First Sermon
Praise and adoration are due to Allāh. He made the intellect and its maintenance one of the purposes of religion and urged us to think soundly. I bear witness that there is no deity but Him, having no associates and that our Master and Prophet Muḥammad is His Servant and Messenger. He is the Imām of the pious and the Seal of the Prophets. May the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him, his family, his companions, and all those who will follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.
O Servants of Allāh! I urge myself first and all of you to obey Allāh and be submissive to Him. Verily, Allāh, the Exalted is He, has declared the truth in His Holy Book:
يَٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُواْ قَولا سَدِيدا يُصلِح لَكُم أَعمَٰلَكُم وَيَغفِر لَكُم ذُنُوبَكُم وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَد فَازَ فَوزًا عَظِيمًا
O you who have believed, fear Allāh and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allāh and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment. (Q. 33: 70-71)
Dear Servants of Allāh, Today’s sermon is focused on moderacy in attitudes and actions of Muslims. Please know that sound reason has many characteristics, at the centre of which adopting moderate attitudes and avoiding extremist views. The Exalted is He says,
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلنَٰكُم أُمَّة وَسَطا
And thus we have made you a just community. (Q.2: 143).
As such, a just community is one that is sensible and is keen to achieve the highest interests with integrity and moderation. There must be no hard-line position as the Almighty says,
فَٱستَقِم كَمَا أُمِرتَ
So remain on a right course as you have been commanded. (Q.11: 112)
That is, the individual must comply with religious precepts without excess or negligence. For his part, our Prophet (SAW) warned us against excess in all its forms and called upon us to follow easiness and avoid strenuous viewpoints. He said, “facilitate things to people (concerning religious matters), and do not make it hard for them and give them good tidings and do not make them run away (from Islam).”
Please also know that moderate thinking results in bringing about stability, preserving nations from temptations and dangers, maintaining unity and cohesion, promoting tolerance and compassion, achieving peaceful coexistence and protecting lives, people’s sanctity and wealth. Our Lord has ordered us to thank Him for these when He says,
فَليَعبُدُواْ رَبَّ هَٰذَا ٱلبَيتِ ٱلَّذِي أَطعَمَهُم مِّن جُوع وَءَامَنَهُم مِّن خَوفِ
Let them worship the Lord of this House, Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe, [saving them] from fear. (105: 3-4)
Dear Worshippers, there are many ways to consolidate moderate thought in society, namely by holding on to the tolerant teachings of Islām and its authentic civilisation, having pride in its high principles and following its moderate cultural values derived from Qur’ān and Sunnah.
The Almighty says,
فَٱستَمسِك بِٱلَّذِي أُوحِيَ إِلَيكَ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ صِرَٰط مُّستَقِيم
So adhere to that which is revealed to you. Indeed, you are on a straight path. (Q. 43: 43)
So whoever has grasped the most trustworthy handhold of Islām must demonstrate a sincere intention to Allāh. Similarly, he must explore all that may please Him by achieving only things that are fair and just, hence promoting moderate reasoning. Allāh the Almighty praised those who seek the path of reason and follow it when He says,
ٱلَّذِينَ يَستَمِعُونَ ٱلقَولَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحسَنَهُۥٓۚ أُوْلَٰئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَأُوْلَٰئِكَ هُم أُوْلُواْ ٱلأَلبَٰبِ
Those who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allāh has guided, and those are people of understanding. (Q. 39: 18)
The people of understanding are open-minded and think soundly. They are modest and shun away from arrogance and conceit- a terrible scourge, which is against justice and favours hatred and contempt towards others.
It was reported that ‘Umar ibn Al Khaṭṭāb had written to Abū Mūsā Al Ash῾ārī, may Allāh rest their souls in peace, telling him that getting back to the right path is of utmost priority than going too far in the wrong way.
Thus it is incumbent on Muslims to follow all that is just, value highly the ordinance of Allāh and never delve into things they do not know. The Almighty says,
وَلَا تَقفُ مَا لَيسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلمٌ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمعَ وَٱلبَصَرَ وَٱلفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَئِكَ كَانَ عَنهُ مَسُٔولا
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart – about all those [one] will be questioned. (Q. 17: 36)
Our Lord has ordered us to verify information and avoid rumours as mentioned in the following Aya:
يَٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِن جَاءَكُم فَاسِقُ بِنَبَإ فَتَبَيَّنُواْ أَن تُصِيبُواْ قَومَا بِجَهَٰلَة فَتُصبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلتُم نَٰدِمِينَ
O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful. (Q. 49: 6)
He also says,
وَإِذَا جَاءَهُم أَمر مِّنَ ٱلأَمنِ أَوِ ٱلخَوفِ أَذَاعُواْ بِهِۦۖ وَلَو رَدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ وَإِلَىٰ أُوْلِي ٱلأَمرِ
And when there comes to them information about [public] security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or to those of authority among them. (Q. 4: 83)
This is to discredit whoever takes things for granted without investigation and spreads information, while they may be incorrect.
