*Note, All khutbahs are in ‘as-delivered’ format. Consequently, some things may be unclear or omitted here, as it is written in a way that fits with my own style, prompting methods, and unspecified knowledge I may have. Feel free to leave a comment below if any concerns arise.*

Delivered: Summer 2022, The George Washington University

Goal: Do not get distracted by a life that is temporary, focus on seeking the eternal.

Prelude:

 يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

O you who believe,

fear allah with the utmost strength, 

And do not die except as muslims

As-Salamu alaikum warahmatullahi ta’ala wa barakatuhu, wa ghafartuhum,

ya ikhwatina fi deenillah, fi deenil haq, fi deenil Islam

Amma’baad

Part I: Obsession with the Dunya

Prelude:

Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated:

It is reported that in Egypt, there was a man who would maintain the mosques affairs, and makes the call to prayer. He was, by all outward means, an pious person and devout worshipper.

One day, as he usually would, he ascended the minaret to make the call to prayer. At the base of the minaret, there was a Christian woman standing. He saw her, and was seduced by her looks. So, he descended the minaret, went to her, and entered her home.

She said to him: “Who are you, and what do you want?”

He replied: “I want you.”

She said: “Why?”

He said: “You have enslaved my eyes, and you have captured my heart.”

She said: “I will never answer your desire in a illicit or an immoral manner.”

He said: “Alright, so, I will marry you, then.”

She said: “You are a Muslim, and I am a Christian. My father will never allow me to marry you.”

He said: “So, I will become a Christian.”

She said: “If you wish to do so, go ahead.”

So, the man became a Christian in order to marry this woman, and lived with the woman’s family in her house. Later on that day, however, he was on the roof of the house. He fell from the roof and died without even having enjoyed his new bride. So, he lost the woman, and he lost his religion.

Intro: 

102:1

أَلْهَىٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ ١

The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things),

102:2

حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ ٱلْمَقَابِرَ ٢

Until ye visit the graves.

102:3

كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٣

But nay, ye soon shall know (the reality).

102:4

ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٤

Again, ye soon shall know!

102:5

كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ ٱلْيَقِينِ ٥

Nay, were ye to know with certainty of mind, (ye would beware!)

102:6

لَتَرَوُنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ ٦

Ye shall certainly see Hell-Fire!

102:7

ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ ٱلْيَقِينِ ٧

Again, ye shall see it with certainty of sight!

102:8

ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٨

Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in!).

Body: 

My brothers and sisters, in the story before, we find the case of a believer who was deceived by the glittering and vain things of this dunya.

Al manu wal banu, zina tul hayattaddunya.

Because of a momentary lapse in his reason and faith, he lost his deen and his dunya.

All the good he had done… Khalas. Meaningless.

Wa la tamutoona illa wa antoom muslimoon… 

unfortunately, he failed.

The temptation of the dunya are real, and the whispers of shaytan are sweet, coming to us 

when we least expect them, always blindsiding us.

A woman is simply one of the many potential temptations that could lead one astray, 

just as easily as a man could be temptation for a woman, however.

—

Imam Ahmad recorded from Anas that the Prophet SAW once said:

(The Son of Adam becomes old with senility, but yet two things remain with him: greed and hope.) 

Sahih bukhari wa Muslim.

I find it interesting that in another Hadith recorded in Sahih-Bukhari and narrated by Anas bin Malik, it was reported that the Sahabah used to think a certain hadith was part of the Quran before the first verse of Takathur (Al-hakumu…) was revealed.

Rasulullah had said in that Hadith,

 (If the Son of Adam had a valley of gold, he would desire another like it…)

This simply demonstrates the preoccupance that mankind has with the glittering things of this dunya.

End:

My brothers and sisters, have you ever become absent-minded, 

seemingly lost in a world of your own…

maybe while driving, or while riding the metro.

You become so unaware of the surrounding that perhaps..

you miss the exit, or miss the metro stop. 

Then you wake up from that brief reverie.. daydream

and perhaps smile and shake your head.

What do you do? You shake your head, but alhadmulillah you have the options of making a u-turn, taking the next exit, or the next stop.

The life if this world is just like that daily commute to work.

The life of this world is but a temporary journey with a definite destination.

Yet!

We get so lost in the journey, that when our exit inevitably approaches…

we are blindsided, caught by surprise.

