Khutba on the Rank of the Muttaqin
الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي جعل منفعة العلم في الأعمال، ونجاح العمل بالإخلاص فيه لله الواحد الفعال، نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير، ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما.
Last week we talked about fear of Allah and how it was the cure of fear of the dunya and hence the cure for inaction. This fear of Allah about which we spoke is an essential part which is referred to in the Quran as taqwa, something that we mention in the beginning of every khutba and counsel all to acquire. And in that we follow the guidance of our Lord, for it is the counsel and instruction that He Himself has given to every human being who ever walked this planet. Allah says,
وَلَقَدْ وَصَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنِ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ
the translation of which is, “We have instructed those given the Book before you and you yourselves, to have taqwa of Allah.” And it is the first instruction given by every Prophet to his people, as we see in surat ash-Shu’ara. Allah says,
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ نُوحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
the translation of which is, “When their brother Nuh said to them, ‘Will you not have taqwa? I am a trustworthy messenger [sent] to you. Have taqwa of Allah and obey me.’” In later ayas in the same sura, the exact wording is used for what Hud, Salih, Lut and Shu’ayb say to their peoples. It is this taqwa, and not wealth, looks or family lineage that is the true and lasting source of nobility, both among people and with Allah. The Prophet said,
من أحب أن يكون أكرم الناس فليتق الله
“If you want to become the noblest of people, then have taqwa of Allah." And Allah says,
إن أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم
the translation of which is, “The most noble of you in the eyes of Allah are those with the most taqwa.”
What is taqwa? Is it simply a state of being or is it a path of action? Well, the truth is that it is both, for action and state are symbiotic and reciprocal. They feed off each other – it is your state that enables you to act in a particular way, and the more you act in that way, the stronger that state of being becomes.
The word ‘taqwa’ derives from the Arabic word ‘wiqaya’. Wiqaya is to protect yourself by placing a barrier between yourself and the thing you fear and that might bring you harm. Allah says,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ
the translation of which is, “You who believe! safeguard yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones.” Put up a barrier between yourself and the punishment of Allah. Allah’s punishment is reserved from those who incur His displeasure, so our task is to avoid that displeasure by equipping ourselves with the things that please Him, the things that He has commanded us to do.
Taqwa at its most refined is avoidance of all that is doubtful and clarity of purpose. Taqwa is keeping to the middle of the path and keeping far from the edges, out of the reach of the overhanging trees and thorn branches that could snag you or your clothes. This was the famous description of taqwa given by Sayyidina Umar when he was asked about by Ubayy. He said to him,
هل أخذت طريقا ذا شوك
“Have you ever taken a path that was full of thorns?” Ubayy replied, “na‘am – Yes,” so Umar asked him what he did while he was on that path. Ubayy replied,
تشمرت وحذرت
“I rolled up my trouserlegs and tread very carefully.” Umar said, “fa-dhaaka-t-taqwa – that is taqwa.” To do this, we have to be able to distinguish what is harmful for us from what is not, the haram from the halal. We must have furqan/discrimination. We cannot embark on a course of action until we know Allah’s ruling concerning it. And if we do not know, we must consult with those who do know. Action without knowledge is like walking down that thorny path with your eyes closed – you are liable to get ripped to shreds.
We must also know that this applies to all actions and all avenues of life. There is no aspect of our lives for which Allah has not provided us guidance. He is with us and watches over us at all times – we are never alone. Allah says,
وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
the translation of which is, “He is with you wherever you are. Allah sees what you do.” And He says,
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ
the translation of which is, “Nothing in the heavens or earth is hidden from Allah.” Everything we do, no matter how small it may appear, has consequences. We must be on our guard at all times. We must weigh our actions before our Lord weighs them, as Sayyidina Umar advised when he said ‘haasib nafsaka qabla an tuhaasab – Take yourself to account before you are taken to account’. We must take care that our Lord not see us where He has forbidden us from being and not fail to find us where He has commanded us to be. We must ensure that we are clothed at all times with the best of garbs, and our larders stocked at all times with the best of provisions, taqwa of Allah. It is then at only then that we can move forward safely along the Path towards our Lord.
أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم.
الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته.
Aside from granting them great nobility, Allah has set aside many great gifts for the muttaqin, the people of taqwa, and it is only they who are granted them. These gifts are withheld from everyone else.
The first of those is guidance – all others are lost and in dalaal. Allah says,
ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
the translation of which is, “That Book, no doubt. In it is guidance for the people of taqwa” They are the only ones to whom the Book of Allah is accessible, to whom its meanings are made clear.
The second is acceptance – all action is fruitless, no matter how good it may appear on the surface, without taqwa.
إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
the translation of which is, “Allah only accepts from people who have taqwa.”
The third is protection – no enemy can truly overcome the muttaqin – they are guaranteed victory in this world and the Next, because their ally and protector is the one to whom all strength and power belong and who can never be overcome. Allah says,
وَٱللَّهُ وَلِيُّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
the translation of which is, “Allah is the Protector of those who have taqwa”
The fourth is knowledge, for just as knowledge brings an increase in taqwa, so too does taqwa – acting on that knowledge – bring an increase in knowledge. The more you fear and obey Allah, the greater and more intimate your knowledge of Him becomes. Allah says,
وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ
the translation of which is, “Have taqwa of Allah and Allah will give you knowledge.”
The fifth is great openings – taqwa is the only key to locked doorways that appear in your life at critical times. One of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, an exceptionally poor man named Awf bn Malik al-Ashja’i, came to the Messenger of Allah for advice after his son was taken captive by the idolaters. So the Messenger told him to have taqwa and say la hawla wa la quwatta illa billahi al-aliyi al-adhim – there is no power and no strength except for Allah the High, the Great’ as often as possible, and command his wife to do the same. So Awf went back to his wife and they did as the Prophet suggested, and not long passed until their son succeeded in slipping away from his captives and taking all their sheep, some four thousand of them, back to his parents. Allah says,
وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجاً وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ
the translation of which is, “Whoever has taqwa of Allah – He will give him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect.”
The sixth is difficult things being made easy – things that appear insurmountable and impossible are accomplished with great ease by the muttaqin. No enemy is too great to overcome, no obstacle too large to be removed, no command too onerous to be brought about. For everyone else, the easy and simple becomes hard and complicated, and molehills are made into mountains, but not the muttaqin. Allah says,
وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْراً
the translation of which is, “Whoever has taqwa of Allah – He will make matters easy for him.”
The seventh is salvation and ultimate success. The Bliss of the Hereafter is reserved for the people of taqwa, while the Punishment of the Hereafter is reserved for those who lack it. Allah says,
إِنَّ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
the translation of which is, “The people who have taqwa will have Gardens of Delight.”
All of these blessings, all of these rewards are reserved for the people of taqwa, those whose hearts are submitted to Allah, whose beings are infused with fearful awareness of Him, and whose limbs act only in obedience to Him. They are the successful ones in this world and the successful ones in the Next. They are the true heroes, as Ibn Wardi says in his Laamiya:
إنما من يتقي اللهَ البطل
“The hero is he who has taqwa of Allah.” It is they who are the true party of Allah, and that is why Allah instructs to have taqwa more than eighty times in the Book and that is why the Prophet never addressed his umma except that he called them to it. So we ask Allah to place taqwa in our hearts and upon our limbs. And keep us always in the company of the muttaqin. And make the establishment of the deen in these times easy for us and open up all those doors that are currently closed to us.
إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ. وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وعن أم المومنين عائشة التي أمرنا الله في سورة النور أن ندافع عنها، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ، وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.
رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.
إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.