All praise is due to Allah, the Generous, the Bestower; He blessed us with Islam, and made us from the nation of the best of mankind. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, the Sovereign, the All-Knowing. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger, the leader of mankind and the role model of the noble virtuous. May Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, his family, and all his companions.
To proceed:
O believers, servants of Allah, fear Allah the Almighty, for in fearing Him there is a substitute for everything, while there is no substitute for the fear of Allah. The fear of Allah, Majestic and Exalted is He, is acting in obedience to Allah upon light from Allah, hoping for the reward of Allah, and abandoning disobedience to Allah upon light from Allah, fearing the punishment of Allah.
O believers, servants of Allah, indeed, Allah has blessed us, the community of believers, with a immense favor and a great gift: the sending of the noble Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. With his mission, Allah Almighty illuminated the earth after its darkness, and united hearts after their division and dispersion. Allah, Majestic and Exalted, says:
”Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur’an), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet (i.e. his legal ways, statements, acts of worship)], while before that they had been in manifest error.” [Ali ‘Imran: 164]
And He, Majestic and Exalted, says:
“He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Quran, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ). And verily, they had been before in mainfest error;” [Al-Jumu’ah: 2]
And He, Majestic and Exalted, says:
“Allah has prepared for them a severe torment. So fear Allah and keep your duty to Him, O men of understanding who have believed! - Allah has indeed sent down to you a Reminder (this Quran). (And has also sent to you) a Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ), who recites to you the Verses of Allah (the Quran) containing clear explanations, that He may take out, those who believe and do righteous good deeds from the darkness (of polytheism and disbelief) to the light (of Monotheism and true Faith).” [At-Talaq: 10-11]
And He, Majestic and Exalted, says:
“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad ﷺ) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allah, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire), for the believers (he ﷺ is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.” [At-Tawbah: 128]
And He, Glorified is He, says:
“Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad ﷺ) as a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner. In order that you (O mankind) may believe in Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), and that you assist and honour him (ﷺ), and (that you) glorify (Allah’s) praises morning and afternoon.” [Al-Fath: 8-9]
O believers, servants of Allah, Allah, Majestic and Exalted, has obligated His servants to obey this Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to love him, to follow him, and to adhere to his path. He, Majestic and Exalted, made it mandatory to prioritize love for him over love for parents, children, family, commerce, and all of mankind. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says:
“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqun (the rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” [At-Tawbah: 24]
And it is recorded in the Sahihayn (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his father, his child, and all of mankind.”
And in Sahih al-Bukhari, on the authority of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you are indeed more beloved to me than everything except my own self.’ He said, ‘No, by the One in whose hand is my soul, until I am more beloved to you than your own self.’ Umar then said, ‘Verily, now, by Allah, you are more beloved to me than my own self.’ He said, ‘Now, [your faith is complete] O Umar.’“
O believers, servants of Allah, this love that Allah, Majestic and Exalted, has obligated upon His servants is not merely a word that is claimed, or a matter that a person pretends to follow without realizing the truth and sincerity of this love. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has made a great sign and a clear proof of the sincerity of love for this Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, which is meticulous care in following him, adhering to his path, and tracing his footsteps. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:
“Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins.’“ [Ali ‘Imran: 31]
This verse, O community of believers, is a decisive ruling against anyone who claims to love the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, without adhering to his path and following his guidance, that his claim is false unless he follows his guidance, peace and blessings be upon him.
O believers, the true sign whose presence in a servant proves the sincerity of his love for the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is following his upright path, adhering to his straight way, and keeping away from innovations and newly invented matters for which Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has sent down no authority. The first generation of this nation—the generation of the Companions—set the most magnificent examples in realizing this love for the Chosen Messenger and the Selected Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. They translated this love into sincere adherence, profound following, and guidance by the way of the noble Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.
