Today’s reminder is on the etiquettes of the masjid.
My dear brothers, this place is a sanctuary from the outside
world. Besides the odd unwelcomed ringtone during salah, we are able to switch
off from all the distractions of the outside world when we are inside of the
masjid. There is no Google, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube inside these four walls
to distract us. And as we grow older, we begin to realise just how valuable
this place is for serenity and peace of mind for us all.
The Prophet SAWS mentions the love Allah SWT has for the
masjid in the following hadith:
He who goes to the mosque at dawn
or dusk (for Salat), Allah prepares a hospitable abode for him in Jannah, every
time when he walks to it or comes back from it
Dear brothers, we can see that from this hadith there is a
great reward for coming to the masjid and therefore we should make the most of
this blessing, especially now that we are out of lockdown and are able to come
back to the houses of Allah SWT.
The Imam also relayed the following hadith in which the
Prophet SAWS said:
“The reward for Salat
performed by a person in congregation is more than 20 times greater than that
of the Salat performed in one’s house or shop. When one performs Wudu’
perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of performing
Salat, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one
degree in reward and one of his sins is eliminated until he enters the mosque,
and when he enters the mosque, he is considered as performing Salat as long as
it is the Salat which prevents him (from leaving the mosque); and the angels
keep on supplicating Allah for him as long as he remains in his place of
prayer. They say: ‘O Allah! have mercy on him; O Allah! forgive his sins; O
Allah! accept his repentance’. This will carry on as long as he does not pass
wind”
And so, dear brothers, what follows are 3 simple ideas that
we can all implement that will make our time in the masjid an even more blessed
one insh’Allah.
- Enter the masjid with your right foot and say
Salaam. Even if nobody is making eye contact that doesn’t matter. It starts
your visit with the correct intention.
- Put your mobile phone on silent my dear
brothers. Focus in prayer is such a fragile thing that even a piece of fluff on
the carpet can be the most interesting thing when we are trying to offer salat.
You can imagine then what a melodic ringtone does to the focus in comparison. The
message here is one of consideration for your fellow brother who is trying to
connect to Allah in a rare moment of solace in an otherwise busy day.
- Avoid passing in front of somebody who is
praying. This is difficult sometimes and consideration in this case should be
two-way. For example if a brother was to start praying adjacent to the exit
door then he is preventing anyone wanting to enter and exit the masjid.
- And as you leave try to connect to that feeling
of joy at having just visited the house of Allah and having just communicated
directly to Allah SWT and having just made a request of Him in your duas. Try
to instil into your heart that feeling of loss as you leave as it will create
that desire to return back to the masjid as soon as possible.
Dear brothers, the masjid is our fortress from the outside
world. Let’s aim to visit it often and in the correct manner insh’Allah.
May Allah SWT enable us to develop the correct etiquette for
entering the masjid. May Allah SWT instill into our hearts good manners for the
masjid. And may Allah SWT reward us for the manners we develop for the masjid.
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Islam
can be categorized into 4 parts. And those parts are belief, worship, dealings
and manners.
We
know that the most important is the belief, and if this is correct then actions
can be correct, but cannot be the other way round as the belief is at the top
of the list.
After
belief, comes worship, and the main aspect of the worship is praying which is
the pillar of our religion, fasting, paying in charity, etc. These are all acts
of worship and if you were to ask a non-Muslim of what makes a Muslim then it
is usually these things that they have heard of.
However,
the most overlooked category is the one which comes next. This is the practical
implementation of having faith, beyond the required formal acts of worship and
they are the way in which we behave.
This
section is entitled dealings and manners and examples of this are things like
being truthful, having mercy on others etc.
The
importance of this cannot be understated, the imam referenced a hadith to
illustrate the importance in which the Prophet SAWS said:
“DO you know who the
bankrupt is?” They said: “O Messenger of Allah! The bankrupt among us
is the one who has no Dirham nor property.” The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w)
said: “The bankrupt in my Ummah is the one who comes with Salat and
fasting and Zakat on the Day of Judgement, but he comes having abused this one,
falsely accusing that one, wrongfully consuming the wealth of this one,
spilling the blood of that one, and beating this one. So he is seated, and this
one is subtracted from his rewards. If his rewards are exhausted before the
sins that he committed are subtracted, then some of their victims sins will be
taken and cast upon him, then he will be cast into the Fire.”
