Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdullah Ibn Humaid – 1435

His Eminence Sheikh Saleh Ibn Abdullah Ibn Humaid -may Allah protect him- delivered this Friday Khutbah titled “Thwarters of (Good) Deeds” in which he dealt with the causes which thwart good deeds, such as showing off, sinning in private, self-conceit, and the like. He warned that those suffering from such fatal diseases think that they are doing good deeds but they later realise that all their deeds have gone up in smoke.

Praise be to Allah! Praise be to Allah Who created, gave rise to original existence, designed everything to perfection, and multiplied creatures:

“To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and all that is between them, and all that is under the soil.” [Taha: 6]

I praise Him (Glory be to Him) and thank Him for His successive blessings and unremitting favours. I bear witness that there is no deity worth worshipping except Allah, alone with no associate, expressing hereby a testimony of truth and certitude untainted by doubt or suspicion, and I bear witness that our Master and Prophet Muhammad is the Servant and Messenger of Allah, sent as herald of guidance and genuine religion rather than fabricated speech. May Allah send His profuse and incessant Salat (Graces, Honours, and Mercy), Peace and Blessing upon him, his family, his Companions -the masters of mankind and the bravest of all creatures- the tabi’īn (the contemporaries of the Companions of the Prophet [May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him] after his death), and all those who virtuously follow in their footsteps.

Now then,

O People! I enjoin you, as well as myself, to observe Taqwa (fear of disobeying Allah). So, adhere to Taqwa -may Allah have mercy on you! In fact, each servant of Allah is accountable to his Lord for his deeds and all his actions are recorded (by Allah). The sun of everyone’s lifetime is about to set. So, beware of committing sins and developing a hard-hearted character.

You were certainly not created fortuitously, nor will you be left unaccountable for your actions. This worldly life is created for you but you are created for the hereafter. Bear in mind that in the hereafter there will be either Paradise or Hellfire. After death, none will be allowed to make any excuses (for negligence).

“On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done, and all the evil he has done, he will wish that there were a great distance between him and his evil. And Allâh warns you against Himself (His Punishment) and Allâh is full of Kindness to the (His) slaves.” [Ᾱl Imran: 30]

O Muslim people!

May Allah accept from you and us night prayer, all forms of pious deeds, and all types of worship meant to bring us closer to Him through obedience!

In order to frequently call ourselves to account (for our actions), have a high-aiming ambition, and be determined, let us ponder over a specific verse within the Book of Allah. It is a verse in the Book of Allah which softens stone hearts and awakens negligent souls. It is a verse that calls for insightful meditation and induces reflection. It is a verse in the Book of Allah which has caused pious people to become grey-haired, the hearts of Allah’s devout servants to be filled with fear, fearful people to shed tears, and apprehensive people (about divine chastisement) to have gooseflesh (with fright). How capable they are! How great their pondering on the Qur’an is! How much influenced they are with its exhortations! How much disciplined they are with regard to abiding by its proscriptions! This verse is Allah’s following statement (Glory and Power be to Him):

“… and there will become apparent to them from Allâh, what they had not been reckoning.” [Al-Zumar: 47]

This verse caused the salaf (earlier generations of Muslim devotees and scholars totally adhering to the Prophet’s conduct) to experience increased apprehension. For instance, when Muhammad Ibn Al-Munkadir was in the deathbed, he panicked. So, Abu Hazim was invited to alleviate the former’s fright. Ibn Al-Munkadir said to him, “Allah does say: “… and there will become apparent to them from Allâh, what they had not been reckoning”. Therefore, I fear that what I have not been reckoning so far might be made apparent to me by Allah in the hereafter. Then, both of them started weeping. The family of Ibn Al-Munkadir then commented, “We invited you to relieve his apprehension but you aggravated it instead.”

Suleiman Al-Taimi was once told, “You are really unique! You are unrivalled!” So, he said, “Wait! Do not say that! I never know what Allah might make apparent to me later on. I heard Allah say, “…and there will become apparent to them from Allâh, what they had not been reckoning”.

When Sofiyan read the same verse, he was reported to have said, “Woe unto the people of dissimulation! Woe unto the people of dissimulation! This verse is about them! It is their parable!” Muqatil also said, “There appeared to them on Resurrection Day what they had not anticipated, when still in the herein, that it would later afflict them.” Al-Suddi said, “They thought that their deeds were good but their deeds turned to be evil.”

Religious scholars said, “Among those for whom Allah will make apparent in the hereafter what they had not been reckoning in the herein, there are people who performed good deeds but committed numerous injustices; thus, they thought that their good deeds would salvage them, but when they were called to account for their deeds in the hereafter, Allah made apparent to them what they had not been reckoning.”

Ibn Aṭiyyah said, “Their expectations in the herein were diverse and multiple in harmony with their misguidance and fallacious beliefs. Once they witness torment on Doomsday and their situation proves to be hopeless, every one of them will find out the reality of what he/she used to believe in.” Just remember in this respect -may Allah have mercy on you- the Prophet’s Hadith about the bankrupt person who will come on Doomsday with mountain-size heaps of good deeds, but he will prove to have beaten someone, insulted another, and usurped somebody else’s property.

Some of the salaf said, “Many a condition of humiliation you are likely to face on resurrection day which you had never anticipated”:

“(It will be said to the sinners): “Indeed you were heedless of this, now We have removed your covering, and sharp is your sight this Day!”” [Qaf: 22]

O Servant of Allah! What do you think of someone who performed deeds he took for virtuous and forgot the evil deeds he committed? He underestimated the gravity of his acts; therefore, Allah will make apparent for him in the hereafter what he had not been reckoning in the herein.

O Brothers and Sisters!

Beware of sinning in private. In the Sunan Book of Ibn Majah, Thawban -may Allah be pleased with him- narrated that the Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) said, “I know perfectly well that some people among my ummah will come on Resurrection Day with heaps of good deeds amounting to the size of the white Tihama Mount, but then Allah will transform them into scattered dust.” Then Thawban said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Describe them for us and cite their traits lest we should be unknowingly amongst them.’ The Prophet said, “They are certainly your brethren! They belong to your own race and perform night prayers just like you, but when in private they violate Allah’s proscriptions.” Ibn Habban said in his Al-Zawa’id Book that this Hadith had been reported via an authentic and reliable chain of narration.

In his comment on this Hadith, Salem -the Master of Abi Ḥuthaifah- said, “I was anxious that I might be one of them.” Then he said, “Perhaps, they used to take hold of any prohibited thing they would encounter; therefore, Allah dissipated and annulled their deeds.”

So, beware of delusion, wishful thinking, and anchorage in sins! Never underestimate sins! Beware of having a low opinion about sins:

“…you counted it a little thing, while with Allâh it was very great.” [Al-Noor: 15]

Anas -may Allah be pleased with him- said, “Nowadays, you perform acts which, in your own eyes, look thinner than hair but which during the lifetime of the Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) we used to consider as deadly sins. [Narrated by Imam Bukhari]

O Beloved Ones!

Ponder ‒May Allah have mercy on you‒ ponder over what might thwart your actions and annihilate your good deeds, such as envy, show-off, arrogance, backbiting, calumny, complex of superiority, injustice, self-admiration, unlawful earning, severing kinship ties, abuse in consuming food and drink, excess in luxurious banquets, addiction to night life except for the performance of worship rituals, abusive and futile use of the media, of social media, and forcing oneself to categorise others. All such acts are likely to damage health, blight hearts, spoil minds, cause dejection, distract worshippers, instigate deviation from common good, cause going off the right path, and weaken accountability.

Seriously contemplating what is going on in our contemporary era is a sign of rationality, wisdom and common sense.

“… and there will become apparent to them from Allâh, what they had not been reckoning.” [Al-Zumar: 47]

This is an era replete with distracters and characterised by the multiplicity of incidents and the diversity of engrossing activities. Even more, certain categories of people, especially in the intellectual and cultural spheres of life, have lost the capacity to distinguish right from wrong. Yes, indeed! May Allah protect you all!

Our time is actually characterised by a plethora of violations, in addition to what is broadcast by the media and the audiovisual materials posted online on social media including an array of morally prohibited scenes (be they in script, audio, or video). Those violations pertain to faith, behaviour, and various types of criminal offence. This is similar to the parable of those whose deeds have been embellished in their own eyes and they therefore perceive them as good , or those whose efforts were lost in this worldly life while they thought they were doing well .

Among the aspects that distract and discourage the Muslim (from worshipping Allah): fascination with materialistic artefacts and architectural designs, shying away from genuine faith, and renouncing the scholarly study of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah. In fact, excess in embracing aspects of civilised life is the source of cultural and intellectual deviation. Thus, whoever shuns divine revelation will eternally plunge into obscurity regardless of the extent to which he is in control of science and civilisation:

“Those who reject Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) are deaf and dumb in darkness…” [Al-An’am: 39]

One of the facets of deviation and immoderation is the fact that when one of our contemporaries fascinated with modern discoveries and up-to-date civilised infrastructure is notified about the weaknesses and liabilities manifest in its diverse aspects of misguidance, delinquency, laxity, debauchery, and moral degradation, he will soon grow upset, anxious, and quite nervous. Of course, Allah rejects the idea that debasement could be a means to attain virtue and that moral degradation and frivolity might be the key to chastity. How can we believe otherwise, especially after reading the explicit Qur’anic verse stating that material empowerment will be of no avail to its advocates once it is associated with ingratitude and rejection of Allah’s revelation?

“And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you (O Quraish)! And We had assigned them the (faculties of) hearing (ears), seeing (eyes), and hearts, but their hearing (ears), seeing (eyes), and their hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayât (Allâh’s Prophets and their Prophethood, proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to mock at!” [Al-Aḥqaf: 26]

Allah Almighty also says:

“As for ‘Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?” See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.)!” [Fussilat: 15]

In essence, O Servants of Allah, our souls and hearts must always be preoccupied with Allah, His tawheed , remembrance, praise and with His proper worship. As for true empowerment, it is made all too evident through the following verse:

“Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) order for Iqamat-as-Salat. [i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational Salat(prayers) (the males in mosques)], to pay the Zakat and they enjoin Al-Ma’ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism and all that Islam has forbidden) [i.e. they make the Qur’an as the law of their country in all the spheres of life]. And with Allah rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures).” [Al-Haj: 41]

Almighty Allah also says in this regard:
“Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the Remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue), nor from performing As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), nor from giving the Zakat. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (from the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection).” [Al-Nur: 37]

Now then, may Allah protect you!

You are hereby reminded as you proceed through the holy month of fasting and late-night praying that this worldly life with all its gaudy and material aspects will be futile if believing souls don’t turn in humility and submissiveness to the Almighty, the Lord of Power, and if they do not seek enhancement of their belief through closer insight as to His knowledge, tawheed, dedication to Him, His love and trust in Him.

Nay, they have indeed failed to pay Allah due heed those who overlook His commands and disobey Him, disregard His prohibitions and seek their own satisfaction rather than His and make Him a residuary recipient of their love, knowledge, work and money.

We seek protection with Allah from the accursed Satan:

“And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam), before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped. (55) “And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’an, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not! (56) Lest a person should say: “Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allah (i.e. I have not done what Allah has ordered me to do), and I was indeed among those who mocked [at the truth! i.e. La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), the Qur’an, and Muhammad and at the faithful believers, etc.] (57) Or (lest) he should say: “If only Allah had guided me, I should indeed have been among the Muttaqun (pious and righteous persons).(58) Or (lest) he should say when he sees the torment: “If only I had another chance (to return to the world) then I should indeed be among the Muhsinun (good-doers).” [Al-Zumar: 54-58]

May Allah benefit me and you with the Great Qur’an and the Guidance of Muhammad (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him). This is said, I ask Allah to forgive my sins, yours, and those of all the Muslims, so ask Him for forgiveness, for He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful!