Title of the Sermon: The Most Glorified, The Most Holy
Elements of the Sermon:
1- The meaning of al-Subbūḥ al-Quddūs (The Most Glorified, The Most Holy).
2- The servitude of glorification and sanctification.
3- How do I glorify and sanctify Allah?
All praise is due to Allah, the Possessor of Majesty and Perfection—exalted above any rival or equal, pure from all faults and imperfections. 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 peace and abundant blessings be upon him.
To proceed: Fear Allah, servants of Allah, with true fear, and be mindful of Him in secret and in public, as He says:
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" [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 102].
Servant of Allah!
Our Prophet ﷺ informed us of a magnificent scene he witnessed on the night of his ascension to the heavens (al-Miʿrāj): a place called al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr, the oft-frequented house. He told us about its visitors among the noble angels, saying that seventy thousand angels enter it every day. Do you know what they do there? The Prophet ﷺ asked Jibrīl about it, and he replied: "This is a structure Allah built for the angels. Every day seventy thousand angels enter it to glorify and sanctify Allah, and they never return again."
Glorification (tasbīḥ) and sanctification (taqdīs) are acts of worship due to none but Allah, al-Subbūḥ al-Quddūs — the Most Glorified, the Most Holy.
Have you not heard the words of the angels to the Lord of the worlds:
وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ
"We glorify You with praise and sanctify You." [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 30]
Our Prophet ﷺ used to say in his bowing (rukūʿ) and prostration (sujūd):
"Subbūḥun Quddūs, Lord of the angels and the Spirit."
He would also say upon rising at night, repeating it ten times: "Subḥāna al-Malik al-Quddūs – Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy."
And when finishing his Witr prayer, he would say the same.
The Prophet ﷺ advised the believing women, saying: "Keep to the glorification, declaration of Allah's oneness, and sanctification; do not be heedless lest you forget the mercy."
In another narration: "Do not be heedless lest you forget the declaration of Tawḥīd (Allah's Oneness)."
Do you know the meaning of al-Subbūḥ al-Quddūs? And what tasbīḥ and taqdīs truly mean?
Al-Subbūḥ al-Quddūs is the One who is completely pure and far above every defect, free from any imperfection that does not befit the true deity. He alone, glorified and praised be He, has described Himself as being exalted and sanctified. The heavens and the earth and all within them glorify Him; the thunder glorifies His praise, and the angels out of awe of Him. The mighty mountains and the soaring birds glorify Him as well. Allah says:
يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ
"Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah—the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Almighty, the Wise." [Sūrat al-Jumuʿah: 1]
To glorify and sanctify Allah means that the servant affirms with his heart, tongue, and actions that Allah possesses absolute perfection and is completely free from any defect or flaw.
This glorification is the function of the entire universe. Everything within it glorifies, exalts, and sanctifies its Lord. Has He not said:
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا
"The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein glorify Him, and there is not a thing but glorifies Him with His praise; but you do not understand their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Most Forgiving." [Sūrat al-Isrāʾ: 44]
Allah has legislated for His servants to glorify Him and has called them to do so constantly — morning and evening, at all times. He commanded them to glorify Him at the beginning and end of the day, before sunrise and before sunset, in the depths of the night and at the edges of the day, during their bowing and prostration. He said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا * وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا
"O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance, and glorify Him morning and evening." [Sūrat al-Aḥzāb: 41–42]
And He said:
وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا وَمِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَى
"So glorify the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and glorify Him during part of the night and at the ends of the day, so that you may be pleased." [Sūrat Ṭā Hā: 130]
But how should one glorify and sanctify Allah? Here is a threefold way: Allah says:
فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ
"So glorify the praises of your Lord." [Sūrat al-Ḥijr: 98]
And He says:
سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى
"Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High." [Sūrat al-Aʿlā: 1]
And He says:
فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ
"So glorify the name of your Lord, the Most Great." [Sūrat al-Wāqiʿah: 74]
To glorify Allah's praise, His loftiness, and His greatness means to declare Him far above all imperfection because of His praise, His exaltedness, and His majesty.
