Juma'a Khutbah



6th Safar 1436AH

Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakaatuhu

All praise is due to Allah, Whom we praise and seek help, guidance and forgiveness from. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils within ourselves and from the burden of our evil deeds. He, whom Allah guides, will never be misled; and he whom He allows to stray no one can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah without partners and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.



We ask ALLAH to bestow His salutation upon our master and leader, Muhammad, SAW, his household, his companions and all those who believe in him till the end of time.



O Servants of Allah! Know that our deen requires us to constantly remind one another of our duties.
Insha Allah, our discussion today is focusing on some basic Islamic manners, some of which are well known but not complied with while others are not so clear to some of us.

1. PERSONAL UPKEEP (FITRA)

Good appearance consists of five things, namely: the clipping of the moustache (that is, trimming of hair surrounding the mouth and not cutting it off - God knows best); the paring of the nails; the plucking of the armpits; and the shaving off of the pubic region. There is no harm, however, in shaving off the hair on other parts of the body. Circumcision for men is a tradition (sunnah) of the Prophet (SAW) while for ladies it is a mark of honour.

2. BEARDS

The Prophet (SAW) commanded that beards should be left to grow thick and should not be clipped. According to Malik there is no harm in clipping a little when it is too long. Even though the beard should be kept, it must be kept clean and trimmed to fit such that the personality looks attractive and not scaring.

3. DYING HAIR

Some other jurists from among the Companions of the Prophet and the generation that came after them said it is reprehensible to colour it black, but this is not prohibited. However, there is no harm in colouring the beard with henna or 'katam' (the latter gives the hair a yellow colour while the former gives it a red one). Dyeing the hair black to hide the age is deception and it is disliked.

4. USE OF SILK AND GOLD

The Prophet (SAW) prohibited men from wearing silken clothes, and gold or iron rings. There is no harm in wearing rings decorated with silver or having sword or Qur'an cases decorated with silver, but this does not apply to bridles, saddles or knives, nor to other things.

However, women are allowed to have golden rings but not iron ones. In the choice of the finger upon which to wear rings, it is narrated that the left hand is preferred, since the right hand is employed in most actions. The wearer of the ring shall take it by the right hand and put it on the left. Opinions of jurists differ as to the lawfulness of the wearing of 'khazz' material (a mixture of silk and wool). Some say it is lawful and others consider it reprehensible. Similarly, it is reprehensible to make designs on cloth with khazz except where these are thin lines.

5. EXCESS AND DEFECT IN CLOTHING

Women are forbidden to wear thin clothes which reveal their shapes when they go out. A man must not wear oversized clothes out of arrogance or some dress out of conceit. A man's clothes must be above his ankles. Doing this keeps his cloths cleaner, and this is a greater mark of piety. We should be guided that what is prohibited for men is wearing clothes that sweep the ground. A woman is, however, allowed to have her clothes sweep the ground and yet it will not invalidate her prayers.

It is prohibited for a person to wrap his body in his blanket in such a way that he joins its two ends on the left shoulder and the dress coming from beneath the right shoulder - this when he has no underwear. Jurists are at variance as to the lawfulness of this when the person is wearing underwear.

6. COVERING PRIVATE PARTS

Besides, a Muslim shall be ordered to always cover his private parts. The wrapper of a believing Muslim shall extend to his shins. The thigh, besides, is deemed to be a part of the private parts, although strictly speaking it is not part of the private parts. A man must not enter a public bath without pants on. A woman must not enter a public bath except out of necessity. The public bath referred to here is one where there is no privacy and the private part of the people are exposed to others using the public bath. Where there is privacy, like our baths at home, it is not disallowed.
Two men or two women must not wrap themselves in a single blanket.

7. SEEING WOMEN

A man must not seclude himself with a woman other than one whom between him and her a bar to marriage exists. But there is no harm in him seeing her for a lawful cause such as testifying against her, or other such reasons, or when he courts her. However he is permitted to see the face of an elderly woman, for any reason.

8. FALSE HAIR AND TATTOOS

Women are forbidden to attach someone else's hair to their own; they are also prohibited from tattooing their body.

9. PUTTING ON FOOTWEAR

When a person comes to wear boots and shoes let him start with the right foot. However, there is no harm in putting shoes on in a standing posture. It is however reprehensible to walk about with a single shoe on.

