Jum'ah Khutbah by Sh Abdul Hadi

Opening — Khutbah al-Hajah

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَرْسَلَهُ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ

أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ

Our Purpose of Life

Brothers and sisters, Allah created us for a great purpose and guided us to the ways that will lead us to Jannah, to His pleasure. As well as He warned us from the things which keep us far away from the straight path, from the pleasure of Allah, and which guide us to the Hellfire. Therefore, as a wise person, we have to understand our purpose of life and put all efforts to achieve the target. But we should beware from inappropriate things.

The main purpose of our life, as Allah says:

"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me."

We are bound to obey Allah's command and keep away from Shaitan — the devil — who is the clearest enemy for us all. Shaitan is playing a vital role to keep us away from the straight path, to mislead us, and to put us into Jahannam. As much as he can, he is trying his best.

Do We Worship Shaitan?

If you ask any Muslim — say, for example, if I ask all of you: do we worship Shaitan? We all will say no. If we ask a Muslim whether they are the friend of Shaitan, the answer will be no. No one will accept this. But it is the reality, my brothers and sisters. The same people follow the ways of Shaitan, the temptation of Shaitan, the path of Shaitan. Because Shaitan is trying to make wrong actions as beautiful as he can, so that we cannot be entitled to the reward of Allah — to Jannatul Firdaus.

And Allah says:

"Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Shaitan? For indeed he is to you a clear enemy."

The Quran is saying: do not worship Shaitan, because he is a clear enemy to us. Let us think and discuss how Shaitan has made things beautiful and attractive for us — in iman, in ibadah, in moral values, in things relating to our daily life.

How Shaitan Attacks Our Iman

Let us start from iman, because if our iman is solid then our deeds will be accepted by Allah. Otherwise, whatever we do, we don't get reward from Allah. Shaitan started his activities from shirk in place of tawhid. He introduced bid'ah (innovation) in place of sunnah. And Shaitan introduced riya' (showing off) in place of ikhlas. All these things relate to our iman and our aqeedah.

The Disease of Shirk

In our community, many people are engaged in shirk — directly or indirectly. Allah sent many messengers, in many languages, in many areas. Although they came at different times, their object and target was the same: to guide people to the straight path. And every messenger focused and started his da'wah work from tawhid — that you have to believe in one Allah and worship Him alone, and not associate anyone in any sense with Allah, the Creator.

For example, we can see how Ibrahim (alayhi salatu wa salam) started his da'wah work, beginning from his own family life. He advised his father, saying — and see how beautifully his approach is — "Oh my father, do not worship Shaitan. Indeed Shaitan has ever been to the Most Merciful disobedient." We can find these kinds of examples in the lives of all the prophets and messengers.

But unfortunately, many Muslims have involved themselves in shirk. Some go to shrines. Some go to graveyards, to graves, to quboor. Can you believe a person who understands tawhid would go there to worship those in the graves, or seek help and pleasure from those who have passed away? Is this tawhid? Is this the teaching of the Quran?

But unfortunately this exists in our community, in our society. Many Muslims believe that Allah is One, but still they are very keen to go to quboor. Yes, we can visit the graves — but in one condition, according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): that we gain a lesson for ourselves, reminding us that we are going to die, and we can make du'a for them, asking forgiveness from Allah on behalf of those who have passed away. But you cannot ask help from those who have passed away.

The mistake of some people is arrogance — takabbur. They don't want to accept reality. Because of their pride, they don't want to listen to the Quran or the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). This attitude is not accepted for a Muslim, because this is like the attitude of Iblis, who refused to accept Allah's order. As Allah says:

"And when Allah said to the angels: prostrate before Adam — so they prostrated, except Iblis. He refused and was arrogant, and became of the disbelievers."

So we have to prepare ourselves: whenever truth comes to us, we will accept it — regardless of whether it is in our favour or against us — because our aim is to follow the real teaching of the Quran and the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

The Disease of Bid'ah

Shaitan has also made bid'ah (innovation) acceptable to many Muslims. If you take an Islamic calendar and look at each and every month, you will find that in each month innovated practices have been introduced which are not appropriate for a Muslim.

For example, in this month of Rajab — the night of Isra' wal Mi'raj, when the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was taken on the journey — people started celebrating and doing many things which are not according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and not according to the methodology of the Sahabah (ridwanullah 'alayhim).

Do you think that the Sahabah were not aware of Rajab? Were they not aware of the journey of the Mi'raj? Do we want to surpass them in good deeds? Do we want to get extra reward more than the Sahabah (radi Allahu ta'ala 'anhum)? Or are we trying to understand the deen more than the Sahabah?

Similarly, in the following month of Sha'ban, on the 15th of Sha'ban, there are many things practiced in our community in the name of Islam — to get reward from Allah — but you will never find any proof or evidence from authentic sources or authentic ahadith. And a similar situation exists in Muharram and in many other months.

Why are we doing this? Shaitan has made bid'ah attractive. We do not blame people's intentions — maybe their intention is good. But we have to remember one point, my brothers and sisters: intention alone is not enough for our deeds to be accepted. The intention must be correct, as well as the deed must be according to authentic hadith. If we do something with good intention but it is not appropriate or not according to authentic hadith, we don't get reward. Similarly, if we do something that is correct according to authentic hadith but our intention is not good, we still don't get reward.

So there are two conditions: the intention, and that the action must be according to the teaching of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Many brothers who are involved in these practices perhaps do so without understanding — that is why, despite the effort, the money, and the time they spend, that practice is not according to the teaching of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

The Disease of Riya' (Showing Off)

Also relating to iman is ikhlas — sincerity. As a believer, we should perform each act with sincerity and with the correct intention. Shaitan will try to put us into riya', which is showing off. No deed will be accepted if a person performs anything to show off — to get pleasure from people, not from Allah. Our ibadah, our salah, our Hajj, our sadaqah, our charity, our good work will not be accepted if it is because of riya' — if it is because of showing off, to get pleasure of people rather than Allah.

