Sermon Title: Sufficient for You is Allah
Elements of the sermon:
"Sufficient for us is Allah and He is the best Disposer of affairs;"
this Dhikr is the slogan of the believers.
2- The meaning of this Dhikr.
3 - Why is Allah Sufficient for us?
4- How can we to attain that rank?
Praise be to Allah, who shields His allies with His glory and mercy, and instills fear into the hearts of His enemies by virtue of His justice and power. I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah, and He has no partners, affirming His promise and aspiring to His Paradise. I also bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, who upheld His religion and established His proof. May Allah exalt him and send peace to him, his family, companions, and those who follow his Sunnah.
To proceed:
O servants of Allah, fear Him and know that whoever fears Allah and is mindful of Him, He will protect him from all harm in this worldly life and the Hereafter, and will provide him with a way out of every distress, and a relief from every anxiety.
Dear Muslim brothers:
Allah recounted to us in the Quran the stories of the previous peoples so that we would derive lessons therefrom, and rendered it a means to strengthen the hearts of the believers. Allah, The Almighty, says:
وَكُلًّا نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الرُّسُلِ مَا نُثَبِّتُ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ
“And each [story] We relate to you from the news of the messengers is that by which We make firm your heart.” (11:120)
Prophet Abraham, the beloved servant of Allah, was described (in the Quran) as a nation (i.e., a leader embodying all the good righteous qualities). He was the epitome of faith, certitude, patience, steadfastness, and all manifestations of goodness and virtue. He refuted the falsehood of the disbelievers with his strong arguments, demolished their idols with his own hands, and proclaimed his faith before them when he said:
وَلَا أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ بِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ رَبِّي شَيْئًا وَسِعَ رَبِّي كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ * وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَا أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلَا تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُمْ بِاللهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا فَأَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالْأَمْنِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
"… And I fear not what you associate with Him [and will not be harmed] unless my Lord should will something. My Lord encompasses all things in knowledge; then will you not remember? And how should I fear what you associate while you do not fear that you have associated with Allah that for which He has not sent down to you any authority? So which of the two parties has more right to security, if you should know?" (6:80-81)
Prophet Abraham was frustrated with his stubborn people and could not find any support from them. They (disbelieved and) even threatened to burn him with fire. When the time came to execute their threat, they said:
قَالُوا حَرِّقُوهُ وَانْصُرُوا آلِهَتَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ
"Burn him and support your gods, if you are to act." (21-68)
When Prophet Abraham saw that, he said, "Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs." At that point, the command of Allah was issued to save him; Allah says:
قلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ * وَأَرَادُوا بِهِ كَيْدًا فَجَعَلْنَاهُمُ الْأَخْسَرِينَ
"O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham! And they intended for him harm, but We made them the greatest losers." (21:69-70)
Allah saved His beloved servant, Abraham and did not let him down; the fire did not burn him but rather became cool and safe for him.
Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs. It is the very Dhikr that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions recited after the Battle of Uhud.
It is narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhārī on the authority of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said, "The Dhikr: ‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs,’ was recited by Prophet Abraham when he was thrown into the fire, and it was also recited by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ when they (hypocrites) said as related in the Quran:
إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ * فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَاتَّبَعُوا رِضْوَانَ اللهِ وَاللهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ
"Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them." But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, "Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs " So they returned with a blessing from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. They pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.” (3:173-174)
O servants of Allah:
Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs. This Dhikr abounds in great meanings and has many indications. Reciting it begets blessings, and wards off harms and detestable outcomes. It signifies the sincere seeking of refuge with Allah, true reliance upon Him, and imploring Him to be Sufficient for us. It is the refuge which the people of faith seek when tyrants gain power over them.
A scholar from the righteous predecessors said: "I marvel at those who are tested with fear (of someone or something), how could they overlook the Dhikr: ‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs’? In the following verse, Allah says:
فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ
“So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.” (3:174)
The Dhikr means that Allah is Sufficient for us and we need none and nothing else if He is with us; “and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs,” meaning that He is the best Disposer of our affairs and the best one to place our trust, ask for His mercy and support, and rely on Him. He is sufficient for us; who else would you need if He is with you?
Allah said to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ حَسْبُكَ اللهُ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
'O Prophet, sufficient for you is Allah and for whoever follows you of the believers' (8:64).
Meaning that Allah is sufficient for you and for your believing followers, and you do not need anyone or anything else. How could it not be, when He is the Protector and Helper of the believers?
