[This is an extended version of a khuṭbah that was delivered on the date of publishing. Certain parts were omitted from the actual delivered khuṭbah for the sake of brevity.]
All praise is due to Allāh, the One who created death and life in order to test you as to who is the best in action. The One who created creation with His Infinite Knowledge, predestined for them their fates and appointed the times of their endings. I praise Him – exalted is He above all limitations – with much praises and I thank Him which much thanks. And I testify that there is no god except Allāh alone, having no partner, and I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger, the one whom Allāh sent as a witness, a bringer of good tidings, a witness, a caller to Allāh by His Permission, and an illuminating light. May blessings and much peace be upon him and upon his family and companions.
O attendees of this blessed Friday gathering! I first and foremost advise you to fear Allāh and remain conscious of Him at all times. Remember that Allāh will hold you accountable for all your actions, whether good or bad, small or big, so ensure that all your actions fall in line with His commandments.
A ‘ālim once warned to beware of three things: 1) Belittling a good act as you don't know where the riḍā1 of Allāh is hidden, 2) belittling a bad act as you don't know where the ghaḍab2 of Allāh is hidden, and 3) belittling a human being as you never know where the waliyy3 of Allāh is hidden. This advice is indeed profound if we were to reflect upon it.
The first one is belittling a good act. Never underestimate any good action, O honourable believers, as it may be that by that good action Allāh admits your into Paradise. Do not think of picking up rubbish from the ground as just something small. Do not think of giving 50¢ in charity as just something small. Don't think of smiling at a fellow Muslim, greeting him and shaking hands as just something small. It may be that by these small actions Allāh forgives your sins and admits you into Paradise.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Verily, a prostitute saw a dog going around a well on a hot day, hanging his tongue from thirst, so she drew some water for it in her shoe, and she was forgiven [for this act]" (Narrated by Muslim). So we can see here that it was a small good action that this woman did – feeding a thirsty dog – that ended up in Allāh forgiving her sins.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Guard yourselves against the Fire [of Hell] even if it be only with half a date-fruit (given in charity); and whoever cannot find even this, then at least with a good word" (Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim). Here, the Prophet ﷺ is advising us to do anything to keep away from the Fire, even if it's a small action such as giving half a date in charity or saying a good word.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever of you performs wuḍū’ carefully and then says, 'Ash-hadu an lā ilāha illa Llāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan `abduhū wa rasūluh; [Allāhumma j-‘alnī mina t-tawwābīna, wa j-‘alni mina l-mutaṭahhirīn] (I testify that there so no true god except Allah Alone, Who has no partners and that Muḥammad ﷺ is His slave and Messenger; [O Allah! Make me among those who repent and make me from the those who purify themselves]', the eight gates of jannah are opened for him. He may enter through whichever of these gates he desires." (Narrated by Muslim and al-Tirmidhī; al-Tirmidhī's version adds the square-bracketed portion)
Hence, we should never underestimate the value of any good action we may do, for indeed it could be that very action that results in Allāh forgiving us and entering us into His paradise.
The second one is belittling a bad act. Never underestimate any bad action, O slaves of Allāh, as it may be that by that bad action Allāh punishes you. An example is April Fools' jokes. You may jokingly lie, deceive or play a prank on a person and then think that what you did was small, but it may be that because of that small action Allāh punishes you later on. It is extremely bad and sad how some people think that lying on this day alright and fine, when lying is forbidden and an evil act on all 365 days of the year. Making the ḥarām ḥalāl... this is an extremely serious matter. So indeed, the real fools are those who participate in the occasion of April Fools.
It was narrated that the Prophet ﷺ once passed by two graves and said that the inhabitants of those two graves were being punished for something that could easily be avoided. One of them used to go around tale-bearing while the other one would not save himself from splashes of urine. From this, we learn that there are actions which many people may deem small and significant, when in fact these actions are major sins that could land one in deep trouble.
Hence, never think of a sin as being small. Some people, when they commit a sin, argue that what they did was only a minor sin, not a major one. This is the wrong way to look at it. Whether a sin is minor or major, it still is a sin. It still makes a person deserving of the punishment of Allāh. Thus, never think of a sin as being just a small sin that you can just get away with. "Don't look at the smallness of your act of disobedience, but look at the greatness of the One you are disobeying," said one of the wise men.
The third one is belittling another person. Never ever underestimate another person, O brothers and sisters, especially a Muslim. You never know the status of a person before Allāh. You never know that that person you've just mocked and belittled may be one of the awliyā’ of Allāh. This is dangerous, as the Prophet ﷺ said that Allāh said: "Whoever opposes a waliyy of mine, I indeed declare war on him" (Narrated by al-Bukhārī). Do you really want Allāh – the Most Powerful, the One who who can do absolutely anything – to declare war on you?
This becomes worse when you mock another person. By mocking someone, you give the message that you can't face up to that person and so you're going to resort to mocking him to make yourself look good. And by mocking others, you're really trying to assert your superiority over them by degrading them. Isn't this what Iblīs did when he said to Allāh about our father Ādam: “I am better than him: You created me from fire and you created him from clay” (Qur’ān 7:32) – a statement that earned him the curse of Allāh until the Day of Judgement?
So I remind you to beware of: 1) Belittling a good act as you don't know where the riḍā of Allāh is hidden, 2) belittling a bad act as you don't know where the ghaḍab of Allāh is hidden, and 3) belittling a human being as you never know where the waliyy of Allāh is hidden. Start training your tongues now for Ramaḍān which is only three months away. The ṣaḥābah would prepare for it months before it came.
