We can never count all of Allah SWT’s blessings. There are those which we are acutely aware of in life such as our wealth, health, status and intellectual abilities in life. We are able to recognize these quite often.
Then we have those blessings in our life which we occasionally remember such as a time when our loved ones do something for us, i.e. our children, parents etc.
Then there is the ultimate recognized blessing of being Muslim. Being part of the truth. Being submissive to Allah SWT, following in the footsteps of the best of creation, Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, and belonging to the religion of Islam.
The imam mentioned a hadith in relation to this which is translated to say:
“How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him”.
Dear brothers and sisters, from this hadith we can see that the life of a believer is defined as a series of highs and lows. There is sometimes a misconception in that people believe being a believer means that life will be all plain sailing and blissful.
This is not the correct assumption to make. Consistent bliss is reserved for the Jannat that we will all reach in the next life insh’Allah. This temporary existence however, is the test that we are living in order to achieve the high status of that eternal bliss.
We need to understand therefore that the good times of this life will be intermixed and entwined with times in which we will need to be patient. Times when we will struggle and times when we will strive to remain steadfast and resolute on our faith.
Allah SWT rewards us in our times of struggle and He rewards us when we give thanks during the times of ease. We know this as it’s mentioned in the Glorious Quran in Sura Al-Qamar ayat 35 which translates to say:
As a Grace from Us: thus do We reward those who give thanks.
Dear brothers and sisters, how often it is that we turn to our Lord when a test is upon us but we forget during the times when ease is blessed upon us? Gratitude to Allah SWT is all about remembering the times when we need to be patient but not forgetting the time when the blessing is upon us too.
A point to note in the reminder today is that the act of showing gratitude is for our sake and not for the sake of Allah SWT. It is for our benefit and us being ungrateful does not take anything away from our Lord, it is only us that will be adversely affected by ingratitude.
This is clearly explained in Sura Az-Zumar, ayat 7 in which it is translated to say:
If you show ingratitude, surely, Allâh is Independent of you (He does not require your thanks). Yet He does not approve of His people to be ungrateful. (Indeed it is for your own sake that) He approves of you being grateful. And no soul that bears a burden can bear the burden (of the sins) of another. Behold! to your Lord shall you all return so that He will inform you of all that you have been doing. He knows full well (even) the innermost secrets of the hearts.
It is clear that the key to success for us is to demonstrate gratitude to Allah SWT but often it is not taught how this can be done.
The classical scholars of Islam have outlined three ways in which we can show Shukr or thanks to Allah SWT for all the blessings we receive from him.
Firstly, it is through the Shukr of the heart. This means that one should aim to have the intention to do good for the sake of Allah SWT. This assists in purifying the heart as it is lent towards doing things that will please Allah SWT.
It is not the concern of the believer as to whether the intention materializes into action or not as that is down to Allah SWT, but you must have the intention there as without it there can never be any action to do good.
Secondly it is through the Shukr of the tongue. This is performed through remembrance of Allah SWT. A simple act of saying Alhamdullilah at all times and meaning it. Understand there is a blessing regardless of a time of ease or a time of test. Bring this words into your vocabulary more so as to perform shukr in this manner.
Thirdly it is through the Shukr of the limbs. Simply put, this is the most direct form of shukr and it is through our physical actions. Whether it be the performing of optional prayers or the smallest acts of charity such as picking up an obstacle from a path – this is yet another way to demonstrate your gratitude to Allah SWT.
Dear brothers and sisters, we live in a time a place where it is easy to become complacent over the blessings that we have received from Allah SWT. However, we mustn’t forget that for all of our blessings, there are people who can only dream to have what we have. Each and every salah should be an occasion in which we convey that back to Allah SWT as well as demonstrate it in the three manners described today.
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In Islam, it is understood that the real owner of all wealth is Allah SWT. Mankind only owns wealth by proxy as guardian and hence will be accountable for the way in which it is spent.
A person therefore who spends their wealth without balance, or in inappropriate areas, they will have to explain for it when they are presented before Allah SWT on the Day of Judgment.
And this excessiveness is not only limited to financial wealth. It can also be regarded as excessiveness in other areas which are a blessing unless one exceeds the norm in which case they become a test. A perfect example of this is food and drink.
The imam mentioned the 31st ayat from Sura Al Araf which is translated to say:
O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.