Dear brothers and sisters, this is an important point that
each and every one of us needs to understand. Coming to the masjid and praying
your salah has immense reward and may Allah SWT reward us for attending today but
if our behaviour and our manners outside of this gathering is lacking then we
run the risk of losing the reward of this act of worship.
Also, it is important to note that the act of being sincere
in worship, or being true in faith is something we have spoken of in the past
but this reminder is an actual proof of that occurring.
In other words, the behaviour of us around our family,
friends, neighbours, colleagues etc is also an act of worship. It is also a
declaration of our faith. If we are lacking in this department then what use is
our acts of worship like salah and sadaqa? If we are causing misery to others
in our behaviour then aren’t we running the risk of being as the hadith warned
us of?
Dear brothers and sisters, it is
not enough for the Muslim community to be abiding by the outwardly worship, or
what looks on the outside as following Allah SWT commandments. No, it is
necessary to have the manners and honesty in dealing with others, and the fact
this understanding is missing from our communities is what is creating the
problems that we see today.
We need to be mindful that our
dealings with others, in social and business affairs is all a testimony to our declaration
that we are Muslim.
In particular, most of us here conduct
business or some form of work and the first five ayats of Sura Al-Muttafin guide
us on how we should deal with others. It’s translated to say:
Woe to those who give less [than
due], Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give
by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss. Do they not think that they
will be resurrected. For a tremendous Day –
Another point to note in regards
to this is that we are living in a time and a place where Islam gets bad press
from the media and certain high profile people in power.
Our duty as Muslims is to counteract
this false perception with the way in which we conduct ourselves in our
communities. Remember, Islamophobia can be eradicated in our communities if
they see us as the practical implementation of what the Quran teaches us.
We are ambassadors of Islam, we
are the community of the greatest of all creation SAWS. He prayed for each and
every one of us and so we owe it to him, to our Creator and to our souls to be
the role models in everything we do.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is not easy to ask this of us.
We live in a time where corruption is rife. We live in a dog-eat-dog world and
it’s almost expected to be corrupt as everyone else does it. However, that is
the test we each have. We need to remember that the virtue of justice should be
paramount in our minds and our behaviour, even if it is being just at the
expense of our closest or even our own selves.
Allah SWT alludes to this in the 8th ayat of Sura
Al-Maidah which is translated to say:
O you who have believed, be
persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the
hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to
righteousness. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.
Dear brothers and sisters, imaan and worship is an important
part of our faith and that should never be ignored. However, the practical implementation
of these things is the small things that make us who we are. The way we behave,
our manners and our conduct is not only something that will make society understand
what Muslims really are but it will be something that will protect our good
deeds when we are stood in front of Allah SWT.
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Human nature desires a society based on morals and manners
which provides a stable and secure life leading to liberty and happiness for
all people.
Islam is no different as within our teachings of the Prophet
SAWS and the lessons derived from the glorious Quran are etiquettes and manners
that we must adhere to as Muslims.
The Prophet SAWS is reported to have spoken on this topic in
the following hadith which is translated to say:
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
said, “Fear Allah wherever you are, do good deeds after doing bad ones,
the former will wipe out the latter, and behave decently towards people”.
In fact, there is often a post that circulates the internet
where at least 75 of those manners are listed with references from the Quran.
This reminder can’t list them all but our facebook page has the post listed
today for anyone who wants to check them all out.
In regards to the reminder today, manners is something which
we all encourage in ourselves and in each other, especially our youth and so
why is it that we need reminding of this topic today?
Dear brothers and sisters, manners is the way in which we
practically implement the religion of Islam. By having good manners we are
demonstrating to others the beauty of Islam as well as attaining reward from
Allah SWT inshAllah.
And so, this can be achieved by teaching ourselves the
following 4 points:
1. Following in the footsteps and copying the examples of
the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (s), his infallible household (Ahlul Bayt) and
the most righteous among his companions. Studying their biographies and
considering all aspects of their virtuous behaviour are essential ways of being
led on the right path.
