Jumu'ah Khutbah | Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed | 4.24.26

Opening Du'a

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our Master Muhammad and upon the family of our Master Muhammad. And bless and send peace. O Lord, open my chest and ease my affairs. And loosen the knot of my tongue so that they may understand my speech. Glory be to You, there is no knowledge for us except what You have taught us. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Allah, teach us what benefits us and benefit us with what You have taught us. And increase us in knowledge and action. O Allah, enlighten our hearts with Your knowledge and use our bodies for Your obedience. And guide us to what You love and are pleased with. From speech, action, intention and guidance. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The Urgency of Good Deeds

(Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2306)

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Begin with seven deeds. Do you wait for anything but a forgotten poverty? Or a tyrant's wealth? Or a corrupt disease? Or a ruined pyramid? Or a prepared death? If the tyrant or the Dajjal is a hidden evil, he should be waited for. Or the Hour, the Hour is a warning and a command."

The Believer's Response to Chaos

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said this in a very grounded manner. That a true believer, he may face at times sadness, frustration, anger, all sorts of emotions that are there. But he never loses hope. And a believer never loses focus. A believer never loses his ground. He understands that difficulties come and challenges arise. And it is very natural for a person to feel at times overwhelmed. And at times very sad, at times very angry. These are tests that come from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

But in the grand scheme of things, a believer understands that whatever is happening, this is happening under the infinite wisdom of Allah, directly under Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's complete control.

So the believer, when he sees today of the corruption and the chaos and the continuous senseless wars and murders and mass killings across the globe in this country and beyond, when he sees the economic disparity only increasing, when he sees the wealthy becoming wealthier, and those who are at the lower class in the socio-economic ladder are suffering even more, when they see the decency leaving us and the community, when respect is leaving us, when security and safety is leaving us, and so much more happens within just a 24-hour news cycle.

Living in Extraordinary Times

Something that would make it to some big news that would attract your attention once a month, once every six weeks, once every eight weeks, or once every few weeks. Now it seems you put your phone away, you pick up and you see something, you're like, what? How did this happen? I just finished the khutbah. Every 20 minutes, every 30 minutes, there's some huge event, incident that's taking place.

Sometimes you think it's like a board game, but it's not a board game. You're dealing with people's lives. Not 10 or 20, but 10 million or 20 million people's lives. The type of statements that are made, you think that it's little children in the backyard getting angry and upset and saying things out of anger, but no, these are heads of state who have at their fingertips nuclear weapons making statements like this, that you would think children are making in a fit of anger.

When a person is faced with this unbelievable reality that this is not a reality show, this is a reality, this is what is truly happening in this world. And a person may pinch himself and realize that, no, I am awake, I am not dreaming, I am not imagining, I am not hallucinating. Truly the world has become a place of extreme events, from the weather, to politics, to economy, to everything else in between.

The Believer's Advantage

How does a believer handle all of this? And honestly, the believer is the best and most well suited to be able to handle anything that comes. His relationship is with Allah, and he knows Allah, he trusts Allah, so every single condition that comes upon us, since it's coming from Allah, he has this ability to handle it in a manner that a non-believer can never do so. Because he recognizes that all of this is from Mawla al-Kareem.

And what wisdom he has, I don't know, but at the end, العاقبة للمتقين, the best ending will be for those who have God-consciousness. As long as I play my part of leading a life of taqwa, I don't have to worry. It may seem very difficult, very challenging, but I have to bite the bullet and make sure I do not compromise on my principles, regardless of the situation I am in.

And when a person becomes that firm, then they will have this sense of sakinah, itmi'naan, tama'neena, peace of mind, contentment. The people around them will think that, are you missing a chip? Are you stoic? How can you be so apathetic? He is not apathetic. He is very focused on the big picture. He responds, however, not based on knee-jerk emotions, but on very well-thought-out principles.

