20170120-1st Khutba- - Shaykh Arsalan

Khutbah: Overcoming Worry by Trusting in Allah's Control

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَفِيُّهُ وَخَلِيلُهُ بَلَّغَ الرِّسَالَةَ وَأَدَّى الْأَمَانَةَ وَنَصَحَ الْأُمَّةَ وَجَاهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ حَتَّى أَتَاهُ الْيَقِينُ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ الطَّيِّبِينَ الطَّاهِرِينَ وَصَحَابَتِهِ السَّالِفِينَ الْغُرِّ الْمَيَامِينِ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ

Brothers and sisters, some time ago while I was driving I saw a car driving in front of me that had a bumper sticker, and I never forgot the message that I read on that bumper sticker. The bumper sticker said: "Why worry? God's in control."

Worry is part of this life. We get worried about many things. Those of us who are in school, we get worried every time it's final exam season. Those of us who are looking for a job, we get worried every time we walk into the interview. Those of us who have jobs, we get worried every time it's layoff season. Those of us who are married, we worry about our marriages. We worry about our health, our wealth, our children. We worry about our faith. We worry about politics. We worry about the state of the ummah. As long as we are in this world, worry is going to be part of our life. The only world in which there is no worry is the afterlife. That's the place where the people of Jannah are described as people:

That they will have no fear, nor will they grieve. But even in this world, brothers and sisters, if we are connected to Allah it helps us overcome our worries — our worries about the future, our worries about the uncertainty in the future. Sometimes we can get too caught up in what people are talking about, and the more we follow the discourse the more we get worried. And when that happens, we need to remind ourselves of what Allah says in Surah Al-An'am:

Say Allah, and then leave them in their useless talk, amusing themselves. قُلِ اللَّهُ — Say Allah with your hearts and with your tongues. Say Allah and then disregard their talk with which they are amusing themselves, because all that talk has no weight. The only thing that has weight is the decree of Allah. He is the one in control, and if He is in control then we have nothing to worry about.

The Hadith of Abdullah ibn Abbas: Guard Allah, and He Will Guard You

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was walking once with the famous companion Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله تعالى عنه, and he said to him: "O young man, I want to teach you a few words."

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2516 — graded Hasan Sahih)

احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ — Be mindful of Allah. Guard the laws of Allah, guard the prohibitions of Allah, and He will guard you, He will protect you. احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ — Protect and guard the sanctity of Allah and His sacred commandments, and you will find Him in front of you.

If we are living a life where we guard the commandments of Allah in our lives and in our families and around us, then we have nothing to worry about. Even when we're faced with the most difficult of circumstances and the most uncertain things in our lives, we have nothing to worry about — because Allah is saying: Allah will protect you, Allah will guard you, you will find Allah with you, before you.

The Prophets Who Faced Oppressive Rulers

Even some of the greatest prophets of Allah — may Allah's peace and blessings be upon them all — faced uncertainty in their lives. They faced oppressive rulers come to rise and rule right before their eyes. Ibrahim عليه السلام, Musa عليه السلام, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, and others.

Ibrahim عليه السلام was thrown into the fire by Nimrod, that scary, terrifying ruler of his time. But what happened in that moment? In that moment when there seemed to be no protection for Ibrahim, when he was tied up and thrown into the huge bonfire, Allah tells us that He was with him, and He commanded the fire:

Become a place of coolness and security for Ibrahim. The thing that is supposed to bring harm becomes the place of security — transformed completely by Allah, the One who is truly in control, despite whatever that powerful and oppressive king Nimrod wanted to do. Why? Because Ibrahim was someone who guarded the commandments of Allah in his life and taught people to do that.

Musa عليه السلام — when he was faced with death looming in front of him and Bani Israel, when he was fleeing and running away with Bani Israel away from the oppressive ruler of his time, Fir'aun, and there was the sea in front of him — the Red Sea — and the army of Fir'aun behind him. He didn't forget that Allah was with him. Even in that moment, Allah was with him, and that's what he said to Bani Israel:

Nay, indeed, with me is my Lord. My Lord is with me — He will make a way for us.

And Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم — when he was being chased by the men of the oppressors of his time, the Quraysh, when they were chasing him out of Mecca and he was fleeing his homeland to migrate to Medina, and he had to take refuge inside the cave. His enemies came all the way to the door of the cave. There was uncertainty. That was a moment that brought worry and anxiety even to the heart of As-Siddiq Abu Bakr, the companion of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, when he said, "Ya Rasulullah, if they only were to look below them they would see us." In other words: this is it, Ya Rasulullah. What's going to happen now?

Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم did not forget this reality — that Allah, even in that moment, was with them. And that's why he said to Abu Bakr As-Siddiq:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3653; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2381)

What do you think of two people whose third is Allah?

Do not worry. Do not be sad. Indeed, Allah is with us. He knew that because he was one who guarded Allah and taught people to guard Allah.

If we are people who obey Allah in our lives, if we are people who preserve and protect the commandments of Allah in our lives and strive to do that to the best of our ability with sincerity, if we are people who teach our family members to put Allah first in their lives, if we are people who tell the community around us — whether Muslims or non-Muslims — to put God before everything else in their lives, if we are people who do that, then we have nothing to worry about. Because:

He will protect you. He will be with you. If you were to ask for something, ask Allah. And if you want to seek help, seek help from Allah.

And then he said صلى الله عليه وسلم to Abdullah ibn Abbas — and know this, understand this:

أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَكَ — If the entire world was to gather together to bring you benefit, they wouldn't be able to bring you benefit except with something that Allah has already written for you. وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ — And if they were all to gather together to bring you harm with something, they will not be able to harm you except with something that Allah has already written for you. وَرُفِعَتِ الْأَقْلَامُ وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُفُ — The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.

Allah's Names and Our Belief in Qada and Qadar

Every morning Rasulullah ﷺ used to remember Allah with these words:

That whatever Allah wants will happen, and whatever He does not want never will.

Indeed, brothers and sisters, this is part of our tawheed. Our belief in qada' and qadar. Our belief in tawheedur-rububiyyah. This is part of our belief in Allah — that He is in control. And if He is in control, then He is Al-Mu'izz Al-Mudhill, He is Al-Rafi' Al-Khafidh, He is Al-Malik Maalikul-Mulk, and He is Al-Hakim in all of that.

If that is our God — our God is the one who is Al-Mu'izz wal-Mudhill. He is the one who brings honor and He is the one who brings humiliation. He honors people and He humiliates people. When we see people being honored before us, it's because Allah has decided to do that — whether momentarily or for a long time, whether because they deserve it or because of some other reason. But the fact that somebody comes to a rank of honor before us is an act of Allah. هُوَ الْمُعِزُّ وَهُوَ الْمُذِلُّ. And He is the one who brings humiliation — He is the one who brings people to a state of lowliness. هُوَ الرَّافِعُ — He is the one who elevates. وَهُوَ الْخَافِضُ — And He is the one who brings people down.

When we see people rise, when we see individuals rise, when we see nations rise — all of that is an act of Allah. And when we see things fall, that is also from Allah and by Allah. And Allah is Al-Malik — He is the King, the Sovereign, the King of Kings, Maalikul-Mulk. And He is the owner of sovereignty — dispenses it as He pleases.

But know this, brothers and sisters: Allah doesn't do anything in vain. هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ — He is the Wise. He is the Wise. When He honors someone, there is wisdom behind that. When He brings someone down, there is wisdom behind that. When He elevates someone, there is wisdom behind that. When He humiliates someone, there is wisdom behind that. When He gives rule to someone, there is wisdom behind that. He doesn't do anything for no reason, for no purpose.

We may not be able to see — to perceive immediately — the wisdom behind what's happening around us and to us. But if we are people who يَحْفَظُونَ اللَّهَ — who guard Allah in their hearts — then we realize that Allah is Al-Hakim and there is a wisdom behind everything, that there is an end to everything.

And we should also never forget that no matter what is happening — to us, to our families, to our nation, to our ummah — whatever is happening around us, no matter how negative or positive things seem to be, know this, brothers and sisters, Allah says in the Quran: وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًا — that Allah has always been and will always be Raheem to the believers. The mu'minoon, those who believe in Allah, are constantly enveloped in the rahmah of Allah — whether we realize it or not, whether we recognize it or not. Sometimes hardships are an expression of rahmah from Allah because of what they ultimately bring. But some of us are too short-sighted, some of us are too hasty. But if we are believers, brothers and sisters, then we have nothing to worry about — وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًا — because He will always make sure that we are enveloped in the divine grace, in the rahmah of Allah.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ فَيَا فَوْزَ الْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ

Second Khutbah: Responding to Worry — Sabr, Salah, and Salawat

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَأَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةِ وَأَتَمُّ التَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ

As I said, brothers and sisters, this is a world of worries. If we are looking for a world in which there will be no worry, that is a different world. Allah says in the Quran:

Indeed, without a doubt, We will test you with some fear, We will test you with some worry — and other things: hunger, loss of life, loss of wealth and fruits. وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ — But give glad tidings to those who are patient.

