Part one


Praise be to Allah, the Most High, the Most Omnipotent! I thank Him –may He be exalted– for


His abundant favours and overwhelming benevolence, and I bear witness that there is no deity


worthy of worship except Allah alone with no associate. He has no match and no equal. I also


bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, the herald of glad


tidings and a warner and the lamp(lighting our way). O Allah!Send your Salat(Graces, Honours,


Mercy) and Peace onto Your Servant and Messenger, Muhammad, his family, and his pious,


righteous, and benevolent Companions.


Nowthen,


I urge you, servants of Allah, to fear Allah. Fear the day you will be brought before Allah, when


each soul will be duly rewarded and brought to account as it has earned. Whoever does an


atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does am atom’s weight of evil


will see it [Az-Zalzalah: 7-8]


O Muslims! If people, in pursuit of their aspirations, follow various paths believing that their


efforts will bring them what they want and help them realize their aspirations toa high standard


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of living and happiness, true believers are the forerunners in this respect. With their insight and


sound opinion, their living hearts, and uprightness on the straight path, granted to them by


Allah,theywillgain a sublime rank and the promised reward mentioned in Allah’s following


words, Verily, those who say: "Our Lord is Allâh (Alone)," and then they


stand firm, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death)


(saying): "Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise


which you have been promised! [Fussilat: 30]. Allah () also says, Verily, those


who say: "Our Lord is (only) Allâh," and thereafter stand firm and straight


on the Islâmic Faith of Monotheism, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they


grieve. [Al-Ahqaf: 13]


Hence, when Sufian ibn Abdullah Al-Thaqafi asked the Prophet () to tell him something in


Islam about which he may never ask anyone else, the Prophet answered, “Say I believe in Allah,


then keepyourselfupright.” [Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih]


Scholars say that this uprightness means following the straight path which is the true faith free


from crookedness. It involves performing all acts of worship, overt or covert, and abandoning all


acts of disobedience. The essence of uprightness is rooted in the heart’s uprightness on tawheed


(monotheism). Abu Bakr () and ohers explained the Qur’ānic verse, Verily, those who


say: "Our Lord is (only) Allâh," and thereafter stand firm and straight… as


“Those who took no notice of anything else, but stood firm in their belief that Allah is their


Lord.” If the heart, as the king of the other body parts, stood firm and straight on believing in the


oneness of Allah, fearing Him, glorifying Him, exalting Him, praying Him, supplicating Him,


loving Him, relying on Him, returning to Him, surrendering to Him, seeking Him and rejecting


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others, theremaining parts of the body would also stand firm in obeying Allah by observing


fara’idh (religious duties), keeping away from nawahi (forbidden acts), and gettingclose to Him


by nawafil (voluntary acts of worship). It is mentioned in the two Sahihs that Nu’man ibn Bashir


() reported that the Prophet () said, “There isalittle lump of flesh in the body; if it is good,


the whole body will be good; if it is bad, the whole body will be bad. It is the heart.”


The next part of the body that should receive care and attention after the heart is the tongue. It is


the mouthpiece of the heart and the revealer of its concealed emotions. In his Musnad (a book of


Hadith), Imam Ahmad narrated with a good chain of narration, on the authority of Anas ibn


Malik () that the Prophet () said, “Nobody’s belief may be upright unless his heart is


upright, and nobody’s heart may be upright unless his tongue is upright.” However, human


weak and deficient disposition makes absolute uprightness hard to achieve throughout life. It is


inevitable for human beings to go astray here and there and to commitacts of dereliction in


performing religious duties on the way that pleases Allah. Therefore, Allah,the Almighty (),


has guided us to istighfar (asking Allah’s forgiveness) which should be coupled with sincere


repentance.


The sinner thereby returns to his senses and to obeying his Lord. Allah says, Say (O


Muhammad ): "I am only a human being like you. It is revealed to me that


your Ilâh (God) is One Ilâh (God - Allâh), therefore take Straight Path to


Him (with true Faith - Islâmic Monotheism) and obedience to Him, and seek


forgiveness of Him. And woe to Al-Mushrikûn (the polytheists, idolaters,


disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh)[Fussilat: 6]. In the Musnad of Imam Ahmad and


the Sunan (a book of Hadith) of Ibn Baja with a good chain of narration Thawban () was


reported to have said, quoting the Prophet () as saying, “Keepupright, and you will not go


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astray. Let it be known to you that prayers are the best of your deeds, and that none but a


believer maintains his wudu (ablutions).”


Therefore, in the hadith narrated by the Two Sheikhs (Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim), on the


authority of Abu Huraira that the Prophet (), while ordering those who have strayed or deviated


from the straight path, said, “Saddidū wa qāribū” which means “Befirm, steadfast and


balanced!” The Arabic word “sadād” means (to be right on target) in words, actions and


intentions, and this is the essence of istiqāmah (uprightness). “Muqārabah,” by analogy, means


to try be as close as possibleto the target with the intention to hit it and not to miss it. This is


mentioned in ahadith narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad and by Abu Dawud in his Sunan,


with a good chain of narration, on the authority of Al-Hakam ibn Al-Hazan Al-Kalfi that the


Prophet () said, “O people! You will not be able to carry out or withstand all that I ordered


you, so be firm, steadfast and rejoice(at the good news).”


