Part One


Praise be to Allah. Praise be to Allah, the All-Mighty, the Most Forgiving, and the


All-knower of what is in the breasts. He has bestowed His favours upon us and upon all


mankind and has saved whom He wills from all evils and punishments.I praise my Lord


and thank Him. I turn to Him in repentance and ask Him for forgiveness. I bear witness


that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, the Most Forbearing and Most


Appreciative of good deeds, and I bear witness that our prophet and master, Muhammad,


is His servant and Messenger. O Allah! Bestow Your peace, prayers, and blessings upon


Your servant and messenger Muhammad and upon his family and Companions, whose


striving was appreciated by Allah and whose deeds were accepted by Him.


O Muslims!


Fear Allah by doing deeds that are pleasing to Him and avoiding acts of


disobedience to Him, for our Lord is the One Who deservesto be feared and is the One


Who forgives.


Servants of Allah!


Blessed are those who possess the traits and qualities that Allah loves and accepts,


in addition to their deep faith and certainty, and wretched are those who have detestable


traits and reprehensible qualities.Indeed, the success of this ummahlies in following in the


footsteps of its earliest generations of Muslims, who led an ascetic life,certain of the great


rewards Allah has in store for the believers. Conversely, the destruction of this ummah


lies in holding fast to this life and clinging to futile worldly ambitions.


2


The type of asceticism that we ought to practice is that in which we abstain from


forbidden acts, restrain from encroaching upon people’s property or taking their lives,


avoid unlawful earnings, shun doubtful matters in religion, and give people their due


rights regarding debts and trusts. Any good deeds done beyond this are additional acts of


goodness, virtue, and righteousness that purify those who observe them and cleanse their


souls. Indeed, Islam recommends such acts, and Allah abundantly rewards those who do


them and elevates their ranks in the hereafter. It is also by virtue of these acts that Allah


keeps the righteous servants from disgrace and evil death and makes their ending a happy


one. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can; listen


and obey, and spend in charity; that is better for yourselves. And


whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, then they are the


successful. (At-Taghabun: 16)


Eternal success is a rank that a servant attains by Allah’s mercy. Allah, Exalted be


He, has describes His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and those who


believed with him as the ones who will be successful. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


But the Messenger (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him)


and those who believed with him (in Islamic Monotheism) strove


hard and fought with their wealth and their lives (in Allah’s Cause).


Such are they for whom are the good things, and it is they who will


be successful. (At-Tawbah: 88)


Generosity, purity of heart, clearness of conscience, and good moral character are


all qualities that fit and always accompany an ascetic life.These and similar qualities, or


even any one of them, will lead those who possess them into Paradise in peace, as long as


they have a sound creed.


3


Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said:


“We were once sitting with the Messenger of Allah, peace and


blessings be upon him, when he said, ‘A man from the people of


Paradise will now enter.’ Thereupon, a man from Al-Ansar(the


inhabitants of Al-Madinah who helped the Muslim emigrants from


Makkah (Al-Muhajirun))entered, with his beard dripping with water


from wudhu’(ablution), and holding his sandals in his left hand. The


following day, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon


him, said the same thing and the same man entered, as he did in the


first time. On the third day, the Messenger of Allah, peace and


blessings be upon him, again repeated his statement and the same


man entered in the same condition as he was in the first time. When


Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, had left,


Abdullah Ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, followed the man


and said to him, ‘I quarrelled with my father and I swore not to go


home for three days. Would you shelter me until these three days have


passed?’ the man replied, ‘Yes.’


Abdullah said that he stayed with this man for three nights and he did


not see him performing voluntary prayers at night, but every time he


moved and turned in bed he would remember Allah and say, ‘Allah is


the Greatest’. He would do so until he woke up for the Dawn Prayer.


Abdullah added, ‘But I didn’t hear anything from him but good.’


The three nights passed, and I still thought that the man’s deeds were


not as great as I had expected. I said to the man, ‘O Servant of


Allah!In fact, I did not abandon my father nor was I angry with him.


