10 Questions That Determine Your Eternity | Jumu'ah Khutbah | Sh. Suleiman Hani

All praise is due to Allah the Exalted. We praise Him. We seek His help, His guidance, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our sins and the evils within ourselves. Whomsoever Allah guides because they are sincerely looking for the truth, none can misguide. And whomever He rightfully causes to be led astray because they are arrogant, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, and that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, peace be upon him, is His servant and final messenger.

For our own eternal happiness and our own success, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala commands us what is translated as, O believers, be mindful of Allah as He deserves. Have taqwa, God-consciousness, as is Allah's right upon you. And do not die except in a state of submission to Him. We ask Allah to grant us sincerity and consistency upon Islam, and to die upon iman. Allahumma ameen.

The First Night in the Grave

Imagine it's your first night in the grave. And in the authentic hadith, you're hearing the footsteps walk away. You know exactly what's about to happen. You heard about it in hundreds of lectures and khutbas and articles, and from family and teachers over the decades, for some less. You know what's going to happen. And as the silence kicks in, you know that two angels are coming to ask you the questions.

It is from Allah's mercy that we know the future in terms of specific events, from Allah's mercy that He tells us why, so then we have no excuse for the one who is sincere, and the one who is wise, and the one who has self-discipline, that you prepare for the inevitable moment. Every single human being, religious or not, from every walk of life, will have this experience.

And I want you to imagine, not only do we know the questions that will be asked about in the grave, but if we take a step back, in general, we find at least a dozen different types of questions we can prepare for. What are some examples? We'll go through as many as we can with the time that we have inshaAllah.

The First Question: Who is Your Lord?

First, imagine you're in the grave, and the angels come to you, and they ask you the first question, مَن رَبُّكَ؟ Who is your Lord? And in this masjid today at home, it's so easy for us to move that tongue and just say, the answer is very easy, رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ, Allah is my Lord.

But in the grave, as we all know, your tongue will speak in proportion to the strength of your heart. It is the heart that will guide the muscle, that will respond to these angels. And the heart is not responding based only on something abstract. Did you sincerely believe Allah is your Lord? What does that look like?

It looks like a college student who refuses to cheat when it seems like everyone in class is cheating with the latest technology. It looks like someone who has an easy way out to steal from work or through their business, but they refuse because رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ. It looks like someone who has a great public image in the masjid or the community, but behind closed doors, they might have been abusive to their families. It looks like the young professional who should have said رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ when they prayed maghrib on time, but they delayed and skipped the prayer because they had an important meeting with a client. An obligatory prayer. رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ.

You'll respond with the strength of your practice and your faith.

The Second Question: What is Your Religion?

They ask the angels, what is your religion? مَا دِينُكَ؟ It's easy for us to say Islam. We see it all the time on social media, and you see millions of people inspired by the people of Gaza. May Allah alleviate their affairs. When they're being bombed and still holding on to their faith, and responding with ayahs of the Qur'an, and it's not to romanticize but to stay, that's when you see the reality of faith.

When you're tested with something minor or major, and it's relative and subjective. But when tests arise, what is your religion? What do you practice? What did you learn? What did you invest in? And they say, حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ What is our test?

The Third Question: Who Was Sent to You?

And the angels ask in one of the hadith and there are many variations, who is the person that was sent to you? مَا هَٰذَا الرَّجُلُ؟ Who is this man who was sent to you? الَّذِي بُعِثَ فِيكُمْ

And we know the answer is Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Peace be upon him. But did we want to study his life? Did we put in extra effort? There are non-Muslims in the world who read more of the seerah than the bulk perhaps of some parts of the ummah. There are many non-Muslims who specialize in the seerah. There are people who are so interested in learning about Muslims that they'll read a bio about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam from an authentic source just out of curiosity. What is the real understanding of who he was?

And sometimes we see this beautiful moment in which a young child hears something amazing like an elementary school student that I heard recently say to his parents, can you teach me more about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? He said, yes. It was out of the blue. Why? I want to be with him in Jannah. What inspires a young Muslim to say that? Other than their environment, other than something good in them, other than their teachers, their parents first and foremost.

