Jum'ah Khutbah by Sh Hafeezullah Khan

Opening — Khutbah al-Hajah

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا وَمَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

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

Introduction: Islam — A Deen of Ease and Mercy

This deen is easy to practice for the whole of mankind in every situation and changing circumstance. It has been sent as a mercy for the whole of mankind till the Day of Judgment by Allah, who is fully aware of His creation's abilities, weaknesses, and their nature. Therefore, this deen is not only for our guidance, but it is a message of peace, a message of tranquility, love, and brotherhood for the whole of mankind.

But today, the deen of Islam is being targeted with criticism from every angle, and its teachings are being presented as oppressive for mankind. It is portrayed as encouraging extremism. Furthermore, it is said that its rulings and teachings are not based on justice, and that women don't have the rights that they deserve, while men have a monopoly. We will also see some Muslims being impressed by this propaganda and supporting these criticisms — whereas if we want to really understand the deen, we should firstly have knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah, and not only know it but also be aware of the wisdom behind its rulings. But those who criticize are not fully aware themselves of the real deen and its teachings.

Remember that this deen has not come as a burden for mankind, but rather it has been sent to make life easy for us and make the world a place of peace and harmony. As Allah says about the Messenger, Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

"Indeed you have been sent as a mercy for mankind." So where Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ is a mercy, then indeed his teachings are also a mercy for the whole of mankind.

This is the deen which has been sent to eliminate oppression from this world and gives rise to the rights of each and every creation. Even the safeguarding of the rights of animals is part of this deen. This is why, according to a sahih hadith, a person was given the good news of Jannah just because he gave water to a thirsty dog, and on the other hand, a woman was given the news of Hellfire just because she had kept her cat hungry.

Likewise, the obligations which we have been commanded — they are not there to burden us. Rather, Allah has made them obligatory according to our strength, according to our abilities. As Allah says:

"Allah does not charge a soul except with that within its capacity." And in another place, Allah says:

"Allah wants ease for you and does not want difficulty for you." So for those who are under the misconception that following the deen in this day and age is not easy — that is their weak understanding. The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said:

"Indeed this deen is easy." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 39)

And in another hadith, Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said:

"Indeed Allah has not sent me as someone who is strict or harsh — Allah has sent me as a teacher and to bring ease." (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1478)

Examples from the Life of the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Dear brothers and sisters, Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ did not just say these things — he also left examples for us through his practices.

The Companion Who Broke His Fast

It was the month of Ramadan. A companion came to the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ in a sad state and said, "I have been ruined." Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ asked him, "What is the matter?" The companion replied that he had had intercourse with his wife while fasting. The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ looked at him and said, "Go and free one slave." The companion replied, "I swear by Allah that I have only myself in my custody. So where will I find someone to free?"

Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ looked at him again — he wanted to convey to him that this deen is not difficult, it is so easy — so he suggested that he fast continuously for two months. Again, that man said, "I only fasted one day and could not control myself, so how will I do so continuously for two months?" Then Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ smiled and said, "Okay, feed 60 poor people." He said, "I am the poorest person in this valley, so how can I feed 60 people?"

Again, the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ looked at him and smiled, and after a while someone came with a bag of dates and gave it to the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. The Prophet asked about that person, and then he gave this bag to the companion and said, "Go and distribute this among 60 poor people." That man said again, "By Allah, there is no one more needy than me in this valley." So Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ smiled and said, "You can keep these dates for yourself and your family."

The Bedouin Who Urinated in the Masjid

One day, the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ was sitting with his companions when a Bedouin came into the masjid and started urinating inside it. The companions ran to stop him. See what the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said to them — and how soft our deen is. Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said to his companions, "Leave him and let him finish. Then throw a bucket of water over it, because Allah has sent you to make ease and not cause difficulty."

When the person had finished, he called him and sat him beside him, saying softly that these masajid are to be kept clean and are not for spreading filth — they are for Allah's worship, praying, and recitation of the Quran. The man looked at the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ and then said, "Oh Allah, be merciful upon Muhammad and upon me, and don't have mercy on anyone else." Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ smiled and said, "You have tightened something which is broad" — meaning the mercy of Allah.

So if we keep this example in mind and assess ourselves in today's day and age — our behavior — if someone brings a child to the masjid and that child causes slight disturbance, we all start looking at him and his father in anger. This does not mean that we should bring our children to the masjid without teaching them the etiquettes of being in the masjid and let them play around inside. It is the responsibility of parents to teach them the manners of the masjid. These are just a few examples from the life of Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ which show how flexible and easy to follow our deen is.

