First Khutbah – Main Points

Certainty doesn’t relate to just an isolated, distant notion of asserting the existence of God. This would be akin to agnosticism. Rather, it means to have that realization impact your actions - to have a genuine purpose. Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of the Prophet [not nephew!], says:

قال علي, كرم الله وجهه: لو كشف الغطاء ما ازددت يقينا

“If the veil were to be lifted I would not increase in certitude.”

We should look for inspiration in our daily lives. One easy example to look at are pigeons. Many of us have stood at the corners of 15th and Broad and have seek flocks of pigeons - how many times have we really examined them in detail. I say this as it is similar to Allah’s question in the Qur’ān:

أفلا ينظرون إلى الإبل كيف خلقت

“Do they not look at the camel and how it was created?” [Q: 88:17]

The camel was something so common to the Arabs of the Prophet’s time - they were almost what cars are for us today. They also took sustenance from them. So they were at once familiar with them but somewhat mundane as well. Just like pigeons for us, or anything else in our environments, we should examine them with thought and attention. Through this, we can come to the extraordinary in the ordinary and mundane.

Additionally, some of the greatest signs are within ourselves. The human being is an amazing creation. Let us look to the Heavens and the earth for inspiration and what Allah has to say about them:

سنريهم ءايتِنا في الأفاق و في أنفسهم حتى يتبين لهم أنه الحق
أوَ لم يكفِ بربك أنه على كل شيء شهيد

“And We will show them our signs on the horizon and in themselves until it is clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient that your Lord is a Witness to everything?” [Q: 41:53]

Certitude helps us to be more connected with the nature of Reality. We all must return to Allah, where we will have a full account of our deeds [the hisāb]. (continue reading here…)

First Khutbah – Main Points

اقترب للناس حسابهم و هم في غفلة معرضون

“The Reckoning is ever drawing closer to Mankind, yet they are woefully heedless of it, turning away.” [Q: 21: 1]

The Hour is upon us all.  At least that is the way we Muslims should always be perceiving the Hour. None of us knows when it will arrive, be it the Final Hour or our own demise. The previous āyah, from suwrah al-Anbiyā’ demonstrates the sense of urgency that man should have but often doesn’t. This is mainly due to ghaflah, or heedlessness. Interesting to note as well: This āyah does not distinguish between Muslim/non-Muslim. In other words, both Muslim and non-Muslim alike can fall victim to heedlessness - we must be vigilant in watching against it.

In the English language we have a saying: “Strike while the iron is hot.” This aphorism can serve as a great reminder to us all in this day and age. We should not be wasting any time in vain pursuits but rather in perfecting our Islam, our character. For as the hadith says:

أثقل ما يوضع في الميزان يوم القيامة تقوى الله, و حسن الخلق

“The heaviest thing to be weighed on the Scale on the Day of Judgment will be taqwā of God and goodness of character.”

In relation to the above, which clearly articulates the importance of taqwā and good character, we must bring these two aspects of Muslim life and morality into being. And as for striking when opportunity knocks, this is in accordance with the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet [s], where he says this about opportunity/charity:

لأن يتصدق المرء في حياته بدرهام خير له من أن يتصدق بمائة عند موته

“It is better for a man to give a single dirhām in charity during his lifetime than to donate a hundred at his demise.”

No time to waste – strike while the iron is before the Fire is hot!

So now that we’ve heard about taqwā we have to ask, what is it? Let’s examine a couple of aspects: (continue reading here…)