Sermon's Title: Allah, al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir (The One Who Brings Forward and the One Who Delays)
Elements of the Sermon:
1- Allah is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir.
2- The effects of believing in these two Names.
3- Do not hold back from obeying Allah, lest He hold you back from His mercy.
The First Sermon
All praise is due to Allah, who created everything and determined it with precise determination, and who perfected what He decreed through His direction and management. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger, whom He sent to all people as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner. May Allah send abundant peace and blessings upon him.
To proceed:
Fear Allah, servants of Allah, as He truly deserves to be feared, and remain mindful of Him in private and in secret. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should truly be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 102]
Servants of Allah:
Allah, Exalted, says:
وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا
“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them.” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 180]
Have you ever called upon Allah by His Names al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir—the One who brings forward and the One who delays?
Our Prophet ﷺ used to call upon Allah by His Names al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir every day.
When he rose during the night to perform tahajjud, he would praise his Lord and then supplicate to Him, saying:
“O Allah, to You I have submitted, in You I have believed, upon You I have relied, to You I have turned in repentance, with Your aid I have contended, and to You I have referred judgment. So forgive me for what I have done before and what I have done later, what I have concealed and what I have made public. You are al-Muqaddim, and You are al-Muʾakhkhir. There is no deity worthy of worship except You.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
And when the Prophet ﷺ prayed, among the last things he would say between the tashahhud and the concluding salām was: “O Allah, forgive me for what I have done before and what I have done later, what I have concealed and what I have made public, what I have committed in excess, and what You know better about me than I do. You are al-Muqaddim and You are al-Muʾakhkhir. There is no deity worthy of worship except You.” Narrated by Muslim.
He ﷺ would also praise his Lord by saying: “O Allah, all praise belongs to You. O Allah, no one can withhold what You have extended, and no one can extend what You have withheld. No one can guide those You have allowed to go astray, and no one can misguide those You have guided. No one can give what You have withheld, and no one can withhold what You have given. No one can bring near what You have made distant, and no one can make distant what You have brought near.” Narrated by Aḥmad.
Allah is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir. He created everything and determined it with precise determination. He appointed for everything a known measure, which He alone brings about at its appointed time and in its appointed measure, according to His knowledge and wisdom.
He brings forward whatever He wills and delays whatever He wills. No one can bring forward what He has delayed, and no one can delay what He has brought forward.
He, Glorified, is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir. He places all things in their proper ranks. He brings forward whatever He wills and delays whatever He wills. By His enabling grace, He brings forward those whom He loves among His servants and allies above others, and by His justice He holds back whomever He wills.
No one besides Him controls His decrees. Whatever He has decreed to occur at its appointed time will certainly occur. Nothing can come before or fall behind the time that He, Glorified, has decreed for it.
One day, Umm Ḥabībah, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, said: “O Allah, allow me to continue enjoying the company of my husband, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, my father Abū Sufyān, and my brother Muʿāwiyah.”
The Prophet ﷺ said to her: “You have asked Allah concerning lifespans already appointed, days already numbered, and provisions already apportioned. Allah will not bring anything forward before its appointed time, nor delay anything beyond its appointed time. Had you asked Allah to protect you from punishment in the Fire or punishment in the grave, that would have been better and more virtuous.” Narrated by Muslim.
If your lifespan and provision have already been apportioned according to a measure that they will never exceed, then be at peace and place your trust in your Lord.
Know that when a servant steps forward in obedience to Allah—by speaking the truth, confronting falsehood, or striving in the path of Allah—this does not bring his death closer or delay his provision.
Allah is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir. He has appointed for every soul its provision and its lifespan. The servant can neither bring his appointed time forward by a single hour nor delay it.
Allah has told us about people who once wished that fighting in His path would be prescribed for them. Yet when Allah prescribed it, fear of people entered their hearts. They imagined that if fighting had not been prescribed for them, they would simply die at their normal appointed time and that fighting would somehow hasten their death. Allah, Exalted, says:
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا * أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِكْكُمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُشَيَّدَةٍ
“Have you not seen those who were told, ‘Restrain your hands, establish prayer, and give zakāh’? But when fighting was prescribed for them, a group of them suddenly feared people as they should fear Allah, or with even greater fear. They said, ‘Our Lord, why have You prescribed fighting for us? If only You had delayed us for a little while!’ Say, ‘The enjoyment of this world is little, while the Hereafter is better for the one who is mindful of Allah, and you will not be wronged even by the thread of a date stone. Wherever you may be, death will reach you, even if you are inside fortified towers.’” [Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 77–78]
For this reason, our Prophet ﷺ advised us, saying: “Indeed, the fear of people must not prevent any of you from speaking the truth when he sees it or witnesses it, for speaking the truth or reminding others of a grave matter will neither bring one’s appointed death closer nor push one’s provision farther away.” Narrated by Aḥmad.
Know also that, in His wisdom, Allah has hastened and brought forward certain things in this world, while delaying other things until the Day of Resurrection.
Among these is that Allah has delayed the complete reward and punishment until the Hereafter, while He may give the disbelievers their reward in this world. He, Glorified, has not willed that the people of faith receive their full reward in this fleeting world.
So if you see a righteous person who has not been given as much of this world as a disbeliever has been given, remember the best of creation, our Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ.
One day, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb entered upon him and found that he possessed nothing of worldly luxury that would attract the eye.
ʿUmar said: “O Messenger of Allah! You are the Prophet of Allah, His chosen one and the best of His creation, while Chosroes and Caesar sit upon thrones of gold and furnishings of silk and brocade!”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: “O ʿUmar! Those people have had their good things hastened for them, and they will soon come to an end. We are a people whose good things have been delayed for us until our Hereafter.” Narrated by al-Ḥākim.
