[ ▶️ QSSC YouTube Recording ]

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ Indeed, all praise belongs to Allaah. We seek His assistance and we ask His forgiveness. وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا We also seek refuge with Allaah against the ills that we have within ourselves. مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ If Allaah guides any person, none can misguide such an individual; and if He leaves any person in misguidance, none can guide such an individual. وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ In addition, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I testify that Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant and Messenger. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ People who have accepted the truth and complied with it inwardly, you must protect yourselves from Allaah’s punishment with complete protection as you are required to, and you must not ever die except while also submitting to Allaah outwardly. يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً People, you must protect yourselves from the punishment of your One Supreme Lord, who created you from one individual, created from that individual his own spouse, and spread from the two of them multitudes of men and women. وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا In addition, you must protect yourselves from the punishment of Allaah, the One by whom you make requests of each other; and you must also protect yourselves from the punishment incurred by severing the ties of kinship. Indeed, Allaah is always a Witness regarding you Who continually oversees and maintains. يَا  أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا People who have accepted the truth and complied with it, you must protect yourselves from Allaah’s punishment and you must say what is correct. يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ If you do so, Allaah will set your deeds right for you and He will forgive you for your sins. وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا Furthermore, when any person obeys Allaah and His Messenger, that person has surely achieved ultimate success.

إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَأَحْسَنَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ Indeed, the most truthful speech is the Book of Allaah, and the best path is the path of Allaah’s Messenger Muhammad (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection). وَشَرُّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا Furthermore, the worst of things are those that are invented and then claimed to be part of Islaam. وَكُلُّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ Everything that is invented and then claimed to be part of Islaam is called a Bid‘ah; وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ every Bid‘ah is misguidance; وَكُلُّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.

Dear people of Islaam—dear people who submit to Allaah inwardly and outwardly—the more knowledge about Allaah people acquire, the stronger their certainty about the Truth from Allaah becomes. Having knowledge about Allaah’s names and attributes has profound effects at both the individual and collective levels, and that knowledge leads to a fruitful and prosperous life in this world as well as in the Hereafter. Having true Eemaan regarding Allaah’s names and attributes requires knowing their meanings and acting in accordance with what they entail, and we would like to spend some time to review meanings of some of Allaah’s beautiful names, and perhaps also briefly mention a few of the effects that they produce.

We begin with the name اللَّه Allaah. One of the most concise and comprehensive phrases that scholars of Islaam use when explaining the meaning of اللَّه Allaah in Arabic is ذُو الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ وَالْعُبُودِيَّةِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ (He is the only One who has attributes of divinity, which are attributes of absolute majesty and perfection that entitle Him to being deified by all creatures; and He is the only One to whose will and authority all creatures are always subject, and to whom they must devote all of their worship). Allaah is the One whom our hearts must glorify as the One true deity deserving of all worship, by devoting our complete love and reverence to Him. Proper Eemaan regarding the name اللَّه Allaah requires that we devote all worship to Allaah alone, and that we not ascribe any partner to Allaah. However, in this world where we exist, there are people who devote themselves to others besides Allaah; and there are people who seek the fulfilment of their requests, needs, and prayers from others besides Allaah, even though Allaah is the only One who can actually fulfil them. There are people who even resort to things like graves, tombs, and shrines to seek their needs instead of asking Allaah. Even if such individuals called themselves people of Eemaan, the reality is that they do not have proper Eemaan regarding this tremendous name: Allaah (the only One who has attributes of divinity, which are attributes of absolute majesty and perfection that entitle Him to being deified by all creatures; and the only One to whose will and authority all creatures are always subject, and to whom they must devote all of their worship).

Another two of Allaah’s beautiful names are الرَّحْمَن (the Possessor of Limitless Mercy) and الرَّحِيم (the Bestower of Mercy), and both of them are related to His attribute of mercy. All of the blessings that surround us are products of Allaah’s limitless mercy. Among the manifestations of Allaah’s mercy are: sending messengers and sending down scriptures; providing safety, security, prosperity, health, wealth, and offspring; and giving us the night, the day, the rain, and the plants. Allaah is more merciful to His creatures than a loving, caring, and compassionate mother is to her own child. There is neither any blessing that is granted, nor any hardship that is averted, except by Allaah’s limitless mercy, which encompasses all things and creatures.

اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ نَرْجُو O Allaah, it is the mercy of You alone that we hope for. فَلَا تَكِلْنَا إِلَى أَنْفُسِنَا طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ Therefore, we implore You to not leave us to ourselves for even the blink of an eye, وَأَصْلِحْ لَنَا شُؤُونَنَا كُلَّهَا and we implore You to set right for us all matters that pertain to us. لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ None has the right to be worshipped except You.

يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ We call upon You—O Allaah—the Eternally Living, Self-Sufficient Sustainer of everything. بِرَحْمَتِكَ نَسْتَغِيثُ It is by the mercy of You alone that we seek deliverance. وَأَصْلِحْ لَنَا شُؤُونَنَا كُلَّهَا In addition, we implore You to set right for us all matters that pertain to us, وَلَا تَكِلْنَا إِلَى أَنْفُسِنَا طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ أَبَدًا and to not ever leave us to ourselves for even the blink of an eye.

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الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ All praise belongs to Allaah, and may Allaah grant commendation and protection to His Messenger. أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection).

Servants of Allaah, among the leading scholars of Islaam, there was one who was commonly known as Abul-Qaasim al-Asbahaanee. He passed away in the year 535h—corresponding to 1141ce—and we beseech Allaah to grant him immense mercy. One of Abul-Qaasim al-Asbahaanee’s books is entitled al-Hujjah fee Bayaan al-Mahajjah; and in it (1/123), he mentioned that some of the scholars had said: يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ أَنْ يَعْرِفُوا أَسْمَاءَ اللَّهِ وَتَفْسِيرَهَا فَيُعَظِّمُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ عَظَمَتِهِ People of Islaam should know the names of Allaah as well as their meanings, so that they can then revere Allaah as He rightfully deserves due to His absolute magnificence. وَلَوْ أَرَادَ رَجُلٌ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ أَوْ يُزَوِّجَهُ أَوْ يُعَامِلَهُ When a man wants to marry someone’s daughter, marry off his own daughter to someone, or conduct any sort of deal with someone, طَلَبَ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ اسْمَهُ وَكُنْيَتَهُ وَاسْمَ أَبِيهِ وَجَدِّهِ وَسَأَلَ عَنْ صَغِيرِ أَمْرِهِ وَكَبِيرِهِ he seeks to know that person’s name, that person’s Kunyah, the name of that person’s father, and even the name of that person’s grandfather; and he tries to find out every major and minor detail about that person. فَاللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَنَا وَرَزَقَنَا وَنَحْنُ نَرْجُو رَحْمَتَهُ وَنَخَافُ مِنْ سَخَطِهِ أَوْلَى أَنْ نَعْرِفَ أَسْمَاءَهُ وَنَعْرِفَ تَفْسِيرَهَا Therefore, since Allaah created us, He provides for us, we hope for His mercy, and we fear Him being displeased with us—He is even more deserving of us knowing what His names are, as well as what His names mean.” (End of remark cited by Abul-Qaasim al-Asbahaanee, may Allaah have mercy upon him).

In the initial portion of this sermon, mention preceded about the names “Allaah”, “ar-Rahmaan” (the Possessor of Limitless Mercy), and “ar-Raheem” (the Bestower of Mercy); along with some very brief elaboration about a few of the effects that those names should have in our lives. Also among the names of Allaah are: السَّمِيع (the All-Hearing) and الْبَصِير (the All-Seeing). There is nothing that is concealed from Allaah’s hearing or Allaah’s sight. Allaah Himself told us: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ There is most certainly nothing throughout the Earth or the heavens that is hidden from Allaah [3:5]. Allaah further told us: يَعْلَمُ خَائِنَةَ الْأَعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِي الصُّدُورُ He knows every glance that people steal and everything that people’s hearts harbour. [40:19]. Allaah also said: وَإِنْ تَجْهَرْ بِالْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى Whether you speak out loud or conceal things within yourself, Allaah certainly knows what is hidden as well as all that is even more concealed than that [20:7]. Allaah sees every glance that we steal, and every blink of our eyelids. Allaah knows, sees, and hears every obscure and hidden thing. Thus, none is worthy of worship except Allaah, and we have no Supreme Lord besides Him. When people wish to contend with Allaah by disobeying Him, do they think that He cannot see them? Do they think that when they are concealed from the sight of other people, they are also concealed from Allaah’s sight? Whenever you are alone with a sin in the dark, and your soul calls you to commit it, be ashamed to do so while Allaah is watching, and tell your soul that the One who created the darkness most certainly sees you even while you are surrounded by it. Allaah sees and hears everything throughout His creation, whether concealed from people or apparent to them. Furthermore, always remember that the essence of Ihsaan (worshipping Allaah in the best way) is to worship Allaah as though you could see Him, and although you cannot see Him in this world, you must bear in mind that He always sees you.

