In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Echoes from the Pulpit.
He is the Messenger of Allah.
A sermon by the honorable Sheikh,
Khalid Ibn Abdullah al-Hamoudi,
May Allah preserve him.
Praise be to Allah, praise upon praise.
And thanks be to Allah, thanks upon thanks.
O Allah, to You belongs all praise; You are the Powerful, and no one powerful can rival You.
To You belongs all praise; You are the Exalted, and no one exalted can equal You.
To You belongs all praise; You are the Great, and no one great can match You.
Your Countenance is the most noble of countenances.
Your status is the greatest of statuses.
The mighty is he whom You have honored.
The abased is he whom You have humiliated.
The noble is he whom You have favored.
We praise You with a praise befitting the majesty of Your Countenance and the greatness of Your dominion.
A praise that You love and with which You are pleased.
To You belong all praises, virtues, and commendations.
O You who are the ultimate goal and the One who is petitioned.
And I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone, with no partner.
The Subtle, the All-Aware.
Subtle with His servants.
Subtle in His decree.
Subtle in His predestination.
“And he placed his parents on the dais and they fell down before him prostrate, and he said: O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream of old. My Lord hath made it true, and He hath shown me kindness, since He took me out of the prison and hath brought you from the desert after Satan had made strife between me and my brethren. Lo! my Lord is tender unto whom He will. He is the Knower, the Wise.” (12:100)
That which you hope for will come to you one day.
So do not be hasty regarding it, even if it is delayed.
Do not despair, and say, "O soul, be patient."
For the Merciful of the heavens has ordained and decreed.
He will embrace the hearts and contain them.
And He will mend what has been broken within the depths of the soul.
And I bear witness that our master, our Prophet, and our beloved, Muhammad, is the servant of Allah and His Messenger.
His chosen one and His intimate friend.
The sun of the world and its light.
Its radiance and its joy.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family, his Companions,
And those who are guided by his guidance,
Follow his Sunnah, and tread in his footsteps.
And may He grant him abundant peace until the Day of Judgment.
Now then, servants of Allah,
I advise you and myself to fear Allah.
So fear Allah, servants of Allah,
And hold fast to the guidance of your Prophet with true steadfastness.
For through it you are guided.
Through it you are rectified.
Through it you triumph.
Through it you succeed.
And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger,
Fears Allah, and is mindful of Him,
It is they who are the successful.
Allah bears witness.
The sky grew dark.
The constellation of Gemini appeared on the horizon.
Time shone for an age, and it remained
Awaiting glory and the highest heights.
You are the full moon in the darkness of the nights,
And a heaven that no other heaven has matched.
O Messenger of Allah,
This is my expression, though the words are heavy,
My stance, and my modesty.
He is Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He is the greatest human being in the history of humanity.
By the command of his Lord, his status was elevated.
He captured the depths of hearts.
His name and his legacy.
Exalted in life and in death.
Exalted in life and in death.
Truly, you are one of the miracles.
His Lord purified him with a purification
Unknown to any other of the creatures.
He purified his intellect, saying:
“Your comrade erreth not, nor is deceived;” (53:2)
He purified his tongue, saying:
“Nor doth he speak of (his own) desire.” (53:3)
He purified his law, saying:
“It is naught save an inspiration that is inspired,” (53:4)
He purified his teacher, saying:
He was taught by one mighty in power,
Endowed with soundness, and he stood poised.
He purified his heart, saying:
“The heart lied not (in seeing) what it saw.” (53:11)
He purified his sight, saying:
“The eye turned not aside nor yet was overbold.” (53:17)
And He describes him with two great attributes:
To the believers, he is kind and merciful.
Indeed, He purifies his entire being:
"And indeed, you are of a great moral character."
It is sufficient for you, above all praise,
That your Creator praised you.
He recited, "Read in the name of your Lord," as a beginning.
Surah al-Qalam.
"And indeed, you are of a great moral character."
He is Muhammad Ibn Abdullah.
He is the Messenger of Allah.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
A loftiness that cannot be surpassed.
And a height that cannot be reached.
The most intelligent of people.
The most generous of the people in giving.
The most noble of them in spirit.
He would spend the night hungry,
Calling out to his companion:
"Spend, O Bilal,"
"And do not fear poverty from the Lord of the Throne."
The most open-hearted of people.
The most forbearing of them.
He would grasp the forelock of victory,
And call out to the captives
With generosity and dignity:
"Go, for you are free."
He is the Messenger of Allah.
The Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The mercy gifted to us.
And the blessing bestowed upon us.
Through him, Allah purified the souls of the believers.
Through him, He cleansed the hearts of the Muslims.
He made him a mercy to the worlds.
And a proof against all of creation.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Always and forever, until the Day of Judgment.
Allah has certainly conferred a favor upon the believers.
Allah has certainly conferred a favor upon the believers:
“Allah verily hath shown grace to the believers by sending unto them a messenger of their own who reciteth unto them His revelations, and causeth them to grow, and teacheth them the Scripture and wisdom; although before (he came to them) they were in flagrant error.” (3:164)
He recites His verses to them,
Purifies them,
And teaches them the Book and wisdom,
Although they were before
In clear error.
