WEBVTT

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Echoes of the Pulpits

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And I have returned to the pulpit

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After twenty-seven years.

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A sermon by the honorable Sheikh

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Khalid al-Hammudi,

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May Allah preserve him.

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Praise be to Allah, the One, the Unique,

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The Eternal Refuge,

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Who neither begets nor is born,

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And to Whom there is no equal.

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Praise be to Allah, in the number of all things,

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And filling all things.

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Praise be to Allah, in the number of all creation

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In the heavens,

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And the number of all creation on the earth,

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And the number of all that lies between them,

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And the number of all that He is Creator of.

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Praise be to Allah

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For every blessing He has bestowed upon us,

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Whether in the past or the present,

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Whether general or specific,

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Whether in secret or in public.

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Praise be to Allah,

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Abundantly, abundantly, abundantly,

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Just as He bestows blessings abundantly.

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Praise be to Allah,

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A praise that is pure, pleasant, and blessed,

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Just as our Lord loves and is pleased with.

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Praise be to Allah,

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For He is worthy of being praised,

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And He is worthy of being worshipped.

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Praise be to Allah,

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We cannot enumerate the praise due to Him;

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He is as He has praised Himself.

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I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner,

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“All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifieth Allah; unto Him belongeth Sovereignty and unto Him belongeth praise, and He is Able to do all things.” (64:1)

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And He is capable of all things.

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“All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifieth Allah; unto Him belongeth Sovereignty and unto Him belongeth praise, and He is Able to do all things.” (64:1)

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And praise be to Him, for He is capable of all things,

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Exalted above any likeness, rival, equal, or peer.

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“The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hath made for you pairs of yourselves, and of the cattle also pairs, whereby He multiplieth you. Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer.” (42:11)

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He has always been known for His benevolence,

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And described by His goodness, generosity, and bounty.

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And I bear witness that our master, our Prophet, and our beloved, Muhammad, is the servant of Allah and His Messenger,

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His chosen one and His intimate friend.

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The possessor of the Frequented Basin,

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The Standard of Praise,

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And the Station of Glory.

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The possessor of the Great Intercession.

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O best of Allah’s creation, O full moon that has appeared,

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O fountain of noble character, O symbol of guidance.

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Tongues have spoken with one voice for you:

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May Allah send blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad.

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By Allah, we have not prepared much for the Hereafter,

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But we have filled our hearts with love.

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We love Muhammad with a love that suffices us,

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For a person shall be with those whom they love.

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O Allah, send blessings, peace, and increase in grace

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Upon Your servant, Messenger, Prophet, and beloved, Muhammad,

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And upon his good and pure family,

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And upon his noble and blessed Companions,

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And grant them abundant peace until the Day of Judgment.

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Now then, servants of Allah,

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I advise you and myself to fear Allah,

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For it is the commandment of Allah to us and to those before us.

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“Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. And We charged those who received the Scripture before you, and (We charge) you, that ye keep your duty toward Allah. And if ye disbelieve, lo! unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and Allah is ever Absolute, Owner of Praise.” (4:131)

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“Unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. And We charged those who received the Scripture before you, and (We charge) you, that ye keep your duty toward Allah. And if ye disbelieve, lo! unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and Allah is ever Absolute, Owner of Praise.” (4:131)

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We ask Allah, the Majestic,

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To make us all among His pious servants,

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And among His successful party.

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O Allah, answer our prayer.

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O community of believers,

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O beloved ones for the sake of Allah,

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I have stood in this position—

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That is, upon a pulpit like this one—

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Twenty-seven years ago.

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And here I am today,

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Ascending this pulpit after these long years,

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Which I count as a treasure with the Great, the Exalted.

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So do not blame me,

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And do not blame my longing and yearning for the pulpit,

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For I have stories and stories with it.

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Through it, after the grace of Allah, His favor, and His guidance,

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And because of it, I came to know much goodness.

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I learned before I taught,

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And I benefited before I provided benefit—if indeed I have provided any.

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It is enough that it is the reason for my knowing you,

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The people of this blessed neighborhood in particular,

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And every mosque in which I have been honored to deliver a sermon.

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Forgive me, servants of Allah,

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For this introduction,

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For it is a passing thought I could not bypass

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Before mentioning it.

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How do I begin, and with what do I begin?

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How do I begin after this absence?

