https://www.khutbah.info/circles-of-remembrance/ All praise is due to Allah. He pardons the slips of His servants and forgives their sins. And he is forbearing of the arrogant. And He appreciates the grateful. We thank Him for guiding and selecting us. And we thank Him for what He gave us and took care of us. There is nothing greater than Him. And there is no mention better than remembrance of Him the Exalted. For whoever busies himself with His remembrance, will have tranquility in his heart and relaxation in his chest. And he will be granted what he asked and he will find solace in his grave and he will be successful on the day of resurrection. The Prophet ﷺ used to praise Allah all in all his circumstances. And used to remember Him the exalted at all times. And encourage His ummah (nation) with regards to the circles of remembrance. He ﷺinformed that they are from the gardens of paradise.
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ , وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ , وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of our selves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ – آل عمران:102
Al Imran 102 : O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.
Oh people:
All praise is due to Allah. He pardons the slips of His servants and forgives their sins. And he is forbearing of the arrogant. And He appreciates the grateful. We thank Him for guiding and selecting us. And we thank Him for what He gave us and took care of us. There is nothing greater than Him. And there is no mention better than remembrance of Him the Exalted. For whoever busies himself with His remembrance, will have tranquility in his heart and relaxation in his chest. And he will be granted what he asked and he will find solace in his grave and he will be successful on the day of resurrection.
وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Al Juma’ (62) 10 – And remember Allah often that you may succeed.
The Prophet ﷺ used to praise Allah all in all his circumstances. And used to remember Him the exalted at all times. And encourage His ummah (nation) with regards to the circles of remembrance. He ﷺinformed that they are from the gardens of paradise.
Be conscious of Allah and obey Him. Persist in remembrance of Him, learn His religion and reflect on His signs. For the heart knows no joy except through Him.
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
Ar Ra’d (13) 28- Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.
Oh people:
Circles of knowledge, remembrance and Quran are gatherings that charge the hearts with Iman (faith). And the chests are relaxed through the remembrance of Allah. And the believers learn the religion and the ordinances. It is no wonder that there are many textual references indicating the virtue of the gatherings of knowledge, remembrance and studying the Quran.
Among the virtues of the circles of remembrance is success through attaining forgiveness, paradise, deliverance from the fire and the attendance of the Angels in these gatherings. And the Angels attend by the command of Allah the Exalted which indicates that the people attending gatherings of remembrance are taking a big step in the sight of Allah as illustrated in the Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with Him) who said:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: “إِنَّ لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى- مَلَائِكَةً سَيَّارَةً فُضُلًا يَتَتَبَّعُونَ مَجَالِسَ الذِّكْرِ فَإِذَا وَجَدُوا مَجْلِسًا فِيهِ ذِكْرٌ قَعَدُوا مَعَهُمْ وَحَفَّ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا بِأَجْنِحَتِهِمْ حَتَّى يَمْلَئُوا مَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَإِذَا تَفَرَّقُوا عَرَجُوا وَصَعِدُوا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ قَالَ: فَيَسْأَلُهُمُ اللَّهُ -عَزَّ وَجَلَّ- وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ: مِنْ أَيْنَ جِئْتُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ: جِئْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ عِبَادٍ لَكَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يُسَبِّحُونَكَ وَيُكَبِّرُونَكَ وَيُهَلِّلُونَكَ وَيَحْمَدُونَكَ وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ قَالَ: وَمَاذَا يَسْأَلُونِي قَالُوا: يَسْأَلُونَكَ جَنَّتَكَ قَالَ: وَهَلْ رَأَوْا جَنَّتِي قَالُوا: لَا أَيْ رَبِّ قَالَ: فَكَيْفَ لَوْ رَأَوْا جَنَّتِي قَالُوا: وَيَسْتَجِيرُونَكَ قَالَ: وَمِمَّ يَسْتَجِيرُونَنِي قَالُوا: مِنْ نَارِكَ يَا رَبِّ قَالَ: وَهَلْ رَأَوْا نَارِي قَالُوا: لَا قَالَ: فَكَيْفَ لَوْ رَأَوْا نَارِي قَالُوا: وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَكَ قَالَ: فَيَقُولُ: قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَهُمْ فَأَعْطَيْتُهُمْ مَا سَأَلُوا وَأَجَرْتُهُمْ مِمَّا اسْتَجَارُوا قَالَ: فَيَقُولُونَ: رَبِّ فِيهِمْ فُلَانٌ عَبْدٌ خَطَّاءٌ إِنَّمَا مَرَّ فَجَلَسَ مَعَهُمْ قَالَ: فَيَقُولُ: وَلَهُ غَفَرْتُ هُمُ الْقَوْمُ لَا يَشْقَى بِهِمْ جَلِيسُهُمْ“