His birth was a conquest,
And his mission was a dawn.
Through him, Allah guided those who were astray.
Through him, He taught those who were ignorant.
Through him, He directed those who were misguided.
Through him, Allah opened blind eyes,
Deaf ears,
And covered hearts.
Through him, He increased those who were few,
And honored those who were humiliated.
He is the Messenger of Allah.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The intimate friend of the Most Merciful.
The elite of mankind.
There is no obedience to Allah except through his obedience.
Whoever obeys the Messenger,
Has indeed obeyed Allah.
Faith is not complete
Except by realizing love for him.
"None of you truly believes"
"Until I am more beloved to him than his father,"
"His children, and all of mankind."
He is the Messenger of Allah.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The highest of creation in character.
The greatest of them in trustworthiness.
The most truthful of them in speech.
The most noble of them in spirit.
The most generous of them in giving.
The most patient of them in heart.
The greatest of them in forgiveness.
He is the Messenger of Allah.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Allah expanded his breast,
Raised his mention,
Removed his burden,
Perfected his affair,
Completed his religion,
And strengthened his right hand.
His Lord has not taken leave of him, nor has He detested him.
Rather, He sent him and guided him,
And blessed his endeavor.
He gave him the choice between eternity in this world and meeting Him,
So he declared it out of longing for his Lord:
"Rather, the Highest Companion."
"Rather, the Highest Companion."
He is the Messenger of Allah.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The best of those who have walked upon the earth.
The master of the children of Adam.
The leader of the Prophets,
And their spokesman when they arrive.
The first to be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection,
The first to cross the Bridge (Sirat),
The first to knock on the gate of Paradise,
And the first to enter it.
He says, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
"I am the master of the children of Adam"
"On the Day of Resurrection."
"I am the first from whom the grave will split open,"
"The first intercessor, and the first whose intercession will be accepted."
He is the Messenger of Allah.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Allah gave him the comprehensive words,
And granted him the wonders of wisdom.
The gentlest of people in temperament,
That is, in nature.
The easiest of them in disposition.
He was never given a choice between two matters
But that he chose the easier of the two,
As long as it was not a sin.
He never became angry for his own sake.
But if the sanctities of Allah were violated,
Nothing could stand against his anger.
He is the Messenger of Allah.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The most eloquent of people in speech,
The clearest of them in expression,
The most just of people in judgment,
And the greatest of them in fairness.
He would swear, and he is the Truthful One:
"By the One in Whose hand is my soul,
If Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad,
Were to steal,
I would cut off her hand."
Therefore, loving him,
Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Is among the most obligatory of duties,
Indeed, it is the very religion,
By which a person is commanded,
And by whose opposite one falls into disbelief.
Al-Tabarani recorded
From 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
That she said: A man came
To the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And said: "O Messenger of Allah,
You are more beloved to me than my own self,
And you are more beloved to me than my children.
I am in my house,
And I remember you, and I cannot bear it
Until I come and look at you.
And when I think of my death and your death,
I know that you,
When you enter Paradise,
Will be raised with the Prophets.
And if I enter Paradise,
I fear that I will not see you."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not answer him
Anything, until Jibril, peace be upon him, descended,
Descending with this verse,
Which was glad tidings for that Companion,
And indeed for everyone who loved the Prophet
With sincerity and adherence.
Jibril descended with the words of Allah:
“Whoso obeyeth Allah and the messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah hath shown favour, of the prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they!” (4:69)
"Those are with those
Upon whom Allah has bestowed favor: the Prophets,
The truthful, the martyrs,
And the righteous;
And excellent are those as companions."
He is the Messenger of Allah,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
The Beloved, the Chosen,
And the Prophet, the Elect.
He reached the heights with his perfection,
He dispelled the darkness with his beauty,
All his characteristics were excellent.
Send prayers and peace upon him.
This is the Messenger of Allah,
The best of those whom the earth has carried,
And whom the sky has shaded.
This is the best of the people of the earth and the heavens.
What could our praise and commendation add to you?
When Allah in the Qur'an has already praised you.
May Allah send prayers upon you, O beacon of guidance,
For I am longing, longing to see you.
Thus, the right of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Is to believe in him,
To follow him,
To obey him,
To accept his judgment,
To refer back to him in matters of dispute,
To refer back to him in matters of dispute,
To be content with his ruling,
To submit to him,
To support him,
To revere him,
To aid him,
To send prayers and peace upon him,
And to love him,
And to prioritize him over one's own self,
Family, wealth, and children.
Among the most rightful of rights,
And among the most important of rights,
And the greatest of them,
Is obeying him,
And complying with his command,
Regarding those who believed in him,
And honored him,
And revered him,
And supported him,
And followed the light which was sent down with him—
It is they who will be the successful.
May Allah bless me and you with the Great Qur'an,
And benefit me and you
With the verses and the wise reminder it contains.
