Khutba on Honouring the Guests

الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي جعل إكرام الضيوف من مكارم الأخلاق، وخص لعباده من أجل ذلك الأرزاق، 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 وأدّى 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, a great wave of people from all over the world is about to descend upon us for the noble moussem of our Shaykh. These people will be our guests and their presence among us greatly honours us, so let us honour them as is their right and their due. The Prophet said, 

من كان يؤمنُ بالله واليوم الآخر فليُكرم ضيفَه

“Let him who truly believes in Allah and the Last Day honour His guests.” Alhamdulillah, this quality of honouring guests is one that is ever present amongst the Muslims – especially those of this city – and is one that they need little encouragement to do since it is already engrained into their characters. But these are hard times and worries about provision abound, so let us remind ourselves of a couple of things.
First, our provision is guaranteed – it is our rizq that comes looking for us, not we who go looking for our rizq. Abu ad-Darda’ narrated that the Messenger of Allah said, 

إن الرزق ليطلب العبد كما يطلبه أجله

“Provision seeks out the slave in the same way that his death seeks him out.” And Abu Sa’id al-Khudri narrated that he said, 

لو فّر أحدكم من رزقه أدركه كما يدركه الموت

“If you were to flee from your rizq, it would catch up with you in the same way that death catches up with you.” Our rizq is written for us and will come to us regardless of the financial woes which afflict the world, for it is given to us directly by a Lord who is ar-razzaq dhul’quwwati’l-matin – the Provider, the Possessor of Strength, the Sure, and He is Rich beyond need. All Allah requires of us in return is that we believe in Him, obey Him and establish what He has commanded us to establish, as was the case with previous peoples. Allah says:

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لَأَكَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ

the translation of which is, “If only they had implemented the Torah and the Injil and what was sent down to them from their Lord, they would have been fed from above their heads and beneath their feet.” And the truth of the matter is that Allah expands your provision to meet your expenditure. Whenever you spend out in the way of Allah, Allah gives you the like of what you gave and more besides. Allah says: 

وَمَا أَنفَقْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

the translation of which is, “Anything you expend will be replaced by Him. He is the Best of Providers.” And He also says:

وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِأَنفُسِكُمْ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تُظْلَمُونَ

the translation of which is, “Whatever good you give away is to your own benefit, when you give desiring only the Face of Allah. Whatever good you give away will be repaid to you in full. You will not be wronged.” And Abu Hurayra narrated that the Prophet said, 

ما نقصت صدقة من مال

“Wealth is never decreased by sadaqa.” On the contrary, wealth is increased by giving. Allah says:

يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ

the translation of which is, “Allah obliterates riba but makes sadaqa grow in value!” Having guests, giving sadaqa, feeding people – all of these things increase your provision and wealth – they do not decrease it. You may think that you are the one doing a service to your guests, but the truth is that are doing an even bigger service to you, both in this world and the Next, by accepting your hospitality.
So let us remind ourselves a little about what it means to honour one’s guests.
First, by filling our homes with guests, we are emulating the sunna of our Noble Messenger, his Companions and all of the Prophets who preceded them, for the hospitality of the Prophet knew no bounds – his house was always full of guests and he was always feeding people. And often he would give his guests everything and leave nothing for himself or his family. And his Companions followed his example. When the Prophet and the Muhajirun (those who had emigrated from Makka) arrived in Madina, such was the hospitality of the Ansar (the native inhabitants of Madina) to them, that they offered them half of everything they had. So those who had two houses offered their guests the choice of one of them and those who had two wives offered to divorce one and give her in marriage to their guest. And that is why Allah describes them in surat al-Hashr as those who:

يُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ

the translation of which is: “prefer them to themselves even if they themselves are needy.” 
Second, feeding and honouring guests is the essence of generosity, the quality of character with which every Prophet and every man of Allah throughout history has been described. Ibn Hibban is narrated as having said, 

والعرب لم تكن تعدُّ الجودَ إلا قِرَى الضَّيف، وإطعام الطعام، ولا تعدُّ السَّخيَّ من لم يكن فيه ذلك

“The Arabs did not consider generosity to lie in anything but serving one’s guests and feeding them; and did not consider someone to be generous unless he did that.” True generosity lies in having guests in your home, not just in giving money to charity.
Third, feeding one’s guests is considered to be comparable – in terms of its excellence – to fighting jihad in the Way of Allah. Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet said:

ما من الناس مثل رجل آخذ بعنان فرسه، فيجاهد في سبيل الله، ويجتنب شرور الناس، ومثل رجل في غنمه يقري ضيفَهُ ويؤدِّي حقَّهُ"

“There are no people who are like those who take hold of the reins of their horses and fighting in the way of Allah, avoiding the worst of people; nor those who feed their guests from their own flocks and give them their due.
Fourth, feeding guests is considered to be comparable to – or even better than – freeing slaves. Ali ibn abi Talib said, 

