IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL
THE THIRD SERMON FOR THE MONTH OF RABI’ AL-THAANI, DATED 1/4/1446 AH (4/10/2024 CE)
TOPIC: DUTIFULNESS TO PARENTS AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE IN BOTH WORLDS
THE FIRST SERMON
Praise be to Allah, Who has warned us against the deceptive life of this world, and commanded us to prepare for the Day of Resurrection and Judgment. I praise Him, for He is the Forgiving, the Appreciative. He has commanded dutifulness to parents and warned against and prohibited disobedience to them. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion, and He is capable of all things. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. May peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his companions.
To proceed: O servants of Allah, I advise you and myself to fear Allah in private and public, for it is the foundation of virtues and the fortress of commendable qualities. Be aware that the pleasure of Allah lies in the pleasure of the parents. This is evidenced by many verses in the Noble Qur’an, in which the command to worship Allah alone is coupled with the command to be good to parents. Allah says: (وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا) “Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and be good to parents” [An-Nisa’: 36], and He says: (وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا) “Your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment”* [Al-Isra’: 23]. This indicates the inseparable link between the two; worship is not fulfilled alongside disobedience, and goodness to parents is not accepted alongside polytheism.
This is further emphasized by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), as narrated by Umar ibn Murrah al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him), that a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah, and that you are the Messenger of Allah. I perform the five prayers, give zakat from my wealth, and fast during Ramadan.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: *“Whoever dies upon this will be with the prophets, the truthful ones, and the martyrs on the Day of Resurrection, as long as he does not disobey his parents.” [Narrated by Ahmad and At-Tabarani with a sound chain].
It has also been reported from Ibn Abbas that he said: “Three verses were revealed connected with three other things, and none of them is accepted without its pair. The first is Allah’s statement: (وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ) “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger” [Al-Ma’idah: 92]; whoever obeys Allah but does not obey the Messenger, it will not be accepted from him. The second is His statement: (وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ) “Establish prayer and give zakat, and bow with those who bow” [Al-Baqarah: 43]; whoever prays but does not give zakat, it will not be accepted from him. The third is His statement: (أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ) “Give thanks to Me and to your parents” [Luqman: 14]; whoever gives thanks to Allah but does not give thanks to his parents, it will not be accepted from him.”
The command to be good to parents is not exclusive to this ummah (nation), but it is a divine command that was prescribed for the nations before us. Allah says: (وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ) “And when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel” [Al-Baqarah: 83]. Allah also praised the prophets and specifically mentioned Yahya (peace be upon him) for his dutifulness to his parents, even in their old age. Dutifulness is most significant during times of need, and this need is greatest in old age and weakness: (وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا) “And dutiful to his parents, and he was not a disobedient tyrant” [Maryam: 14]. Similarly, Isa (peace be upon him) mentioned his devotion to his mother, his pride in serving her, his acknowledgment of her virtue, and his humility before her: (وَبَرًّا بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِي جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا) “And dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant” [Maryam: 32].
The command to be kind to parents is absolute and general, encompassing what pleases the child and what does not, without argument, dispute, or debate. This is a very important matter that must be heeded, for many children are negligent of it. They think that dutifulness lies only in what pleases them and aligns with their desires, but the truth is the opposite. Dutifulness is only achieved in matters that contradict the child’s desires and inclinations. If it aligns with his desires, it would not be considered true dutifulness. As Al-Bayhaqi reported in Shu’ab al-Iman, and Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “No Muslim has two Muslim parents, who approaches them with the intention of being dutiful, except that Allah opens for him two doors from Paradise – if they are both alive, then two doors; if one is alive, then one door. If he angers one of them, Allah will not be pleased with him until they are pleased with him.” It was asked: “Even if they wrong him?” He replied: “Even if they wrong him.”
The conditions of dutifulness are three:
1. The child should prioritize the satisfaction of his parents over his own desires, his spouse, children, and others.
2. He should obey them in everything they command and forbid, whether it agrees with his wishes or not, as long as it does not involve disobedience to Allah.
3. He should provide for them everything they seem to desire without them asking, with joy and willingness, while feeling that he is still falling short in their rights, even if he gives them all his wealth.
O servants of Allah, disobedience to parents includes every act or word that causes them harm, such as making them cry, scolding them, raising one’s voice, showing annoyance at their commands, frowning at them, looking at them with disdain, criticizing the food prepared by the mother, ignoring their conversations, insulting them in front of others, and more. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Two sins are hastened in punishment: injustice and disobedience to parents” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]. He also said: “All sins may be postponed by Allah until the Day of Judgment, except disobedience to parents, which He hastens in this world” [Reported by Al-Hakim].