We can all be guilty of this on occasion. Good food and drink can lead to excessiveness and we need to be mindful of this so that we do not fall foul of this directive of Allah SWT.
We are also taught that spending, even if it is a minute amount, in something that is impermissible is also regarded as excessive and therefore we must avoid this at all costs.
Another example that we must guard ourselves against is the dining culture we have in our homes. Whether it is through love, showing off or some other reason, we tend to over do it when guests turn up in our homes.
Of course, we are commanded by Allah SWT to look after our guests, but not to be excessive, as the hadith records:
The prophet peace and blessings be upon him forbade us for being excessive for the guests
Another example of bad use of wealth is to give money to those who are not capable of spending it well or have control over their finances.
The imam mentioned ayat 5 in relation to this from Sura An-Nisa which is translated to say:
And do not give the weak-minded your property, which Allah has made a means of sustenance for you, but provide for them with it and clothe them and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.
A common example of this in action is the homeless in city centre who sometimes appear intoxicated when asking for money.
There is no harm with offering charity to those who need it but there is a way in which this can be achieved without waste. One example is to spend an extra few minutes and purchase food or drink for them thus guaranteeing that they are not going to spend that on anything that is harmful to them.
Dear brothers and sisters, we shouldn’t take this reminder as a reason to be stingy in our spending though. In fact, to spend, to eat food and drink is a blessing and a right given from Allah SWT to us and therefore there is good in it.
The imam mentioned sura baqara’s ayat 168 which translates to say:
O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.
And so we follow the middle ground with this and enjoy what is lawful without being excessive.
Another very common problem is excessiveness when doing ablution, as we waste too much water. We have the following hadith which is translated to say:
The Messenger of Allah passed by Sa’d when he was performing ablution, and he said: ‘What is this extravagance?’ He said: ‘Can there be any extravagance in ablution?’ He said: ‘Yes, even if you are on the bank of a flowing river.'”
Dear brothers and sisters, in this country we can be guilty of this. Especially if we are doing ablution at work or school. We tend to keep the tap running in between the steps and this is waste. Even if it takes longer we must aim to minimize water wastage.
We are blessed to live in a part of the world where extravagance and luxury is available to us. Things that we take for granted are considered luxury for most living in the world today. We mustn’t forget this fact because it will result in excessiveness becoming easy to us.
And so, this reminder concludes with three practical examples that we can take away to help us with this.
- To recognise if we are excessive. The first step is recognition. Whether it’s looking in the mirror and recognizing excessive food consumption or taking a long hard look at the outgoings on the bank statement, we need to have steps in place to constantly self-audit to make sure that we do not fall foul of this warning and not even realise it.
- To remember the poor – We all have desire to acquire more. This is human nature. However, if we are ever in a position of complain for what we have or in a position of excessive spending then we need to remind ourselves of how blessed we actually are. Simply reading the projects of charities we all know of such as Human Relief allows us to understand and appreciate the position that we are blessed to be in and thus reset ourselves from becoming excessive.
- To practically humble ourselves away from excessive behaviour. The best way in which we can achieve this is through charitable acts. Whether that’s helping the elderly neighbour or something structured like getting involved in food banks, group feeding of the homeless or visiting the sick, we have the Myriad Foundation who are always on the lookout for volunteers. Details are on them can be found online or on their collection boxes in the stairs.
Dear brothers and sisters, Allah SWT has blessed us with wealth and prosperity here, let us use this reminder to audit our behaviour and eliminate that which is excessive and a waste.
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Today’s khutba was on gratitude shown towards Allah SWT
The believer is between two phases at all times in life. One of those is from a past which has gone, and unaware what Allah has made of it. The other is from a future that he is unaware what Allah has written for him.
The intelligent person amongst us is one that is the one who saves himself from this world before the next. The intelligent one is the one who saves himself while young before he gets old, while healthy before frail or ill, while free before he gets busy, and took care in ensuring hearts got closer together rather than further apart.
Dear brothers and sisters, forgiving, and giving excuses to the other person is part of a great character trait that we must all aim to achieve.
And humility is also up there when it comes to traits as being humble raises the man, and being quiet keeps you protected from problems, and being shy is of being of faith.
Allah SWT speaks of this in Surat Fusilat 34-36 () which is translated as:
And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.
