https://www.khutbah.info/friday-reminders/ An aspect of human nature is forgetfulness, as well as an inclination towards diversions and lusts and a tendency towards laziness and comfort. And it is from the balanced innate disposition to remember upon being reminded and to take heed upon being advised. For remembrance inspires the mind so that it does not become lethargic, and softens the heart so that it does not harden, and alerts the conscience so that it is not neglectful, and energizes the soul so one hastens towards deeds, and revives the noble character and striving in addressing shortcomings and promoting self-accountability, and extending hands in spending, and refraining from the prohibited, And if reminding is left, people forget about the religion and hearts will be veiled due to the effects of sin. Then no exhortation will be of use to this heart as it has darkened, hardened and deviated. And this is because reminding and admonishing the heart was abandoned. Allāh Almighty said:
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:
An aspect of human nature is forgetfulness, as well as an inclination towards diversions and desires and a tendency towards laziness and comfort. And it is from the balanced innate disposition to remember upon being reminded and to take heed upon being advised. For remembrance inspires the mind so that it does not become lethargic, and softens the heart so that it does not harden, and alerts the conscience so that it is not neglectful, and energizes the soul so one hastens towards deeds, and revives the noble character and motivates striving towards address shortcomings and self-accountability, and extending hands in spending, and refraining from the prohibited, And if reminding is left, people forget about the religion and hearts will be veiled due to the effects of sin. Then no exhortation will be of use to this heart as it has darkened, hardened and deviated. And this is because reminding and admonishing the heart was abandoned. Allāh Almighty said:
فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا أَخَذْنَاهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْلِسُونَ-الأنعام 44
Al Anam (6) 44: So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.
Reminding and admonishing are the sustenance of the hearts. And if the hearts are deprived of it their lifelines perish. And believers realize their need for reminding as they are the benefactor. For whoever hates reminders or does not benefit from them should check their īmān (faith) because Allāh Almighty said:
وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنْفَعُ المُؤْمِنِينَ-الذاريات 55
Ad Dhariyat (51) 55: And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.
So there is no reminder but a believer benefits from it. And their benefiting is according to their adherence to religion and the righteousness of their hearts and their readiness to accept what they receive of exhortation and reminders.
Whoever looks at the day of Friday and what it contains of rites, knows that Allāh Almighty has made it a day of reminding for Muslims. For seven days do not pass in which people are absorbed in work and diversions and inattention and being occupied with family and increasing from this worldly life except that the day of Friday arrives. A day of reminding to wake up the hearts and purify the souls and to remove the stains of heedlessness and to remove the worldly troubles. So that the hearts turn to Allāh Almighty once more and the bodies are active in performing righteous deeds.
Friday is a day of reminder because of what it contains of virtues, and what was designated within it of rites. And if we knew the details of that we would be amazed from this day of remembrance. And we would know Allāh Almighty’s favor upon us through it and what He ordained within it. And let us consider some of them. For due to its virtue, Friday was singled out for reciting certain Surahs in some of its prayers. And whoever carefully looks at these surahs, finds that they urge their reciter and listener towards remembrance and warns from turning away from them. For in the Friday Fajr prayer it is recommended to recite Surah Sajdah and Surah Insan. And they are two Surahs that summarize the beginning and the return. By reminding about the creation of mankind and their deeds in the worldly life and their fate in the hereafter. For it is necessary that a person always remembers these facts so as not to be stricken with the disease of inattentiveness and forgetfulness, and being absorbed in this world and forgetting the hereafter.
And more amazing than that is that reminding is specified in both surahs. For in the beginning of Surah As-Sajdah:
اللهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ-السجدة 4
As-Sajdah (32) 4: It is Allāh who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days; then He established Himself above the Throne. You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded?
And in the middle of the surah a reminder of those who take heed and those who do not take heed so that one can choose in which group to be. Allāh Almighty said:
فَذُوقُوا بِمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا إِنَّا نَسِينَاكُمْ وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الخُلْدِ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ * إِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهَا خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَسَبَّحُوا بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ-السجدة 14-15
As-Sajdah (32) 14-15: (14) So taste [punishment] because you forgot the meeting of this, your Day; indeed, We have [accordingly] forgotten you. And taste the punishment of eternity for what you used to do.” (15) Only those believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded by them, fall down in prostration and exalt [Allāh] with praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant.
And at the conclusion of the surah, there is a severe warning to those turning away from the admonishments and reminders:
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا إِنَّا مِنَ المُجْرِمِينَ مُنْتَقِمُونَ-السجدة 22
As-Sajdah (32) 22: And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord; then he turns away from them? Indeed We, from the criminals, will take retribution.
This reminder is repeated multiple times in the first raka’ (unit of prayer) of the Fajr prayer of Friday.
As for the second raka’ (unit of prayer), the first verse one hears after the recitation of Al Fatihah is:
هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنْسَانِ حِينٌ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئًا مَذْكُورًا-الإنسان 1
Al Insan (76) 1: Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?
This human who was not mentioned before they were created, and became mentioned after their creation and has a name by which they are known, must remember their Lord Almighty and never ever forget Him. And must remember what is due to Him the Most Exalted.
And Surah Insan is concluded with a reminder when Allāh Almighty clarified the fate of mankind and some of their deeds. For there are people for Paradise and people for the Fire. And He the Almighty concludes His words with:
إِنَّ هَذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلًا-الإنسان 29
Al Insan (76) 29: Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.