And if you see an oppressor rejoicing because of Allah’s forbearance toward him, then know that Allah has merely granted him respite and delayed his punishment. He has not been heedless of him. Allah says:
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ غَافِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ
“Never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them until a Day when eyes will stare in horror.” [Sūrat Ibrāhīm: 42]
Allah, Exalted, may bring forward and hasten the punishment of a servant according to His justice, and He may delay it according to His mercy and wisdom. Allah, Glorified, says:
وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِمْ مَا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَلَكِنْ يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
“If Allah were to seize people immediately for their wrongdoing, He would not leave a single living creature upon the earth. But He delays them until an appointed time. Then, when their appointed time arrives, they can neither delay it by a single hour nor bring it forward.” [Sūrat al-Naḥl: 61]
However, you must also know that there are certain sins whose punishment Allah has decreed to hasten in this world because of the severity of the corruption they cause. So fear Allah and beware of His swift punishment.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah delays whatever He wills of the punishment for every sin until the Day of Resurrection, except transgression, disobedience to one’s parents, and severing family ties. He hastens the punishment of the person who commits these in this world before death.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī in al-Adab al-Mufrad.
Whoever knows that Allah alone is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir entrusts all of his affairs to his Lord. No one can bring near what He has made distant, and no one can make distant what He has brought near.
If you wish for some good to be hastened, then turn for refuge to your Lord rather than anyone else. Present your needs to Him, and know that no one can bring that good forward or hasten it except your Lord.
Some women from among the Companions once came to our Prophet ﷺ weeping and complaining about the lack of rain.
He called upon his Lord, saying: “O Allah, grant us rain that brings relief, wholesome and abundant rain, beneficial and not harmful, brought swiftly and without delay.” Then the sky became completely covered with clouds above them. Narrated by Abū Dāwūd.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said: “Whoever is afflicted by poverty and turns to people with it, his poverty will not be relieved. But whoever turns to Allah with it, Allah will soon grant him sufficiency, either through a near event of death or through swiftly granted wealth.” Narrated by Abū Dāwūd.
Allah is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir in both His universal decree and His religious legislation. Whatever Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have placed first must be given precedence, and whatever Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have placed later must be placed later. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ
“O you who believe, do not put yourselves forward before Allah and His Messenger.” [Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt: 1]
When our Prophet ﷺ circumambulated the Sacred House and then wished to perform the saʿy, he approached al-Ṣafā and recited:
إِنَّ الصَّفَا والْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ
“Indeed, al-Ṣafā and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 158]
Then he said: “I begin with what Allah began with.” So he began with al-Ṣafā and climbed upon it. Narrated by Muslim.
If the Prophet ﷺ gave precedence to al-Ṣafā over al-Marwah because Allah mentioned it first, then what is the matter with people who give precedence to their own minds, opinions, philosophies, and methodologies over the judgment and words of Allah?
They place later what Allah has placed first, and they place first what Allah has placed later. Sound reason does not contradict authentic revelation.
If an apparent conflict seems to arise, Ahl al-Sunnah give precedence to transmitted revelation over reason. They do not place any opinion, personal inclination, spiritual feeling, dream, or human judgment above revelation.
The Sharīʿah of Allah determines what is to be given precedence and what is to be placed later. Allah has placed everything in its proper position without injustice or excess.
The Sharīʿah gives precedence to obedience to Allah and obedience to His Messenger ﷺ over obedience to anyone else, and to the right of Allah over human rights.
Allah gave precedence to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ over the other prophets, and He gave precedence to his Companions over the rest of his Ummah.
Among the Companions, He gave precedence to Abū Bakr, then ʿUmar, then ʿUthmān, then ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with them all. The Sharīʿah gives precedence in prayer to the one with the greatest knowledge of the Book of Allah, and gives the scholars of the Sharīʿah precedence over others in matters of judgment and deliberation.
It gives precedence to the believer over the disbeliever, and to the people of righteousness and piety over the people of corruption and wickedness.
It gives precedence to the mother over the father in dutiful treatment, to the husband over others in marital obedience, and to the man over the woman in guardianship.
This is how our judgment and actions must be ordered: we must not give precedence to what the Sharīʿah has placed later, nor place later what the Sharīʿah has given precedence.
For this reason, when ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, saw women, he would say: “Keep them back where Allah has placed them.”
He also said: “Among the Children of Israel, women used to stand in the prayer rows together with men.” Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah.
May Allah bless me and you through the Magnificent Qurʾān and benefit me and you through its verses and wise reminder.
I seek Allah’s forgiveness 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. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions, and all those who follow him.
To proceed:
One day, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ noticed that some of his Companions were holding back, so he said to them: “Come forward and follow me in prayer, and let those behind you follow you. A people will continue to hold themselves back until Allah holds them back.” Narrated by Muslim.
The believer who hopes to draw near to his Lord races toward His pleasure.
When he hears the call of faith, he hastens forward and flees to Allah without holding back, because Allah does not make the one who hastens toward Him equal to the one who lags behind.
Paradise has different levels, and its people occupy different ranks.
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Attend the remembrance and draw near to the imam, for a man may continue to remain far behind until he is placed behind in Paradise, even if he enters it.” Narrated by Abū Dāwūd.
O Allah, help us and do not help against us. Support us and do not support others against us. Plan in our favor and do not plan against us. Grant us victory over those who transgress against us.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands, rectify our leaders and those entrusted with our affairs, and place authority over us in the hands of those who fear You, are mindful of You, and follow what pleases You.
O Allah, support our oppressed brothers and sisters in Gaza and everywhere else, and decree for them victory and relief soon.
Servants of Allah: Remember Allah abundantly and glorify Him morning and evening. And the conclusion of our supplication is: all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.
