Thanking Allah for Your Blessings - Shaykh Abdul Bary Yahya

Opening — Khutbah al-Hajah

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

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

Times of Change

When there's change in the air, we turn back our clocks. When the warm air of summer becomes chilly and the dreary skies come over our heads, we turn the clock back an hour. In the UK, on the last Sunday in October, we turn the clock back. Today in the United States of America, Americans will be turning the clock back more than a hundred years. Why? It's Inauguration Day in the United States of America. It's the first day of Donald Trump's America. A hundred years ago, people were judged by the color of their skin — they were not given the opportunities that others had because of race, religion, beliefs, or just because of the color of a person's skin. Times change. Times change.

There's a lot of change that happened in the last ten years or so. When we listen to the news, when we read the papers, we hear about so much oppression, so much killing, so much suffering in the Ummah. Yes, the Ummah in general — not just America — is going through great challenges. But we as Muslims, we always have to be positive and to try our very best to try to make a difference.

The Suffering of the Ummah and the Blessings We Take for Granted

When you see in the news, when you hear and when you read the papers, we see that Muslims are suffering all over the place and you want to make some change, you want to do something about it. What can we as Muslims living in the West, what can we do? Well, first and foremost, Allah is testing those who are being tested — in Syria, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, Somalia, and other places in the world. They don't have what we have. They are making du'a to Allah for many of the things we take for granted every single moment. They are making du'a for peace, for a shelter over their heads.

Once, a person I met even said a couple of months ago — they didn't have food, and then when he first saw a piece of fresh bread, tears came down his eyes, and he said, "For the last three months we never had anything close to this." We have so much, so much blessings, yet we don't appreciate and we are not thankful for the blessings that we have.

Allah is testing them — those who are going through difficulties. And there are people who are put in situations that are unimaginable. A couple of months ago, a close friend of mine went to a refugee camp — not in Syria, in Indonesia. A boat came into shore and they put fences around that boat and it became a refugee camp. A boat. They had fled from Myanmar, which was called Burma before. Their villages were burnt, young and old were killed.

At the refugee camp, my friend said a man came with a young baby — a toddler — and he said, "This young girl here is not my daughter. Her mother ran towards the boat that was about to leave shore." They did not know, of course, whether this boat was going to survive or not. The borders were closed and they had nowhere to go except for that open ocean. She came with a baby in her hand, but the boat was full — there were already people hanging to the sides of the boat. And she knew that if she were to return, the likelihood — and Allah knows best — of her survival was very slim. So she said to this man who was on the boat, "Please take my daughter and take care of her."

Imagine if that were our sons and daughters, our children. These are the situations that people are put in in the world right now. They're making du'a for things we take for granted every single day. And Allah is testing them with difficulties. But what we fail to realize is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is also testing us.

Prosperity Is Also a Test

And We test you with bad — meaning with hardships and difficulties — and with goodness, as a fitnah. All the blessings that we have is also a test for us. There are also trials and tribulations for us, to see whether we're thankful for those blessings or not. And are we thankful for those blessings?

Think about it, and think about the situation of the people around the world right now. Sometimes we watch the news and we're saddened by some of the things that happen. My son — this is when he was younger — it was dinner time. My wife said to him, "Son, finish your food." And he still had a little bit left. She said, "Finish your food. Do you know how many people in the world are suffering right now — in Iraq, in Somalia?" And my son — he wasn't being quote-unquote smart or anything like that, it was just the natural instinct of children — he was very smart. He said, "Mother, if I finish this, how is it going to help the children of Iraq?"

And it took us — we were taken aback. He said, "You're right. We're going to eat a little bit less, and we're going to try to save up, and we're going to help those who are in need. And we're going to remember, and we're going to be thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala by spending more of our wealth in the obedience of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala."

There are people who are suffering and they're being tested. But we are also being tested. Our trials and tribulations — for most of us, of course we all go through difficulties — but for many of us, we have so much blessings that we don't think about. There are so many things we have, yet we still complain, yet we still post on the internet saying that we have this problem and that problem. Most of the time, the problem isn't the problem — for most of us, the problem is thinking that the problem is greater than what it really is.