So when you think of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and you say, I want to respond by saying the answer very easily in the grave. It comes from loving him here, following him here, his character and his teachings sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Questions on the Day of Judgment

What if we fast forward to the day of judgment? What kind of questions might we experience? It's from Allah's mercy that we know so pay attention. It's an open book exam and you're answering it right now. You're answering it today. You're answering it with your habits.

The First Thing You're Accountable For: Prayer

(Sahih at-Tirmidhi)

In the famous hadith, and we all know this perhaps, have heard it many times. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentions, "The first thing you're held accountable for in terms of your deeds on the day of judgment is your prayer."

Of all things, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, on his deathbed, he loves us so much and we don't doubt that. Amongst the many advices he left us with, الصَّلَاةَ، الصَّلَاةَ. The prayer, the prayer.

How is the quality of our prayer?

The prayer in terms of khushu' and also that we guard it on its time. And we take it seriously. It's a connection with Allah. But it doesn't end there because from Allah's mercy is that He knows some of our prayers are not at the level of 100% concentration although we aim for it, although we seek it.

So you might have slacked off, something might have distracted you for a moment in a prayer. And Allah tells the angels, look at my servants, do they have voluntary prayers? Do they have something else? هَلْ لِعَبْدِي مِن تَطَوُّعٍ

And if there are voluntary prayers that you did not neglect, all those nawafil that sometimes people think are just extra but I don't really need. In fact, they're a cure for the heart, a raising of ranks, an erasing of sins, a protection from harm, and the filling in of the gaps that we know that we have in the obligatory prayers.

And the hadith continues and says what? The rest of the deeds are held accountable in the same way. Already we have four questions that in fact include everything we could be doing to prepare for the afterlife. But there's more.

Four More Questions Before Moving On

In another famous hadith, the Prophet ﷺ mentions that you will not move on from the stage of accountability. Imagine Allah is asking you, your deeds are being reviewed even if you're amongst the righteous and they're just being skimmed, حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا in the famous authentic hadith.

The Prophet ﷺ mentions you will not move on until you're asked about four things. And one of these four questions is a two-part question. So we can add five more to the ones we started with. What are they? Again, a famous hadith, but sometimes we don't connect all of these questions in one place.

About Your Life and How You Spent It

عَنْ عُمُرِهِ فِيمَا أَفْنَاهُ You'll be asked about your life and how you spent it. If Allah gave you 30 years, if He gave you 21 years, if He gave you 50 years, if He gave you 70 years. 70 years is over 600,000 hours in this temporary world, but eventually they run out. And Allah will ask, what did you do?

A lot of people, when they don't wanna feel uncomfortable or guilty, when they think, why didn't I memorize the Qur'an or parts of it? Why didn't I do this thing? Why didn't I... You got a PhD in some field. You have the most amazing business enterprise. Why don't I also have a minimum standard for Islamic knowledge through a structured program?

And the response might be, for many people, I'm too busy. Do you see my life? Do you not see my responsibilities? And some people genuinely are from morning to night, dealing with massive responsibilities, all of high priority. But for many people, they say this, and when they start to track their time, they find they're binge watching. Show after show after show.

They find that they're spending, as one study found in the US, as of three years ago, and it's probably worse now, that many people are spending anywhere from three to six hours on devices outside of work and school responsibilities. One study found people spend three hours on social media daily without realizing it. The time adds up. Those few breaks you got, those few moments where you thought you were bored so you checked.

And of course, there's a reason it's called brain rotting and doom scrolling. It's not healthy from a secular lens. It's not healthy for attention span. It's not healthy for strength, self-discipline, to be able to say no. Short form videos in general are not the healthiest way to consume things. And yet they've become the default, and people become addicted.

And someone might say, I'm not addicted, I can stop anytime I want. But they check their device and they find they are spending a lot of time every week. And that's the same person who just said, I don't have time to memorize these few ayat. I don't have time to listen to a one hour lecture. A one hour program every week in my community. I don't have time.

And the children of Gaza, as you're watching the videos live, the bombs are dropping in the background. They're memorizing and finishing some of them during this genocide, the memorization of the Qur'an. Some of them have memorized parts of Riyad as-Saliheen. Some of them are working hard to keep going. Because if you have a sapling in your hand, and the day of judgment is about to begin, you still are supposed to plant it. You don't know how many heartbeats you have left.