As Allah says:

"And they were not commanded except to worship Allah sincerely."

And the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) warned us from this disease. He said: "The most dangerous thing for my ummah is hidden shirk, which is riya'."

(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 23630; also reported by al-Tabarani — the Prophet said: "The thing I fear most for you is minor shirk." They asked: "What is minor shirk, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Riya'.'")

For easy understanding — say, for example, normally I take five minutes to pray two rak'at. If I see some people sitting there watching how I am praying, I pray two minutes extra — instead of five minutes, seven minutes. Those two extra minutes I am not doing for the pleasure of Allah; I am doing it because people are watching me, and I want to make my salah look nice and good. Those two extra minutes are considered as riya'.

If you spend anything to please Allah — regardless of the amount — according to Sahih al-Bukhari, you can even protect yourself from the Hellfire with one piece of a date. Just one tamr (date). But this must be from ikhlas. Otherwise, if I spend a large amount with riya', I don't get any sawab or barakah from Allah. This is a hidden disease, and we have to analyze ourselves: when we do any good deed, why are we doing it? To please Allah and get reward from Allah? Or to get the pleasure of people?

And in ibadah, Allah says:

"Say: Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for the sake of Allah alone."

Following One's Own Desires

Another serious problem is how people make their own desires as their lord. Allah says:

"Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire?"

So we have to consider this point as well — that we do not do things according to our own desires, our own understanding, or our own opinion. We are bound to follow what Allah says and what the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam) says.

The Importance of Halal Earnings

Another serious problem is how Shaitan has made haram sources of income beautiful and attractive. Because if our ibadah is based on income that is haram according to Islamic shari'ah, then our ibadah will be rejected. Even our du'a will be rejected.

Allah says:

"O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth that is halal and good, and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan."

Have you thought about why the Quran is connecting Shaitan with our earning, with our food, with halal food? Why is Allah warning us of this? If we think deeply, we can understand the seriousness of this. Because many brothers and sisters may be praying regularly, may be going to Hajj every year, but they do not bother about their sources of income — whether it is from halal or from haram.

And if we engage ourselves in earning haram things, then whatever ibadah we are doing, Allah will reject it. Even if we make du'a — supplication — Allah will not accept it. As in Sahih Muslim, a person who is surrounded in difficulties and problems raises his hands saying "Oh my Lord, oh my Allah," asking Allah's help — but his du'a will be rejected. Why? We have to think and analyze ourselves, as the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) says:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 12, Hadith 65 — the Prophet mentioned: "His food is haram, his drink is haram, his clothes are haram — how then will Allah accept his du'a?")

Because his food is from haram, his drink is from haram, his clothes are from haram — how will Allah accept his du'a? And a person who after spending a lot of energy and money goes to Hajj, saying لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ — wearing ihram on the appropriate place — "Oh Allah, I am here." But what will the answer be? "We do not accept your presence here, because the money you spent is from haram."

And unfortunately, many of our respected brothers and sisters do not bother about their earnings — whether it is from halal or from haram. Many brothers engage in haram things, like selling alcohol, for example.

My brothers, if you read Surah al-Ma'idah, verses 90 and 91, see what Allah clearly says:

Allah clearly mentioned alcohol, gambling, going to fortune-tellers and soothsayers, and places where people commit shirk — these are evil, from the work of Shaitan. And Allah is saying: if you want to be successful, then you have to keep away from these things.

But many of our brothers say: "We don't drink alcohol, we only sell it. We only supply it." According to authentic hadith, those who are involved directly or indirectly in the business of alcohol — selling, providing, helping, or any form of participation — all of them are sinful. Not only those who are drinking, but also those who are involved in this business. This is haram.

When we read Surah al-Ma'idah — what do you think? Can a person who reads this and believes engage himself in alcohol or gambling? Many forms of gambling exist nowadays, and unfortunately many brothers involve themselves in this. So we have to keep away and make our earnings clean according to Islamic shari'ah — halal. So whatever we eat, whatever we drink, whatever we wear should be from halal, so that Allah will accept our ibadah and accept our du'a.

Family Relationships

Another problem is how Shaitan is making the breaking of family relationships very attractive. People do not bother about this. According to hadith, you cannot cut off from your friend for more than three days if something happens between you that you don't like. Sometimes that can happen — so you have to cool down within three days. If this is the case for just a general friend, what do you think about your own family member? Between husband and wife, between children and parents, between brothers and sisters, between close family members.

There are many obstacles that Shaitan introduces, and we are not even ready to exchange our salam. When we see someone coming — even in one masjid — we try to turn away and avoid giving salam. So Shaitan is making these things very attractive for us, and we are making Shaitan our friend. Then our lives are open to all the problems that Shaitan brings, because he is doing his job.

The Solution — How to Protect Ourselves from Shaitan

So if we want to protect ourselves from Shaitan and from his evil, what is the solution?

Number one: We have to believe firstly that Shaitan is our enemy. Make it clear — he is the enemy, and he is doing the enemy's job. So we have to be wise.

Number two: We must remember Allah and do dhikr of Allah. Because those who do not do dhikr of Allah, who do not remember Allah — Shaitan will attract them, become their companion, and he will do his job. And on the Day of Judgment, that will be a very serious problem for those who made Shaitan their friend.

So we have to make ourselves the friends of Allah. Do dhikr and read supplications as much as you can, in order to protect ourselves from Shaitan.

May Allah give us tawfiq and the ability for understanding the teaching of the Quran and Sunnah, and following the best. Alhamdulillah.