IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL
THE FOURTH SERMON FOR THE MONTH OF RABI’ AL-THANI, DATED 22/4/1446 AH (25/10/2024 CE)
TOPIC: FULFILLING THE NEEDS OF MUSLIMS AND CARING FOR THEIR AFFAIRS
THE FIRST SERMON
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. We praise Him, thank Him, seek His help, guidance, and forgiveness, and we repent to Him. Whomever Allah guides is truly guided, and whomever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, send blessings, peace, and grace upon him, his family, his companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows,
O servants of Allah, I enjoin you and myself to have taqwa (piety) of Allah, both in secret and in public, as it is the ultimate goal of all acts of obedience and the essence of all commands and prohibitions. Allah, the Exalted, says:
(يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ)
“O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous.” [Al-Baqarah: 2/21].
O servants of Allah! Caring for the needs of people and being kind to them is a quality not mastered by everyone. Our Prophet—peace be upon him—was known for this noble trait of fulfilling people’s needs even before his prophethood, as his wife Khadijah—may Allah be pleased with her—praised him when he returned from the cave at the start of revelation, saying: “By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kin, bear the burden of the weak, earn for the destitute, serve your guest generously, and assist those afflicted by calamity.”
Feeling the pains of others, serving them, and meeting their needs were part of his complete mercy, generosity, effort, excellent character, and noble qualities—peace and blessings be upon him. Allah, the Almighty, says about him: (وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ)
“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Al-Anbiya: 107)
And He says: (وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ)
“And indeed, you are of a great moral character.” (Al-Qalam: 4)
Jabir ibn Abdullah—may Allah be pleased with him—said: “The Messenger of Allah—peace be upon him—was never asked for anything to which he said ‘no.'” (Reported by Al-Bukhari).
In his life and Sunnah—both verbal and practical—there are numerous examples demonstrating his great concern for fulfilling the needs of Muslims and urging others to alleviate their hardships.
From the verbal Sunnah:
Abu Hurairah—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that the Messenger of Allah—peace be upon him—said: “Whoever relieves a believer of a hardship from the hardships of this world, Allah will relieve him of a hardship from the hardships of the Day of Judgment. Whoever eases the difficulty of one in distress, Allah will ease his difficulties in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal (his faults) in this world and the Hereafter. Allah is helping the servant as long as the servant is helping his brother.” (Reported by Muslim).
Imam An-Nawawi said: “This is a great hadith, encompassing various types of knowledge, principles, and etiquette, highlighting the virtue of fulfilling the needs of Muslims and benefiting them in whatever way possible, whether through knowledge, wealth, assistance, advising for their good, or otherwise.”
He also encouraged—peace be upon him—the care for the needs of widows and orphans in particular. Abu Hurairah—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that the Messenger of Allah—peace be upon him—said:
“The one who strives to take care of the widow and the poor is like the one who fights in the way of Allah,”** and I think he added, **”and like the one who stands in prayer without tiring, and like the one who fasts continuously without breaking his fast.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari).
And Sahl bin Sa’d—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that the Messenger of Allah—peace be upon him—said: “I and the one who takes care of an orphan will be in Paradise like this,” and he gestured with his index and middle fingers, slightly apart. (Narrated by Al-Bukhari).
And Abdullah bin Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—narrated: “A man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, who is the most beloved person to Allah? And which deeds are most beloved to Allah?’ The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, replied: ‘The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to people, and the most beloved deeds to Allah are bringing happiness to a Muslim, relieving him of distress, paying off his debt, or alleviating his hunger. For me to walk with my brother to fulfill a need is more beloved to me than observing i’tikaf (seclusion for worship) in this mosque (the mosque of Madinah) for a month. Whoever suppresses his anger, Allah will cover his faults, and whoever controls his anger, even though he could act on it, Allah will fill his heart with hope on the Day of Resurrection. And whoever walks with his brother to fulfill a need until he fulfills it, Allah will keep his feet firm on the Day when feet will slip.’” (Narrated by Al-Tabarani).