The Analogy of Parking Assist

My friends, I am not speaking about something that we have to think very far, that when will this happen? How did this happen in history? I am speaking about today. Right now, you and I are in that situation. You and I and the entire ummah is faced with extreme uncertainties.

And I think about when we are parking our cars, sometimes parallel parking in tight city streets, besides those who are very experienced drivers, prior to backup cameras and all sorts of fancy sensors, and they knew how to park properly. The new generation, or anyone who drives new generation cars for the past 15 years, that have backup cameras, that have a bunch of sensors, will become very dependent on that.

But one of the things is that part of the more advanced technologies, like the parking assist that some cars have, where no matter how tight of a spot it is, it actually measures the area, figures out if the car will fit in or not, make the calculations to figure out to what degree should the tires, the wheels turn right or left, how many feet does it need to go up front, how many feet does it need to go back, how much reverse, and so forth. All that is taking place within the computer system of the vehicle. An average person might be thinking, okay, I don't have no idea, I'm not gonna be able to park over here. But an auto-assist, using all the sensors, within a few seconds, it takes care of everything.

That is your believer. The believer has genuinely this Allah-inspired, Nur-inspired sensors, that he will be able to look at a situation, and very calmly address it, and take care of it, and get himself situated in it, while an outsider is dumbfounded, shocked. How did you do that? Where did you learn this? Where did you read this? Where did you come up with that calculation? How did you know this is too much, this is not too much?

Divine Guidance for Believers

My friends, "The one who believes in Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, Allah guides his heart."

The one who Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala expands his chest for Islam, he is not walking on the ground, عَلَىٰ نُورٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ is walking in the Noor of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. He is guided by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

When we say, "If you assist Allah's Deen, Allah will assist you. And Allah will keep your feet firm." When do you need to be firm? You need to be firm when you're faced with challenges and difficulties.

Standing Our Ground

Right now is that time, for a believer, to understand that if I don't keep my ground and stand my ground, everyone's gonna take a hit behind me. All my children, grandchildren, progeny, they will suffer the loss if I today as a father, or a young man, or a young woman, do not take the stand I'm supposed to do so.

If I compromise, if I cave in, if I give in, if I say, well, maybe we can find some permissibility in this and some permissibility in that, and try to find loopholes, so that my nafs doesn't take a hit. My nafs and my ego doesn't take a beating. My desires don't take a hit. My friends, I ask you, what is gonna happen to the next generation? What is gonna happen to that generation that is looking at how their moms and dads react to the challenges and the difficulties that they are faced with?

This is the most amazing opportunity for believers to lead the way. To not only lead their homes, but lead the way in front of non-Muslims as well, who most definitely are going through a lot of stress, anxiety, for everything that's happening.

Global Uncertainties

The situation right now has truly not... The aftermath of this past months and beyond, the aftermath or the situation hasn't truly unraveled in front of us. And the way our economy and across the globe will get hit, the way many things that we have taken for granted may be challenged, is yet to be seen in the next months, and possibly, of course, many years to come that will last.

What it will do to many people across the globe, how will it affect them, is something to see. When people start reading this, they start realizing, just imagine with a stroke, 10% of one of the most famous companies, 10% of their workforce was let go today. 10% because of AI. Now that is a coveted company that everyone would love to get a job there. That is just the beginning of this storm. How will it unravel in the next few years is something to see.

And how will people respond to that? What type of instability and possible many worse things than that may happen across the globe, due to the circumstances that humanity is facing and will face. This is the time for the believers to shine. This is the time for a mu'min to say, I've got this. I have teachings from Rasulullah ﷺ that will allow me to not only take myself forward, but to guide you.