All praise is due to Allāh, the One who created death and life in order to test you as to who is the best in action. The One who created creation with His Infinite Knowledge, predestined for them their fates and appointed the times of their endings. I praise Him – exalted is He above all limitations – with much praises and I thank Him which much thanks. And I testify that there is no god except Allāh alone, having no partner, and I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger, the one whom Allāh sent as a witness, a bringer of good tidings, a witness, a caller to Allāh by His Permission, and an illuminating light. May blessings and much peace be upon him and upon his family and companions.
O attendees of this blessed Friday gathering! I first and foremost advise you to fear Allāh and remain conscious of Him at all times. Remember that Allāh will hold you accountable for all your actions, whether good or bad, small or big, so ensure that all your actions fall in line with His commandments.
A ‘ālim once warned to beware of three things: 1) Belittling a good act as you don't know where the riḍā1 of Allāh is hidden, 2) belittling a bad act as you don't know where the ghaḍab2 of Allāh is hidden, and 3) belittling a human being as you never know where the waliyy3 of Allāh is hidden. This advice is indeed profound if we were to reflect upon it.
The first one is belittling a good act. Never underestimate any good action, O honourable believers, as it may be that by that good action Allāh admits your into Paradise. Do not think of picking up rubbish from the ground as just something small. Do not think of giving 50¢ in charity as just something small. Don't think of smiling at a fellow Muslim, greeting him and shaking hands as just something small. It may be that by these small actions Allāh forgives your sins and admits you into Paradise.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Verily, a prostitute saw a dog going around a well on a hot day, hanging his tongue from thirst, so she drew some water for it in her shoe, and she was forgiven [for this act]" (Narrated by Muslim). So we can see here that it was a small good action that this woman did – feeding a thirsty dog – that ended up in Allāh forgiving her sins.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Guard yourselves against the Fire [of Hell] even if it be only with half a date-fruit (given in charity); and whoever cannot find even this, then at least with a good word" (Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim). Here, the Prophet ﷺ is advising us to do anything to keep away from the Fire, even if it's a small action such as giving half a date in charity or saying a good word.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever of you performs wuḍū’ carefully and then says, 'Ash-hadu an lā ilāha illa Llāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan `abduhū wa rasūluh; [Allāhumma j-‘alnī mina t-tawwābīna, wa j-‘alni mina l-mutaṭahhirīn] (I testify that there so no true god except Allah Alone, Who has no partners and that Muḥammad ﷺ is His slave and Messenger; [O Allah! Make me among those who repent and make me from the those who purify themselves]', the eight gates of jannah are opened for him. He may enter through whichever of these gates he desires." (Narrated by Muslim and al-Tirmidhī; al-Tirmidhī's version adds the square-bracketed portion)
Hence, we should never underestimate the value of any good action we may do, for indeed it could be that very action that results in Allāh forgiving us and entering us into His paradise.
The second one is belittling a bad act. Never underestimate any bad action, O slaves of Allāh, as it may be that by that bad action Allāh punishes you. An example is April Fools' jokes. You may jokingly lie, deceive or play a prank on a person and then think that what you did was small, but it may be that because of that small action Allāh punishes you later on. It is extremely bad and sad how some people think that lying on this day alright and fine, when lying is forbidden and an evil act on all 365 days of the year. Making the ḥarām ḥalāl... this is an extremely serious matter. So indeed, the real fools are those who participate in the occasion of April Fools.
It was narrated that the Prophet ﷺ once passed by two graves and said that the inhabitants of those two graves were being punished for something that could easily be avoided. One of them used to go around tale-bearing while the other one would not save himself from splashes of urine. From this, we learn that there are actions which many people may deem small and significant, when in fact these actions are major sins that could land one in deep trouble.
Hence, never think of a sin as being small. Some people, when they commit a sin, argue that what they did was only a minor sin, not a major one. This is the wrong way to look at it. Whether a sin is minor or major, it still is a sin. It still makes a person deserving of the punishment of Allāh. Thus, never think of a sin as being just a small sin that you can just get away with. "Don't look at the smallness of your act of disobedience, but look at the greatness of the One you are disobeying," said one of the wise men.
The third one is belittling another person. Never ever underestimate another person, O brothers and sisters, especially a Muslim. You never know the status of a person before Allāh. You never know that that person you've just mocked and belittled may be one of the awliyā’ of Allāh. This is dangerous, as the Prophet ﷺ said that Allāh said: "Whoever opposes a waliyy of mine, I indeed declare war on him" (Narrated by al-Bukhārī). Do you really want Allāh – the Most Powerful, the One who who can do absolutely anything – to declare war on you?
This becomes worse when you mock another person. By mocking someone, you give the message that you can't face up to that person and so you're going to resort to mocking him to make yourself look good. And by mocking others, you're really trying to assert your superiority over them by degrading them. Isn't this what Iblīs did when he said to Allāh about our father Ādam: “I am better than him: You created me from fire and you created him from clay” (Qur’ān 7:32) – a statement that earned him the curse of Allāh until the Day of Judgement?
So I remind you to beware of: 1) Belittling a good act as you don't know where the riḍā of Allāh is hidden, 2) belittling a bad act as you don't know where the ghaḍab of Allāh is hidden, and 3) belittling a human being as you never know where the waliyy of Allāh is hidden. Start training your tongues now for Ramaḍān which is only three months away. The ṣaḥābah would prepare for it months before it came.
1 Riḍā: Allāh's Will to punish someone.↩
2 Ghaḍab: Allāh's Will to reward someone↩
3 Waliyy: A rough translation would be friends/allies of Allāh; saints.↩
