Sermon Title: The Pleasure of Worshiping Allah.
Themes of the Sermon:
Worshiping Allah is an honor and glory.
The necessity of human beings and their need to worship their Lord.
The sweetness of obedience and the pleasure of worshiping Allah.
Reasons for attaining the pleasure of worshiping Allah.
Praise be to Allah, who made glory, tranquility, and happiness in His obedience and humiliation, distress, and misery in turning away from His remembrance. I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, alone without any partner, and there is no comfort for hearts and no expansion for chests except with His love. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, who said, "One who is pleased with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, and Muhammad as his messenger will taste the sweetness of faith." May Allah exalt and send peace upon him, his family, and his companions. To proceed.
O servants of Allah, fear Allah as He should be feared and be mindful of Him in private and public:
(يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ)
."O you who have believed, fear Allāh as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]." (3:102).
O Muslims:
Allah created all creatures and disposed them to worship Him. He commanded them to devote their religion exclusively for Him and made His obedience obligatory upon them. Allah the Almighty said,
(يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُواْ رَبَّكُمُ)
"O mankind! Worship your Lord" (Quran 2:21), and He also said,
(ومَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ)
."And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me" (51:56).
The perfection of a servant is realized by vivid worship of his Lord. The more they attain this realization, the higher and more elevated they get. Worshiping Allah is an honor and glory, and it is the most beautiful attribute with which one can adorn and be characterized by.
Allah, glorified and exalted is he, has made servitude a quality of the most perfect of His creation and the elite of His servants. He attributed it to the best of His creation, Muhammad (ﷺ), peace be upon him, in his most sublime positions. Allah said:
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"Exalted is He who took His Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing" (17:1), and He said:
(تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا)
."Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be a warner to the worlds" (Quran 25:1), and He said:
(وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُوا يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَدًا)
."And when the servant [i.e., Prophet] of Allah stood up supplicating Him, they almost became about him a compacted mass" (72:19).
Allah also made servitude a characteristic of His prophets and those close to Him among His angels. He said:
(لَنْ يَسْتَنْكِفَ الْمَسِيحُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَبْدًا لِلَّهِ وَلَا الْمَلَائِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ وَمَنْ يَسْتَنْكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعًا)
."Never would The Messiah disdain to be a servant of Allah, nor would the angels near to Him. And whoever disdains His worship and is arrogant - He will gather them to Himself all together" (4:172).
The prophets of Allah, His angels, and those close to Him among His servants have attained the honor of servitude to Allah, and their status has been elevated, their ranks raised, and they have become independent through their dependence on their Lord and have taken pride in their humility before their Master.
O servants of Allah:
The servitude of a creature to his Lord and his submission to Him is not due to the Lord's need for this worship. Allah is not in need of us or our obedience. Rather, it is due to the creature's need and his necessity for it, and his total and absolute relation to it. A servant is inevitably a worshiper, either worshiping Allah or worshiping other than Him.
Whoever is too arrogant to worship Allah, the Almighty, must be tried with the worship of those who do not deserve to be worshiped. He will worship the created beings, his desires, his devils, and his worldly life. Allah said:
(إنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ عِبَادٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ فَادْعُوهُمْ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ)
"Indeed, those you [polytheists] call upon besides Allah are servants like yourselves. So call upon them, and let them respond to you if you are truthful" (7:194).
And He said:
(أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَى سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلَى بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً فَمَنْ يَهْدِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ اللَّهِ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ)
“Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded?" (45:23).
And He said:
(أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَنْ لَا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ)
"Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you do not worship Satan – for, indeed, he is to you a clear enemy" (36:60).
In the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Let the slave of Dīnār and Dirham, of Khamīla and Khamīsa perish as he is pleased if these things are given to him, and if not, he is displeased. Let such a person perish and relapse, and if he is pierced with a thorn, let him not find anyone to take it out for him."
These people, when they turned away from the worship of Allah, they worshipped what neither harms nor benefits them. Allah says:
(وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً لِيَكُونُوا لَهُمْ عِزًّا * كَلَّا سَيَكْفُرُونَ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدًّا)
."And they have taken besides Allāh [false] deities that they would be for them [a source of] honor. No! They [i.e., those "gods"] will deny their worship of them and will be against them opponents [on the Day of Judgement]." (19:81-82).
O servants of Allah:
Turning to Allah, being steadfast in obedience to Him, and adhering to the threshold of His servitude is the cause of success and prosperity at all times. All good that happens to the servant in this worldly life and the Hereafter is a result of this servitude. Allah says:
(من عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ)
."Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do" (Quran 16:97).
One of the immediate and pleasant effects that a believer finds in his heart is the sweetness of obedience and the pleasure of servitude. Indeed, faith has a sweetness that its people find in their hearts. By which they enjoy the acts of obedience, endure hardships for its sake, and the pleasure found in their hearts from servitude is greater than any sweetness and more enjoyable than any food.