Living With Urgency

And Nabi's teachings, so powerful and so beautiful, regardless of the situation, he has prepared us. The hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, which I shared at the beginning. The Prophet ﷺ from the very outset said, don't wait for everything to fall apart to wake up. Instead, you could say, live every day as though it may be your last.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6416)

As he said, "If you are here in the morning, don't wait till the evening to do what you need to do. If you are here in the evening, don't wait till the morning to do what you need to do. You might not make it." Whatever can be done today, don't delay it. بَادِرُوا بِالْأَعْمَالِ And run towards good deeds. Time is of essence. That is the most important thing.

Time vs. Money

The disbeliever, for him, everything rotates around materialism, wealth. Time is money. Time is money. Everything is calculated by, every decision is calculated by, how much money can I make in this situation, and how much money will I lose if I make a wrong decision.

For a believer, everything most definitely does not rotate around money. For a believer, everything rotates around time, my life. That my life is most valuable. If I don't have my life, I don't have anything including money. What is most important thing is the correct usage of my time.

So Nabi ﷺ, that is why, encourages the believers that make sure you run towards good deeds and compete towards good deeds before you are afflicted by a situation that you did not have before. Before you are afflicted with a situation that you did not have before. What is the situation?

Let's look at where we are today, sitting in our spots. You know where you are. Nabi ﷺ saying, Why are you wasting? Why are you delaying from jumping up and doing what you need to do? Are you waiting? هَلْ تَنْتَظِرُونَ إِلَّا فَقْرًا مُنْسِيًا?

Currently, alhamdulillah, if you made it to the masjid in a car, you have some money to be able to come here, or know somebody who can bring you here. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Are you waiting to be afflicted with such poverty that is going to make you forget Allah?"

The Urgency of Acting Today

Because when poverty hits, and you have to choose which child of yours is going to get medicine, which one is going to get a morsel of food. A person may not have the ability to sit and read a thousand times, صلاة على النبي ﷺ in a masjid. That's what extreme poverty does, that it makes a person forget everything. And all he thinks about is the bellies of his kids and of his spouse.

Rasulullah ﷺ said, What are you waiting? If you're not in that situation, move. Begin to do whatever you can. Don't wait for poverty to come. Or else, أَوْ غِنًى مُطْغِيًا - Are you waiting to become so wealthy that will make you transgress against Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and make you forget Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala?

So, we have to have that right balance. We have to ask Allah, that, Ya Allah, give me enough wealth that will be beneficial for me. Do not give me more wealth than I can handle. This wealth is beautiful, it's attractive. But not all of us can handle it. Not all of us can keep it in our pocket. If it ends up in our heart, we're destroyed. It's a double-edged sword.

So Nabi ﷺ is saying, Today, where you are today, maybe you are just wealthy enough. But if you make an extra 500,000 or 200,000 or 20,000, you may not have time for Jumu'ah. You may not have time for 4 rak'ah of sunnah afterwards. You may not have time to spend a few minutes in du'a because you feel you're too rich for Allah. That happens to millions of people.

So the Prophet ﷺ is saying, Don't wait for that wealth to come down your alley and to destroy your life when you forget Allah. أَوْ مَرَضًا مُفْسِدًا - Or are you waiting for such an illness that will ruin your ability to worship Him? That you end up suddenly in a hospital. You end up in a situation where you can't pray, you can't fast, etc.

أَوْ هَرَمًا مُفَنِّدًا - Or are you waiting to then say that, I will turn to Allah when I become a little bit older. I'm still young. Guess what? Old age that weakens you, that makes you senile, creeps up quicker than you can imagine. And a person loses his strengths very quickly.

أَوْ مَوْتًا مُجْهِزًا - Or sudden death, which is happening so often, it's one of the signs of the hour. The people will be dying suddenly, like you see in car accidents and other things.

The Greatest Awaited Evil

Or else are you waiting for dajjal? Are you waiting for dajjal, the imposter, the greatest liar? فَشَرُّ غَائِبًا يُنْتَظَر - That indeed, dajjal is the worst awaited absent one. From all the things that you could be waiting for, dajjal is definitely the worst thing to wait for.