I only heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,


speaking of you on three separate occasions, saying, “A man from the


4


people of Paradise will now enter,” and you were the one who entered


each time. So, I wanted to stay with you to see what you did so that I


could follow your example, but I have not seen you do much. So what


is it that you do which made Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings


be upon him, say what he said?’ The man replied, ‘Nothing more than


what you have seen.’


When I was about to leave, he called me back and said, ‘Nothing more


than what you have seen, except that I do not bear in myself any


insincerity towards any Muslim and I never envy anyone for


something good that Allah has given him.’ Abdullah then said, ‘It is


this,then, that has made you one of the people of Paradise.’”


(Reported by Ahmad and An-Nasa’i, with an authenticated chain of


transmission (isnad sahih))


Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-‘As, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said,


“I once said, “O Messenger of Allah! ‘Which of the people is best?’ He said, ‘Every


believer who is clean-hearted and truthful in speech.’ We said, ‘O Messenger of


Allah!What does it mean to be clean-hearted?’ He said, ‘It means having a pious,


pure heart, in which there is no rancour, insincerity, injustice, or envy’”(Reported by


Ibn Majah with an authenticate chain of transmission (isnad sahih)).


On the other hand, craving to amass worldly possessions by lawful and unlawful


meansis one of the diseases of the heart and one of the causes of destruction and having


blessing removed from one’s provision, as well as one of the causes of great harm that is


bound to occur sooner or later.Cupidity is always matched and accompanied with


miserliness and covetousness. Miserliness is one of the detestable traits that Allah,


Exalted be He, hates. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that Allah’s


Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “A generous person is close to


Allah, close to people, close to Paradise, and far away from Hellfire. A miserly


5


person is far from Allah, far from people, far from Paradise, and close to Hellfire.


Allah loves an ignorant man who is generous more than a miserly man who is


devoted to worship”(Reported by At-Tirmidhi).


Miserliness means withholding zakah and obligatory expenses, refusing to give


alms to beggars or to honour one’s guests, and desisting from spending on good causes


from one’s surplus wealth. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient, and


denies Al-Husna [the Best; a reward from Allah], We will make


smooth for him the path for evil; and what will his wealth avail him


when he goes down (in destruction). (Al-Layl: 8-11)


Allah, Exalted be He, also says about the hypocrites:


The hypocrites, men and women, are one from another; they enjoin


(on the people) Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief and polytheism of all kinds


and all that Islam has forbidden), and forbid (people) from Al-


Ma’ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do),


and they close their hands [from giving (spending in Allah’s Cause)


alms] . . . (At-Tawbah: 67)


The words “they close their hands” in the verse means they are too miserly to spend on


the various charitable causes.


Covetousness is far worse than miserliness. Covetousness is craving to get hold of


other people’s wealth and seize their rights and seeking to obtain them and add them to


one’s own possessions, unjustly and maliciously, motivated by cupidity and competition


for this transient and deceptive life. This is all done out of envy, underestimation of the


torment of Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him, lack of fear of the Lord, Glorified and


Exalted be He, and forgetfulness of all the dire consequences awaiting covetous misers.


6


The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, warned us against


covetousness. Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that Allah’s


Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said,“Beware of injustice, for injustice


will be darkness on the Day of Judgement. Beware of covetousness, for covetousness


destroyed those before you. It caused them to shed one another’s blood and to make


lawful what was unlawful” (Reported by Muslim).


Abdullah ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said that the


Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,“Beware of obscene words


or deeds, for Allah does not like obscene words or obscene deeds. And beware of


covetousness, for it destroyed those before you. It commanded them to commit


injustice and they committed it; it commanded them to engage in wickedness and


they did; and it commanded them to sever ties of kinship, and they did” (Reported


by Ahmad and Abu Dawud).


Abul-Hayyaj Al-Asadi said, “While I was going around the Ka’bah, I found a


man supplicating, ‘O Allah! Save me from the covetousness within me.’ He would not


add anything to this supplication. I asked him about the reason for saying this and he said,


‘If I am saved from covetousness, I will not be stealing, nor fornicating, nor doing


anything wrong.’ It turned out that this man was ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, may Allah be


pleased with him” (Reported by Jarir).


Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of


Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The worst two qualities in a man are


restless covetousness and unrestrained cowardice”(Reported by Ahmad and Abu


Dawud).


One of the portents of the Hour is that covetousness will fill people’s


hearts.Covetousness leads to the spread of aggression, injustice, oppression, severance of


the ties of kinship, tribulations, and collecting money by any means, whether lawful or


7


unlawful. It may even lead to killing. Covetousness will continue to spread until the earth


throws out its riches of gold and silver like columns and every group of people will think


that this is happening only in their own land, but in truth this will be happening all over


the world. When this happens, no one will get any benefit from having gold or silver. The


murderer will then say, “Was it for this that I committed murder?” Similarly, the one who


severs the ties of kinship will say, “was it for this that I severed the ties of kinship?”, and


the thief will say, “Was it for this that my hands were cut off?” This is one of the signs of


the Hour.


Allah, Exalted be He, says:


Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world.


But the good righteous deeds, that last, are better with your Lord


for rewards and better in respect of hope. (Al-Kahf: 46)


May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur’an and make us benefit from its


verses and wise words and benefit from the guidance and right sayings of the Master of


all Messengers. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah for


myself, for you, and for all Muslims for any sin we have committed. Ask Allah for


forgiveness. He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.


8


Part Two


Praise be to Allah, the Owner ofthedominion andthe sovereignty, the Owner of


Might and Power, the Ever-Living One Who never dies. I bear witness that there is no


god but Allah alone, Who has no partners. To Him belongs the dominion, and to Him


belongs all praise, and He is Powerful over all things. I also bear witness that our prophet


and master Muhammad is His servant and messenger, who was sent with clear proofs and


guidance. O Allah! Bestow Your prayers, peace, and blessings upon Your servant and


messenger Muhammad, and upon his family and Companions, the torch bearers who


dispelled the darkness and the leaders of guidance.


O Muslims!


Fear Allah as He should be feared, and grasp the trustworthy handhold of Islam.


Servants of Allah!


Too much hope in this life lessens one’s good deeds and makes one oblivious of


the hereafter. Whims and desires holdoneback from following the truth.Beware of


following the lusts of the flesh. Honour the sacred ordinances of Allah and do not


transgress His limits.Do not encroach on the rights of Muslims and the rights of your


neighbours.


Today is the time for working and striving, but tomorrow is the time for


judgement and reckoning. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


And say (O Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) “Do


deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger (peace


and blessings be upon him) and the believers. And you will be


brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Then


He will inform you of what you used to do.” (At-Tawbah: 105)


9


The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The feet of a son of Adam


shall not move [from before his Lord] on the Day of Judgement until he is asked


about four things: about his life, what he spent it on; about his youth, what he wore


it out in; about his wealth, how he earned it and what he spent it on; and about his


knowledge, what he did with it.”


Therefore, do good deeds as much as you can in this world, and let not the


splendour of the worldly life delude you as it had deluded those who were destroyed


before you.


Servants of Allah!


Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy, etc.) on


the Prophet (Muhammad(peace and blessings be upon him)) and


also His angels too (ask Allah to bless and forgive him). O you who


believe! Send your Salat on (ask Allah to bless) him (Muhammad


(peace and blessings be upon him)), and (you should) greet (salute)


him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation, i.e. As-Salamu


‘Alaikum). (Al-Ahzab: 56)


The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If a person asks Allah to send


blessings upon me once, Allah will send blessings upon him ten times over.”


Therefore, ask Allah to bestow His peace and blessings on the master of those


who preceded us and those who are yet to come, and the Imam of Messengers.


O Allah! Bestow Your peace upon Muhammad and his family, as You bestowed


Your peace on Ibrahim and his family; You are All-Praiseworthy and All-Glorious. O


Allah! Bestow Your blessings upon Muhammad and his family, as You bestowed Your


blessings on Ibrahim and his family; You are All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious. O Allah!


Bestow Your bountiful peace and blessings upon Muhammad and his family.


