By Sheikh Abdul-Rahman al-Sudais – 29 Rajab 1437

His Eminence Sheikh Abdul-Rahman al-Sudais –May Allah protect him– delivered this Friday Khutbah titled “Taking the Initiative in Doing Good” in which he talked about the necessity to take the initiative and promptly proceed to do good. He explained that such had been the habit of the Prophet – May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him – as well as his virtuous Companions ‒ May Allah be please with them. He then illustrated this with some inspiring examples from the era of the founding fathers of Muslim society, and equally showed appreciation for the outstanding modern initiatives which should be taken by the younger generations as model to emulate.

Praise be to Allah! Praise be to Allah, for His praise is the best word ever used in beginning speeches and the best asset for achieving success.

(The Sheikh cites one line of poetry which can be translated as follows):

Perfect praise is due to Allah as prescribed,
And gratitude is shown to Him as appropriate.

I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone, with no partner. He has privileged those who take the initiative to do good with a prominently distinguished status. I also bear witness that our Prophet and Master Mohammad is the Servant and Messenger of Allah. He unswervingly committed himself to preaching virtues and good deeds. May Allah send His Salat (Graces, Honours, and Mercy), Peace, and Blessing be upon him, his family, his Companions –who pioneered virtuous deeds and fruitful initiatives, and on whom Allah conferred a lofty status to allow them to enjoy closeness to divine grace– the Tabi’in (the contemporaries of the Companions of the Prophet [May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him] after his death), and those who righteously follow them till the Day of Judgement!

Now then,
O Servants of Allah! Observe Taqwa vis-à-vis Allah (fear of disobeying His commands), and bear in mind that adhering to Taqwa vis-à-vis Him – May He be blessed and raised far above – is the Guiding Lamp for whoever aspires to guidance and salvation. The true winner is he who has observed Taqwa vis-à-vis Allah, his Lord: “And whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam), fears Allâh, and keeps his duty (to Him), such are the successful ones.” [Al-Noor: 52]

O Muslim People!
If we give contemplative thought to the very foundations of our outstanding Sharia and subject them to close scrutiny rather than superficial inspection, we will effortlessly notice that our Sharia has always sought to spiritually cleanse the Muslim individual and raise him/her to the loftiest position, equipped with the most refined moral values and personality traits in order for him/her to fulfil success and prosperity and to attain ambitious goals. The Sharia exhorts Muslims to perform good deeds, hasten to gain divine reward, and commit themselves to formulating visions and taking initiatives. As a result, these qualities have been systematically set as distinctive traits for the believers. Allah – May He be exalted– says:

“It is these who race for the good deeds, and they are foremost in them [e.g. offering the compulsory Salât (prayers) in their (early) stated, fixed times and so on].” [Al-Mumenoon: 61]

(The Sheikh cites two lines of poetry which can be translated as follows):

O Brother! Man’s value in his deeds resides,
Take as model those whose deeds are exemplary.
When people refrain from engaging in commendable deeds,
Show initiative and volunteer for such a weighty task!

O Ummah of Islam!

The Islamic Sharia has eulogised such a marvellous quality and held it in high esteem. Notice how it extols the virtues of those who take the initiative (in embracing faith and performing righteous deeds) as opposed to those who just stagnate. Allah says:

“And those foremost [(in Islâmic Faith of Monotheism and in performing righteous deeds) in the life of this world on the very first call for to embrace Islâm,] will be foremost (in Paradise). These will be those nearest to Allâh.” [Al-Waqi’ah: 10-11]

O Allah! How amazing it is! How highly praised those who enthusiastically take the initiative! How much encouragement they are given! How much the Holy Qur’an has praised those who take the lead in doing good deeds! Allah –May He be raised far above– says:
” …So hasten towards all that is good…” [Al-Baqarah: 148]

O Ummah of faith!

Among the most brilliant visions and the noblest initiatives (recorded in human history), we find those associated with the best of creatures, Prophet Muhammad – May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him. He is matchless in honour and glory, and he is the purest one who set a benchmark for initiating good deeds.

