His Eminence Sheikh Ali ibn Abdur-Rahman Al-Hudhaifi, may Allah preserve him, delivered the Friday khutbah entitled, “Doing More Good Deeds”, in which he talked about drawing closer to Allah, Exalted be He, through performing acts of obedience to Him and avoiding prohibited deeds. He also urged Muslims to perform various acts of worship, both obligatory and supererogatory, citing many examples to this effect from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Praise be to Allah, the Owner of Majesty and Honour, Whose dominion is unequalled and Whose Might is unlimited. I praise my Lord and thank Him. I turn to Him in repentance and ask Him for forgiveness. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, the Holy and the Free from all defects; and I bear witness that our prophet and master Muhammad is His servant and messenger, who was sent with guidance and the true religion to eradicate polytheism and eliminate darkness. O Allah! Bestow Your peace and blessings upon Your servant and messenger Muhammad and upon his family and honourable Companions.
O Muslims!
Fear Allah, Exalted be He, and seek to draw closer to Him through performing the deeds that He has prescribed for you and avoiding all sins and innovations in religion. He who follows the Straight Path will certainly be successful and will be rewarded with the Gardens of Delight.
O People!
Bring yourselves to account before you are called to it, so that you may increase your virtuous deeds and minimize your sins while you are still alive and capable of doing good. A servant whose faith is pure and whose reward in the hereafter is great will not be harmed by any loss in his worldly life. This world is but a transient enjoyment. Whatever provision Allah has decreed for man, if coupled with good deeds, is indeed blessed provision. There is no good in any provision or worldly enjoyment without faith through which man strives to please his Lord.
Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, has guaranteed provision to man so that he can devote himself to the important duty of worship, which is considered the source of all happiness. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
"And I (Allah) created not the jinn and Mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). I seek not any provision from them (i.e. provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that they should feed Me (i.e. feed themselves or My creatures). Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong." (Adh-Dhariat: 56-58)
Islam urges us to seek the permissible means for securing lawful provision. But our Lord, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, the Wise, the All-Knowing, the Owner of Glory and Munificence, the Bestower of Blessings, has taught us that a Muslim’s major concern should be the performance of virtuous deeds, through which Allah will bestow His mercy upon him, admit him to Paradise, and save him from Hellfire. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
Allah, Exalted be He, also says:
"… but Allah invites (you) to Paradise and Forgiveness by His Leave …" (Al-Baqarah: 221)
Allah, Exalted be He, also says:
"… And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life in this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing)." (Al ‘Imran: 185)
One of the supplications of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar, was the following: “O Allah! Let not our calamities be in our faith, and let not this world be our biggest concern or the ultimate limit of our knowledge” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi, who said, “It is a good (hasan) hadith”). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said:
“If anyone makes the hereafter his main concern, Allah will set aright his affairs for him and place contentment in his heart, and the worldly life will come to him submissively. And if anyone makes the worldly life his main concern, Allah will split up his affairs, make him unable to control his possessions, and place his poverty before his eyes, such that nothing of the material world will come to him except that which has been decreed for him.”
Allah describes the delights of Paradise in His Book, the Qur’an, in a way unsurpassed by any of His previous scriptures. Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also described this everlasting bliss in ways unparalleled by any prophet before him, and he also described Hellfire and its eternal torment in the same manner. In fact, he described both Paradise and Hellfire in such a vivid way that people could almost see them with their own eyes so as to encourage good-doers to compete among themselves and deter the negligent and ignorant from committing sins.
Allah, Exalted be He, has also shown us the deeds that lead to Paradise, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, equally clarified such deeds both generally and in detail. The greatest deeds that grant people access to the higher ranks in Paradise are declaring and believing in the Oneness of Allah, Exalted be He, without associating any partner with Him in any worship, performing prayers, paying zakah (obligatory charity), avoiding injustices, and giving people their due rights.
Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever worships Allah and associates none with Him, performs prayers, pays zakah, fasts Ramadan, and avoids major sins will enter Paradise” (Reported by Ahmad and An-Nasa’i, and it has an authenticated chain of transmission).
If the servant does virtuous and recommendable acts in abundance, after performing the obligatory acts and abandoning the prohibited acts, Allah will raise his rank in Paradise, reward him with good, and forgive his sins. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
"If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall expiate from you your (small) sins and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise)." (An-Nisa’: 31)
Therefore, fellow Muslims, never underrate any good deed, be it small or great, and never belittle any good act that can bring you closer to Allah; for you never know which act will make your balance of good deeds heavier and by which deed you will have your sins forgiven.
The doors to good are many; virtues are abundant; and good deeds are diverse and innumerable. Therefore, strive to take them as provision for your life in the hereafter and to maintain your true home – the home of eternal settlement.
Among such good deeds are words of remembrance of Allah that are recommended after prayers. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“Whoever says after every prayer, ‘Subhanallah’ (Glorified be Allah) thirty-three times, ‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is the Greatest) thirty-three times, and ‘Al-hamdu lillah’ (Praise be to Allah) thirty-three times, and seals the hundred by saying, ‘La ilaha illa-llah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir’ (There is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners; to Him belongs all Dominion, all Praises are due to him, and He is Powerful over all things) will have his sins forgiven even if they were as abundant as the foam of the ocean.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
It was narrated by Abu Amamah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If anyone recites Ayat Al-Kursi (the Verse of the Throne, Al-Baqarah: 255) immediately after each obligatory prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and entering Paradise except death.” Another narration adds, “… and (also recites) “Qul Huw-Allahu Ahad (Say He is Allah, the One [i.e., Surat Al-Ikhlas])” (Reported by An-Nasa’i, At-Tabarani, and ibn Hibban).
Remembrance of Allah during and after the prayer has a lot of blessed benefits. A Muslim should learn and act upon whatever he learns, and Allah will certainly secure the greatest reward for him.
Of all the good deeds that Allah and His Messenger urged every Muslim to do is the performance of the voluntary acts of worship that are similar in nature to the obligatory acts of worship and duties. For when Allah, Exalted be He, calls the servant to account on the Day of Judgement for the obligatory acts and duties, and it is found that they are incomplete and deficient, Allah, Exalted be He, will say to the angels, “See whether My servant has any voluntary acts of worship so as to make up for his obligatory acts.” They, then, will look for his voluntary acts of worship, such as the Witr prayer, the optional sunnah prayers performed before or right after the obligatory prayers (as-sunan ar-ratibah), and the supererogatory prayers, to compensate for the defects in performing the obligatory prayers. They will also look for optional charity to make up for zakah, voluntary fasting to make up for fasting during Ramadan, and voluntary hajj and ‘umra to make up for obligatory hajj. In addition, Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him, elevates a servant’s ranks if he has good manners but has some lack in any of the recommendable deeds.
What a great achievement it is for those who have performed virtuous and recommendable deeds plentifully! What a dreadful loss it is for those who have missed doing many of the supererogatory acts of obedience to Allah and have thus sunk to lower ranks! Listen to how a little good deed can yield a great reward. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Voluntary fasting, giving charity to a poor man, attending a funeral, and visiting a sick person are deeds that no Muslim does on a single day but he will enter Paradise” (Reported by Muslim, as part of the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him).
Remembrance of Allah is a great door to Paradise. Through remembrance of Allah, one’s heart is purified, one’s sins are forgiven, and one’s distress is relieved. Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Shall I tell you about the best and the purest of all your deeds in the sight of your Lord, about the one that is far better for you than spending gold and silver in the cause of Allah, and even better for you than meeting your enemies in the battlefield where you strike at their necks and they at yours?” The Companions replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” He said, “Remembrance of Allah.” (Reported by Al-Hakim, who said, “It has an authenticated chain of transmission”).
Abdullah ibn Busr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I once said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! The acts of Islam have become so numerous that I cannot perform them all. Is there any one single act that encompasses them all so we may adhere to it?’ The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Let your tongue be always moist with the remembrance of Allah’” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi).
Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Whoever says one hundred times in the morning, ‘La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir’ (There is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners; to Him belongs all Dominion, all Praises are due to Him, and He is Powerful over all things), Allah will record for him one hundred good deeds in his book, will remove one hundred sins from it, and will give him the same reward as that for setting ten slaves free; and these words of his will be a shield for him from Satan on that day.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Whoever says, ‘Subhana-llahi wa bihamdihi’ (Glorified be Allah and Praise be to Him) one hundred times in the early morning and one hundred times in the early evening will not be surpassed [on the Day of Resurrection] by anyone except by one who has said the same or added to it” (Reported by Muslim).
Words of remembrance of Allah in the early morning or in the early evening that are attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, are all blessed. They have encompassed all good, they have great rewards and countless benefits, and they provide a shield for the servant from the devils of mankind and jinn. One of the best books that have collected these blessed sayings is Tuhfatudh-Dhakirin: Sharhul-Hisnil-Hasin (The Boon of Those Who Remember Allah: Commentary on (the book entitled) The Fortified Fortress).
Supplication combines all that is good in this life and in the hereafter. Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Supplication is the essence of worship” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi). Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Nothing is more honourable to Allah than supplication” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, and Al-Hakim, and it has an authenticated chain of transmission).
The reason for this is that, in supplication, the heart totally relies on Allah, is attached to the Lord of the Worlds, completely trusts in Him, and resorts to none but Him. When a person prays to Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him, he is far from associating anyone else with Him in worship. He who perseveres in invoking his Lord alone will have his needs granted, will have a happy ending, and his faith will be sound. Conversely, he who invokes other than Allah, Exalted be He, will fail and lose, will be forsaken, and will also be committing the major, unpardonable sin of shirk (associating partners with Allah in worship).
By invoking peace and blessings upon our master, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, one’s sins will be forgiven and one’s distress will be relieved. Besides, if a person invokes blessings on the Prophet once, Allah sends blessings upon him ten times. Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The nearest to me on the Day of Judgment will be those who invoke the most blessings upon me in the worldly life” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i, and ibn Hibban in his Sahih).
Allah, Exalted be He, says:
"O you who believe! Bow down, and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord and do good that you may be successful." (Al-Hajj: 77)
May Allah bless you and me with the Great Quran and make us benefit from its verses and wise words and benefit from the guidance and right sayings of the Imam of all Messengers. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah for myself, for you, and for all Muslims for any sin we have committed. Ask Allah for forgiveness. He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
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