The title of the sermon:
"Eat and Drink Comfortably for What You Have Put Forth in Past Days"
Elements of the sermon:
Righteous deeds are the believer's companion.
Immense rewards from the Forgiving, the Grateful.
Patience in obeying Allah.
All praise be to Allah, the Forgiving, the Grateful, Who forgives a multitude of faults and appreciates even the slightest deeds, rewarding His servants with the best of what they have done. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. May Allah exalt him and grant him peace abundantly.
To proceed:
O servants of Allah, fear Allah with the true fear that He deserves, and be mindful of Him in secret and in confidence, as He commands:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
"O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]."
O servants of Allah,
"I am your righteous deed!" How delightful is that saying, that the servant hears in his grave, where he longs for comforting companionship. Our Prophet ﷺ informed us that for the believer in this situation, "a man with a handsome face, wearing beautiful clothes, and exuding a pleasant scent will come to him and say, 'Rejoice in what pleases you! Rejoice in honor from Allah and everlasting bliss. This is the day you were promised!' The deceased will ask, 'Who are you? Your face brings good news.' He will reply, 'I am your righteous deed. You were indeed quick in obeying Allah and slow in disobeying Him. So, Allah has rewarded you with good.'” Narrated by Ahmad.
So, O faithful servant who performs righteous deeds and strives in the month of goodness and blessings, rejoice:
Your righteous deeds will surround you in your grave, warding off evil. The Prophet ﷺ said, "When a deceased person is placed in his grave, he can hear the footsteps of his companions as they walk away. If he was a believer, the prayer will stand by his head, fasting to his right, charity to his left, and acts of kindness and good deeds towards people at his feet. When approached from the head, the prayer will say, 'There is no entry from my side.' Then, when approached from the right, the fasting will say, 'There is no entry from my side.' Similarly, when approached from the left, the charity will say, 'There is no entry from my side.' And when approached from the feet, the acts of kindness and good deeds will say, 'There is no entry from my side.'" Narrated by Ibn Hibban.
O servants of Allah,
Indeed, Allah has promised His believing servants who do righteous deeds a good life in this world and eternal bliss in the hereafter. Allah Almighty says:
مَنْ 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" [An-Nahl: 97].
Righteous action is everything that Allah Almighty has legislated in speech or deed, and that draws the servant closer to Him. If performed by the servant sincerely and in accordance with the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ, his reward from Allah will be the best possible.
O servant of Allah,
If your soul tempts you to be lazy or indifferent, remind it of the immense rewards from a Lord Who is Forgiving and Grateful, rewarding greatly for minimal actions. Indeed, He has said:
وَمَنْ يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَزِدْ لَهُ فِيهَا حُسْنًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ
"And whoever does a good deed, We will increase for him good therein. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Appreciative" [Ash-Shura: 23].
When you fast, leaving your food, drink, and desires for the sake of Allah, while your soul longs for them, remind yourself of the Gate of Rayyan.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "In Paradise, there is a gate called al-Rayyan, through which those who fast will enter on the Day of Resurrection, and no one else will enter with them. It will be said, 'Where are those who fasted?' They will enter through it, and once the last of them has entered, it will be closed, and no one else will enter." Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.
If the smell of your mouth changes due to your fasting, remind yourself that this smell is more pleasant to Allah than the fragrance of musk. Did not the Prophet ﷺ say, "By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah on the Day of Resurrection than the scent of musk. And the fasting person has two joys to delight in: when he breaks his fast, he is joyful with his breaking, and when he meets his Lord, he is joyful with his fast"? Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.
When you make your way to one of Allah's houses to perform one of His obligations, know that you are promised generosity and grace from Allah. You are on the verge of experiencing the joy of Allah's pleasure with you, just as the joy felt by the family of one who returns after a long absence.
Have you not heard the saying of the Prophet ﷺ, "When a Muslim settles in the mosques for prayers and remembrance, Allah will welcome him as the family welcomes their absent member when he returns to them"? Narrated by Ibn Majah.
When you prostrate before Allah, you are performing the deed most beloved to Him.
Did not Thawban ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the deed most beloved to Allah, and he said, "Perform prostration to Allah in abundance, for you do not perform a prostration to Allah but that Allah raises you a degree for it and removes a sin from you"? Narrated by Muslim.
When you pray two Rak'ahs to Allah, not neglectful in them, humbly turning to Allah, Allah forgives what has preceded of your sins.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever performs ablution well, then prays two Rak'ahs without being heedless in them, Allah will forgive his previous sins." Narrated by Ahmad.