Core Principles That Show the Ease of Islam

First Principle: Everything is Permissible Unless Prohibited

With this, if we also get to know those principles on the basis of which the deen gives us commands and prohibitions, we can see how easy and lenient this deen is. For example, people often think that following the deen is difficult because it restricts us from so many things — "that is haram, this is haram" — whereas, brothers and sisters, the first principle of Islam is that the things which Allah has created and the benefits derived from them are all permissible. It means Allah has made everything permissible for mankind, and nothing is haram except what Allah has prohibited by a sound and clear text from the Quran and Sunnah. But doubtful things are to be avoided.

So you can eat whatever you want, you can wear whatever you want, except the things prohibited by the Quran and Sunnah. As Allah says:

"He who created for you everything which is on the earth." And we should also know that if we compare the haram and halal things, you will find that only a few things are haram, whereas everything else has been made halal for us. But while following the people of the previous scriptures, we have made many things haram or makruh for ourselves which were actually halal.

Second Principle: The Rights of Others Are Protected

Another example of the deen being soft and lenient is that this is the only deen which safeguards the rights of each and every person in society. There is no command that by following it we will harm or oppress another person. If a companion, while following any command, affected the rights of another person, then the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ immediately told them off.

In a hadith reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, Abdullah ibn 'Amr رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ says: The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ asked him, "O Abdullah, I heard that you fast every day and worship every night, the whole night." He said, "Yes." Then the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said, "Don't do this. You should fast some days and leave some days, worship part of the night and rest for part of the night — because your body has a right upon you, your eyes have a right upon you, and your wife has a right upon you."

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1975)

In another hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: "When I lead the prayer, I feel like making it long — but then I hear a child cry, and I shorten my prayer so that the child's mother does not suffer."

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 707)

Likewise, the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ stopped Sa'd ibn Mu'adh from making the prayer lengthy — he was imam at his local masjid — and said to him, "You should be aware that the elderly, the weak, and the needy are also following you in prayer."

Third Principle: Mistakes, Forgetfulness, and Compulsion Are Forgiven

Brothers and sisters, another example of Islam being lenient is that Allah will not ask about something which we did by mistake, by forgetting, or something we have been forced to do — because Allah knows that although we are humans, we can make mistakes, we can forget, and we can be pressurized. So Allah will not question someone who does a sinful act by mistake, by forgetting, or if done under force. As the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said in the hadith:

"Indeed Allah has made my Ummah exempt from those things which are done by mistake, by forgetting, or under force." (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 2045)

For example, if you forget your prayer or you fell asleep, then according to a sahih hadith, there is no penalty for this except that you make up that prayer as soon as you remember.

In Makkah, 'Ammar ibn Yasir رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ was caught by the mushrikeen and they forced him to say bad things about the deen and about Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. So these words came out of his mouth, and after that he was worried and came to tell the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ about this. The Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ asked, "What is in your heart? How do you feel in your heart?" He said, "My heart is fully satisfied with my iman." The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said, "If they catch you again and force you to say this again, then you can say it again."

Fourth Principle: The Concessions (Rukhsah)

There is another principle known as rukhsah — concession and leeway. This shows the softness and lenience of Islam. While considering the situation, there are many occasions where we are given leniency and leeway in our worship and other matters. Allah has not only given this flexibility but He also likes those who adopt them. As the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ says:

"Indeed Allah loves that you follow His concessions (rukhsah) just as He dislikes that you commit sins." (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 5832)

In another hadith, Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said that this is like a gift of Allah for you, so you should accept this gift.

For example, when we are traveling, we have the concession to shorten and combine our prayers. Likewise, if someone is ill or while traveling, we have the ease of doing tayammum instead of using water for ablution. And if someone cannot stand up for a prayer, they are allowed to sit or lie down and pray. Although praying is obligatory upon us all — but look at the leniency we have according to the circumstances.

And doing masah on your socks instead of washing your feet is permissible if you wore your socks in a state of wudu. But amazingly, we ignore all the rulings of the Quran and Sunnah and adopt new rulings of our own — we start putting conditions on what type of socks they should be — and in this way we make the deen difficult for ourselves.

Leniency in the Pillars of Islam

Likewise, fasting in the month of Ramadan — brothers and sisters, it is not obligatory upon everyone. The ill, the traveler, the pregnant woman, the breastfeeding woman, the one who is in menstruation — all these are exempt from fasting. Some can pay compensation, and some can make up their fast. And there are some upon whom neither fasting nor compensation is obligatory. And some ill people whose illness can get worse by fasting — they are strictly forbidden from fasting.

Likewise, if someone ate something by mistake while fasting, there is no compensation required and they can continue their fast, because according to the hadith, Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ says that Allah has made them eat that.

