IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL,
THE FIRST SERMON FOR THE MONTH OF SAFAR, DATED 4/2/1446 AH – 9/8/2024 CE
TOPIC: ADVICE FOR THE LEADER AND THE FOLLOWERS
The First Sermon
All praise is due to Allah, the One through whose obedience good things are achieved and blessings occur, and through whose disobedience calamities and tribulations befall. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. And I bear witness that our master and prophet Muhammad is His servant and messenger, the master of the prophets and the best of creation. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon him and upon his family and companions until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed: O Muslims, I advise you and myself to fear Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—for it is the cause of all good, and through it, blessings are obtained. After hardship, ease comes, and after difficulty, relief: (وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْرًا) “And whoever fears Allah—He will make for him of his matter ease” (Surah At-Talaq, 65:4).
O servants of Allah, honorable listeners, know that today people are surrounded by great trials and severe tribulations. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said concerning such times: “Time will come close together, work will decrease, miserliness will be cast into hearts, and trials will appear.” Verily, the greatest and most dangerous of these trials, causing the most harm, are the trials that occur in many communities today due to differences in opinion, division of ranks, and the spread of hatred and enmity because of the obsession with worldly gains. As a result, great evil and significant harm have befallen both the lands and the people, affecting security, lives, honor, and wealth. These trials have led to the loss of lives, the violation of honor, and the plundering of wealth because of the vast distances between leaders and followers, rulers and the ruled. This has escalated to the point where some have taken up arms against others, violating the honor and property of their brothers. The words of Allah the Exalted are true about them: (يُخْرِبُونَ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ) “They destroy their houses with their own hands” (Surah Al-Hashr, 59:2).
And the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) are true, warning: “Do not revert to disbelief after me, striking the necks of one another.”
Indeed, the greatest guarantees and means of protection from the evils of trials lie in adhering to the established principles and foundations and upholding the principles and fundamentals brought by the purified Sharia. Through this alone, the greatest guarantee is achieved to ward off the dangers of trials, and the only protection against evils and dangers is obtained.
One of these foundations is that we must be certain that the cause of all evil and the root of every calamity that befalls humanity is the distance from the path of Islam, the neglect of obedience to the Most Merciful, and the deviation from implementing the rulings of Islam.
Did not our Lord, Glorified and Exalted, say to us: (فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ) “So let those beware who dissent from his [Prophet’s] order, lest fitnah strike them or a painful punishment” (Surah An-Nur, 24:63)?
In any society, the people are either leaders or followers, regardless of their social class. Therefore, today’s sermon revolves around advice for both the leader and the followers.
O servants of Allah, honorable listeners! It is shameful for the Ummah today to stray from the guidance provided by the Master of Humanity, while the world watches, especially the Muslims, who are in such a dire state. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O people! I have left among you something which, if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah” (Its chain of narration is authentic).
It is time for us, rulers and the ruled, if we desire our well-being, the safety of our security, and the righteousness of our affairs, to hold firmly, sincerely, and faithfully to the advice that our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave us. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Fear Allah, listen, and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave is appointed over you. You will see great differences after me, so hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Cling to it with your molars, and beware of newly invented matters; for every innovation is misguidance” (The hadith is authentic).
Brothers in Islam, every ruler in every country must fulfill the duties of trust and responsibility with sincerity, truthfulness, and mindfulness of Allah, the Exalted. He should always remember Allah’s words to His Prophet Dawud: (يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ) “O David! We have made you a successor upon the earth, so judge between the people in truth and do not follow [your own] desire, as it will lead you astray from the way of Allah” (Surah Sad, 38:26).
Every ruler—be he a king, prince, or leader—must remember, both in heart and action, the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Abu Dharr regarding leadership: “It is a trust, and on the Day of Resurrection, it will be a cause of disgrace and regret, except for one who takes it by its right and fulfills his duties in it” (Narrated by Muslim).
A ruler should always make his motto the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “There is no shepherd whom Allah has entrusted with a flock, and he dies on the day he dies having deceived his flock, except that Allah will forbid him from the fragrance of Paradise” (Narrated by Muslim).
So, O Muslim ruler, choose your place, whether it be in Paradise or in the Fire, based on what your master Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has informed you.
All rulers must govern their people with justice and fairness, avoiding oppression and preventing it in their lands in all its forms and manifestations. The injustice may not come directly from them but from their inner circles or those they have appointed over the Muslims, in which case the ruler is responsible. For Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said: “I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden among you.”
With justice, both the ruler and the ruled will feel secure. But with oppression, evil will spread among all, corruption will prevail, hatred and enmity will settle in hearts, and the uprisings that have occurred in our lands are a true testament to this prophetic wisdom.
The ruler must be diligent in looking after the affairs of his people and must not let anything distract him from this duty, lest he regrets it when regret is of no avail. He should not isolate himself from their needs and conditions, for if he does so, the bonds between ruler and ruled will break, leading to widespread corruption.
It is authentically reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever Allah appoints over the affairs of the Muslims and he secludes himself from their needs, their wants, and their poverty, Allah will seclude Himself from his needs, wants, and poverty on the Day of Resurrection.”
He must fear Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—and set aside personal desires and biases, appointing those who are pious, devout, obedient, and righteous over the affairs of the Muslims. These should be individuals who possess strength and trustworthiness, who encourage people towards good, unite hearts rather than divide them, and work to improve the lands rather than corrupt them. If a ruler is afflicted with an evil inner circle, danger will arise, and evil will take hold.