The Prophet ﷺ said: Verily, Allah the Blessed and Exalted has caravans of angels who follow the gatherings of remembrance. When they find gatherings of remembrance, they sit with them and surround each other with their wings until the space between them and the heaven of this world is filled. When they disperse, they ascend and rise to the heaven and Allah the Exalted asks them –although he is best informed about them: From where have you come? They will say: We came from Your servants on earth who were glorifying You, exalting You, declaring Your and oneness, praising You and asking from You. Allah will say: What do they ask from Me? They will say: They ask You for Your Paradise. Allah will say: Have they seen My Paradise? They will say: No, our Lord. Allah will say: What if they were to see My Paradise? They will say: And they seek Your protection. Allah will say: From what do they seek My protection? They will say: Our Lord, from the Hellfire. Allah will say: Have they seen My Hellfire? They will say: No. Allah will say: What if they were to see My Hellfire? They will say: And they ask for Your forgiveness. Allah will say: I have forgiven them, gave them what they ask and grant them protection from which they sought protection. They will say: Our Lord, there is one among them, a sinning servant who happened to pass by and sit alongside them. Allah will say: And I have also forgiven him, they are a people that no one who sits with them will be miserable. [Bukhari 6408 Muslim 2689]
And from the virtues of the gatherings of remembrance is that Allah the Exalted boasts about them to the angels. As was related in the Hadith narrated by Abe Sa’eed from Muyawiyyah (may Allah be pleased with them both) who said:
إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- خَرَجَ عَلَى حَلْقَةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَ: مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ قَالُوا: جَلَسْنَا نَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَنَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى مَا هَدَانَا لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَمَنَّ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا قَالَ: آللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ إِلَّا ذَاكَ قَالُوا: وَاللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَنَا إِلَّا ذَاكَ قَالَ: أَمَا إِنِّي لَمْ أَسْتَحْلِفْكُمْ تُهْمَةً لَكُمْ وَلَكِنَّهُ أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ اللَّهَ -عَزَّ وَجَلَّ- يُبَاهِي بِكُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ
Indeed the Messenger of Allah came out upon an assembly of his Companions and said: ‘what has caused you to gather for this?’ They said: ‘We have gathered to remember Allah, and praise Him for guiding us to Islam and favoring us with it.’ So he said: ‘By Allah, nothing caused you to gather except for that?’ He said: ‘Indeed, I did not ask you out of suspicion, verily Jibreel came to me and informed me that Allah boasts of you to the angels.’ [Muslim 2701]
And from the gatherings of remembrance is that Allah the Exalted gives its people shelter. He accepts them and draws them nearer. As is in the Hadith narrated by Abi Wafed Al Laithy ( أَبِي وَاقِدٍ اللَّيْثِيّ) (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
بَيْنَمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَأَقْبَلَ ثَلَاثَةُ نَفَرٍ فَأَقْبَلَ اثْنَانِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- وَذَهَبَ وَاحِدٌ فَأَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا فَرَأَى فُرْجَةً فِي الْحَلْقَةِ فَجَلَسَ وَأَمَّا الْآخَرُ فَجَلَسَ خَلْفَهُمْ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- قَالَ: أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ عَنِ النَّفَرِ الثَّلَاثَةِ أَمَّا أَحَدُهُمْ: فَأَوَى إِلَى اللَّهِ فَآوَاهُ اللَّهُ وَأَمَّا الْآخَرُ فَاسْتَحْيَا فَاسْتَحْيَا اللَّهُ مِنْهُ وَأَمَّا الْآخَرُ فَأَعْرَضَ فَأَعْرَضَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting in the Masjid and the people were with him when three people came. Two of them came near the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and one went away. When the two stopped at the Messenger of Allah ﷺ they said the Salam. One of them saw an opening in the circle so he sat there. As for the other one, he sat behind them, and the other one went way in the rear. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had finished, he said: ‘Shall I inform you about the three people? As for one of them, he sought refuge in Allah so Allah gave him shelter. The other, he was shy so Allah was modest of him. As for the other one, he turned away, so Allah turned away from him.‘ [Bukhari 66 Muslim 2176]
And from the virtues of the gatherings of remembrance is that the sins of its members are replaced with good deeds. As was indicated in the Hadith narrated by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