Here is an example at hand. In the Hadith narrated by the two Sheikhs (Muslim and Bukhari), Anas ibn Malek –May Allah be pleased with him– was reported to have said: “The prophet – May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– was the best of all people, the most generous of all people, and the most courageous of all people. One night, the inhabitants of the Madinah were astounded; so, they rushed in the direction of the source of the frightening sound. They found the prophet – May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– on site; he had already hastened to reach the location from which the sound was emitted. He kept saying, “You won’t be frightened! You won’t be frightened!” He was riding Abi Talhah’s horse which was not saddled and a sword was hanging from his neck.” Anas ibn Malek –May Allah be pleased with him– further narrated: “I found the horse like the sea (i.e. very speedy)”, or “it was indeed a sea.” I do sacrifice my father’s and mother’s lives to save his ‒ May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him.

In his classification of this Hadith, Imam Bukhari – May Allah have mercy on his soul – placed it under a subsection entitled “Chapter on the initiative of the Imam (leader or ruler) in case of panic.” Therefore, the Imam’s initiative is considered a Sunnah (i.e. part of the code of behaviour designed and preached by the Messenger of Allah – May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him.

(The Sheikh cites two other lines of poetry which can be translated as follows):

Never renounce endeavour in doing cumbersome tasks,
Never say: “Merits and high ranks are allotted like livelihood,”
Do not be among those who fall short of reaching
Their goals as such goals are only achievable via a tough race.

The Companions – May Allah be pleased with them – had been so imbued with this resourceful spirit that they attained the highest degrees of achievement. This is why Abu Huraira – May Allah be pleased with him – said in his description of the Companions of the Prophet – May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him: “They were the keenest on doing good deeds.”

Who could be like Abi Bakr in his initiatives and donations? He offered all his money twice for charity; he insisted that the army commanded by Osama should march on to achieve its pre-set mission; and he waged war against the army of apostates. Who could be like Omar from whom Satan ran away frightened? Who can reach the rank of Othman, Dhi Al-Noorain, when he had scribes produce a unified manuscript of the Holy Qur’an? Remember Ali, who was endowed with great power and a high rank and who was among the first who had embraced Islam? As the Hadith goes: “How many heavy bunches of dates will be reserved for Abi Al-Dahdah as reward in paradise!”

Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest)!

(The Sheikh cites one line of poetry which can be translated as follows):

None, save hardworking masters, aspires to remain in glory,
And none seeks magnificence except those selected for it!

Imam Abu Al-Wafa ibn Aqeel – May Allah have mercy on his soul– said: “Will not fail to attain his goals he who acts sincerely in pursuit of his objectives, exerts himself to reach his target, then resorts to Allah – May He be glorified – to supplicate Him in matters beyond his capacity, imploring Him to assist him in the pursuance of his aims through divine guidance leading to success, being confident of Allah’s promise in His verse: “As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allâh’s Religion – Islâmic Monotheism).” [Al-Ankaboot: 69].”

Lucky indeed are those who serve as initiators of good and deterrents to evil! Woe unto him who acts as promoter of sedition, initiator of evil and deterrent to good!

O Brothers and Sisters in Islam!

While asserting the foregoing, the pirates of the human mind have multiplied and people fostering and marketing intellectual terrorism through some satellite channels and websites hosting databases persist in exploiting minds for their base motives. As a result, inexperienced juveniles have been duped into following them in an unprecedented way, driven by the false belief that those people are virtuous and fair. In fact, the well-advised, nimble-witted Muslim would normally lend a deaf ear to such falsifications and trivialities which can only be believed by the feeble-minded and accepted only by sterile souls and infected egos.

How wonderful it would be if the individuals and youths of the Ummah could concentrate on what might otherwise ameliorate their own conditions and advance their own countries! Adopting the visions and initiatives which would serve as a springboard for spreading authentic awareness amongst the entire Ummah, they would be able to foster insightful critical thinking, cultivate judicious and qualified judgement, and contribute to the advancement of homelands and human societies in a positive move that informs change in line with the following Words of Allah –May He be blessed and raised far above:

“… Verily! Allâh will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allâh)…” [Al-Ra’d: 11]

(The Sheikh cites two lines of poetry which can be translated as follows):

Hail noble youth who are revived by hope!
Through hard work, they have proudly beautified history.
With their team spirit, they are making the future,
Instilling vivacity in life, with pride fulfilled.