10


O Allah! Be pleased with all the Prophet’s Companions and the four Rightly-


Guided Caliphs and leading imams, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali and the rest of his


Companions, and the contemporaries of the Companions who did not see the Prophet,


peace and blessings be upon him (Tabi’un), as well as those who follow them in


righteousness until the Day of Judgment. O Allah! Be pleased with us along with them,


by Your grace, munificence, and mercy, O Most Merciful of all the merciful!


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


glory to Islam and Muslims. O Allah! Grant power and glory to Islam and Muslims,


subdue disbelief and the disbelievers, and destroy Your enemies, the enemies of the


religion, O Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! We turn to You and ask You, O Allah, to grant victory to Your Book


and to the sunnah of Your Prophet, O Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Grant victory to


Your Book and the sunnah of Your Prophet, O All-Mighty! O Most Strong!


O Allah! Make all our affairs end in goodness and save us from disgrace in this


world and from torment in the hereafter. O Allah! We seek refuge in You from the evil


within ourselves and from our wicked deeds. We seek refuge in You from the evil of all


evil-doers, O You Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! We ask You to protect us and our offspring from the accursed Satan, and


from his offspring, devils, and soldiers, O You Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Protect all


Muslims and their offspring from the accursed Satan; You are Powerful over all things.


O Allah! Bring together the hearts of Muslims. O Allah! Bring together the hearts


of Muslims, reconcile them, guide them to the ways of peace, and grant them victory over


Your enemy and their enemy, O Lord of the Worlds! You are Powerful over all things.


O Allah! Clothe the undressed among them and feed the hungry among them. O


Allah! Provide shelter to the homeless among them, O Lord of the Worlds!


11


O Allah! O Owner of Majesty and Honour! I ask You to ease our tasks, to ease


the tasks of every Muslim, man or woman, and to ease the tasks of every believer, man or


woman. O Allah! Do not leave us to ourselves for a blinkof aneye or less than that, O


Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! Protect our country from every evil and adversity. O Allah! Protect our


country from the evil of oppressors and transgressors.


O Allah! Guide the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to what You love and


accept. O Allah! Lead him to Your guidance and make all his deeds pleasing to You, O


Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Guide him to support Your religion; You are Powerful over


all things. O Allah! Bless him with good health, O Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Guide


the Crown Prince to what You love and accept and to all that is good, O Lord of the


Worlds! O Allah! Guide them to all that is good; You are Powerful over all things.


O Allah! Save us from high living costs and from plagues, usury, adultery,


earthquakes, trials, and evil tribulations, apparent and hidden. You are Powerful over all


things, O Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! Forgive the sins of our dead and the sins of all dead Muslims. O Allah!


Forgive the sins of our dead and the sins of all dead Muslims. O Allah! Forgive the sins


of all Muslims, men and women, and all believers, men and women, dead and alive.


O Allah! We turn to You and ask You to send down rain upon us. O Allah! Send


down rain upon us. O Allah! Send down rain that saves us, O Lord of the Worlds! Send


us blessed, bountiful rain, with which You give life to the land and rescue Your servants.


O Allah! Make it sufficient to city-dwellers and desert-dwellers; You are Powerful over


all things.


12


Servants of Allah!


Verily, Allah enjoins Al-Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but


Allah Alone - Islamic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsan [i.e. to be patient in


performing your duties to Allah, totally for Allah’s sake and in


accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet (peace and


blessings be upon him) in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith


and kin (i.e. all that Allah has ordered you to give them, e.g., wealth,


visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help, etc.): and


forbids Al-Fahsha’ (i.e. all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts,


disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to


kill a life without right, etc.), and Al-Munkar (i.e. all that is prohibited


by Islamic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of


evil deeds, etc.), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression), He


admonishes you, that you may take heed.) And fulfil the Covenant of


Allah (Bai’a: pledge for Islam) when you have covenanted, and break


not the oaths after you have confirmed them, and indeed you have


appointed Allah your surety. Verily! Allah knows what you do. (An-


Nahl: 90-91)


Remember Allah, the Great, the Sublime, and He will remember you. Thank Him


for His favours and He will give you more. Verily, remembrance of Allah is greater than


all, and Allah knows what you do.