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O tears, assist me,

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O heart, stand with me,

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O pen and O tongue, stand with me.

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After these long years,

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From upon the steps of the pulpit,

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Which, whenever I ascended it,

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My feet would tremble,

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Out of awe for the place,

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Out of reverence for the occasion,

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And out of respect for those present.

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How do I begin, and from where do I begin?

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First, I praise Allah,

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And I thank Allah,

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And I extol Him,

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For He is worthy of being praised,

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He is worthy of being worshipped,

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And He is worthy of being thanked.

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From where do I begin?

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From where do I begin when all praises

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Belong to You, O Controller,

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O Fashioner, O Eternal Refuge?

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Now then,

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And after that, and before that,

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To Allah belongs the command before and after.

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As for my speech to you and for you,

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After this introduction and reflection,

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And especially

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After this absence from ascending the pulpit,

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It has made me reflect.

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Do you know on what?

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I reflect

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On the state of this world.

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The state of this world,

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And it is, in truth,

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A strange world.

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A human's life in it is short,

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And the nights and days pass by.

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The world departs with all that is in it:

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Hunger and satiety,

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Security and fear,

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Weeping and laughter,

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Sorrow and joy,

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Union and separation.

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And it is He who makes one laugh and weep.

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“And that He it is who maketh laugh, and maketh weep,” (53:43)

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And the happy one in it

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Is he who is with Allah.

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A strange world.

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Many forget

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That we are travelers in it.

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Yes,

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We are travelers, servants of Allah.

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We are travelers in our own homes,

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We are travelers among our families,

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We are travelers among our children.

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A journey toward the Hereafter.

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From the moment we emerged from the wombs of our mothers,

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We have been travelers.

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The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

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"Be in this world as if you were a stranger

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Or a wayfarer."

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And the happy one in it

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Is he who is with Allah.

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A strange world.

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A person rejoices in it

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To attain a rank,

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Or a provision,

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Or an act of obedience,

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Or fulfillment, or justice.

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He rejoices for an upcoming raise,

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Or a wage that has arrived,

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Or a sale or a purchase,

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Or someone absent who is expected,

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Or a child who is growing up.

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He rejoices, and he has the right to,

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He has the right to rejoice

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In what Allah has permitted.

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But,

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His joy is, in reality,

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A joy at the end of his life

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And the passing of his days.

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We find joy in the crescent moon when it appears,

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Yet it is but a sword drawn for the limit of time.

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If it is said the month is complete, it is a metaphor

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And a translation of a portion of life that has passed.

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And the happy one in it

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Is he who is with Allah.

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A strange world.

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Whoever knows his life in it

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Knows his time,

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And whoever knows his time in it

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Preserves his life.

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And lives in it, no matter how long they last—

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Yes,

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No matter how long they last—

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How long will you reach, O servant of Allah?

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Fifty years?

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Fifty years?

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Sixty years?

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Seventy?

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Eighty?

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Even a hundred?

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What is after that?

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Annihilation and passing away.

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How long will you live?

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And how long will you remain?

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No matter how long your life is,

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Or how short,

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The end is a grave

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It will be placed inside it,

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along with a white shroud,

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in which it will be wrapped.

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By Allah,

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nothing will benefit you after the mercy of Allah

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except your deeds.

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So, you who are heedless of performing good deeds,

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and who are burdened by long-term worldly hopes,

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death comes suddenly,

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and the grave is the repository of deeds.

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Look, O servant of Allah,

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reflect,

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contemplate,

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ponder,

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look around you.

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Where are the fathers?

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Where are the sons?

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Where are the grandfathers?

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Where are the grandchildren?

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O soul, where is my father?

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And my father's father?

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And his father, 'Adi?

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You have no father [to save you from this fate].

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It is enough for me,

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'Adi.

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For I have looked,

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and I did not find

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between myself and your father,

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and Adam, anything but my father.

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Do you hope for safety after them?

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Why were you not guided to the path of the truth?

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Death has claimed those from the fetus,

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to the infant,

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to the discerning child,

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to the gray-haired elder.

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So until when do I see myself playing,

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while I see that death, when it comes, does not play?

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Some people

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believe that death is only for the sick,

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and some

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believe that death is only for the frail and the elderly,

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and that in his youth,

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he is isolated and protected.

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Yet he does not know

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that death is a door, and all people shall enter it.