2. Practice makes perfect and we should practise conducting
ourselves with the best of morals, like truth, courage, generosity, mercy, and
forgiveness. Whoever repeatedly does good deeds and behaves in a good manner,
such conduct will undoubtedly become a habit, whereas whoever commits misdeeds
and ill-natured vices like hypocrisy, lying, deceiving …etc. will accept them
to such an extent that they will become a habit also and cause themselves
destruction in this life and the next.
3. Avoiding people characterised by bad manners and not
making them friends, because not mixing with such people removes the danger of
being misled and should also discourage their bad behaviour.
4. We should also ask the forgiveness of Allah SWT in case
of committing sins or doing evil deeds and should regret and repent for such
actions.
Dear brothers and sisters, to summarize:
Good manners surely indicate the goodness of the upright
human soul while bad manners indicates that the soul of that man is evil and
wicked.
Allah instructs us towards the best morals and will reward
us accordingly on the Day of Judgement and also forbids us against bad morals
for which He will duly punish us on that day.
Bad manners cause the destruction of society and the spread
of corruption; he who has vices, his personality will be disliked and he will
be liable to punishment, and people will avoid and humiliate him. Whereas the
man with good morals is considered the foundation on which the structure of a
sound Islamic society is built, and is among the causes of giving strength to
Muslims.
We need to understand that if Muslim communities lose their
good morals of justice, mercy and forgiveness, they will be destroyed, and all
the scientific progress and abundance of wealth can not prevent it. When moral
principles are abandoned, the quality of life is disrupted and led astray. We
see this today through war, gross injustice and rising crime spreading in
immoral societies.
The onus is on all Muslims to ensure good morals which are
preserved by way of self-education and practising exemplary behaviour. We are
ambassadors to the truth that is Islam and the primary way we are going to go
out there and show the truth to others is through our manners and conduct.
Dear brothers and sisters, having good manners is more than
just providing for a stable society, it is about practically adhering to the commandments
of Allah SWT and the teachings of the Prophet SAWS. We ought to make that effort
to perfect our manners so that we are of the people that are referenced in this
final hadith in which the Prophet SAWS said:
“I guarantee a house in
Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I
guarantee a home in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even for
the sake of fun; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one
who has good manners.”
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Dear brothers and sisters, what distinguishes our religion from other religions is the manners each and every one of us is expected to abide by. Among these we have shared values of manners but on top of that we also have manners that we as Muslims are expected to abide by. Today we touch on 8 areas of manners that we all should excel on.
The first act of etiquette/mannerism is how to behave with Allah SWT and Imam spoke of Surat Nisa, ayat 87 in which it says:
Who is more truthful than Allah?
This is an important lesson as a person should accept Allah SWT commandments without conditions and follow it through in its entirety. This benefits the person in this life as well as the hereafter.
Next, dear brothers and sisters, we were reminded that it is of good etiquette to ensure that you wear good clothes when praying, as Allah SWT said in surat Al’araf, ayat 31:
O Children of Adam! Put on your adornment (decent proper dress) when you attend your Masjid at the time of every prayer. Eat and drink, but do not be extravagant; surely He does not love the extravagant.
This is a great example as not only is it about the dress but its about the attitude towards one’s Lord. Compare the attire for prayer to that of when you have to go to work or school or college. When one is in front of a person of authority, then one makes the effort. Who is worthy of more effort then? The person who in an authority in your school or job or the person who in authority over all things, living and otherwise in this world and beyond?
The third example on good manners was to have focus and concentration in prayer. We have spoken of this before and the imam spoke of ayats 1 and 2 of Sura Al Muminoon which says:
Successful indeed are the believers who are humble in their prayers.
Dear brothers and sisters, what does it mean to be humble? The dictionary defines it as having a low estimate of one’s importance. Therefore, we can see that this ayat is telling us about having focus and concentration. After all, when we are distracted, we are thinking of our own lives, our existence and things that are trivial in comparison. But by reminding ourselves to be humble, i.e. telling ourselves our lives and its associated thoughts are not important during salat, we are being humble and attaining that focus and thus being of the successful ones described in this ayat.
The fourth example of good manners is to be thankful of Allah SWT. Dear brothers and sisters, we need to remind ourselves that the blessings of Allah SWT on us cannot be counted.
