First Sermon
All praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of the Worlds, Who has created death as a trial. I bear witness that there is no deity save Allāh, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master Muḥammad is the servant of Allāh and His Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon our Master Muḥammad, his pure family, companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.
Daer Brothers and sisters in Islām! In today’s khuṭbah, we shall try to remind ourselves about a topic that people often avoid to talk about and that is the inevitable death. Surprising as it may seem, remembering death can actually motivate us to live a purposeful and useful life. One of the reasons why the topic of death is very important is because each and every one has to experience it. Almost every day we hear of the death of loved ones – relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbours. Yet, most people ignore the fact that they have to die one day. The knowledge of the reality of death can help us understand it and prepare ourselves for its coming. Death is certain and unavoidable. The Qur’ān says:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
Every human being is bound to taste death: and you shall receive your rewards in full on the Day of Resurrection. (Q. 3:185)
أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِككُّمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ
Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you be in strongly built towers. (Q. 4:78)
The Prophet (SAW) also enjoins us about the need to always remember death as inevitable.
أَكْثِرُوا ذِكْرَ هَادِمَ اللَّذَّاتِ
Be constant in the remembrance of the destroyer of enjoyment (death).
This being the case, do we ever think about the day we will die? Are we ready and prepared for our departure from this earth? Are we scared of death? There is no denying that fear of death is something natural. It hangs around with each one of us. Celebration of every birthday is a year closer to death. Every day that passes by brings us closer to death. Every breath we take takes away a portion of our life and bring us closer to death. No sooner than the appointed time comes, we belong among the dead. Then it becomes clear that life is like a flower that blooms; then withers or like a lamp that illuminates; then dies down.
Reference to drawing the last breath or the trance or the stupor of death is found in the Qur’ān.
وَجَاءَتْ سَكْرَةُ الْمَوْتِ بِالْحَقِّ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنتَ مِنْهُ تَحِيدُ
The trance of death will come revealing the truth: that is what you were trying to escape. (Q. 50:19)
These are the moments when the dying person bids this vanishing world goodbye, and casts a last look at it. Life will pass before his eyes like a flash, and he will realize how short it really was, how he wasted it, how he did not perform the purpose behind his very creation: to worship the Almighty—his Lord and the Lord of all creation.
لَّقَدْ كُنتَ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ هَٰذَا فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ
You were heedless of this, but now We have removed your veil, so your sight today is sharp. (Q. 50:22)
Indeed, the sight of the dying person during the stupors of death will be quite sharp. He will for the first time be able to see angels, who are created of light, and the jinns who are created of smokeless fire. He will be able to see and hear his family, relatives, friends and strangers who are around him at the time of death and who will soon bear his casket to the cemetery. But he will not be able to show any reaction because he has lost control over his temporal body and his soul now takes over.
As believers, if we trust in Allāh, think positively of Allāh, humble our hearts before Allāh, and try our best to have the taqwā of Allāh, then we should know that death is a return to the most generous and merciful Lord. We are told in a Ḥadīth,
لاَ يَمُوتَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ يُحْسِنُ بِاللَّهِ الظَّنَّ
None of you should die except hoping good from Allāh.
We should never ever despair of Allāh’s mercy.
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say: “O My servants who transgressed against themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. For Allah forgives all sins. He is the Forgiver, the Merciful.” (Q. 39:53)
Brothers and sisters! Remembering death softens the heart. It is an inspiration to leave bad habits, to do more and more good deeds, to help people in need, and to be good to our families and societies. It is said that whoever frequently remembers death is honored with three things: (1) quick repentance, (2) contentment, and (3) energy for acts of worship; and whoever forgets death is punished with three things: (1) delayed repentance, (2) lack of contentment, and (3) laziness in acts of worship.
Now let us look at ourselves: are we often delaying our repentance and remaining unhappy with what we have? Do we feel too lazy to pray? All of these are signs that we don’t remember death in a productive way. Remember that life and death are part of a divinely mandated plan. They are a test to see who among us would strive to be the best in deeds.
الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا
He who created death and life to test which of you is best in action. (Q. 67:2)
There is no one on the face of this earth who is not undergoing a test. Sometimes we are tested in prosperity and other times in adversity; sometimes we are tested in ease and comfort, and other times in difficulties and hardships. Through the journey of life, we are tested as to how best we conduct ourselves in different circumstances.
What is the reality of death? When it occurs, the spirit leaves the body. We learn through prophetic traditions that a good soul comes out of the body with ease, while an evil soul, which resists leaving the body is taken out harshly by the angel of death.
