Part 1
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
الله اكبر كبيرا، والحمد لله كثيرا، وسبحان الله بكرةً وأصيلا
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ ونستغفره ونومنه ونتوكل عليه ,ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ,ومن سيئات أعمالنا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ ,وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ وَأَنَّ سيدنا وحبيبنا ومولانا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه ﷺ
عما بعد: فقال الله تعلى في كتابه العزيز بعد أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱبْتَغُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ ٱلْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَٰـهِدُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Allah says in His Mighty Book:
You who have iman! have taqwa of Allah and seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His Way, so that hopefully you will be successful.
Allah commands us to have taqwa of Him, to have an awe in the knowledge of His Ever-Presence that leads to right action, to seek the means to draw near to Him and to strive fee sabilihi – to strive in His way so that we may have success, which is to earn the pleasure of Allah and His nearness. From one point of view, the greatest means is the taqwa mentioned in the verse, which from a practical standpoint is to obey Allah in all His commands and prohibitions. The Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is reported to have said:
إنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ: "مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا فَقْد آذَنْتهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْت سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَلَئِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ".
“Allah ta’ala has said: ‘Whosoever shows enmity to a wali (friend) of Mine, then I declare war against him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the duties I have imposed on him. My servant continues to draw near to me with the nawafil (supererogatory acts of devotion) until I Love him. When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge.’”
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
This tremendous hadith qudsi demonstrates the great position of His awliya and also the means to having such a position with our Lord. May Allah open the doors of wilaya for all of us. The Deen of Allah is a Deen of action. We have to act. This is indicated in the hadith as, in it, drawing near to Allah is related to acting on the obligations Allah has placed on us and we draw closer by doing the extra, non-obligatory acts of devotion. Of course, it is central to tawhid that only Allah has power and that what good we do is the gift of Allah to us. Thus, if we want His pleasure, we have to earn it, yet at the same time that in itself is a gift from Him to us. This understanding moves the believer to a higher level of awareness. When Allah loves us, He becomes the hearing with which we hear, the sight with which we see, the hand with which we seize and the foot with which we walk. There is a great secret in this for those who reflect on it.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
It can be said that the highest station is the station of ‘Abdallah – the slave of Allah. It is the title of the one who has given himself to Allah completely. In Arabic, the word ‘Abd – slave – is linguistically from the same root as ‘Ibada, worship. ‘Abd is the name given to our beloved Rasool, salla Allahu alayihi wa sallam, when Allah describes the event of the Isra and Mi’raj, his night journey and ascent into the presence of Allah.
We live in a time in which the ideological slogan of ‘freedom’ is often banded around and has become synonymous with both hedonistic modes of living and consumer culture. Yet, when you reflect on the condition of the human being, you see that we are all enslaved to something. Whether it is the pursuit of pleasures, the gathering of consumer products, the opinion of others or our self-opinion, or the stockpiling of wealth, power and influence, we all have things that we have attached ourselves to and to which we are slavishly dedicated. Such attachments take up a great deal of time and energy and exert influence over our decisions and the way we look at the world. However, the true slave of Allah only has Allah in his or her heart. Allah dominates his or her awareness. In short, we are either enslaved to created things or we are devoted to the Creator of All Things. The station of being Allah’s slave is freedom itself because the one who has only Allah in his or her heart is completely free from all else. Nothing in creation can defeat him or her and he or she is content – rich in Allah.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
The greatest slaves of Allah and our exemplars in the pursuit of seeking Allah’s pleasure are the Messengers and Prophets that Allah sent to guide humanity to reach our highest potential, which is the purpose of our creation. Allah says:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
I only created jinn and mankind to worship Me.
The mufassirun explain that the phrase ‘to worship me’ indicates ‘to know Me’. Our worship or slavehood to Allah is the reason we were created and will open the way to knowing Him, subhanahu wa ta’ala. This is the reason for our existence and the path to total freedom.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
Allah is worshiped based on knowledge. Thus knowledge of the Deen is another important means in the path of Allah. The Messenger of Allah conveyed to us how to please Allah, and his advice is not limited to set acts of devotion, such as prayer and fasting. Every aspect of our lives can entail obedience or disobedience, taqwa or deviation, and so it is important to know what pleases Allah and what does not. Having good company is also important because the people we associate with naturally have a big impact on us. It is indicative that the followers of Sayyinduna Muhammad, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, are called his Companions – Sahaba. They were blessed with his companionship, suhba, and were completely transformed by it; they became the greatest community. It was not just that they learned information, but that they were changed by his company and his teaching in a way that purified their hearts and they became clothed in his noble radiance and exalted qualities. The next generation took from them in the same way and that transmission has reached us to this day. If you wish to be truly successful, the company of people who have received this transmission and who can pass it on to you is essential. Therefore, I advise you and myself to take heed of this ayat, to have taqwa of Allah, take the means to him and strive in His way so that we can be successful.
أقول قولي هذا واستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين
واستغفرواه ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
*****
PART 2
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على خير المرسلين وعلى آله وصحبهِ أجمعين
عما بعد
We return to the ayat that we began with:
بعد أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱبْتَغُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ ٱلْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَٰـهِدُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Allah says:
You who have iman! have taqwa of Allah and seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His Way, so that hopefully you will be successful.
I said earlier that the greatest slaves of Allah and our exemplars in the pursuit of seeking Allah’s pleasure are the Prophets and the Messengers. They dedicated their lives to fighting against the darkness and oppression they faced, especially where shirk was used as a political tool of control and exploitation. This took various forms. Sayyiduna Musa alayhissalam stood against the Pharoah and his claim to divinity, eventually emancipating Banu Isra’il from his clutches. Sayyiduna Muhammad salla Allahu alahi wa sallam stood against the Quraish, eventually having to physically fight them to ensure that the Deen of Allah could survive and be fully established.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
The day of Eid al-Adhaa celebrates another of the great Messengers who strove vehemently in Allah’s way. Sayyiduna Ibrahim, alayhissalam, had an extraordinary gift of being able to see through the social norms of his time. In reading the accounts of his life in the Qur’an, you cannot help but be struck by the valour with which he confronted Allah’s enemies as well as his passion for, and devotion to, his Lord. He was fearless in standing against the shirk which dominated his people, which was so pervasive that even his own father had become involved in it. Because he confronted his people with clear proofs, smashing their idols and speaking passionately of Allah’s Oneness, they tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire. But Allah protected him by making the fire cool and peace for him. This was clear proof to his people that only Allah has power and that created things do not. If the fire was intrinsically able to burn, it could not become cool. The truth is that Allah creates the fire, its heat and its burning of things. Allah says about this event:
وَأَرَادُوا۟ بِهِۦ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَٰهُمُ ٱلْأَخْسَرِينَ
They desired to trap him but We made them the losers.
This is Allah’s sunna. He protects those who strive in His way to earn His pleasure. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (ra) reports that:
كُنْت خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم يَوْمًا، فَقَالَ: يَا غُلَامِ! إنِّي أُعَلِّمُك كَلِمَاتٍ: احْفَظْ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْك، احْفَظْ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَك، إذَا سَأَلْت فَاسْأَلْ اللَّهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْت فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاَللَّهِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَك، وَإِنْ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْك؛ رُفِعَتْ الْأَقْلَامُ، وَجَفَّتْ الصُّحُفُ
One day I was behind the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said, ‘Young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you. Be mindful of Him, and you shall find Him with you. If you ask, ask Allah. If you need help, seek it from Allah. Know that if the whole community were to gather together to benefit you in some way, they would not be able to benefit you unless it were something Allah had written for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you in some way, they would not harm you unless Allah had written it to go against you. The pens have been lifted, and the pages are dry.
This reality is clearly seen in the story of Sayyiduna Ibrahim, alayhissalam. Allah protected him, and although his community tried to kill him, they were unable to do so because it was not written.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
Allah says in surat al-Nisa:
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوُ انثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُوْمِنٌ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا
وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِّمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَٱتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۗ وَٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ خَلِيلًا
Anyone, male or female, who does right actions and is a mumin, will enter the Garden. They will not be wronged by so much as the tiniest speck.
