Dear brothers, we are all living life for the same reason and that is to please our Creator and our Master. Allah SWT has made it easy for us, his slaves, to perform such actions in our everyday lives.
And it is through these actions that potentially the greatest rewards can be achieved. But as Muslims, how do we perform such actions?
Allah’s SWT instructions to us Muslims living in this age are the same as the Muslims that lived even a thousand years ago. The template we need to adapt as Muslims today is that of the Prophets that were sent to us from Allah SWT (May the peace and blessings of Allah SWT be upon them all).
Allah SWT has mentioned numerous Prophets in the Quran and in particular, when He speaks of them in Sura Al-Anbya:
Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us, humbly submissive.
Dear brothers, you can see from here that the template of the Prophets of Allah SWT is defined.
Firstly, it isn’t just about performing good deeds. Allah SWT mentions the fact that they would rush to perform good deeds. This is a question of mind-set dear brothers. Insh’Allah the aim here should be of a mind-set where we are conscious of Allah SWT and therefore when an opportunity presents itself to do good, we rush to it because we know it will be marked as a good deed. We know that it will please Allah SWT. It’s our love for Allah SWT which makes us rush to do this.
Secondly, the point is mentioned of supplication or dua. There is one thing supplicating to your Lord but this ayat goes further in that it mentions doing so with a sense of fear and hope.
This is important dear brothers. We’ve mentioned love for Allah SWT. However, it is the hope for his mercy and the fear of his punishment that we need to have as a running theme in our supplications to Him.
And for what are we doing all of this dear brothers? Let’s think for a moment. If Insh’Allah, with the mercy of Allah SWT, we are granted pardon for our bad deeds and our good deeds are indeed accepted. What then?
Well, the first answer as every Muslim from an early age will know is that we are spared Jahannam, i.e. the Hellfire and are admitted to Jannat (Paradise).
The Quran speaks of Paradise and we have all imagined life in this fortunate abode. But what then dear brothers?
Once you have fulfilled every desire, every whim. Once you have imagined every pleasure imaginable available to you? What else will give you joy on top of that?
The simple truth is, as Muslims who are the creation of Allah SWT, we have no desire greater than to please Him. No want greater than to feel his pleasure at us. Once everything else is taken away, all we want is for Him to embrace us with compassion and love and be happy at us.
This is the ultimate goal of the Muslim. Once you take away the material pleasures of your final abode, you are left with a very intimate connection to the one who brought you into existence.
Dear brothers, we will all be presented with a time in the future where we will be in front of Allah SWT. Sura Al-Waqia mentions the reward of the best of us in the following ayats:
And the forerunners, the forerunners – those are the ones brought near to Allah
Dear brothers, the forerunners are the best of mankind. And Allah SWT has mentioned their reward here. They will be the ones nearest to Him. And this is what we all yearn for in the Hereafter. This is happiness in the Hereafter.
We can all achieve this through the simplest of actions. Everything we do can become a form of worship of Allah SWT.
To finish off this weeks’ khutba, what follows are three simple tasks we can all do:
- Recite Bismillah before each action. Yes, it is true we can do more. There is a supplication for everything, from waking up to visiting the toilet, eating and going to sleep. But this khutba is about keeping it simple, so begin each task in His name and insh’Allah with that, receive the reward of doing it for His pleasure.
- Send Greetings upon our beloved Prophet (SAWS). Even if it’s once a day. He is the best of creation so why wouldn’t you want to send salaam upon him? It’s an act that takes seconds to perform but could reward you for an eternity in the hereafter insh’Allah.
- Read the Quran. Dear brothers, the Quran is our saviour, our guide, our tangible link to the life beyond death. Read a page, a line or even a word. Just get started on the book of Allah SWT and insh’Allah it will weigh heavily for you in the hereafter.
May Allah SWT enable us to perform simple good deeds. May Allah SWT enable us to be mindful of the HereAfter and may Allah SWT grant us Jannat in the Hereafter.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.