Title of the Sermon: Have You Prepared Shade?
Elements of the Sermon:
1- From the distress of the Day of Judgment: the nearness of the sun.
2- The virtue of striving against the soul and resisting desires.
3- The causes of shade on the Day of Judgment.
All praise is due to Allah, who delivers His servants from distress and pardons His allies from stumbles. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him abundantly.
To proceed: Fear Allah, servants of Allah, as He should be feared, and be mindful of Him in secret and in open:
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” [Āl ʿImrān: 102].
Servants of Allah:
He, the Exalted, says:
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“On the Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds” [al-Muṭaffifīn: 6].
One day, the Prophet ﷺ recited this verse and then said: “How will it be with you when Allah gathers you as arrows are gathered in a quiver, for fifty thousand years, and He does not look at you?” Narrated by al-Ḥākim.
It is the Day of Resurrection, a tremendous day, filled with immense terrors, when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah will gather the first and the last for a Day appointed, standing for forty years, their eyes raised to the sky, awaiting judgment to be passed.” Narrated by al-Ṭabarānī.
All of humanity, from Ādam (peace be upon him) until the Hour is established—billions of people—barefoot, unclothed, in one plain. Then the sun will be brought close until it is but two bow-lengths from their heads, and sweat will overcome people according to their deeds and sins.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The sun will be brought near to the creation on the Day of Resurrection until it is as close to them as the distance of a mile. Then people will be in their sweat according to their deeds: some up to their ankles, some up to their knees, some up to their waists, and some will be bridled by their sweat.” And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pointed to his mouth. Narrated by Muslim.
How intense will the sun’s heat be on that day with such closeness?
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The sun will be brought near on the Day of Resurrection to the distance of a mile, and its heat will be multiplied many times over. The creatures will boil under it as a pot boils, and they will sweat according to their sins.” Narrated by Aḥmad.
And Salmān al-Fārisī (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection the sun will be given the heat of ten years, then it will be brought near to the skulls of people until it is two bow-lengths away.” Narrated by Ibn Abī Shaybah.
A tremendous distress and an unbearable heat, with the nearness of the sun and the suffocating breath and the crush of bodies; sweat will flow across the earth, rising upon their feet and bodies according to their deeds.
But some people will be granted shade by Allah, safe and secure within it. So, who are the people of shade on that Day?
Listen, O servant of Allah, so that you may prepare your shade on the Day of Resurrection. Choose for yourself a shelter of righteous deeds on the Day when there is no shade except the shade of Allah, the Most Merciful.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Seven will be shaded by Allah in His shade on the Day when there is no shade but His shade: a just leader; a youth who grows up in the worship of his Lord; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love one another for Allah’s sake, meeting upon it and parting upon it; a man whom a woman of status and beauty invites, but he says, ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives; and a man who remembers Allah in solitude until his eyes overflow with tears.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
That is the shade of the Throne, the shade of righteous deeds. None shall enjoy shade except those whom Allah, by His mercy, grants shade.
These seven share a common trait: despite the strength of the call to sin and the availability of its causes, they strove against their souls with the greatest striving, resisted their desires through their faith, love of their Lord, and fear of standing before Him. They remained steadfast upon obedience and performed it in the best manner, sincerely for the Lord of the worlds.
The first of them is the just leader. This refers to the one entrusted with the great authority, but extends to everyone who assumes any responsibility over Muslims and deals justly with it—that is, who follows Allah’s command by putting everything in its rightful place, without excess or neglect. It includes anyone who judges between two or more people, whether over subjects, family, or children.
How great is this virtue, when the Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed, those who are just will be with Allah on pulpits of light, at the right hand of the Most Merciful, the Mighty and Majestic—and both His Hands are right—those who are just in their rulings, their families, and whatever they are given authority over.” Narrated by Muslim.
Everyone who is given authority over people is tempted by his position, however small, to incline toward injustice, oppression, and bias. But if he strives against his soul, overcomes his desires, and rules with justice in what he has been entrusted with—even if it is over his children or his workers—he will have a share of shade on the Day of Resurrection, just as those under his authority lived in the shade of his justice.
The second is a youth in whose veins flow the vigor of youth and in whose chest burn the fires of desire. Yet he prefers Allah and the Hereafter, holding on to his religion as one holds onto burning embers. He remains steadfast upon the religion of Allah in his youth and in his old age, so Allah rewards him with a refreshing shade.
So, fathers and mothers! Your children are a trust. Do not deprive them of shade on the Day of Resurrection. Raise them in obedience to Allah, in the houses of Allah, in Qur’an circles, and with righteous companions. Nurture them with faith and purification, and you will rejoice in them in this world and the Hereafter.
