The following audio is the Eid al-Fitr khutbah delivered by Imam Marc Manley on the 1st of Shawwal, 1438 (June 25th, 2017).

Allah asks us an enduring question:

فَأَينَ تَذهَبونَ

“Where are you going?” — Qur’an, 81: 26

As we say, “life is a journey”. Where is that journey headed to? There are many landmarks we’ll pass but where are we ultimately ending up at?

Having completed a month of fasting, we know what we’re capable of and we know where we’ve been. We’ve been through a trial and stayed the course but where do we go from here?

At times in our lives we attain great things and after those moments we sometimes lose confidence as to where the next hill, the next challenge, is.

The beautiful part of this chapter is it’s telling us things are literally “winding up”, or down, depending on how you look at it. The sun is going to collapse. The stars are going to become dull. We know these things now (the universe is expanding farther and farther apart): what was once familiar will now become distant and unfamiliar.

Everything points towards Allah and that Meeting with Him.

Stick together. We may lose sight of the sun and the stars, the world may become a strange and unfamiliar place, but we can become the signposts and rest stops along the way. We, not only through unity, but in unifying God, can point the way to one another when we feel lost or tired. We can also serve that function for others. In fact, we’ve already done it in the blessed month that just passed. Let us strive to keep its spirit alive in our hearts, homes, carrying that light as a beacon of light in dark times. Keep the faith and never fear the dark for “God is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth”.

اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذينَ آمَنو

ا يُخرِجُهُم مِنَ الظُّلُماتِ إِلَى النّورِ

“God is the protector of those who have faith taking them out of darkness to light.” — Qur’an, 2: 257

اللَّهُ نورُ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ

“God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” — Qur’an, 24: 35

This chapter was revealed after the defeated at Uhud and so Abu Sufyan tried to break the Muslim resolve by sending a man to spread rumors in Medina about how fearsome the Quraysh army would be, hoping to prevent the Muslims from accepting his challenge!

إِنَّما ذٰلِكُمُ الشَّيطانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَولِياءَهُ فَلا تَخافوهُم وَخافونِ إِن كُنتُم مُؤمِنينَ

“It’s only Satan who instills the fear of his minions in you, so don’t fear them.  Rather, fear Me if you (really) do believe.” — Qur’an, 3: 175

If we have faith and courage, God will light the way for us.