But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good].
And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah . Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
Dear brothers and sisters, alongside this guidance we have the practice of what is expected of us and that is found in the sayings of those sent to us as guidance throughout the times.
Prophets of Allah SWT have been sent to us to guide us to be better slaves of Allah SWT and the Quran also has examples of people who were ungrateful such as in Sura An-Nahl, ayat 112 which is translated as:
And Allah presents an example: a city which was safe and secure, its provision coming to it in abundance from every location, but it denied the favors of Allah .
So Allah made it taste the envelopment of hunger and fear for what they had been doing.
Dear brothers and sisters, this ayat is warning us against being ungrateful. And this ayat in particular is one worth contemplating because for all our complaints and grumbles, look around at the city in which we live.
Compared to some third world cities we see on the television, we have provision coming to us from all angles. This is a city that is in a country rich with wealth. We live in a country where our basic needs are catered for and we are striving for wealth that some in the world can only dream of.
We need to ask ourselves, are we deserving of such a blessing? Or is it that we are extremely lucky to have been placed in a time and a place such as this?
For those who ponder and reflect, it is the latter and so we can’t run the risk of becoming arrogant and thinking it will always be this way. We need to work hard at showing our gratitude to Allah SWT and that comes through the prescribed actions, behaviours and manners prescribed to us through the Quran and the actions and sayings of the Prophets, peace be upon them all.
And such is the blessing we hold as slaves of Allah SWT, this adherence to his actions is also rewarded. So not only is it that we are blessed already in abundance but we can also expect something from the gratitude we show to the blessings we see.
This is mentioned in Sura Ibrahim, ayat 7 in which Allah SWT says:
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.’ “
Dear brothers and sisters, Allah SWT warns us to not be ungrateful but also tells us that gratitude itself has it’s own rewards.
Therefore, we need to work hard to show this gratitude. How do we achieve this? Three things that conclude this khutba and we can all do today.
- Increased prayer
- Increased recitation and contemplation of the Quran
- Increased acts of charity
All three are within each and every one of us and all three we can start with a single step today.
May Allah SWT enable us to recognize the importance of gratitude. May Allah SWT give us the ability to carry out actions of gratitude. And May Allah SWT rewards us for our efforts in showing gratitude.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
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Dear brothers and sisters, we all know that Salat or Prayer is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. It is something that every eligible Muslim should perform 5 times every day.
But why? Have we ever asked ourselves why do we perform prayer? After all, we all live busy lives striving to achieve for ourselves, our families and so on.
What is it about this action that makes it such an important part of our lives and such a key activity on the day of Judgement?
We all know that the prayer is the first action that will be asked about on the day of Judgement. We all know therefore the importance that Allah SWT has placed upon prayer.
So to understand prayer is to understand who we are as creations of Allah SWT. The same creations of Allah SWT that are here, living and breathing and enjoying all the blessings of this life He has given us due to his mercy and his love for us.
Regardless of whether one is Muslim or not, in this world, we openly believe in the moral values of thanking someone when they do us a favour or help us in some way.
So knowing all that Allah SWT has done for us, are we grateful for it? And if we are truly thankful then is there some way in which we can demonstrate this that he has specified for us? That is prayer.
But prayer is more than just a demonstration of gratitude. Just like a doctor who completes his degree but occasionally carries out refresher courses, prayer for a Muslim is also an opportunity to refresh oneself.
Prayer gives you the opportunity to revise the faith, to feel reinvigorated after a barrage of temptations from Shaytaan, to reconnect to Allah SWT.
However, in order to do this one needs to engage with the Salat. And this leads us onto one of the biggest tragedies of our Ummah today.
Dear brothers and sisters, we are living in a time and place where there exists a miracle that is outside of this world.
The Quran is the direct word of Allah SWT and within it lies treasures that can assist us in our everyday lives.
And remembrance of Allah SWT comes from connecting with the Quran. As Muslims, we were given this opportunity at least five times every single day through the Salat. But for those of us especially born here or from a non-arab home, the salat has become nothing more than a CV exercise.
Dear brothers and sisters, when the salat is empty it impacts us as individuals and as an Ummah. When we can’t take lessons from the recitation of the Quran in our daily salat, then there is a problem that is so severe that we ought to be talking about it every single day until it is resolved.