The imam reminded us of ayat 7 of sura Ibrahim which said:
And remember! your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): “If ye are grateful I will add more (favors) unto you; but if ye show ingratitude truly My punishment is terrible indeed.”
Allah SWT is informing us of a great blessing on our lives and that is simply by remarking on the positives we have in life and associating them to Him, He will reward us by giving us more of it. Let your tongue and your heart acquaint itself with Alhamdullilah and think and recite if often in order to be of the people reminded by this ayat.
The fourth example is about manners in relation to the book of Allah SWT. We have all heard of the respect with which we ought to treat the Quran but todays reminder covers some specifics. They are such as having done ablution prior to recitation, reading the Quran with care and respect, treating it with care and respect and pondering over its meaning.
Dear brothers and sisters, we have the translation in apps now on our devices as well as in books such as the bookshelf at the back of the hall. Lets use these tools to increase our understanding of the Glorious Quran.
The fifth example about manners is in relation to what the Prophet SAWS taught us. This is a huge topic but to summarize, it is to copy his actions, manners and behaviour whenever and wherever possible. It is to send salutations on to the prophet whenever you remember him. SAWS and it is to believe everything the prophet SAWS has said.
The sixth example is of a Muslim with their brothers and sisters and the lesson can be concluded from this hadith as referenced by the imam:
Six are the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim. It was said to him: Allah’s Messenger, what are these? Thereupon he said: When you meet him, offer him greetings;when he invites you to a feast accept it. when he seeks your council give him, and when he sneezes and says:” All praise is due to Allah,” you say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah show mercy to you) ; and when he fails ill visit him; and when he dies follow his burial.
The next is the manners of Muslims with Elders or Teachers. The Imam reminded us of this through a hadith of the Prophet SAWS which says:
” He is not one of us who does not have mercy upon our young, respect our elders, and command good and forbid evil.”
Therefore, practically this means to stand up for them to sit first. To be soft in speech with them and not poke fun and to have respect when calling them, i.e. not by their first name. We have these shared values in this society but unfortunately they are often forgotten so lets be the ones to keep them strong.
And lastly, it’s the manners of gatherings, which is done by having good company, remembering Allah SWT and thus being away from sin during them, to give Salaam to one another and to give each person their due respect.
Dear brothers and sisters, in a world where manners is becoming a scarce commodity, it is on us to be the best that we can be. Not only is this for our sakes but it is also so that we can be role models and leaders in society, and show all in our actions and our behaviour the beauty of Islam and what it means to be a Muslim.
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Dear brothers and sisters, each and every one of us loves the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and would want to be of those closest to Him in Judgement day.
I think it is fair to say that there isn’t anyone that wouldn’t want to be the most beloved to Him?To have that closeness to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon Him, on that day is the closeness to being in Paradise.So, what does one need to do in order to be a part of this rank?
The answer, dear brothers and sisters, may surprise you. It isn’t about huge amount of fasting, or going Hajj, or being extreme in dissociating with worldly affairs, neither is having a huge amount of knowledge of being of powerful build, or power and money.
What then what could it be?Dear brothers and sisters, the answer lies in having good manners and hence the topic of this week’s khutba.
The Prophet peace and blessings be upon him said, according to a hadith:
It is of the most beloved to me and the closest to me in Judgment day are those with the best of manners.Dear brothers and sisters, Allah SWT has sent the best of Prophets, Mohamed, Peace and blessings be upon him, to teach us the best of manners.
He is reported to have said according to Hadith:
I have been sent to complete the best of MannersDear brothers and sisters, Our Prophet peace and blessings be upon him had the most complete of manners, as Allah SWT has described him in the Quran in Sura Qalam, ayat 4:You are of great Manners
So, dear brothers and sisters, how do we emulate that so that we can be of the rank spoken of earlier?
Well, having good manners is to be following in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet SAWS. And therefore the traits mentioned in the remainder of this khutba come from accounts of his manners SAWS.So therefore it is to be generous and helpful. It is to be such that one does not hurt others.It is to try and correct mistakes, and to forgive others, be quiet about others errors and mistakes, and to try and get the hearts closer to each otherGood manners is also about the challenge to maintain your relationships with family in particular; and to give those who need, and to forgive those who have oppressed you, to look after the old and to be merciful on the young, and to give each person their rights.