Remember the boy from the story of the People of the Ditch when the soldiers of the king gathered to kill him. He said, 'O Allah, save me from them the way You wish.' Allah protected and saved him. When the king saw him, he asked how he survived, and the boy replied, 'Allah saved me from them.' [Muslim]
When the Prophet ﷺ embarked on the migration journey to Madinah, Surāqah ibn Mālik ibn Ju‘shum caught up with him and Abu Bakr, who wept out of fear for the Prophet’s safety. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'O Allah, protect us from him by whatever means You will.' Then his horse's legs sank into the solid ground up to its belly, and he fell off it. [Ahmad]
My fellow Muslim brothers, there is no doubt that only Allah is Sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs because He alone manages the affairs of the universe. Whatever He wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen, and none of His creation has control over it. Were all people to gather together to harm an individual with anything, they would not be able to harm you except with what Allah had already preordained for him and by His permission. Allah says:
وَمَا هُمْ بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللهِ
“But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah.” (2:102)
Allah alone is Sufficient for us because He preordained all the decrees. He preordained the harm and benefit, giving and withholding, deprivation and granting in abundance, fear and safety. Only Allah disposes of the affairs of the universe with no partner. He says about the calamities befall His servants:
قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا وَعَلَى اللهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
"Say, "Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector." And upon Allah let the believers rely." (9:51)
Allah is Sufficient for us because He alone Has the unchallenged dominion over the universe; in Whose Hand is the sovereignty of everything. He protects (all) creation, and there is no protector against Him (i.e. if Allah saves anyone none can punish or harm him, and if Allah punishes or harms anyone none can save him). He has the perfect power and He is over all things Competent. He is the One and Only God, the Prevailing, to Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. The fate of all creatures is under His control and authority; they can neither benefit nor harm themselves or anyone else, and they do not have the power to cause death, bring to life, or resurrect the dead.
Allah alone is Sufficient for us because He is more Powerful than everything and everyone with which they frighten you. Allah, the Exalted. He says:
وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِاَلَّذِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِ
"And [yet], they threaten you with those [they worship] other than Him." (39:36).
All creation is under the control, sovereignty, and power of the Creator, and He is the Omnipotent over His servants, The Manifest and, The Ascendant.
Allah is Sufficient for us because He, Glory be to Him, encompasses all His creation. His knowledge, hearing, sight, power, authority, and dominance encompass all things.
Have not you heard His saying,
إِنْ تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِنْ تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَحُوا بِهَا وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ
"If good touches you, it distresses them; but if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it. And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do." (3:120)?
Let them mobilize troops as numerous as the sand (on the seashore), and devise schemes [sufficient] to do away with the mountains. The soldiers of Allah are only known to Him and He is the best Planner and His knowledge encompasses all His creation. He says:
هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ * فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ * بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي تَكْذِيبٍ * وَاللهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ مُحِيطٌ
"Has there reached you the story of the soldiers; [Those of] Pharaoh and Thamud? But they who disbelieve are in [persistent] denial, while Allah encompasses them from behind." (85:17-20)
May Allah bless me and you with the devotion to the Quran, and help me and you benefit from its verses and wise reminders therein. I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you; seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is All-Forgiving and All-Merciful.
Second Sermon:
Praise be to Allah, as befitting Him, and may He exalt and send peace to His Prophet and His servant, his family, his companions, and those who followed him faithfully.
To proceed:
Be mindful of Allah, O servants of Allah, and fear Him as He should be feared, and be conscious of Him in public and in private.
Brothers in Islam:
Indeed, the fact that relishing the protection and support of Allah is a great blessing, but who deserves it? What is the way to attain this rank? There is no doubt that people may be divided into two categories: the allies of Allah, The Merciful, and the allies of Satan.
As for the allies of Allah, they display due servitude to Allah alone, submit only to Him, surrender only to His command, and seek only His pleasure. They fear none but Him, rely only on Him, and place their trust only in Him. They abide by His obligations, utilize the means made available by Him, and they are true to their Lord, strive in His cause, and do not fear the enemies nor do their plots and schemes scare them because they have Allah with them; to whom belongs all things.
When they do so, He becomes Sufficient for them and blesses them with His protection and support because they rely on Him as due and delegate all their affairs to Him. Allah says:
وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ
"And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is Sufficient for him," (65:3).
Meaning that he will not need anything or anyone else.
They have displayed due servitude to Him and compliance with His command, Allah says:
أَلَيْسَ اللهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ
"Is not Allah sufficient for His Servant?" (39:36)
The more a person displays due servitude to his Lord, the more support and protection he receives from Him. The Prophet (may Allah exalt and send peace to him) said: "Whoever seeks to earn Allah's pleasure by incurring people's wrath, Allah will be Sufficient for him from their evil, and whoever seeks the people's pleasure by incurring Allah's wrath, Allah will entrust him to the people". [At-Tirmidhi]
The second category is the allies of Satan. Allah cast fear into their hearts because they associate partners with Him and aspire to the creation rather than the Creator. Whoever aspires to something is entrusted to it. Allah says:
سَنُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ بِمَا أَشْرَكُوا بِاللهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ وَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الظَّالِمِينَ
"We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah of which He had not sent down [any] authority. And their refuge will be the Fire, and wretched is the residence of the wrongdoers." (3:151)
Lastly, let us implore Allah to exalt and send peace to our Prophet Muhammad, and his family, and all his companions as we are commanded.
O Allah, protect your believing servants from the evils of the criminal Jews! O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Mover of the Clouds, Defeater of the Confederates, defeat them and bless us with victory over them. O Allah, save the weak believers, bless them with Your protection, encompass them with Your mercy, heal their broken hearts, and take care of them; You are the Worthy Guardian and the Praiseworthy.
O servants of Allah, remember Him with much remembrance and glorify Him morning and evening. Our final call supplication is that “Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds.”
