https://www.khutbah.info/the-blessings-of-hearing-sight-and-the-heart/ The blessings of Allah – Exalted be He – are countless and cannot be enumerated. Among them are continuous blessings which people often forget about due to their familiarity with them. And there are renewed blessings that people might not even feel. Many only notice the uncommon blessings and forget the continuous and renewed ones because of their familiarity with them. People have become accustomed to the blessings of sight, hearing, and hearts (intellect) due to their constancy. The Quran repeatedly reminds of these blessings so that its reciter does not neglect being grateful to Allah the Exalted for them.
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:
The blessings of Allah – Exalted be He – are countless and cannot be enumerated. Among them are continuous blessings which people often forget about due to their familiarity with them. And there are renewed blessings that people might not even feel. Many only notice the uncommon blessings and forget the continuous and renewed ones because of their familiarity with them. People have become accustomed to the blessings of sight, hearing, and hearts (intellect) due to their constancy. The Quran repeatedly reminds of these blessings so that its reciter does not neglect being grateful to Allah the Exalted for them.
And Allah the Exalted has favored humans with these three blessings of hearing, sight, and intellect so that they become guardians of the religion of Allah the Exalted as well builders of the earth. Allah the Exalted has enumerated many blessings and began with these three blessings. He, Glorified be He, said:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْشَأَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ -الْمُؤْمِنُونَ 78
Al-Mu’minun (23) 78: And it is He who produced for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]; little are you grateful.
In the context of explaining the creation of man, Allah the Exalted emphasized the mention of hearing, vision, and hearts due to their importance and the magnitude of this blessing upon mankind. Allah Almighty said:
ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِهِ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ-السَّجْدَةِ 9
As-Sajdah (32) 9: Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]; little are you grateful
Allah, the Exalted, commanded His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to remind people of these three blessings. So He, Glorified be He, said:
قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ-الْمُلْكِ 23
Al-Mulk (67) 23: Say, “It is He who has produced you and made for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]; little are you grateful.
Every one of these three verses ends with ‘little are you grateful’. In another instance, these three blessings were linked with gratitude. Allah Almighty said:
وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ-النَّحْلِ 78
An-Nahl (16) 78: And Allāh has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect] that perhaps you would be grateful.
This verse indicates that a human emerges from their mother’s womb knowing nothing but their innate disposition. It is through hearing, vision, and the heart that one acquires knowledge and awareness. The most exalted of knowledge is knowledge of Allah Almighty and understanding His rights due upon His servants. The polytheists did not express gratitude for these blessings and did not use them to arrive at worshipping Allah alone without any partners. The believers attained faith, after Allah’s grace, by using the blessing of hearing to listen to the Quran, and the pillars of faith and its requirements and its nullifiers, and by using their sight to recite the Qur’an and the books of faith, and using their hearts to comprehend the iman (faith), the names of Allah Almighty and His attributes and His actions and His signs that guide to Him the Glorified. Just as they use these three blessings to manage their worldly affairs. However, gratitude to Allah Almighty for these blessings is deficient because of being accustomed to them. These blessings are continuously with people. They were born with them, grew up with them and continually use them for their religious and worldly interests. Yet, despite this, their gratitude to Allah, the Exalted, falls short. If they were to lose just one of these blessings, they would realize its value and the enormity of its loss.
The worldly knowledge that has led humans to inventions, discoveries, advancements in industry, commerce, agriculture, and communication were achieved through reasoning minds that contemplate, analyze, infer, innovate, and invent. Also, through ears and eyes that listen, observe, read, discover, and research until humankind was able to reach to what they reached.
This makes it imperative for them to be grateful to Allah Almighty for the blessings that He has given them of minds, eyesight, and hearing. And if they were to lose or have a deficiency in any of them, it would hamper their life. This demands continuous gratitude to Allah, the Exalted, for these perpetual blessings which one might forget and thus become neglectful in expressing gratitude.
It suffices the believer to know the magnitude of the blessings of sight, hearing and intellect, to look at the state of disbelievers, who have not employed these blessings for their true purpose. For they have not used them to attain knowledge of Allah, the Exalted, or to understand what He, Glorified be He, wants from His servants. Thus, they are more astray than the livestock. Allah Almighty says:
وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا أُولَئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ
Al-A’raf (7) 179: And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.
This means that they do not benefit from any of these blessings which Allah, the Exalted, has made as a means for guidance. The Almighty, said:
وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَأَبْصَارًا وَأَفْئِدَةً فَمَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلَا أَبْصَارُهُمْ وَلَا أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِذْ كَانُوا يَجْحَدُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
Al-Ahqaf (46) 26: And We made for them hearing, sight, and hearts, but their hearing, sight, and hearts availed them not from anything [of the punishment] when they were [continuously] rejecting the signs of Allah; and they were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
And He, the Exalted, said:
صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ
Al-Baqarah (2) 18: Deaf, dumb and blind, so they will not return [to the right path].
