Khutba on the People of Taqwa
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.
In the khutba last week, during our discussion of travel, we mentioned Allah’s Words,
فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى
the translation of which is, “the best provision is taqwa of Allah.” The best thing we can carry with us on our lives, the thing most likely to enable us to survive and indeed thrive during the course of our journey to Allah is taqwa. “Have taqwa of your Lord”, this is a counsel that every human being has been given, and about which every human being has been reminded, for it is the heart of the affair. 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.” Each time a Prophet was sent, the very first thing he advised his people was to have taqwa. Allah says in surat ash-Shu’ara,
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. Every khutba given by every khateeb across the world always starts with a call to taqwa, for in truth, without it we would have nothing and we would be nothing. We would be the lowest of the low and the poorest of the poor. People would look down upon us and our position with Allah would be untenable. 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.”
We are reminded so frequently of taqwa, then there is no Muslim that does not know its vital status in the deen, but many misunderstand what it is, or at the very least have a limited appreciation of it. They think of it as just something abstract, a quality that some are granted and others not, but in reality it is also the most comprehensive path of action in the deen. When Sayyidina Ali was asked to describe taqwa, he said,
التقوى هي الخوف من الجليل والعمل بالتنزيل والقناعة بالقليل والاستعداد ليوم الرحيل
“Taqwa is having fear of the Majestic, acting by the Revealed Book, being content with little, and preparing oneself for the Day of Departure.” mentioning two elements relating to state of being and two relating to action. Action and state are mutually dependent, the one could not exist without the other. You could not have fear of Allah without following the Commands of Allah and avoiding His prohibitions, and you would not continue to do that without fear of Allah. Simply saying you fear your Lord while embroiling yourself in what He has made haram is not enough.
This is clear when you look at the root meaning of the word. ‘taqwa’ derives from the Arabic word ‘wiqaya’, which means “to protect yourself by placing a barrier between yourself and whatever is harmful to you”. 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. Avoid whatever displeases Him and armour yourself with whatever pleases Him. That is the essence of taqwa. al-Hasan al-Basri said,
المتقون اتقوا ما حرم الله عليهم وأدوا ما افترض الله عليهم
“The people of taqwa are those who avoid what Allah has made haram and carry out what Allah has made obligatory on them.” They do not even approach what is haram – they keep as far away from it as they possibly can. And to that end they hold firm to what is clear cut and avoid what is doubtful and ambiguous. They travel down the middle of the path. treading as carefully as they can. When Sayyidina Umar was asked by Ubayy for a description of taqwa, he asked him, “Have you ever taken a path that was full of thorns?” Ubayy replied that he had, so Umar asked him what he did while he was travelling on that path. When Ubayy replied, “I rolled up my trouserlegs and tread very carefully,” Umar said, “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. The deen is complete and all-encompassing. Taqwa does not just apply to what are traditionally considered to be the acts of worship. We must have taqwa in our business dealings, we must have taqwa in our interactions with our wives and children. We must have taqwa in the moments when we are alone as well as the moments we are with other people. We are held to account for all of it, nothing escapes our Lord’s notice. 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.” 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,
حاسب نفسك قبل أن تحاسب
“Take yourself to account before you are taken to account.” Maymun ibn Mihran said,
المتقي أشد محاسبة لنفسه من الشريك الشحيح لشريكه
“The person of taqwa takes account of himself more thoroughly than the tight-fisted miser takes account of his business partner.” 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.
As with all the important things in this life, the things Allah has made obligatory and upon which He has made our success or lack of it contingent, they are also the most profitable and bear the most fruit. There are many gifts for which the muttaqin are singled out. These gifts are theirs and theirs alone and none but they may access them.
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. You cannot hope to gain a correct understanding of the Book without taqwa.
The second is acceptance – all action is fruitless and empty, no matter how good it may appear on the surface, without taqwa. It is the criterion by which it is made worthy in the eyes of Allah. Allah says,
إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
the translation of which is, “Allah only accepts from people who have taqwa.”
The third is safety and protection – no enemy can overcome the muttaqin, indeed nothing bad can befall them. Allah says,
وَيُنَجِّي اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا بِمَفَازَتِهِمْ لا يَمَسُّهُمُ السُّوءُ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
the translation of which is, “Allah will give security to those who have taqwa in their victorious Safe Haven. No bad whatsoever will touch them and they will know no sorrow.” They are guaranteed – I repeat guaranteed – victory in this world and the Next, because they have, as their ally and protector, 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 about 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 those locked doors that you encounter at critical junctures in your life. Without it you could never pass through. 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 and his wife 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. So they did as the Prophet suggested, and not long passed until their son succeeded in slipping away from his captives and, in the process, took off with their entire flock of four thousand sheep and brought 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 the difficult 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, and many others, 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 party of Allah. And that is why Allah instructs to have taqwa more than eighty times in the Book and 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.