muslim should have. To make a dent in the universe. To leave a legacy that would last till the end of time, so you can come to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and you're proud.

When Khalid bin Walid comes to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and he has defeated the Persians and the Romans and conquered the Muslim world of Syria, and when Umar bin Al-Khattab spread his justice that he became an international figure that people are going to talk about till the end of time, and when Abdul Rahman bin Auf gave up his wealth in order to save the people of Medina, what are you going to come to Allah with? When people made it a purpose for their lives to make a dent in the universe, what is the dent you're going to cause? And what is the impact your life is going to be associated with?

For it is very important, my brothers and sisters, to understand that your life is valued by not how many years you live, not by how much wealth you accumulate, because all that is going to be perished and vanish. But the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is telling you what is going to last is that impact. And that legacy that Allah will preserve for you till the Day of Judgment.

Planting Trees and Environmental Stewardship

For that matter, it is very important to make sure you get a share of every single deed the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has told you planting a palm tree. We talked in the previous khutbah how important that is in undoing the damage every human is causing to this universe by contributing to global warming, by contributing to droughts, by contributing to natural disasters. It's our own doing.

The corruption, the damage has prevailed on land and ocean by people's own doing. What their own hands have acquired. This is what we're doing. And this is why the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has selected the palm tree. Because it lasts longer. And it has massive impact on the weather, on the climate, and at the bigger picture at the global warming.

You can go to carbonify.org and calculate your carbon footprint, my brothers and sisters. And they will tell you how many trees you have to plant to undo the damage you're doing. That's the least every Muslim should do. You go to Houston City Online and you'll find, as we mentioned before, trees for Houston. They plant trees on behalf of people. Have them plant the trees on your behalf.

Not only your backyard, not only your front yard. Make it a project that you can come proud to Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Where you've left an impact. Where when you die, you left the earth as a better place. Not as a worse place. Because of your consumption. Because of your damage that you've inflicted on the creation of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

And as much as I hate to interrupt the khutbah and make comments about the manners of the khutbah. But it is very imperative to preserve the manners of the khutbah. Because it's ibadah, my brothers and sisters. So no phones and no chewing gums during the khutbah. So that's why I hate to do this. But I'm so concerned about your ibadah. And about you being rewarded for that ibadah since you're doing the effort. It's not worth it losing this massive reward for a minor thing. So please give the khutbah the utmost respect. With the highest manners and etiquettes. Because Allah is looking at you. And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم will witness this in the Day of Judgment.

Leaving a Mushaf - The Quran as a Living Legacy

We move on to the other deed that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has mentioned. وَيُوَرِّثُ مُصْحَفًا - Whoever leaves behind him a mushaf. You go to every masjid and every mosque. And you grab a mushaf. And on the first page you'll find, وَقْفٌ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى - Endowment for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. This is where it came from. Your predecessors, your grandparents, knew this hadith. Everyone made sure that before they die they leave a mushaf in the masjid. And they write it in their wasiyya if they die, to make sure they spread the mushaf. Alhamdulillah, this is a massive rewarding deed. As it's obvious from the hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

And the one, as we mentioned before, who really wants to do the best for himself, who would not only work smart, but worship smart. And now in the digital era, Wallahi, I envy those who design an app to make it easy for people to read the Quran. That is included in this hadith. Use your intelligence, your creativity, for making the ibadah easy for people.

Everyone can buy a mushaf and put it in the masjid. Make a mushaf that is easy for children to read. Create an app for that. You come to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala as a person who revolutionized children education. By creating a digital medium that would make it appealing to children. To people with disabilities. Now we have the braille mushaf. Wallahi, I envy that person. What a massive reward, what an enormous reward from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala this person is gonna get.

It is not just buying a mushaf and putting it in the masjid. And probably someone is gonna read it and someone may not. And it might stay there for years and no one is gonna grab it off the shelf among this massive collection of mushaf, right? So think smart and use your intelligence. Use your creativity. Use your innovative mind to bring people to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. To make the Qur'an more accessible to them.

Now we have tasbih, digital mashallah, reminds you to say subhanallah every hour. This is unbelievably smart and brilliant. Making the mushaf, this is where they need my brothers and sisters, especially for children. For people who don't speak Arabic. Focus on these areas.

You wanna make sure, when you wanna invest, you invest where there is a need and there is not much supply. That would be a huge demand. Same thing applies to ibadah, subhanallah. It's an area where there is massive need for people who don't understand Arabic. For children, for people in non-Muslim countries where there is lack of education and not abundance of Muslim teachers. Think about it that way.