How appropriate is this reminder in particular with the oppression we see against Muslims, almost on a daily basis in our media.And when Aisham, may Allah be pleased with her was asked, what would the prophet peace and blessings be upon him do in his house, she said (He would do in his household what would not require others to service him, but when prayer was called he would leave for the prayer).
Dear brothers, this one is particularly for you because good manners is doing your fair share of the housework and the chores. Chauvinism doesn’t exist in our faith and good manners confirms this.The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was very generous, good with gatherings.Uthman May Allah be pleased with him said according to hadith:We have by Allah accompanied the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him while travelling and while home, and he would visit the ill, attend the funeral, would come with us into battles, and would be with us with small and large.
Dear brothers and sisters, this tells us that we need to be generous not only with the obvious but also with our time and our efforts.The prophet peace and blessings be upon him would be smiling a lot; Jareer may Allah be pleased with him said:The Prophet peace and blessings be upon Him did not see me except was smiling.Dear brothers and sisters, this is telling us that his demeanour was always a happy one. It tells us that optimisim, hope, happiness and contentment is synonymous with good manners. A smile, they say, is contagious and is also a form of charity and what sweeter charity is there to give than a smile?The Prophet peace and belssings be upon him was the most forbearing and patient, Aisha may Allah be pleased with her said
The Prophet, peace and blessings be Upon Him, did not hit anything with his hands, not a woman or a servant except when in battle for sake of Allah
Dear brothers and sisters, good manners comes with having patience, tolerance and an acute understanding that this life is a test. Things will get to us. We aren’t robots and we do have feelings. Sometimes people will cause us to be hurt or angry but the key to having good manners is to show patience and to not lose it as is more and more the norm these days. And lastly, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most forgiving; His people hurt him, and the Angels of the mountains asked Him if He wanted the two mountains to come together and crush those who hurt Him, He refused.
Dear brothers and sisters, good manners is knowing that even if you are wronged, you should forgive. Even if you are hurt, the manners is to forgive. Life is short and life is a test. Show mercy to fellow creations of Allah SWT so that He may be able to show mercy to you on the Day of Judgement.T
his khutba and its translation can never do justice to the vast examples of impeccable manners that were demonstrated by the Prophet SAWS. However, we must strive to learn more about his life and how he lived it so that we can learn to imitate and hopefully inherit the manners of our beloved Prophet SAWS.
May Allah SWT teach us good manners. May Allah SWT enable us to absorb examples of good manners and may Allah SWT reward us on our good manners.
Alhamdullilahi Rabilalameen.
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Allah SWT says in the glorious Quran in Sura An-Nisa, ayat 36:
Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful.
Dear brothers and sisters, the neighbour holds a special status in Islam. From this ayat we can deduce that a Muslim should maintain good relations with his neighbours.
Looking towards the hadith of our beloved Prophet SAWS, we find that the status of neighbours has been held in high regard here also. The Prophet SAWS taught us that the neighbour is not just someone next door to us, but up to 40 houses away! SubhanAllah.
When one reflects on this, it becomes clear that there ought to be a sense of belonging in the community and a sense of responsibility too. It’s not just about the next door neighbour, or the street in which you live. We owe it to the neighbourhood in which we live.
But does this apply to Muslim lands only? Answering this question comes from another Hadith of the Prophet SAWS in which he is reported to have said:
The neighbour is 3 types: one who has one right over you, one that has two rights over you and one who has three rights over you.
Dear brothers and sisters, the scholars conclude that this hadith talks of the following group of people.
Those neighbours who have three rights over you is the one who is also a relative and a Muslim. Those neighbours who have two rights over you may be Muslim but not related or a relation but not Muslim.
Which leaves that neighbour with one right over you and he is neither a relation nor a Muslim.
That means no Muslim is exempt from the rights of the neighbour.
Dear brothers and sisters, a lot of us have come from either parents who migrated here or those who have migrated themselves. Our parents have many stories to tell of difficulties that they endured when moving to this land.
However, we live in a different time now. And our tests are different. We have tolerance within our communities and although problems will never totally disappear, the neighbourhood is a different place to past times.
