Glory of the Believer

https://www.khutbah.info/glory-of-the-believer All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, the ally of the believers and their supporter and the adversary of those denying Him. He decrees honor upon His allies, and humiliation upon His adversaries, and He is the Almighty, the Wise. Everything exists by Him, and everything is subservient to Him, and everything returns to Him, and every strength other than His is weak, and every living thing other than Him is dead, and all self-sufficient other than Him are needy. Allah the Exalted said: Surah Taha (20) 6: To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and whatever is between them and whatever is under the soil. Be conscious of Allah the Exalted and obey Him, and submit to His command, and adhere to His ordainments, and beware of defying any of it, and fear the shifting of the hearts, and distance yourselves from the characteristics of the hypocrites. For no one is safe from hypocrisy except those who fear it for themselves. Allah 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:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, the ally of the believers and their supporter and the adversary of those denying Him. He decrees honor upon His allies, and humiliation upon His adversaries, and He is the Almighty, the Wise. Everything exists by Him, and everything is subservient to Him, and everything returns to Him, and every strength other than His is weak, and every living thing other than Him is dead, and all self-sufficient other than Him are needy. Allah the Exalted said:

لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَى-طه 6  

Surah Taha (20) 6: To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and whatever is between them and whatever is under the soil. 

Be conscious of Allah the Exalted and obey Him, and submit to His command, and adhere to His ordainments, and beware of defying any of it, and fear the shifting of the hearts, and distance yourselves from the characteristics of the hypocrites. For no one is safe from hypocrisy except those who fear it for themselves. Allah Almighty said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لله وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ المَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ-الأنفال 24 

Surah Al-Anfal (8) 24: O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.

Everyone loves honor and dignity and hates humiliation, and people seek honor and dignity. Hence, to be honored, they strive for status, and to attain dignity, they toil in amassing wealth. This is true for the believer and disbeliever, the righteous and the wicked, but the believer is strong in faith, honored in religion, humbled before Allah the Exalted, and thus Allah, the Exalted, honors them. They do not humble themselves to other than Allah, nor do they fear other than Allah.

Pride is either praiseworthy or blameworthy. Praiseworthy pride is that a person takes pride in their Lord and in their religion, and is gentle and humble with the believers and strong and firm towards the adversaries of Allah. And part of the praiseworthy pride and dignity is to rise above the petty matters and trivial issues.

Allah the Exalted says:             

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَنْ يَرْتَدَّ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ -المائدة  54 

Surah Al-Ma’idah (5) 54: O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion – Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the grace of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. 

And blameworthy pride is being distant from the Bestower, boasting about lineage, clinging to this worldly life, being arrogant, and rejecting advice and guidance.

Allah the Exalted says:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا فِي قَلْبِهِ وَهُوَ أَلَدُّ الْخِصَامِ * وَإِذَا تَوَلَّى سَعَى فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ الْحَرْثَ وَالنَّسْلَ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفَسَادَ * وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ أَخَذَتْهُ الْعِزَّةُ بِالْإِثْمِ فَحَسْبُهُ جَهَنَّمُ وَلَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ -البقرة  204 – 206 

Surah Al-Baqarah (2) 204-206: (204) And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents. (205) And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption. (206) And when it is said to him, ‘Be conscious of Allah,’ pride in the sin takes hold of him. Sufficient for him is Hellfire, and how wretched is the resting place.

Pride in truth is striving, and pride in falsehood is hypocrisy. Pride and dignity in truth means its possessor is honored even if they are physically weak or oppressed; they do not humble themselves before creation, nor do they compromise any part of their religion. They are honored with the honor of Allah the Exalted. For they are honored by their servitude to Him, affiliation with His religion, pride in Islam, and implementing His Sharia, even if mockers mock them, and hypocrites ridicule them. This is pride and dignity in truth; for it is pride in the One who possesses all honor.  Allah the Exalted is characterized by perfect honor, without any deficiency, and no one is more honored than Him, Exalted be He. Indeed there is no honor for anyone except through Him, the Exalted and Glorious.

Allah the Exalted says:

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ العِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ-الصَّفات     180

Surah As-Saffat (37) 180: Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.

And Allah the Exalted says:

مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ العِزَّةَ فَللهِ العِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا-فاطر 10 

Surah Fatir (35) 10: Whoever desires honor [through power] – to Allah belongs all honor. 

Honor belongs to Allah, and He is its Lord. Thus, its path is cut off except through His way. It should be sought only from Him. And the greatest way to attain it is faith in Allah the Exalted and as much as a person realizes faith, they attain a share of honor. Allah the Exalted said:

وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ-المنافقون8   

Surah Al-Munafiqun (63) 8: And to Allah belongs [all] honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know. 

Thus, honor should only be sought and hoped for from Allah the Exalted alone. For He, Glorified be He, is the Lord of honor. Allah the Exalted says:

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ-آل عمران 26 

Surah Al-Imran (3) 26: Say, “O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.

Meaning that You honor whom You will through obedience to You and You humiliate whom You will through disobedience to You.

Through faith, one attains the guardianship of Allah by which one who holds on to it is not humbled, and one who abandons it is not honored, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 

إِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، وَلَا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ.

Indeed, he who You are a guardian of is not humbled, and he who You oppose is not honored.

And from the most manifest realties of Iman (faith) bearing honor are obeying and responding to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.  For the Prophet ﷺ said:

وجُعِلَ الذِّلَّةُ وَالصَّغَارُ عَلَى مَنْ خَالَفَ أَمْرِي

Humiliation and disgrace are imposed upon whoever disobeys my command.

