Jumu'ah Khutbah - Shaykh 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.

The World: A Place of Action, the Hereafter: A Place of Reckoning

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, we all believe that Allah has given us a limited life in this world and has made this world a place for practicing and actions. Allah has also given us the freedom of action — whatever you choose, good or bad, the way of truth or the way of falsehood, nobody will stop you. This freedom of action is ended along with our time of death, and the next stage for us is the place where you will have no more opportunity for actions. That will be a place of getting paid — we will either get reward or punishment for our actions of this life.

However, where there is no more opportunity to do any more deeds, the Quran and Hadith also indicate that even after our death the process of increase and decrease in our rewards and in our punishment will continue — and that is based on what we leave behind as effects of our actions.

As Allah says in Surah Ya-Sin, verse 12:

In this ayah, Allah mentions that He will give life again after death so that people can be made accountable for their actions — and whatever good deeds and bad deeds they sent before, and the ones they leave behind them, He is keeping a record of it all.

Yes, it is easy to understand that whatever deeds we do in this world we send them forward for accountability — but what about leaving deeds behind? What does that mean? Scholars have two opinions in this regard.

First Opinion: The Steps Taken Towards Good or Evil

The first opinion is that the deeds we leave behind are the steps we take towards good or evil actions. Allah will keep a record of them and we will be rewarded or punished on that basis. We can understand this from a hadith — Jabir bin Abdullah narrated:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 1382)

There was an empty land near the Masjid Nabawi, so the people of Banu Salama, who lived far from the Masjid, wanted to move to that land. When the Prophet heard this he said to them: "O people of Banu Salama, stay where you are living — your footsteps will be recorded. O people of Banu Salama, stay where you are living — your footsteps will be recorded." This shows that the steps we take towards goodness will not be wasted.

Second Opinion: The Good or Bad Effects Left Behind After Death

The second opinion is that this means the good or bad effects of our actions that we leave behind after our death in this world. These effects become an example for those who are coming after us, which are then followed by them. And it is not just the people who follow those good or bad effects who will receive the rewards or punishment — the person who left behind those effects will also be rewarded or punished. As the Prophet says:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 12, Hadith 1017)

Whosoever introduces a good practice in Islam, there is for him its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him, without anything being reduced from their rewards. And whoever introduces an evil practice in Islam will shoulder its sins and the sins of all those who act upon it, without diminishing in any way their burden.

What Should We Leave Behind? The Three Deeds That Continue After Death

Brothers and sisters, if we want to leave behind such deeds and actions that become means of reward and high rank for us in the Hereafter — and people remember us with good words because of this — then we should know what those actions and deeds are. The Prophet says in a famous hadith:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 13, Hadith 1631)

When a person dies, his links with his deeds are cut off except for three things which still continue to reward him: one is a continuous charity, the other is knowledge that benefits others, and the third is pious children who pray for their parents after their death.

1. Sadaqah Jariyah — Continuous Charity

The first thing is that which you spend in the way of Allah for His pleasure and to seek its rewards in the Hereafter, and from which others can benefit after your death. So until the people benefit from that, it will continue to increase your rewards. We all know how rewardable it is to spend in the way of Allah, as He says in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 272:

Whatever you spend for a good cause, it is for your own benefit. And the Prophet says in a hadith: on the Day of Judgment, everyone will be in the shadow of the Sadaqah that they have given in this world — the more Sadaqah you make, the more you will be shaded, until you have faced your accountability.

And there are some people who do many good deeds including spending in the way of Allah, but they do not benefit from it to preserve its rewards in the Hereafter, because they do this as a show-off and they don't conceal it. They make every effort to announce their good deeds to the world, whereas we need to conceal our Sadaqah and our good deeds in the same way that we try to hide our evil deeds.

And if we want to make our Sadaqah a Sadaqah Jariyah — a running charity — we need to remember some points as mentioned in the Quran and Hadith:

• Whether you give Sadaqah openly or secretly, the intention must be that you seek the reward for it from Allah alone.
• Give Sadaqah from your halal earning, because Allah does not accept Sadaqah from haram wealth.
• Give Sadaqah from that which is very dear to you and you wish to keep it for yourself.
• After giving Sadaqah, never feel pride in yourself and piety that you have helped someone.
• Never show your favour upon the person whom you have helped — whether directly or even through your behaviour and treatment with them.
• Whenever you give Sadaqah, do so with a smile and good manners. Don't make them feel that you are doing them a favour — rather, thank them that they have given you the opportunity to do a good deed.

We have to remember, brothers, that if we help a person in need, then we have to be grateful to them — because according to the Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad said that Allah is giving whatever you have because of those needy people.