During a wicked person’s dying moments, he wishes that death were delayed so that if he were a non-believer, he would become a believer; or if he were a disobedient believer, he would repent from his sins. Allāh says:
حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ
When death comes to any of them, he says, My Lord, send me back; that I may act righteously in what I have left behind…” (Q. 23:99-100)
The two types of souls—the good and the evil are honored or dishonored in their respective journeys to their heavenly abodes—the Sijjīn or the Illiyīn. Sijjīn is the record in which the deeds of the evil souls are preserved, while Illiyīn is the record in which the deeds of the righteous souls are preserved.
كَلَّا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الْفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينٍ
Indeed! The record of the wicked is in the Sijjīn. (Q. 83:7)
كَلَّا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الْأَبْرَارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ
Indeed, the record of the righteous is in the ‘Illiyyīn. (Q. 83:18)
Man takes nothing with him in his grave. We learn through a Ḥadīth which says, “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: ongoing charity (Ṣadaqah Jāriyah), beneficial knowledge that he leaves behind, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him.” Such admonitions remind us that we should hasten in doing good deeds lest our time is up and our book of deeds gets closed for ever. We should not be among those hypocrites who will cry to Allāh to give them more time to spend in His way and to be one of the righteous.
وَأَنفِقُوا مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Give from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you and he says, ´My Lord, if only you would give me a little more time so that I can give sadaqa and be one of the righteous! (Q. 63:10)
Pursuing lawful means of livelihood is fine but we should not get entangled in the dunya to the extent that we cannot extricate ourselves from it to invest some of our time, energy, money and capabilities in the way of Allāh (SWT). Allāh (SWT) has undertaken upon Himself to provide for all His creatures.
وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا
There is no creature on earth except that its provision is from Allāh. (Q. 11:6)
One of the basic differences between this world and the hereafter is that in this life there is death, while in the Hereafter there is no death. The inhabitants of Paradise will live forever. Those who are in the hellfire will also live forever. This takes us to the question: what are we doing in this life to prepare for a death that will lead us to an eternal blissful life? Our children will inherit the good and bad that we leave behind. What kind of example are we going to leave behind for them? Brothers and sisters! Our ultimate goal should be to reach a level that when we die we know that we couldn’t have done better.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
I say this and ask Allāh for forgiveness for me and you, so invoke Him for forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Sermon
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين.
All thanks and praises belong to Allāh the Lord of the Worlds. And may the constant blessings and mercies of Allāh be upon the leader of the Prophets, his entire household, companions and the entire Muslim ummah.
Brothers and sisters in Islām, if we ponder over reality, we learn that the world deceives the one who craves for it. One who keeps death in front of his eyes not only performs his routine tasks sincerely, but constantly strives to do more and more good deeds to seek the pleasure of his Lord—Allāh (SWT). He is aware that death can overtake him at any moment and he does not have time on his side. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Surely the heart rusts like iron.” People asked: “How can it be polished?’ He replied: “By remembering death and with the recitation of the Quran”. What is the best way to prepare oneself for death? Being mindful of Allāh all the time, doing that which he has commanded us to do, and not doing that which has prohibited us to do is how we prepare for death. Having faith and doing good deeds is how we prepare for a good life and a good death. Allāh says:
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Whoever does good deeds, male or female, and has faith, We shall give a good life and reward them according to the best of their actions. (Q. 16:97)
This means that such a person will have peace, contentment, and lawful provision in this life, and paradise in the hereafter. Death being the most certain reality, a conscious believer prepares himself here in this world for the eternal and perpetual blissful life of the hereafter. We must learn from death, for the secret of life is hidden in the message it has to teach us. Death shows us that we are not our own masters; that our stay on earth is only temporary; that the world is no place for the realization of our dreams. Death teaches us how to live; it shows us the way to real success. The Prophet (SAW) in one of his sayings said: “Clever is the one who controls his passions and prepares for life after death.” May Allāh (SWT) give us the tawfiq to remember death and grant us the kalimah: La ilaha illallah on our lips at the time of our death.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأمُرُ بِٱلعَدلِ وَٱلإِحسَٰنِ وَإِيتَايِٕ ذِي ٱلقُربَىٰ وَيَنهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلفَحشَاءِ وَٱلمُنكَرِ وَٱلبَغيِ يَعِظُكُم لَعَلَّكُم تَذَكَّرُونَ
Surely Allāh enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the kindred, and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion; He admonishes you that you may be mindful. (Q. 16:90)
O Allāh, please confer Your blessings and grant peace upon our Prophet Muḥammad (SAW), his family and all of the companions. May Allāh have mercy on our deceased Muslim families and make them with the righteous. May Allāh make their dwelling with the ones upon whom Allāh has bestowed favour of the prophets and the steadfast affirmers of truth, O the Most Gracious the Most Forgiving. O Allāh, please grant the best reward for the families of the martyrs and offer them patience and solace.