So what follows are 3 practical steps to implement this pillar into our everyday lives.
- Perfect your manners in Salat. For example, perform ablution or wudu correctly. Allah SWT has mentioned this in Sura Ma’ida ayat 6 which translates to:
O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith, Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful.
- Dedicate a time and place for Salat.
Take a few breaths if you need to. Go to the masjid or find a place of contemplation and solace without distraction and visualize what you are about to do. This is the time where you are standing in front of Allah SWT so give it that respect.
- Learn the meaning of the Salat.
This point is the vital key and is especially important to all the UK-born brothers and sisters here today. Most of us have been guilty at some time or other in reciting the prayer as if we are a newsreader on fast-forward. And this is down to the fact that we do not know the words that we are reciting. Let’s make it a project today to learn the meaning of the words of the salat because when we do, prayer will become something we yearn for 5 times a day as we will be communicating with Allah SWT with feeling and from the heart.
And our masjid website has a guide that explain each part of the Salat and what exactly it is that you are reciting. Download it and print it off so that you can memorize this or at the very least make it part of your daily reading until it is. Use commutes, lunch breaks etc because really, dear brothers and sisters, nothing is more important.
My dear brothers and sisters, this may appear to be a daunting task but Allah SWT has mentioned of great rewards for those who acquire knowledge for His sake.
And for those who want to feel tranquillity and peace unmatched by anything that this world can provide, this is the key to achieving that. Salat may be a requirement for us Muslims but you will find once you sincerely engage in it, that it is also Allah SWT’s biggest gift to us.
May Allah SWT give us the ability to engage through Salat. May Allah SWT develop the yearning to perform Salat. And may Allah SWT reward us for learning and performing Salat.
Ameen Walhamdullilahi Rabilalameen.
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We can never count all of Allah SWT’s blessings.
There are those which we are acutely aware of in life such as our wealth, health, status and intellectual abilities in life. We are able to recognize these quite often.
Then we have those blessings in our life which we occasionally remember such as a time when our loved ones do something for us, i.e. our children, parents etc.
There is the ultimate recognized blessing of being muslim. Being part of the truth. Being submissive to Allah SWT, following in the footsteps of the best of creation, Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, and belonging to the religion of Islam.
In fact this blessing is mentioned in Sura Al-Maidah, Ayat 3 when Allah SWT says:
This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.
But what we are all unaware of are the blessings that we cannot even measure or recognize. These are beyond measure and they are specifically referred to in An-Nahl, ayat 17 to 19 when Allah says:
Is, then, He who creates comparable to any that cannot create? Will you not then take heed? For you should try to count Allah’s blessings, you could never count them”
From the very beginning it is the role of Shaytaan to make us ungrateful. Indeed to be ungrateful is a sign of disbelief as the Quran demonstrates this by comparing the word for ‘gratitude’ to ‘disbelief’. An example of this is in Sura Al-Baqarah, ayat 152:
Then remember me; I will remember you. Be grateful to me and do not reject me.
It is clear that the key to success for us is to demonstrate gratitude to Allah SWT but often it is not taught how this can be done.
The classical scholars of Islam have outlined three ways in which we can show Shukr or thanks to Allah SWT for all the blessings we receive from him.
Firstly, it is through the Shukr of the heart. This means that one should aim to have the intention to do good for the sake of Allah SWT. This assists in purifying the heart as it is lent towards doing things that will please Allah SWT.
It is not the concern of the believer as to whether the intention materializes into action or not as that is down to Allah SWT, but you must have the intention there as without it there can never be any action to do good.
Secondly it is through the Shukr of the tongue. This is performed through rememberance of Allah SWT. A simple act of saying Alhamdullilah, MashAllah, SubhanAllah. Bring these words into your vocabulary more so as to perform shukr in this manner.
Thirdly it is through the Shukr of the limbs. Simply put, this is the most direct form of shukr and it is through our physical actions. Whether it be the performing of optional prayers or the smallest acts of charity such as picking up an obstacle from a path – this is yet another way to demonstrate your gratitude to Allah SWT.
May Allah SWT make us recognize all the blessings he bestowes upon each of us. May Allah SWT make us of those who are grateful to Him. And may Allah increase and accept our demonstration of gratitude towards Him.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
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