Alas! Nowadays, nations can never be well-organised and can hardly realise advancement except through adopting intellectual and civilisational visions in all walks of life as a framework for educating the nation’s youth and shaping the profile of future generations. Only then could the Ummah reach the zenith of its glory, attain maximum empowerment, deter its enemies from scheming against it, plotting for its disunity and disharmony, and block the peepholes in the face of liars and the people of falsehood who overburden society, thus making it target to plunder and the object of its enemies’ ambitious designs.

O You, Youths of the Ummah! You represent the pillar on which the Ummah’s life rests. You are its throbbing hearts and its enlightened minds. O, you, founders of civilisation, makers of glory! You are our own blood, our own children, and the inner parts of ourselves. Keep remembering Allah! Hold fast to the values of our religion and to the approach traced by our virtuous Salaf (earlier model generations of believers). Respond positively to the initiatives of prosperity and development. Your Muslim Ummah is impatiently waiting for your wise and rational awakening to salvage it from such a strenuous depression, especially after the criminal Zionists have got into the habit of blatantly violating the sanctity of the Aqsa Mosque, desecrating the vicinity of Bait Al-Maqdis, and stirring up Muslims’ feelings.

The tyrant of Sham went mad; not only did he start killing children and women, but he also proceeded to demolish schools, hospitals, and drugstores in the “steadfast” city of Aleppo.

(The Sheikh included two lines of poetry that can be translated as follows):
Trouble has come and tears are flowing
On quarters where flames are blazing
Where our brothers and sisters are massacred at the world’s eyesight,
Shamelessly; O Aleppo! May the Compassionate be with you!

Allah, the Avenger, the Judge, shall call him (the Tyrant of Sham) to account. May He, the Almighty, treat him deservedly for his tyranny, oppression, and aggression! O Allah, do punish unjust, tyrannical, and oppressive people in the same way You did to the peoples of Noah, Aad, and the Pharaoh of the Stakes!

In view of those crippling calamities and horrible woes, hearts are burning with anger, which may cause some youngsters to deviate from the guidance of the two Noble Revelations (the Holy Qur’an and the Noble Sunnah). Ultimate and pure glory is to be obtained through adherence to the guidelines of religion and firm belief. Such a sense of nobility endorses the will for construction and development: the construction at the level of the mind and faith, and the development at the urban and cultural levels.

Do not pay attention to bidders, the malevolent, opportunists, baiters, and instigators, not to speak of the spiteful enviers.

(The Sheikh included two lines of poetry that can be translated as follows):

Invest benevolence in your life and do your best therein.
Never pay attention to perpetrators of malevolence and envy.
Benevolence builds houses of splendor and honour;
Whereas malevolence knocks down all the pillars we build.

The masters of aspirations and initiatives must realize that there are idle people who are frustrated and desperate as they are; they are disabled hypocrites, the enemies of excellence and creativity. They are there to abort every single initiative and preempt the efforts of those who are successful and confident. Therefore, do not pay attention to the ‘minor bumps’ down the road and continue to work hard in order to soar high with the help of Allah, the Almighty, and through reliance on Him. Hence you shall achieve good, both in the Herein and the Hereafter.

I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan:

“For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers). So hasten towards all that is good. Wheresoever you may be, Allâh will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). Truly, Allâh is Able to do all things.” [Al-Baqarah: 148]

May Allah bless me and you through the Two Revelations, and benefit me and you with the guidance of the Master of the Thaqalain (the two races of humans and Jinn)! I say this, and I ask Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic, for me, for you and for the rest of all Muslims to forgive all our sins. Therefore, do ask Him for forgiveness and repent unto Him, for my Lord is All-Merciful, All-Friendly.