O believers, servants of Allah, when this love stirs in a person’s heart without reining himself in with the reins of the Sharia, he begins to exhibit matters that are neither from the guidance of Allah nor from the guidance of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. Rather, they stem from indulging in innovations and following newly invented matters. Therefore, beware, O servants of Allah, of innovations of all kinds, even if the motive behind them is to display love for the noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. For the fulfillment of this love is not achieved through introducing innovations into the religion of Allah, nor through originating something for which Allah has sent down no authority.
Servants of Allah, some people sought to display their love for the noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, by taking the day of his birth as a celebration. This is something the first generation did not do, and by the consensus of biographers and historians, these celebrations did not exist until after the third century and the passing of the preferred generations. Yes, servants of Allah.
Then—servants of Allah—the month in which he was born, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, is the very same month in which he died. And the day on which he was born, peace and blessings be upon him, is the day on which he passed away, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Therefore, rejoicing over the day of his birth is no more appropriate than grieving over his death and loss, peace and blessings be upon him. However, neither of these was legislated: it was neither legislated to turn the day of his birth into a celebration, nor the day of his death, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, into a place of mourning. The noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them and satisfy them, did not do any of that.
O believers, if the servant’s intent is to venerate the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and to demonstrate his love for him, peace and blessings be upon him, let this veneration and this display of love be done in the manner that the noble Companions followed.
O believers, servants of Allah, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, and the rest of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, did not celebrate, nor did the people of the preferred generations celebrate the birth of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with him. Could anyone possibly say that this is a good thing that the Companions were deprived of, while those who came after them were guided to it?! Or is the truth that this is a misguidance from which Allah, Majestic and Exalted, protected those preferred generations who adhered to his guidance, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and walked his upright path?
O believers, servants of Allah, the latter part of this nation will not be rectified except by that which rectified its first part—namely, following the guidance of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and staying away from newly invented matters for which Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has sent down no authority.
Servants of Allah, fear Allah, Majestic and Exalted is He, and be mindful of Him in all your deeds. For Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, does not accept any deed, regardless of what it is, except when it is sincere for the sake of Allah and compliant with the Sunnah of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. O Allah, grant us all sincerity in our words and deeds, bless us all to follow the noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and protect us all from innovations and newly invented matters, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor.
I say this statement, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself, for you, and for all Muslims from every sin. So seek His forgiveness, for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
The Second Khutbah (Sermon)
All praise is due to Allah abundantly, and I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger; may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, his family, and all his companions.
To proceed:
O believers, servants of Allah, fear Allah the Almighty, for whoever fears Allah, He will protect him and guide him to the best matters of his religion and his worldly life.
O believers, servants of Allah, imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad and others on the authority of Al-Irbad ibn Sariyah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
”The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, delivered an eloquent exhortation to us that caused the eyes to overflow and the hearts to tremble. So we said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is as if this is a farewell exhortation, so advise us.’ He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘I urge you to fear Allah, and to listen and obey, even if he is an Abyssinian slave. For whoever among you lives after me will see much conflict. So you must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs who are guided. Hold fast to it and bite onto it with your molar teeth. And beware of newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.’“
And whenever he, the prayers and peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, addressed the people in a khutbah, he would say:
”To proceed: Indeed, the most truthful speech is the Book of Allah, the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the worst of matters are those newly invented ones, every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.”
He, may Allah bless him, grant him peace, and bestow his blessings upon him, used to emphasize this matter with great emphasis out of sincere advice to the nation.
O believers, servants of Allah, it is incumbent upon us, the community of believers, to venerate this Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the veneration that properly befits him, to love him, peace and blessings be upon him, with a love that takes precedence over our love for ourselves, our families, and all of mankind. We must be sincere with Allah in this love by following him well, adhering to his path, and staying away from innovations and newly invented matters against which he warned us, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. May Allah guide us all to a straight path and rectify all our affairs for us.
And send prayers and peace—may Allah protect you—upon Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as Allah commanded you to do in His Book, saying:
“Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy, etc.) on the Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ) and also His angels too (ask Allah to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salat on (ask Allah to bless) him (Muhammad ﷺ), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation i.e. AsSalamu ‘Alaikum).” [Al-Ahzab: 56]
And the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
”Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah will send blessings upon him ten times for it.”
