Title of the Sermon: My Heart Almost Flew
The Name of Allah "The Creator" and Its Faith Implications
Main Elements of the Sermon:
1. Allah is the Creator of everything.
2. He perfected and perfected everything He created.
3. He created everything with wisdom.
4. What if you believed in Allah, the Creator.
5. There is no obedience to a created being if it involves disobedience to the Creator.
All praise be to Allah who created and proportioned, who determined and guided, who perfected everything He created and crafted everything with precision. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah exalt and send peace to him abundantly.
To proceed:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, as He should be feared, and be conscious of Him in private and in public, as Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
"O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims" (Al Imran: 102).
O servants of Allah:
After the Battle of Badr, Jubayr ibn Mut'im, may Allah be pleased with him, came seeking the ransom for some captives while he was still a disbeliever. He encountered the Prophet ﷺ while he was praying the Maghrib prayer and heard him reciting Surah At-Tur. When the Prophet ﷺ reached this verse:
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الخَالِقُونَ، أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ بَلْ لاَ يُوقِنُونَ، أَمْ عِنْدَهُمْ خَزَائِنُ رَبِّكَ أَمْ هُمُ المُسَيْطِرُونَ
"Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain. Or have they the depositories [containing the provision] of your Lord? Or are they the controllers [of them]?" (Al-Tur: 35-37),
Jubayr said: "My heart nearly flew, and that was the first time faith settled in my heart." (Reported by Bukhari).
These verses struck his heart and shook his being, even though he was a polytheist worshiping idols and statues. Yet, the verses addressed his innate nature with a rational discourse, asking:
Were you created from nothing? The answer: No.
Did you create yourself? The answer is definitely: No.
Did you create the heavens and the earth? The answer: No.
Therefore, there must be a great God who created the heavens and the earth and created humanity. So, how can they not be certain and not believe in Him? Allah says:
هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ
"He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner" (Al-Hashr: 24).
He is Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Magnificent Creator of the heavens and the earth.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah was, and there was nothing else besides Him". (Reported by Bukhari).
Allah existed in eternity, and there was nothing before Him. Then He willed to create creation, so He created everything. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Everything is created by Allah and belongs to Him." (Reported by Muslim).
Everything was non-existent, without any prior existence or example. Allah decreed its existence in the best possible form, then willed it and brought it into being, forming it in the manner He had determined.
Allah, by His power, created the seven heavens without pillars, and brought into existence all the celestial bodies and stars within them. Billions upon billions of celestial objects whose numbers only Allah can count, He alone originated and fashioned them.
He is the one who created the seven earths and everything within them. He created the mountains and trees, the animals and rainwater, the night and day, the sun and the moon. Allah says:
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ
"It is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them." (Al-Talaq: 12).
And He says:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ
"And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming." (Al-Anbiya: 33).
Allah created the angels, the jinn, and humans, each from a substance as He wills.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you." (Reported by Muslim).
Millions of types of creatures, above the earth and under the rock, in the sky and in the depths of the water, within each type billions upon billions of created beings, whose vast numbers only Allah knows. Therefore, one of the glorifications of the Prophet ﷺ was: "Glory be to Allah by the number of His creation." (Reported by Muslim).
Consider just the number of angels; the Prophet ﷺ said: "The sky has creaked, and it has the right to creak. There is no space in it the width of four fingers but that there is an angel placing his forehead in prostration to Allah." (Reported by Tirmidhi).
Allah created and gave everything its due proportion. With this, Moses, peace be upon him, introduced his Lord when Pharaoh asked him, saying:
فَمَنْ رَبُّكُمَا يَامُوسَى * قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى
"So, who is your Lord, O Moses?" He said: "Our Lord is He who gave each thing its form and then guided [it]" [Taha: 50].
He gave every creature the form and structure and strength suitable for its creation and the means for its subsistence, increasing creation as He wills, in a precise and measured manner. Allah said:
وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا
"And He created everything and determined it with precise determination" [Al-Furqan: 2].
And because He is the Creator, the All-Knowing, the Wise, He perfected everything He created and made all that He fashioned excellent. Allah said:
صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَفْعَلُونَ
"The work of Allah, who perfected all things. Indeed, He is Acquainted with what you do" [An-Naml: 88].
You do not see in His creation any flaw, deficiency, or anything that needs correction. Allah said:
الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا مَا تَرَى فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَنِ مِنْ تَفَاوُتٍ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَى مِنْ فُطُورٍ
"Who created seven heavens in layers. You do not see in the creation of the Most Merciful any inconsistency. So, return your vision to the sky, do you see any breaks?" [Al-Mulk: 3].
And you, O human being, Allah created you and honored your creation in the best stature and the most beautiful form. He created you and shaped you perfectly. Blessed be Allah, the best of creators. Allah said:
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ
"We have certainly created man in the best of stature" [Al-Tin: 4].
And He said:
وَصَوَّرَكُمْ فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ
"And He formed you and perfected your forms" [Al-Taghabun: 3].
All this creation was not in vain without wisdom or purpose. Allah did not create an ant or a leaf except for a wisdom and with wisdom, nor did He create a limb or an atom in a creature except for a known wisdom. Allah said:
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ * مَا خَلَقْنَاهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
"And We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in play. We did not create them except in truth, but most of them do not know" [Al-Dukhan: 38-39].
This is the belief of the certain and wise ones. Allah said:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ * الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], 'Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire'" [Alu-Imran: 190-191].
Servants of Allah:
The believing servant who believes in Allah, the All-Knowing Creator, must believe in Allah as one God with no partner, because everyone other than Allah was nothing; they were non-existent, then Allah created them. Everyone upon whom the garments of divinity were falsely placed is a created being, whether an angel or a human, living or inanimate, sun or moon, idol or grave, all are from the creation of Allah. So how does a servant equate the Creator with the created? Rather, how does a servant submit to a created being like himself?
Allah said:
ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ
"That is Allah, your Lord; there is no deity except Him, the Creator of all things, so worship Him" [Al-An'am: 102].
And He, the Exalted, said:
وَاتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً لَا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ
"But they have taken besides Him gods which create nothing, while they are created" [Al-Furqan: 3].
And He, the Exalted, said:
أَفَمَنْ يَخْلُقُ كَمَنْ لَا يَخْلُقُ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
"Is He who creates like one who does not create? So will you not be reminded?" [An-Nahl: 17].
Indeed, everyone other than Allah, even if they all gathered together, would not be able to bring into existence a single fly or a grain of barley from nothing. How powerless is man! And how foolish is the mind that clings to a weak creation instead of the Most Merciful! Allah said:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لَنْ يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ وَإِنْ يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَا يَسْتَنْقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ
"O people, an example is presented, so listen to it. Indeed, those you invoke besides Allah will never create [as much as] a fly, even if they gathered together for that purpose. And if the fly should steal away from them a [tiny] thing, they could not recover it from him. Weak are the pursuer and pursued" [Al-Hajj: 73].
Allah challenged them, as our Prophet ﷺ informed us, saying: "Let them create an atom, or let them create a grain or a barley seed" [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The believer who has faith in Allah, the Creator, the Originator, the Shaper, submits his face, obeys, surrenders, and seeks judgment only from the One who created him. Among the supplications of the Prophet ﷺ in his prostration was: "My face has prostrated to the One who created it, and fashioned it, and brought forth its hearing and vision. Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators" [Reported by Muslim].
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I asked the Prophet ﷺ: "Which sin is greatest in the sight of Allah?" He said: "To set up a rival to Allah while He alone created you." I said: "Indeed, that is a great sin" [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
How wondrous it is that Allah is disobeyed,
Or how He is denied by the denier,
While in everything, there is a sign,
That points to Him being the One.
May Allah bless me and you in the Great Qur'an, and benefit us with its verses and wise remembrance. I ask Allah for forgiveness for myself and for you; indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Second Sermon
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah exalt and send blessings to the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and companions, and those who follow him.
Servants of Allah:
Reflecting on the magnificent creation of Allah, the perfection of His craftsmanship, and the excellence of His creation, calls one to revere and magnify the greatness of his Lord. Do you not contemplate yourself, O human being, how you were a drop of despised fluid, and then He shaped you into a beautiful, perfectly formed creature? Do you not look at the wondrous creation of Allah in you, to see a knowledgeable, powerful, wise, great, and merciful Lord? Allah says:
مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا * وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا
"What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allah [due] grandeur * While He created you in stages?" [Noah: 13-14].
What could have deluded you, O human, to deny your Lord, when every atom in you and in the universe bears witness to His reverence and honor? Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ * الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّاكَ فَعَدَلَكَ * فِي أَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَا شَاءَ رَكَّبَكَ
"O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous, * Who created you, proportioned you, and balanced you? * In whatever form He willed has He assembled you" [Al-Infitar: 6-8].
A believer in Allah as the Creator does not prioritize the obedience of any creature over Him, no matter who the command comes from.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no obedience to a created being if it involves disobedience to the Creator" [Reported by Ahmad and Al-Tabarani].
Make this the principle of your life: whenever a human command contradicts the command of your Creator, cast it behind you, no matter how significant that person may seem, or what worldly status you have given them. Obedience is to Allah, to whom belongs creation and command, for just as none created other than Him, none commands other than Him.
O Allah, forgive us our sins and our excesses in our affairs, make our feet firm, and grant us victory over the disbelieving people.
O Allah, support Your oppressed servants, and destroy the Jewish criminals.
O Allah, secure us in our homelands, and rectify our leaders and those in authority over us, and make our leadership among those who fear You, follow Your guidance, and seek Your pleasure.
Servants of Allah, remember Allah with much remembrance, and glorify Him morning and evening. Our final prayer is praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
