In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The Echo of the Pulpits.
It persists, then passes.
A sermon by the honorable Sheikh
Khalid Ibn 'Abdullah al-Hammudi,
may Allah preserve him.
To Allah, the Finder, the Glorious, the Accepter of Repentance,
The Forbearing, the Generous, the Bestower.
“The Forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful. There is no Allah save Him. Unto Him is the journeying.” (40:3)
“The Forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful. There is no Allah save Him. Unto Him is the journeying.” (40:3)
I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, alone, with no partner.
“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)
He hears all voices, however faint.
He fulfills all needs, however great.
He answers all supplications, however burdensome.
He forgives all slips, however numerous.
Exalted is He, and praised.
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 most radiant and beautiful of people from a distance,
and the most handsome of them from up close.
No eye finds him repulsive due to excessive height,
nor does any eye dismiss him due to shortness.
The most handsome of people in appearance,
and the most well-proportioned in stature.
When he spoke, his words were heeded,
and when he commanded, his command was hastened.
A light that dawned upon life, merciful,
and from his palm, peace flowed abundantly.
The world has never known a great one like him; invoke peace and blessings upon him.
O Allah, send peace, blessings, and increase,
upon Your servant, Messenger, Prophet, and beloved, Muhammad,
and upon his family and his Companions,
and those who are guided by his guidance,
and follow his Sunnah, and tread in his footsteps,
and grant him abundant peace until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed: O servants of Allah, I advise you and myself to fear Allah,
“O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point;” (33:70)
that He may rectify your deeds for you,
and forgive you your sins.
“He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeyeth Allah and His messenger, he verily hath gained a signal victory.” (33:71)
O community of believers,
the son of Adam is surrounded by many enemies,
from the devils of mankind and the jinn.
They make the ugly appear beautiful, and the beautiful appear ugly.
Joining them are the soul that incites to evil and base desires,
calling him toward lusts,
and leading him into the abysses of destruction,
so that he may descend into the depths of sin.
Accompanying this, for the believer,
is distress, constriction, and a feeling of guilt and sin.
Then comes the mercy of Allah, the All-Knowing, the Wise,
the Kind, the Merciful,
the Subtle, the All-Aware,
He who has opened the doors of repentance for His servants,
and guided them to seek forgiveness,
and made their righteous deeds a means of expiation,
and their trials a means of purification.
Indeed, He, glory be to Him, by His grace and generosity,
replaces the evil deeds of the repentant with good deeds.
He, glory be to Him, said:
“And Allah would turn to you in mercy; but those who follow vain desires would have you go tremendously astray.” (4:27)
“And Allah would turn to you in mercy; but those who follow vain desires would have you go tremendously astray.” (4:27)
“And Allah would turn to you in mercy; but those who follow vain desires would have you go tremendously astray.” (4:27)
“Allah would make the burden light for you, for man was created weak.” (4:28)
"And mankind was created weak."
Allah has indeed placed in repentance a secure sanctuary,
and a fortified refuge,
which the sinner enters, acknowledging his sin,
hoping in his Lord,
remorseful for his actions,
and not persisting in his transgression.
He seeks protection in the sanctuary of seeking forgiveness,
and follows up an evil deed with a good one,
so Allah expiates his sins for him,
and raises his ranks.
Allah has opened His doors to all the repentant.
He extends His hand by night,
so that the sinner of the day may repent,
and He extends His hand by day,
so that the sinner of the night may repent.
He, glory be to Him, said in the hadith qudsi:
"O My servants,
you commit sins by night and by day,
and I forgive all sins,
so seek My forgiveness, and I will forgive you."
And He, glory be to Him, says:
"And whoever does a wrong
or wrongs himself
but then seeks forgiveness of Allah..."
“Yet whoso doeth evil or wrongeth his own soul, then seeketh pardon of Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful.” (4:110)
O noble ones,
whoever thinks that a sin is too great for the pardon of Allah,
has thought an evil thought about his Lord.
How many a servant was excessive against himself in disobedience,
far from the obedience of Allah,
then Allah bestowed upon him repentance,
which wiped away what had passed,
and he became a worshiper of Allah,
of good character toward the servants of Allah,
and became one of the people of the mosques,
devout to Allah, prostrating and standing,
fearing the Hereafter,
and hoping for the mercy of his Lord.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Every son of Adam is a sinner,
and the best of sinners are the repentant."
Who is there who has not erred?
And who possesses only goodness?
Therefore, O servants of Allah,
whoever has been stained by the filth of sins,
let him hasten to wash it with the water of repentance and seeking forgiveness,
for Allah loves the repentant,
and He loves those who purify themselves.
