Jumu'ah Khutbah - Shaykh Aqeel Mahmood

Opening — Khutbah al-Hajah

Praise be to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds.

Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whosoever He misguides, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared. And you will not die except as Muslims.

O you who have believed, fear your Lord, Who created you from one soul, and created from it its mate. And He spread among them many men and women. And fear Allah, about whom you ask, and the wombs. Verily, Allah watches over you.

O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak the truth. He will set right your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great triumph.

The best of speech is the Book of Allah. And the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace be upon him.

The Blessing of Human Diversity

From the blessings of Allah upon us is how He has made every single one of us different — in terms of not only our appearances and our personalities, but also in terms of our abilities and skills, and our strengths and weaknesses as human beings, and also in terms of our character. And as a result of this blessing of Allah, we will find that those who are closest to us may be completely different to us — our spouses, our close friends. But because of those differences, we end up complementing one another. Your weakness may be your spouse's or your best friend's strength, and so you complement one another.

Can you imagine if every single person was the same? And if every single individual had the same strengths, as opposed to people being different in terms of their abilities?

This blessing of Allah is also beneficial to us when it comes to worshipping Him. Because an individual may have the strength, the discipline, and the ability to pray the five daily prayers on time — or even at the beginning of its time — every single day, regularly. Another individual may suffer from the weakness of not being able to pray on a regular basis, or praying on time, or maybe even missing some of those salawat, which is an obligation upon him.

But at the same time, this individual — although he may be reckless or careless with his prayers — has certain strengths that the other person who prays regularly and on time does not have. Maybe he has the ability to fast every other day — the Sunnah of Dawud, alayhi salam. To fast one day and then not fast the next. And this again is something some of us might be able to do and some of us won't be able to do.

There may be others who are hopeless when it comes to praying on time — even though they try as hard as they can — and they don't have the ability to fast on a regular basis either; it's just not in their nature. But Allah has blessed them with the ability and the skill to earn wealth. And so they are able to give charity the likes of which the other two are unable to give.

And so Allah rewards individuals based on the efforts they make through different means. The paths towards Jannah are many. The avenues to earn the happiness, the blessings, and the rewards of Allah are also many.

The Wisdom of Imam Malik

Imam Malik, rahimahullah, was once given advice by a scholar of his time — a contemporary who lived during his era. The scholar advised him, saying: "I noticed you don't pray nawafil prayers as much as others of the same caliber as you." So he was advising him to pray more often than he actually was.

Imam Malik, when he received this letter and this advice, replied with another letter. And this letter is recorded for us — the response of Imam Malik is preserved — and there is so much benefit we can derive from his reply.

Imam Malik gave the examples of how individuals are different in terms of their strengths and weaknesses — which does not necessarily mean that somebody is better than another, because one person's weakness is another person's strength, and one person's strength could be another individual's weakness.

And then he said: "I am grateful, happy, and content with what Allah has blessed me with — this ability to teach others and benefit others with knowledge. I do not think that what I am upon is something better or worse than what you are upon. The abilities that you have are things which Allah has blessed you with, and the abilities Allah has blessed me with are things which are specific and unique to me." And then he said: "I hope that both of us are upon goodness and righteousness."

Understanding People in Our Lives

If we reflect, brothers and sisters, on the statement of Imam Malik, we can see this in our own lives when we look at other individuals. When we interact with different people, we don't treat them in exactly the same way — we don't talk to them and behave in the same manner with each person that we come across, with each person that we meet, with each person that we talk to. Every single person, we interact with them differently.

A person who is known to crack lots of jokes, who is always smiling and always happy — there is a way you'll deal with that person. You'll be more jovial; you'll crack more jokes with him. Another individual may be known to be very serious by nature — he does not crack lots of jokes, he does not smile a lot, and that is part of his nature. And so you would not go interacting with that person in the same way you would interact with someone who jokes around and has a good sense of humor.

When we reflect, brothers and sisters, we need to understand that just as people have different personalities, likewise people have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their ibadah — their acts of worship and what they are able to do to please Allah. This applies none more so than to our own children.

We may have expectations for our children — for example, to become a hafidh of the Qur'an. Yet at every single turn, whenever we observe the child we have these high hopes for, we recognize that he is not memorizing as well as he would need to in order to become someone who memorizes the Qur'an. And one of the mistakes we can make is to force our children down a path where we expect them to achieve something based solely on what we desire for them, as opposed to what they are capable of and what their actual strengths are.

It may be the case that somebody is eloquent but is not a very good memorizer. And so there are certain fields — such as speaking, defending Islam on a stage or in front of a camera — where that person may excel far more easily than memorizing Qur'an. Another may be proficient in writing. Every single individual will have their strengths and weaknesses, and it is upon us to recognize and understand where people stand in terms of their skills — whether it is our family members, our spouses, our children, or people we work with.