Therefore, servants of Allah, fear Allah and make of your commitment toistiqāmah (uprightness)


the best means and the most straightforward path to follow towards attainingwell-being in this


life. Blessed be those who stand firm and upright on Allah’s commandments, and blessed be


those who attain Allah’s satisfaction and dwell in His Paradise.


May Allah grant me and you the benefit of the guidance of His Book and of the Sunnah of His


Prophet ()! I say this and ask Allah to forgiveyou and me and all Muslims of all sins; He is the


All Forgiving!


Part two


All praise be to Allah! We thank Him and seek His aid. We ask His forgiveness and we seek


refuge in Him from the evils of ourselves and from our evil deeds. He whom Allah guides, may


never go astray, and he whom Allah allows to go astray will never find guidance. I bear witness


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that there is no deity except Allah alone with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is


His Servant and Messenger. O Allah send YourSalat(Graces, Honours, Mercy) and Peace onto


Your Servant and Messenger, Muhammad, as You have sent Your Salat onto Ibrahim and his


family, and send Your Blessings onto Muhammad and his family as You have sent Your


blessings onto Ibrahim and his family, for You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious!


Now then,


What indeed helps Allah’s servants to observe istiqāmah is to remember the aim behind His


creation. Allah, may Hebe exalted, has created mankind for the sole purpose of worshipping


Him. Allah () says, And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except


that they should worship Me (Alone). 57. I seek not any provision from


them (i.e. provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that


they should feed Me (i.e. feed themselves or My creatures). Verily, Allâh ()


is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong.[Adh-Dhariyat: 56-58]


Thinking of this aim calls for the glorification and love of Allah () in a way that brings man


soundness of the heart, and makes him return to his Lord in obedience, get closer to Him,


renounce what He has forbidden, and abandon suspicious acts as a precaution against sins. By


contrast, negligence of the intended aim causes hardheartedness that may lead to deviation from


the straight path and ultimately tumble the offender into the abysses of disobedience and the dark


recesses of sin. The consequence would be total loss; we seek refuge in Allah. Therefore,


servants of Allah, I urge you to fear Allah and to stand upright on Allah’s command. Send your


salat and peace unto the best of Allah’s mankind –Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah– as you have been


ordered to do in Allah’s Book:Allâh sends His Salât (Graces, Honours, Blessings,


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Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad ), and also His angels (ask Allâh to


bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salât on (ask Allâh to


bless) him (Muhammad ), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the


Islâmic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As-Salâmu ‘Alaikum).[Al-Ahzab: 56]


O Allah! Send Your Salat(Graces, Honours, Mercy) and Peace on Your Servant and


Messenger Muhammad! O Allah! Be pleased with his four Caliphs, Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman


and Ali, on all the Companions of Your Prophet Muhammad (), and the tabi’în, and those who


righteously followed them till the Day of Judgment! O Allah! Be pleased with us all, along with


them, by Your pardon and generosity, O You, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate!


O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims! O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims! O


Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims! O Allah! Rout polytheism and polytheists (who


associate partners with You) and all the tyrant corruptors! O Allah! Unite the hearts of the


Muslims and their ranks, set right their leaders, and unite them on what is right! O Lord of the


worlds! Grant victory to Your Religion, Your Holy Book, Your Prophet’s Sunnah, and Your true


mujahideen and servants!


O Allah! Grant us security in our homelands, and set right our Imams and leaders! O Allah!


Entrust our government to those who fear You and seek Your satisfaction! O Lord of the


Worlds! O Allah! Guide our leader, his deputies and brothers to do and say whatever you please


and accept, O You the Ever-Living, the Eternal Guardian, to Whom everything returns on the


Day of Judgment! O Allah! O Allah! Protect us against Your enemies and ours in any way that


pleases You, O Lord of al-'ālamîn (the Worlds)! O Allah! Protect us against Your enemies and


ours in any way that pleases You, O Lord of al-'ālamîn! O Allah! We leave Your enemies and


ours to You (to deal with them) and seek refuge in You from their evils! We leave Your enemies


and ours to You and seek refuge in You from their evils!


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O Allah! Make better our religion which is our bond, and make better our Dunya (life in this


world) which is the source of our living, and make better our Hereafter towhich we are returning,


and make life for us an increase of all that is good, and death arelief from every evil!


O Allah! We ask You to guide us to do good deeds, forsake reprehensible actions and love the


needy! O Allah! We ask You to forgive us and have mercy upon us! O Allah! If You want to


send an affliction on a nation, we beseech You to take our lives before your affliction is sent!


(They say): "Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after


You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the


Bestower." [al-Imran: 8]. They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If


You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly


be of the losers." [al-A’raf: 23]. Our Lord! Cure our sick, have mercy on our dead, and help


us realize our aspirations in what pleases You!


… Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter


that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire![Al-Baqarah:


201]


O Allah! Send Your Salat (Graces, Honours, and Mercy) and Peace on Your Servant and


Messenger, Muhammad, his familyand Companions!And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of


the Worlds!