*verse about how we will swear we lived for just a little bit

————

We cannot allow ourselves to fall into this trance, 

to be hypnotized and mesmerized by the dunya.

And the only way to guard against this, is to be ever cognizant… to be ever aware

of the approaching appointment we have with our Ilah.

And its one we cannot cancel no matter how much we may wish.

For the life of this world is fleeting.

Kullu man alayha fan.

Wassalatu Wasallam ala Sayyidina Muhammad bin Abdullah Khatamul Anbiya wa imamul Mursaleen

PART II: The fleeting nature of life

INTRO:

هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ حِينٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْـًۭٔا مَّذْكُورًا ١

Has there not been an endless span of time before the creation of Man – 

a long period, when he was nothing – (not even) mentioned?

إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍۢ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًا ٢

Verily,  We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight.

إِنَّا هَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًۭا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا ٣

We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).

BODY:

These are the first 3 verses of chapter 76 of the Quran, Suratul Insan.

Ya Ikhwan, What have we done with our hearing? With our sight?

Ya Ikhwan, Are we grateful… do we act as though we are filled with shukr truly? 

—-

Just 12 hours ago or so.

Just as Prime minister Abe just went to give a speech, and was shot.

Did he expect this?

 the longest-serving japanese PM, stepped away nobly for health reasons. 

they gave him 100 units of blood ,

I was discussing with my dad this morning who is a hematologist.

50 units is considered the max in trauma, as survival chance is <0. 

You develop complications like after dilutional thrombocytopenia. 

Kullu man alayha fan.

—- 

Abdullah ibn Umar (RadhiyAllahu ‘anhuma), reported that The Messenger of Allah (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) took me by the shoulder and said,

“Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer.”

And Rasullullah would also say..

“In the evening do not expect [to live until] the morning, and in the morning do not expect [to live until] the evening. Take [advantage of] your health before times of sickness, and [take advantage of] your life before your death.”

[Sahih Bukhari and At-Tirmidhi]

But let us think, as we are so often asked by Allah azzawajal. (Afala tafakkaroon?)

When we travel to an unknown place, we are hyper-aware and vigilant. 

We take note of every sign, whether the people seem friendly or mean, we investigate to ensure we’re not 

being served pork (i hope).

But in our normal day to day life, we live on autopilot. 

We dont have to think about the route to work, the route to school, the route to pick up the kids, or the route home.

We just go.

If the Mumin lives like this, you will inevitably miss something one day. And that one thing could be your undoing.

I am not saying we should walk around being hyper-paranoid, i’m just saying we should take care to be 

more aware as relates to the crouching dangers and temptations that are simply waiting to pounce on the 

weaknesses in our hearts… 

After all, khulika insanuu daeef. 

Man was created weak.

Living this way is one of the ways we can help to guard against falling to the temptations of the dunya inshallah.

END:

Speaking of things to be grateful for…

There was once a A random sales associate who had a hobby of hiding away in a cave.

Suddenly he came back one day,  and told his boss he saw an angel

Such was the beginning of Islam.

Such is the reason we are gathered here today.

Talk about miraculous things to be grateful for…..

Subhanallah 

فَبِأَىِّ حَدِيثٍۭ بَعْدَهُۥ يُؤْمِنُون ٠

In what statement, after this, will they believe?

My brothers and sisters, there is no more revelation coming. 

The religion has been perfected.

Innadini indalilahi islam

–

wwiii, korean war, revolutionary war, pakistan independence

Where were we?

In the past we were not here, and some time in the future we wont be either. 

–

All we are waiting for now is the Hour. 

But remember, the day we die is the end of our world.

Thus we should be worried more about when our own personal Hour approaches.

For  al amru yawmaithin lillah.

All affairs belong to Allah on that day, 

yawma la tamliku nafisn.

There will be no one to speak on our behalf or write us a recommendation letter.

The past has passed, and the future is too far away.

The present is all that matters, and, ultimately, all that we have

Let us live as though our daily life is our recommendation letter to get into Jannah.

After all, it is.

…….

Today is yawmul Arafat, so we pray for our brothers and sisters in hajj to have a hajj mabroor.

Tomorrow is Eid 

And despite the somber ending, it is a joyous occasion for celebration and fanfare.

Maybe it’s okay to get carried away tomorrow, it’s Sunnah after all.

So let us dress in the glittery outfits, wear the nice perfume, and enjoy inshallah.

DUA: