Sermon's Title: And When They Had Both Submitted
Themes of the Sermon:
1- The Meaning of Islam (Submission) to Allah
2- Why Do We Submit to Allah?
3- Surrender to Allah's Command is a Protection from Destruction
All praise is due to Allah, Who grants safety to His allies through their submission to His command, and Who is pleased with them and makes them content through their satisfaction with His judgment. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone without any partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and His Messenger. May Allah send abundant peace and blessings upon him.
To proceed: Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with the righteousness He is rightfully owed, and remain mindful of Him in secret and in public.
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].” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 102].
Servants of Allah:
“O Allah, to You I have submitted” (Allahumma laka aslamtu)..
This continuous declaration of submission was frequently uttered by the Prophet of Islam, our Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ.
He would say it during his regular remembrance of his Lord, just as ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to say: “O Allah, to You I have submitted, in You I have believed, upon You I have relied, to You I have turned, and for Your sake I have argued.” (Recorded by Muslim).
He would also say it when he stood up for the night prayer (tahajjud) while praising his Lord: “O Allah, to You I have submitted.” (Recorded by al-Bukhārī). When bowing (rukūʿ), he would say: “O Allah, to You I have bowed, in You I have believed, and to You I have submitted.” And when prostrating (sujūd), he would say: “O Allah, to You I have prostrated, in You I have believed, and to You I have submitted.” (Recorded by Muslim).
Furthermore, he taught al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib (may Allah be pleased with him) to say before going to sleep: “O Allah, I have submitted my face to You, entrusted my affairs to You, and committed my back to You, out of desire for You and fear of You. There is no refuge and no salvation from You except in You. O Allah, I have believed in Your Book which You revealed, and in Your Prophet whom You sent. If you die tonight, you die upon the natural state (fitrah), so make these words the last thing you speak.” (Recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim).
Now that you know the grandeur of this continuous prophetic declaration of submission to Allah, what exactly does it mean to submit to Allah?
Perhaps the story of the Close Friend (Khalīl) of the Most Merciful, Ibrāhīm, and his son Ismāʿīl offers the finest clarification.
It is an event that Allah narrated to us in His Book so that it remains immortalized in the hearts of the believers as an unforgettable lesson as long as day and night alternate. Allah, Glorified is He, said:
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ * فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِغُلَامٍ حَلِيمٍ * فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ * فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ * وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَنْ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ * قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ * إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلَاءُ الْمُبِينُ * وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ * وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْآخِرِينَ * سَلَامٌ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ * كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ * إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
“My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous.’ So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy. And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, ‘O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.’ He said, ‘O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast.’ And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, We called to him, ‘O Ibrāhīm, You have fulfilled the vision.’ Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. Indeed, this was the clear trial. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice, And We left for him [favorable mention] among later generations: ‘Peace upon Ibrāhīm.’ Thus do We reward the doers of good. Indeed, he was of Our believing servants.” [Sūrat al-Ṣāffāt: 100-111].
How monumental this trial was! After reaching an advanced age, Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) asked his Lord for a righteous child, so Allah gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy, who was Ismāʿīl (peace be upon him). No sooner had the boy grown and become a support for his father in obeying their Lord and Master, than Allah commanded Ibrāhīm to sacrifice him.
As soon as he informed Ismāʿīl, the boy declared his compliance with the command of his Lord. Ibrāhīm proceeded with Ismāʿīl, both yielding to Allah’s command and complying with His judgment, without even knowing the ultimate purpose or wisdom behind it. Then, Allah brought relief and ransomed Ismāʿīl from being sacrificed with a magnificent ram—and that was precisely when they both submitted (aslamā) to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
Submitting to Allah means complete humility and absolute compliance with the command of Allah alone.
The Muslim is one who has surrendered his heart, his soul, and his limbs to his Lord. He has no personal choice when faced with the command of his Master and Sovereign; rather, he yields completely to His judgment, neither turning away nor objecting. He finds no discomfort or constriction in his chest; on the contrary, his heart is entirely at peace with the judgment of the Lord of the Worlds. Allah the Exalted said:
فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
“But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you, [O Muḥammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.” [Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 65].
However, you might ask: Why should I submit to Allah and surrender to His command and judgment alone, to the exclusion of everyone else?
The fundamental foundation of submitting to Allah, without which it cannot stand, is belief in Allah. Whoever believes that Allah is the Lord of the Worlds must naturally humble himself and comply with Him alone. For this reason, Allah said regarding Ibrāhīm, the monotheist who submitted to Allah (peace be upon him):
وَمَنْ يَرْغَبُ عَنْ مِلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلَّا مَنْ سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ * إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“And who would be averse to the religion of Ibrāhīm except one who makes a fool of himself? And We had already chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit,’ he said, ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.’” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 130-131].
Because Allah is the Lord of the Worlds Who created them, owns them, disposes of their affairs, and nurtures them with His blessings—all of which belongs to Him alone without any partner—the logical outcome of this is to submit, yield, and surrender to Him to the exclusion of anyone else. Allah the Exalted said:
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“It is Allah who made for you the earth a place of settlement and the sky a structure and formed you and perfected your forms and provided you with good things. That is Allah, your Lord; then blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds. He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity except Him, so call upon Him, being sincere to Him in religion. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Say, [O Muḥammad], ‘Indeed, I have been forbidden to worship those you call upon besides Allah once the clear proofs have come to me from my Lord, and I have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds.’” [Sūrat Ghāfir: 61-66].
We submit to Allah alone because He is the Source of all blessings. Not a single blessing exists except that it comes from Him alone; to Him belongs all favor, first and last.