And the Prophet ﷺ said, "When the Muslim prays his sins are lifted from his head. Every time he prostrates, they fall off, so when he finishes his prayer, he has shed his sins." Narrated by Tabarani.
When you turn to the Book of Allah to recite it, remember that you are quenching the thirst of your soul with spirit and light, filling your heart with guidance and healing, and heavily tipping your scales with immense reward.
Have you not heard the saying of the Prophet ﷺ, "Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will have a good deed recorded for him, and a good deed is multiplied by ten. I do not say that 'Alif-Lam-Mim' is a letter, but 'Alif' is a letter, 'Lam' is a letter, and 'Mim' is a letter"? Narrated by Tirmidhi.
Completing one reading of the Quran can be equivalent to more than three million good deeds, so proceed and do not delay.
O servant of Allah,
Reading ten verses is better for you than the world and everything in it. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever recites ten verses in a night will be recorded as one who has a Qintar, and a Qintar is better than the world and what is in it." Narrated by Tabarani.
May Allah bless us and you with the great Quran, and may He benefit me and you with the guidance, wisdom, and reminders it contains. I seek Allah's forgiveness for us, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
The Second Sermon
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow him.
To proceed:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, and be conscious of Him. Obey Him and do not disobey Him.
Brothers in Islam:
How beautiful are those divine calls on the Day of Resurrection, when the servant realizes the immense favor of Allah, His great reward, and His benevolence. On that day, when He proclaims,
يَا عِبَادِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَا أَنْتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ * الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا مُسْلِمِينَ * ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ أَنْتُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ تُحْبَرُونَ * يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِصِحَافٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَأَكْوَابٍ وَفِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِيهِ الْأَنْفُسُ وَتَلَذُّ الْأَعْيُنُ وَأَنْتُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ * وَتِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِي أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ * لَكُمْ فِيهَا فَاكِهَةٌ كَثِيرَةٌ مِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
"O My servants, no fear shall be upon you today, nor shall you grieve, [you] who believed in Our verses and were Muslims. Enter Paradise, you and your spouses, delighted. Circulated among them will be plates and vessels of gold. And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes, and you will abide therein eternally. And that is the Paradise which you are made to inherit for what you used to do. Therein for you is much fruit from which you will eat" [Az-Zukhruf: 68-73].
The reason for this honor and immense reward are the deeds you perform now:
وَتِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِي أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
"And that is the Paradise which you are made to inherit for what you used to do."
You will praise your thirst and hunger for Allah's sake on these days when you are told, while you are in your palaces in the eternal gardens and bliss,
كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِي الْأَيَّامِ الْخَالِيَةِ
"Eat and drink comfortably for what you put forth in the days past" [Al-Haaqqa: 19-24].
When you see the levels in Paradise and the great difference between them, you will then wish you could be returned to the world to increase your diligence in obedience to the Merciful.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "If a servant were to fall on his face from the day he was born until he dies of old age in obedience to Allah, he would belittle that on that day and wish he could be returned to the world to increase in reward and recompense." Narrated by Ahmad.
Indeed, the believer needs patience and perseverance in obeying Allah. Be patient; because Allah, with His perfection and majesty, is the only one deserving of worship, and no matter what a servant offers, he cannot worship Allah as He deserves to be worshipped. Has not Allah said,
رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فَاعْبُدْهُ وَاصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَادَتِهِ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيًّا
"Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, so worship Him and be patient for His worship. Do you know of any similarity to Him?" [Maryam: 65].
Be patient; for Paradise is surrounded by dislikes, and Allah says,
وَجَزَاهُمْ بِمَا صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَحَرِيرًا
"And their reward for patience is Paradise and silk" [Al-Insan: 12].
Be patient; for indeed, the commodity of Allah is expensive. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Know that the commodity of Allah is expensive, know that the commodity of Allah is Paradise." Narrated by Tirmidhi.
O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and what brings us closer to it in word and deed. O Allah, we ask You for faith that does not wane, bliss that never ends, and the company of Your Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the highest level of eternal Paradise.
O Allah, support Your servants who strive in Your cause, destroy the murderous, criminal Jews, and save Your weakened servants by Your mercy.
O Allah, guide our leader to what You love and are pleased with, lead him to righteousness and piety. Our Lord, give us in this world good and in the Hereafter good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
O servants of Allah: remember Allah with much remembrance, and glorify Him morning and evening. And the last of our call is that praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