If we expect someone who works for us to do something, yet we know that is not something he is going to be able to execute as well as we want, then we need to understand that when he comes back not fulfilling the task as expected, we should not be complaining or critical. Because every single individual is different.

The Companions — A Perfect Example

If we look at the companions, they are the perfect example of this. Each and every single one of them was different. Uthman, radiyallahu 'anhu, was a millionaire of his time, benefiting the Muslims with his wealth. Khalid, radiyallahu 'anhu, was a warrior — the greatest general of the Muslims. Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu 'anhu, was known to narrate hadith more than anyone else.

We understand that the companions have levels and some are better than others. But we do not say that someone was not as good because he never participated in battles or was not as brave as Khalid ibn al-Walid. We do not say that Abu Hurairah was not as good as Khalid simply because he was not known for feats in battle. And likewise, no one can diminish the status of Khalid ibn al-Walid simply because he did not narrate as many hadith as Abu Hurairah. Because each and every single person has their benefits and their weaknesses.

When we recognize and observe this, it helps us immensely in our relationships with other people. Because if we do not understand an individual — if we do not know what their strengths and weaknesses are, what they are like, what they can and cannot do — then we are going to struggle when they disappoint us or when we disappoint them.

How the Prophet Understood His Companions

If we look at the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, he would take the step of understanding and talking to his companions so that he knew their weaknesses and their strengths. He would remember them. He would spend time with them.

Zayd ibn Thabit and the Hebrew Language

When the Prophet, peace be upon him, made the hijrah to Medina, the Ansar rushed to him with Zayd ibn Thabit, radiyallahu 'anhu, who was young at the time — around 9 or 10 years old. And even though he was young, he had memorized more Qur'an than any other companion in the city of Medina, especially for his age. This was an amazing feat, because the Qur'an was still being revealed in Mecca where the Messenger was, and the young Zayd had already memorized large portions of it.

When they presented Zayd ibn Thabit to the Messenger of Allah and he began reciting Qur'an, the Prophet was happy — one could see the joy and pride on his face. He was proud of Zayd ibn Thabit.

When, in the months and years to come, the Prophet would converse with the People of the Book — the Jews who were living in Medina, whom he had never had experience interacting with in Mecca — they would quote the Torah, which was in Hebrew. So he asked none other than Zayd ibn Thabit to learn the Hebrew language so that they could understand what the Jews were saying in their dialogues and conversations. And Zayd ibn Thabit did not disappoint — he memorized the Hebrew language in just 10 days.

This was only possible because the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would observe the companions, listen to them, remember them, and understand their strengths and weaknesses and their abilities.

Uthman and the Words of Comfort

Uthman, radiyallahu 'anhu, was known as Dhun-Nurain — the possessor of the two lights — because he married two daughters of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. When his first wife passed away, the Prophet married him to his second daughter. And when she too passed away, Uthman was undoubtedly grief-stricken. The Messenger of Allah recognized this, and so he approached Uthman, sat next to him, and said: "By Allah, if I had another daughter, I would have married her off to you as well." — understanding Uthman's position, giving him words of encouragement, and knowing his situation.

The Child Abu Umair and His Pet Bird

Even when it came to children, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would observe how they were behaving, how they looked, and he would understand if something was wrong. Once he was walking past Anas ibn Malik, radiyallahu 'anhu. Anas narrated: "At the time, I had a younger brother by the name of Abu Umair, and his pet bird had just died." The Messenger of Allah was walking past and he noticed the boy, and he also noticed the body language of the boy — recognizing that something was wrong.

How often do we walk past a child and even notice that child, let alone pay attention to his body language and recognize that something is wrong? The Messenger of Allah approached Anas ibn Malik and asked what was wrong with the boy, why was he upset. Without even speaking to the child directly, he understood something was wrong. Anas told him: "His pet bird has died." And so the Messenger of Allah went to the child and spoke to him directly:

"O Abu Umair, what happened to the small bird (nughayr)?" — (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6129; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2150)

He was playing with words — rhyming Abu Umair with nughayr to cheer the child up. And you can imagine, from the child's perspective, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, coming to him and talking to him about his pet bird — something which we might think of as insignificant, but it is something which stays in the hearts of people when they realize the attention that was given to them when no one else would. When people offer their condolences. When people show their care and concern. That is something people do not forget.

The Hadith of Amr ibn al-'As

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, regularly interacted with each companion as if that companion, at that very moment, was the most beloved companion to him. He would have a smile on his face as if he was overjoyed to see that companion. He would give him his full attention, give him salam, shake his hand — not letting go until the other person let go first — and he would not leave the conversation until that person had left first. Showing his complete care and attention.