And I'm not sharing this example so we'll feel so bad and then do nothing about it. But rather it's a reminder for me, and all of my brothers and sisters here, that for those who genuinely do not have time, perhaps some of it may not apply to you. But many of us simply don't prioritize. Many of us simply are not giving it the priority that's due of it.

Where did your life go? The habits and the days, they become parts of our identity. You think of the years and you see them as very quick. The years are short and the days are long is the expression that we use. But in reality, what you do every day, it's a part of what you're building in the akhirah.

About Your Youth

And the hadith continues, you're asked then, وَعَن شَبَابِهِ فِيمَا أَبْلَاهُ Your youth in particular, how did you use those years of passion and energy and curiosity? What distracted you? What took your attention?

That young professional here in the U.S. who recently started using all his tech skills from a big company, all his tech skills to raise awareness about what's happening in the world. To volunteer for a number of causes.

To reach out to organizations and say, I can help you with your website. I can help you with this cause. I can help you with this campaign. But this also looks like the university student. The young woman who's on campus wearing hijab knowing that some people look at her differently. That strength in those years of difficulties and challenges and distractions is not a small thing in the sight of Allah.

But the most important thing we should remember is that you're not too young to die. So you're not too young to prepare. You're not too young to die. Therefore you're not too young to prepare. Every one of us has our own responsibilities.

Questions About Your Wealth

The hadith continues. What else will you be asked?

(Sahih at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2417)

Really a two part question here. Your wealth. All the types of worldly things you think of as maal. Not just cash in your bank. Where did you get it from and where did it go? How did you spend it? Was your job something pure? Is it permissible? There's no doubt regarding it? Or did you meddle with something? Something that shouldn't have been done. A shortcut that shouldn't have been taken. May Allah protect us in our wealth, in our health and everything that we do.

But also where did it go? We know what's happening in the world. If we were to consider the reality that sometimes people experience a type of cognitive dissonance. Something is wrong with reality when you're swiping from a video of challenges and problems and occupation and oppression from Sudan to Gaza to East Turkestan to Syria to Yemen to Kashmir to every land and place. And here in the US as well. Oppression is worldwide. You're swiping from a video where someone is scraping rice and flour off the ground. Someone made it back to their home with a bag of flour and they're crying. The husband, the father is crying. The family hugs him because it's possible he wouldn't have made it back. And the very next video is something silly and worldly. Something completely disconnected where someone's complaining about a first world problem.

How do we feel? Where is our wealth going? Are we thinking of wealth as a tool to build the ummah? Because wealth can be one of the most powerful acts of worship when it's done right. May Allah bless amongst the most amazing of believers. May Allah bless the brothers and sisters who have so much experience. Sometimes, yes, with billion dollar companies and sometimes with decades of experience in different companies. They're not thinking of living more lavish lifestyles. They're thinking, how do I build something? How do I support the right strategic non-profits, the foundations, the structures and infrastructure that we need as a community everywhere from politics to education and tarbiyah to the masajid. What do we need at the leadership level as well? May Allah bless them in their wealth. That's the right intention.

May Allah bless the students who after 2023 October started to think, how can I start to use my education to benefit the ummah? It's no longer just about me and desires. The more income means more pleasure but rather more benefit and utility for the ummah.

And then finally, you think of this example before we get to the end of the hadith. The Prophet ﷺ one time was so hungry and Abu Bakr and Umar, they left their homes looking for food. Long story short, they had a meal. And we're talking about the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr and Umar, رضي الله عنهما. And after they finished eating, one of the most powerful, straightforward reminders.

You're going to be asked about this blessing on the Day of Judgment. And if you know that, how can you as a Muslim in 2025 ever waste food? How can you open the fridge with leftovers and open the pantry with so many options and complain about what you're eating for the day? We're going to be asked about every blessing. What did you do with your blessings? Your privilege? Your freedom of expression and religion in this country? What did you do? Because there's so much khayr happening in the ummah. We might feel guilty at times when we hear these reminders but there's so much good that's happening here and around the world. Let's build on that momentum.

Questions About Your Knowledge

And finally, وَمَاذَا عَمِلَ فِي مَا عَلِمَ - What did you do with the knowledge that you had?