May Allah benefit us and you with the guidance of His Prophet and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. I say this and seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you. Seek His forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
THE SECOND SERMON:
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, and the final outcome is for the pious. There is no enmity except against the oppressors. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone without a partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, the teacher of goodness to mankind, who did not leave any good except that he guided us to it. May the peace and blessings of my Lord be upon him, his family, and his companions, and may abundant salutations be upon them.
To proceed, O Muslims, Nigeria celebrated its 64th Independence Day last Tuesday. It is a day that reminds us of the blessings of freedom and responsibility. At this historical moment, we must hold fast to unity, for it is the foundation of strength, cooperation, and the path to building and spreading love, which is the basis of mercy among people. Despite the security challenges we face, as well as poverty and unemployment, we must unite and work together for a better future. Allah Almighty said: (واعتصموا بحبل الله جميعًا ولا تفرقوا) “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided” (Aal-Imran: 103). Let us be one hand, work for good, and strive to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. We ask Allah to protect Nigeria, guide our leaders to more success and righteousness, and unite our ranks and rectify our affairs.
Dear Servants of Allah, your brave brothers in Gaza and Palestine are calling out to you with the voice of faith and dignity to commemorate the first anniversary of the glorious October 7th, a year after the flood of Al-Aqsa. In the shadow of the great Palestinian popular resistance in Gaza, the land of honor, dignity, and sacrifice, they are calling upon you with a voice of firm faith and the bond of brotherhood that exists between you and them to stand in solidarity with them by declaring a general mobilization and a grand uprising starting from today—this Friday—with comprehensive public demonstrations in support of this Islamic, humanitarian, and moral cause. The demonstrations should continue escalating until October 7th, and let the chant be: “Palestine, from the river to the sea.”
Dear Servants of Allah, this is our cause, and the land is our land, and the war is upon all of us. What wretched brothers we would be if we were called but did not respond, and there is no good in us if we are called and do not answer.
O Muslims, Al-Aqsa is crying out to you, so rise to its aid and stand by your brothers who are steadfast inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, from the people of Jerusalem and Palestine. Support them with words, prayers, and mobilization, and do everything necessary to ensure the continued steadfastness of this group of heroes from the sons of Palestine and the loyal sons of Al-Aqsa.
Let our slogan be: “We are all sacrifices for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa,” and let us declare a general mobilization with all our capabilities, each according to their ability, to defend our honor, dignity, and pride. Al-Aqsa is the honor of the ummah and its creed.
Dear brothers, all our work and efforts these days should be focused on serving Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa. Let us make use of times of divine acceptance to turn to Allah, asking Him to unite the ummah, gather its ranks, elevate its word and banner, and grant it victory over its enemies and liberate its Al-Aqsa.
We must also direct our financial support to our brothers in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, for they are suffering from destruction, killing, starvation, displacement, and the Judaization of their land by all Zionist repressive means.
Among the means of defense is to make the events happening in Al-Aqsa Mosque a part of what we publish on social media, making the news of Jerusalem a priority in our posts.
Let us send a message to our brothers stationed in Al-Aqsa that we are with them, sharing their pain and their battles.
And a message to the occupation that if they dare to harm Al-Aqsa Mosque, we will rise up against them.
O You whose soldiers are never defeated, and whose promise never fails, Glory be to You with all Your praise. O Allah, the Zionists have transgressed, tyrannized, and exceeded all bounds. O Allah, prepare for them a mighty hand of truth that crushes their might and uproots them. O Allah, send down upon them Your severe punishment, O God of Truth.
O Allah, do not establish for them a banner, do not grant them any success, and make them a lesson for those who come after them. O Allah, defeat them, shake them, and grant us victory over them, O Lord of all worlds.
Allah, grant honor to Islam and the Muslims, and humiliate shirk and the polytheists. Destroy the enemies of the religion, grant victory to Your monotheistic servants, protect the sanctity of the religion, and make this country safe and secure, as well as all the lands of the Muslims.
O Allah, rectify the affairs of the Muslims everywhere. O Allah, unite them upon truth and guidance. O Allah, protect their blood and grant them safety in their homes. Provide them with abundance in their livelihoods, and suppress their enemies.
O Allah, we ask You for forgiveness and well-being in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and seek refuge with You from the Fire. O Allah, O Turner of hearts, keep our hearts steadfast upon Your religion. O Allah, grant us goodness in this world and goodness in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
Servants of Allah: “Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace” (Al-Ahzab: 56). Therefore, increase your blessings upon him, for your Lord will multiply your reward for it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah sends blessings upon him tenfold.”
O Allah, send blessings, peace, and grace upon Your servant and Messenger Muhammad, the possessor of the radiant face and the brilliant forehead. O Allah, be pleased with all the Companions and the Followers, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment, and with us among them, by Your grace, generosity, and kindness, O Most Merciful of the merciful.