أَوْ السَّاعَةُ فَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرْ - Or are you waiting for the day of judgment to strike, which indeed the hour is most terrible and most bitter.

The Prophet ﷺ is saying, whatever excuse you may have right now, understand that you are in a better situation than what you may be in tomorrow. Whatever reason you and I give for not doing good deeds today, and turning our attention towards Allah today, understand that whatever this is, tomorrow may be a more challenging day.

And actually this is a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, where he said, every era is gonna be more challenging than the previous one. One of the companions even mentioned this. He said, don't swear and curse at the kings of today. This is 1300 years ago. Because indeed every leader that's gonna come after that is gonna be more difficult for the ummah to bear than the previous one.

Living in the Moment with Purpose

Make due with what you have today. It is very important for a believer in this difficult time to remain optimistic, and to lead by example, and to say, right now I can do something, let me do it. I'm gonna live in the moment. And I'm gonna understand that even the freedoms that I have to practice my faith, and the abilities I have to practice my faith today, they may not last too long.

Whatever opportunities I have, let me jump on it. And let me share some good words. Let me encourage someone. Let me work on my children. Let me work on my spouse, my cousins. Whatever I can. Because tomorrow, either I might not be alive, or these opportunities may not be there.

My beloved brothers, I want to invite all of us to this mindset of being optimistic, being realistic, being alert and awake, being with the times, and being the leader of the pack. To say we are gonna lead by example, with solidarity, firmness, clarity of vision, and guide not only the Muslims, and our families, but even the non-Muslims in our workplace, at school.

Signs of the Hour and Strengthening Faith

And explain to people, that in all the chaos that we are seeing today, is most definitely the hidden wisdom of Allah that you and I don't understand. But every single thing that is happening, is happening by the book. If you look at the world's events, look at the top news events of today, and you compare that with the signs of the hour, one after the other, it is so obvious how they line up.

Share that with people. Share that and read it at home with your children and your family. And do not allow to fall into despair. This is the time truly to strengthen your iman. In all the chaos, in all the killing, in all the violence, in every other economic issue, and beyond that's happening. When you look at the hadith, you say, our Prophet ﷺ, long ago, has prophesized all of these things.

This is the time to strengthen my iman. If he was not a nabi, if he did not receive revelation, how would he have known all of this 1500 years ago? How would he have known and prophesized to the most perfect detail of what we are witnessing?

So this is that time when we will see certain people will surge up in their iman. Certain people will get much closer to Allah. And unfortunately, certain people will fall. As our ulema have said, the time of sifting between the truthful ones and the liars who claim to be believers and who are not, that time has come. Separation.

True believers and those who simply are talking the talk, but not walking the walk, they will not be able to, they will no longer be able to identify as a Muslim. Such challenges will come, that you will have to, if you want to be a believer, you have to be willing to pay the highest price that a hypocrite will never want to pay. That preparation has to come in our lives and the lives of our children.

Invitation to the Annual Retreat

Alhamdulillah, this is why today we are welcoming all of you to our annual retreat, alhamdulillah, which is the largest and most well attended event usually of our entire year. And this year's topic is on the Day of Judgment, the signs of the hour and the responsibility of the believer.

And I encourage everyone of you who knows about it, alhamdulillah, please join us at Asr at 6.30. And those of you who are hearing about it first time, I'm requesting you inshaAllah, wherever you are, listening online or on site, you're here, sisters, brothers, youth, uncles, aunties, whoever you are, I encourage you to please try your best to come inshaAllah from the beginning of the program at 6.30, and inshaAllah continue with us till Salatul Dhuhr on Sunday, where else we'll have the final closing remarks and du'a.

This is an event happening in this very same masjid and building that you are sitting in. There are people I'm seeing from across the country who have flown and drove 15, 18, 20 hours to be here. How sad it would be if I'm a regular in this masjid and I'm a local and I get deprived. If I live in the neighborhood of the masjid and not here.