It is narrated in the two Sahihs,
from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
from the Prophet (peace be upon him) who said:
"If a servant commits a sin,
and says: 'O Lord, I have committed a sin,
so forgive me,'
then Allah says:
'My servant has known
that he has a Lord who forgives the sin,
and holds accountable for the sin.
I have forgiven My servant.'"
'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked
about the servant who sins.
He said: "He seeks forgiveness from Allah and repents."
It was said: "What if he returns to it?"
He said: "He seeks forgiveness from Allah and repents."
It was said: "What if he returns to it?"
He said: "He seeks forgiveness from Allah and repents."
It was said: "Until when?"
He said: "Until the devil is the one who is defeated."
And it was said to al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him):
"Does one of us not feel ashamed before his Lord?
He seeks forgiveness for his sins,
then returns to them,
then seeks forgiveness, then returns?"
He said: "The devil would love
if he could achieve this over you,
so do not grow weary of seeking forgiveness."
Indeed, sincere repentance, O servants of Allah,
wipes away sins,
no matter how great they are,
even disbelief and polytheism.
I do not forget that man
who was a Christian,
then embraced Islam.
He came to visit me
after several years had passed,
and he kept weeping,
weeping bitterly.
I said to him: "What is it that makes you weep?
What has happened to you?"
He asked me a question.
He said: "I want to know,
will Allah forgive me?"
I said: "I seek refuge in Allah!
What happened?"
He said: "I was a Christian,
hating Islam and its people,
and I was in a large square
filled with people.
I held the Gospel in my hand,
and I trampled the Qur'an with my feet."
Then he kept weeping.
He said: "Until my Lord guided me to Islam,
then I came for Hajj.
Will Allah forgive me?"
I said to him: "O my brother,
take it easy.
Indeed, Allah (the Almighty and Majestic) says:
'Say to those who have disbelieved,
if they cease...'"
“Tell those who disbelieve that if they cease (from persecution of believers) that which is past will be forgiven them; but if they return (thereto) then the example of the men of old hath already gone (before them, for a warning).” (8:38)
So I hope that Allah (the Almighty and Majestic)
will forgive us all,
and accept our repentance,
and grant us a good ending,
and adorn us with His covering,
and place beneath that covering a righteous deed that He is pleased with.
O Allah, Amen.
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 ask Allah for forgiveness for me and for you.
So seek His forgiveness,
for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
and the outcome is for the righteous.
I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone,
with no partner, the Judge of the Day of Judgment.
And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, the truthful, the trustworthy.
May Allah send blessings upon him, his family, and all his companions.
To proceed, O servants of Allah,
know, O noble ones,
that among people are those deceived by long hopes,
or the outlook of youth and health,
and the flower of worldly pleasure,
and the abundance of blessings,
so he proceeds to commit sin,
and procrastinates in repentance,
not thinking of the consequence,
nor fearing an evil ending.
This, by Allah, is one who has deceived none but himself,
and death comes suddenly.
A reminder: a man from the nobles of Basra,
and its wealthy men,
He purchased a slave girl of great value.
Her name was Hisn.
She was skilled in singing and dancing.
And she played the lute.
He boarded a ship with her,
sailing down toward Basra.
When the ship was in the deep sea,
and night had fallen,
and the wind had calmed,
he climbed onto the deck of the ship.
He stood up and served wine
to the people on the ship.
He said to his slave girl,
"Sing for us and dance."
There was on the deck of the ship
a righteous young man with a beautiful voice,
who had memorized the entire Qur'an.
He passed by him,
and he was listening,
having been overcome by the wine and the intoxication.
The man said,
"O young woman,
have you ever heard anything better than this?"
—referring to the dancing and singing.
The young woman replied,
"Yes,
I have heard something better than this."
He asked,
"What is better than this?"
Then he said to his slave girl,
"O Hisn,
be silent.
Let us hear what is
better than singing and music."
The young woman spoke.
The man said to the young woman,
"Come, let us hear it."
The young woman immediately,
and in a loud, beautiful voice,
recited the words of Allah:
“Hast thou not seen those unto whom it was said: Withhold your hands, establish worship and pay the poordue, but when fighting was prescribed for them behold! a party of them fear mankind even as their fear of Allah or with greater fear, and say: Our Lord! Why hast Thou ordained fighting for us? If only Thou wouldst give us respite yet a while! Say (unto them, O Muhammad): The comfort of this world is scant; the Hereafter will be better for him who wardeth off (evil); and ye will not be wronged the down upon a date-stone.” (4:77)
"And the Hereafter
is better for those who fear Allah,
and you will not be wronged [even as much as] a thread."
