Salaheddin Islamic Center Jummah Khutbah 3 Rajab 1438 Corresponding to Mar 31, 17 المراقبة الله The Observance of Allah Given by: Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan Abu Sulaymaan First Khutbah إ ن ال ح م د الله ن ح م د ه و ن س ت ع ین ه ونستغفره ونعوذ باالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سیي ات أعمالنا م ن ی ه د ه ا الله ف لا م ض ل ل ه و م ن ی ض ل ل ف لا ه اد ي ل ه و أ ش ه د أ ن لا إ ل ه إ لا ا الله و ح د ه لا ش ر یك ل ه و أ ن م ح مد ا ع ب د ه و ر س ول ه ی اأ یه ا ا لذ ین ء ام ن وا ا تق وا ا الله ح ق ت ق ات ه و لا ت م وت ن إ لا و أ ن ت م م س ل م ون ی اأ یه ا ال ناس ا تق وا ر بك م ا لذ ي خ ل ق ك م م ن ن ف س و اح د ة و خ ل ق م ن ه ا ز و ج ه ا و ب ث م ن ه م ا ر ج الا ك ث یر ا و ن س اء و ا تق وا ا الله ا لذ ي ت س اء ل ون ب ه و الا ر ح ام إ ن ا الله ك ان ع ل ی ك م ر ق یب ا ی اأ یه ا ا لذ ین ء ام ن وا ا تق وا ا الله و ق ول وا ق و لا س د ید ا ی ص ل ح ل ك م أ ع م ال ك م و ی غ ف ر ل ك م ذ ن وب ك م و م ن ی ط ع ا الله و ر س ول ه ف ق د ف از ف و ز ا ع ظ یم ا فا ن أ ص د ق ال ح د یث ك ت اب ا الله ت ع ال ى و أ ح س ن ال ه د ي ه د ي م ح مد صلى االله علیه وسلم و ش ر الا م ور م ح د ث ات ه ا و ك ل م ح د ث ة ب د ع ة و ك ل ب د ع ة ض لال ة و ك ل وكل ضلالة في النار 1
As for what follows: أ یه ا ال ناس 1 Oh People! Allah says in His Honorable Book : ی ا أ یه ا ال ناس ا تق وا ر بك م ا لذ ي خ ل ق ك م من نف س و اح د ة و خ ل ق م ن ه ا ز و ج ه ا و ب ث م ن ه م ا ر ج الا ك ث یر ا و ن س اء و ا تق وا ا الله ا لذ ي ت س اء ل ون ب ه و الا ر ح ام إ ن ا الله ك ان ع ل ی ك م ر ق یب ا O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you [4:1] And Allah says: و ك ان ا الله ع ل ى ك ل ش ي ء رق یب ا And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things [33:52] And Allah says: إ ن ر بك ل ب ال م ر ص اد Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful (over them) [89:14] All these verses speak about the observance of Allah الله) (المراقبة and that Allah is ever watching us. The observance of Allah is an important element in the life of the Muslim. The definition of observance of Allah الله) (المراقبة is as Imam Ibn al-qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: 1 This is from the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) as found in many Ahaadith. For more, see Shaikh Yahya ibn ali al-hajoori s excellent work Ahkaam ul-jummah wa bida iha pg. 364 2
ال م ر اق ب ة ت ع ر یف ه ا : د و ام ع ل م ال ع ب د و ت ی قن ه ب ا طلا ع ال ح ق س ب ح ان ه و ت ع ال ى ع ل ى ظ اه ر ه و ب اط ن ه The observance of Allah, its definition is: the persistent knowledge of the servant and his certainty of Allah, the Exalted s true awareness over his external and hidden affairs [Madaarij as-saalikeen (2/65)] A Muslim should know that Allah is always observing his/her actions, statements, thoughts, and beliefs. Allah says: إ ن ا الله لا ی خ ف ى ع ل ی ه ش ي ء ف ي الا ر ض و لا ف ي ال سم اء Truly, nothing is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heavens [3:5] Observance of Allah الله) (المراقبة is of two types. Shaikh Ibn ul- Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: Observing Allah has two angles: The first angle: That you observe Allah, the Exalted The second angle: that Allah is always observing you: و ك ان ا الله ع ل ى ك ل ش ي ء رق یب ا And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things [33:52 ] [Sharh Riyaadh as-saliheen (1/324)] And this can be found in the definition of Ihsaan as comes in the famous Hadith of Jibreel. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: الا ح س ان أ ن ت ع ب د ا الله ك ا نك ت ر اه ف ا ن ل م ت ك ن ت ر اه ف ا نه ی ر اك Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state of devotion, then (know) Allah sees you [Bukhari and Muslim] When the observance of Allah is weak or absent it leads to many dangers and harms. From those harms and dangers is destruction and thinking bad about Allah. When someone is heedless of the fact that Allah always sees him/her and always hears him/her, then they will commit more sins. 3
Imam Bukhari reports on the authority of Ibn Masu d (may Allah be pleased with him): ع ن اب ن م س ع ود } و م ا ك ن ت م ت س ت ت ر ون أ ن ی ش ه د ع ل ی ك م س م ع ك م { الا ی ة ك ان ر ج لا ن م ن ق ر ی ش و خ ت ن ل ه م ا م ن ث ق یف أ و ر ج لا ن م ن ث ق یف و خ ت ن ل ه م ا م ن ق ر ی ش ف ي ب ی ت ف ق ال ب ع ض ه م ل ب ع ض أ ت ر و ن أ ن ا الله ی س م ع ح د یث ن ا ق ال ب ع ض ه م ی س م ع ب ع ض ه. و ق ال ب ع ض ه م ل ي ن ك ان ی س م ع ب ع ض ه ل ق د ی س م ع ك له. ف ا ن ز ل ت } و م ا ك ن ت م ت س ت ت ر ون أ ن ی ش ه د ع ل ی ك م س م ع ك م و لا أ ب ص ار ك م { الا ی ة } و ذ ل ك م ظ نك م { الا ی ة. In regards to the Verse: 'And you have not been screening against yourself lest your ears, and your eyes and your skins should testify against you.. ' (41.22) While two persons from Quraish and their brother-in- law from Thaqif (or two persons from Thaqif and their brother-in-law from Quraish) were in a house, they said to each other, "Do you think that Allah hears our talks?" Some said, "He hears a portion thereof" Others said, "If He can hear a portion of it, He can hear all of it." Then the following Verse was revealed: ' And you have not been screening against yourself lest your ears, and your eyes and your skins should testify against you... ' (41.22) and And that thought of yours (41:23) [Bukhari no. 4816] So due to their lack of observance of Allah and their low opinion of Allah, they were humiliated and destroyed. As Allah said: و ذ ل ك م ظ نك م ا لذ ي ظ ن ن ت م ب ر بك م أ ر د اك م ف ا ص ب ح ت م م ن ال خ اس ر ین And that thought of yours which you thought about your Lord, has brought you to destruction, and you have become (this Day) of those utterly lost! [41:23] This is because they thought low of Allah as Allah says: و ل ك ن ظ ن نت م أ ن ا الله لا ی ع ل م ك ث یر ا م ما ت ع م ل ون But you thought that Allah knew not much of what you were doing [41:22] A Muslim should think good of Allah and Allah is as a servant thinks of Him as comes in the Hadith al-qudsi: إ ن ا الله ی ق ول أ ن ا ع ن د ظ ن ع ب د ي ب ي Verily Allah says: I am according to what my servant thinks of Me [Muslim] 4
From the harms of not observing Allah is that it leads people to sin in private. We see so many of our students/young ones and even the elders struggling to stop sinning when they are alone. However, when others are present, they refrain. This is due to the weakness of the observance of Allah. A Muslim does not need a security camera or security personnel in order to say or do what is right. Allah is always watching! The poet says: إ ذا ما خ ل وت الد هر ی وما ف لا ت ق ل خ ل وت و ل ك ن ق ل ع ل ي ر قیب If you are alone one day do not say: I am alone however say: there is a watcher over me A person may even commit these sins and destroy his/her good deeds. It is reported by Ibn Majah on the authority of Thawbaan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: لا ع ل م ن أ ق و ام ا م ن أ مت ي ی ا ت ون ی و م ال ق ی ام ة ب ح س ن ات أ م ث ال ج ب ال ت ه ام ة ب یض ا ف ی ج ع ل ه ا ا الله ع ز و ج ل ه ب اء م ن ث ور ا ". ق ال ث و ب ان : ی ا ر س ول ا الله ص ف ه م ل ن ا ج له م ل ن ا أ ن لا ن ك ون م ن ه م و ن ح ن لا ن ع ل م. ق ال : " أ م ا إ نه م إ خ و ان ك م و م ن ج ل د ت ك م و ی ا خ ذ ون م ن ال لی ل ك م ا ت ا خ ذ ون و ل ك نه م أ ق و ام إ ذ ا خ ل و ا ب م ح ار م ا الله ان ت ه ك وه ا I certainly know people of my nation who will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like the mountains of Tihamah, but Allah will make them like scattered dust. Thawban said: O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us and tell us more, so that we will not become of them unknowingly. He said: They are your brothers and from your race, worshipping at night as you do, but they will be people who, when they are alone, transgress the sacred limits of Allah. [Saheeh Ibn Majah no. 3442 ] So the Muslim most always remember Allah is observing us. And on top of that, he/she should know that Allah has entrusted Angels to monitor our actions. As Allah says: إ ن ك ل ن ف س ل ما ع ل ی ه ا ح اف ظ There is no human being but has a protector over him (or her) (i.e. angels in charge of each human being guarding him, writing his good and bad deeds, etc.) [86:4] So we must always be mindful of Allah and observe Him at all times. 5
Second Khutbah الحمد الله رب العالمین والصلاة والسلام على نبینا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعین As for what proceeds: From the fruits of observing Allah is that it helps us rectify our thoughts and beliefs. Allah knows what we think, what we believe, and what is in our souls. He says: و ل ق د خ ل ق ن ا الا نس ان و ن ع ل م م ا ت و س و س ب ه ن ف س ه و ن ح ن أ ق ر ب إ ل ی ه م ن ح ب ل ال و ر ید And indeed We have created man, and We know what his ownself whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge) [50:16] From the fruits of observing Allah is that it rectifies our speech because we remember that Allah hears what we say. Allah says: ق ال ر بي ی ع ل م ال ق و ل ف ي ال سم اء و الا ر ض و ه و ال سم یع ال ع ل یم He (Muhammad) said: "My Lord knows (every) word (spoken) in the heavens and on earth. And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower." [21:4] From the fruit of observing Allah is that it rectifies our actions because we remember that Allah is watching us. Imam Ibn al-qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: و ق یل : م ن ر اق ب ا الله ف ي خ و اط ر ه ع ص م ه ف ي ح ر ك ات ج و ار ح ه It was said: Whoever observes Allah in his thoughts, then Allah will safeguard him in his movements and actions [Madaarij as-saalikeen (2/65)] From the ways to increase the observance of Allah is by knowing that Allah is always with us Hearing and Seeing. This from the ways to purify our hearts. The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked: وما تزكیة النف س فقال : أن یعلم أ ن االله ع ز وج ل معه حیث كان What is the purification of the soul? He (ﷺ) said: That a person knows that Allah, the Exalted is with him wherever he is [as-saheeha (3/38)] 6
Another way to help us increase in our awareness of Allah and His observance over us is by not committing sins in private. If we dislike that anyone sees us doing a specific action in public, then we should not do it in private. If we dislike that anyone hear us saying a specific word in public, then we should not say it in private. Usamaah bin Shareek (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: ما ك ر ه ت أن یراه الناس منك فلا ت ف ع ل ه بنفس ك إذا خ ل و ت "Whatever you dislike that people see from you, then do not it when you are alone" [Graded Hasan by al-albani in Saheeh Jami no. 5659] Allah is always watching us. I ask Allah to grant us success in observing and being mindful of Him. Verily He is Capable of all things. ق وم وا إل ى ص لا ت ك م ی ر ح م ك م ا الله 2 Stand for you Prayer, may Allah have mercy upon you ----------End of the Khutbah---------- 2 This is how Abu Bakr as-sideeq radiallahu anahu ended his first Khutbah as found in Seerah Ibn Hisham with a Saheeh chain. 7