Khutbah by by Sh Umar as-Subayyil – Imam of Haram

Happiness and success lies in repentance to Allah and steadfastness upon the law of Allah and religion for the entire duration of life. It does not lie in being distracted from working towards the eternal future by the urge to acquire the beauties of this world. This is the way of the righteous and pious people whom Allah describes as that which translates as: “Men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts them from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of Zakah. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will (fearfully) turn about.” (An-Noor: 37). 

Righteous people, despite their business and worldly engagements, do not allow that to stand between them and remembrance of Allah’s greatness; a remembrance that makes them constantly fear Him and worship Him as He should be worshipped. 

This is how the true believer should be. They should spend their days in performing righteous deeds and seek the abode of the Hereafter with whatever Allah gives them. This is because they know that this life is only a means to achieve the everlasting life and perpetual prosperity. They know this world is not an end in itself but only a finite place in which both the pious and sinful have their daily bread. They know that, however long one may live, they will eventually grow old and die. They also understand this world’s insignificance and know that it is worthless in the sight of Allah and that it is only a bridge which people cross over to reach Paradise or Hell. Allah says that which translates as: “Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose (resulting) plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes (scattered) debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion?” (Al-Hadeed: 20). 

The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “The life of this world is sweet and green (i.e. as tempting as fruits) and Allah makes you succeed one another in it, so that He may observe what type of deeds you will do therein. Beware of this life and beware of (the temptation of) women.” (Muslim) He also said: “If this world was worth a mosquito’s wing in the sight of Allah, He would not have given a disbeliever a single gulp of water.” (Al-Tirmithi). 

There are in these Qur’anic verses and Hadith the clearest picture of the worthlessness of this world and an exhortation to humankind to fulfill their objectives here. They are meant to worship Allah, reform their souls, be pious, abstain from lusts and base desires and not become deceived with the beauties of this life. It is however, pathetic that many are in the state of forgetfulness and delusion so much so that the aspiration of acquiring the beauties of this world has overpowered them and sins and evil deeds have covered their hearts. They live as if there is no other life except that of this world. When the love of this life conquers one’s heart, it makes one forget the remembrance of their Lord and if that happens then they become deserving of the wrath of Allah. 

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, while explaining the evil of the love of this world and its danger to one’s religion said: “Two hungry wolves sent into the midst of a flock of sheep are less destructive to the sheep than man’s covetousness for money and fame are to his religion”. 

It is said that, “Love of this world is the mother of all sins”. When Imam Hasan Al-Basri observed the greediness of the people of his time for the wealth of this world, he exclaimed: “Do these people believe in the Day of Reckoning? No, I swear by the Master of the Day of Judgment!” 

A sign of the domination of love of this world over the hearts is when one does not have concern for anything other than the search for prestige and fame, even if that is to be at the expense of one’s religion. Some have concerns only for amassing wealth even if they have to get it from dubious or forbidden means. 

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam warned against this when he said: “I swear by Him in whose Hand is Muhammad’s soul! A man may swallow a morsel of food from a Haraam source the consequence of which will be that no good deed will be accepted from him for forty days”. 

He sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: “The fire of hell is entitled to any piece of flesh that has been nurtured by ill-gotten food”. 

There are many Muslims amongst those who have been overwhelmed by the love of this life, who so yielded to their whims, desires and evil inclinations that they drank alcohol, took drugs, committed adultery, fornication and other evil acts. They are encouraged to perpetrate these evil acts by the modern mass media. This makes these malevolent things fair-seeming to them. It allures them with temptation and incites them to revolt against good moral values until many Muslims, especially the youth, begin to imitate their enemies in all aspects of their life. The following refers to them: “Then, there came after them successors (i.e. later generations) who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they face ghayy (a valley in hell).” (Maryam: 59) So, it is their excessive passion for this life that will be the cause of them being thrown into hell. 

Fellow Muslims! It is the unrestrained love for this life and preferring it to the Hereafter that weakened the Muslim Ummah in contemporary times and made disgrace, dissension and hypocrisy her lot. It is this predicament that gave her enemies the power to dictate many of her affairs, seize her wealth, conquer her lands and severely persecute the Muslims. A vivid example of this is what happens presently in Palestine where Jewish usurpers carry out criminal acts of aggression against our brothers and desecrate lives, properties and mosques. This is an actualization of what the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam prophesied when he said: “When you trade by ‘Eenah’ (a form of Reba), get yourselves occupied with cattle and become pleased with cultivation – and abandon Jihad; Allah will impose an ignominy on you which he will not remove until you go back to your religion”. 

Imam Ahmad and Abu Daawood also reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: ‘Beware the nations all over the world shall join forces against you as diners gather around their bowl of food’. The companions asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is that because we will be few in number then?’ He sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: ‘No, rather you will rather be many, but you will only be as (voluminous and as worthless as) the scum after a flood. The fear of you shall be removed from the hearts of your enemies and weakness will be put into your hearts’. The companions asked: ‘What is the weakness?’ he answered: “To love this life and detest death”. 

Therefore, let all of us desist from heedlessness and preferring this life to the Hereafter. Allah has condemned the heedless and praised the pious when He said that which translates as: “So as for he who transgressed. And preferred the life of this world, Then indeed, Hellfire will be (his) refuge. But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from (unlawful) inclination, Then indeed, Paradise will be (his) abode”. (An-Naaziaat: 37-41). 

Fear Allah “And let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the chief deceiver (Satan). Indeed Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.” (Faatir: 5-6). 

Fear Allah as he should be feared and die not except as Muslims. Do not be among those who have been overpowered by negligence and overwhelmed by Satan thereby making them forget the remembrance of Allah and the abode of the Hereafter. They are so deceived by false hopes that they do not think of anything other than the pleasure of this world regardless of the source from which that pleasure may come. “They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware”. (Ar-Room: 7) 

Why can you not reflect, O servants of Allah, and learn lessons from the misfortunes and calamities that Allah has inflicted on people throughout history? Can you not ponder over the fate of the dead who are escorted to their burial places daily? These people who are our fathers, our mothers, our children, kings, paupers, believers, disbelievers, righteous and sinful? These people are all buried in graves and will all be resurrected on the Day of Judgment, “The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening. Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised!” (Al-Ma`aarij: 43-44). 

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allah and be dutiful to Him and remember that you will one day leave this world for your everlasting abode which will be either Paradise or Hell. Get yourselves prepared for that day: “So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained (his desire). And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion?” (Aal-‘Imraan: 185).