From the practical Sunnah in fulfilling the needs of Muslims:
Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “The Prophet—peace be upon him—was the most generous of people with what he possessed, and he did not consider anything he gave for the sake of Allah—exalted is He—to be too much or too little. No one ever asked him for anything he had, except that he gave it, whether it was little or much. His giving was the giving of someone who did not fear poverty. Charity and giving were the most beloved things to him. His joy and delight in giving were greater than that of the one receiving it. He was the most generous of people in doing good; his hand was like a freely blowing wind. When someone in need came to him, he would prioritize them over himself, sometimes with his food, sometimes with his clothing, sometimes with charity, and sometimes with gifts. Sometimes he would buy something and then give both the price and the item to the seller, as he did with Jabir. Sometimes he would borrow something and repay it with more than what was owed, or buy something and give more than its price. He would accept gifts and reward them with more than what was given, out of kindness and generosity in various forms of charity and goodness to the utmost extent. His charity and benevolence included his wealth, his actions, and his words. He would give what he had, encourage charity, urge it, and call to it by both his state and his speech. When a miserly person saw him, his example would encourage them to give. Those who accompanied him and witnessed his guidance could not help but be generous and noble. His guidance—peace be upon him—called to benevolence, charity, and good deeds, which is why he—peace be upon him—was the most open-hearted, cheerful, and content of all people. Charity and acts of kindness have a profound effect in opening the heart.”
Fulfilling people’s needs is a Prophetic tradition and one of the greatest acts through which a Muslim can draw closer to his Lord. It is out of Allah’s mercy—glorified be He—that He assigns certain people to meet the needs of others, so you find them eager to extend kindness and serve others with a content heart and a smiling face. Indeed, they are noble people who attain the honor of this world and the dignity of the Hereafter. And when Allah wishes good for a servant, He makes fulfilling the needs of people happen through him. Whoever shows gratitude for Allah’s blessings upon him by becoming a means of good and fulfilling the needs of others has truly been grateful and preserved those blessings. But whoever fails to fulfill the rights of Muslims upon him—by meeting their needs and assisting them—exposes those blessings to loss. Abdullah bin Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—said: The Messenger of Allah—peace be upon him—said: **“Indeed, Allah, the Most High, has certain people whom He grants blessings for the benefit of others. He keeps these blessings with them as long as they distribute them. But if they withhold them, He takes them away from them and transfers them to others.”** (Narrated by Al-Tabarani and graded as sound by Al-Albani).
THE SECOND SERMON:
THEY ARE NOT DEAD BUT ALIVE
Praise be to Allah, with no partner or equal. May peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, alone, without partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his companions abundantly.
Allah Almighty says: (مِنَ المُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا) “Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their vow, and some are still waiting, but they have never changed [their determination] in the least.” (Surah Al-Ahzab: 23).
And He also says: (ولا تقولوا لمن يقتل في سبيل الله أموات بل أحياء ولكن لا تشعرون) “And do not say of those who are killed in the path of Allah that they are dead. Rather, they are alive, but you perceive it not.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 154).
This is similar to His words in another verse: (ولا تحسبن الذين قتلوا في سبيل الله أمواتا بل أحياء عند) “And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.” (Al-Imran: 169)
With all the meanings of pride, dignity, and honor, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, announces to our entire nation and all the free people of the world the loss of one of the noblest and bravest men. He was the leader of the Al-Aqsa Flood battle, who rose as a martyr, advancing fearlessly, wielding his weapon, engaging and confronting the occupying army at the forefront of the ranks, moving between all combat positions, steadfast and unwavering on the land of honoured Gaza, defending the land of Palestine and its sanctities, inspiring the spirit of steadfastness, patience, perseverance, and resistance.
Hamas affirms that this blood will continue to illuminate the path for us and will serve as a motivation for greater resilience and steadfastness. The movement is committed to the legacy of its founding leaders and martyrs, until the full realization of our people’s aspirations for complete liberation, the right of return, and the establishment of the Palestinian state on the entire national soil of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, by Allah’s permission. This blood will become a curse upon the occupiers, the invaders who have no right to this land.
O Allah, grant victory to those who strive in Your path, unite their hearts, unify their ranks, and guide them to follow Your Book and the Sunnah of Your Prophet. O Allah, provide us with the means to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque, and guide Muslims—both rulers and the ruled—to establish Your law and support Your religion.
O Allah, deal with the oppressive Jews and those who assist them from among the Christians and hypocrites. O Allah, exact Your retribution upon them, divide their ranks, shake their positions, and send upon them Your punishment that cannot be turned away from the evildoers. Indeed, You are the answerer of prayers and capable of doing so. And peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.