Islam Guidance

SERMON 183 - Praising Allah for His Bounties

Praise be to Allah Who is recognized without being seen and Who creates without weariness. He created everything with His Might, and He receives the devotion of rulers by virtue of His dignity. He exercises superiority over great men through His generosity. It is He who made His creation populate the world and sent to the jinns and human beings His messengers to clarify His Message for them, to warn them of taking it lightly, to present to them its examples, and to place before them a whole collection of matters containing lessons about the changing of health and sickness in life of this world, what is lawful and what is unlawful, and all that Allah has ordained for the obedient ones as well as for the disobedient, namely, Paradise and Hell, honor and disgrace, respectively. I extend my praise to His Being as He desires His creation to praise Him. He has fixed for everything a measure, for every measure a time limit, and for every time limit a record.

Part of the Same Sermon:
the Greatness and Importance of the Holy Qur’an

The Holy Qur’an bids and forbids, remains silent and speaks. It is the Argument of Allah before His creation. He has taken from them a pledge (to act) upon it. He has perfected its glory and completed through it His creed. He let the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) leave this world once he had conveyed to the people all His commandments of guidance through the Holy Qur’an. You should, therefore, regard Allah as Great as He has held Himself Great because He has not concealed anything of His religion from you, nor has He left out anything which He likes or dislikes. He made for everything a clear sign (of guidance) and a definite indication, either prohibiting (us) from doing it or calling upon us to uphold it. What pleases Him is the same for now, in the past, and for all times to come.
You should know that He will not be pleased with you if you do anything with which He was displeased by those before you who committed it, and He will not be displeased with you for anything for which won His pleasure when acted upon by those before you. You are treading on a clear path and are speaking the same as the people before you had spoken. Allah suffices you for the achievement of your worldly needs. He has persuaded you to remain thankful (with your hearts) and has made it obligatory on you to mention Him with your tongues.

Warning Against the
Punishment on the Day of Judgment

He has advised you to be pious, making piety the highest point of earning His pleasure and all that He requires from His creatures. You should, therefore, fear Allah in such a way as if you stand in front of Him. Your forelocks are in His grip and your change of condition is in His control. If you conceal a matter from anyone, you cannot conceal it from Him. If you disclose a matter, He will record it. For this, He has appointed honored guards (angels) who do not omit any rightful matter nor insert anything of their own. You should know that whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way to get out of troubles and (grant him) a light (to help him get) out of darkness. He will always keep him in whatever (condition) He wishes and will make him stay in a status of honor near Him, in the abode (of bliss)which He has made for Himself. The shade of this abode is His throne; its light is His glory, its visitors are His angels, and its companions are His prophets.
Therefore, hasten towards such a place of return and proceed to (your) ends (by collecting provision for the next world). Shortly, the expectations of the people will be cut short and death will overtake them, while the door of repentance will be closed for them. You are still in a place to which those who were before you have been wishing to return. In this world, which is not your [eternal] abode, you are just like a traveler in motion. You have been given the call to leave from here, and you have been ordered to collect provisions while you are still here. You should know that this thin skin cannot tolerate the Fire (of Hell). So, have pity on your own selves because you have already tried it in the tribulations of this world.
Have you ever seen how a person cries of the pain when he has been pricked with a thorn or who bleeds due to stumbling or whom hot sand has burnt? How will he feel when he is between two frying pans of Hell with stones all around, with Satan as his companion? Do you know that when Malik (the custodian of Hell) is angry with the fire, its parts begin to clash with each other (in rage), and when he scolds it, it leaps between the doors of Hell crying on account of his scolding?
O you old folks whom old age has made hoary, how will you feel when rings of fire touch the bones of your neck and when handcuffs hold you so hard that they eat away the flesh of your forearms? (Fear) Allah! (Fear) Allah! O crowd of men, while you are in good health before sickness (grips you), when you are in ease before hardship (overtakes you). You should aspire to release your necks before their mortgage is foreclosed, and your eyes; thin down your bellies, use your feet (to go where you earn the Pleasure of Allah); spend your wealth (rather than hoard it); take your bodies and wear them out for the goodness of your own souls, and do not be niggardly about them because Allah, the most Glorified One, has said the following: “If you help (yourselves and others in the way) of Allah, He will (also) help you and will set your feet firm (on His Straight Path) (Holy Qur’an, 47: 7). And He, the most Sublime One, has said the following: “Who will loan unto Allah a goodly loan so that He may double it for him and for him shall be a noble recompense?” (Holy Qur’an, 57: 11).
He does not seek your support because of being weak, nor does He demand a loan from you because of being in need. He seeks your help, although He possesses all the armies of the skies and of the earth, and He is strong and wise. He seeks a loan from you, although He owns the treasures of the skies and of the earth, and He is rich and praiseworthy. (Rather) He intends to try you as to which of you performs good deeds. You should, therefore, be quick in performance of (good) deeds so that your way may be with His neighbors in His abode. He made His Prophet’s companions from among these neighbors and made the angels visit them. He has honored their ears so that the sound of Hell-fire may never reach them, and He has afforded protection to their bodies from weariness and fatigue.
... That is the grace of Allah, He bestows it upon whomsoever He pleases, and Allah is the master of Mighty Grace (Holy Qur’an, 57: 21).
I say you hear me. I seek Allah’s help for myself and for you. He suffices me, and He is the best dispenser (of bounties).

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