The neighbour is now only too acutely aware of a Muslim, thanks to our media. And as a result our test is different because we no longer have to deal with ignorance but with misinformation on Muslims.
And it is our duty as Muslims to make our community feel safe with us as part of it. We need to be able to integrate into the community and be responsible for it. It is our responsibility to show them that the news does not represent us.
The Prophet SAWS said:
He is not a true Muslim who’s neighbour does not feel safe with him
Dear brothers and sisters, we already have the news telling our neighbours bad things in the name of Islam, it is therefore our personal responsibility to counteract that so that they do feel safe in our presence.
So to conclude, here are 5 tips that we can all practice in order to be better Muslims in our communities:
- Introduce yourself and your family to your neighbours when you move into a new place or when they move to a neighbouring home.
- Care for them. If you know of a neighbour that is elderly or unwell then take some time out of your schedule to visit them.
- When socialising with them, present your religion in the best way. Don’t be ashamed to say if you don’t know the answer to a question they may have. Instead, go find the answer so that you can both be educated on the answer.
- Don’t be arrogant with them. Be considerate in parking your car for example. If the choice is there, park further away so as not to inconvenience them.
- When socialising with them, be conscious of your boundaries. For example, a trip to the local pub is out but they will respect you for your principles as a result.
Dear brothers and sisters, how Muslims interact with their neighbours is key to resetting the mind-set of a society that is being fed distorted perceptions of Islam. The responsibility is ours by being that front-line in changing their mind-set with our behaviour towards them.
May Allah SWT help us be better neighbours. May Allah SWT enable us to be examples within our communities and may Allah SWT reward us in our efforts to be better neighbours. Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
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Dear brothers, in our current climate, we are faced with the constant barrage of negative news relating to Islam.
In fact, as muslims living in this time and place, we are obliged to keep on our toes with current affairs and educate those who approach us with the misconceptions they see in the media.
As a muslim, in this day and age, how does one reply to a non-muslim asking about the behaviour of muslims that are portrayed by the media? Whether it is in our workplace, our local community or our place of education, we need to be prepared for this question.
Dear brothers, the answer lies in the best of creation. SAWS. When asked about the news on the television, as muslims, we simply respond with the following:
If you want to know about how a muslim should be then study the life of our Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him.
So, who is our beloved Prophet SAWS?
In answer to the question that will be asked of us. He was born in the year 570. Since his father died before his birth and his mother died shortly thereafter, he was raised by his grandfather and uncle.
As he grew up, he became known to be truthful, honest, trustworthy, generous and sincere. In fact he was so trustworthy that he was referred to as the Trustworthy. SAWS.
Our beloved prophet SAWS was very religious from an early age detested the decadence and idolatry of his society.
After the Quran began to be revealed to the Prophet SAWS, the following ayat from Sura Ibrahim and the ayat from Sura Al Maida are ones that the hadith of the Prophet SAWS is reported to have said frequently:
My Lord, indeed they have led astray many among the people. So whoever follows me – then he is of me; and whoever disobeys me – indeed You are Forgiving and Merciful.
If you should punish them – indeed they are your servants; but if you forgive them –– indeed it is You who is the Exalted in might, The Wise.
Dear brothers, the Prophet Muhammed SAWS is our role model, our teacher, our guide and a mercy upon us all.
So what does it mean to emulate in the footsteps of the greatest of all creation? We all know that to follow in his footsteps is to be in accordance with the Sunnah.
However, with so many examples offered, is there a definitive list of behavioural traits that we can all try to adhere to?
Allah SWT has already blessed us with some of these traits and reference to this is given in Sura Al-Tharyiat:
And on the Earth are signs for the certain in faith, and in yourselves. Then will you not see?
Dear brothers, our aim in life is to emulate the Prophet SAWS in every way possible for our own sakes and for the sakes of those around us. This is because by adopting the habits of our beloved Prophet SAWS, we can become the true signs for those around us that are being bombarded with an misconception of Islam and Muslims.