Amr ibn al-'As, radiyallahu 'anhu, said: "Once I approached the Messenger of Allah and I asked him:"

"Who is the most beloved person to you?" — And because of the way the Messenger of Allah would interact with him, as if he was the most special person to him, he expected the Prophet to mention his own name. The Messenger of Allah said: "Aisha." So Amr asked:

"From the men?" The Prophet said: "Her father" — meaning Abu Bakr, radiyallahu 'anhu. He asked: "Then who?" The Prophet said: "Umar." And so Amr ibn al-'As said:

"So I remained quiet for fear that he would put me right at the end." — (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3662; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2384)

The Fruit of Showing Care and Concern

The point being, brothers and sisters: when the companions would receive this kind of attention, love, care, and concern from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, it gave them a sense of loyalty to him. It gave them a sense of love and appreciation for who they were as individuals. To the extent that when the Messenger of Allah told the companions one day: "Pack your bags, collect your weapons, prepare your horses and camels — we are going to fight," they would not ask where they were going, who they were going to fight, or in which direction they were heading. They would prepare and follow the Messenger of Allah until they had left the city of Medina and could no longer see it. That was when the Messenger of Allah told them: "We are heading to Mecca to liberate it from idolatry."

But the companions did not ask, because they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the Messenger of Allah, for the sake of Allah, for the sake of Islam. And that was because of how the Messenger of Allah treated them and behaved towards them.

So it works both ways. When we interact and show care and concern, and we make the effort to understand others, that is something which will be paid back — by the permission of Allah — because people will remember it. And this is something which benefits the whole community. When you show that care and concern to people you interact with, it is going to be reciprocated. The community as a whole benefits, because people now know each other, they understand each other, they know people's circumstances and situations. And so when they don't hear from somebody, when they hear about something happening to a brother or a sister, they go out of their way to find out what happened — because they care.

So understanding others, brothers and sisters — recognizing people's potential — is something which is not only beneficial for us personally, but it is something which will help us understand one another, and eventually it increases our love for others in our community. It helps us show that sympathy and that empathy that we do not really have anymore.

We ask Allah that He gives us the ability to find and show the potential that others may have. I say this and ask Allah's forgiveness for me and for you. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Second Khutbah — Mental Health in the Muslim Community

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. And peace and blessings be upon the most honored of Prophets and Messengers, the Prophet Muhammad, and all his family and companions.

We were talking about how important it is to understand and recognize that every single person is different — not only in terms of their personalities, but also in terms of their abilities in doing good deeds. An individual may not be as strong when it comes to his salah, but he is far surpassing you when it comes to good deeds because he is giving more charity or fasting on a regular basis. Another individual maybe does not fast at all and does not give charity, but he has memorized the Qur'an and recites it regularly — and that is how he is earning his rewards from Allah.

Mental Illness — Breaking the Taboo

Understanding people's potential, and people's strengths and weaknesses, is something which the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, himself would do. And this is something which is even more crucial today when we recognize how widespread mental illnesses are. One in four people suffer from mental illness today. And when a person suffers from a mental illness, it becomes the primary cause for that person also developing physical illnesses and disabilities — psychological and mental illness can cause somebody to become physically sick.

There is a taboo when it comes to mental illnesses in our society — not just amongst the Muslims, but in society generally. However, it is even more pronounced in our Muslim communities, perhaps because of cultural issues. A person does not want to talk about the psychological and mental problems he may be suffering from, for fear of being looked upon as weak, of being singled out, of people thinking less of him. But this is something we really need to be aware of.

And this whole idea of showing care and concern to others is vital when it comes to helping those with mental illnesses. Because if a person is suffering from a mental illness, most likely — even though he should speak up — he will keep it to himself. Every time somebody approaches him and talks to him, he is wondering whether he is comfortable talking to another person about the psychological and mental issues he is suffering from.

But when you show care and concern to that person — who, statistically, has a one in four chance of suffering from some kind of mental illness — that person will open up. That person will now feel: "This is someone I can talk to. Maybe he is not going to judge me. Maybe he is not going to think I am inferior or weak or strange because I have these mental health issues."

And so understanding this, brothers and sisters, gives us even more motivation and even more of a reason to interact with others, to help others, to take care of one another — observing when somebody is showing signs of sadness, when he is unhappy, when he is stressed, when he is anxious — and approaching that person to help him in any way we can.

We ask Allah that He gives us the ability to help those who are suffering from any mental illnesses, and that Allah cures those who are suffering from these types of debilitating illnesses.