And paying zakat is also not obligatory upon everyone — only those who have enough wealth which reaches the prescribed limit, and this wealth has been in their custody for the whole year. And then they need to pay zakat on this — and that is only 2.5 percent of its value. For example, if you have £1,000 for the whole year, then you have to pay only £25 from that amount.

Likewise, Hajj is not obligatory for all — it is only obligatory for those who can afford it, and are fit and healthy to perform it, and the journey to Hajj is safe to travel, and they can leave sufficient expenses for their family left behind. For women, there is an additional condition — if she does not have any mahram, then Hajj is not obligatory upon her.

The Door of Tawbah — Repentance

So, dear brothers and sisters, we are talking about our deen, its leniency and softness. Likewise, the lenience of the deen is also that Allah knows we humans can commit sins. So if someone commits a sin, it doesn't mean that they remain sinful throughout their life and face punishment in the Hereafter. Rather, Allah has opened the doors of tawbah — repentance — for us, through which we can purify ourselves. But the condition is that tawbah is done with sincerity, you must feel shame in yourself, and you promise that you will not do that sinful thing again. As Allah says:

"Indeed Allah likes those who repent and keep themselves purified."

Dear brothers and sisters, doing tawbah is not a difficult process. It is an easy act and is between you and Allah, provided that you fulfill the conditions of tawbah. And whenever you want, you can have your sins forgiven and purify yourself. No one can stop the mercy of Allah from reaching you, and no one can come between you and Allah. No matter how big a sinner you are, you do not need the intercession of a third person between you and Allah. So whoever wants to repent does not need any priest or any certificate of forgiveness from anyone, nor should he present and admit his sins in front of anyone else other than Allah. As Allah says:

"Oh my servants who have transgressed against themselves by sinning, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful."

Addressing Common Criticisms: Divorce and Inheritance in Islam

In addition to worship, those who criticize the deen often target the system of divorce and the system of inheritance in Islam, and they try to spread misconceptions — although the system of divorce in Islam is based on justice. But we have made it difficult for ourselves due to our own ignorance and lack of knowledge.

The Islamic System of Marriage and Divorce

Firstly, Islam does not encourage divorce. Rather, it is seen as the biggest achievement of Shaytan. And this is the only deen which guides us before the marriage — for choosing the right husband and wife so that the marriage can be successful. As in a sahih hadith, Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ gives us the criteria for choosing a husband:

"When someone proposes to you for your daughter or for your sister in marriage and you are satisfied with his deen and his manners, do not reject that proposal — otherwise there will be commotion and great corruption in the land." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1084)

And for choosing a wife, Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ also stated that a wife is chosen for four reasons: her beauty, her wealth, her family, and her deen — so you must give preference to her deen.

And if after following this criteria given in the Sunnah there are still problems between the couple, Islam gives various options of resolving the issue before reaching the level of divorce. If there is no other option, then divorce is the last resort. And its procedure is not such that many years of marriage can be ended with just one simple word of talaq three times. Rather, brothers and sisters, the correct procedure of talaq is based on a period of three menstrual cycles, where a husband pronounces divorce on three separate occasions of purification. During this waiting period, the wife should not leave the husband's home — it is the Quran's command — nor should the husband ask his wife to leave the house. This gives the opportunity for reconciliation.

But what do we do? As soon as the husband pronounces divorce, everything comes to an end. The wife leaves home, or her parents come to take her to their homes, or the husband kicks her out — and every opportunity of reconciliation goes down the drain.

The other form of divorce is called khul', where the wife demands a divorce from the husband. Brothers and sisters, Islam gives her this right if she does not want to live with that husband because he does not fulfil her rights and also refuses to divorce her.

The Islamic System of Inheritance

Likewise, in the matters of inheritance, it is often questioned: why is a woman given half the portion compared to the man? To know the wisdom behind this, we need to know the rights of women in Islam — as a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother.

A woman will be in one of these four relations. If she is a daughter, it is the father's responsibility to look after her. If she has no parents, or her parents are not able to maintain her, then her brothers have this responsibility. When she becomes a wife, she is in the responsibility of her husband. And as a mother, it is her children who look after and maintain her — if her husband is not there or is not able to fulfil this duty.

So in simple terms, we can say that the Muslim woman has someone to look after her and maintain her in every situation of her life. Still, Islam has given her a share of the inheritance, and she cannot be denied this right. And those who spend on her cannot say that she does not need anything.

Conclusion

All these things teach us that the deen is not only very easy to follow, but this deen looks after the rights of each and every person. May Allah guide us all.