And don't think about the dollar value. Think about the mercy of Allah's value. The reward value, that you're gonna be lying in your grave and people making dua for you. And every single letter and word of that Qur'an recited or memorized, you're counting the reward. And you come in the day of judgment, not as a person who conquered a land, but as a person who conquered knowledge and conquered the hearts of people and opened it for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and I'm hoping everyone remember this ayah. Allah in the Qur'an, in surah al-Qasas said, وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ - One simple portion of an ayah. وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ - Seek in whichever Allah has given you the hereafter. Remember this my brothers.

Anything that Allah has granted you and blessed you with, make it a vehicle for you to the akhira. Make it a path for you to gain the blessings of Allah. And make it a gateway for you to enter the kingdom of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Your intelligence, your wealth, your talents, everything that Allah has granted you, think about it. How can I make an impact? How can I make my dent? How can I come to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and not be embarrassed of myself when Khalid and Umar and Abu Bakr and Ali and Muawiyah and the rest of the great predecessors of Islam come to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Come with something you're proud of in the sight of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And use your intelligence to revolutionize how we conduct our da'wah. Not just by leaving a hard copy mushaf on the shelf, by bringing it to every corner of people's houses. To their iPads, to their smartphones, to their earbuds. You could be part of it and Allah will have an enormous reward for you.

Building a Masjid

Following that, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم talked about building a masjid. And this is very well known to every Muslim how important that is. For the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has mentioned in the famous hadith, whoever builds a masjid to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, as little as, as small as the nest of a bird, then Allah will replace that for him, build him a house in the Jannah.

So make sure that you have a share in building a masjid. Make sure that you spread the words of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to remote areas in this planet. There are areas, my brothers and sisters, to our current present time in 2018 in Muslim countries that didn't have masjids. Don't go far. India and Pakistan, which own nuclear weapons but don't have adequate water resources and don't have adequate masjids.

For Indians and Pakistanis, this is your responsibility. And I hate to name it but that's the truth of the matter. That's your responsibility. Make a project where you bring knowledge to every corner, to every city, to every town, to every village. For $10,000 you can build a masjid in a small town in Pakistan. Do that. Because Allah is going to ask you for that luxury car, you're driving. It could have built 10 masjids in 10 different villages in these areas.

Same thing applies to Africa, to Arab countries, and so many places on earth. It is a very common sense project. It's a very familiar concept to Muslims but yet, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, has mentioned, الْخَيْرُ قَلِيلٌ، الْخَيْرُ كَثِيرٌ، وَقَلِيلُ فَاعِلٍ. Good deeds are abundant, massive, but only few implement and translate that into practice.

I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make us among those who listen to the advice and follow the best of it.

Leaving Behind Righteous Children

My dear respected brothers and sisters and the seventh and last deed in this hadith that the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام has highlighted that to leave behind وَلَدًا يَدْعُو أَوْ يَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ - to leave behind you a child that makes dua and asks Allah for forgiveness for you.

And this hadith could be understood in many different ways. The first one obviously is to have children and raise them in a good way so one day they will remember you and make dua. But more importantly the obligation that you make dua for your own parents. As a matter of fact scholars took this to an extreme and they made it part of piety. Piety is to make dua for your parents with every salah and hoping that your children will do the same thing for you.

Teach him that now. Don't wait till you're about to die. Before you leave your house every single day ask your children and wife to make dua for you. It becomes a habit. It becomes a bonding experience. When a child feels like my parents are asking me for dua make dua. Number one especially the child his dua is accepted. And number two you're the one who's winning. Make it a habit. It's a very small thing but it goes way too long. It has a massive impact on the psyche of the child and in the sight of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala where it results in certain in a huge and massive reward.

The second part of this hadith that scholars actually did not limit the meaning of the child waladan to your own children. Because this hadith is nakira it's undefined. And the scholar said that any child you teach and make dua for you after you die so you could be a scholar that teach people the knowledge and they'll make dua for you. And that's your children of knowledge basically. Children of iman and not children of abdan.

And this is the other obligation for us my dear respected brothers and sisters to make dua for our scholars for our predecessors for the companions that is only for their blood, sweat and tears we became Muslims. Keep them in your dua and that blessing will go back to you. Make dua for the prophets and messengers from Adam عليه السلام to our beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. And then remember the companions and every single person who contributed an effort to this deen so you became a Muslim so you're reading the Quran so you're reading the hadith of the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام so you know the akhlaq of your Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام. Make dua for them that's part of your loyalty to them and that's part of your belonging to that big family and being a branch of that tree.

We ask Allah to make us a good branch not a dry branch not to be broken branch.