The third are those who populate the mosques and become their pillars. While others are distracted with play and trade, the heart of one of them is like a lantern suspended in the mosque. He comes to the House of Allah to pray and worship, with his heart and spirit before his body. When he leaves, he leaves his heart there. His soul finds no rest except in the houses of Allah. When he passes by them, his heart longs for the house of his Lord. He builds them with his obedience to his Master, and he is among the people of this verse:
إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَعَسَى أُولَئِكَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ
“The mosques of Allah are only maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakāh, and fear none but Allah. It is they who are expected to be among the guided” [al-Tawbah: 18].
The fourth is the one who makes his loyalty and love solely for the sake of his Lord and Master, not for worldly purposes or interests. He loves his brothers in Allah, meeting with them upon obedience to Him, and nothing separates them but death. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will say: “Where are those who loved one another for My glory? Today I will shade them in My shade, on a day when there is no shade but My shade.” Narrated by Muslim.
As for the fifth, how great is that man to whom unlawful temptation comes in its most alluring form—a beautiful, noble woman offers herself to him, saying, “Come to me”—yet he fears the standing before his Lord, restrains his soul from desire, and so his reward is the shade of the Throne of the Most Merciful.
The sixth, how great is his sincerity and giving! Charity itself is a shade for the servant on the Day of Resurrection. Have you not heard the Prophet ﷺ say: “Each person will be in the shade of his charity until judgment is passed among the people.” Narrated by Aḥmad. Yet this pious, sincere man goes even further in concealing his voluntary charity, until his left hand does not know what his right hand has spent. Does he announce it to people and tell them what he gave? No—he suffices with his Lord as a witness and reckoner.
And the seventh, his solitude is not only free from secret sins, but whenever he is alone he remembers the majesty and greatness of Allah, and his eyes overflow with tears out of fear of Him. At other times he remembers Allah’s generosity and beauty, and he weeps from love and longing for Him. His eyes shed tears, and Allah envelops him in a soothing shade.
May Allah bless me and you with the Great Qur’an, and benefit me and you with what is in it of verses and wise remembrance. I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness, for He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Sermon
All praise is due to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions, and those who follow him. To proceed:
The people shaded on the Day of Resurrection are not restricted only to those seven categories, for our Prophet ﷺ mentioned others as well.
Among them is the creditor who shows kindness to the servants of Allah, making things easier for them. He sees how the hardships of life weigh heavily upon those in debt, so he grants them respite or forgives their debts, seeking only Allah’s reward and mercy.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever grants respite to one in difficulty, or forgives him, Allah will shade him in His shade.” Narrated by Muslim.
And he ﷺ said: “Whoever relieves a debtor or forgives him will be under the shade of the Throne on the Day of Resurrection.” Narrated by Aḥmad.
Also among them is the honest and truthful merchant who resists his desires, deals with clarity, and speaks the truth in his trade.
Salman al-Fārisi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The truthful merchant will be with the seven under the shade of Allah’s Throne on the Day of Resurrection.” Narrated by al-Bayhaqī.
And lastly, the people of the Qur’an—those who believe in it, recite it with its due recitation, and act upon it. The reward of that comes as a covering shade protecting them from the heat of the sun. The more a servant is connected to the Qur’an—in memorization, recitation, understanding, knowledge, practice, and teaching—the greater and sweeter his portion of shade will be.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Recite the Qur’an, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection interceding for its companions. Recite the two radiant ones: al-Baqarah and Āl ʿImrān, for they will come on the Day of Resurrection as if they were two clouds, or two canopies, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading on behalf of their companions. Recite Sūrat al-Baqarah, for taking it is a blessing, leaving it is a cause of regret, and the false ones cannot withstand it.” Narrated by Muslim.
And the Prophet ﷺ said: “Learn Sūrat al-Baqarah and Āl ʿImrān, for they are the two radiant ones; they will shade their companion on the Day of Resurrection.” Narrated by Aḥmad.
O Allah, shade us in Your shade on the Day when there is no shade but Your shade, and make us among those saved and granted safety on the Day of Resurrection.
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor to the Muslims, and destroy the disbelieving criminals. O Allah, send tranquility into the hearts of those who strive in Your path, deliver Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of the religion, by Your might, O Mighty, O Strong.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands, rectify our leaders and those in authority over us, and place our leadership in the hands of those who fear You, are mindful of You, and follow Your pleasure.
Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.