2. Knowledge That Benefits Others

The second is knowledge that benefits others — meaning that you have to leave behind such knowledge which attracts people towards the Deen. For example, you can seek the knowledge yourself and then teach others, as the Prophet says:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5027)

The best among you is one who learns the Quran and teaches it to others. In another hadith, the Prophet said:

(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 3660; Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 232)

May Allah beautify a man who hears a saying of mine, so he understands it, remembers it, and conveys it.

Brothers and sisters, we can also leave behind beneficial knowledge through helping someone become a scholar — by sponsoring their education or establishing Islamic schools. So whoever benefits from that knowledge till the Day of Judgment, yes, they will get the reward along with the person who was a means for spreading that knowledge — they will get the same reward. You can imagine how many millions of rewards will be gathered!

We all know, Alhamdulillah, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, Imam Muslim rahimahullah, and all other Imams and Muhadditheen who have passed away hundreds of years ago — but even today whenever their names are mentioned, everyone makes a dua for their forgiveness and says rahimahullah. But why? Because they have left behind a vast collection of books of Ahadith and different Islamic topics, which are read by millions to seek guidance and to practice on the Deen. This will continue till the last day, so you can imagine how much reward they will be getting. These are the good effects they have left behind in the form of beneficial knowledge.

If we want to gain such reward, we can also do so through promoting and publishing books on different topics of Islam. We have many books — small books, big books — there are some books so small in size but with great benefits. So if you make an effort to distribute books which contain the true Aqeedah, which contain the Prophet's Salah, which contain the Adab and manners of Prophet Muhammad, you will continue to get reward for as long as people read them and benefit from them.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah mentioned in his book Fath al-Bari that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah said: one of the reasons for compiling the Sahih Bukhari was that one day I was sitting with my Sheikh, Ishaq bin Rahawayh, along with other students. My Sheikh said: "I wish that one of you would compile a book which contains only the Sahih Ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad." And I took this to heart and started working on this. Alhamdulillah, today we have this book among us — Sahih Bukhari — which is the most authentic book after the Holy Quran. And for this, not only will Imam Bukhari be rewarded, but his Sheikh who advised him will also be rewarded at the same level.

Brothers and sisters, it is not necessary that you should be a great scholar to spread the knowledge of the Deen. No matter how knowledgeable you are — less or more — as long as it is authentic, you should pass this knowledge to others. For example, as a father or as a mother, teach your child a Surah of the Quran, a Hadith, the prayer according to the Sunnah of the Prophet. Teach them the pillars of Islam, teach them who is our Lord, what is our Deen, who is our Prophet. You will be rewarded along with your child for as long as the children keep practicing on them — and even if they teach others too, you will be rewarded many fold.

The Salaf al-Saliheen played a major role in conveying Islamic knowledge to their children, whether as mothers or fathers. You will have heard about the name of Umm Sulaim R.A. — the famous Ansari companion, Sahabiyah, who accepted Islam before the migration of Muhammad towards Madinah. Her husband left her because of her acceptance of Islam, yet she used to teach her very small child, Anas bin Malik R.A., to say لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ and to say مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ.

After Muhammad arrived in Madinah, she took her son to him and said: "I have nothing to give you as a gift, but I request you to take this child, Anas bin Malik, as a servant for you, so that he can learn the Deen from you." Then she requested a dua for him. Muhammad made dua: "O Allah, increase him in his wealth and his children." We later see that Anas bin Malik R.A. became among the most wealthy, and he had over hundreds of offspring — and among his offspring is Imam Malik bin Anas R.A., who spread the knowledge of Hadith worldwide. This was because of the dua of Prophet Muhammad and the sacrifice of his mother, Umm Sulaim R.A.

Likewise, we know Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal R.A. — his father passed away in his childhood, and he says that his mother taught him to love Allah and His Messenger from his childhood. She helped him memorize the Quran; she used to wake him up early for Fajr and warm the water for his wudu; she would dress him and take him to the Masjid to seek the knowledge of the Deen in the early morning. We see that the same Ahmad bin Hanbal R.A. became one of the greatest Imams — so whatever knowledge was spread because of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal R.A., and whoever practiced upon it, he will be rewarded — but also his mother will be rewarded the same till the Day of Judgment.

Dear brothers and sisters, likewise you can spread the knowledge of the Deen by supporting Islamic TV channels, radio channels, and by organizing Islamic lectures and Durus that promote the true teachings of Islam. The people who benefit from these lectures and Durus will be rewarded — and you will also be rewarded the same reward.