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْهَرَمِ وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ O Allaah, we earnestly seek refuge with You against helplessness, laziness, cowardice, stinginess, senility, and torment in the grave. اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نُفُوسَنَا تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلَاهَا O Allaah, we implore You to grant our souls the inspiration that they require in order to remain protected from Your punishment. We also implore You to purify our souls; You are the best to purify them. You are the One who has complete control of them, and supreme guardianship over them. اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ، وَمِنْ قُلُوبٍ لَا تَخْشَعُ، وَمِنْ نُفُوسٍ لَا تَشْبَعُ، وَمِنْ دَعَوَاتٍ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا O Allaah, we earnestly seek refuge with You against having knowledge that does not benefit us, against having hearts that are not humble towards You, against having souls that are not satisfied, and against prayers that are not answered.

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[ ▶️ QSSC YouTube Recording ]

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ Indeed, all praise belongs to Allaah. We praise Him and we seek His assistance. مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ If Allaah guides any person, none can misguide such an individual; and if He leaves any person in misguidance, none can guide such an individual. وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ In addition, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, without any partner, and that Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant and Messenger.

Servants of Allaah, knowing about Allaah is the most exalted type of knowledge that one can have. All areas of knowledge pale in comparison to knowledge about Allaah. This is exactly why Allaah instructed His Prophet (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection), فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ “You are to have knowledge of the fact that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah.” [47:19]. The esteemed leading scholar of Islaam, al-Imaam at-Tabaree (may Allaah have mercy upon him), commented that this essentially means that Allaah was saying: Muhammad, you must realize that there is no deity besides Allaah who deserves worship, is fit to be worshipped, or is permissible for you or any other creature to worship. Allaah is the One who brought all of creation into existence, and has complete ownership and control of all things. Everything besides Him submits to Him as its One Supreme Lord. (End of remark from at-Tabaree, may Allaah have mercy upon him). 

Thus, the greatest of all things that a person can have knowledge about is Allaah—the One who is his Lord, Creator, and Maker; as well as his Lord’s attributes of absolute majesty and perfection. Again, most certainly, the best thing that people can know about is their One Supreme Lord who originated them, as well as His perfect, sublime, beautiful attributes. The excellence that any branch of knowledge holds corresponds to the excellence of its subject matter, and this is why knowing about Allaah, His names, and His attributes is the best type of knowledge that one can have. True Eemaan (acceptance of the Truth and compliance with it), true Tawheed (affirmation of Allaah’s uniqueness), and the essence of the correct ‘Aqeedah (sound unwavering beliefs) all necessitate accepting and complying with the truth regarding Allaah’s beautiful names and exalted attributes. The more sound knowledge people have about Allaah, the more they would fear Allaah with understanding; and the people who have the most fear of Allaah with understanding are the ones who have the most knowledge about Allaah, His names, and His attributes.

My dear brothers sisters who all strive to hold sound beliefs: we know that Allaah created His servants in order for them to worship Him alone. However, how can they possibly worship Him without knowing Him? It is an absolute must for them to know Him in order to fulfil the very purpose and wisdom behind their existence in this world. We must realize that devoting attention to knowing Allaah amounts to devoting attention to the purpose for which Allaah created His servants; and on the other hand, when people neglect to know Allaah, that amounts to them neglecting the purpose for which they were created. Allaah’s blessings and grace shower upon us continuously. It is, therefore, a reflection of utter disdain for people to remain ignorant about their One Supreme Lord, and neglect to learn about Him, His names, and His attributes.

When it comes to Allaah’s names, one important point concerning having sound beliefs about them is that we must hold the unwavering belief that all of Allaah’s names are the best of names. Allaah (the Almighty and Most Majestic) said, اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى “Allaah is the only One deserving of worship. None has the right to be worshipped except Him. To Him alone belong the best names” [20:8]. This means that Allaah’s names are the absolute best and there is nothing better than them, since they express Allaah’s majesty and perfection. Therefore, they are the best and most complete of names, and this is the belief that we must hold because Allaah Himself has told us so.

A second important point concerning sound beliefs about Allaah’s names is that they are only known from the texts of Islaam. This means that it is not correct for us to name Allaah with anything besides the names used by Allaah Himself and the names used by Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection). We can understand this from an authentic Hadeeth, which mentions that the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) had said the following words at certain times when he supplicated Allaah: “أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ I implore You by every name that You have— سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ whether You named Yourself with it; أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ or You taught it to any individual among Your creation; أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ or You sent it down in Your scriptures; أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ or You kept it as part of the knowledge that is imperceptible to us, which only You have.” From this, we can understand that the names being used to call upon Allaah are the ones that He has given us knowledge of, whether through His own speech or through the speech of His Messenger (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection). In other words, we can only come to know what Allaah’s names are by way of the Qur’aan and the authentic Sunnah.

The aforementioned Hadeeth also leads to a third important point about sound beliefs regarding Allaah’s names, and that is: there are names of Allaah that He has given us knowledge of, and there are also names Allaah has that He has not given us knowledge of; however, among all the names that Allaah has, there are ninety-nine of them that carry very special importance and Allaah has given us knowledge of those ninety-nine among all of His names. In the foregoing Hadeeth, the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) drew attention to names that Allaah has kept as part of the knowledge that is imperceptible to us, which only Allaah has. That came in the portion of the supplication that said أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ “or You kept it as part of the knowledge that is imperceptible to us, which only You have.” From this we can understand that there are names of Allaah that He has not given us knowledge of. As for the ninety-nine among Allaah’s names, which carry special importance for us, their importance is clarified by an authentic Hadeeth in which the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “There are indeed ninety-nine names that Allaah has; one less than a hundred. If someone encompasses them, he would be admitted to Paradise.” The meaning of encompassing Allaah’s names as mentioned in this Hadeeth includes learning their wordings and their meanings, as well as worshipping Allaah based on what they dictate. We will briefly elaborate on that in the remainder of this sermon, if Allaah wills.

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All praise belongs to Allaah, and may Allaah grant commendation and protection to His Messenger. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.

Dear people of Eemaan—dear people who strive to accept and comply with the Truth from Allaah, inwardly and outwardly—a Hadeeth of the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) was cited earlier in which he said, “There are indeed ninety-nine names that Allaah has; one less than a hundred. If someone encompasses them, he would be admitted to Paradise.” There are several things that are meant by encompassing those names of Allaah:

Encompassing the ninety-nine names of Allaah referred to includes having the correct beliefs about those names, memorizing the wordings and meanings of those names, using those names to seek one’s needs from Allaah, using those names to glorify Allaah, praising Allaah for being the One described by all of those names, and acting in compliance with what is indicated by the meanings of those names.

Encompassing the ninety-nine names of Allaah referred to also includes adopting the qualities that are understood from certain names, and that are appropriate for a person to adopt and emulate. For instance, Allaah has the names الرَّحِيمُ ar-Raheem (the Bestower of mercy) and الْكَرِيمُ al-Kareem (the Most Generous). Thus, an individual can train himself to be merciful and generous in ways that befit him as a created being.

Encompassing the ninety-nine names of Allaah referred to also includes humbling oneself to the qualities that are understood from certain names, and that would not be appropriate for a person to emulate. For instance, Allaah has the names الْجَبَّارُ al-Jabbaar (understood in this context to carry the meaning of the One who overpowers all else), الْعَظِيمُ al-‘Atheem (the Most Magnificent), and الْمُتَكَبِّرُ al-Mutakabbir (the One whose greatness is absolute). These necessitate being humble towards them, not seeking to adopt such qualities for oneself or emulate them.

Encompassing the ninety-nine names of Allaah referred to also includes hoping for the goodness that is understood from certain names. For instance, Allaah has the names الْغَفُورُ al-Ghafoor (the Continually Forgiving), الشَّكُورُ ash-Shakoor (the One who continually accepts from His servants deeds that are small, and gives a plentiful recompense for them), الْعَفُوُّ al-‘Afoo (the Continually Pardoning), الرَّؤُوفُ ar-Ra’oof (the Most Kind), الْحَلِيمُ al-Haleem (the Most Forbearing), الْجَوَادُ al-Jawaad (the Most Giving), and الْكَرِيمُ al-Kareem (the Most Generous). One should hope to attain from Allaah what these names indicate. 

Encompassing the ninety-nine names of Allaah referred to also includes fearing the threat understood from certain ways in which Allaah described Himself. For instance, Allaah said He is شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ Shadeed al-‘Iqaab (severe in punishment), سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ Saree‘ al-Hisaab (swift in reckoning), and عَزِيزٌ ذُو انْتِقَامٍ ‘Azeezun Thuntiqaam (Almighty and completely able to exact retribution). One should be fearful of having any of these threats apply to himself. 

Encompassing the ninety-nine names of Allaah referred to also includes always bearing in mind the meanings of those names, and giving each of the names its due right by understanding it properly and worshipping Allaah according to it. This involves acting in compliance with what their meanings indicate, as mentioned earlier, along with even more. For instance, if a person constantly bears in mind Allaah’s highness and being above all of His creation, that person is to submit to Allaah and worship Him based on those descriptions. This takes place by the person always remaining humble towards Allaah, standing before Allaah as a worshipping servant, and being ashamed of having any word or deed of his ascend to Allaah that would incur Allaah’s wrath and lead to disgrace. 

