Khutba on Himma

الحمد لله، الحمد لله 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.
يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما.
اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر.
Muslims, Islam is an immense Deen which leads people to the highest and most elevated aims and protects them from what is insignificant or detrimental.
Islam encourages having the highest aspirations for both this world and the next. Himma is what leads to action, and it can raise you to elevated degrees or it can take you to matters which are void of any real importance or relevance.
Having high aspirations is a sign of intelligence and also of Iman and trust in Allah.
Allah says in Surat al-Furqan describing and praising His slaves:
واجعلنا للمتقين إماماً
‘And make us a good example for the godfearing.’
In this ayat there is teaching about having a high Himma, of wanting the best.
And He says, may he be exalted:
ربنا آتنا في الدنيا حسنةً وفي الآخرة حسنةً وقنا عذاب النار.
‘O Allah, grant us the best in this world and the best in the next world, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.’
And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
فَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللَّهَ فَاسْأَلُوهُ الْفِرْدَوْسَ فَإِنَّهُ أَوْسَطُ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَعْلَى الْجَنَّةِ
‘If you ask Allah, ask Him for the Firdaws, for it is the middlemost Garden and the highest Garden.’
In this Hadith there is also a lesson about yearning for what is best and most elvated. When you ask Allah, ask Him for the highest. When you desire something it should be the best. And this also reflects the opinion the slave has of his Lord, as He, may He be exalted, says in a Hadith Qudsi:
أنا في ظن عبدي بي
I am as my slave thinks of Me.
If we aspire to the best for both worlds and have the best opinion of our Creator, He will realise our expectations.
Himma is something hidden, in the hearts of people and it is followed and exposed by action.
Allah says in His Mighty Book:
وَمَنْ أَرَادَ ٱلآخِرَةَ وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُوراً
‘But as for one who desires the Next World and strives for it with the striving it deserves, being a believer, the striving of such a people will be gratefully acknowledged.’
At-Tabari says in his Tafseer that ‘the striving it deserves’ means:
      طاعة الله وما يرضيه عنه
Obedience to Allah and doing that which pleases Him.   
And Ibn ‘Ajiba says in his Tafseer on the Words of Allah ‘the striving of such a people will be gratefully acknowledged’:
كان سعيهم مشكورًا  عند الله، مقبولاً مُثابًا عليه؛ فإن شُكر الله هو الثواب على الطاعة
‘Their striving will be gratefully acknowledged’  by Allah, accepted and rewarded for. The Shukr of Allah is His reward for the obedience to Him.
Muslims, we live in a society whose basis is kufr, denial of Allah, and this has an impact on many aspects of our lives. All people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, are imposed and restricted to a series of values which prevent them from realising in the fullest possible manner the purpose of their existence, which is to worship Allah. One of the results of this materialistic and humanistic society is having low ambitions, ambitions for worldly matters, and even then, for lowly worldly matters.
Imam Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
عليك بمعالي الأمور وكرائمها ، واتق رَذَائِلها وما سفّ منها ، فإن الله تعالى يحب معالي الأمور ويَكرَهُ سَفاسِفها
Engage in high and noble matters, and beware of lowly and trivial matters, for Allah ta’ala loves elevated matters and dislikes what is vulgar and insignificant.
Muslims, ask Allah for the best in both worlds, aspire to elevated matters and strive for them sincerely seeking Allah’s pleasure.

أقول قولي هذا و أستغفر الله العظيم لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه فيافوز المستغفرين.

الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد ألا إله إلا الله ولي الصالحين، والعاقبة للمتقين، ولا عدوان إلا على الظالمين، والصلاة والسلام الأتمان الأكملان على أشرف الأنبياء وإمام المرسلين، وعلى آله وأصحابه والتابعين، ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد!
Muslims, unfortunately having low aspirations or no aspirations at all is a sickness that has affected the Muslim Umma in this age, as a result of not having supremacy and of being subject to kafir values. Having low aspirations is a cause of abasement and degradation. On the other hand, having high Himma is a source elevation and achievement of the most worthy aims.
Sayyiduna ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
لا تصغرنّ همتكم ، فإني لم أر أقعد عن المكرمات من صغر الهمم
Do not aspire to little things, for I do not see anything which prevents blessings more than having small or low aspirations.
Muslims, do not be constricted by the false and unnatural parameters which this society offers, rather have high aspirations and put your trust in Allah, for only He is powerful over everything and can grant whatever He wishes to whomever He wills.
We have the best example of Himma in our beloved Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was a single man in a society of shirk and injustice and in a short period of time he changed it and it became a society of right, just and believing Muslims. His Companions, may Allah be pleased with all of them, took the guidance and light to far corners of the world in a very short time. This was a result of the high Himma of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of his trust in Allah and his constant effort and striving in His Way. We must emulate the Messenger and his Companions and have high Himma so that Allah may raise the Muslim Umma, and grant us the best in both worlds.
We ask Allah to give us high Himma. We ask Allah to elevate the aspirations of the Muslims and to raise us above other communities. We ask Allah to realise our highest expectations in both worlds.
إنَّ اللهَ ومَلائِكَتَهُ يُصلُّونَ على النَّبِي يَا أَيُها الذينَ آمنوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وسَلِّمُوا تَسْليماً. اللهمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّم وبارِك عَلَيْهِ وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِ  أجمعين.
وارض اللهم عن الخلفاء الراشدين المرشدين الحنفاء ساداتنا وأئمتنا أبي بكر وعمر وعثمان وعلي ، وعن سائر الصحابة أجمعين، خصوصا الأنصار منهم والمهاجرين، وعن التابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
اللهم اهد أولات أمور المسلمين لما يرضيك ولاتباع سنة نبيك صلى الله عليه وسلم  وثبت أقدامهم على الصراط المستقيم وأصلحهم يا رب العالمين.
اللهم بارك على شيخنا، و على أميرنا، وعلى جميع أمراء وزعماء المسلمين.  
اللهم بارك على المسلمين في هذه المدينة ووفقهم لما تحبه وترضاه يا أكرم الأكرمين.
اللهمّ أَعِزَّ الْلإسلامَ والمُسِلمينَ (3)  واَخْذُلِ الكُفْرَ والكافِرينَ، وانْصُرِ المُجاهِدينَ في سَبِيلِ اللهِ. واجْعَلْ كَلِمَتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وكَلِمَةَ الكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلى.
ربنا ءاتنا في الدنيا حسنة وفي الأخرة حسنة وقنا عذاب النار.
اللهم لا تضعْ في مقامِنا هذا ذنبا إلا غفرْتَه، ولا عيباً إلا سترْتَه، ولا مريضا إلا شفيتَهُ وعافيتَه، ولا مسجونا إلا طلَّقْتَ سراحَه، ولا مسافرا في برِّك وبحرِك إلا سلِمتَهُ وغنِمْتَه.
إن الله يأمر بالعدل والإحسان وإيتاء ذي القربى وينهى عَنِ الفحشاءِ والمُنكَرِ والبغي، يعظكم لعلكم تذكرون، ولَذِكْرُ اللهِ أكبر والله يَعْلَمُ ما تَصْنَعُون.  
وقُومُوا إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يرحمكم الله.