Today we also have access to social media, by which we can leave behind for millions of people good effects or bad effects. Everyone has contacts with many social groups, so we have a choice: if we share something that spreads evil, spreads mischief, hatred, suspicions, or spreads bid'ah and shirk — then you will not only be sinful by spreading these messages but you will also get the sin of all those who are affected by those posts and act according to them. But instead of this, if you make a habit of sharing every day one Sahih hadith, one authentic hadith, or any good advice — then we will be among those for whom the Prophet ﷺ made dua.

3. Pious Children Who Pray for Their Parents

The third thing which the Prophet ﷺ mentioned is the pious children who pray for their parents. As in a hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 2880; also referenced in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3660)

On the Day of Judgment, a person will see that his good deeds are the size of a mountain. He will say: "O my Lord, how have I got so much good deeds when I didn't even do so many?" He will be told: "This is as a result of the dua from your child for you, which has increased your good deeds."

This means that making children pious is beneficial for the parents themselves — you not only make yourself entitled for their duas after your death, but you get the reward of each and every good deed they do, and this will continue generation after generation.

On the other hand, if due to the negligence of the parents their children go astray, take wrong ways, and are disobedient to Allah and His Messenger — then in the same way, whatever sins the children will gather, the parents will receive the same sins. As Prophet Muhammad ﷺ says:

Every person who is murdered by oppression — a portion of that sin will be added to the account of the son of Adam who first started this act of killing.

How to Make Our Children Good and Pious

But the question is: how can we make our children good and pious? We need to be aware of some points, brothers.

Number one — you need to be a good role model for your children. As we learn from the Seerah of the Prophets, especially Prophet Ibrahim, whenever they made dua to Allah for the piety of their children they would ask for themselves to be made a role model for their children. And obviously, how can we expect from our children to pray if we don't pray? If they don't see us praying, how can they be truthful if they hear us telling lies? And when we are ill-mannered, how can our children have good manners?

Number two — you have to teach them the correct Aqeedah, because this is the basis of all our actions. If our Aqeedah and belief is not correct, then even while we are Muslims — we pray, we fast, and we do Hajj — we still involve ourselves in different kinds of shirk. In addition to teaching them the correct Aqeedah, also make them establish the daily five prayers so that they become regular in them, because it is the prayer that strengthens our link with Islam and with Allah. As Umar bin Khattab said: "Whoever does not establish prayer has no link with Islam." The more a person is linked with prayers, the more he is linked with Islam.

So if we want to leave behind good effects, then we have to try to make ourselves entitled for these things mentioned in the hadith. I say this and I ask Allah to forgive me and you and all Muslims from all sins — so ask Him to forgive, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Second Khutbah — Keys to Good and Evil

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions. In a hadith from Sunan Ibn Majah, Anas bin Malik narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 237)

Indeed, from the people are those who are keys to open the good for the people and to lock away the evil. And indeed, from the people are those who are keys to lock away and block the good and they open the evil for the people. So glad tidings for the one whom Allah places the keys of good at his hands — and woe to the one whom Allah has placed the keys of evil at his disposal.

Dear brothers and sisters, if Allah gives someone the opportunity to do and to spread good deeds, then it means Allah is pleased with that person. The existence of such good people in our society or anywhere is a sign of goodness — because whenever such people talk, they will talk about goodness, and whatever they do will contain goodness for themselves and for others, and whenever they think, they think about doing good things. Such people share goodness among others — these people are keys to open the good for the whole society, and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gives them glad tidings of Jannah.

And the person who is full of evil and mischief — they always become a means of spreading evil and mischief in the society. Whatever they do will contain some form of evil and badness. Whenever they speak, their aim is to spread mischief and evil between Muslim brothers. These people are the keys to open the evil and block the good for the people.

So we need to see ourselves — our actions, our sayings — and to assess ourselves with sincerity, with Ikhlas, and see which category we come under. We should try to be among those who leave behind effects that are good after us — the ones which people follow and take guidance from, and as a result their guidance becomes an increase in our rewards. And don't leave behind bad effects such that when people remember you after your death, they remember you for your bad deeds and evil actions.

Well brothers and sisters, today no one remembers Abu Jahl or Abu Lahab and such people with a good name, nor does anyone make dua for them. On the other hand, whenever the Prophets, the companions — the Sahabah — and all other Imams are mentioned, people praise them and make dua for them. So be among those who are remembered with their good deeds and for whom people make dua.

Our Lord, do not tear our hearts after You have guided us, and give us mercy from Yourself. Our Lord, give us from our wives and children the coolness of our eyes, and make us Imams for the righteous. Our Lord, accept from us — You are the All-Knowing — and forgive us, You are the Merciful. And if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be among the losers.