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim; indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. And bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious.
O Allah, be pleased with the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the guided imams: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. Be pleased, O Allah, with all the Companions, the Tabi’in (successors), and those who followed them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment, and be pleased with us along with them, by Your grace, generosity, and benevolence, O Most Generous of the generous.
O Allah, help us and do not help against us, grant us victory and do not grant victory against us, plan for us and do not plan against us, guide us and make guidance easy for us, and grant us victory over those who wrong us.
O Allah, make us of those who remember You often, are grateful to You, turn to You frequently in supplication and repentance, are humble before You, and obedient to You.
O Allah, accept our repentance, accept our repentance, make our proof firm, guide our hearts, straighten our tongues, and pull out the malice from our chests.
O Allah, we ask You for steadfastness in the matter and determination in [pursuing] right guidance. We ask You for the causes of Your mercy and the determinations of Your forgiveness. We ask You for gratitude for Your blessing and excellence in Your worship. We ask You for a sound heart and a truthful tongue. We ask You for the best of what You know, we seek refuge in You from the evil of what You know, and we seek Your forgiveness for what You know, for You are the Knower of the unseen.
O Allah, allot to us enough of fear of You to prevent us from disobeying You, and of obedience to You to bring us to Your Paradise, and of certainty to make the hardships of this world easy for us.
O Allah, let us enjoy our hearing, our sight, and our power as long as You keep us alive, and make it our inheritor. Let our revenge be upon those who wrong us, grant us victory over those who show hostility toward us, do not make our affliction in our religion, do not make this world our greatest concern or the limit of our knowledge, and do not give power over us to those who will not show mercy to us.
O Allah, we ask You for Your love, the love of those who love You, and the deeds that bring us closer to Your love.
O Allah, we ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and self-sufficiency.
O Allah, give our souls their piety and purify them, for You are the best of those who purify them; You are their Guardian and Master.
*O Allah, our Lord, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor, O Forgiver, O Merciful, forgive us all our sins: the minor and the major, the first and the last, the open and the secret.
*O Allah, forgive us for what we have sent forth and what we have delayed, what we have concealed and what we have made public, and what You know better than we do. You are the One who brings forward and the One who delays; there is no deity worthy of worship except You.
O Allah, forgive us, our parents, all Muslim men and women, and believing men and women, the living among them and the dead.
O Allah, we seek Your forgiveness, for You are ever-Forgiving; so send down the rain upon us in abundance.
O Allah, O Lord of the worlds, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor, O Ever-Living, O Self-Subsisting, we turn to You by Your Beautiful Names and Most High Attributes, and by the fact that You are Allah, there is no deity except You—O You whose mercy and knowledge encompass all things—that You send down rain upon us and do not make us of the despairing.
O Allah, give us water and do not make us of the hopeless. O Allah, send us rain. O Allah, send us rain. O Allah, send us rain.
O Allah, we ask You for a rescuing rain: wholesome, pleasant, pouring generously, beneficial and not harmful, prompt and not delayed. O Allah, a rain of mercy, not a rain of destruction, torment, or drowning.
O Allah, water our hearts with faith and our lands with rain. O Allah, we hope for Your mercy, so do not leave us to ourselves for the blink of an eye. O Allah, give us and do not deprive us, increase us and do not decrease us, favor us and do not favor others over us.
Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.
And peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.
O Allah, grant us safety in our homelands, rectify our leaders and those in charge of our affairs, and place our leadership in the hands of those who fear You, are mindful of You, and follow Your pleasure, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, grant success to our ruler in what You love and are pleased with of sound words and righteous deeds. Our Lord, give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Servants of Allah, remember Allah, and He will remember you; be grateful to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you.
“And the remembering (praising) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising) of Allah in prayers. And Allah knows what you do.” [Al-Ankabut: 45]