The preceding are some of the main aspects of having sound beliefs about Allaah’s names, and we beseech Allaah to make us people who worship Him in the best way and who use His names to call upon Him correctly.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا عَبِيدُكَ، وَبَنُو عَبِيدِكَ، وَبَنُو إِمَائِكَ O Allaah, We are indeed Your servants. We are also the children of Your male servants, and the children of Your female servants. نَوَاصِينَا بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِينَا حُكْمُكَ The front portion of our heads lie in Your hand, such that You have complete authority over us. عَدْلٌ فِينَا قَضَاؤُكَ What always remains in effect concerning us is Your judgment. True justice concerning us lies in all that You decree. نَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ We implore You by every name that You have— سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ whether You named Yourself with it, أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ or You taught it to any individual among Your creation, أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ or You sent it down in Your scriptures, أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ or You kept it as part of the knowledge that is imperceptible to us, which only You have— أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قُلُوبِنَا We implore You to make the Qur’aan the springtime for our hearts, وَنُورَ صُدُورِنَا the light of our chests, وَجِلَاءَ أَحْزَانِنَا the removal of our sorrows, ‌وَذَهَابَ ‌هُمُومِنَا and the departure of our anxieties.

اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ، أَحْيِنَا مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْرًا لَنَا، وَتَوَفَّنَا إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْرًا لَنَا We seek means to You, O Allaah, by Your limitless knowledge regarding all that is imperceptible to people, and by Your limitless ability to do anything that You want with all that You have created. We implore You to let us stay alive for as long as You know that life would be better for us, and We implore You to let us die if You know that death would be better for us. اللَّهُمَّ وَنَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ O Allaah, we also ask You to let us fear You with understanding, regarding everything about us that people cannot see and everything that they can see as well. وَنَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ We also ask You to let us say the truth whether we are pleased or angry, and whether saying it causes people to become pleased with us or angry with us. وَنَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْفَقْرِ وَالْغِنَى We also ask You to let us remain soundly balanced whether we are in circumstances of neediness or affluence. وَنَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيمًا لَا يَنْفَدُ We also ask You to let us have blessings that will not be depleted. وَنَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ We also ask You to let us have that which brings us endless happiness when our eyes behold it. وَنَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضَا بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ We also ask You to let us be pleased after You bring into being anything that You have preordained. وَنَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ We also ask You to let us find a life of relaxation after death. وَنَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ We also ask You to let us have the delight of seeing Your face in the Hereafter, and to let us continue longing to meet You. فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ We implore You to grant us the preceding without any hardship that causes us harm, and without any test that causes us to stray from the truth. اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الإِيمَانِ، وَاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ O Allaah, we implore You to adorn us with the beauty that lies in accepting the truth from You and complying with it; and we implore You to let us be conveyors of sound guidance, who themselves follow that guidance as well.

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[ ▶️ QSSC YouTube Recording ]

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ Indeed, all praise belongs to Allaah. نَحْمَدُهُ، وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ، وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ We praise Him, we seek His assistance, and we ask His forgiveness. وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا، وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا We also seek refuge with Allaah against the ills that we have within ourselves, and against the sins that we perpetrate outwardly. مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ If Allaah guides any person, none can misguide such an individual; and if He leaves any person in misguidance, none can guide such an individual. وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ In addition, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, without any partner, and I testify that Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant and Messenger. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا People who have accepted the truth and complied with it inwardly, اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ you must protect yourselves from Allaah’s punishment with complete protection as you are required to, وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ and you must not ever die except while also submitting to Allaah outwardly. يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ People, اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً you must protect yourselves from the punishment of your One Supreme Lord, who created you from one individual, created from that individual his own spouse, and spread from the two of them multitudes of men and women. وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ In addition, you must protect yourselves from the punishment of Allaah, the One by whom you make requests of each other; and you must also protect yourselves from the punishment incurred by severing the ties of kinship. إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا Indeed, Allaah is always a Witness regarding you Who continually oversees and maintains. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا People who have accepted the truth and complied with it, اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا you must protect yourselves from Allaah’s punishment and you must say what is correct. يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ If you do so, Allaah will set your deeds right for you and He will forgive you for your sins. وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا Furthermore, when any person obeys Allaah and His Messenger, that person has surely achieved ultimate success. 

أَمَّا بَعْدُ As for what follows that introduction: فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ Truly, the best speech is the Book of Allaah, وَخَيْرُ الْهُدَى هُدَى مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ and the best guidance is the guidance of Allaah’s Messenger Muhammad (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection). وَشَرُّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا In contrast, the worst of things are those that are invented and then claimed to be part of Islaam, وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ and everything that is invented and then claimed to be part of Islaam is misguidance.

Dear people of Islaam, nothing is finer than speaking about Allaah, and no subject should be more desirable than one that contains praise for Allaah. That is what brings the soul healing and happiness, and that is what rids the soul of sorrow and fear. In light of that, we should examine ourselves by asking: How much of our lives has gone to waste while we were preoccupied with matters of relatively trivial importance? How many hours have passed us by while we were engaged in distractions and in words of relatively little value? We would find that we have been overly heedless when it comes to mentioning our One Supreme Lord and knowing Him; and we should certainly feel great remorse over any missed opportunities when it comes to finding solace with Allaah, and living our moments of life in this world while being mindful of Allaah. The righteous individuals who have overtaken us in drawing near to Allaah have not done so only because of much fasting, prayer, and charity; rather, it was because of things that took firm root in their hearts and became firmly established within their souls. Those things are: having deep and sound knowledge about the One Supreme Lord over all of creation, being strongly attached to Him, and having strong love for Him.

Servants of Allaah, there are two general types of knowledge about Allaah:

The first category basically entails acknowledgement of who Allaah is; and very many people have this knowledge, even those who may worship others besides Allaah. This type of knowledge does not provide people with success or salvation if it does not lead them to affirm Allaah’s uniqueness, and if it does not move their hearts to have true love for Allaah and to devote all worship purely to Him alone.

The second type of knowledge about Allaah entails things that are beyond acknowledgement of who He is. This second type of knowledge is one that fills people’s hearts with reverence for Allaah and which, in turn, leads them to make Allaah the only One to whom they direct all of their worship, the only One to whom they devote their complete love, the only One in whom they place complete hope, the only One towards whom they have complete fear with understanding, the only One from whom they seek all assistance, and the only One upon whom they place complete reliance.

When people have knowledge like that, they would always feel near to their One Supreme Maker and Guardian. They would not have utmost fear of anyone except Allaah; they would not place utmost hope in anyone except Allaah; they would not be completely subservient to anyone besides the One who owns and controls everything about them; and they would not make anything their utmost concern and priority besides pleasing their One Supreme Lord (the Absolutely Flawless). All of those qualities would come together to make life for them pleasant and untainted. Neither would they be sad over what may have passed them by, nor would they be conceited due to what they already have. They would not be unsettled by circumstances around them; they would not be shaken by adversities; and their focus on Allaah would not be diverted by people who lack certainty about the Truth from Allaah.

There are two general types of knowledge about Allaah: one type is basically knowing who Allaah is, but not necessarily being moved by that knowledge to do anything further; and this type of knowledge does not lead to salvation in the Hereafter. The second type of knowledge includes knowing who Allaah is as well, but in such a way that we are moved by that knowledge—both inwardly and outwardly—so that we accept all that Allaah wants us to hold as our beliefs; we do all that Allaah has commanded us to do; and we avoid all that Allaah has prohibited us from doing. This type of knowledge is the one that produces its desired fruits, and it is this knowledge that leads to salvation in the Hereafter.

To conclude the first portion of this sermon, we would like to cite an authentic Hadeeth that was narrated by Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him). He narrated that Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection) had once said to some of his Companions, أَتُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تَجْتَهِدُوا فِي الدُّعَاءِ؟ Would you like to go to great lengths in supplicating Allaah? قُولُوا Say the following supplication: اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنَّا عَلَى شُكْرِكَ وَذِكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ O Allaah, we implore You to assist us in being grateful to You, mentioning You, and worshipping You in the best way. 

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الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ All praise belongs to Allaah. وًأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ In addition, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ and I testify that Muhammad (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection) is the Messenger of Allaah.

Servants of Allaah, there are three factors that can provide people with the greatest of assistance when it comes to having proper knowledge about Allaah, having a strong attachment to Allaah, and having Eemaan and certainty take root in the heart firmly. These three factors have tremendous effects upon our hearts when we are keen on ensuring their presence; and when we remain that way and persevere in doing so until our One Supreme Lord makes us among the individuals whom He specially chooses to grant His favour.

[1] Servants of Allaah, the first among the three factors is to constantly examine and contemplate the Aayaat of Allaah that are recited, and that we can hear. This refers to the Aayaat of the magnificent Qur’aan, and they are among the greatest means by which a person attains Eemaan, certainty, and sound knowledge. Our One Supreme Lord (the Absolutely Flawless) said, كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ Messenger of Allaah, this is a Book that We have sent down to you, replete with blessings; لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ in order for people to contemplate its evidences, وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ and in order for people of sound intellect to take heed [38:29]. Furthermore, to attain the benefits mentioned, people need to ensure that their hearts are present while they recite the Qur’aan; their recitation should be clearly articulated and relatively slow; they should contemplate the meanings of the Aayaat (evidences from Allaah) that they recite; and they are to have sound understanding of what those Aayaat mean and prove. This is what brings about optimal benefit for people’s hearts and souls. The first factor was constantly examining and contemplating the Aayaat of Allaah that we hear as they are recited from the Qur’aan.

