Reflections on Dhul Hijjah

https://www.khutbah.info/reflections-on-dhul-hijjah Be conscious of Allah and obey Him. The ten days of Dhul Hijjah and what they contained of worships, such as Hajj, udhiyah remembrance and fasting, was a school that taught us how to adhere to the commands of Allah. So it must be a lesson for us going forward in accounting ourselves in every command and prohibition of Allah so that we attain consciousness of Allah.  Starting with Hajj, we note the limited number of pilgrims performing Hajj this year due to the pandemic. Millions yearned to perform Hajj but were unable to do so. But whoever sincerely intends to perform a deed and is prevented will be rewarded wholly by Allah. Also, Allah selects from His servants whom He wills. And that the bounty is in the Hands of Allah and He bestows it upon whom He wills and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.

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:

Be conscious of Allah and obey Him. The ten days of Dhul Hijjah and what they contained of worships, such as Hajj, udhiyah remembrance and fasting, was a school that taught us how to adhere to the commands of Allah. So it must be a lesson for us going forward in accounting ourselves in every command and prohibition of Allah so that we attain consciousness of Allah.  

Starting with Hajj, we note the limited number of pilgrims performing Hajj this year due to the pandemic. Millions yearned to perform Hajj but were unable to do so. But whoever sincerely intends to perform a deed and is prevented will be rewarded wholly by Allah. Also, Allah selects from His servants whom He wills. And that the bounty is in the Hands of Allah and He bestows it upon whom He wills and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.

At the same time, whoever performed Hajj this year should be cautious of self-admiration and pride. For Allah Almighty is knowledgeable of the pious. 

Even though the number of pilgrims was limited there was so much diversity within them…in their nationalities, in spoken language etc…We realize that it is only the religion of Allah that united them. For the pilgrims are like one body. Wearing the same clothing. They were united in the talbiyah exchanging it for any patriotic chant. Without pride in lineage or status. There is one gauge as Allah said: 

 إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ-الحجرات:13

Al Hujarat 13: Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.

And as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

إنَّ ربَّكم وَاحِدٌ, وإنَّ أَبَاكُم وَاحِدٌ, وَدِينَكُمْ وَاحِدٌ, وَنَبِيَّكُم وَاحِدٌ, ولا فَضْلَ لِعَرَبِيٍّ على عَجَمِيٍّ ولا عَجَمِيٍّ على عَرَبِيٍّ, ولا أَحْمَرَ على أَسْوَدَ وَلا أَسْوَدَ على أَحْمَرَ إلَّا بالتَّقوى”.

Indeed your Lord is One, and indeed your father is one, and your religion is one and your prophet is one. And there is no virtue of an Arab over a non-Arab.  And not for a non-Arab over an Arab. And not for red complexion over black complexion and not for black complexion over red complexion except through taqwa (consciousness of Allah). 

Next, let us consider the udhiyah. The udyihiyah taught us the meaning of sacrifice and submission to Allah. It taught us the importance of spending of what we love for Allah Almighty. For Allah is Good and accepts only that which is good. And you will not attain piety until you spend of what you love. The udhiyah taught us that every act of worship is performed only for the sake of Allah. 

فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وانْحَرْ-الكوثر:2

Al Kawthar (108) 2: So pray to your Lord and offer sacrifice [to Him alone].

The ten days of Dhul Hijjah taught us to follow a righteous deed with another righteous deed. Shaikh As Saadi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: And this is what a servant should do. Any time he completes an act of worship, he should seek forgiveness from Allah for shortcomings. And thank Him for the success. Not like the one who thinks that they have perfected the act of worship. And that he did a favor to Allah. And that it gave him a high station. For this is truly an abhorrent and repulsive action. 

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:

In the blessed ten days, we adhered to making remembrance of Allah, so we must continue making remembrance. The Prophet ﷺ said:

فَمَثَلُ الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ وَالَّذِي لاَ يَذْكُرُ ربَّهُ مَثَلُ الْحَيِّ وَالْمَيِّتِ

The similitude of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like that of the living and the dead.

And our Lord described the believers as:

الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ-آل عمران:191

Al Imran (3) 191: Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

Remembrance of Allah is a wide sphere. For the Muslim wakes up and sleeps and comes and goes while he is making remembrance of Allah Almighty.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said in describing the virtue of remembrance of Allah:

أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ أَعْمَالِكُمْ وَأَزْكَاهَا عِنْدَ مَلِيكِكُمْ وَأَرْفَعِهَا فِي دَرَجَاتِكُمْ, وَخَيْرٍ لَكُمْ مِنْ تَعَاطِي الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ, وَمِنْ أَنْ تَلْقَوْا عَدُوَّكُمْ غَدًا فَتَضْرِبُوا أَعْنَاقَهُمْ, وَيَضْرِبُوا أَعْنَاقَكُمْ,” قَالُوا: بَلَى. يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ. قَالَ: “ذِكْرُ اللهِ.

Should I not inform you of the best of your deeds, and the purest of them with your Master, and the highest of them in your ranks, and what is better for you than spending gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks, and they strike your necks?” They said: “Of course.” He said, “The remembrance of Allah [Most High].”

In the blessed ten days, we drew nearer to Allah through different types of good deeds. Through remembrance of Allah, by fasting on the day of Arafah and by sacrificing udhiyah. So what is our expectation of Allah? We should have good expectations that Allah will not turn us away disappointed.

Allah Almighty said:

 أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي 

I am as My servant thinks I am

May Allah accept from us and you the righteous deeds performed in the blessed ten days. Oh Allah make us among those who remember You while standing and sitting and while on our sides. Oh Allah make us among those who follow a good deed with another good deed. Indeed You are 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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