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The healer has died, and the one who was healed,

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and the one who brought the medicine and sold it,

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and the one who bought it.

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The successful one among them

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is he who was with Allah.

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A strange world!

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Yesterday,

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a person was single,

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then he became a husband,

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then he became a father,

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then he became a grandfather,

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then he had grandchildren and worldly ties.

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Especially in our time,

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with the abundance of heedlessness and ease of mind,

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and the sense of security regarding one's family and wealth.

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The days pass,

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circumstances change,

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and we are in a state of heedlessness,

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and a poor condition.

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Few are the servants,

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few are the people who are grateful.

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Allah has spoken the truth.

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“But as for those who believe and do good works We shall bring them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide for ever. It is a promise from Allah in truth; and who can be more truthful than Allah in utterance?” (4:122)

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“They made for him what he willed: synagogues and statues, basins like wells and boilers built into the ground. Give thanks, O House of David! Few of My bondmen are thankful.” (34:13)

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People fluctuate through the eight states of this world;

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eight states that always run their course for a person,

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and a person must inevitably encounter these eight:

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joy and sorrow,

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union and separation,

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ease and hardship,

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then sickness and health.

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Such is the world.

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No matter how much it extends, it is short,

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and no matter how long it lasts, it diminishes.

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Every breath you take

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brings you closer to your home,

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to your true home,

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and moves you toward your final abode.

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Yes, from the worldly home to the home of the Hereafter.

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The successful one in it

00:11:05.539 --> 00:11:07.039
is he who was with Allah.

00:11:07.539 --> 00:11:08.539
A strange world!

00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:10.539
Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, says,

00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:13.539
clarifying its reality and its insignificance:

00:11:14.039 --> 00:11:15.539
﴾And the worldly life is not

00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:18.039
but amusement and diversion.﴿

00:11:18.539 --> 00:11:20.039
﴾And the home of the Hereafter

00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:23.039
is best for those who fear Allah.﴿

00:11:23.539 --> 00:11:25.039
﴾Then will you not reason?﴿

00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:26.539
﴾Then will you not reason?﴿

00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:28.039
Ibn Kathir said:

00:11:28.539 --> 00:11:31.039
Meaning, for the most part, it is just that.

00:11:31.539 --> 00:11:33.360
And He, the Exalted, says:

00:11:33.860 --> 00:11:35.360
﴾And this worldly life is not

00:11:35.860 --> 00:11:37.860
but amusement and diversion.﴿

00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:39.860
﴾And indeed, the home of the Hereafter

00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:41.360
is the [true] life,﴿

00:11:41.860 --> 00:11:43.360
meaning, an eternal life.

00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:45.360
﴾And indeed, the home of the Hereafter

00:11:45.860 --> 00:11:46.860
is the [true] life,﴿

00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:48.860
﴾if only they knew.﴿

00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:50.360
And He, the Exalted, says:

00:11:50.860 --> 00:11:52.860
“Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.” (57:20)

00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:54.860
﴾amusement and diversion,

00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:56.360
and adornment,

00:11:56.860 --> 00:11:58.360
and boasting among you.﴿

00:11:58.860 --> 00:12:01.360
“Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.” (57:20)

00:12:01.860 --> 00:12:03.860
﴾Like a rain

00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:05.860
whose [resulting] plant pleases the tillers;

00:12:06.360 --> 00:12:07.360
then it dries

00:12:07.860 --> 00:12:09.360
and you see it turned yellow;

00:12:09.860 --> 00:12:11.360
then it becomes debris.﴿

00:12:11.860 --> 00:12:13.860
“Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.” (57:20)

00:12:14.360 --> 00:12:15.360
﴾And forgiveness.﴿

00:12:15.860 --> 00:12:17.860
“Know that the life of the world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then it becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.” (57:20)

00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:19.860
﴾And the worldly life

00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:22.360
is not but the enjoyment of delusion.﴿

00:12:22.860 --> 00:12:23.860
﴾The worldly life

00:12:23.860 --> 00:12:25.360
is not but the enjoyment of delusion.﴿

00:12:25.860 --> 00:12:27.360
This is the word of Allah.

00:12:27.860 --> 00:12:29.360
Is there any word after the word of Allah?

00:12:29.860 --> 00:12:31.360
A strange world!

00:12:31.860 --> 00:12:34.360
The successful one in it is he who was with Allah.

