FIRST SERMON
Indeed all praise is due to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and actions. Whoever Allah guides, none can mislead, but he whom He leads astray you will never find for him a protecting guide. I bear witness that none is worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah’s peace and blessings be on Muhammad, his companions, and those who follow him in goodness until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed:
O believers! Be conscious of Allah for indeed God consciousness is a cause for goodness in this world and the hereafter, for indeed Allah shall deliver the righteous to their place of salvation; no evil shall touch them, nor shall they grieve. Allah the Exalted promised the righteous with success by saying: “Verily, for the righteous, there will be a success (Paradise).” [al-Naba’: 31].
Piety is the best thing which a servant can use to confront afflictions in this worldly life such as fright, sorrows, difficulties and disasters. The greatest thing that will save a servant on the Day of Judgment, when there will be no money or currencies are actions.
O believers! The Prophet (peace be on him) was singled by Allah such that his words were concise but comprehensive in meaning. His words were little but they carried beneficial meanings which were not limited to a specific place or time. Therefore, the meanings surpassed the wordings.
O believers! Muslim transmit a hadith in his Sahih on the authority of Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger of Allah peace be on him said: “A believer who is strong (and healthy) is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them.” Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) went on to say: “Be keen on what benefits you and seek help from Allah, and do not give up. If anything afflicts you do not say, ‘If I had done such and such things, such and such would have happened.’ But say, ‘Allah decrees and what He wills He does,’ for (the utterance) ‘If I had’ provides an opening for the deeds of the devil.”
This Prophetic hadith speaks of many types of goodness in this world but many people are ignorant of it or contradict it. This hadith bring together issues to do with happiness, keys that open the heart and its contentment such that if a believer abides by this hadith he will attain the highest achievement.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) says: “Be keen on what benefits you”. This is an advice for every believer to strive in seeking that which will benefit him. What benefits you might be a religious matter or it might be a worldly matter. Both are included in the Messenger of Allah’s (peace be on him) saying: “Be keen on what benefits you”.
Keenness necessitates striving, working hard towards achieving what you need and realizing what you desire. Keenness cannot be in a person or in his actions if he procrastinates of if he is lazy. Merely discussing issues is being abandoned by Allah whereas success consists of hating to delay good deeds. A human being should strive to achieve what he needs in this world and in the hereafter.
Put your trust in the Most Gracious in every matter and never wish to have inability.
Do you not see that Allah said to Marry: And shake the trunk of date-palm towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe-dates upon you.
Had he willed for her to pick them up without shaking the trunk she would have picked them but every sustenance has a cause. So it is incumbent upon a believer to strive in achieving things and realizing them. A person who wants something but delays in striving for it for the whole year then wants success in not astute or of sound intellect. A trader who delays in his transaction but wants profit will not realize it because of laziness. Therefore, we should work on this advice and adopt it in our religious and worldly matters and we should be very keen on what is of benefit to us. Verily your Lord has instructed you on that through the instruction from the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) when he said: “Be keen on what benefits you”. This is not only limited on obedience and acts of worship, but it includes every matter whether it is of this world or of the hereafter, for everything has a cause with which it is realized.
O Allah! We ask You for guidance, piety, chastity and self-sufficiency. O Allah! Grant us guidance and protect us from the evil of ourselves.
SECOND SERMON
All praise is due to Allah; I praise Him, and I bear witness that none is worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah’s peace and blessings be on Muhammad, his companions, and those who follow him in goodness until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed:
Be God conscious O servants of Allah, fear Allah and you will realize your needs and achieve goodness in this world and in the hereafter. Allah the Almighty says: “and whosoever puts his trust In Allah, then He will suffice Him.” [al-Talaq: 3]. Allah the Almighty also says: “And Whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a Way for Him to get out (from Every difficulty). And He will provide Him from (sources) He never could imagine.” [al-Talaq: 2-3].
O believers! A person strives in this worldly life but his striving will not take him out of Allah’s decree because everything is by Allah’s decree. In this regard, Allah says: “Verily, we have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of All things before their creation, as written In the Book of decrees).” [al-Qamar 49].
Verily, the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) clarified that a person will not achieve religious or worldly needs except by two things:
1. Keenness which is working hard and exerting effort.
2. Accompanying keenness with seeking help from Allah Almighty, that is seeking help from the One in Whose hands are keys to everything.
Thus a person will not achieve any worldly thing except by the help of Allah the Exalted. If Allah does not assist you in drinking water you will never drink it, how about doing big things? Therefore everything is sought from Allah and He is asked that which is small and big.
Be keen on what benefits you and do not forget to seek help from Allah. There are people who are keen on what benefits them but they then depend on their efforts and see themselves as capable of achieving everything they need. If a person trusts his effort and actions then he has trusted something which is weak and shameful. If it is not Allah’s help then the first thing that is done by a small baby is a result of his effort. Verily, our hearts are in need of asking Allah’s help on small and big things, on our personal reformation and on reformation of our children, on being righteous and on continuing on the right way in this world and in the hereafter. Indeed we do not realize a need except by sincerely depending on Allah the Exalted. Whoever is sincere in depending on Allah Almighty, works hard and places his trust in Allah Almighty with respect to achieving his needs will have that as a cause for his success and achieving his needs.
A person should strive and work hard *** And the Creator will decide what needs to be decided.
Allah decrees what He wishes and ordains according to His will and plan, so if a matter is opposite of what you want and wish after striving and seeking Allah’s help, then you should know that Allah did not decree that for you but His wisdom and mercy will have necessitated that He withholds that thing from you for your best interest and benefit. This is not because He is incapable, stingy or He has broken his promise. He is free of all wants, worthy of all praise, He has power and can carry out His will. Thus a person should surrender if he does not get what he wants after striving for it and seeking help from his Lord. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said: “Be keen on what benefits you and seek help from Allah.” If this result does not come out according to what you want then know that the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said: “. If anything afflicts you do not say, ‘If I had done such and such things, such and such would have happened.’ But say, ‘Allah decrees and what He wills He does.”
Two men came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) quarrelling on a matter and he gave a decision between them. The one against whom the decision was given turned away and said: For me Allah is sufficient, and He is the best dispenser of affairs. The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said: Beware of incapacity but apply intelligence, Allah, Most High, blames for falling short, and loves shrewdness.” That is to say sagacity and precaution. Then he went on to say: “And when the matter gets the better of you, say; for me Allah is sufficient, and He is the best disposer of affairs.”
Using bold words such as this when one is in a state helplessness, incapability or loss will neither help him nor make him avoid calamity. If you fail to get what you love or want after doing what has to be done and seeking help from Allah then you should say: Allah decrees and what He wills He does. Meaning to say this is Allah’s decree and this is what He has willed and He is the Most Wise in what He gives and prohibits. No one can give what He withholds and no one can withhold what He gives. There is wisdom in everything He does and He has power to do everything He wants, Glory and Praise be to Him.
O Allah! We ask You for guidance, piety, chastity and self-sufficiency. O Allah! Grant us guidance and protect us from the evil of ourselves. O Allah! Fill our hearts with Your love, makes us glorify You and have trust in You. O Allah! Help us do what is of benefit to us and make us do what pleases You in the affairs of this world and the hereafter. O Allah! Keep us safe in our lands and reform our leaders and give us rulers who fear You and follow what pleases You.
This I have said and I ask Allah Almighty to show us mercy and kindness and to resurrect us among the group of His worshippers and friends. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, his family and all his companions.
احرص على ما ينفعك