Jumu`ah Khutbah at ASIM Mosque
A’oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani ‘r-rajeem, bismillahi ‘r-Rahmaani ‘r-Raheem.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh. Alhamdulillah wa nastaghfirahu ...wa nash-hadu an la ilaaha illa-Llah wa nashadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa habeebahu wa Rasooluh...ayyuhal muminoon al-hadiroon itaqullah wa ati`ooh.
O Muslims, alhamdulillah Allah (swt) ordered us with five pillars of Islam, the five obligations. And after shahada, fasting, praying, zakat, Allah (swt) ordered us for Hajj, for those who can afford it wealth-wise or health-wise. And Allah (swt) gave it to us as a reward for all humanity when he ordered Sayyidina Adam (a) to build a house for Him on Earth in order that people know how and where to worship. And then Sayyidina `Ibraheem (a) built it back with his son Isma`eel (a). Until today people are going for that house. That is a heavenly house, a piece of Paradise that Allah (swt) sent to Earth. And Allah (swt) gave us a day which is an important day for Muslims. Hajj cannot be considered accepted without that day, which is `Arafah, the day of unity, the day of one voice, the day all Muslims are in the same category. No one is better standing in front of Allah (swt), as on the Judgment Day. You cannot say this is a king or doctor or someone: they are equal before Allah (swt) except by their deeds. La farq bayn `arabiyya wa ajamiyya illa bittaqwa. “There is no difference between an Arab and a non-Arab, except in taqwa.”
Allah (swt) gave us `Arafah and many days in the year that benefit us. In Holy Qur’an, al-yawma akmaltu lakum deenakum, that verse came in Holy Qur’an for the day of `Arafah. “That day I have perfected for you your religion and I keep giving you My favors. And I accepted Islam as your religion.”
The Sahaaba (r) were very happy when that verse was revealed to Prophet (s), except Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (q) was crying and the Sahaaba were surprised and they said, “Why are you crying, when Allah (swt) perfected the religion, and it means, ‘I perfected you, O Companions of Prophet (s),’” as they are the ones who spread the message from the east after Sayyidina Muhammad (s) left dunya. And they asked Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, “Why are you crying?” He was crying because he felt that Prophet (s) is not going to stay long after Allah (swt) revealed that ayat. He said, “Soon a time will come when the Prophet (s) will leave us.” And that is what happened. After that aayah was revealed, Sayyidina Muhammad (s) only lived 80 days. After two-and-a-half months he left this dunya, because finished, perfection came. He delivered the perfection and now the responsibility of the ummah is to carry the message until the Day of Judgment.
O Muslims, Hajj is `Arafah. As Prophet (s) said, “You can miss any of the principles of Hajj.” It might be that people miss some part of Hajj by mistake, they don’t know. But Hajj is still accepted as they can make it up by sacrificing a cow, camel, goat, sheep or whatever. But if you miss `Arafah, then Hajj is not considered. You can make tawaaf, sa’ee, etc., but it is not considered (a valid Hajj). That is why Prophet (s) said, al-Hajju `Arafah. Hajj is to stand in that valley. If you went there 40 years ago there is wide sandy valley, nothing in it. They have to carry water and food to it, in order to survive in that valley. What is there? Jabal Rahmah, the Mountain of Mercy, where Allah (s) manifested the mercy to Prophet (s). Prophet (s) wanted to take his Sahaaba to that place to taste the difficulty. When you suffer in dunya, you receive reward in the Next Life. So Allah (swt) wants to test Muslims in their patience. You go to that valley and stand, and all Muslims in one voice are saying, “Labbayk Allahumma labbayk, labbayk Allah shareeka laka labbayk, No partner for You, You are the Creator, we are here at Your service.”
And Allah (swt) likes us to say Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa-Llah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasooluh. Allah (swt) likes His servants to declare Allah’s (swt) Oneness. Allah (swt) doesn’t like shirk, to associate anyone as partner with Him. Today, anyone who gives charity declares it like a big flag and says, “I gave charity.” They like to put their names, “I did this and gave that for masjid” on a big piece marble. That is a shirk, and if Allah (swt) wants to take your money away He will take it all.
The Mountain of Uhud came to Prophet (s) and said, “I will turn myself into gold and you cut it up and sell it.” Prophet (s) said, “We don’t need that.” Sayyidina `Ibraheem (a) was in fire. And Jibreel (a) said, “Yaa `Ibraheem, I am coming to save you.” He said, “O Jibreel, I don’t want you to. The One who made me knows what I need.”
Say day and night laa ilaaha illa-Llah Muhammadun Rasoolullah alayha nahya wa alayha namoot wa alayha nalqallah man saama yawma `Arafah ghafarallah lahu ma taqadam min dhanbih. If anyone fasts the on the day of `Arafah, if you are not going on Hajj, it is recommended to fast that day and Allah (swt) will erase all sins of the past. You want your sins to be forgiven? Then fast on that day. ‘Eid is going to be Friday, and Thursday will be the day of `Arafah when Muslims are all standing on `Arafah, all in one color (wearing white), asking forgiveness from Allah (swt). So fast that day and all the past is forgiven and you are coming as if newly born.
And it is said, Akramallahu hadhihi al-ummah bi siyam `Arafah. Allah (swt) rewarded the ummah with the fast of `Arafah and He honored four prophets on that day. He honored the ummah of the Prophet (s) and honored Adam (a) with forgiveness on that day for eating from the forbidden tree; He honored Sayyidina Musa (a) to speak with Him without an intermediary; He honored Sayyidina Muhammad (s) with Hajj and perfection of religion; and He honored Sayyidina `Ibraheem (a) with replacing the sacrifice of his son Sayyidina Isma`eel (a) with a lamb.
O Muslims! This month is a month of sacrifice. Sacrifice yourself for Allah’s (swt) sake and for Prophet’s (s) sake by not falling into sin.
Ya fawzan li ‘l-mustaghfireen, astaghfirullah.