Beware, O ruler, in every country, that you do not allow your religion to be affected or corrupted by the worldly affairs of others.
A ruler must be aware that the world has a strong influence over many souls in every era and that the evils in societies have only occurred due to the intense pursuit of worldly gains, positions, and its adornments.
Therefore, whoever is afflicted with leadership must be cautious of indulging in worldly matters and of preferring himself over his subjects. In “Sahih al-Bukhari,” the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed, some men misuse the wealth of Allah without right; for them is the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.”
From his (peace and blessings be upon him) teachings emerged leaders like Abu Bakr and Umar al-Farooq, among other companions. This is Umar, who restricted himself and prioritized his subjects over himself. He said: “Do you know my example and the example of these people? It is like a group of people on a journey who collected their money and entrusted it to one of them to spend on them; is it permissible for that man to take from their wealth for himself?”
Honorable servants of Allah, one of the most important duties of a ruler is to strive with utmost effort to preserve the five necessities: religion, lives, intellects, honor, and wealth. The most significant of these is the religion of the people. This requires the ruler to diligently spread the means of calling to Allah and to the Sunnah of His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), to establish the command to do good and forbid evil in the lands he governs, to apply the Sharia of Allah in all matters, and to reject any system that contradicts Allah’s Sharia. He must prevent the corrupt and innovators from spreading or bringing corruption to the Muslims in their religion or worldly affairs. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—says: (وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا) “Do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set in order” (Surah Al-A’raf, 7:56).
Servants of Allah, know that the subjects have a duty to respect the rights of the ruler, to maintain his honor and reverence. In “Musnad Ahmad,” with an authentic chain of narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever honors the ruler of Allah (blessed and exalted be He) in this world, Allah will honor him on the Day of Resurrection; and whoever humiliates the ruler of Allah (blessed and exalted be He) in this world, Allah will humiliate him on the Day of Resurrection.”
They must also be patient with the ruler’s injustice if he wrongs or oppresses them. In “Sahih al-Bukhari,” the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “You will see after me favoritism and things that you will disapprove of.” They asked, “What do you command us to do, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Give them their rights and ask Allah for your rights.”
Among these duties is the utmost caution against rebelling against a Muslim ruler unless clear and explicit disbelief is seen, based on conditions established by the scholars of the Ummah, not by the masses and the general public. In both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to listen and obey in our times of ease and difficulty, in our pleasure and displeasure, and not to dispute the authority of those in power unless you see clear and explicit disbelief for which you have proof from Allah.”
Thus, everyone must exhibit patience and deliberation, avoiding haste. Through this, matters are truly understood, and decisions are weighed with the most appropriate balance. Hastiness and rashness in actions often lead to consequences that are difficult to bear.
Furthermore, they must practice gentleness in all actions. The principles of the Sunnah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) state: “Whenever gentleness is in something, it beautifies it; and whenever it is removed from something, it disfigures it. Gentleness is all goodness.”
So, preserve this great system by which your affairs are rectified and your lands flourish.
I say this, and I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you and for all Muslims from every sin. So seek His forgiveness; indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
THE SECOND KHUTBAH
All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds; the God of the first and the last, and the best outcome is for the righteous, and there is no aggression except against the oppressors. May His prayers and peace be upon the noblest of prophets and messengers, our master Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
To proceed, honorable listeners, fear Allah and know with absolute certainty that there are living examples and models from our righteous predecessors for anyone with a heart or who listens attentively, whether they are rulers or subjects. By applying this, the supplication or curse of those deserving it will come to pass, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, narrated by Awf ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): “The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you, and you pray for them and they pray for you (i.e., supplicate for them), and the worst of your leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you, and you curse them and they curse you.” (Muslim)
Honorable servants of Allah, if this noble hadith indicates anything, it is that there are two types of leaders in terms of how they treat their subjects: a group who is successful and fulfills their obligations—though they are few—and the people love them, and they love the people, so each one prays for the other. The other group, however, consists of the worst of leaders; they hate the people, and the people hate them, they curse the people, and the people curse them. Which of these two groups are we with our leaders and rulers? Do we love them for the good in obedience to what benefits society in what is not disobedience to Allah, and do we pray for their guidance? Do we fulfill our obligations so that we may rightfully claim our rights from them and among ourselves as citizens? Indeed, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.
Brothers in faith, we continue to offer our condolences to our brothers in Gaza, the stronghold of honor, for the daily losses that the nation endures in the region. May Allah have mercy on their martyrs, heal their wounded, and we pray to Him to continue humiliating their enemies until they face imminent destruction. We also hope that He, the Exalted, grants success to the new political leader of Palestine, Mr. Yahya Sinwar.
Du’a (Supplication)
O Allah, grant honor to Islam and the Muslims, and humiliate shirk (idolatry) and the polytheists. Destroy the enemies of the religion and protect the stronghold of Islam, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, grant us safety in our homelands, and rectify our leaders and those in charge of our affairs. Place our leadership in the hands of those who fear You and seek Your pleasure, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, guide our leader and his deputy to what pleases You, and assist them in obeying You, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor. O Allah, we ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and sufficiency. O Allah, rectify for us our religion, which is the safeguard of our affairs, and rectify for us our worldly life, which is our livelihood. Rectify for us our Hereafter, where our return is, and make life an increase for us in every good and death a relief for us from every evil. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.