Tag: khutbah

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Turning to God – A Khutbah by Imam Marc

God Tested the Believers through the Expedition to Tabuk

لَقَد تابَ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالمُهاجِرينَ وَالأَنصارِ الَّذينَ اتَّبَعوهُ في ساعَةِ العُسرَةِ مِن بَعدِ ما كادَ يَزيغُ قُلوبُ فَريقٍ مِنهُم ثُمَّ تابَ عَلَيهِم ۚ إِنَّهُ بِهِم رَءوفٌ رَحيمٌ

وَعَلَى الثَّلاثَةِ الَّذينَ خُلِّفوا حَتّىٰ إِذا ضاقَت عَلَيهِمُ الأَرضُ بِما رَحُبَت وَضاقَت عَلَيهِم أَنفُسُهُم وَظَنّوا أَن لا مَلجَأَ مِنَ اللَّهِ إِلّا إِلَيهِ ثُمَّ تابَ عَلَيهِم لِيَتوبوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ التَّوّابُ الرَّحيمُ

“Allah has turned towards the Prophet, and the Muhajirun and the Ansar, those who followed him at the ‘time of difficulty’, after the hearts of a group of them had almost deviated. Then He turned towards them – He is All-Gentle, Most Merciful to them – and also towards the three who were left behind (Ka’b ibn Malik, Hilal ibn Umayyah, Murarah ibn al-Rabi’) so that when the earth became narrow for them, for all its great breadth, and their own selves became constricted for them and they realised that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him, He turned to them so that they might turn to Him. Allah is the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful.” — Qur’an 9: 117-118

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Guarding Against Hypocrisy

خصلتانِ لا تجتمعانِ في منافقٍ حُسنُ سمتٍ ولا فقْهٌ في الدِّينِ

خُصْلَة وخَصْلَة

“There are two traits which will not be found in a hypocrite: a good disposition and comprehension of the Religion (i.e., Islam).” — Abu Hurayrah, recorded in Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, #2684

السَّمْتُ: حُسْنُ النَّحْو في مَذْهَبِ الدِّينِ

“Samt: sound manner in religious affairs.” — Ibn Mandhur, Lisan al-’Arab

كان يَدْعُو يقولُ اللهمَّ إنِّي أعوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشِّقَاقِ والنِّفَاقِ وسُوءِ الأَخْلاَقِ

“The Prophet ﷺ used to supplicate: ‘O’ Allah, I seek protection with you from divisiveness, hypocrisy, and evil countenance’.” — Abu Hurayrah, recorded in Sunan Abu Dawud, #1546

These three things have laid waste to the Ummah of Muhammad in modern times: divisiveness, hypocrisy, and evil countenance.

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What Is Our Place in Society? – A Khutbah by Imam Marc Manley

Who are the believers? I sometimes wonder if we know more about disbelief than we do belief.

We claim to know what’s wrong with society, but do we know what’s right with it? What does a good society look like? What part or role do we play in that?

If the society is to be good, if the world is to be made a better place, than what is our place in that society? In that world?

Who are you?

انْصُرْ أَخَاكَ ظَالِمًا أَوْ مَظْلُومًا ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنْصُرُهُ إِذَا كَانَ مَظْلُومًا، أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِذَا كَانَ ظَالِمًا كَيْفَ أَنْصُرُهُ قَالَ ‏”‏ تَحْجُزُهُ أَوْ تَمْنَعُهُ مِنَ الظُّلْمِ، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ نَصْرُهُ

“Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or an oppressed,” A man said, “O Allah’s Messenger ﷺ I will help him if he is oppressed, but if he is an oppressor, how shall I help him?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “By preventing him from oppressing others. That is how to help him.” Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith #6952

The hypocrite is weak in faith: but why? Is it because he constantly needs reassurance? Is it because the signs in the Heavens and the earth are not sufficient to motivate him? Is it because he procrastinates because he feels the Hour will never come?

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا لا تُلهِكُم أَموالُكُم وَلا أَولادُكُم عَن ذِكرِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفعَل ذٰلِكَ فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الخاسِرونَ

وَأَنفِقوا مِن ما رَزَقناكُم مِن قَبلِ أَن يَأتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ المَوتُ فَيَقولَ رَبِّ لَولا أَخَّرتَني إِلىٰ أَجَلٍ قَريبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِنَ الصّالِحينَ

وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ اللَّهُ نَفسًا إِذا جاءَ أَجَلُها ۚ وَاللَّهُ خَبيرٌ بِما تَعمَلونَ

“All you who believe! Don’t let your money or your children distract you from remembering God, for anyone who allows that to happen will be losers in the end. Spend something in charity out of what We’ve supplied to you before death should come upon one of you, and he cries out, ‘My Lord! Why didn’t you give me a little more time? I would’ve given much more in charity, and I would’ve been with the righteous!’ However, no soul will receive from God any more time when its deadline has come, and God is well-informed of what you’re doing.” Qur’an, 63: 9-11