The Exalted said in Sūrat al-Naḥl, after enumerating many of His blessings upon us:
كَذَلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ
“Thus does He complete His favor upon you that you might submit [to Him].” [Sūrat al-Naḥl: 81].
We submit to Allah alone because He is the True Deity, the One, the Eternal Refuge, the Possessor of perfection, majesty, and honor. Every followed leader or rival that people take besides Allah is completely false. Allah the Exalted said:
فَإِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ
“For your god is one God, so to Him submit. And, [O Muḥammad], give good tidings to the humble [before their Lord].” [Sūrat al-Ḥajj: 34].
We submit to Allah’s command and judgment because He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. His words are perfect in truth and justice, and He is far exalted above injustice or futility. He makes lawful the good things and prohibits the evil things; He does not burden people beyond their capacity, and His religion is entirely ease and goodness.
Servants of Allah:
How often do we see people selectively picking from the rulings of the Sharia whatever serves their worldly interests, or accepting only what costs them nothing? Yet, when Allah’s judgment opposes their straying desires, they turn away and reject His law—either openly without any shame, or through deceptive trickery. In reality, such people either harbor doubts about Allah’s religion, have hypocrisy in their hearts, or wrongfully assume that Allah’s judgment is unjust, whereas they themselves are the true wrongdoers.
Indeed, Allah has told us about those who object to His judgment and refuse to submit to His command, saying:
وَيَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالرَّسُولِ وَأَطَعْنَا ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَمَا أُولَئِكَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ * وَإِذَا دُعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ * وَإِنْ يَكُنْ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ يَأْتُوا إِلَيْهِ مُذْعِنِينَ * أَفِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ أَمِ ارْتَابُوا أَمْ يَخَافُونَ أَنْ يَحِيفَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَرَسُولُهُ بَلْ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ * إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَنْ يَقُولُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
“And they say, ‘We have believed in Allah and in the Messenger, and we obey’; then a party of them turns away after that. And those are not believers. And when they are called to [the words of] Allah and His Messenger to judge between them, at once a party of them turns away. But if the right is theirs, they come to him in prompt obedience. Is there disease in their hearts? Or have they doubted? Or do they fear that Allah will be unjust to them, or His Messenger? Rather, it is they who are the wrongdoers. The only statement of the [true] believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, ‘We hear and we obey.’ And those are the successful.” [Sūrat al-Nūr: 46-51].
The definitive sign of true Islam is total surrender. The foothold of Islam cannot be firmly established except upon the foundation of submission and surrender. This is the trustworthy handhold; whoever holds fast to it is saved in this world and the Hereafter. Allah the Exalted said:
وَمَنْ يُسْلِمْ وَجْهَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى وَإِلَى اللَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ
“And whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good—then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold. And to Allah will be the outcome of [all] matters.” [Sūrat Luqmān: 22].
May Allah bless you and me through the Magnificent Qurʾān, and may He benefit us through the verses and the wise reminder it contains. I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Second Sermon:
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow him. To proceed:
Allah, Glorified is He, said:
بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Yes [on the contrary], whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 112].
The greatest incentive for a believer to surrender to Allah’s judgment is the absolute certainty that Allah will never abandon a servant who submits his face and heart to His command; for Allah protects whoever safeguards His commands and laws.
Ismāʿīl (peace be upon him) submitted to Allah’s command despite the fact that it outwardly seemed to mean destruction and death. He did so because he was certain that Allah—Who had once commanded his father to leave him and his mother as an infant in Makkah, where there was neither human presence nor water—did not abandon them when they submitted and responded to His command. Instead, the angel descended to make water gush forth from beneath his feet, saying to Hājar, the mother of Ismāʿīl: “Do not fear ruin, for here is the House of Allah, which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never abandons His people.” (Recorded by al-Bukhārī).
If you were to ask many children of Muslims today: “Why have you turned away from complying with Allah’s judgment?” you would find no answer other than the fear of ruin. One person places his wealth in a usurious bank so that his money grows and is not lost. Another works in a prohibited job because he fears poverty. A woman displays her charms and refuses to wear her hijab out of fear of remaining unmarried. Another hypocritically flatters the West, praising their legislations and agendas out of fear of their anger.
To all of these, the statement of the Prophet ﷺ applies: “The Holy Spirit (Jibrīl) breathed into my heart that no soul will die until it has fully received its provision. So fear Allah, and be graceful in your seeking. Do not let the delay of your provision lead you to seek it through disobedience to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, for that which is with Allah cannot be attained except through His obedience.” (Recorded by Ibn Abī Shaybah).
The Companions mastered the world through their faith, which made them true Muslims. When the confederates of disbelief surrounded them around Madinah, they were just as Allah described them:
وَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْأَحْزَابَ قَالُوا هَذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّا إِيمَانًا وَتَسْلِيمًا
“And when the believers saw the confederates, they said, ‘This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth.’ And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.” [Sūrat al-Aḥzāb: 22].
Whenever the verses of rulings were revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, they would embrace them obediently and submissively. They did not argue, pick and choose, or hesitate; rather, they said: “We hear and we obey.”
Rāfiʿ ibn Khadīj (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us from a matter that was beneficial to us, but obedience to Allah and His Messenger is more beneficial for us.” (Recorded by Muslim).
This is the very title of a Muslim’s life: “Obedience to Allah and His Messenger is more beneficial for us.”
O Allah, help us and do not help others against us; grant us victory and do not grant victory over us; plan for us and do not let others outplan us; and guide us and facilitate guidance for us, and grant us victory over those who transgress against us.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands, rectify our leaders and those in authority over us, and place our governance under those who fear You, remain mindful of You, and pursue Your pleasure.
Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