So they have youth programs, women's programs, ulama programs, adult programs, child care, babysitting, all of this is being provided free and complimentary to all of us here, meals available on site, i'tikaf at night, then you have our bonfire, alhamdulillah late night s'mores for the boys and the girls and the brothers and sisters. So much happening, the schedule is right here on the TV screen, the schedule is printed outside, schedules on the website as well.

A Call to Action

Main thing the schedule should be, I will be here inshaAllah, from Asr till Sunday Dhuhr, I'll be here with you inshaAllah, I ask all of you to join us, inshaAllah tabarak wa ta'ala, this is an opportunity for us to jump. If the heart doesn't feel like jumping right now, I don't know what else we're waiting for.

Just earlier this morning I was saying, we're not studying the signs of the hour, wallahi we are living the signs of the hour. We are living in watching the signs of the hour right now happening in front of us. So let's not become one of those signs by saying, you know what, I don't have time for this.

Take time out, please, come with your family, come with your daughters, come with your sons, and inshaAllah make this weekend a dedicated weekend of rejuvenating our souls, our hearts, and inshaAllah walking away with a clear mission and vision of how we will lead the rest of our lives inshaAllah.

Instructions and Announcements

Let us all move forward, fill up any spots that you have, and then let us perform our sunnah salah. Before you begin, make sure the spot in front of you is not empty. Please fill up the rows like we're for salah, fard salah, completely, from one side to the other, and then begin your sunnah.

Community Announcements

A few announcements. As was mentioned inshaAllah, the retreat begins today after asr salah at 6.30. InshaAllah, and we want to recognize those who have assisted us in sponsoring the event from Monk Samiz Islamic Relief. They do have a booth here and a representative, so please do stop by at their booth and look at the various projects, alhamdulillah, that they are serving across the globe, and participate inshaAllah, give sadaqa on your way out.

Sadaqa wards off calamities and draws Allah's mercy. The sadaqa that's given on Friday, alhamdulillah, is the most virtuous of sadaqas that is given. I request you also to please pass the donation boxes from left to right, and donate generously towards the expenses of the masjid as well. Every dollar counts, alhamdulillah, and it might be a means of our own calamities and difficulties that we are going through in our personal lives. InshaAllah, it will remove that.

I request everyone inshaAllah to pass the donation boxes from the left to right. Additionally, there are kiosks in the lobby. You can donate over there. If you would like to also just give an anzal, it would be donate at masjidds.org. InshaAllah, tabarak wa ta'ala.

Ongoing Programs

Additionally, our summer programs, alhamdulillah, are all available now at the masjidds.org forward slash summer, masjiddarussalam.org forward slash summer, and you can learn about our one-year program, our summer intensive, summer camp for kids, summer heads program, the tarbiyah for talks, for all ages, ages three and up, alhamdulillah, programs are taking place over the summer. Please visit our summer intensive page, summer program page.

And every night, for those who are joining us, maybe new brothers here, every Monday night, we have a Monday night podcast that I host, alhamdulillah, here called The Compass, every Monday night. Similarly, on every Tuesday, we have a deep dive tafsir with Mufti ibn Hajaruddin. On Thursday, we have salawat upon the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam with a discussion on shama'il al-muhammadiyah, the attributes of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam with Mawlana Abdul Basit.

And every Saturday, we have what we call the team fajr, a program on spirituality followed by breakfast. Additionally, sisters, alhamdulillah, we have various programs for them. And you can learn about the programs at masjidsds.org forward slash seminary forward slash sisters.

We have part-time English classes and Urdu classes as well that are taught by female scholars at the seminary. These classes take place regularly. So if you're joining us for the first time here, please do check the website and learn about those programs. We ask Allah عز وجل to make each and every one of these programs a source of attracting His mercy. اللهم آمين.

الله أكبر

الله أكبر

الله أكبر

سمع الله لمن حمده

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته