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Khutbah 8th October South Shields

Khutbah – South Shields Al-Azhar Mosque

Friday 8^th October 2010

“Faith wears out in the heart of any one of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allaah to renew the faith in your hearts.”

Strange / amazing / situation of weak faith has become very widespread among Muslims, and many people complain about the hardness of their hearts.

“I feel hardness in my heart,” “I do not find any joy in worship,” “I feel that my faith has hit rock bottom,” “Reading Qur’aan does not move me,” “I fall into sin so easily.” The effects of this affliction can be seen in many people, and this problem is the cause of every disaster and adversity.

What are the causes of this?

The list is many…from leaving the jama’aah of the Muslims, not being around righteous brothers…to committing sin after sin after sin…..busying yourself with the whim and desires of this life.

SIN! Makes the heart of the believer dark and blackened!

“The heart will be subjected to trial after trial, and there will appear a black stain on any heart that is affected, which will spread until the heart is completely black and sealed, as it were, so that it will not recognize any good deed or denounce any evil, except whatever suits its own desires.”

Be careful brothers! Don’t let your heart become BLACK AND HARD!  Your heart can be strengthened … Renewing your imaan..  The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the saheeh hadeeth: “There is no heart that is not covered by a cloud like the cloud covering the moon when it is shining, and so it suddenly goes dark, but when it (the cloud) goes away, it shines again.”

Iman / faith increases and decreases.  This is one of the basic principles of the ‘aqeedah of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, who say that faith is something to be spoken in words, to be believed in in the heart, and to be put into action.

Faith increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience. that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith…” [al-Fath 48:4]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it by his hand (by action), and if he cannot, then by his tongue (by speaking out), and if he cannot, then by his heart (by feeling that it is wrong), and that is the weakest of faith.”

Dhikr

There are other ways…increasing the good deeds is obviously a strong way….but strengthening the soul, through dhikr is also an effective way to strengthen one’s imaan.

Knowing Allah

One of the greatest ways to strengthen ones imaan is BY KNOWING WHO ALLAH IS!  The Greatness of Allah

Infact we find the sahabahs used to look after their eemaan, inspect their actions, and give each other advice. Eg:

1. ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattaab may Allaah be pleased with him, used to say to his companions: “Come on, so that we may increase our eemaan”.

2. ‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, used to say: “Sit with us, so that we may increase in eemaan.” He used to say in his supplications: “O Allaah increase me in Eemaan, certainty and understanding.”

3. Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, may Allaah be pleased with him, used to say: “Sit with us, so that we may have eemaan for an hour”

4. ‘Abdullaah ibn Rawaahah, may Allaah be pleased with him, used to take some of his companions by the hand and say: “Come on, so that we may have eemaan for an hour. Come on, let us remember Allaah so that we increase in eemaan by obeying him; He may remember us by forgiving us:’

5. Aboo Dardaa’, may Allaah be pleased with him, used to say: “It is from the intelligence of the servant to know whether he is increasing or decreasing, and indeed, it is from the intelligence of the servant to know how, where and when the whispers of Shaytaan appear to him.”

6. Umayr ibn Habeeb al-Khatmee, may Allaah be pleased with him, used to say: “Eemaan increases and decreases.” Someone asked: “What increases it and what decreases it?” He replied: “lf we remember Allaah, praise Him, and declare His perfection; that is what increases it. If we are heedless, squander and forget; that is what decreases it.’

7. Alqamah ibn Qays an-Nakba’ee, may Allaah have mercy upon him, who is one of the senior and revered of the taabi’een, used to say to his companions: “Come with us, so that we may increase in eemaan.”

So this is what I want this khutbah to do for us now.  Remember the greatness of Allah…Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) described the greatness of Allaah in the most beautiful way.

As I read it, ponder over Allah’s greatness and let your imaan increase by it!

He has control over all things and He commands and forbids, creates, sustains, gives death, gives life, gives power, takes power (to and from whom He wills) and alternates the night and day. He gives fortunes to people and changes governments (and states), destroying some and bringing some into existence.

His Command and Power are dominant in the heaven and the earth in the seas and in the air. He has Knowledge of all things!

He hears all types of voices and they do not confuse Him.  He hears each voice in its distinct language. No voice will make Him busy from fulfilling the need of another. He does not become bored from answering the du’a of His servants!

His Sight encompasses all that which there is. He sees the movement of a black ant on a black rock during a dark night. To Him, the Unseen is uncovered end the secret is secret no more,

He forgives an evil deed, makes depression vanish and bring relief for whoever needs it.

He gives wealth for the poor, guidance for the misguided, light for the lost, help for he who is desperate, fullness for the hungry, cover for the one who needs clothes, cure for the ill and ease for he who suffers.

He accepts repentance, gives reward for he who does good, Helps the one who has been dealt with unjustly, destroys an arrogant person, covers mistakes.  He is the one who elevates some people and humiliates others.

If those who inhabit His heavens and His earth and all those whom He created, whether mankind or the Jinns, had hearts similar to the most pious heart, His Kingdom will not increase. If all His creation, whether mankind or the Jinns, had hearts similar to the heart of the most wicked heart, this will not decrease from His Kingdom.

Also, if all those who inhabit His heavens and His earth, all mankind and all the Jinns, the dead and the living, stand up on one strip of land and each asks Him for his need, and He then fulfils their needs, this will not decrease from what He has a bit.

He is the First, nothing is before Him, the Last, nothing is after Him, the Most High, nothing is above Him.  He, Exalted and Ever High as He is the only One Who deserves to be worshiped and thanked, the Most generous of all those who are asked to give.

He is the King Who has no partner, the One Who has no competitor, the Samad (Self-Sufficient) Who has no offspring.

His giving and punishing is merely a Command, “Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, ‘Be, and it is!’” [36:82].

October 9, 2010 - Posted by Abu-Tayeb Khairdeen | Khutbah | heart, iman, khutbah