EXPLANATIONOFTHEPROPHET'SOPENINGSERMON(KHUTBATUALHAAJAH)

OurProphetMuhammad,maythepeaceandblessingsofAllaahbeuponhim(PBUH),alwaysopenedhispublic speecheswithkhutbatualhaajah(thesermonofnecessity).He(PBUH)alsoadvisedhiscompanionstodothe same,andthistraditionhascarriedonuntiltodaywheremanyMuslimsopentheirspeechesandwritingswith khutbatu alhaadjah. It is called the sermon of necessity because one may ask something from Allaah, subhaanahuwat'aala,afterrecitingitsuchasisthecaseduringaweddingceremony. Whilethissermonisrelativelyshort,itpacksalotofwisdomandthereforeitisimportantthataMuslim understandsthemessagesitconveysandtheirrelevancetoourdailylives

THETEXTOFTHESERMON
Belowyouwillfindthetextofkhutbatualhaajah1inbothArabicandEnglish.

[ ] [ ] [- ]
AllhamdisduetoAllaah.WepraiseHim,seekHishelpandHisforgiveness.WeseekrefugeinAllaah fromtheevilofoursouls,andtheadverseconsequencesofourdeeds.WhomsoeverAllaahguidescannot bemisguided,andwhomsoeverAllaahleadsastraycannotbeguided. IbearwitnessandtestifythatthereisgodthatisworthyofworshipexceptforAllaah,alonewithoutany partnersorpeers.IfurtherwitnessandtestifythatMuhammad(PBUH)ishisslaveandmessenger. Oyouwhobelieve!HavetaqwaofAllaah,asHealonedeserves,anddienotexceptinastateofIslaam [AalImraan3:102] Omankind!BedutifultoyourLord,Whocreatedyoufromasinglesoul,andfromitHecreateditsmate, andfromthemHedispersedmanymenandwomen;andhavetaqwaofAllahthroughWhomyoudemand yourmutualrights,anddonotseverthetiesofkinship.Indeed,AllaahisEverWatchfuloveryou.[an Nisaa'a4:1] Oyouwhobelieve!HavetaqwainAllaah,andspeakrighteousspeech.Hewilldirectyoutodorighteous deedsandwillforgiveyoursins.AndwhosoeverobeysAllaahandHisMessenger(SAW)hehasindeed achievedagreatvictory.[alAhzaab51:7971] Toproceed,thebestspeechistheBookofAllaah,andthebestguidanceistheguidanceofMuhammad (PBUH). And the worst of affairs (in our religion) are the unauthentic invented matters, for every innovationisabidah,andeverybidahisamisguidance,andeverymisguidanceisinthehellfire.

1Foramoredetaileddescriptionandthecompletechainofnarrationsofkhutbatalhaadjah,pleaseseeSheikhNaasiral DeenalAlbaanee'sKhutbatalHaajahonalibaanah.com