00:12:34.860 --> 00:12:36.860
O Allah, do not make the world our greatest concern,

00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:38.360
nor the limit of our knowledge,

00:12:38.860 --> 00:12:40.360
nor our destination to the Fire.

00:12:40.860 --> 00:12:43.860
And make Paradise our home and our final abode.

00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:45.360
O Allah, answer our prayer.

00:12:45.860 --> 00:12:47.860
May Allah bless me and you with the Great Qur'an,

00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:51.360
and benefit me and you with the verses and the wise reminder it contains.

00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:53.860
I say what you hear, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you.

00:12:54.360 --> 00:12:55.360
So seek His forgiveness,

00:12:55.860 --> 00:12:58.360
for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

00:12:58.860 --> 00:13:02.340
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, Lord of the pure,

00:13:02.840 --> 00:13:04.840
the God of the first and the last,

00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:06.840
the Judge of the Day of Judgment.

00:13:07.340 --> 00:13:10.840
Then, peace and blessings be upon the best of all Allah's creation,

00:13:11.340 --> 00:13:12.840
Muhammad Ibn 'Abdullah,

00:13:13.340 --> 00:13:15.340
the truthful, the trustworthy, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:18.340
and upon all his family and companions.

00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:20.840
And now, O servants of Allah:

00:13:21.340 --> 00:13:27.039
Many people are keen on the spaciousness of their homes,

00:13:27.539 --> 00:13:29.539
and this is one of the causes of happiness.

00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:36.269
For it has been reported in the tradition from the master of mankind, may the blessings and peace of my Lord be upon him,

00:13:36.769 --> 00:13:39.769
that he said: "Four things are from happiness,"

00:13:40.269 --> 00:13:45.269
and he mentioned among them a spacious house or a spacious dwelling.

00:13:45.769 --> 00:13:49.269
But if only, and I wish,

00:13:49.269 --> 00:13:54.769
we were as keen on the spaciousness of our graves as we are on the spaciousness of our homes.

00:13:55.269 --> 00:13:57.769
May Allah reward the one who said:

00:13:58.269 --> 00:14:00.769
"As for your houses in this world, they are spacious,

00:14:01.269 --> 00:14:04.769
so I wish your grave after death were also spacious."

00:14:05.269 --> 00:14:08.769
Many people, O servants of Allah, in this world,

00:14:09.269 --> 00:14:12.769
many people are not content with their state.

00:14:13.269 --> 00:14:15.769
The young seek to be older,

00:14:15.769 --> 00:14:17.269
the empty-handed seek to be wealthy,

00:14:17.769 --> 00:14:20.269
the old wish to be young again,

00:14:20.769 --> 00:14:22.269
the one without work desires a job,

00:14:22.769 --> 00:14:25.269
and the one with a job is burdened by it.

00:14:25.769 --> 00:14:30.269
The wealthy is in toil, and the one who is poor is in toil.

00:14:30.769 --> 00:14:35.269
The one with children is worried, and the one who seeks them is heartbroken.

00:14:35.769 --> 00:14:37.269
The one who lacks beauty complains,

00:14:37.769 --> 00:14:40.269
and the one who is beautiful may also complain.

00:14:40.769 --> 00:14:44.269
The defeated complains, and the victor finds no rest.

00:14:44.269 --> 00:14:49.769
One seeks glory with longing, and if he attains it, he grows weary.

00:14:50.269 --> 00:14:51.769
The successful one, O servants of Allah,

00:14:52.269 --> 00:14:55.769
among all these, is he who was with Allah,

00:14:56.269 --> 00:14:58.769
and who was pleased with Allah, and pleased with the decree of Allah,

00:14:59.269 --> 00:15:00.769
and pleased with the destiny of Allah,

00:15:01.269 --> 00:15:02.769
its sweetness and its bitterness,

00:15:03.269 --> 00:15:06.769
because he knows that true rest is in Paradise.

00:15:07.269 --> 00:15:08.769
Finally, O servants of Allah,

00:15:09.269 --> 00:15:11.769
we are in this world,

00:15:12.269 --> 00:15:13.769
praying together,

00:15:14.269 --> 00:15:16.769
then we will pray over one another [in funeral prayers].

00:15:17.269 --> 00:15:18.769
So why do we harbor grudges against one another?

00:15:19.269 --> 00:15:21.769
And why do we backbite one another?

