Part One


Praise be to Allah, Who has created everything, and measured it precisely


according to its due measurements.


... He makes the night to go in the day and makes the


day to go in the night. And He has subjected the sun and


the moon. Each running (on a fixed course) for an


appointed term. Verily, He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-


Forgiving. (Az-Zumar: 5)


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


One, the All-Dominant, and I bear witness that our prophet and master, Muhammad, is


His servant and messenger, and His chosen prophet. O Allah! Bestow Your prayers,


peace, and blessings upon Your servant and messenger Muhammad and upon his family


and Companions, the pious, righteous people.


O Muslims!


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


for if anyone fears Allah, Allah will save him from all evils and sins that doom one to


Hell and protect him from disgraceful punishments, and in the hereafter he will gain the


good pleasure of his Lord and attain the Gardens of Paradise.


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Servants of Allah!


Your Lord, Might and Majesty be to Him, has made this worldly life an abode for


doing deeds, where each one has an appointed term, and He has made the hereafter an


abode for judgment for what we did on earth, with reward for the good deeds and


punishment for the evil deeds. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that


is in the earth, that He may requite those who do evil with


that which they have done (i.e. punish them in Hell), and


reward those who do good, with what is best (i.e.


Paradise). (An-Najm: 31)


Allah, Exalted be He, also says:


Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an


adornment for it, in order that We may test them


(mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds. [i.e.


those who do good deeds in the most perfect manner, that


means to do them (deeds) totally for Allah’s sake and in


accordance to the legal ways of the Prophet, peace and


blessings be upon him]. (Al-Kahf: 7)


Allah helps people in worshipping Him, which is the reason why He created


them, by subjecting His creatures to them and by providing them with the means and


ways to do so. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


See you not (O men) that Allah has subjected for you


whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the


earth, and has completed and perfected His Graces upon


you, (both) apparent (i.e. Islamic Monotheism, and the


lawful pleasures of this world, including health, good looks,


etc.) and hidden (i.e. One’s Faith in Allah (of Islamic


Monotheism) knowledge, wisdom, guidance for doing


righteous deeds, and also the pleasures and delights of the


Hereafter in Paradise, etc.)? ... (Luqman: 20)


Allah, Exalted be He, says:


Allah, it is He Who has subjected to you the sea, that


ships may sail through it by His Command, and that you


may seek of His Bounty, and that you may be thankful.


And [He] has subjected to you all that is in the heavens


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and all that is in the earth; it is all as a favour and


kindness from Him. Verily, in it are signs for a people who


think deeply. (Al-Jathiyah: 12-13)


Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him, also says:


... and He has made rivers (also) to be of service to you.


And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly


pursuing their courses, to be of service to you; and He has


made the night and the day, to be of service to you. And


He gave you of all that you asked from Him, and if you


count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to


count them. Verily! Man is indeed an extreme wrong-doer,


a disbeliever (an extreme ingrate who denies Allah’s


Blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides


Allah, and by disobeying Allah and His Prophet


Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him). (Ibrahim:


32-34)


If man reflects upon all the gifts and blessings that Allah has endowed him with;


if he ponders on the traits and qualities that Allah has attributed to him, such as the ability


to do good deeds and shun sinful and prohibited acts; if he realizes that the hereafter is


the eternal abode, either for everlasting bliss or for painful torment; if man realizes all


that, he will not waste his time and will make full use of it, he will never miss a chance to


act righteously in every instance, and will then reform his life by observing the principles


of the true religion so that his life may be better for him and for his offspring and may


end in goodness.


If a man’s life is not ruled by the straight religion, it is worthless, and if any life in


this world is not dominated by the religion of Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him, it is


devoid of all blessings. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment


of this world), We readily grant him what We will for whom


We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him


Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and rejected (– far


away from Allah’s Mercy). And whoever desires the


Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due


for it (i.e. do righteous deeds of Allah’s Obedience) while


he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic


Monotheism) – then such are the ones whose striving shall


be appreciated (thanked and rewarded by Allah). On each


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– these as well as those – We bestow from the Bounties of


your Lord. And the Bounties of your Lord can never be


forbidden. (Al-Isra’: 18-20)


Allah, Exalted be He, also says:


So let not their wealth or their children amaze you (O


Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him); in reality


Allah’s Plan is to punish them with these things in the life


of the this world, and that their souls shall depart (die)


while they are disbelievers. (At-Tawbah: 55)


Allah, Exalted be He, also says:


Say (O Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him):


“Who has forbidden the adornment with clothes given by


Allah, which He has produced for his slaves, and At-


Taiyibat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) things] of food?” Say:


“They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe,


(and) exclusively for them (believers) on the Day of


Resurrection (the disbelievers will not share them).” ...


(Al-A‘raf: 32)


O sensible people! Do you have any doubt that life in this world is nothing but a


transient joy and a short-lived pleasure? If you are heedless of this, then learn lessons


from those who preceded you, for in that is indeed a lesson to people of understanding. If


you, O you who are morally accountable for your deeds, understand the verses in which


Allah, Exalted be He, says:


Nay, you prefer the life of this world; although the


Hereafter is better and more lasting. (Al-A‘la: 16-17),


then work for the everlasting hereafter and toil hard for the unchanging, never-ending


bliss, so that you may be saved from a burning fire with a far-reaching pit, whose


dwellers get their food from the infernal tree of Zaqqum and drink scalding water and


dirty pus. Allah, Exalted be He, says:


... Then as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will


be cut out for them, boiling water will be poured down


over their heads. With it will melt (or vanish away) what is


within their bellies, as well as (their) skins. And for them


are hooked rods of iron (to punish them). Every time they


seek to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be


5


driven back therein, and (it will be) said to them: “Taste


the torment of burning!” (Al-Hajj: 19-22)


Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of


Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,


“The man who had the most luxurious life in this world from among


the dwellers of Hell will be brought and dipped in the Fire but once,


and then he will be asked, ‘O son of Adam! Have you ever seen


any good? Have you ever found any pleasure?’ He will say, ‘No, by


Allah, O my Lord! I have never seen any pleasure.’ The most


miserable man [in this world] from the dwellers of Paradise will be


brought and dipped in Paradise but once, and then he will be


asked, ‘O son of Adam! Have you ever seen any misery? Have you


ever suffered any hardship?’ He will say, ‘No, by Allah, O my Lord! I


have never seen any misery, nor have I suffered any hardship.’”


(Reported by Muslim)


Servants of Allah!


No one can obtain the good that Allah has except by obeying Him. Verily, Allah’s


commodity is priceless. Verily, Allah’s commodity is Paradise. The capital that a morally


accountable person has is the span of his lifetime. He will succeed if he spends his life


doing good deeds, but will fail if he wastes it in diversions and forbidden acts. No one


deserves a better and more blessed life than he who takes the guidance of the Messenger


of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, as the example to follow in his life. This is the


best guidance, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said in his khutbahs,


“The best speech is the Book of Allah, the best guidance is the guidance of


Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and the worst matters are newlyinvented


matters [in religion], and every innovation [in religion] is misguidance”


(Reported by Muslim, as part of the hadith narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be


pleased with him).


He who follows the guidance of our master, the Messenger of Allah, peace and


blessings be upon him, in his life will obtain all good and will attain the Gardens of


Pleasure in Paradise. He who misses the Prophet’s guidance will miss all good, and he


who misses part of his guidance will miss part of good commensurate with the part he has


missed of the guidance of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. One of the


Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, said, “We used to teach our children the


life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as we taught them the Noble


Quran.” Their aim was to make them take the life of the Prophet, peace and blessings be


upon him, as their example, which they managed to achieve, and so they became the best


people raised up for mankind.


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If each Muslim sees how much he practices the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and


blessings be upon him, and acts on his guidance in worship, conduct with people,


sincerity, support of religion, and uprightness in all his conditions, he will realize how


much he has fallen behind, but will be able, with the help of Allah, Exalted be He, to


make up for what he has missed, and all his affairs will be in conformity with the right


path. A Muslim must guard against wasting his life in negligence, abandoning useful


knowledge and good deeds, and engaging in practices that are neither good for this world


nor for the hereafter. This particularly applies to the youth, who are in dire need of all


that protects their religion, morality, and innocence, and safeguards their future and


happiness.


Each stage in man’s life is influenced by the previous one. The most damaging


thing for Muslims in general, and the youth in particular, is searching for and being


affected by harmful Internet websites that destroy Islamic ethics, reading books that


propagate atheism and corruption, seeking the company of those who follow their lusts


and commit deadly sins, and wasting time watching those satellite channel serials that


fight good and adorn evil and sins.


It is also a harmful habit to stay up late at night and sleep during the day. This


habit changes the nature of anyone who acquires it, and it mostly occurs when one has a


lot of leisure time. Those who fall into this habit become less productive and usually fail


in their study. Many young people who get into this habit drop out of school and suffer


from physical and psychological diseases. Those who get used to staying up late at night


also become immoral, less patient and persevering, and less proficient in their work.


Moreover, they become easy preys to devils, because Satan has more influence over man


at night than in the daytime. Sleeping during the day rather than at night is a waste of life


and of benefit. Staying up late at night may also lead to drug addiction and moral


delinquency.


Young people have many problems whose solution lies in adhering to the


guidance of our master, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Parents, teachers,


and wise people in society should set a good example for the youth, especially the young


ones among them, who need a real example to follow and are still too young to weigh up


things or read avidly about the lives of righteous people. Allah commands us to assist


those who seek the right path, and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him


urged us to do so. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “In their mutual


kindness, compassion, and sympathy, the believers are like one body. When one


of the limbs aches, the whole body responds to it with sleeplessness and fever.”


Allah, Exalted be He, says:


O you who believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has


ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden)


as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him,


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and remember Him always], and die not except in a state


of Islam [as Muslims (with complete submission to Allah)].


And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e.


this Quran), and be not divided among yourselves, and


remember Allah’s Favour on you, for you were enemies


one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that,


by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic Faith) …


(Al ‘Imran: 102-103)


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 Imam 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 Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.