This khutba concludes then with a list of character traits of the Prophet SAWS which we should all try to emulate. It is titled the Prophet’s lifestyle for those wishing to reference it online at a point in the future. It is to:
Talk softly. To Walk Humbly. To eat sensibly. To breathe deeply. To sleep sufficiently. To dress properly. To interact politely. To act fearlessly. To work patiently. To think truthfully. To behave decently. To believe correctly. To learn practically. To plan orderly. To earn honestly. To spend intelligently. To sacrifice regularly. To serve parents happily. To respect neighbours appropriately. To never hate one another. To never be jealous of one another. To never think ill of one another. To always remain brothers unto each other. And To worship dedicatedly.
Dear brothers, we will be asked how we propagated Islam on the Day of Judgement. Let our behaviour and habits answer that for us. This can only be the case when our habits and our behaviour emulates the Prophet’s SAWS behaviour.
May Allah SWT enable us to understand the importance of good behaviour. May Allah SWT enable us to emulate the behaviour of the Prophet SAWS. And may Allah SWT reward us for emulating the behaviour of the Prophet SAWS.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
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Dear brothers, besides the month of Ramadhan and the night prayers that come with it, the largest gathering we find consistently in a month at a masjid is on the blessed day of Jumma or Friday as we know it.
Our Masjid is no exception. During this time you will find any community or masjid announcements being made as it is the time that most people are likely to attend and hear the message.
Therefore, dear brothers, this is also the best time to take some time to reflect on the manners of coming to the Masjid. After all, if we are to benefit from our time here then we should be aware and try to adhere to the manners relating to our weekly visit.
And dear brothers, we are all here for the same purpose, to please Allah SWT, to fulfil our obligation to Him. This is His house and His claim to the masjid is defined in Sura Al-Jinn:
And He revealed the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.
My dear brothers, this place is a sanctuary from the outside world. Besides the odd dodgy ringtone during salat, we are able to switch off from all the distractions of the information age when we are inside of the masjid. There is no Google, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube inside these four walls to distract us. And as we grow older we begin to realise just how valuable this place is for serenity and peace of mind for us all.
The Prophet SAWS mentions the love Allah SWT has for the masjid in the following Tirmidhi hadith:
The most beloved places to Allah is the Masjid and the least is the shopping areas
Dear brothers, we should all avoid bringing the dunya into the masjid. There is nothing that cannot wait because everything outside of this place is under the control of the one we are visiting when we are in this place!
Why wouldn’t we want to put life on hold because Allah SWT is in control of our life and it is in this place we can make requests regarding it.
The Prophet SAWS mentions the need to avoid such an act by specifically talking about doing business in the masjid. He is narrated to have said:
If you see someone selling or buying inside the Masjid, say to him: May Allah not make your trading profitable.
Dear brothers, what follows are 3 simple ideas that we can all implement that will make our time in the masjid an even more blessed one insh’Allah.
- Enter the masjid with your right foot and say Salaam. Even if nobody is making eye contact that doesn’t matter. It starts your visit with the correct intention.
- Put your mobile phone on silent my dear brothers. Focus in prayer is such a fragile thing that even a piece of fluff on the carpet can be the most interesting thing when we are trying to offer salat. You can imagine then what a melodic ringtone does to the focus in comparison. Equally so, for those of us blessed with young children, it is such an immense feeling of pride to bring them to the masjid. However, we must always remind ourselves that this masjid is a solace for us all and if the children are too young to keep in control during salat then maybe they are too young to come to the masjid. The message here is one of consideration for your fellow brother or sister who is trying to connect to Allah in a rare moment of solace in an otherwise busy day.
- Avoid passing in front of somebody who is praying. This is difficult sometimes and consideration in this case should be two-way. For example if a brother was to start praying adjacent to the exit door then he is preventing anyone wanting to enter and exit the masjid. And as you leave try to connect to that feeling of joy at having just visited the house of Allah and having just fulfilled your obligation and having just made a request of Him in your duas. Try to instill into your heart that feeling of loss as you leave as it will create that desire to return back to the masjid as soon as possible.
Dear brothers, the masjid is our fortress from the outside world. Let’s aim to visit it often and in the correct manner insh’Allah.
May Allah SWT enable us to develop the correct etiquette for entering the masjid. May Allah SWT instill into our hearts good manners for the masjid. And may Allah SWT reward us for the manners we develop for the masjid.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
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