The more obedient a servant is to his Lord, the more steadfast he is in His obedience, and the more loving he is to Him, the more complete is the pleasure of obedience for him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: " There are three qualities whoever has them, will taste the sweetness of Iman: To love Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) more than anyone else; to love a slave (of Allah) only for (the sake of) Allah; and to abhor returning to infidelity after Allah has saved him from it as he would abhor to be thrown into the fire (of Hell) " (Agreed upon).
And the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “He who is well-pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as messenger will experience the savor of faith “(Reported by Muslim).
Our Prophet and role model (ﷺ), peace be upon him, took delight in worshipping his Lord. Allah forgave his past and future sins, and yet he would stand in prayer at night so long that the skin of his feet would crack. His joy, comfort, tranquility, and peace of mind were found in his obedience to his Lord. How could it not be when he would say to Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, "Bring us comfort with prayer," and he would also say, "My comfort lies in prayer." 'Amir ibn Abd al-Qays would cry, and when asked why, he said, "I do not cry out of fear of death or greed for this world, but rather for the thirst of the night prayers and standing at night." The companions would complete the recitation of the Quran in one rak'ah without feeling tired or burdened, finding in it solace and comfort.
May Allah bless us and you with the Quran and the Sunnah, and may He benefit us with their verses and wisdom. I say this and seek Allah's forgiveness for me and for you, so seek His forgiveness, for the successful are those who seek forgiveness.
The Second Sermon
Praise be to Allah. May Allah exalt and send peace to the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow his guidance. To proceed:
O servants of Allah:
Our Lord, the Most High, is appreciative and rewards the efforts of His servant. He rewards whoever seeks closeness to Him by admitting him to a paradise in this worldly life before he enters the paradise of the Hereafter. He instills in his heart the pleasure of his obedience and the love of his worship.
Why it is that today we have lost the joy of servitude, and its essence and spirit have vanished from us? Most of our acts of worship have become mere physical movements, and many acts of obedience have become heavy burdens upon us. Why do we enter and leave worship in the same state we were in before? Why do the seasons of goodness pass us by without us taking advantage of them for our benefit? Why? Why?
Answering these questions requires a sincere pause for self-evaluation and a genuine repentance so that our Lord may fix our affairs. Among the things that help us experience the sweetness of obedience and the pleasure of worship are:
Struggling against the self: Allah says,
(وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ)
."And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good" (29:69)
And the Almighty says,
(وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا وَإِذًا لَّآتَيْنَاهُم مِّن لَّدُنَّا أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا)
.
“But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith]. And then We would have given them from Us a great reward." (4:66-68).
Experiencing the pleasure of worship is achieved through perseverance and effort. When a servant is patient and sincere in his patience, it leads him to this pleasure. When one recognizes the greatness of what he seeks seek, it becomes easier to expend efforts tirelessly. Whoever strives, makes an effort, and sincerely asks Allah for help, Allah will open doors for him, assist, and guide him. One of the pious predecessors said, "I struggled with prayer for twenty years, and then I enjoyed it for twenty years." Another said, "I kept driving myself towards Allah, while it cried, until I led it while it laughed."
Some factors that help in experiencing the sweetness of obedience and the pleasure of worship are:
Knowing Allah, loving Him, finding solace in His proximity, and longing for His meeting:
The greatest pleasure in this worldly life is knowing Allah through His names, attributes, and actions, and getting closer to Him by pleasing Him. Ibn Al-Mubarak (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "The poor people of this worldly life have left it without tasting its finest thing." When asked, "What is its finest thing?" he replied, "The love of Allah, knowing Him and remembering Him." Whoever truly knows Allah will love Him, and whoever loves Him will find comfort in Him and in His obedience, and things that are difficult for others will be made easier for him.
Staying away from sins:
Abstaining from forbidden desires and false misconceptions, as they are barriers preventing light from entering and settling in the heart. Just as the body does not enjoy food when it is ill, the heart cannot enjoy the sweetness of worship when it is sick. If the heart is sick, it will not taste the pleasure of obedience and the delight of worship. Beware of sins, especially those committed in private, as they will continue to affect the individual until they rob him of his faith and lead him to a bad end - may Allah protect us all from that.
Additionally, seeking help from Allah:
Increasing supplications and humbly invoking Him, for there is no success except from Allah. He says:
(وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَى مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ)
."And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is Hearing and Knowing." (24:21).
And He, the Exalted, said:
(وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ)
."And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would be in difficulty, but Allāh has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience. Those are the [rightly] guided.." (49:7)
It was one of the Prophet's (ﷺ) supplications: "O Allah, help me to remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in the best manner." (Narrated by Abu Dawood)
Then, offer prayers and salutations upon the one sent as a mercy to the worlds. O Allah, bestow Your blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
O Allah, we ask for Your love, the love of those who love You, and the love of the deeds that bring us closer to You. O Allah, make faith beloved to us and beautify it in our hearts, and make disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience hateful to us. O Allah, help us to remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in the best manner. O Allah, guide our leader to what You love and are pleased with, and lead him by the forelock to righteousness and piety. Our Lord, grant us good in this worldly life and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
Servants of Allah, remember Allah with abundant remembrance, and glorify Him morning and evening. And our final prayer is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
