(the first devout Muslims who used to race to do good deeds)

By Sheikh Faisal ibn Jameel Ghazzawi – 08 Rabi Al-Thani 1438

His Eminence Sheikh Faisal ibn Jameel Ghazzawi –May Allah protect him– delivered this Friday Khutbah titled “High Aspirations and the Status of Al-Sabiqoon” in which he talked about high aspirations and that the servant should elevate his aspiration and his ambition in his endeavour to get closer to Allah, the Almighty, by pursuing the most sublime and most elevated aims. He showed the greatness of al-Sabiqoon and how Allah has praised them in more than one place in His Book (the Qur’an). Sheikh Ghazzawi also urged Muslims to acquire characteristics similar to theirs so as to obtain a similar status before Allah.

All praise is due to Allah! We praise Him, seek His Help, and pray for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Him from the evils of our own selves and our sinful acts. He whom Allah guides no one can lead astray, and he whom He leads astray no one can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah with no associate and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger. May Allah send His abundant Salat (Graces, Honours, Mercy) and Peace upon him, his Family and Companions!

O You who Believe! Fear Allâh (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 Islâm (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allâh [Al Imran: 102]

O Humankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allâh through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allâh is Ever an All Watcher over you [Al-Nissa’: 1]

O You who Believe! Keep your duty to Allâh and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise) [Al-Ahzab: 70-71]

Now then,

High aspiration is such a beautiful trait, a laudable characteristic, and a sublime moral quality. People’s esteem is raised and their positions elevated in accordance with their high aspirations and noble aims.

In racing to satisfy Allah ‒Exalted be He‒ the wise and well-guided believer is keen on gaining what is beneficial and good for him as he seeks top ranks of good-doers. He who does not seek perfection will ever remain low; he who has no sublime aim will fall short of his pursuit and fail to accomplish his work.

In his Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir (the Great Lexicon), Al-Tabarany quotes Al-Hussain ibn Ali –May Allah be pleased with both of them– as saying that the Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– said: “Allah, the Almighty, loves most sublime and most noble things and hates trivia.” Trivia include banal and unimportant things as well as trifles that bespeak meanness, lowness and basement.

Allah –May He be extolled– told us in His Clear Book of a group of blessed believers with sublime souls, high aspirations, and strong resolve. He mentioned them with praise and laudation, saying:

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]

Some exegetes said that “the repetition of the word ‘al-Sabiqoon, al-Sabiqoon’ in the verse [above] indicates aggrandisement and glorification.” Others, such as Othman ibn Abi Sawdah, narrowed down the meaning to certain things like “those who race to mosques!” Ibn Sireen explained it as “those who faced the two qiblas.” Ka’b said: “They are the people of the Qur’an.” Other explanations include that it is subsumed under pious deeds.

However, there is more to the verse than meets the eye; it is more general and more comprehensive. Al-Sabiqoon are those who are predestined to experience happiness and whose deeds in this world are a precursor to repentance, good deeds, and abstention from committing sins. They are those who take the initiative to do good deeds as indicated by Allah ‒Exalted be He:

…so strive as in a race in good deeds. The return of you (all) is to Allâh; then He will inform you about that in which you used to differ. [Al-Ma’idah: 48]

In the same vein, Allah ‒Most praised be He‒ also said:

And march forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for Al-Muttaqûn (the pious – see V.2:2). [Al Imran: 133]

He ‒May He be Exalted‒ also said:

Race one with another in hastening towards Forgiveness from your Lord (Allâh), and towards Paradise, the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth [Al-Hadeed: 21]

He who raced in the herein and was quick enough to do good deeds would be, in the hereafter, among the winners of divine reward. Allah, the Almighty, said:

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-Mu’minoon: 61]

The racers to gain Allah’s satisfaction and paradise in the hereafter are also the racers to pious deeds in this world. Foremost in the herein foremost in the hereafter: reap what you have sown.

Al-Sabiqoon are those who have been true to their covenant with Allah, who have endured misfortunes and afflictions, and who have been steadfast vis-à-vis religion. They are those who call to Truth and good.

Al-Sabiqoon are those who have attained the rank of ihsan (excellence) as explained by the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– in his hadith: “Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you could see Him; for even if you cannot see Him, He can indeed see you!”

Al-Sabiqoon are those who bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone, and their deeds are free of shirk (untainted by polytheism). Not only are they those who perform prescribed duties, but also perform supererogatory worship. They are those who hasten to seek Allah’s satisfaction by performing nawafil (worship of supererogation), renouncing proscribed deeds, and on top of that, renouncing reprehensible acts out of moral rectitude, and even avoid excessive permissible acts lest they slip into committing prohibited and reprehensible acts.
Brothers and sisters in Islam!

What we notice in these verses is that Allah –Exalted and praised be He– did not mention specifically the thing attained by those al-Sabiqoon. He did not say they were the first to do this or that. Therefore, some religious scholars opined that the label (al-Sabiqoon) is a common name given to them to indicate that they come first in every field of competition where pure souls contend to achieve a supreme status as is mentioned in the following verse:

The last thereof (that wine) will be the smell of musk, and for this let (all) those strive who want to strive (i.e. hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allâh) [Al-Mutaffifin: 26]

And also in the following verse:

Those nearest to Allâh. In the Gardens of delight (Paradise) [Al-Waqi’ah: 11-12]

Those … means those high-ranking Muslims who are on the right (dwellers of paradise) and brought near (to Allah), i.e. the ones selected by Allah, the Almighty, to be al-Sabiqoon. However, if Allah had not predisposed them to be nearest to Him, they would not have enjoyed the status of al-Sabiqoon (to good deeds).

These al-Sabiqoon are in the highest Gardens, which are closet to the Compassionate (Allah) because al-Firdaws is the highest place in Paradise above which is located the divine throne of Allah ‒To Whom belong Might and Majesty.

Those nearest to Allâh…: Allah mentioned their status before mentioning their dwelling. He started talking about their reward because their closeness to Allah ‒ To Whom belong Might and Majesty ‒ is above everything else. May Allah make me and you among them by His Favour and Grace, and may He grant us the Firdaws in the Gardens of Paradise.

On the other hand, in the Gardens of delight means the sole delight with neither grief nor disturbance.

As Allah mentioned the reward of al-Sabiqoon, those close to Him at the beginning of Surat Al-Waqi’ah, He also mentioned it at the end thereof:

Then, if he (the dying person) be of the Muqarrabûn (those brought near to Allâh), (There is for him) rest and provision, and a Garden of delights (Paradise) [Al-Waqi’a: 88-89]

The al-Sabiqoon of this Ummah in the early period of Islam outnumber the al-Akhireen (later Muslims in the late periods of Islam). Allah ‒To Whom belong Might and Majesty‒ said:

A multitude of those (foremost) will be from the first generations (who embraced Islâm). And a few of those (foremost) will be from the later time (generations). [Al-Waqi’ah: 13-14]

This shows the favour of the early Muslims of this Ummah in general since those close to Allah from among early Muslims outnumber late Muslims.

O Muslims!

Should someone ask about the possibility of attaining the status of those who are close to Allah and the way to catch up with them, this is reserved for those whom Allah, the Almighty, grants the ability to follow in their example and emulate them in beliefs, words and deeds and to acquire their commendable characteristics.

Allah, the Almighty, has showed the merit of al-Sabiqoon and those who followed in their footsteps in faith and obedience, by saying:

And the first to embrace Islâm of the Muhâjirûn (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansâr (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhâjirûn) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allâh is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success [Al-Tawbah: 100]

In this noble verse, Allah the Almighty declares that those who follow in righteousness the example of the first al-Sabiqoon from among the muhajireen (emigrants from Makkah to Madinah) and the ansar (supporters and hosts of those emigrants) are included with them in attaining His satisfaction, and are equally promised eternity in Paradise and great success.

In other verses of the Holy Qur’an, Allah shows that those who follow in righteousness the example of the al-Sabiqoon will get the same reward. For instance, He ‒Majestic and Most High be He‒ says: “And [to] others of them who have not just joined them…” [Al-Jumu’ah: 3]

He also said: “And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith …” [Al-Hashr: 10]

He equally said: “And those who believed after [the initial emigration] and emigrated and fought with you ‒ they are of you …” [Al-Anfal: 75]

What are usually quoted in this respect are two Hadiths narrated by Muslim via Abu Huraiyrah ‒May Allah be pleased with him! (1) The Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ said: “I wish we could see our brothers!” They said: “Aren’t we your brothers, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “You are my companions. Our brothers are those who have not come into the world yet…” (2) The Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ said: “Those who love me most from amongst my Ummah are people who will come after me. Every one of them would be so keen to see me even at the expense of his family and property.”

Look ‒O servant of Allah‒ how much the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ loves his Ummah, and how eager he is to meet his followers who would come after his death, those who prove their love for him by adhering to his Sunnah, following his guidance, and holding firmly to his religion.

How great it would be when one does the same as those righteous ones whom Allah has described in the following Words:

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-Mu’minun: 61]

That is, they rush into doing pious deeds and worshipping Allah in order to get the highest ranks and chambers in Paradise. Therefore, race ‒O servant of Allah‒ toward what is beneficial to you and compete for higher ranks (in Paradise)!

Wuhaib ibn Alward said: “If you can guarantee that no one would beat you in the race to Allah, then do it!” Also, Alhassan said: “Whoever competes with you in religion, then compete with him, and whoever competes with you for this worldly life, leave it to him.”

The Sheikh quotes two lines of poetry that can be paraphrased as follows:

Alas! The hours of my lifetime have elapsed
Between the humiliation of inability and laziness;
While others have chosen the path of salvation
And have proceeded steadily to their ultimate goal.

I say this and pray Allah to forgive you and me.