Sufyan al-Thawri said that it was said, whoever wants honor without a large family, and awe without authority, let him exit from the humiliation of disobeying Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, to the honor of obeying Him. 

And how can one who magnifies Allah in all their affairs be humiliated by others!

Among the characteristics of the people having this honor is that they are as Allah the Exalted described:

أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى المُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الكَافِرِينَ-المائدة 54  

Surah Al-Ma’idah (5) 54: Humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers

They do not yield in the truth, nor do they excessively flatter, nor do they submit to the enemy, and they do not compromise anything from their religion, no matter how much they are tempted or threatened. Allah the Exalted describing them saying:

فَمَا وَهَنُوا لِمَا أَصَابَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ الله وَمَا ضَعُفُوا وَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا-آل عمران 146  

Surah Al-Imran (3) 146: So they did not weaken or submit due to what afflicted them in the path of Allah, nor did they weaken or give in

And Abu Salamah bin Abd al-Rahman said, the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were not overly strict or overly relaxed. They would recite poetry in their gatherings and recall matters of their pre-Islamic period, but when one of them was challenged regarding something of his religion, his eyes would spin fiercely, as if in a frenzy.  Meaning out of devotion for Allah the Exalted, support for His religion, and pride in the truth.

And believers should not despair at what they see of the disbelievers’ and hypocrites’ perceived glory, strength, and dominance; because believers are honored by Allah the Exalted, and He is, Glorified be He, above them. For the days alternate and the outcome is for the Allah conscious:

وَلَا يَحْزُنْكَ قَوْلُهُمْ إِنَّ العِزَّةَ لله جَمِيعًا-يونس65 

Surah Yunus (10) 65: And do not be grieved by their words. Indeed, all dignity belongs to Allah

Indeed, believers are honored even if they are in the most difficult of situations, few in numbers, oppressed and with little means. However, the people of disbelief and hypocrisy are deluded by their strength, impressed by their numbers, and take pride in them. Among the old sayings of the Arabs that reflect this is, and indeed, honor belongs to the numerous, and their saying, we will not be overcome due to fewness. Thus, their admiration for their strength or numbers became a motive for them to reject the truth and be arrogant. The weak among them drew pride from the strong, as the magicians took pride in Pharaoh, because he was stronger than them: 

وَقَالُوا بِعِزَّةِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّا لَنَحْنُ الغَالِبُونَ-الشعراء 44 

Surah Ash-Shu’ara (26) 44: And they said by the might of Pharaoh, Indeed, we are to be the victors

As for the hypocrites, they seek glory from the disbelievers, humble themselves before them, rush towards them, adopt their ways, and follow them in their misguidance; seeking honor from them. Allah the Exalted said:

بَشِّرِ المُنَافِقِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا * الَّذِينَ يَتَّخِذُونَ الكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ المُؤْمِنِينَ أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِنْدَهُمُ العِزَّةَ فَإِنَّ العِزَّةَ لله جَمِيعًا-النساء 138-139

Surah An-Nisa (4)138-139: (138) Give tidings to the hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment – (139) Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honor [through power]? But indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely.

Allah Almighty has decreed humiliation and punishment for whoever seeks dignity from other than him the Exalted. Allah the Exalted says:

كَلَّا سَنَكْتُبُ مَا يَقُولُ وَنَمُدُّ لَهُ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ مَدًّا * وَنَرِثُهُ مَا يَقُولُ وَيَأْتِينَا فَرْدًا * وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً لِيَكُونُوا لَهُمْ عِزًّا * كَلَّا سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدًّا -مريم  79 – 82

Surah Maryam (19) 79-82: (79) No! We will record what he says and extend for him from the punishment extensively. (80) And We will inherit him [in] what he mentions, and he will come to Us alone. (81) And they have taken besides Allah [false] deities that they would be for them [a source of] honor. (82) No! They [those gods] will deny their worship of them and will be against them opponents.

Whoever seeks honor, dignity, happiness, and success from other than this religion will only attain deprivation and loss. The righteous Caliph, the Commander of the Believers, Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

We are a people whom Allah honored with Islam, and to the extent that we seek honor in other than what Allah has honored us with, Allah will humiliate us. 

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:

The most dangerous thing that can affect the Islamic Ummah is the spirit of psychological defeat and humiliation, which leads to helplessness, weakness, and decline. This is against what Allah wants for the Islamic Ummah and has chosen for it. Allah Almighty says:

وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ-المنافقون 8  

Surah Al-Munafiqun (63) 8: And to Allah belongs [all] honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers.

In this critical stage of its history, the Islamic Ummah needs to instill pride, dignity and honor in its children, embed it into their personalities, refine their thoughts and outlooks through it and motivate them towards strength, success and glory.

People who have strived within themselves and drawn close to their Lord and granted success by Allah to taste dignity and honor must strive to instill this honor and dignity in the hearts of other Muslims. And they must not accept to see other Muslims humbled to other than Allah the Exalted.

The Ummah today needs more than ever to adhere to the means of honor and dignity as groups and as individuals. Honor and dignity through obeying Allah, honor and dignity through acting in accordance to what Allah has ordained, honor and dignity through avoiding what Allah has forbidden, honor and dignity through acting in accordance to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and honor and dignity through the Book of Allah. Allah – the Exalted and Glorious – says:

  وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ-آل عمران 139   

Surah Al-Imran (3) 139: So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.

If we establish faith in our hearts, implement the law of Allah in our lives, we will be the people of honor and dignity, the example, and the role model.

O Allah, grant us through Your obedience honor and dignity, and through following the sunnah of the best of mankind ﷺ honor and dignity. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Responsive. 

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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