This is concerning the hypocrites, and He said regarding the disbelievers:
صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Al-Baqarah (2) 171: Deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand.
They are not deaf, dumb, and blind except from guidance, as He, the Exalted, said:
وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لَأَسْمَعَهُمْ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّوْا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ
Al-Anfal (8) 23: And if Allah had known any good in them, He would have made them hear, but even if He had made them hear, they would [still] have turned away, while they were refusing.
And He, the Almighty, said regarding their lack of understanding the Quran:
وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا
Al-An’am (6) 25: And of them are some who listen to you, but We have set veils upon their hearts, so they understand it not, and deafness in their ears; if they see every one of the signs, they will not believe in them.
This verse combines their deprivation from the guidance of the heart, ears, and eyes. For this reason, they are the worst of creation. Allah Almighty said:
إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الصُّمُّ الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Al-Anfal (8) 22: Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason.
And He, the Almighty, said:
إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Al-Anfal (8) 55: Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are those who have disbelieved, and they will not [ever] believe.
And He, the Exalted, said:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أُولَئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ
Al-Bayyinah (98) 6: Indeed, those who disbelieve – among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists – will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures.
Allah the Exalted reproached them for not benefiting from these three blessings that He bestowed upon them for the purpose of knowing Allah – Exalted be He – through His signs found throughout His creation. He says:
أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ-الْحَجِّ 46
Al-Hajj (22) 46: So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.
And He the Almighty says:
وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا صُمٌّ وَبُكْمٌ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ مَنْ يَشَأِ اللَّهُ يُضْلِلْهُ وَمَنْ يَشَأْ يَجْعَلْهُ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ-الْأَنْعَامِ 39
Al-An’am (6) 39: Those who deny Our signs are deaf and dumb within darknesses. Whomever Allah wills – He leaves astray; and whomever He wills – He puts him on a straight path.
Just as He – Glory be to Him – praised the believers for employing these blessings for knowing Allah – Exalted be He – and knowing what He wants for His servants, and acting upon it. He, the Most Glorious, said:
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا صُمًّا وَعُمْيَانًا-الْفُرْقَانِ 73
Al-Furqan (25) 73: And those who, when reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind.
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:
Allah, the Exalted, has bestowed upon humans the blessings of hearing, sight, and hearts, so that they may employ them in the obedience to Allah, and for what benefits them in their worldly life and the Hereafter. They will be questioned about these blessings on the Day of Judgment. Allah Almighty said:
إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولًا
Al-Isra (17) 36: Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart – about all those [one] will be questioned.
Being grateful to Allah for these blessings means not using them for what Allah has prohibited. Thus, people should not gaze upon what is prohibited, should not listen to what is prohibited, and should not employ their intellect in accessing the prohibited. Otherwise, these faculties will testify against them on the Day of Judgment for what they did in the worldly life. Allah Almighty said:
يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
An-Nur (24) 24: On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions.
Allah Almighty said:
حَتَّى إِذَا مَا جَاءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَارُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Fussilat (41) 20: Until, when they reach it (the Hellfire), their hearing and their eyes and their skins will testify against them as to what they used to do.
Whoever is blind to the signs of Allah, the Exalted, in this world, and is deaf to reminders and admonitions will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment as deaf, mute, and blind. He the Almighty said:
وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِهِ وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًا وَبُكْمًا وَصُمًّا مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنَاهُمْ سَعِيرًا
Al-Isra (17) 97: Whoever Allah guides – he is the [rightly] guided; and whoever He sends astray – it is those who are the losers. And We will surely gather them on the Day of Resurrection [fallen] on their faces – blind, dumb and deaf. Their refuge is Hell; every time it subsides, We increase them in blazing fire.
He the Almighty also said:
وَمَنْ كَانَ فِي هَذِهِ أَعْمَى فَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ أَعْمَى وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا
Al-Isra (17) 72: But whoever is blind in this [world] will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray in way.
And the Exalted said:
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى * قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَى وَقَدْ كُنْتُ بَصِيرًا * قَالَ كَذَلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا وَكَذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنْسَى
Ta-Ha (20) 124-126: (124) And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind. (125) He will say, ‘My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?’ (126) [Allah] will say, ‘Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.
So, be extremely cautious, from disengaging the blessings of hearing, sight, and the heart from their roles of seeking the pleasure of Allah, the Exalted. Beware, beware of employing these blessings in matters that invoke His wrath. For doing so is indeed ingratitude and turning away from guidance and following one’s desires. Allah, the Exalted, says:
أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَى سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلَى بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً فَمَنْ يَهْدِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ اللَّهِ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
Al-Jathiyah (45) 23:Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put a cover upon his sight? Who, then, could guide him after Allah? So will you not be reminded?
We ask Allah Almighty to grant us success in employing all our faculties in seeking His pleasure and expressing gratitude for His innumerable blessings upon us. Indeed Allah 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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