Who could have a better deen than someone who submits himself completely to Allah and is a Muhsin, and follows the religion of Ibrahim, a man of pure natural belief? Allah took Ibrahim as an intimate friend.
So Allah took Sayyiduna Ibrahim, alayhissalam, as a Khalil – an intimate friend and he is an example to all. Because he was a pure slave of Allah, he was completely free and was loved by Allah.
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
As you all know, today is Eid al-Adhaa, the Eid of Sacrifice. It is the day that Sayyiduna Ibrahim, Khalil-ullah, the Close Friend of Allah, was ordered by his Lord in a dream to sacrifice his son. His son said, “Do what you have been ordered, you will find me among the patient”. But when the time came, and his son was laid down on his side for the slaughter, Allah said to Ibrahim: “You have been true to the dream” and he was ordered to sacrifice a large ram in place of his son. This act of sacrifice was so great that Allah made celebrating it part of His Deen on this blessed day.
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُواْ
Say: ‘It is the favour of Allah and His mercy that should be the cause of their rejoicing.’
Therefore, we celebrate and remember this great event in a number of ways. Firstly, by attending the Eid prayer. Secondly, by making arrangements for a sacrifice if one has the means to do so – which should be a healthy sheep or goat (both of which should be at least a year old), or a cow (which should be at least three years old), or a camel (which should be at least five years old). We do this as soon as possible after the Eid prayer and it is forbidden to sell or exchange the meat. You can use it to feed your family and friends, you can set some aside, and you can give some to the poor. It is good to do all of these. The days of Eid are a time to visit family and friends and to remember and be thankful for the blessings Allah has given you. During the three days of the Eid, we also recite takbirs after each of the next fifteen obligatory prayers, the last of which is subh on Wednesday. This can be done using the wording I have used throughout this khutba:
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر لا إله إلا الله الله أكبر الله أكبر ولله الحمد
In Ibrahim’s sacrifice is an important indication. Making sacrifices is essential if we wish to deepen our connection with the Divine. Allah says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ اشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ الْمُومِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ
The meaning of which is:
Allah has bought from the muminun their selves and their wealth in return for the Garden.
At the end of this passage Allah declares:
وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
That is the great victory.
Sacrifice opens the way to great victory and we can be sure that, in making sacrifices fee sabeelillah – in Allah’s way – and dedicating ourselves to Him, we can only gain from it. It may seem as though we are giving up something, but in reality we will only gain from it. Allah says:
مَا عِنْدَكُمْ يَنْفَدُ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ بَاقٍ
وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
What is with you runs out but what is with Allah goes on for ever.
Those who were steadfast will be recompensed according to the best of what they did.
Let us enjoy this day and the company of our family and friends. May Allah make this Eid a springboard from which we can renew our taqwa. May Allah help us to see through the deceptions we face and have the ability to discern that which will protect us from His anger and expose us to His pleasure. We ask Allah for mercy for us and the whole umma, we ask Him to purify our hearts and we ask Allah for the establishment of the Deen in our time.
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّاب
اللهم أرنا الحق حقا وارزقنا إتباعه وأرنا الباطل باطلا وارزقنا إجتنابه
أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
إنَّ اللهَ ومَلائِكَتَهُ يُصلُّونَ على النَّبِي يَا أَيُها الذينَ آمنوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وسَلِّمُواتَسْليماً. اللهمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّم وبارِك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِأجمعين.
وارضَ اللهم عن الخلفاء الراشدين أبي بكرٍ وعمرَ وعثمانَ وعلي ، وعنسائر الصحابة أجمعين، خصوصا الأنصارَ منهم والمهاجرين، وعنالتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَامُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَـٰنِ وَإِیتَاۤىِٕ ذِی ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَیَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَاۤءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡیِۚ یَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ
اذكروا الله يذكركم ولذكر الله اكبر والله يعلم ما تصنعون
Eidukum Saeed!
.jpeg)