[2] Servants of Allaah, the second among the three factors is to constantly examine and contemplate the Aayaat of Allaah that are witnessed throughout His creation. This refers to the evidences from Allaah that can be seen throughout His dominion that spans all of the heavens and the Earth. It refers to the incredible things Allaah has created within people themselves, as well as the things that Allaah has put in the world around them. Reflecting upon these evidences gives people certainty about the truth from Allaah, as well as strong Eemaan (acceptance of the Truth and compliance with it) and sound knowledge about their One Supreme Lord. Contemplating such evidences was an approach used by Allaah’s Prophets and Messengers. For instance, Allaah told us about how His Prophet Ibraaheem (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection) had contemplated Allaah’s evidences in various remarkable things that Allaah created, as well as how His Prophet Ibraaheem used that to establish Tawheed (Allaah’s uniqueness) and to prove that none deserves to be worshipped except Allaah alone. Our One Supreme Lord said, وَكَذَلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ And just as We—Allaah—had shown the Prophet Ibraaheem the truth regarding various things, We further show him Our vast dominion spanning the heavens and the Earth so that he could use that as evidence, وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ and so that he would be among those who have complete certainty about Our uniqueness and Our limitless ability [6:75]. Additionally, the Prophet Ibraaheem had said after that, إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ Indeed, I devote myself purely to Allaah alone, the Originator of the heavens and the Earth. حَنِيفًا I do that while inclining towards Allaah’s uniqueness, and away from worshipping others besides Him; وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ and I am not among those who ascribe partners to Allaah [6:79]. The second factor was constantly examining and contemplating the Aayaat of Allaah that we witness throughout His creation.

[3] Servants of Allaah, the third among the three factors is making consistent mention of Allaah by declaring His perfection, declaring that none has the right to be worshipped except Him, declaring that He is greater than everything else, praising Him, and seeking His forgiveness at all times. Consistent mention of Allaah in such ways provides His servants with impenetrable defense against various ills; and it fills their hearts with love for Allaah, penitence towards Allaah, pure devotion to Allaah, and the awareness that Allaah is always near to His obedient servants and that He is with them as well. Consistent mention of Allaah also provides His servants with strength in their bodies, hearts, and minds; and it prompts them to actively use their limbs for performing righteous deeds. Mentioning Allaah is life for the heart, soul, and body; and someone who does not make mention of Allaah is like a person who is deceased, or a structure that lays in ruins. Furthermore, the Prophet (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection) would not let his tongue cease to be engaged in mentioning Allaah, and he would make mention of Allaah throughout all circumstances that he was in. When servants of Allaah keep their tongues moist with mentioning Allaah, He grants them His assistance, His support, and His defense. This is because Allaah is with His servant whenever that servant mentions Him and whenever that servant’s two lips move due to mentioning Him.

Servants of Allaah, the aforementioned three factors strengthen people’s knowledge about Allaah, and they strengthen how firmly certainty about the truth from Allaah is rooted within them. Allaah (the Most Exalted) brought all of those factors together when He said, إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ Indeed, the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the alternation of night and day, contain evidences for people of sound understanding. الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ Those are individuals who mention Allaah whether they are standing, sitting, or lying on their sides; وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ and they contemplate the creation of the heavens and the Earth, which leads them to supplicate Allaah by saying: رَبَّنَا Our One Supreme Lord, مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا You have not brought this into existence aimlessly. سُبْحَانَكَ We declare that You are Absolutely Flawless. فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ Thus, we beseech You to protect us against the torment of the hellfire [3:190-191]. These are Aayaat (evidences from Allaah) that are recited from the Qur’aan; they make reference to contemplating various Aayaat (evidences from Allaah) that can be witnessed throughout creation; and they also make reference to mentioning Allaah (the Absolutely Flawless).

اللَّهُمَّ نَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ O Allaah, we seek refuge, by way of You being pleased with us, against You being displeased with us; وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ and by way of You pardoning us, against You punishing us. وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ We also seek refuge, by way of You Yourself, against You Yourself. لَا نُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ We cannot encompass even a single instance of the repeated praise that You deserve. أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ You are as You have repeatedly praised Yourself.

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنَّا عَلَى شُكْرِكَ وَذِكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ O Allaah, we implore You to assist us in being grateful to You, mentioning You, and worshipping You in the best way.

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[ ▶️ QSSC YouTube Recording ]

Indeed, all praise belongs to Allaah. Allaah enlightened the hearts of His obedient servants by guiding them to love Him. Allaah enlightened the insight of His obedient servants with the knowledge and wisdom that He granted them. Allaah also astounded the minds of His obedient servants with His limitless ability. I praise Allaah, as He is perfect in every way. I am grateful to Him, I glorify Him, and I declare His absolute majesty. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, without any partner. He is the Almighty Sovereign who is absolutely flawless. I further bear witness that Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant, Allaah’s chosen Messenger, and Allaah’s Khaleel (i.e. an individual whom Allaah favoured immensely and whom Allaah granted a degree of love greater than what He granted to others). That servant and Messenger of Allaah was the most knowledgeable of people about his One Supreme Lord; he had the most reverential fear of his One Supreme Lord; he observed Taqwaa of Allaah most; and he had the purest soul among all people. O Allaah, we beseech You to grant Salaah and Salaam (commendation and protection) to Your Messenger, to his esteemed family, to his noble Companions, and to all who continue to follow their path.

Dear Muslims—dear people who strive to submit to Allaah inwardly and outwardly—happiness is a state that is felt by the heart and the soul. It is something that basically comes about when a person attains something that he wants, or when a desire of his is satisfied. There are many things in life that can make a person happy, and they vary based on people’s ideas, convictions, and motives. The majority of people may be unmindful of the fact that there is a happiness unmatched by anything in this world that they so ardently desire and pursue. There is a type of happiness that is extraordinary, and it brings remarkable delight to the heart and soul when it permeates them. That happiness comes from being happy with Allaah.

Being happy with our One Supreme Lord entails being happy with Allaah Himself; being happy with all that comes from Allaah; being happy with Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection); being happy with Allaah’s directives; being happy with the Qur’aan; being happy with the Sunnah; and being happy with the various acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, charity, and all acts of goodness that please Allaah. 

Being happy with all of that is true happiness. It brings delight to the soul, it continues without coming to an end, and anyone who has not tasted its sweetness has not tasted any true blessing. Allaah told His Messenger (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection), وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ The people who accept the truth among those whom We gave prior scriptures are happy due to all of the revelation that has been sent down to you [13:36]. 

Allaah (the Absolutely Flawless) also said in reference to the Qur’aan, يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ People, there has indeed come to you exhortation from the One Supreme Lord over all of you; وَشِفَاءٌ لِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ and there has come to you healing for the ills within your chests; وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ and there has also come to you guidance, as well as mercy for the people who accept the Truth from Allaah and comply with it. قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا Messenger of Allaah, tell the people that them being granted the bounty and mercy of Allaah is what they must feel happy about. هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ It is better than anything of this world that they can amass for themselves. [10:57-58]. The majority of the scholars of Tafseer (explanation of the Qur’aan’s meanings) have explained that the bounty of Allaah referred to here is Islaam, and the mercy of Allaah referred to here is the Qur’aan. In other words, it is as though Allaah is saying to us: Be happy with Islaam and with the Qur’aan. That is what should truly make you happy, and it is better than all the things of this world that people can amass for themselves.

Being happy with Allaah is an incredible act of worship that people may sometimes neglect to keep in mind and neglect to remind others about. Consequently, being happy with all that draws us nearer to Allaah becomes an act of worship that is forgotten even though it is what can cure the ailments of our souls; it can remedy the sorrows of our hearts; it can strengthen our bodies; and it can rid us from the ills of boredom or fatigue. The renowned leading scholar of Islaam, ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy upon him) commented that being happy with Allaah is one of the most important stages through which a person progresses as they proceed along the path of completing their Eemaan (acceptance of the Truth from Allaah and compliance with it). People should feel happy with Allaah due to them being worshipping servants towards Him, and having love for Him; and they should feel happy with Allaah (the Absolutely Flawless) as the One Supreme Lord over all of them, the One to whom they direct all of their worship, the One who grants them all blessings, and the One who nurtures them in all ways. (End of remark from ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him).

Servants of Allaah, being happy with Allaah—which entails being happy to say all of the words that please Him, and perform all of the deeds that please Him—consoles people of Eemaan throughout the struggles of life, and provides the most effective means of putting the heart at ease and enabling it to accept the Truth from Allaah. Being happy with Allaah is the greatest delight that hearts can feel and the greatest sweetness that souls can taste. It is among the foremost things that Allaah loves for us to have, and it is among the foremost things that can raise the rank of those who inculcate it within themselves. People need to remain certain that they have One Supreme Lord who regulates all things, owns all things, provides for all people, is in control of all matters, and is capable of doing everything that He wants to do. When people are certain of that, their hearts would be at ease, and they would find unparalleled happiness with that One Supreme Lord. Furthermore, the happiness of such people would last for as long as they continue to maintain that certainty throughout all circumstances in which they find themselves; and no matter how difficult people may find any struggle that they engage in for the purpose of pleasing Allaah and obeying Him, they must always remember that Allaah has said: وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا And regarding those who have struggled for Us—Allaah—We will most surely guide them to the paths that lead to Us. وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ And Allaah is surely with those who strive to worship Him in the best way and deal with His servants in the best manner. [29:69].

