Khutba on Taking Pride in the Deen

الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي جعل الدعوة أفضل مقامات العبد، إذا لم يشرك في دعوته بالله أحد، 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.

            The media and the enemies of Allah, in recent years and especially in the last few days following on from the bombings in Boston, have launched a concerted campaign to discredit Islam and make the Muslims feel ashamed of Islam and especially any elements that appear to contradict modern humanist values and mores. This has led to an increasing phenomenon of Muslims either hiding their deen in public so that many of their colleagues do not even know they are Muslim, or expressing shame and remorse about certain elements of their deen and seeking to disassociate themselves from them. This has fueled the modernist movement that seeks to reinvent Islam in the light of modern values and human rights. An example of that recently came into my inbox in the form of a pamphlet from Islamic Relief entitled ‘Human Development in Islam’, the chapter headings of which mirrored the document of human rights, talking of the dignity of human kind, freedom, equality and humanitarian imperative. It even distorted its translation of ayats in order to back up its claims, saying for example that the ayat, wa laa yattakhidh ba’duna ba’dan arbaban min duni-l-lah, means ‘and none of us must be slaves of one another other than God,’ when it actually says, ‘and none of us should take one another as lords besides Allah.’ and refers to worship not slavery.

            This document and others like it that go back to the original texts and sources and ignore the practices of the Muslims throughout history and the way their people of knowledge understood them, these documents that measure the correctness of practices of the only accepted deen with Allah, legislated by Him through His Prophet, according to a bunch of principles dreamed up by a group of men, these documents that seek to make the deen safe and acceptable to all and sundry, are tantamount to apologising for that thing about which we should be most proud – the blessing of Islam.

            For the truth of the matter is that we have been given a gift beyond compare, a gift perfect and complete in every way, a glittering diamond without a single flaw – whichever aspect of it you look upon, you cannot but help be dazzled and overcome with pride and joy. There is nothing wrong with and nothing needs to be changed. Allah says,

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَام دِينًا

            the translation of which is, “Today I have perfected your deen for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a deen for you.” It is Allah’s greatest nima to us – indeed He calls it His nima/His blessing.

وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ

            “And as for the blessing of your Lord, speak out!” Take great pride in it, tell the world of it and how much you have been honoured to receive it. And share with them every aspect of it, not just those that correspond to their supposed values, values which have brought ruin and destruction to the world and created the greatest inequality of wealth and opportunity the world has ever seen.

            They are the ones who should be ashamed and yet they tell us we should be ashamed. The world is topsy-turvy – the people of intellect have no voice while the deaf, dumb and blind make policies and subjugate the people. They favour the temporary over the lasting, short term profit over long-term gain, bringing about a society that cannot be sustained and whose seeds of destruction were sown at its inception. For such is the nature of whim-driven human endeavour – it is batil, and what is batil leaves no footprint, like the froth of the sea, it is there one minute washed away the next. Allah says,

إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا

            the translation of which is, “Falsehood is always bound to vanish.” And He says,

يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ

            the translation of which is, “Allah wipes out riba but makes sadaqa grow in value.” Those sadaqaat that Allah causes to grow are ours, for the true wealth and the true might of today is ours – we just have to stand up and claim it, and band together with our fellow believers and give it to the world. Allah says,

مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ

            the translation of which is, “If anyone wants power, all power belongs to Allah. All good words rise to Him and He raises up all virtuous deeds.” And He says,

فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُومِنِينَ

            the translation of which is, “All might belongs to Allah and to His Messenger and the muminun.” We ask Allah to give us a true appreciation of the great gift and honour we have been given, and the strength and power that its acceptance has placed at our disposal. And we ask that He enable us to make use of that might to restore justice and balance to the world.

