In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
BEING THE SECOND SERMON FOR THE MONTH OF J. ULA, DATED 15TH J. ULA, 1444 AH (9TH DECEMBER, 2022 CE). TITLED: CURING ARROGANCE AND ACQUIRING HUMILITY
All Praises belong to Allah, the Lord of the universe, who says in his Glorious Book: (قُتِلَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ (17) مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ (18)مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ (19) ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ) “Be cursed (the disbelieving) man! How ungrateful he is! From what thing did He create him? From a mere sperm-drop! He (at first) creates him, then endows him with infinite capacity (to make progress). Then He makes the Path easy for him.” (Al- ‘Abasa: 17-20). We praise Him, Glorified and Exalted He is, we thank Him, we believe in Him, and we trust in Him. We seek refuge in him from the evil of our own souls, and from our bad deeds. He whom Allah guides is the one who is guided and nothing that can mislead him, and whoever is let astray, none can guide Him. I testify that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone. He has no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and His Messenger. O Allah! May your Blessings and Peace be upon him and his household and companions and those that follow with goodness till the
of Recompense.
O servants of Allah, I enjoin you and myself to fear Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, for it is the way of the righteous, the men of understanding. Allah Ta’alah says: (يَا أَيّهَا الّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ) “O you who believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islam (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allah.” (Aal-Imraan: 102).
Brothers in faith! This is the second meeting in the month of Jumaada-Al-uula, the fifth Islamic lunar month and the topic of our sermon today will be about: How to cure arrogance and gain humility.
Dear Muslims! Arrogance is a serious disease, an incurable disease, and a destructive illness that leads a person to destruction and brings Allah’s anger on him, and necessarily brings punishment to the one who has it.
It is the imperative duty of every Muslim to stay away from it and wary of it, and pay attention to the things that make it enter peoples’ souls, and its guises on the heart. And so, here are some means to leave it and be free from it. And Allah is the One who grants success, and the One Who guides to the straight path.
Firstly, dear brothers, is that you understand the enormity of its repulsiveness and repugnance, and that it is something that justifiably brings on the anger, wrath and vengeance of Allah Ta’alah, because it is tantamount to sharing with Allah Ta’alah in one of His Attributes – and pride must not be for any other than for Allah Ta’alah, and whoever shares with him in any of His Attributes, the person will be cut down and destroyed, and He will make the Fire his abode and his place.
It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah Ta’alah said: “Pride is my cloak, and greatness is my lower garment, whoever contests with me any of them, I will throw him into the Fire.” (Muslim)
It has been narrated on the authority of Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) who said: “He who has an atom’s weight of arrogance in his heart will not enter Paradise.” (Muslim)
Secondly, my dear honorable brothers, is that you must know that the arrogant person is despised by Alah Ta’alah and also by people, because people resent those they see as arrogant, they dislike him deeply, and they don’t like seeing him, sitting with him, or talking to him, because he looks at them from a height, haughty with his nose, pumped up chest, snobbish and overbearing in his words. He does not see them (people) as something worthy. So, who will be pleased with himself in this position?!
And on the Day of Resurrection, the truth will be apparent, and a person will be gathered with the true worth. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, there will be brought forth a a big fat man (person of noteworthy status) whose value to Allah will be less than that of the wing of a mosquito”..” And he said, read: (فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا) “and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall not give them any weight (importance).” (Al-Kahf: 105)
Thirdly, servants of Allah, is that you go to the cemeteries, to look and see with the eye and insight at those prominent people who are inside those pits, where are their kingdoms and possessions? Where are the tyrants among them? Where is the one who filled the world with noise and lousy claims, and used to say in his mouth in his status: Who is like me?
So if he is just like others in that sad bed, and those who passed by him pity him, so where is his possession for which he used to be hailed and praised? Where is his money that he was proud and arrogant to have gathered and which he held back from spending? Where is his knowledge that he was arrogant to have gathered? Where is his cozy bed? And his magnificent palace? Where are the costly clothes? Where are the servants and employees? Where is the softness and tenderness? Where are the cars, foods and drinks? Where is the arrogance? Where is the condescension? The poor is buried next to the rich, the ruler is buried next to the ruled, and the minister is buried next to the unprivileged. Are their graves distinguished except by what they contain of either bliss or punishment?! As for its appearance, it is dormancy and stillness, and as for its insides, it is the resourceful and the greats!
Fourthly, dear Muslim, is that you go to visit the poor and the needy, to see Allah’s favour on you, and to feel what you enjoying of the blessings that others are deprived of, but given to you as a trial from Allah for you, and a test from Him of your Eemaan. Maybe Shaytaan sits on the path of this visit, making it heavy for you, and standing between you and it – to deprive you of it. And your evil-commanding soul, comes to say to you: Is this possible for you to do?! You that have prestige, money, nobility, and lineage? You go to these poor houses, so you enter these despicable neighborhoods? And you sit – despite your majesty – on these dirty, filthy cushions, shaking those shaggy, rough hands, and wiping on the head of that child whose clothes are torn, whose hair is scattered, and whose cheeks are stained with filth and grime? So why would you go to them when they look more at your pocket more than they look at your face? And they covet more what you give them more than they rejoice in meeting you?
Perhaps this bad perspective is entrenched by some of Shaytaan’s helpers. They scare you from this visit and prevent you from going to the poor, and they try with their wickedness and cunning to make you remain a prisoner of bourgeoisie, privileged-class life and soft living without disturbing yourself with what you see from the lives of the poor people.
Compel yourself to make this visit, and you will see its amazing results, especially if you carry with you what brings happiness and joy to the poor, and I am certain that you will feel happiness that has not touched the depths of your heart for a long period!
THE SECOND SERMON:
All praises are due to Allah who says in His book: (يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ) “O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware.”. (Al-hujuraat: 13). May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the honored messenger, and upon his household, companions and those who follow them in righteousness until the day of judgement.
Thereafter,
Dear servants of Allah, annually, the United Nations celebrates the International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2022.
It is clear that the philosophical basis on which the concept of human rights is based is to honour man in a way that enables him to play his role in the society and achieve societal development through the progress and advancement of the individual. This foundation is the same thing that Islam referred to in many places. In general, the Muslim relationship is governed by a set of Islamic rulings.
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah says: Son of Adam, I was ill and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O Lord, how could I visit You when You are the Lord of the universe?’ He will say, ‘Do you not know that My slave so-and-so was ill but you didn’t visit him. If you had visited him you would have found that action with Me.” Son of Adam, ‘I asked you for food and you did not feed Me. He (His slave) will say, ‘Lord, how could I feed You when You did not ask me for food and You are the Lord of the universe?’ He will say, ‘Do you not know that My slave so-and-so asked you for food and you did not feed him? Do you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that action with Me? Son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me water.’ The slave will reply, ‘O Lord, how could I give you water when You are the Lord of the universe?’ He will say, ‘My slave so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him water. Do you not know that if you had given him water, you would have found that action with Me?”
These hadiths, the Noble Messenger of Allah explained them, are all of them are based on the principle of ensuring kindness, tolerance, and other sublime principles enjoined by Islam.
The most important rights guaranteed by Islam for man: Characteristics and advantages of human rights in Islam:
a. Equality between men and women b. The rights of Parents c. Children’s rights d. Rights between spouses e. The rights of relatives, orphans, the needy, the wayfarer, and the Rights of non-Muslims.