I say what you hear,
And I seek Allah's forgiveness for me and for you,
So seek His forgiveness,
For He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah,
And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
And I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
To proceed, O servants of Allah:
Despite the great love of the Muslims
For their Prophet and their veneration of him,
And their reverence for his noble presence,
Their creed regarding him is
That he is a human Messenger,
A servant who is not to be worshipped,
And a Messenger who is not to be belied.
Rather, he is to be obeyed and loved,
And revered and followed.
Worship is based on what he legislated and followed,
Not by inclination toward whims or innovation.
It is a love as Allah clarified in the Qur'an,
And as the Sunnah came to explain,
And as his Companions, may the pleasure of Allah be upon them, acted.
“Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (3:31)
"Say, 'Follow me, [so] Allah will love you
And forgive you your sins.'
And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."
Then know, O servants of Allah,
That it is not permissible for anyone who is pleased with Allah as Lord,
With Islam as a religion,
And with Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
As a Prophet and Messenger,
To come forward
And claim that for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
There is something beyond this,
Claiming that he loves and honors and reveres him,
As is done by some who are afflicted with reviving innovations
And causing the Sunnah to die, among those who hold in these days
What is called the Prophetic birthday.
And those who do not hold these celebrations,
They consider them not to love Allah,
Nor His Messenger.
Indeed, celebrating the birthday of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Has no basis in the Shari'ah.
The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not do it,
It was not part of his Sunnah,
And his Companions did not do it after him,
And they, by Allah,
Were more loving to him, and purer,
And cleaner, and more pious.
And upon that, the path of the preferred generations continued.
If it were good,
They would have preceded us to it,
For they were more intense than us in love and veneration
For the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
And they were more eager for goodness.
Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala spoke well
When he said: "People will remain in goodness
As long as they are amazed by the amazing."
For the month in which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was born
Is the very same month in which he died.
So joy in it is no more appropriate than grief.
O servants of Allah,
Our duty toward the great blessing of guidance
Is to thank Allah the Exalted for it
By holding fast to it,
And biting onto it with our molars,
And preserving it white and pure,
Just as he, may the prayers and peace of my Lord be upon him, left it for us.
And the duty upon us
Is to follow his guidance
By doing what he commanded,
And avoiding what he forbade and warned against.
And that we love him more than we love our own selves,
Our children,
Our fathers,
And our mothers.
And he has succeeded who followed his guidance.
So hold fast to my Sunnah,
And the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Caliphs after me;
Bite onto it with your molars,
And beware of newly invented matters,
For every invention is an innovation,
And every innovation is a misguidance.
Now, send prayers and peace upon the best of Allah's creation,
As the Deity has commanded you to do,
For He, the Exalted in His highness, said:
“Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)
"O you who have believed,
“Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)
“Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)
O Allah, send prayers upon our master Muhammad,
The one of high status,
The radiant light,
And the exalted station,
A prayer that is continuous,
Connected in the morning and the evening,
To the number of every tree,
And clod of earth, and stone,
And human, and jinn,
A prayer by which we attain a pleasant life,
So that there is no deprived or miserable person among us.
For he is the Beloved, the Chosen,
The best of Prophets,
Who has no equal in creation.
So send prayers, O Allah, upon him,
A prayer by which we attain high rank.
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad,
A prayer and peace
That are eternal, most perfect, and most complete,
As long as the night and day dawn.
O Allah, just as we were deprived of seeing him in this world,
Gather us with him in the Gardens of Bliss.
O Allah, make us among the people of his Sunnah.
And followers of his path.
And bring us to his Basin.
And let us drink from his noble hand.
A drink so wholesome.
That we shall never thirst after it again.
O Allah, reward him on our behalf.
With the best reward You have ever granted a prophet for his Ummah.
O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad.
As long as those who remember him continue to remember him.
And as long as those who are heedless remain heedless of his remembrance.
O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad.
To the number of the leaves on the trees.
And to the number of the particles of dust.
And to the number of the raindrops.
And to the number of times the night and day alternate.
And to the number of times flowers have bloomed.
O Allah, O Hearer of supplication.
O You whose bounty is vast.
O One, O Unique.
O You, other than whom none is worshipped.
And other than whom none is sought.
Whose decree cannot be turned back.
Whose attribute is the Eternal Refuge.
“He begetteth not nor was begotten.” (112:3)
Who has counted everything by number.
Grant us, O Allah, a supplication that is not rejected.
And a provision that cannot be counted.
And cannot be numbered.
And open for us a door to Paradise that shall never be closed.
O Allah, we ask You.
For Your pleasure and for Paradise.
And we seek refuge in You from Your wrath and from the Fire.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands.
And rectify our leaders and those in authority over us.
And grant victory to our soldiers at the borders.
And grant victory to our oppressed brothers and sisters.
In every place.
O Allah, forgive the one who built this mosque.
And reward him with the best of rewards.
And just as You have gathered us in one of Your houses.
Gather us in gardens and rivers.
In a seat of truth.
In the presence of a Sovereign, All-Powerful.
O Allah, we love You.
So do not withhold Your grace from us because of our sins.
“Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of Majesty, from that which they attribute (unto Him)” (37:180)
And peace be upon the messengers.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.