You glorify Him acknowledging His perfection and all praise due to Him — affirming His complete attributes and denying from Him all deficiencies and faults.
You glorify Him because He is the Most High, elevated above every imperfection, partner, or offspring.
You glorify Him because He is the Most Great, the Majestic—possessing greatness in His Essence, His attributes, and His actions. As He says:
قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ مَعَهُ آلِهَةٌ كَمَا يَقُولُونَ إِذًا لَابْتَغَوْا إِلَى ذِي الْعَرْشِ سَبِيلًا * سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا
"Say: If there had been other gods with Him, as they claim, they would surely have sought a way to the Lord of the Throne. Glorified and exalted is He above what they say, by great exaltation." [Sūrat al-Isrāʾ: 42–43]
And He says:
وَأَنَّهُ تَعَالَى جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا اتَّخَذَ صَاحِبَةً وَلَا وَلَدًا
"Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord; He has taken neither a wife nor a son." [Sūrat al-Jinn: 3]
You glorify Allah by His Most Beautiful Names.
You glorify Him by His Name al-Ḥayy (the Ever-Living), declaring Him far above slumber, sleep, or death.
You glorify Him by His Name al-Aḥad (the One), declaring Him free from any partner or offspring.
You glorify Him by His Names al-ʿAzīz, al-Qadīr, and al-Qawiyy (the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Strong), declaring Him free from weakness, incapacity, or fatigue.
You glorify Him by His Name al-ʿAlīm (the All-Knowing), declaring Him free from forgetfulness or ignorance.
You glorify Him by His Name al-Ḥakīm (the All-Wise), declaring Him far above frivolity or falsehood.
You glorify Him by His Name al-Ḥakam (the Judge), affirming that He upholds perfect justice and is free from injustice or oppression.
You glorify Him by His Names al-Shahīd, al-Samīʿ, and al-Baṣīr (the Witness, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing), declaring Him free from heedlessness or absence from His creation.
You glorify Him by His Names al-Karīm, al-Jawwād, al-Barr, and al-Wahhāb (the Generous, the Liberal Giver, the Beneficent, the Bestower), declaring Him far above poverty or stinginess.
All of Allah's perfect attributes and praiseworthy qualities call you to glorify Him and direct you to sanctify Him.
Because of the perfection of His Life and His Self-Subsistence, neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. He says:
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ
"Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him." [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 255]
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah does not sleep, and it is not befitting for Him to sleep."
Because of the perfection of His greatness, intellects cannot encompass Him, nor can sights perceive Him. He says:
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا
"He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they do not encompass Him in knowledge." [Sūrat Ṭā Hā: 110]
And He says:
لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ
"Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives all vision, and He is the Subtle, the All-Aware." [Sūrat al-Anʿām: 103]
Because of the vastness of His dominion, He is far above any decrease in His treasures. In a ḥadīth qudsī, Allah says: "O My servants! If the first of you and the last of you, the humans among you and the jinn among you, were all to stand in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I possess any more than a needle decreases the sea when dipped into it."