لأن أَجمعَ الإخوانَ على صالحِ طعامٍ أحبُّ إلىّ من أن أَعتِقَ رقبة

“I would prefer to gather together the brothers for a meal than to free a slave.”
Fifth, for the entire time in which guests remain in your house, eating your food, the angels send down prayers upon you. The Prophet said,

 لا تزال الملائكةُ تصلِّى على أحدِكم ما دامت مائدتُه موضوعةً بين يديه حتى يَرفع

“The angels call down blessings on you as long as your table is laid in front of you and continue to do so until it is removed.”
Sixth, according to some of the people of knowledge, by feeding our guests, we are fulfilling one of the Commands of our Lord – and as Allah says in a hadith qudsi:

ما تقرب إلى عبدي بشيء أحب إلى مما افترضته علي

“There is no action by means of which My slave draws near to Me that is more beloved to Me than that which I have made obligatory on him.” According to them, taking guests into our homes, especially when they come from far-away lands and have travelled great distances to be with us, is not just something which is recommended but is an obligatory action. Or at the very least it as a fard kifaya – a communal obligation. The Prophet said, 

مَن كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر، فلْيُكْرم ضيفه. جائزته يوم وليلة، والضيافة ثلاثة أيام، فما كان بعد ذلك فهو صدقة

“Let anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day honour his guests. His special gift (to the guest) is one day and night, but the hospitality should go on for three days. Hospitality beyond that point is an act of sadaqa.” 

أقول قولي هذا و أستغفر الله لي و لكم و لسائر 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.

Muslims, the deen is based around adab – courtesy, and that is as true when it comes to hosting and entertaining guests as it is to any other area of life. There are courtesies which hosts must observe towards their guests and there are courtesies which guests must observe towards their hosts.
As for the host, he should not look upon his guest as a burden or a chore, but should gladly and willingly welcome him into his home and personally be the one to serve him. It is narrated that Luqman said, 

أربع لا ينبغى لاحد أن يأنف منهن وإن كان شريفا أو أميرا : قيامه من محله لأبيه ، وخدمته لضيفه ، وقيامه على فرسه ، وخدمته للعالم.

“There are four things that no one, not even a nobleman or an emir, should turn their noses up at: giving up his seat for his father, serving his guests, and serving men of knowledge.” The Prophet himself used to wait on his guests, so why shouldn’t we?
Second, the host should not keep his guests waiting for food and refreshments, but should get them something straight away. And it is best for him to bring the food without first asking his guests whether they want it. An d he must never start taking the food – or even the dishes away until the guests have had their fill, as that will make them uncomfortable.
Third, he should keep company with his guests as much as he is able, especially when they are eating, and should engage him in conversation and maintain a good humour when around him. Ibn Hibban said,

من إكرام الضيف طيبُ الكلام، وطلاقة الوجه، والخدمةُ بالنفس

“Part of honouring one’s guests is to smile, speak well and serve them in person.”
Fourth, one should not over-burden or over-exert one’s guests, but should be mindful of their state and circumstances. If a guest has just arrived from a long journey and is tired, then you should allow them to rest and not make them feel obliged to stay up and accompany you.
And finally, when one’s guests leave, it is the adab to accompany them to the door and see them off.
As for the guest, the most important thing is that he not allow himself to become a burden upon his host. The Prophet said,

لا يحل لمسلم أن يقيم عند أخيه حتى يؤثمه

“It is not permissible for a Muslim to stay with his brother for so long that he become a burden on him.” Guests should be as unobtrusive as they can be and should not enter parts of the house into which they have not been invited. If they do want to enter, then they must take care to seek permission first. Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّى تَسْتَأْنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَهْلِهَا ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

the translation of which is, “You who have iman! do not enter houses other than your own until you have asked permission and greeted their inhabitants. That is better for you, so that hopefully you will pay heed.” And finally guests should make dua for their host, his family and the inhabitants of his household. This was the sunna of the first generations of the Muslims and has continued to be the practice of Muslims the world over until the present day. Recommended duas include that which the salaf as-salih – the first generations used to use:

أكل طعامك الأبرار وأفطر عندكم الصائمون وصلت عليكم الملائكة الاخيار ، وذكركم الله فيمن عنده

“Good people have eaten your food, fasters have broken their fasts at your house, the best of the angels have called down blessings upon you and Allah has mentioned you to those who are with Him.” 
So we ask Allah to make us the best of hosts to those guests who are coming to stay with us and make them the best of guests. And we ask Him to be the best of hosts to us on that day when there is no Host but Him. 
And we ask Him to make this moussem a tremendous success and a source of light and increase for every one of us.

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 أبي بكرٍ وعمرَ وعثمانَ وعلي ، وعن سائر الصحابة أجمعين، خصوصا الأنصارَ منهم والمهاجرين، وعن التابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

اللهم اهد ولاة 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 أمراءِ 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 كَلِمََتَكَ 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 عيبا 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