00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:24.019
If you make a mistake, O servant of Allah,

00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:27.019
it is not a shame to apologize.

00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:30.019
If you rejoice and a blessing is bestowed upon you,

00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:32.019
thank Allah, Mighty and Majestic.

00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:34.019
If you sin, seek forgiveness.

00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:36.019
If you are tested, be patient.

00:15:36.519 --> 00:15:38.019
And most importantly,

00:15:38.519 --> 00:15:40.019
do not hate anyone,

00:15:40.519 --> 00:15:42.019
do not hold a grudge against anyone,

00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:44.019
and do not envy anyone

00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:46.019
for a favor Allah has bestowed upon them.

00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:52.019
For perhaps a prayer from someone's heart may come to you that will not be rejected.

00:15:52.519 --> 00:15:54.019
Be of beautiful character,

00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:55.519
be of a kind heart,

00:15:56.019 --> 00:15:57.019
and hearts will love you.

00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:59.019
O Allah, O Hearer of prayers,

00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:01.019
O Possessor of vast bounty,

00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:04.019
“And thou (Muhammad) art not occupied with any business and thou recitest not a Lecture from this (Scripture), and ye (mankind) perform no act, but We are Witness of you when ye are engaged therein. And not an atom's weight in the earth or in the sky escapeth your Lord, nor what is less than that or greater than that, but it is (written) in a clear Book.” (10:61)

00:16:04.519 --> 00:16:06.019
O He who created and fashioned,

00:16:06.519 --> 00:16:08.019
O He who ordained and guided,

00:16:08.519 --> 00:16:10.019
O He who causes death and gives life,

00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:12.019
O He who makes one laugh and makes one weep,

00:16:12.019 --> 00:16:14.519
O He who created the two mates, the male and the female,

00:16:15.019 --> 00:16:17.519
O He who knows the secret and what is even more hidden,

00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:20.519
O You who possess the Most Beautiful Names and the Most Exalted Attributes,

00:16:21.019 --> 00:16:23.519
O You who are with Your servants, hearing and seeing,

00:16:24.019 --> 00:16:27.519
O You who gave everything its creation, then guided it,

00:16:28.019 --> 00:16:29.519
O You of abundant generosity,

00:16:30.019 --> 00:16:31.519
O You of excellent deeds,

00:16:32.019 --> 00:16:33.519
O You who exist without end,

00:16:34.019 --> 00:16:36.519
Forgive us all our sins.

00:16:37.019 --> 00:16:39.519
O Allah, forgive us all our sins.

00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:47.279
All of them, O Allah, forgive all our sins: the minor and the major, the first and the last.

00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:54.080
The trivial and the serious, what we know of them and what we do not know; indeed, You are the Knower of the unseen.

00:16:54.080 --> 00:17:00.559
O Allah, O Remover of harm and affliction, O Hearer of every complaint, O Ultimate destination of every

00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:06.559
secret prayer, O Lord of forgiveness and piety, grant us the highest level of Paradise,

00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:14.160
without reckoning or punishment, and let this be upon a state of faith. O Allah, grant us security in our dwellings

00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:20.039
and homes, rectify our leaders, expand our chests, and illuminate after

00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:26.359
our worldly life our graves, O Almighty, O Forgiving. O Allah, forgive the one who built this

00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:31.839
mosque, O Allah, forgive the one who built this mosque, and the one who oversaw it,

00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:39.400
and compensate them with good, and forgive everyone who attended, and all Muslim men and women,

00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:45.599
and believing men and women, the living among them and the dead. O Allah, reconcile

00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:52.599
our hearts, guide us to the paths of peace, and grant us a good conclusion. O Allah, grant victory to our soldiers

00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:58.680
on the borders, and be for them a Supporter, a Helper, an Aid, and a Backing. O Allah,

00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:05.279
rectify our intentions and our offspring, and forgive our fathers and mothers, and all

00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:11.640
the Muslims, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy. O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, make

00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:18.839
this hour an hour of response and acceptance. O Allah, grant each one of us their request.

00:18:18.839 --> 00:18:25.160
O Allah, grant each one of us their request. O Allah, grant each one of us their request.

00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:31.160
For You are the Generous, the Bountiful, and You are over all things capable. O Allah,

00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:37.640
send peace, blessings, and increase upon Your servant and Messenger Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.

00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:42.960
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.