"Wherever you may be,
death will overtake you."
“Wheresoever ye may be, death will overtake you, even though ye were in lofty towers. Yet if a happy thing befalleth them they say: This is from Allah; and if an evil thing befalleth them they say: This is of thy doing (O Muhammad). Say (unto them): All is from Allah. What is amiss with these people that they come not nigh to understand a happening?” (4:78)
The verse made
a profound impact on the man's heart.
His heart was broken,
his hand trembled,
and he poured the wine into the water.
He said, "I bear witness
that this is better than what I was engaged in.
I hear,
I hear something better,
and indeed I have heard something better.
I have heard something better than what I was in."
Then he said,
"Is there anything else, O young woman?"
She said, "Yes."
And she immediately recited,
in a loud and beautiful voice,
the words of Allah:
“Say: (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve. Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers Fire. Its tent encloseth them. If they ask for showers, they will be showered with water like to molten lead which burneth the faces. Calamitous the drink and ill the resting-place!” (18:29)
"So whoever wills—let him believe;
and whoever wills—let him disbelieve.
Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers
a fire whose walls will surround them.
And if they call for relief,
they will be relieved with water like molten copper,
which will scald [their] faces.
Wretched is the drink,
and evil is the resting place."
The man shuddered,
and he smashed all the wine,
throwing it into the sea.
He broke the lute,
and said to the slave girl,
"Repentance, repentance!
Go, for you are free."
He withdrew to a corner of the ship's deck,
repeating,
"I seek forgiveness from Allah.
This is better than what I was in.
I seek forgiveness from Allah.
This is better than what I was in."
Then he said,
"O young woman,
is there a way out for someone like me?"
When she saw that he was broken,
she recited to him the words of the Almighty:
“Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (39:53)
“Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (39:53)
“Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (39:53)
"Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
The man began to tremble and say,
"I bear witness that He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
I bear witness that He is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
Then he pronounced the testimony of faith and died.
He died on the deck of the ship.
Habib Ibn Sa'id says,
"We truly hoped for his salvation;
he died repentant,
seeking forgiveness,
remorseful and broken."
Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned this.
So, O servants of Allah,
repentance, repentance!
And return, return!
The Almighty said:
“Say: Each one doth according to his rule of conduct, and thy Lord is Best Aware of him whose way is right.” (17:84)
And the way of Allah is
pardon, forgiveness, and mercy,
and the acceptance of repentance.
So do not hesitate, O servant of Allah,
to return to Allah,
no matter how great your sins have become.
For He who shielded you under the roof of disobedience
will not abandon you under the wing of repentance.
O Lord, accept our repentance,
and treat us as You are worthy of being treated.
You are the Lord of righteousness and the Lord of forgiveness.
O You who know the secrets we hide,
do not expose our faults.
Grant us well-being and pardon us.
And be with us wherever we are.
O Allah, accept our repentance.
O Allah, accept our repentance.
O Allah, accept our repentance.
Grant us well-being and pardon us.
O Allah, grant us repentance before death,
the testimony of faith at the time of death,
and Paradise and bliss after death.
O Allah, make us among those who, when they sin, seek forgiveness,
when they are tested, show patience,
and when they are blessed, show gratitude.
O Allah, rectify our intentions and our offspring.
O Allah, grant us well-being and pardon us.
Grant us pardon and well-being,
and lasting protection
in our religion, our worldly life, and the Hereafter.
O Allah, just as You have gathered us upon these carpets,
gather us beneath Your Throne,
as loving brothers,
facing one another on thrones of dignity.
O Allah, we ask You for Your pleasure and Paradise,
and we seek refuge in You from Your wrath and the Fire.
O Allah, O Ever-Living, O Sustainer,
do not expose us before Your creation in this world,
nor in the Hereafter.
O Allah, You know our faults, so conceal them.
O Allah, You know our faults, so conceal them.
O Allah, You know our faults, so conceal them.
You know our needs, so fulfill them.
You know our deeds, so accept them.
O Allah, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor,
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands,
and rectify our leaders and those in authority over us.
Support our leader with the truth.
O Allah, grant victory to our soldiers on the borders,
and grant victory to our oppressed brothers everywhere.
O Allah, rectify the situation of our brothers in Sudan,
and above every land and beneath every sky.
Grant victory to our brothers in Palestine.
O Allah, grant victory to our oppressed brothers everywhere.
Our Lord, we have called upon You as You commanded us,
so answer us as You have promised us.
We love You, so do not withhold Your bounty from us because of our sins.
O Allah, send peace and blessings upon our master Muhammad,
and upon all his family and companions.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.