How to Be Truly Thankful to Allah

So how can we be thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? Being thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala requires us to remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala often, but also to use those blessings that He has bestowed upon us in the obedience of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said — and we think about the suffering and the difficulties of some people — the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "It is not poverty that I fear for you. What I fear is that the dunya will be opened up for you just like it was opened up for all the others, the other nations before, and it will destroy you just like it destroyed those before you." That's the trials and tribulations of prosperity.

When we're thankful for something, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala increases it for us. When we're thankful for the health that we have and we use it in the obedience of Allah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala increases that for us. When we're thankful for the wealth that we have and we spend that wealth in the obedience of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala increases it for us.

"If you were to be thankful, then I would increase it for you." And so being thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala requires us to use those blessings in His obedience. And that's why the scholars have said there's nothing wrong with amassing wealth in this world — there's nothing wrong with being rich. Lā tadurrukum dunyā shakartumūhā — anything of this dunya that you have will not harm you if you're thankful for it. And that's why whatever you have, it's good to have money, but spend it in the obedience of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala when you have the opportunity.

So whenever there is a need — let's say, for example, there's a fundraiser for a masjid or for a school, or for those who are in need in the refugee camps, for the refugees leaving Syria or those who have arrived in Europe and they are in need — and you have the money to help, you don't have much but you do have some, and they're asking you for help: when you spend your wealth in the obedience of Allah, that shows that you're thankful for the wealth that you have. And that's when you pass the test — when you use those blessings properly.

The great companions of the past — like Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf, and Uthman ibn Affan — they had an abundance of wealth, yet they used that in the obedience of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to help in the advancement of Islam and the Muslims.

The Best Du'a — As Taught by the Prophet ﷺ

That's why every single day we should make du'a to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to help us be thankful for the blessings that we have. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah said:

"I thought and I was reflecting about the best du'a that a person could make." And he said what he realized was that it was the du'a that the Prophet ﷺ taught us:

And that's why the Prophet ﷺ used to teach this to the companions. In fact, one time he said:

(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 1522; also reported in Musnad Ahmad)

"Oh Mu'adh, I surely love you" — so when you love someone you want the best for them, and he's telling you "I love you and I want the best for you," so he's going to give him advice from the depth of his heart so that it could benefit him in this life and the hereafter — "so do not ever abandon this du'a that you should say at the end of every prayer." And some of the scholars said: at the end of every prayer, before you say the tasleem, but also at other times as well.

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ — "Oh Allah, help me to remember You." You remember Allah, but you should always make du'a that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala helps you to remember Him, because no one can help you be righteous and pious and obedient to Him except He Himself. So continue to supplicate that Allah helps you to remember Him. And the remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is something that we can do at all times — whether you're driving or you're walking or you're working, you can always be in a state of the remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

This is so important that he says, "I love you and I want the best for you, so continue and ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to help you remember Him." وَشُكْرِكَ — "and also be thankful to You." وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ — "and to perfect our worship of You, Oh Allah." How can we do that? Because there are some people — they're getting old in age but their prayer is still the same. They still don't know what they're saying in their prayers. They haven't memorized any new du'as for the last twenty years in prayer. Ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to help you perfect His worship. And the perfection of worship entails that we worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sincerely and correctly — sincerely and correctly. حُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ — doing well. And that's why: focus on excellence in our prayer and in our acts of worship.

So the Prophet ﷺ ordered us to do this after every prayer — at the end of each prayer — to be thankful, to ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make us thankful to Him.

The Words of Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad

Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad rahimahullah said:

"Continue to be thankful for your blessings, because rarely is a blessing taken away from a people and then given back." That's why be thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for the blessings that we have, and continue to be thankful for those blessings. If you're thankful for the money that you have, spend it in the obedience of Allah. If you're thankful for the children that you have, teach them to be obedient to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And whenever you are put in a situation where you're confronted with sins — and you're thinking about committing a sin or doing something that is displeasing to Allah — think about your blessings. Think about the blessings that Allah has given to us. How can we use the eyes that we have to disobey Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? The ears, the faculty of hearing that Allah has blessed us with — how can we use that in the disobedience of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala when He has given that to us? How can we disobey Allah with them? It is He who gave it to us.

