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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 Allah's Love for his servants

By Ali El Hanandeh

إن الحمدَ للهِ, نحمده و نستعينه و نستغفره و نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا و سيّْئات أعمالنا.  من يهـده الله فلآ مضل له و من يضلل فلا هـادي له. 

و أشـهـد أن لا إله إلا ألله و حـده لا شـريك له, و أشـهـد أن محمّدا عبده و رسوله, بلّغ الرساله و أدّى ألأمانه و نصح ألأمه فَتَركها على المحجَّة البيضاء ليلها كنهارها لا يزيغ عنها إلا هالك.  اللهم صلّي و سلم و بارك على سيّدنا محمّد و على آله و صحبه و من سـار على نهجـه.

أمّـا بَعدُ: فإنّ خير الحديث كتـاب الله, و خير الهـدي هدي محَمّـد, و شرّ الأمور مُحدثـاتـهـا و كلّ بدعـة ضلالة.

عباد الله, أوصيكم و نفسي بتقوى الله و طاعته, فقد فاز المتقون.

My dearest brothers and Sisters,

يقول الله تعالى:

قُلْ يَاعِبَادِي الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

My dearest brothers and sisters, this Ayah summarizes a topic that I love to talk about and my guess is that it is a topic that you love to hear.  This Ayah presents the method of salvation in Islam.

Yes! My dearest brothers and sisters, We Muslims can attain salvation.  Our salvation does not come through associating others with Allah, but it comes through believing in Allah’s Forgiveness, Mercy and compassion.

My beloved brothers and sisters hear what Allah (swt) says:

قُلْ يَاعِبَادِي الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ

“Say! O My servants who have transgressed against their souls despair not of the Mercy of Allah”

This Ayah starts with قل"” “Say” which is a command.  It is a command to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and to every Muslim, every one of us.  Everyone of us in fact, is responsible of conveying this message from Allah (swt) to whom so ever may need it.

Many of us know someone, a friend may be, who is drowned in sin.  And we may think that it is too late for him or her to repent.  And even at times, he, himself, thinks it is too late for him to come back to Allah.  But brothers and sisters, this beautiful Ayah clearly states that it is never too late to come back to Allah the Oft Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

“O My servants who had transgressed against their souls despair not of the Mercy of Allah”

But, how can a person transgress against his own soul?  It sounds strange.  But, if you read the Quran you will not be surprised to hear this Ayah:

وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَانُ لِابْنِهِ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ يَابُنَيَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ

“Behold! Luqman told his son while advising him; O my son! Do not associate others in the worship of Allah.  For associating others in the worship of Allah is a great transgression”

Yes, my beloved brothers and sisters, to commit sin is a form of oppression.  A sinner indeed is a oppressor of his own self.  But, do not ever despair from the mercy of Allah because Allah’s mercy and forgiveness is greater than any sin.

Being humans, my brothers and sisters, by default means that we are liable to do mistakes and to commit sin.  Nevertheless, Allah (swt) knows this nature and Allah (swt) is always ready to forgive us if we come back to him and ask his forgiveness.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in a Hadith Qudusi:

"كتب الله على نفسه أن رحمتي سبقت غضبي

“Allah takes upon Himself, that My Mercy surpasses My wrath”

Allah (swt) took upon himself that his forgiveness, mercy and compassion shall always come before his anger, because He (swt) does not want to destroy humans.  Because, Allah (swt) is the God of love, compassion and mercy.  Allah (swt) says:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِي إِذَا دَعَانِي فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُون

"ِِAnd if My servants asked you concerning Me, then tell them, that I am near.  I answer the prayer of those who supplicate to Me.  Let them, then, believe in Me and respond to Me that they may be successful”

My dearest brothers and sisters, rest assured that Allah (swt) wants you but you should love Him.  Make Allah’s pleasure your first priority and you will not be disappointed.

عباد الله أقول قولي هذا و استغفر الله العظيم لي و لكم فيا فوز المستغفرين و يا نجاة التائبين.

الحمد لله ربّ العالمين, حمد الشاكرين , حمدا كثيرا طيبا كما أمر.  و صلى الله و سلم و بارك على سيّدنا محمد و على آله و صحبه.

عباد الله:

My beloved brothers and sisters,

In the first part of this khutbah we discussed how can we achieve salvation by means of love of Allah and seeking His forgiveness and Mercy.  Now, I wish to share with you this beautiful Hadith from Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which actually summarizes the topic:

قَدِمَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهم عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِسَبْيٍ فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ السَّبْيِ تَبْتَغِي إِذَا وَجَدَتْ صَبِيًّا فِي السَّبْيِ أَخَذَتْهُ فَأَلْصَقَتْهُ بِبَطْنِهَا وَأَرْضَعَتْهُ فَقَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهم عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَتَرَوْنَ هَذِهِ الْمَرْأَةَ طَارِحَةً وَلَدَهَا فِي النَّارِ قُلْنَا لَا وَاللَّهِ وَهِيَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَنْ لَا تَطْرَحَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهم عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَلَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا *

“A group of war prisoners were brought to the Prophet (peace be upon them), a woman was among them who were eagerly looking for her baby until she found here baby.  She took the baby and breast fed him and hugged her tightly.  Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) upon seeing this commented to his companions: do you think that this woman would through her baby into a fire.  The companions replied: Never so long she could protect him.  Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) then replied:  Allah has more compassion to people than this mother to her baby”

Brothers and sisters,

أللهم إجعلنا ممن يستمعون القول فيتبعون أحسـنه

عباد الله,

إن الله العظيم الجليل امركم بامر كريم, بدأ به نفسـه و ثنى بملائكته المسبحة بقدسه و ثلث بكم من إنسه و جنه, فقال و لم يزل قائلا حكيما, تنبيها لنا و تعليما:

"إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا"

لبيك اللهم صلي و سلم و بارك على سيدنا محمد و على آله و صحبه و من إهـتدى بهديه و أقتدى بسنته إلى يوم الدين.