Because of the perfection of His knowledge, He neither errs nor forgets. He says:
قَالَ عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي فِي كِتَابٍ لَا يَضِلُّ رَبِّي وَلَا يَنْسَى
"My Lord's knowledge is in a record; my Lord neither errs nor forgets." [Sūrat Ṭā Hā: 52]
Because of the perfection of His power and might, nothing renders Him incapable, fatigue never touches Him, and He needs no assistance from anyone. He says:
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ
"We created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days, and no fatigue touched Us." [Sūrat Qāf: 38]
Because of the perfection of His authority, He judges and none can reverse or change His judgment. He says:
وَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ لَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِ
"Allah judges, and there is none to reverse His judgment." [Sūrat al-Raʿd: 41]
Because of the perfection of His honor, He has no ally out of weakness or humiliation. He says:
وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ الذُّلِّ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا
"And say, 'All praise is due to Allah, who has not taken a son and has no partner in His dominion, nor does He need any protector out of weakness. And glorify Him with great glorification.'" [Sūrat al-Isrāʾ: 111]
Because of the perfection of His self-sufficiency, He neither takes a companion nor a child. He says:
قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ
"They say, 'Allah has taken a son.' Glorified is He! He is the Self-Sufficient." [Sūrat Yūnus: 68]
Because of the perfection of His justice, He does not wrong anyone—not even by the smallest amount. He says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ
"Indeed, Allah does not wrong even as much as an atom's weight." [Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 40]
Because of the perfection of His wisdom, He is exalted above futility or wrongdoing. All good is in His hands, and evil is not attributed to Him. He says:
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا
"We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in vain." [Sūrat Ṣād: 27]
Because of the perfection of His subjugation, He fears no consequences. Allah says about the people of Thamūd:
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِذَنْبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا * وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا
"They denied him and hamstrung her, so their Lord destroyed them for their sin and made it equal upon them. And He does not fear its consequence." [Sūrat al-Shams: 14–15]
Because of the perfection of His oneness, He has no equal, no rival, and no counterpart. He says:
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
"And there is none comparable to Him." [Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ: 4]
And He says:
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ
"There is nothing like unto Him." [Sūrat al-Shūrā: 11]
Because of the perfection of His purity and goodness, He commands justice and excellence, and forbids indecency, corruption, and transgression. He says:
قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ
"Say: Indeed, Allah does not command indecency." [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 28]
May Allah bless me and you through the Noble Qur'ān, and benefit us both through its 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 them. To proceed:
Servants of Allah!
Glorifying and sanctifying Allah (tasbīḥ and taqdīs) is done not only by words but also by deeds. The greatest of that is to single Him out in worship—having no partner with Him. Whoever sets up for Allah a rival, an equal, or a partner—clothing that being, falsely, in the garb of divinity—has diminished Allah and has neither glorified nor sanctified Him.
Allah says in a ḥadīth qudsī (a divine saying): "The son of Ādam has denied Me, and he should not do so; and he has insulted Me, and he should not do so. As for his denying Me, it is his claim that I am unable to restore him as he was [after death]. And as for his insulting Me, it is his saying: 'He has a son.' Exalted am I above taking a companion or a son."
Whoever objects to Allah's ruling and His law—imagining it to be deficient or unsuitable for this age—and then replaces it with man-made legislation and earthly systems, has not glorified or sanctified Allah. About such people Allah says:
أَفِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ أَمِ ارْتَابُوا أَمْ يَخَافُونَ أَنْ يَحِيفَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَرَسُولُهُ بَلْ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
"Do they have a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt? Or do they fear that Allah and His Messenger will be unjust to them? Rather, it is they who are the wrongdoers." [Sūrat al-Nūr: 50]
Allah has declared His Book free of doubt, falsehood, and crookedness. So who is better than Him in judgment—glorified and praised be He?
Whoever is displeased with Allah's decree (qadar) and entertains evil thoughts about Him has not glorified or sanctified Him. Exalted is He—He does only what is good and what leads to good. So think well of your Lord, for He is the One who says in a ḥadīth qudsī: "I am as My servant thinks of Me."
Whoever disobeys his Lord by abandoning obligations and committing prohibitions in pursuit of worldly gain and provision has neither glorified nor sanctified Allah. How could a believer think that Allah would grant him provision while disobedient and withhold it while obedient? Allah has promised:
وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا * وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ
"And whoever is mindful of Allah—He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect." [Sūrat al-Ṭalāq: 2–3]
Allah does not break His promise, and Allah preserves the one who preserves His limits; He does not forsake His people.
Indeed—of the beautiful things you will hear—is that Nūḥ (ʿalayhi al-salām) advised his two sons at the time of his death, and among his counsel was: "I command you both to say: 'Subḥānallāh wa bi-ḥamdihī (Glory be to Allah and with His praise),' for it is the prayer of all things, and through it everything is granted provision."
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, forgive the Muslim men and women, the believing men and women, the living among them and the deceased. O Allah, grant success to our leader in what You love and are pleased with, and take him by the forelock to righteousness and God-consciousness. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Servants of Allah: remember Allah with much remembrance, and glorify Him morning and evening. Our final call is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