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. قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: الخلق كلهم عيال الله، فأَحَبُّهم إلى الله أنفعهم لعياله

            The Prophet said, “All of mankind are Allah’s dependents, and Allah loves best those who bring the most benefit to His dependents.” This deen that we have been given is without a doubt the greatest thing any of us have been given and the thing that brings us the most benefit. It is the key to an everlasting reward, everything else’s benefits are temporary and short-lived. And it is a gift, it is not a right. We have no rights over Allah – it is from His fadl – His overflowing bounty and generosity. Where we are born, what tribe or race we come from has no bearing on it. No one would have had it if Allah had not sent His Messenger, not the Arabs or Persians or Indians, not the Turks or Malaysians. Allah sent His Messenger with Islam as a mercy to all the worlds, all the races, all of mankind. No one race has a greater claim to the deen than any other. If da’wa had not been made to your forefathers, then none of you would have been here, for at one point the people of your forefathers’ lands were just as lost and misguided as the people of this land or the peoples of Europe, Asia and the Americas. But the Muslims were not selfish with their gift, they carried it to as many as they could and gave it out freely. They wore the deen with pride and let it colour every interaction they had with other human beings. They spoke of it and put it into practice in every act and transaction – they did not hide it away and keep it secret. So go out and extend the same courtesy to the people of this land. Speak of Islam and speak of the Prophet and your fellow Muslims with pride at every opportunity. Call to the deen of Allah – there is no better way for you to spend your time, and there is nothing that will bring with it a greater reward. The Prophet said,

لأن يهدي الله بك رجلاً واحداً خير لك من حمر النعم, وفي رواية: خير لك مما طلعت عليه الشمس

            “That Allah guides one person to Islam through you is better for you than the rarest of camels”, and in another version, “than everything over which the sun has risen.” Ibn Kathir interpreted this as meaning, ‘better than owning all of that and giving it all away in the way of Allah’, because nothing of this world compares to what guarantees a person the Next world. You could spend your whole life giving sadaqa but never obtain the same reward.

            And, if that were not enough in itself, the Prophet also says,

من دعا إلى هدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من تبعه لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئاً

            “Whoever calls a person to right guidance, receives the reward of anyone who follows him, without decreasing from their reward in any way.” Every time they pray, every time they fast, every time they give sadaqa, every time they do dhikr of Allah – you get the same reward that they do. Every good action they do is counted as a good action of your own. And that applies even to the reward they receive for someone becoming Muslim at their hand. It is very much like a pyramid scheme, but one in which no one loses and every one gains. And you will continue to receive those rewards even after your lifetime when you are in your grave, for as long as Muslims remain whom Allah has guided through you or through those to whom you have given da’wa. And the more reward Allah grants, the greater your station with Him becomes, so you can imagine the station of our noble Messenger, who receives the reward for every good action that every Muslim on the planet does or has ever done since he was sent, or the station of our own Shaykh, through whom Allah has guided many thousands to His Deen.

            But remember that your task is but to convey – guidance is in the hands of Allah. Allah says,

فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوْا وَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ

            the translation of which is, “If they become Muslim, they have been guided. If they turn away, you are only responsible for transmission.” If you see no immediate results in your da’wa, then do not lose hope for you are not charged with guiding them. No matter who you are, no matter what you do, no matter what you say, you will never guide them. Guidance is solely in the hands of Allah, and He only guides whom He wills. Not even the Prophet of Allah could guide all those he wanted to, such as his uncle, Abu Talib. Allah says,

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

            the translation of which is, “You cannot guide those you would like to but Allah guides those He wills. He has best knowledge of the guided.” You never know whom Allah will guide at your hands or when that guidance will happen. Some of those who were the greatest enemies of the deen became, many years later, its greatest protectors and supporters – men like Khalid ibn al-Walid, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, ‘Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl, and Mu‘awiya, the son of Abu Sufyan. They heeded the Prophet’s call, but at the time that Allah wished. So all you need to concern yourself with is making the da’wa and trust that Allah will guide through you those for whom He has written guidance. And be patient, for sometimes Allah will plant the seed of guidance in a person’s heart through your da’wa, but that person may not become Muslim until many years later when that seed bears fruit. We ask Allah to grant us that sabr, keep us constant in our da’wa, give us a full appreciation of the gift He has granted us and through us bring many many people to the deen.

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.