We're living in the information age. You could literally start watching every single video that's been uploaded online for the rest of your life with no breaks. And pass away and you will not have consumed even the majority of it. We're living in the information age. If you want something good and you're morally inclined, you'll find it. You'll benefit from it. Some people have learned so much through open education and resources. And other people have used it to kill their time, to kill their lives. What choices are we making on a daily basis? Because it's no longer about the ilm. It's also about the amal. The gap that we have between what we know and what we do is what we want to decrease as much as we possibly can. The Muslim who knows what they're supposed to do and then practices it and asks Allah for help and seeks the resources and the advice and the mentorship and the strategies and they don't give up.

We're living in a world in which generally speaking Muslim majority nations possess approximately half of the world's oil reserves. And yet children in Gaza don't have access to food. Children in Yemen, the people of Sudan at the receiving end of the UAE sponsored RSF and others. The spreading of Hindutva, the problems in Kashmir, the re-education concentration camps in East Turkestan with the Uyghurs may Allah make it easy for all of our brothers and sisters. We have the purchasing power of two billion Muslims in the world. And sometimes some people don't like to be inconvenienced with something as small as boycotting a company, a product, a service that they really don't need but they want. May Allah forgive us and grant us sincerity.

Questions About Your Leadership

There are leaders, Muslim leaders in different organizations, non-profits and da'wah and charity and masajid. And the Prophet ﷺ reminds us:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2554)

Every one of you is a shepherd and every one of you will be asked, responsible for your flock. That's an entire genre of questions that we will answer on the Day of Judgment. The parents with their children, the father, the mother, the one who's married or the one who's single, the one who's with an MSA, the one who's in a masjid setting. You will be asked, did you fulfill the amanah fully?

And on that day, the people in general will all be asked amongst the questions to respond to مَاذَا أَجَبْتُمُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ؟ - How did you respond to the messengers? What did we do? Did we bring the ummah together in an era of divide and conquer? Did we unite between the hearts? Even amongst us, we know there are valid differences in fiqh, in aqeedah, in strategy, in politics. Did we divide amongst those differences? Or do we remember that unity itself is a principle and a priority in difficult times like this? That we can have differences but the Israeli soldier does not enter the home of the Palestinian family and ask, what's your madhab or your aqeedah? Who do you listen to? They don't ask before they murder our brothers and sisters. Does it mean we remove our differences internally? No. But we know where to share them, how to share them, the language in which we talk about differences and ultimately the power of unity in a time like this. It is one of the highest priorities of the ummah.

Conclusion: Living With Purpose

So brothers and sisters, these are just 10 examples of some of the questions that will be asked about. If we don't feel like we're prepared to answer them today, we renew our intentions. We start with ourselves and the people closest to us, our families, our communities, the culture of our organizations and remember this, the topic of death does not discourage us from living lives that are productive, strong, purpose-driven. Rather, we find the topic of death for the Muslim, the preparation that you need to engage in is something that gives you strength that you can't get from anywhere else in this world because the final result is entering Jannah. Death doesn't check our calendars before arriving. So if we prepare, Allah promises paradise.

You prepare for the questions, open-ended exam, open question, open book and you respond with your habits and your family and your practice and your intentions and constantly renew and measure and you will find the promise of Allah comes true as soon as the soul leaves the body.

We ask Allah to forgive us and grant us sincerity and to make us from amongst those who are constantly preparing to meet Him, living full lives of benefit to the ummah. We ask Allah to protect our brothers and sisters in every land and place and to use us for their protection and their relief and their justice and we ask Allah to guide us and guide others through us. Ask Allah for forgiveness. He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Ever-Merciful.

Isn't it amazing that Allah tells us what's going to happen in the future so that we take advantage in the present so that we're ready when the angels come to us so that we're not regretful in the grave so that we're not saying if only, if only, if only we know and therefore we have no excuse. And we ask Allah to guide us that every time the reminder comes our way that we act upon the reminder. That we generally go back to our goals and our habits and notice the gradual shifts and look at our goals as well and make sure they are the highest priority goals that align with these moments of celebration and pleasure.

And we ask Allah to unite between our hearts and our brothers and sisters in every land and place and to bring down His divine relief and justice and to punish those who oppress the innocents all around the world. And we ask Allah to allow us to see a liberated Masjid al-Aqsa and to be part of it as well. Allahumma ameen. Jazakumullahu khair.