Yes, it is a reminder. And its reminder is recited to the people every Friday.
And reciting Surah Al Kahf was prescribed on the day of Friday. And it has four narratives that remind about the obligation of īmān (faith) and warning against shirk (associating others with Allāh), and the importance of knowledge and cautioning against ignorance, and to not be deluded by prestige and wealth. For the corrupters of humans are shirk (associating others with Allāh) and superstition, and being deluded by prestige and wealth. Ignorance is the gate to shirk (associating others with Allāh) and superstition and being overcome by lusts is the gateway to being deluded by prestige and wealth.
And in Surah Al Kahf is warning against heedlessness because it is the opposite of remembrance which is the aim of reminding.
وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا-الكهف 28
Al Kahf (18) 28: And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.
And what is amazing is what was mentioned in Surah As-Sajdah of warning against heedlessness was repeated in Surah Al Kahf in another manner. And warning those turning away from the reminder, in this manner, is only found in these two surahs that were singled out for Friday. Allāh Almighty said:
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا وَنَسِيَ مَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاهُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِنْ تَدْعُهُمْ إِلَى الهُدَى فَلَنْ يَهْتَدُوا إِذًا أَبَدًا-الكهف 57
Al Kahf (18) 57: And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance – they will never be guided, then – ever.
And from the sunnahs of Friday prayer is reciting Surah Al Juma’ and Surah Al Munafiqoon in it or Surah Al A’la and Surah Al Ghashiyah. And reminding is what these four surahs have in common. For in the last part of Surah Al Jumu’ah:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ وَذَرُوا البَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ-الجمعة 9
Al Jumu’ah (62) 9: O you who have believed, when [the adhān] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuʿah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allāh and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.
And remembrance of Allāh, which we were commanded to proceed to is the Friday Khutbah which is a reminder and its prayer. And for this reason Allāh Almighty said “then proceed to the remembrance of Allāh”. And Allāh did not say to proceed to the Friday Prayer such that the Khutbah is included in the remembrance of Allāh Almighty. Because it is reminding of Him Almighty and His rights.
And Surah Al Munafiqoon was concluded with a verse prohibiting being heedless of remembrance and reminding. Allāh Almighty said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الخَاسِرُونَ-المنافقون 9
Al Munafiqoon (63) 9: O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allāh. And whoever does that – then those are the losers.
As for the other two surahs, Al A’la and Al Ghashiyah, they contain the command to remind and explanation of the deeds and condition of those who are reminded. In Surah Al A’la:
فَذَكِّرْ إِنْ نَفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَى * سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَنْ يَخْشَى * وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الْأَشْقَى * الَّذِي يَصْلَى النَّارَ الْكُبْرَى * ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَى-الأعلى 9-13
Al A’la (87) 9-13: (9) So remind, if the reminder should benefit; (10) He who fears [Allāh] will be reminded. (11) But the wretched one will avoid it (12) [He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire, (13) Neither dying therein nor living.
And in Surah Al Ghashiyah:
فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ * لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِمُصَيْطِرٍ * إِلَّا مَنْ تَوَلَّى وَكَفَرَ * فَيُعَذِّبُهُ اللهُ الْعَذَابَ الْأَكْبَرَ-الغاشية 21-24
Al Ghashiyah (88) 21-24: (21) So remind, [O Muḥammad]; you are only a reminder. (22) You are not over them a controller. (23) However, he who turns away and disbelieves (24) Then Allāh will punish him with the greatest punishment.
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:
And from the wonders of this day of remembrance is that Allāh Almighty prepared the people to benefit from the reminders within it through the conditions of the Friday Prayer and its obligatory and recommended actions. For the traveler does not establish Friday Prayer because being settled is one of its condition. And the traveler is not prepared for listening to the reminder due to being occupied by their travels and due to their fatigue.
And major ablution was prescribed on Friday and it is a confirmed sunnah and it has been said that it is mandatory. And the major ablution activates a person for listening. And through bathing, people are not harmed by offensive odors that interfere with listening to the reminder.
And from the recommended actions of Friday Prayer is adorning with the best and cleanest garments, because odor can come from the garments.
And perfume is from the sunnahs of Friday Prayer, and it brings joy to people and prepares them to listen. And since remembrance is from the best speech, preparing to listen to it with perfume is one of the best actions.
And from the sunnahs of Friday Prayer is going to it early. And it is preparation for listening by distancing from the affairs of this worldly life long enough to help in reflecting upon what one hears of reminders.
And from the prohibitions of Friday Prayer is being distracted from the Khutbah by talking to others or playing with pebbles or drawing lines in the ground or things with similar meanings. To the point that during the Friday Khutbah one is not to return the salaam (greeting) or respond to a person who sneezed, to focus the hearing entirely on the reminder and transfer it to the heart to understand and benefit from it. Allāh Almighty said:
ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى القُلُوبِ–الحج 32
Al Hajj (22) 32: That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols [i.e., rites] of Allāh – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.
We ask Allāh Almighty to soften our hearts for the reminders and make us among those who understand and benefit from the reminders, and to make us among His righteous servants. Indeed Allāh is All Hearing, Answering.
هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى نَبِيِّكُم كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِذلِكَ رَبُّكُمْ , فَقَالَ
I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
Al Ahzaab (33) 56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لنا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لَنا خَيْرًا
O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good
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.
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