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All praise belongs to Allaah, the One Supreme Lord over all of creation. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I testify that Muhammad (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection) is the Messenger of Allaah.

Dear servants of Allaah: a person who strives to complete his Eemaan—by doing what is obligatory and going beyond that to also do what is supererogatory—should feel happy when he knows that Allaah is with him and that Allaah sees him, hears his words, and supports him. Such a person should feel happy when reciting His Lord’s words; contemplating their meanings; and seeking strength, certainty, and assistance from them. Such a person should feel happy due to Allaah granting him blessings; and due to Allaah guiding him to be steadfast in adhering to Allaah’s religion, steadfast in obeying Allaah, and steadfast in staying away from disobeying Allaah—especially at times when many people fall victim to doubts and turmoil, treat Allaah’s obligations lightly, or belittle well-established principles of Islaam.

A person who strives to complete his Eemaan—someone who aims to complete his acceptance of the Truth from Allaah, and his compliance with that Truth inwardly and outwardly—should feel happy due to the fact that Allaah has made him a member of the Ummah of the greatest Messenger whom Allaah sent, that being the Prophet Muhammad (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection). A person of Eemaan should feel happy due to the fact that Allaah blessed him to follow that Messenger’s Sunnah and guidance, since there are many people who have not been blessed in that way—they have invented things and claimed that they are part of Allaah’s religion when, in reality, Allaah never permitted them, and they contradict the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection). Such people have strayed from what is correct in this life, perhaps even thinking that what they do is correct, and that will have detrimental results in the Hereafter; thus, we implore Allaah to grant all of us His guidance and to keep us away from all that is detrimental.

A person who strives to complete his Eemaan should feel happy when he is genuinely humble towards others, when he is merciful to them, when he extends kindness to them, when he helps them with their needs, when he feeds the hungry among them, when he settles their debts, and when he is able to provide them with assistance at times of adversities or disasters. He should feel happy when he struggles to keep his heart clean from the impurities of malice, spite, rancour, arrogance, and bigotry.

A woman who strives to complete her Eemaan should feel happy about her modesty, her chastity, her Hijaab, her obedience to her husband if she is married, and her being in her home as a place of protection from various ills that may be present outside. If she is in a position of caring for others and imparting good things to them through her words and her actions—whether she is a mother or otherwise—she should feel happy to fulfil a continuous responsibility that Allaah has blessed her with in this life: the responsibility of educating the coming generation, raising true men and women, and shaping role models who deserve to be emulated.

The aforementioned aspects of happiness, along with many others, all come from being happy with Allaah and with all that pleases Him. Thus, when a person strives for his Eemaan to become closer and closer to completion, he experiences indescribable happiness throughout his life. Being happy with Allaah is one of the greatest channels to worshipping Allaah in the best way and dealing with His servants in the best manner. This is because being happy with Allaah is the product of many magnificent components of Eemaan including having love for Allaah, being pleased with Allaah, having certainty about the truth from Allaah, persevering for the sake of Allaah, and expecting the best from Allaah. No greater honour can be conferred upon people than them being individuals whose hearts are full of happiness with their Originator and their One Supreme Guardian Lord.

Servants of Allaah, nothing should ever prevent us from being happy with our One Supreme Lord whose mercy encompasses all things; who provides us with guidance to the channels that please Him; who fulfils our needs; and who gives us shelter, food, and drink. He is immensely kind and merciful to us. Therefore, should we not have utmost love for Him, and should we not be happy with Him? Servants of Allaah, bear in mind that Allaah is near and has full knowledge of everything. Expect the best from Allaah because He will be to His obedient servant as that servant expects Him to be. Seek what is with Allaah so that you would not be in need of what people have; that is where true richness and contentment lie. Occupy yourselves with mentioning Allaah, and reciting Allaah’s speech with understanding and compliance. When you do these things, your days would be filled with true happiness.

Servants of Allaah, nothing should ever prevent us from being happy with Allaah’s Messenger either (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection). He was the most honourable of all people to Allaah, and he was sent as mercy and guidance for all of creation. You should endeavour to read and study his Sunnah, and to make knowing about his life part of your life. Servants of Allaah, follow the path of that Messenger, because it is completely sufficient for you; love that Messenger as the Companions loved him, without any excessiveness or negligence; and keep in mind that the things that were disliked most by Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection) were extremism, excessiveness in praise, and beliefs or practices that people invent and then claim to be part of his path.

Dear Ummah of Islaam, be happy with Allaah’s favour and mercy. Islaam is a religion of ease and devoting all worship to Allaah alone. It is a religion that brings happiness. It does not advocate restrictiveness or sorrow; on the contrary, sorrow is mentioned in the Qur’aan as something that people must not dwell on. Therefore, you should focus on Allaah’s favours to you, expect the best from Allaah when you obey Him, be pleased with what Allaah grants you, remain hopeful and optimistic, and do not lose hope or fall victim to grief. When people are happy with Allaah, they would not grieve over what passed them by, despair about the present, or be upset with any circumstances. When people are happy with Allaah, they would not panic due to adversity, they would not surrender to anybody, they would not give up just because of the first difficulty that they face, and they would not be shaken by events around them. Throughout each day and night, Allaah—the One Supreme Lord over all of creation—assists those individuals, supports them, and guides them. Allaah allows such individuals to find contentment and solace with Him, He provides their souls with nourishment that makes them forget every difficulty and sorrow, and He guides them to have love for Him that is greater than their love for anything else. Allaah said, وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْدَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ And among the people, there are some who take others besides Allaah as rivals to Him: such people love those rivals as they love Allaah. وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ However, the people who have accepted the Truth and complied with it love Allaah more than anything else. [2:165].

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ، وَتَرْكَ الْمُنْكَرَاتِ، وَحُبَّ الْمَسَاكِينِ O Allaah, we earnestly implore You for guidance that leads us to do many things that are good, to avoid things that are unacceptable, and to have love for the needy. وَأَنْ تَغْفِرَ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمَنَا We also earnestly implore You to grant us forgiveness and to grant us mercy; وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ فِتْنَةً فِي قَوْمٍ فَتَوَفَّنَا غَيْرَ مَفْتُونِينَ and if You want to afflict any set of people with a trial, we earnestly implore You to allow us to die without being afflicted with such a trial. وَنَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ، وَحُبَّ عَمَلٍ يُقَرِّبُ إِلَى حُبِّكَ In addition, we implore You to enable us to have love for You, to have love for the people who love You, and to have love for any action that brings us nearer to having love for You.

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[ ▶️ QSSC YouTube Recording ]

Indeed, all praise belongs to Allaah. We praise Him and we seek His assistance. If Allaah guides any person, none can misguide such an individual; and if Allaah leaves any person in misguidance, none can guide such an individual. In addition, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, without any partner, and I testify that Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant and Messenger.

As for what follows that introduction: Indeed, the best of things is the Book of Allaah, and the best path is the path of Allaah’s Messenger Muhammad (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection). In contrast, the worst of things are those that are invented and then claimed to be part of Islaam, and everything that is invented and then claimed to be part of Islaam is misguidance.

Dear Muslims, when scholars of Islaam discuss Tawheed (recognizing Allaah’s uniqueness), some of them may use a term such as تَوْحِيدُ الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَالْإِثْبَاتِ Tawheed al-Ma‘rifah wal-Ithbaat (recognizing Allaah’s uniqueness in a way that entails knowledge and affirmation). They may use that term in reference to the perhaps more familiar terms تَوْحِيدُ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah and تَوْحِيدُ الْأَسْمَاءِ وَالصِّفَاتِ Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat: Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah (Allaah’s uniqueness regarding His Supreme Lordship) and Tawheed al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat (Allaah’s uniqueness regarding His names and attributes). Tawheed (recognizing Allaah’s uniqueness) from the aforementioned perspectives—Allaah’s Ruboobiyyah (Supreme Lordship), Allaah’s Asmaa’ (names), and Allaah’s Sifaat (attributes)—provides a foundation for having certainty about the truth from Allaah, and a foundation for Eemaan (accepting the truth from Allaah and complying with it). That Tawheed (recognition of Allaah’s uniqueness) urges people’s hearts to remain attached to the One who has complete knowledge of all that is imperceptible to us, it urges them to devote all of their worship exclusively to Him, it urges them to turn to Him alone in all matters, and it urges them to purify their intentions making them solely for Him. Recognizing Allaah’s uniqueness also comprises the true fuel that gives life to people’s souls, keeps them steadfast, provides them with happiness, protects them against whispers of Shaytaan, and protects them against ideas that are misguided or destructive.

That is why Allaah (the Absolutely Flawless) loves for His servants to know Him, to carefully examine His remarkable actions, and to contemplate the incredible things He has created. When we bear that in mind, we would realize that the Qur’aan in its entirety is all about acquainting people with their One Supreme Lord; telling people about Allaah, His names, His attributes, His actions, and His directives of profound wisdom; and connecting people’s hearts to Allaah in order for their minds and souls to be enlightened by way of making Allaah the only One whom they intend and seek when performing their deeds. Making Allaah the only One who is worshipped and the only One who is sought when performing deeds may be referred to asتَوْحِيدُ الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ وَالْعِبَادَةِ  Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah wal-‘Ibaadah (Allaah’s uniqueness in His right to be worshipped), and it may also be referred to as تَوْحِيدُ الْقَصْدِ وَالطَّلَبِ Tawheed al-Qasd wat-Talab (recognizing Allaah’s uniqueness in a way that entails making Him the only One intended when performing deeds, and the only One from whom all needs are sought).