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Part Two


Praise be to Allah, the Most High, the Most Great. He guides whom He wills to a


straight path. To Him belong all favours, all grace, and all good praises. He forgives


whom He wills, punishes whom He wills, and accepts the repentance of whom He wills.


He is the Oft-Forgiving and the Most-Merciful.


I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, Who has no partners, the All-Mighty,


All-Wise. And I bear witness that our prophet and master, Muhammad, is His servant and


messenger, who was sent as a mercy to all mankind. O Allah! Bestow Your prayers,


peace, and blessings upon Your servant and messenger Muhammad and upon his family


and pious Companions.


O Muslims!


Fear Allah in public and in private and He will direct you to the righteous deeds


and grant you the best reward and outcome.


O Muslims!


Remember Allah’s favours to you, both apparent and hidden, and thank Him for


them as much as you can through performing obligatory as well as commendable acts of


worship. Praising Allah can only be realized through obeying His orders and abandoning


whatever He has prohibited. Allah made the days of safety and peace for us Muslims,


followers of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in the earliest generations of


the Ummah, through the predecessor’s adherence to the Sunnah. The later generations


will be afflicted with trials because of what their hands have earned.


Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, showed us to the way out of


innovations in religion and forbidden acts, and the way to the best rewards. The Prophet,


peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I advise you to fear Allah and to listen and


obey, even if your leader was a slave. Whoever among you lives after I am gone


will see much discord. I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah and the way of the


Rightly-Guided Caliphs; cling tightly to it. Beware of newly-invented matters [in


religion], for every innovation [in religion] is misguidance” (Reported by At-


Tirmidhi, as part of the hadith narrated by Al-‘Irbad ibn Sariyah, may Allah be pleased


with him).


The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Those who adhere to


my Sunnah when the Ummah becomes corrupt will have a reward equal to that


of fifty men.” The Companions then asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Fifty men from


among them or from among us?” He said, “From among you.”


9


Servants of Allah!


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


on the Prophet (Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon


him)) and also His angels (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.”


So 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 bountiful peace and blessings on Muhammad and Muhammad’s family, as


You bestowed Your peace and blessings on Ibrahim and Ibrahim’s family, You are All-


Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.


O Allah! Be pleased with all the Companions. O Allah! Be pleased with the


Rightly-Guided Caliphs and Imams, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, along with all


Your Prophet’s Companions, with the Tabi‘un (the contemporaries of the Prophet’s


Companions after his death), and with those who follow them in righteousness until the


Day of Judgment. O Allah! Be pleased with us together with them, by Your grace,


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


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! Show us the truth as it really is and help us follow it, and show


falsehood as it really is and help us avoid it, O Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! We seek refuge in You from ill fate, from the malicious rejoicing of


enemies, from abject misery, and from hard affliction.


O Allah! Give us that which is good in this world.


... Our Lord! Give us that which is good in this world and that


which is good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of


Hellfire! (Al-Baqarah: 201)


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O Allah! We ask you to guide us to what You love and accept. O Allah! Make all


our affairs end in goodness, 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 Lord of the Worlds! O


Allah! Forgive the sins of our dead and the sins of all dead Muslims, O Most Merciful of


all the merciful!


O Allah! Relieve the distress of Muslims. O Allah! Relieve the distress of


Muslims and help the debtors among Muslims pay their debts. O Allah! Cure the sick


among us. O Allah! Cure the sick among us and the sick among all Muslims. O Allah!


Cure the sick among us and the sick among all Muslims, O Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! Protect us from the evil within ourselves and from our wrong deeds, and


protect us from the evil of all evil-doers, O Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Protect us and


our offspring from Satan, his offspring, his devils, and his soldiers, O Lord of the


Worlds! O Allah! Protect Muslims and their offspring from Satan and his devils, O Lord


of the Worlds! You are Powerful over all things.


O Allah! O Lord of the Worlds! We ask You by Your Names and Attributes to


improve the condition of Muslims! O Allah! Bring their hearts together. O Allah! Bring


their hearts together, and gather them around the truth, O Lord of the Worlds! You are


Powerful over all things.


O Allah! We ask You to protect our country and all Muslim countries from every


evil and harm.


O Allah! Clothe the naked among the Muslims. O Allah! Provide food to the


hungry among them. O Allah! Dispel the fear of the frightened among them, O Lord of


the Worlds. O Allah! Protect the honour of Muslims, spare their blood, safeguard their


property and protect their religion, O Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! Conceal our faults and dispel our fears.


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


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


of the Worlds! O Allah! Support Your religion through him. O Allah! Guide his two


Deputies to what You love and accept and to all that is good for Islam and Muslims, O


Lord of the Worlds!


O Allah! O Owner of Majesty and Honour! I ask You to accept our repentance. O


Allah! Accept our repentance and the repentance of all Muslims. O Allah! Grant us and


grant all Muslims sound understanding of Your religion, O Lord of the Worlds!


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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 Most Great, the Sublime, and He will remember you. Thank


Him for His blessings and favours and He will give you more. Verily, remembrance of


Allah is greater than all, and Allah knows what you do.