The Example of Prophet Yusuf

And that's why when you are confronted with sins — just as Prophet Yusuf alayhi al-salam was when the wife of al-Aziz came forward:

She said, "Come here!" — confronting him with this sin. What does he say? قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ — "I seek refuge in Allah." No one can be saved from sin except Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — seek help from Him. And then what does Prophet Yusuf alayhi al-salam say? إِنَّهُ رَبِّي أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَايَ — one of the two opinions, and this is the stronger opinion, is that Rabbi here refers to his Lord, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — "surely my Lord has been so generous to me, so kind to me, He has provided me with so much." So Prophet Yusuf alayhi al-salam is thinking about all the blessings that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has bestowed upon him.

Think about all the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon us. He has given you so much — how can you be disobedient to a Lord that has given you so much? So be thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in all situations and cases. But whenever you are confronted with a sin, think about the blessings that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has bestowed upon you.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Second Khutbah — The Greatest Blessing: Iman

The greatest blessing that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given to us is the blessing of Iman and faith. There is nothing greater than that. The blessing of Islam is the greatest blessing. We can die, and our children can die, of thirst and hunger, but if they have لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ then they will inshallah still be successful. And they can have the whole world in their hands, but if they don't have لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ then all of that is worthless. The greatest blessing that we have is our faith, our deen, our religion.

And that's why, living in this society right now, in the times that we are living in right now, we have to hold on to this blessing. We have to hold on to our deen. For the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2260)

"There will come a time when one who holds on to his deen will be like one who holds on to burning coal." Can you hold on to burning coal? It's difficult. But that's your success — in this life and the hereafter. Your success in this life and the hereafter depends upon you holding on to this deen, and you realizing that this is the greatest blessing that Allah has bestowed upon us.

But how can we also be thankful for it? Being thankful for it entails that we put it into practice — put it into practice, learn our deen properly, and then also share it with others. Show people what Islam really is. In the time that we are living in right now — especially with the condition of the world right now, where Islam has come to the forefront, people are speaking about Islam and the Muslims every single day; it wasn't like this twenty or thirty years ago — now it's come to the forefront, which means that we have the opportunity to show people what Islam really is. And that's why we have to take advantage of this opportunity by being the best Muslim that we can be, to show people what true Islam is.

What True Islam Requires of Us

And what is true Islam? True Islam entails that we have to be the best example for others — embodying the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah in our daily lives, following in the character, learning from the character of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. And that is why we have to be the best we can. We can no longer just be ordinary — we have to be extraordinary. We can no longer just be different, because people out there look at us as being different. When we say لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ, we also have to make a difference.

And that's who our Prophet was. Even before Revelation — when Revelation came to him and he was running down that mountain, he said, "Cover me up, cover me up." His dear wife Khadijah radiyallahu anha covered him up and he said, "I fear for my life." And she said, "By Allah, Allah would never humiliate you." Why? "Because you are kind to your guests. You maintain family relations. You are always there for those who are in need. And you are always there for the calamity-stricken ones." Meaning he was the best in character and he was the most helpful of all the people in Mecca — the most honest, the most kind, the most generous. That's who he was. And that's who we need to follow — that's our example, the best of mankind.

And that's why the media will speak badly about Islam. They will say this and they will say that. But it won't matter, and it doesn't matter, if we truly embody the teachings of Islam in our daily lives. If we are the best of people — the most honest of people, the most helpful of people — it will not matter what the BBC or CNN or Fox say. They can say anything they want. Because, you know what they say: "Your actions speak so loud, I can't even hear what you're saying." Your neighbors will know they're lying in the media, because: "I have a Muslim friend, a Muslim co-worker, a Muslim employee, a Muslim employer, a Muslim doctor, and he or she is the best person that I know — the most honest, the most kind."

And that's why Allah describes us:

"You are the best of nations brought forth for humanity. You enjoin that which is good and forbid that which is evil, and also because you believe in Allah." The best — we have to be the most honest, the most kind, the most helpful. But when you look at reality right now and the situation of the Muslims right now, that's not always the case. Sometimes we are the most deceitful. Sometimes we lie, we cheat — we even cheat each other. And we expect change?

Change will not happen unless we change ourselves.

Until they change what is in themselves, Allah will not change what is out there. Unless we are the change that we want to see. And that's why we have to change and be the best, and embody the teachings of the Quran in our daily lives, and show people what this religion really is. Be thankful for the greatest blessing that we have by embodying the teachings of Islam in our daily lives and showing people who the true Muslims are. That's what we need to do — when we get out of here right now, after the prayer.