And so when we are faced with worry in our lives, our first response has to be patience — sabr.

First Response: Sabr (Patience)

Sabr. Sabr. The first and foremost response to worry in our lives is patience.

Second Response: Rush to Salah and Remembrance of Allah

The second response, brothers and sisters — sometimes even Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم faced moments in his life which would bring him some worry. What did he do when that happened? According to some of the ahadith:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1319)

That when he became worried about something, when something worried him, something brought him hamm — concern and worry — فَزَعَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ — he would rush to prayer. He would rush to the remembrance of Allah.

You know, when he was migrating from Mecca to Medina and he was being chased by his enemies who wanted to kill him — he was on the way to Medina reciting Quran. Abu Bakr was constantly walking to his right, walking to his left, sometimes behind him, sometimes before him, worried that maybe the enemy will come from this side, from that side, constantly vigilantly guarding the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. But the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was engaged in the recitation of the book of Allah. That's who he was صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Whenever he was faced with a worrisome matter, he would rush to the remembrance of Allah. And we need to do that. We need to increase in our remembrance of Allah. We need to set out times of the day when we read the book of Allah — especially when the mind is worried and the heart is worried, we need to open the book of Allah and read it.

Instead of only relying on our own intelligence to solve the problem — we need to do that as well, we need to apply whatever resources we have and the intelligence we have to get us out of the situation that we are in — but remember ultimately who is in control. And we need to connect ourselves to Him by turning back to His book and turning back to salah.

Third Response: The Du'a of Umama — A Cure for Worry and Debt

Thirdly — once Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم came into his masjid and he saw a man sitting there when it was not time for prayer. His name was Umama. So he said to him:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1555)

"Oh Umama, why is it that I see you sitting in the masjid when it's not time for prayer? It's daytime, people are outside working — why are you here in the masjid?" So he said:

"Ya Rasulullah, I am worried about so many things in my life, and I have debts that I don't know how I'm going to pay off." This man is sitting in the masjid, full of worry and anxiety, not knowing what to do. So the Prophet ﷺ taught him a cure for that. He said:

"Do you want me to teach you something that if you were to say it, Allah will remove the worry from your heart and He will help you pay off your debts?" So he said, "Yes, ya Rasulullah." And then he taught him — every morning and every evening, say this:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 1555; Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6369)

O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worries and depression, and I seek refuge in You from being incapacitated and from laziness, and I seek refuge in You from being scared or being stingy, and I seek refuge in You from being overcome by debt or by people.

And Umama says that I started saying that, and Allah removed worry from my heart and He helped me repay my debt. So say this every morning and every evening, brothers and sisters, if you want Allah to remove worries and anxieties from your heart.

Fourth Response: Sending Salawat Upon the Prophet ﷺ

And lastly, and I close with this — a man, Ubay ibn Ka'b, one of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, said to him: "Ya Rasulullah, I love to send salah upon you. How much salah should I send upon you? Out of the du'a that I make, the time that I have set out for du'a — how much of that should I dedicate to sending salah upon you?"

So the Prophet ﷺ told him: "As much as you want." So Ubay said: "How about a fourth of that?" So the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2457 — graded Hasan)

"Whatever you want, but if you were to do more, that would be better for you." So Ubay said: "How about a half?" The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whatever you want, but if you do more, that's better for you." And then Ubay said: "How about if I do two thirds of that just for salah upon you?" And Rasulullah ﷺ said: "Whatever you want, but if you do more, it's better for you." And then Ubay said:

أَجْعَلُ لَكَ صَلَاتِي كُلَّهَا — "Should I make all of my du'a just salah upon you, ya Rasulullah?" And the Prophet ﷺ told him:

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2457 — graded Hasan)

"If you were to do that, then all your worries would be taken care of and your sins will be forgiven."

This is why it is even more important, brothers and sisters, in times of difficulty and hardship and uncertainty, to send more salawat on Rasulullah ﷺ. Today is Jumu'ah — a day especially in which we are recommended to send a lot of salawat on Rasulullah ﷺ. If we make it our lifestyle to do that more and more, we will see Allah taking care of our worries.

قُومُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللَّهُ