By Imam Murtadha Gusau
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of ourselves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar!
To proceed:
Dear brothers and sisters, be conscious of Allah Almighty on this great day. For it is the best of the days and it has the most deeds of Hajj.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha illalLah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lilLahil Hamd!
Allahu Akbar! Your pilgrim brothers and sisters stayed yesterday in Arafat. Allahu Akbar!
And how many supplications did they make to Allah Almighty. Allahu Akbar! How many needs did Allah fulfill. Allahu Akbar! And how many people were accepted by Allah Almighty yesterday. Allahu Akbar! And how many sins were forgiven yesterday. Allahu Akbar! And how much mercy did Allah bestow. And how many were spared from the Fire. Oh Allah accept from us and the pilgrims and from all the Muslims. And make us and them from those whom You have forgiven their sins and rewarded their efforts and accepted their deeds and obligated mercy for them and spared them from the Fire.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha illalLah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lilLahil Hamd!
Respected servants of Allah, your brothers and sisters performing Hajj pilgrimage are now proceeding to the jamarat after having spent the night in Muzdalifah in large assemblies, exalting, magnifying and praising Allah. So Glory be to the One Who guided them to Islam! And glory be to the One Who moved their tongues to make Zikr and remembrance of Him, and magnify Him. And glory be to the One who made these rituals in such few days! And glory be to the One Who within these days made the hearts move and the eyes tear!
“That [is so]. And whoever honours the symbols [i.e., rites] of Allah – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.” [Qur’an, 22: 32]
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha illalLah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lilLahil Hamd!
Dear brothers and sisters, know that the greatest blessing that Allah Almighty bestowed upon the believers is their guidance to Islam. For it is the true religion. Allah Almighty said:
“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.” [Qur’an, 3:19]
And Allah will not accept from anyone a religion other than it. Allah the Most High says:
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” [Qur’an, 3: 85]
And it is the religion that Allah Almighty perfected for His servants. Allah Almighty says:
“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” [Qur’an, 5: 3]
And He the Most High says:
“And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can alter His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.” [Qur’an, 6: 115]
And Islam is from the words of Allah Almighty that he perfected, truth in what He informed and fair in His decree. And Islam through the protection of Allah Almighty is preserved from addition, subtraction, alteration, and distortion. Because through Islam, Allah sealed the Books. And sealed the Prophethood with Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). So Islam shall remain until the end of time, so that humanity is guided through it. Allah Almighty said:
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur’an], and indeed, We will be its guardian.” [Qur’an, 15: 9]
And the Qur’anic verses of the perfection of Islam were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) during his farewell Hajj. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“I know the place where it was revealed and the day on which it was revealed. It was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) at Arafat, on a Friday.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And with regards to the perfection of Islam, people are divided into three groups:
The first group are those who introduced into the religion of Islam unfounded religious practices and misguidances that have nothing to do with the Islam. And they deceived their followers with worships for which Allah Almighty has not sent down any authority. So they went astray and misled. And they are the common introducers of unfounded religious practices and those who follow them in their fabricated practices. And the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“If anyone introduces into this affair of ours (Islam) anything which does not belong to it, it is rejected.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And the second group are those who succumbed to the pressures of the times. So they have renounced some of the Islamic rulings and removed and omitted from it that which is inconsistent with the contemporary pressures on Islam and its followers. So they have permitted a number of forbidden matters and dropped a number of religious duties. And they dabble in the anomalies of jurisprudence and points of disagreement to extinguish the clear religious texts. And to reach their goal, they relied on the mistakes of those scholars who preceded them. And some of them did that for worldly aim. So how bad is what they did. They traded their religion for a worldly gain.
And some of them did that in defense of Islam, as they claim, to repel attacks against it, and this is from their ignorance. For the antagonists will not be satisfied with them until they destroy all of Islam, not some of it and until their way is followed. For they have ruined their souls and exposed it to the sources of sins and destruction. Islam is a great victorious religion, even if falsehood besieges it. Indeed the good consequence is for the Allah conscious.
And the third group are those who know the perfection of Islam, and worship Allah Almighty by it, and adhere to His ordainments, and do not add anything to it and do not subtract anything from it. And they are the greatest majority of Muslims, praise be to Allah the Almighty. And those in this group who fall short in adhering to their religion and those who wrong themselves by sinning, do not consider what they commit of the forbidden as permissible. And they do not consider what they leave out of the obligations as not required. Nor do they alter anything from Islam. Rather, they admit their negligence in their religion and their transgression upon themselves. They hope for repentance and ask others to supplicate for them. And such people are close to repentance and befitting for being given success in attaining it, since following desires did not destroy their hearts, nor do misleading unfounded religious practices divert them from the truth. For they know the perfection of Islam, just as they know their mistakes regarding the rights of their religion and their own rights. And a man was brought to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to be disciplined for drinking alcohol so another man said:
“O Allah, curse him. How often he is brought to the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him)! So he (Peace be upon him) said, do not curse him, for he loves Allah and His Messenger.” [Bukhari]
And this does mean taking the major sins and misdeeds lightly. But rather those who become weak before sin then fall into it, while blaming themselves for what they did, are better than those who consider the sin permissible or take it lightly even if they do not commit it.
Respected brothers and sisters, one of the requirements for belief in the perfection of Islam is adherence to all of its ordainments, and care in not splitting it by accepting some parts and not others. For Allah Almighty rebuked people who did that and warned them of humiliation in this world and torment and punishment in the hereafter. The Almighty addressed them saying:
“So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.” [Qur’an, 2: 85]
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha illalLah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lilLahil Hamd!
Dear servants of Allah, so be conscious of Allah Almighty on this great day. And thank Him for favouring you with this religion (Islam), and for what He guided you to its rituals and rulings which are the best of rituals and ordainments. And ask Him for steadfastness upon it until death, for the hearts are in the Hands of the Allah Almighty and He turns them as He wills. Oh Allah, the Changer of the Hearts, make our hearts steadfast upon Your religion (Islam), ameen.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha illalLah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lilLahil Hamd!
Dear and respected Muslim women, know that the religion of Islam in its perfection and what it has of justice and mercy has not changed. For its rulings for women are the same rulings from when Allah Almighty revealed them to His Messenger Muhammad (Peace be upon him). So nothing was removed from it and nothing was added to it, in spite of attempts of some of the afflicted to distort, change or take away from it.
Indeed the woman who loves her Lord and religion and is certain of the perfection of Islam, adheres to all of the religion and holds on to it with determination and strength. And the words of the people of base desires and false notions do not deviate her from any part of her religion. And she is not turned away from the religion by the many women who take its rulings lightly. Because her greatest aim is pleasing her Lord, the Almighty and seeking the home of the hereafter. So she does not back down from this goal even if it means losing this entire worldly life. So how could she while she hears what Allah Almighty has permitted for her, and it is a lot, and she has pleased her Lord, Most glorified and she is pleased with herself. For the knot of sin around the heart is not unraveled except through repentance. And the pain of the sin does not leave the believer, because their modesty before their Lord, Glory be to Him, and their consciousness of His grace upon them. O believing women, adhere to all of Islam. For Islam is the religion of justice and perfection, and the reward for it is great, and this worldly life is short.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha illalLah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lilLahil Hamd!
Respected Muslims, and let the hearts that are far apart from one another gather together on this great day. And be brothers and sisters in religion. And remove what you have in your hearts of ill feelings. And be dutiful to your parents and join your kinship. And be good to your neighbours. And bring happiness to your family and your children. And enjoy what Allah Almighty has made lawful for you, and beware of sin, for it is evil and a burden upon those committing them in this world and the Hereafter.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La Ilaha illalLah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lilLahil Hamd!
Make Allah Almighty repeatedly bestow upon us and you and upon all Muslims faith and blessings and safety and security. Make Allah accept from us and you the righteous deeds. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Answering.
I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon our beloved Prophet as your Lord commanded:
“Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.” [Qur’an, 33: 56]
O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.
O Allah, I ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.
O Allah, I seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.
O Allah, I ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge.
O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good.
Dear servants of Allah, indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favours – He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation; may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly and sincerely until the establishment of the Hour.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.
This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Dhul-Hijjah 12, 1444 AH (June 30, 2023).