Tawheed al-Ma‘rifah wal-Ithbaat (recognizing Allaah’s uniqueness in a way that entails knowledge and affirmation) must be accompanied by Tawheed al-Qasd wat-Talab (recognizing Allaah’s uniqueness in a way that entails making Him the only One intended when performing deeds, and the only One from whom all needs are sought). These two are inseparable; and together, they comprise the correct path. Emphasizing that these two categories of Tawheed must not be separated is the correct method to follow when educating and nurturing others, and when calling them to Allaah.

People whose ideas and actions reflect regression or divergence from sound guidance only become that way due to a lack of deep and proper knowledge about Allaah, and due to having a weak attachment to Him. As a result, their hearts become unstable and their values change. Certainty about Allaah leaves their hearts in the event of the slightest problem they may face, or due to their own personal interests that they seek to achieve. We must remember that our Ummah—the collective of people to which we belong—will not be rectified by anything except correct Tawheed (recognition of Allaah’s uniqueness), along with having deep and proper knowledge about Allaah as well as a strong attachment to Him. 

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ I declare that Allaah is absolutely flawless and I do so according to the way that He has praised Himself. سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ O Allaah, You are absolutely flawless and I declare Your flawlessness according to the way that You have praised Yourself.أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except You. أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ I seek forgiveness from You, and I repent to You. 

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All praise belongs to Allaah. We seek His assistance and we ask His forgiveness. We also seek refuge with Allaah against the ills that we have within ourselves. If Allaah guides any person, none can misguide such an individual; and if Allaah leaves any person in misguidance, none can guide such an individual. In addition, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I testify that Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant and Messenger (may Allaah grant him commendation and protection).

Dear Ummah of Islaam, dear collective of people who strive to submit to Allaah inwardly and outwardly: having sound knowledge about Allaah, maintaining a strong attachment to Him, and keeping our hearts filled with reverence for His Absolute Majesty and Magnificence all constitute the greatest means that produce and nurture proper Tawheed (recognition of Allaah’s uniqueness through our beliefs and our actions).

How could it ever be otherwise? Out of everyone who could ever be mentioned, Allaah is the One who is the most deserving of being mentioned. He is the Most Magnificent of all who can be called upon. He is the Most Generous of all who can be asked. He is the Most Merciful of all in whom hope can be placed. He is the kindest of all who have authority. His blessings are continuous and innumerable. The resources of absolutely everything are stored with Him, and He grants anything that He wants to whomever He wills. His hand always remains full; no amount of giving causes what it contains to decrease, despite the fact that what it gives constantly pours down upon us throughout the night and the day. If all the people there ever were came together at the same time in one single location and asked of Allaah until there was no more asking that they could possibly do, and He gave them everything that they asked Him for, His dominion and the resources that are stored with Him would not be decreased in any way whatsoever. That is because Allaah is the One Supreme Sovereign who is Most Giving, who is Most Generous, and who is Rich in every way such that He does not need anything at all.

He is the One who is before all things, the One who is after all things, the One who is above all things, and the One who is unobstructed from all things. He encompasses everything about all of His creation, and there is not a single individual throughout His creation that is beyond His control and His invincible power. He is the One who lowers and raises according to His complete justice. The barrier between us and Him is light. If He were to lift it, the brilliant light of His face would burn all of creation as far as His sight reaches. He is the One who grants refuge to those who turn to Him in their state of dire need. He is the One who provides safety to those who turn to Him in search of protection. He is the One who rescues those who turn to Him in their state of anguish. His knowledge encompasses all things. He knows all that has happened and all that will happen. He even knows how things which will not happen would take place if they were to actually happen. Not a single speck—or anything smaller or anything larger—throughout the heavens or the Earth escapes His limitless knowledge.

Thus, none has the right to be worshipped besides Allaah alone. So absolutely unequalled is His magnificence. So absolutely unequalled is His majesty. To Him alone belong absolute perfection, majesty, and beauty; and that applies to all of His names, His attributes, and His actions. Allaah is One and Unique, He regulates all things with complete wisdom, and He is our One Supreme Lord who is capable of all things that He wants to do. Nothing is equal to Him, nothing resembles Him, nothing rivals Him, and nothing is like Him. There is nothing that tires Him or is too much for Him; rather, all things are easy for Him. People’s minds and vision cannot encompass Him. He is the Eternally Living, who never dies. He is the Self-Sufficient Sustainer of all, who never sleeps. He keeps the heavens and the Earth in the places where He wants them to be, such that they do not move elsewhere. He brought this creation into existence and does not need anything from it; He provided for all of His creatures without any difficulty whatsoever; and He will eventually cause all of them to die, and none can escape that. Afterwards, He will restore them to life once more and take them to account, and that is even easier for Him to do than bringing them into existence from nothing. He is the Supreme Sovereign who is Absolutely Flawless. Out of His favour, He grants His dominion to whomever He wants; and out of His justice, He takes it away from whomever He wants. All people ultimately yield to His control and all tyrants will ultimately be subdued by His invincible power. He may grant the unjust respite, and leave them for some time as they continue to perpetrate their injustice; however, after they transgress and exceed all bounds, He will eventually seize them with punishment in a way that spares none of them. When He seizes anyone with punishment, it will undoubtedly be painful and severe.

On each day, Allaah has major matters that He brings about. All things that He preordains and decrees inevitably take effect at their appointed times. No one can obstruct what He decrees, no one can challenge His judgment, and no one can override His command. He keeps track of what every individual does. He also keeps track of everything throughout this entire universe: preserving it and regulating all matters regarding it with full knowledge, ability, and wisdom. He is the One who consoles His servants’ hearts, the One who continuously bestows many blessings, the One who is continuously kind, the One who Possesses Limitless Mercy. He mends the hearts of His righteous servants. He grants His assistance and support to the downtrodden wherever they might be throughout the Earth, He blesses them with strength and with the demise of their oppressors, and He establishes them in a way that allows them to obey Him. Allaah is always kind to His obedient worshipping servants. There are innumerable difficulties from which Allaah has granted His servants relief; there are innumerable afflictions from which Allaah has granted His servants deliverance; and there are innumerable circumstances of distress and fear from which Allaah has protected His servants. He is the Almighty and the owner of all dominion and power.

All grandeur diminishes before His majesty, and all might is humbled before His greatness.  He hears even the steps of a black ant when it walks upon the surface of a smooth rock, and He sees even the wings of a mosquito when it extends them during an intensely dark night. In spite of all the languages that people have and all the needs that they raise to Him, no voice distracts Allaah from other voices when His servants call upon Him, and no need is too much for Him to fulfil. He knows everything that people disclose as well as everything that they conceal within themselves in all circumstances, even when they cover themselves with their garments. He is indeed completely knowledgeable about everything that people’s chests harbour.

He is Allaah: the One who is always completely able to do anything that He wants to do. He raises and lowers. He gives and withholds. He is Allaah: the Possessor of Limitless Mercy, the Bestower of mercy. He is the owner of general mercy that encompasses all of His creation. He is also the owner of special mercy that He grants exclusively to His beloved and obedient righteous servants. He bestows that upon them and none can withhold anything that He chooses to grant them. By way of that mercy, their lives would become wholesome; by way of that mercy, any bitterness there might be in the adversities that He decreed for them to experience would turn sweet; and by way of that mercy, their souls that may have been worn out and scorched by the difficulties of life would still find comfort and enjoyment.

That is most certainly who Allaah is. None deserves to be worshipped besides Him alone. All praise belongs to Him in its entirety. We cannot encompass even a single instance of the repeated praise that He deserves.

اللَّهُمَّ نَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ O Allaah, we seek refuge, by way of You being pleased with us, against You being displeased with us; وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ and by way of You pardoning us, against You punishing us. وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ We also seek refuge, by way of You Yourself, against You Yourself. لَا نُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ We cannot encompass even a single instance of the repeated praise that You deserve. أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ You are as You have repeatedly praised Yourself. 

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[ ▶️ QSSC YouTube Recording ]

Indeed, all praise belongs to Allaah, the One Supreme Lord over all of creation. Our Lord, we praise You, we seek Your assistance, we ask Your forgiveness, and we repent to You. We must praise Allaah (the Absolutely Flawless) and we must remain grateful to Him. Each of His creatures is a testament to His Supreme Lordship, and all of the things that He created establish that only He has the right to be worshipped. All praise is due to Allaah, the Owner of all favour and generosity, who so graciously bestows His abundant blessings upon His servants. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, without any partner. I further testify that our Prophet Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant and Messenger. Allaah sent that Messenger with the final set of laws for all people, and Allaah taught the people sound conduct by way of that Messenger’s example and teachings. O Allaah, I beseech You to send Salaah and Salaam upon Your final Messenger, upon his family and Companions, and upon all who follow their path until the Day of Recompense.

Servants of Allaah, when we reflect upon current events in our world and think about how conditions have changed over the passage of time, we may easily become astonished by the state of our world today. Despite the staging of particular athletic events that some people might say bring our world together, war can still readily be found in various parts of our world, many areas remain unstable, spiritual matters are often sidelined, and materialism reigns supreme in various ways—the constant and excessive concern over material possessions. It is that materialism which can demolish the foundations of religion, and it can impose a strong negative influence upon people’s hearts, minds, and ideas. Advocates of materialism may also open doors that can even lead people to doubt the existence of Allaah—the One who created the Earth and the heavens—and to doubt that He is the only One entitled to all worship without any partner. Our time is one in which many struggles and changes are happening, various obstacles persistently remain along the path to achieving international peace and safety, and humanitarian crises are on the rise. It might be true that we are in an age of information and knowledge, such that the rational proofs of Allaah’s existence have proliferated and can be clearly recognized by people of sharp mind and sound thinking; however, the people of our Ummah—the people of Islaam—are still faced with various sources of pain, division, and loss of focus. At a time like this, there is a dire need for us to flee to Allaah, the Almighty and the Most Majestic.

Dear people of Islaam—dear people who strive to submit to Allaah inwardly and outwardly—in light of the fact that Allaah created us to obey Him and to worship Him alone, we should ask ourselves: is it possible for us to truly obey Allaah and worship Him without knowing who He is? The obvious answer is that knowing Allaah is an absolute necessity in order for us to fulfil the greatest purpose for which He put us in this world. Allaah’s blessings come to each servant of His continuously: one blessing, then another, then another, and so on. Thus, it is a complete tragedy for any servant of Allaah to be ignorant about his One Supreme Lord, and be uninterested in learning about his Lord as well as his Lord’s names and attributes. A person’s Eemaan—a person’s acceptance of the Truth from Allaah and compliance with that Truth—increases in proportion to the person’s knowledge about Allaah.

Indeed, knowledge about Allaah is a foundation for having knowledge about anything else, and people of Islaam should know the names of Allaah and their meanings, in order for them to revere Allaah as He deserves. No servant of Allaah is independent of needing his Creator for even the blink of an eye. We must bear in mind that Allaah instructed His Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) to tell the people: فَفِرُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ Therefore, you must flee to Allaah. إِنِّي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ I am certainly a clear warner from Allaah to all of you. وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ Additionally, you must not designate for yourselves any other deity that you worship along with Allaah. إِنِّي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ I am certainly a clear warner from Allaah to all of you. [51:50-51]. 

Dear people of Islaam, Allaah’s majesty is clearly shown to us by all of the remarkable things that He has created. Allaah’s flawlessness is declared by the heavens, by the stars, by the Earth, by the oceans, by the mountains, by the hills, by the sand, by the trees, by the creatures that inhabit all of those locations, and by everything throughout the universe whether it is moist or dry, living or inanimate. Allaah said: تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ The seven heavens, the Earth, and everyone throughout them declare Allaah’s flawlessness. وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ In fact, there is not a single thing except that it declares Allaah flawlessness and praises Him; وَلَكِنْ لَا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ however, you—human beings—do not comprehend the manner in which they declare Allaah’s flawlessness. إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا Surely, Allaah is always Most Forbearing, Most Forgiving. [17:44].

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All praise belongs to Allaah. In addition, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I testify that Muhammad (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) is the Messenger of Allaah.

Dear people of Eemaan—dear people who accept the Truth from Allaah and comply with it—Allaah is the One who is eternally perfect. None is perfect in every way besides Allaah. Nothing escapes Allaah's knowledge. To Allaah, everything we conceal is just as plain as what we reveal. Allaah is Absolutely Flawless, and His decrees take effect in all things whether visible to us or not. Contemplate the things that Allaah has created. They contain innumerable signs that direct us to Him. Consider the sky and its magnificence, the stars and their beauty, the sun and its brilliance, the planets and the awe that they inspire, the full moon and the light that it reflects, outer space and its enormous expanses, the clouds that send water down upon us, the oceans and their waves, and the pure rains whose drops come in succession and even cause rivers to flow. Contemplate the peaks of mountains that rise up so high and remain there throughout the passing of many generations. Contemplate all of the stars and planets: they follow precise paths and orbits that have been decreed for them. Could there ever be any other god along with Allaah? Our One Supreme Lord is certainly perfect in every way. He is the One who created all things in a remarkable way and gave each of those things its complete form. His creation is so enormously expansive that it reaches every horizon that we can see, both by day and by night, and every part of it allows our minds to be acquainted with Our maker. The light of morning is light that Allaah made, and the dew that appears on the ground comes from Allaah’s grace. Even the birds in their nests declare Allaah’s perfection; they are His creatures, and He is the One who provides for them. Allaah said: أَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ فِي جَوِّ السَّمَاءِ Do people not see the birds held up in the middle of the sky? مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا اللَّهُ None holds them there besides Allaah and none gives them the ability to fly except Him. إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ That certainly contains clear evidences for people who accept and comply with the Truth from Allaah. [16:79].

When someone is so preoccupied that he overlooks the blessings of Allaah, that person will one day be looking for them and weeping over not finding them. However, when someone remains grateful for Allaah’s blessings by striving to obey Allaah, inwardly and outwardly, Allaah will reward such a person by allowing the blessings to remain. Allaah’s creation around us is like a book that has been written. Its words are ones that proclaim Allaah’s perfection as well as the fact that only He deserves to be worshipped. Down to even its tiniest parts, it says: هَذَا خَلْقُ اللَّهِ فَأَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِ This is what Allaah created. Therefore, show me anything that was created by others besides Him. [31:11].

In that regard, there are also some lines of Arabic poetry that some among the scholars of Islaam cite at times, and those lines say: ‌تَأَمَّلْ ‌سُطُورَ الْكَائِنَاتِ فَإِنَّهَا \ مِنَ الْمَلِكِ الْأَعْلَى إِلَيْكَ رَسَائِلُ Contemplate the lines written throughout creation. They are messages that the Most High King has sent to you. وَقَدْ خُطَّ فِيهَا لَوْ تَأَمَّلْتَ خَطَّهَا \ أَلَا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مَا خَلَا اللَّهَ بَاطِلُ If only you contemplated what was written in them, you would find them saying, “Pay attention to this: all deities besides Allaah are false.” تُشِيرُ بِإِثْبَاتِ الصِّفَاتِ لِرَبِّهَا \ فَصَامِتُهَا يَهْدِي وَمَنْ هُوَ قَائِلُ Whether they speak with voices or remain silent, all of them guide us to the attributes of their One Supreme Lord. 

اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لَنَا دِينَنَا الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِنَا O Allaah, we implore You to set right for us all aspects of our adherence to the religion that You prescribed for us, which is what protects us against all ills; وَأَصْلِحْ لَنَا دُنْيَانَا الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشُنَا we implore You to set right for us everything that we need in this world, which is the abode that contains our livelihood; وَأَصْلِحْ لَنَا آخِرَتَنَا الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادُنَا we implore You to set right for us everything that we need in the Hereafter, which is the abode to which we will finally return; وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لَنَا فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ we implore You to make our life in this world a source of increase for us in all good things; وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لَنَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ and we implore You to make our death in this world a source of rest for us from all bad things. 

اَللَّهُمَّ اقْسِمْ لَنَا مِنْ خَشْيَتِكَ مَا يَحُولُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ مَعَاصِيكَ O Allaah, we implore You to grant us a share of fearing You with understanding, which prevents us from disobeying You; وَمِنْ طَاعَتِكَ مَا تُبَلِّغُنَا بِهِ جَنَّتَكَ we implore You to grant us a share of obedience to You, by which You allow us to reach the abode of Paradise that You have prepared for Your obedient worshipping servants; وَمِنَ الْيَقِينِ مَا تُهَوِّنُ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا مُصِيبَاتِ الدُّنْيَا we implore You to grant us a share of certainty about Your complete control and limitless wisdom, by which You alleviate for us the adversities of this world; وَمَتِّعْنَا بِأَسْمَاعِنَا وَأَبْصَارِنَا وَقُوَّتِنَا مَا أَحْيَيْتَنَا، وَاجْعَلْهُ الْوَارِثَ مِنَّا we implore You to enable us to benefit from our hearing, our sight, and our strength for as long as You keep us alive, and to allow that benefit to remain all the way until we leave this world; وَاجْعَلْ ثَأْرَنَا عَلَى مَنْ ظَلَمَنَا we implore You to enable us to regain our rights from those who have done us injustice; وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى مَنْ عَادَانَا we implore You to support us against those who are hostile towards us; وَلَا تَجْعَلْ مُصِيبَتَنَا فِي دِينِنَا we implore You to not cause us to be afflicted in our religion; وَلَا تَجْعَلِ الدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرَ هَمِّنَا وَلَا مَبْلَغَ عِلْمِنَا we implore You to not cause this world to be our greatest concern, or the farthest extent of our knowledge; وَلَا تُسَلِّطْ عَلَيْنَا مَنْ لَا يَرْحَمُنَا and we implore You to not give authority over us to anyone who would not be merciful towards us.

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[ ▶️ QSSC YouTube Recording ]

Indeed, all praise belongs to Allaah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance, and we ask His forgiveness. We also seek refuge with Allaah against the ills that we have within ourselves, and against the sins that we perpetrate outwardly. If Allaah guides any person, none can misguide such an individual; and if He leaves any person in misguidance, none can guide such an individual. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, without any partner; and I further testify that Muhammad is Allaah’s worshipping servant and Messenger. O Allaah, we beseech You to grant Your commendation and protection to Your Messenger, as well as to his family, to his Companions, and to all who follow them in the best way.