We shall try to elaborate on some of the issues raised herein in subsequent discussions, insha Allah.



O Servants of Allah! Fear Him and perform the responsibilities about which you will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection. Allah the Almighty says: “O you who believe, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are (appointed) angels, harsh and severe, they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.” (Q66: 6). Ensure that you and your ward do not go about the street naked as it has become customary in this age. Ensure that you teach your household the Islamic manners and live by example.



O servants of Allah! Discharge your responsibilities properly and know that your limbs will testify against you on the Day of Resurrection. Allah says: “Until, when they reach it (Hell-fire), their hearing (ears) and their eyes and their skins will testify against them of what they used to do. And they will say to their skins, ‘Why have you testified against us?’ They will say, ‘We were made to speak by Allah, who has made everything speak; and He created you the first time, and to Him you are returned. And you were not covering [i.e. protecting] yourselves (in the world by fearing Allah) lest your hearing testify against you or your sight or your skins, but you assumed that Allah does not know much of what you do. And that was your assumption which you assumed about your Lord. It has brought you to ruin, and you have become among the losers.’” (Q41:20- 23)



PART 2

Alhamdulillah for His favours and uncountable blessings upon us all. I seek His benediction on the Holy prophet (noblest of all mankind), his household and all those who believe in his messenger-ship till the day of reckoning.



O servants of the All-Merciful! Know that when we submit to Allah, He loves us and provides protection and guidance. From this guidance, we derive further pleasure in doing Allah’s bidding and distancing ourselves from all things that He has asked us to stay away from. He, in addition, makes the understanding of the deen easy for us. When we now feel a sense of accomplishment, what then can make salvation on the Day of Qiyaamah a difficult task for us?



Today is a world filled with desires, struggle, greed and unhealthy rivalry. This state of affair has created several challenges that we are all grappling with day-in-day-out. Despite our desires and struggles, we can only get what Allah has destined for us and nothing beyond that. Allah reminds us in this regard when He stated that “Allah is very Kind and Gracious to His slaves. He gives provisions to whom He wills.” Q42:19. To assure you that you can only get what He has planned for you He stated thus: “And if Allah were to enlarge the provision for His slaves (as they all request) they would surely rebel in the earth but He sends down by measure as He wills.” Q42:27. Clearly, Allah has a purpose why some are rich and others are not. It is a way of maintaining equilibrium in His creation and also show the value of wealth.



O servants of Allah! I urge you and me to learn good moral and be focused upon the Lord for our needs. We should specifically request Allah for what will benefit our life of this world and the life of the hereafter “and wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others” (Q4:32). This verse was revealed to help man manage his desires and supplications. In our quest to have good things of life we make supplications to Allah to give us the likeness of what He has provided someone else. Brethren! Be focused on your goal which should be ridwanullah, the achievement of pleasing Allah, our Creator. Do not desire what Allah has given to others and in the process you either get lost or unnecessarily envious.



It is my sincere advice that you do not end up a poor man which the Prophet (SAW) admonished his companions about. Abu Hurayrah (RA) narrated that Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "Do you know who is poor?” They (the Companions of the Prophet) said: “A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth.” He (the Prophet(SAW) said: “The poor of my ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-fire."- Muslim



O servants of Allah! Know that there is nothing wrong with poverty where Islam is firmly rooted as the institution of Zakah and the Baitil Maal (Public Treasury) are there to support the needy while the rich neighbour would also come in handy to provide support. However, these are mere ideals which the Muslims read and speak about without action. This situation makes poverty painful, pitiable and detestable. This same situation has provided the impetus for fraud and violent crimes that have put the security and peace of society and mankind in jeopardy.



O servants of Allah! Know the promise of Allah that: "indeed after having exhorted (man), We have laid it down in all the books of Divine wisdom that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth." (Q 21:1O5). Our salvation lies in obedience to Allah and His Rasul. May Allah bestow His guidance and protection upon you and I to be able to resist Shaytan and his agents in all our worldy and spiritual activities that will lead us to a life of submission and dedication to the path of his chosen and beloved Prophet, Muhammad (SAW) and make the end of our lives at periods when our good deeds are at their peak.



Aquulu qawliy hadha wastagfirullah liy walakum innahu huwal ghafurun Raheem. Wassalamun alal mursaleen wal hamdulillahi rabbil aalameen.

Source

Jic