مَا مِنْ قَوْمٍ اجْتَمَعُوا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ بِذَلِكَ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ إِلَّا نَادَاهُمْ مُنَادٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ: أَنْ قُومُوا مَغْفُورًا لَكُمْ قَدْ بُدِّلَتْ سَيِّئَاتُكُمْ حَسَنَاتٍ
There is not a people who gather to make remembrance of Allah, not seeking from it except His countenance (His pleasure), but that a caller from the sky calls them: You have been forgiven, I have replaced your sins with good deeds (Ahmad 12453)
And from the virtues of the gatherings of remembrance is what was indicated in the Hadith of Abu Dardaa (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لَيَبْعَثَنَّ اللَّهُ أَقْوَامًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِي وُجُوهِهِمُ النُّورُ عَلَى مَنَابِرِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ يَغْبِطُهُمُ النَّاسُ لَيْسُوا بِأَنْبِيَاءَ وَلَا شُهَدَاءَ قَالَ: فَجَثَا أَعْرَابِيٌّ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ حَلِّهِمْ لَنَا نَعْرِفْهُمْ. قَالَ: هُمُ الْمُتَحَابُّونَ فِي اللَّهِ مِنْ قَبَائِلَ شَتَّى وَبِلَادٍ شَتَّى يَجْتَمِعُونَ عَلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ يَذْكُرُونَهُ
“Allah will resurrect a group of people on the Day of Resurrection who will have light on their faces. They will be on pulpits of pearls. People will wish to be like them. They are not prophets or martyrs.” A Bedouin fell on his knees and said: ‘Oh Messenger of Allah ﷺdescribe them for us so that we may recognize them.’ He ﷺ said: “They are the ones who love one another for the sake of Allah, from different tribes, they gather for the sake of remembering Allah and they remember Him.” (at-Tabaarani 262/2, al-Munthiri classed it as Hassan (good) 335/2 and al-Haythamy 80/10)
And this description is found a lot in the gatherings of knowledge and Quran. What gathered them is learning knowledge and the Quran in spite of their different nationalities and countries of origin. They are there to learn Quran and knowledge which draws them closer to one another. They have mutual love for the sake of Allah. They have not come together like those who do so for worldly interests. If they are given they are content and if they are not given they become angry.
We ask Allah the Exalted to guide us to what benefits us and avert what harms us. And that we die in state of Iman and following the Sunnah. Indeed He is the All Hearing, Answering.
أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Khutbah
الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ
All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
Oh Muslims:
Be conscious of Allah and obey Him
وَاذْكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَاكُمْ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الضَّالِّينَ
Al Baqarah 198: And remember Him, as He has guided you, for indeed, you were before that among those astray.
The Prophetic Hadiths indicate that the gatherings of remembrance of Allah the Exalted are from the greatest ways of getting close to Allah and the most beneficial acts of obedience. From the different forms of this are short talks and reminders on topics including the blessing of guidance, heart softeners, the afterlife and the importance of self-restraint in this world. For this reason, if there happens to be a short talk after the prayer the believer should sit and listen to it for it is from the gatherings of remembrance as indicated in the Hadith narrated by Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him): “We have gathered to remember Allah, and praise Him for guiding us to Islam and favoring us with it”. Also, it was related from some groups of companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that they used to say to one another “let us sit to remember Allah” And Allah called the Friday Khutbah remembrance:
فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ
Al Juma (62) 9: then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade.
So it is important for the Believer to strive to attend gatherings of remembrance, knowledge and studying the Quran. And to adhere to the Prophetic guidance and the actions of the companions in this regard. And if the man gathers with his family he should remind them and advise them for that is from the gatherings of remembrance. Or if people have a social outing they should dedicate time for a circle of Quran, Hadith or a short reminder so that it is counted as a gathering of remembrance. And the believer’s life should be characterized by many gatherings of remembrance for in them is the life of the heart and they are the places of mercy and tranquility and witnessed by the angels. And the Lord the Exalted boasts about its members in the highest of all places.
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
Al Baqarah (2) 152: So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.
عِبَادَ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَجًا وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة
Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.