Dear people of Islaam, Allaah—the Most Exalted—has created two Paradises. There is one Paradise that can be experienced here in this world; and this first Paradise is, in fact, a means and a path that leads to the other Paradise, which is the abode in the Hereafter whose expanse is like that of the heavens and the Earth. Many people leave this world without ever getting a taste of the Paradise that we have the opportunity to experience here and now in this very same world where we are. They leave while oblivious to any trace or sign of it. Being in that state of unawareness can cause their souls to run dry; it can cause their hearts to turn rusty; and it can cause their minds and hearts to be seized by the ailment of inclinations to disobey Allaah, as well as the ailment of misconceptions about the truth from Allaah.

Servants of Allaah, the Paradise for us to enjoy in this world is: having sound knowledge about Allaah and maintaining our connection with Allaah. That type of knowledge is the truest type of knowledge—one that is full of life. Having sound knowledge about Allaah and maintaining a sound connection with Allaah certainly comprise a Paradise, and what a remarkable Paradise it truly is! If a person ever experiences this Paradise and tastes its sweetness, he would never desire to be elsewhere or look for any substitute. It provides solace for people who accept the truth from Allaah and comply with it; it provides delight for people who genuinely devote all of their worship to Allaah alone; and it provides enjoyment for people who remain true. 

No matter how much people try to seek enjoyment, happiness, and tranquility, they will not truly find those things in a permanent way without knowing Allaah, the Absolutely Flawless; without finding solace with Allaah; without bearing in mind that Allaah is always near; and without bearing in mind that Allaah is with His obedient servants. This produces for them a variety of positive feelings such as happiness, joy, being pleased with Allaah, and finding true inner peace.

The preceding can continue and reach such an extent that those people would perform their worship as though they could actually see Allaah. As a result, for any such individual, Allaah—the Most Exalted—would be that person’s hearing with which he hears, that person’s sight with which he sees, that person’s hand with which he grasps, and that person’s foot with which he walks.

How amazing do you think life would be for a servant of Allaah who is in that state; and how much happiness do you think that servant of Allaah would enjoy if he reached that level of Eemaan (accepting and complying with the truth from Allaah), that level of knowledge and understanding about Allaah, and that level of Ihsaan (worshipping Allaah in the best way)?

اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لَنَا دِينَنَا الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِنَا O Allaah, we implore You to set right for us all aspects of our adherence to the religion that You prescribed for us, which is what protects us against all ills; وَأَصْلِحْ لَنَا دُنْيَانَا الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشُنَا we implore You to set right for us everything that we need in this world, which is the abode that contains our livelihood; وَأَصْلِحْ لَنَا آخِرَتَنَا الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادُنَا we implore You to set right for us everything that we need in the Hereafter, which is the abode to which we will finally return; وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لَنَا فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ we implore You to make our life in this world a source of increase for us in all good things; وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لَنَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ and we implore You to make our death in this world a source of rest for us from all bad things. 

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Seeking assistance and blessings by every name of Allaah, I begin. All praise belongs to Allaah. In addition, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and I testify that Muhammad (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) is the Messenger of Allaah.

Servants of Allaah: Having proper knowledge about Allaah is the greatest gateway that leads to Tawheed (recognizing Allaah’s uniqueness and devoting all worship purely to Allaah alone), and having proper knowledge about Allaah is also the most direct means to attaining Allaah’s unfailing support and protection. When that knowledge takes firm root in a person’s heart—and a person knows Allaah by way of Allaah’s names, Allaah’s attributes, Allaah’s actions, and Allaah’s Supreme Lordship—the light of Tawheed would inevitably enter that person’s heart: the light of recognizing Allaah’s uniqueness and worshipping Allaah alone. As a result, that person would not direct complete devotion of himself to anyone besides Allaah; he would not ask for his needs to be fulfilled by anyone besides Allaah; and he would not direct any form of worship whatsoever to anyone besides Allaah alone.

However, a person will remain unable to actualize genuine Tawheed—genuine recognition of Allaah’s uniqueness, and genuine devotion of all worship purely to Allaah—unless he truly has sound knowledge about Allaah (the Most Exalted and the Absolutely Flawless). In fact, making this connection is the method that the Qur’aan uses to establish Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (Allaah’s uniqueness in His right to be worshipped). In other words, the Qur’aan shows us that the necessary result of having proper knowledge about Allaah’s names, attributes, and Supreme Lordship is to worship Him alone. For instance, Allaah said, ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ That is Allaah, the One Supreme Lord over all of you. There is none worthy of worship except Him. He is the Creator of all things, so all of you must worship Him alone. [5:102].

Servants of Allaah, when people’s hearts are filled with knowledge about Allaah, recognition of Allaah’s uniqueness, and complete reverence for Allaah, those qualities flush out any pride, arrogance, ailment, and any other detrimental impediment that might be present. Those aforementioned qualities purify people’s souls and provide a foundation for them to have Eemaan (acceptance of the truth from Allaah and compliance with it); as well as a foundation for them to have certainty about the truth from Allaah, for them to place full reliance upon Allaah, for them to devote all worship purely to Allaah, and for them to stay true to Allaah. When those take root in people’s hearts, they would find happiness that cannot be matched by anything else. They would place full trust in their One Supreme Lord, find complete sufficiency and enrichment with their One Supreme Guardian, attain strength from their One Supreme Master, be pleased with all that Allaah does, and be at peace with all that Allaah decrees. Such individuals would break free from being subservient to people, money, prominence, or influence. They would become subservient to Allaah alone because they know who Allaah is, and they know that the keys to all matters lie exclusively in the hand of Allaah (the Absolutely Flawless). He is the One who is rich in all ways and the One who has complete and ultimate control of the heavens and the Earth.

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبَّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ O Allaah, we call upon You: the One Supreme Lord of the heavens, the One Supreme Lord of the Earth, the One Supreme Lord of the Magnificent Throne; رَبَّنَا وَرَبَّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ the One Supreme Lord over all of us, and the One Supreme Lord over all things; فَالِقَ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى، وَمُنْزِلَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ وَالْفُرْقَانِ the One who causes grains and seeds to split open and sprout; and the One who sent down the Tawraah, the Injeel, and the Qur’aan which sets right apart from wrong. نَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهِ We seek refuge with You against the bad that may emanate from every creature. You are the One who takes hold of the front portion of the head of each one of them, such that You have complete authority over them all. اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْأَوَّلُ فَلَيْسَ قَبْلَكَ شَيْءٌ O Allaah, You are the One before all things, and nothing is before You. وَأَنْتَ الْآخِرُ فَلَيْسَ بَعْدَكَ شَيْءٌ You are the One after all things, and nothing is after You. وَأَنْتَ الظَّاهِرُ فَلَيْسَ فَوْقَكَ شَيْءٌ You are the One above all things, and nothing is above You. وَأَنْتَ الْبَاطِنُ فَلَيْسَ دُونَكَ شَيْءٌ You are the One unobstructed from all things, and nothing obstructs You. اِقْضِ عَنَّا الدَّيْنَ، وَأَغْنِنَا مِنَ الْفَقْرِ We implore You to settle our debts, and we implore You to enrich us so that we are spared from poverty. 

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Note: final versions of the Sermon drafts listed below are compiled together in this file.

(2026-03-20)  Meanings of Soorah Qaaf [50:6-11], and a Reminder About ‘Eed al-Fitr  🔊 

(2026-03-13)  Some of the Significance of 'Eeds in Islaam, and a Few Words for Takbeer (Declaring Allaah's Greatness)  🔊 

(2026-03-06)  Selections from the Ahaadeeth About Laylatul-Qadr Presented by al-Imaam ibn Katheer in His Explanation of Sooratul-Qadr  🔊 

(2026-02-27)  Meanings of Soorah Qaaf [50:1-5], and a Reminder About Prayers  🔊 

(2026-02-20)  Soorah Qaaf [50] During the Sermon, and a Supplication When Breaking Fast  🔊 

(2026-02-13)  Meanings of Sooratul-Munaafiqoon [63:5-11]  🔊 

(2026-02-06)  Meanings of Sooratul-Munaafiqoon [63:1-4]  🔊 

(2026-01-30)  Meanings of Sooratul-Jumu‘ah [62:9-11], and a Reminder About the Middle Night of the Lunar Month Sha‘baan  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2026-01-23)  Meanings of Sooratul-Jumu‘ah [62:1-8]  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2026-01-16)  Meanings of Sooratul-Ghaashiyah [88:1-26], and a Reminder About Sha‘baan  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2026-01-09)  Meanings of Sooratul-A'laa [87:1-19]  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2026-01-02)  The Human’s Hair and Hands, and a Reminder About Rajab  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2025-12-26)  The Human Mouth  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2025-12-19)  The Ear, Protective Secretions of the Senses, and the Nose  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2025-12-12)  A Human’s Joints, Head, and Eyes  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2025-12-05)  Beginnings of a Human’s Existence in This World  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2025-11-28)  The Innate Disposition of Humans  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2025-11-21)  Allaah's Evidences Throughout Creation  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2025-11-14)  Knowing About Allaah  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2025-11-07)  Allaah Called Us “My Servants” Ten Times in a Single Hadeeth  🔊1st half | 2nd half

(2025-10-31)  A Supplication During Prayer, and a Supplication After a Battle  🔊1st half | 2nd half