 EXPLANATIONOFKHUTBATUALHAAJAH
FIRSTPARAGRAPH: TheProphet(PBUH)startshisspeechbystatingalHamdis duetoAllaah.Historically,theword ArabicalhamdhasbeentranslatedintoEnglishaseitherpraiseorthanks.Bothofthesesubstitutesare inaccurate when it comes to highlighting the importance of the word alhamd. While alhamd encapsulatesthanksandpraiseitalsosignifiesboundlessgratitudefortheOnewhopossesTheBest NamesandAttributes,andtheSoleProvidertomankindforHisenumerablefavorsandbounties.None otherthanAllaahdeservealhamd,whileitispossibletothankofpraisehumans.alImaamIbnKatheer makesacleardistinctionbetweenthanksandalhamdinhistafseer: alHamdismoregeneral,inthatitisastatementofpraiseforone'scharacteristics,orforwhatonehas done.Thanksaregivenforwhatwasdoneonly.2 TheVirtuesofalHamd: TherearenumerousnarrationsandQuraanicversesrelatedtothevirtuesofgivingourhamdtoAllaah.Wewill listacouplebelow. JaabirbinAbdullahnarratedthattheProphet(PBUH)said: Thebestdhikr(rememberingAllaah)isLaailahaillaAllaah(nogodbutAllaah,)andthebest du'aa(supplication)isalhamdlil'Allah.[RecordedbyatTirmidhi,anNasaa'i,andIbnMaajah.] AnasibnMaaliknarratedthattheMessengerofAllaah(PBUH)said: NoservantisblessedbyAllaahandsays'alhamdlil'Allaah'exceptthatwhathehasgivenis betterthanwhichhehashimselfacquired.[CollectedbyIbnMaajah2:1250] Finally,mostofyouareawarethatAllaahsubhanahuwataa'laopenedsuratalFaatihahby:alhamdlil'Allaah Rabbalalameen...(AllhamdisduetoAllaah,theRabboftheworlds).TheopeningchapteroftheQuraanis known as Umm AlKitaab (the mother of the Book), it encapsulates the meanings of the entire Quraan. Furthermore,itwasrecorededbyatTirmidhithattheProphet(PBUH)saidconcerningthestatusofAlFaatihah: ByHiminWhoseHandismysoul!AllaahhasneverrevealedintheTawrah,theInjeel,the Zabur,ortheFurqaanasurahlikeit(suratAlFaatihah).ItisthesevenrepeatedversesthatIwas given. SoifAllaah,subhanahuwataa'la,chosetoopenHisQuraanwithalhamd,itfurthersignifiesitsimportance, andwhyeveryMuslimshouldunderstanditsmeaning. Thenhe(PBUH)said:(we)seekHishelpandforgiveness.Thefirstpartofthisstatementisalsopresentin suratalFaatihahanditistheMuslims'proclamationthattheyhavenopowerovertheiraffairsbecauseallaffairs arecontrolledbyAllaah, subhanahuwataa'la alone.ThisiswhatisknownasTawheedarRuboobiyyah(the singularity of Lordship,) a key concept in Islaam which we will discuss in detail in subsequent lectures, insh'Allah.Similarly,weseekAllaah'sforgivenesssinceHeistheonlyonewhocanforgiveone'ssins,contrary towhatotherreligionsclaimthatahumancouldabsolveonefromhis/hersins.AsAllaah, subhanahuwataa'la, stated:
AndwhoeverdoesevilorwrongshimselfbutafterwardsseeksAllaah'sForgiveness,hewillfindAllaah OftForgiving,MostMerciful.[anNisaa'a4:110]

[ ]

WeaskAllaah,subhanahuwataa'la,thatHe,theMostGenerous,MostMercifulforgiveourwrongdoingsand grantus,alongwithalltheMuslims,aljannah.Ameen.
2 TheAbridgedVersionofTafsirIbnKathir(Riyadh:DarussalamPublishers&Distributors2000),Vol.1:pp.70.

Thenhe(PBUH)said:WeseekrefugeinAllaahfromtheevilofoursouls,andtheadverseconsequencesofour deeds.WhomsoeverAllaahguidescannotbemisguided,andwhomsoeverAllaahleadsastraycannotbeguided. WhomsoeverAllaahguidescannotbemisguided,andwhomsoeverAllaahleadsastraycannotbeguided. SeekingrefugeinAllaahfromevilisalsotheservants'testimonythattheypossesnopowertohelpthemselves, andtheinnatebeliefinsuchhelplessnessisakeycomponentofourfaith.ThereasonwhyAllaahaskedusto seekrefugeinHimformevilisbecauseevilisunrelentingandwillcontinuouslytrytoleadusastrayintoshirk (polytheism). Insummary,thefirstparagraphofkhutbatalhaajahisareflectionofsuratalFaatiha,asitteachesustheproper etiquetteforsupplicatingtoAllaah,subhanahuwataa'la.WemuststartbygivinghamdtoAllaah,subhanahu wataa'la,thendeclareoursincerebeliefandrelianceonHimandfinallyaskwhatwewouldlike(inthiscase, justasinsuratAlFaatihah,itwasguidance.) THESECONDPARAGRAPH: The second paragraph represents the Muslim's testimony of faith (asShahaadah). In it, the Muslim first denouncesallothergodsasfalsedeity.ThentheMuslimproclaimsthathe/shewillworshipAllaahaloneasthe soleGod,whoisOneandhasnopartnersorpeers.Thesecondpartofasshahaadah,hastheMuslimtestifythat he/shebelievesthatMuhammadistheprophetofAllaahandthatAllaahshouldbeworshipedonlyaccordingto whattheprophetMuhammad(PBUH)broughtusthoughtheQuranandhis(PBUH)authenticSunnah. THETHIRDPARAGRAPH: ThethirdparagraphiscomposedoffourQuraanicverseshavingacentralthemeof taqwa. Taqwa isanother ArabicwordthathasbeenoversimplifiedwhentranslatedintoEnglishasfearorreverence.MujaahidibnJabr definedtaqwaas:ItisthatyouobeyAllaah,sothatHeisneverdisobeyed,andyouareconsciousofHim,so thatHeisneverforgotten,andthatyouthankHim,sothatheisneverdisbelieved.3 IbnAbiHaatimrecordedthatAbdullaahbinMas'oodsaidon taqwa ofAllaah:ThatHeisobeyedandnot defied,rememberedandnotforgotten,andappreciatedandnotunappreciated4 InthefirstoffourQuranicversesAllaah,subhanahuwataa'lasaid:
Oyouwhobelieve!HavetaqwaofAllaah,asHealonedeserves,anddienotexceptinastateofIslaam [AalImraan3:102]