Indeed, staying away from rumours and gossip promotes moderate thought in the community, a responsibility shared by all. Thus, the household should be in charge of children by raising them correctly, raising their awareness, rationalising their emotions, guiding them to safe usage of modern technology and protecting them from alien thoughts. Teachers should also play a role in educating their students, providing them with beneficial knowledge and teaching them good morality and sound reasoning. Last but not least, scholars, intellectuals and media people should as well disseminate awareness and address misleading ideology, which is harmful to good reason and stability. This reflects what the Almighty has enjoined upon us in the following verse:
وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقوَىٰ
And cooperate in righteousness and piety… (Q.5: 2)
So by working together we would stand as a strong shield against sorcery, superstition and the corrupt side of cultures. These are harmful to individuals and communities because they destroy stability and peace and spread evil and temptations.
Bearing this in mind, may Allāh fill our hearts with faith and grant us good understanding and success. We also plead with You to help us obey You, Your Messenger Muḥammad (SAW) and those You have decreed on us to obey in compliance with y orders:
يَٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي ٱلأَمرِ مِنكُم
O you who believe! Obey Allāh, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. (Q. 4: 59)
May Allāh direct us all to the blessings of the Glorious Qur’ān and the Sunnah of His Messenger (SAW) and benefit us all in whatever is in them.
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.
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Second Sermon
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
All praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of the Worlds. 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.
Please be aware that you are asked to obey Him, the Almighty, as it ought to be by observing Him in private and in public. For this purpose, any giving society that oversees the religious discourse such that it has upheld principles of moderation and tolerance, laid the foundation for peaceful coexistence, disseminating the sound knowledge, encouraged the advancement of education and learning and set a recognised religious authority to achieve Allah’s instruction:
فَسَٔلُواْ أَهلَ ٱلذِّكرِ إِن كُنتُم لَا تَعلَمُونَ
So ask the people of the message if you do not know. (Q. 16: 43)
Then every Muslim is invited to benefit from this enlightened religious reference.
When it comes to religious tolerance, it assumes the view that a person does not discriminate against another person’s religious beliefs, even if they think that the person’s belief is wrong. Therefore, religious tolerance teaches individuals to be more loving and trusting while enacting the rule of ‘love thy neighbour and thy enemy’. It equally involves allowing others to practice their faith without interruption, harassment or discrimination. Without religious tolerance members of different religions often find themselves as the target for hatred, disrespect, discrimination and violence.
From the perspective of Islam, tolerance is synonymous with forgiveness having the same connotations, implications and reference in the Qur’ān. This is why both words are given great importance in the messages of the prophets; who from time to time, have the duty of educating their subjects towards forgiveness and tolerance. Going through passages of the Qur’ān, one finds references pointing to the Qur’ān as the source of leniency, forgiveness and tolerance. The Qur’ān always accepts forgiveness and tolerance as basic principles. This is why Muslims are introduced in the following manner:
وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحمَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمشُونَ عَلَى ٱلأَرضِ هَونا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ ٱلجَٰهِلُونَ قَالُواْ سَلَٰما
And the servants of (God) the Merciful are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the foolish address them with (bad words) they reply back with mild words of gentleness. (Q 25:63)
وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَشهَدُونَ ٱلزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّواْ بِٱللَّغوِ مَرُّواْ كِرَاما
And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity. (Q 25:72)
وَإِذَا سَمِعُواْ ٱللَّغوَ أَعرَضُواْ عَنهُ وَقَالُواْ لَنَا أَعمَٰلُنَا وَلَكُم أَعمَٰلُكُم سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيكُم لَا نَبتَغِي ٱلجَٰهِلِينَ
And when they hear al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain talk), they withdraw from it and say: ‘’To us our deeds and to you your deeds. Peace be to you. We seek not (the way of) the ignorant. (Q 28:55)
The general teaching of the above references is the manifestation of good disposition of Muslims when they are encountered with ugly scenes. While examining the life of the Prophet (SAW), we discovered that the Makkans, his own people, inflicted so much suffering on him that he finally migrated to Madina. Even after that the next 5 years were far from peaceful. However, when he conquered Makkah without bloodshed in the twenty first year of his prophethood, he asked the Makkan unbelievers “How do you expect me to treat you?’ They responded unanimously: “You are a noble one, the son of a noble one.’’ He then told them his decision: “you may leave, for no reproach this day shall be on to you. May God forgive you, He is the Most Compassionate.”
The concept of tolerance in Islām is such that the Prophet even prohibited verbal abuse of unbelievers even at the slightest provocation. This goes a long way to prove the Qur’anic injunction that urges forgiveness and tolerance in this way,’
وَٱلكَٰظِمِينَ ٱلغَيظَ وَٱلعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلمُحسِنِينَ
……who repress (swallow) anger and who pardon people; verily, Allāh loves the good doers. (Q3:134)
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O Allāh, please confer Your blessings and grant peace upon our Prophet Muḥammad (SAW), his family and all of the companions.
May Allāh be pleased with the Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān and ‘Alī, and all of the noble Companions.
O Allāh, we seek Your grace to make us amongst those who remember you much and are steadfast on performing acts of worship. O Allāh, please forgive us all.
O Allāh, we seek refuge in Your perfect words from the evil of that which descend from the sky and from the evil of that which ascends in it, and from the evil of what is created in the earth and the evil of that which comes out of it. O Allāh we seek refuge in You from the trials of the night and the day, and from the visitations of the night and day, except for one that knocks with good. Indeed, You are the Most Merciful.
May Allāh have mercy on our deceased, parents teachers, friends and relatives and gather them with the ones upon whom Allāh has bestowed favour of the prophets.
© Mubin Olatoye Raji