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The State of Our Minds – A Khutbah By Imam Marc Manley

أَوَلَمّا أَصابَتكُم مُصيبَةٌ قَد أَصَبتُم مِثلَيها قُلتُم أَنّىٰ هٰذا ۖ قُل هُوَ مِن عِندِ أَنفُسِكُم ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَديرٌ

“Why is it that when a calamity happens to you, when you have already inflicted twice as much, you say, ‘How could this possibly happen?’ Say, ‘It has come from your own selves.’ Allah has power over all things.” Qur’an, 3: 165

ودخلت ألف التوبيخ على واو العطف

“The alif is indicative of a reprimand.” Ibn Juzayy

قَدْ أَصَبْتُمْ مِّثْلَيْهَا قتل يوم أحد من المسلمين سبعون

As if bad things have never happened to you before. It’s as if

  1. Good/reward come from Allah (because we somehow deserve it or are entitled to it) but…
  2. Evil/punishment comes from some random, unknowable place because we’re entitled to only being happy or undeserving of adversity or even punishment.

وَما أَصابَكُم يَومَ التَقَى الجَمعانِ فَبِإِذنِ اللَّهِ وَلِيَعلَمَ المُؤمِنينَ

“What assailed you on the day the two armies met was by Allah’s permission, so that He would know the Believers.” Qur’an, 3: 166

What is the meaning behind challenge, adversity?

أَم حَسِبتُم أَن تَدخُلُوا الجَنَّةَ وَلَمّا يَأتِكُم مَثَلُ الَّذينَ خَلَوا مِن قَبلِكُم ۖ مَسَّتهُمُ البَأساءُ وَالضَّرّاءُ وَزُلزِلوا حَتّىٰ يَقولَ الرَّسولُ وَالَّذينَ آمَنوا مَعَهُ مَتىٰ نَصرُ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلا إِنَّ نَصرَ اللَّهِ قَريبٌ

“Or did you suppose that you would enter the Garden without facing the same as those who came before you? Poverty and illness afflicted them and they were shaken to the point that the Messenger and those who had iman with him said, ‘When is Allah’s help coming?’ Be assured that Allah’s help is very near.” Qur’an, 2: 214

كُتِبَ عَلَيكُمُ القِتالُ وَهُوَ كُرهٌ لَكُم ۖ وَعَسىٰ أَن تَكرَهوا شَيئًا وَهُوَ خَيرٌ لَكُم ۖ وَعَسىٰ أَن تُحِبّوا شَيئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُم ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعلَمُ وَأَنتُم لا تَعلَمونَ

“Fighting is prescribed for you even if it is hateful to you. It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.” Qur’an, 2: 216

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Who Are You – A Khutbah By Imam Marc Manley

Who are you?

Allah addresses many types of people in the Qur’an: believers, non-believers, humanity, hypocrites, etc.

وَمِنَ النّاسِ مَن يَعبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ حَرفٍ ۖ فَإِن أَصابَهُ خَيرٌ اطمَأَنَّ بِهِ ۖ وَإِن أَصابَتهُ فِتنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلىٰ وَجهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنيا وَالآخِرَةَ ۚ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الخُسرانُ المُبينُ

“Among the people there is one who worships God right on the edge. If good befalls him, he is content with it, but if a trial befalls him, he becomes turned upside down, losing both this world and the Next World. That is a total loss.” Qur’an 22: 11

So ask yourself, which category do you fall in? They verse may or may not speak to you directly depending on how you see yourself.

It may apply to you directly, requiring you to change something about yourself, or it may be indirect, meaning it’s something you want to avoid (a warning).

Who do you want to be? In which group do you wish to be included in? Who is you Aspirational Self?

If you have aspirations to be amongst the righteous, do not sabotage yourself by belittling yourself.

لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُؤْمِنِ أَنْ يُذِلَّ نَفْسَهُ ‏قَالُوا وَكَيْفَ يُذِلُّ نَفْسَهُ قَالَ ‏‏ يَتَعَرَّضُ مِنَ الْبَلاَءِ لِمَا لاَ يُطِيقُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ

“It is not permissible for the believer to belittle himself.” The Companions said, “How does one humiliate himself?” He responded ﷺ “By taking on a trial which he can not bear.” Narrated by Hudhayfah via Jami’ al-Tirmidhi.

So be realistic and understand that faith takes work, discipline and maintenance:

إِنَّ الْإِيمَانَ لَيَخْلَقُ فِي جَوْفِ أَحَدِكُمْ كَمَا يَخْلَقُ الثَّوْبُ فَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يُجَدِّدَ الْإِيمَانَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ

“Faith (iman) has been created in the middle of each of you just as a garment is created, therefore ask God the Exalted to renew your faith in your hearts.” Jami’ al-Sahih, al-Albani.