ThisnobleverseisaddressingthebelieverscommandingthemtodieonlyinastateofIslaam,whichisa completeandpeacefulsubmissiontothewillofAllaah.OurProphet(PBUH)isremindingusthatnomatter whichstatewelivein,Allaah,subhanahuwataa'la,willresurrectusinthestatewediein.Therefore,ifwedie onIslaamwewillberesurrectedasMuslims,otherwisewewillberesurrectedasKaafirs.Allaah,subhanahuwa taa'la,warnedusagaistShirkwhenHesaid: [ ]

Verily,AllhforgivesnotthatpartnersshouldbeassociatedwithHim(inworship),butHeforgivesexcept that(anythingelse)towhomHewills;andwhoeverassociatespartnerswithAllhinworship(Shirk),he hasindeedinventedatremendoussin.[anNisaa'a4:48]

WeseekrefugeinAllaahfromdieinginanyotherstatethanIslaam. Next,theProphet(PBUH)recited:
3 Qadhi,Y.,AnIntroductiontotheSciencesoftheQur'aan(Birmingham:AlHidaayahPublishingandDistribution, 2003),13. 4 TheAbridgedVersionofTafsirIbnKathir(Riyadh:DarussalamPublishers&Distributors2000),Vol.2:pp.227.

Omankind!BedutifultoyourLord,Whocreatedyoufromasinglesoul,andfromitHecreateditsmate, andfromthemHedispersedmanymenandwomen;andhavetaqwaofAllahthroughWhomyoudemand yourmutualrights,anddonotseverthetiesofkinship.Indeed,AllaahisEverWatchfuloveryou.[an Nisaa'a4:1] Inthisverse,AllaahremindsusthatHeistheCreatorofthisworld,bytellingustheoriginsofhumans.Itisimportantto notethatwemustbelieve,withcertainty,thatAllaahcreatedmankindbyfirstcreatingAadam,thenfromhimHecreated Hawaa(Eve).ThisisayahistheIslaamicrefutationofevolution,intermsoftheexplanationoftheoriginsofhumanlifeon earth.Itisequallyimportant,thataMuslimnotphilosophizeabouthowdidAllaahcreateAadamorHawaa.Weshouldonly saythattheywerecreatedasAllaah,subhanahuwataa'la, informedusintheQuraanandHisprohpet's(PBUH)

Sunnah. He,subhanahuwataa'la, thencommandsustotopreservethetiesofkinship,whichmeanstopreserveour familyrelationsnomatterhowdistantthesefamilymembersmaybe.Finally,Allaahwarnsusthatifwedonot obey his commands (by having taqwa of Him and persevering at keeping our family relations intact,) He, subhanahuwataa'la,isalwaysawareofouractionsandintentions.Astheauthentichadeethstates: WorshipAllaahasifyouseeHim,foreventhoughyoucannotseeHim,Heseesyou.5 Toconcludethethirdparagraph,theprophet(PBUH)recited: Oyouwhobelieve!HavetaqwainAllaah,andspeakrighteousspeech.Hewilldirectyoutodo righteousdeedsandwillforgiveyoursins.AndwhosoeverobeysAllaahandHisMessenger (SAW)hehasindeedachievedagreatvictory.[alAhzaab51:7971] Thesenobleverses,emphasizethatspeakingthetruthandrighteousspeechwillleadtodoingrighteousactions, whichinturnwillwipeoutone'ssins,byAllaah'sWill.Theseversesareofspecialimportancetous,sincewe muststandupagainstalltheslanderagainstourreligionandweareobligatedtospreadthetruemessageof Islaam.Theversesendbyremindingthebelieverthattheonlywaytoachievethegreatestvictoryonthisearth (whichisenteringJannah)istoobeyAllaahandHismessenger'scommandsbydoingwhattheywantustodo andstayawayfromwhattheyforbade. THEFOURTHPARAGRAPH: Inthefinalparagraph,theprophet(PBUH)definesthesourcesofIslaamicknowledgenamely,Allaah'sspeech whichistheHolyQuranandtheProphet's(PBUH)collectionofauthenticaccounts,whichistheSunnah.The SunnahofourbelovedprophetMuhammad(PBUH)cametoclarifymatterspresentintheQuranandtoexpose ustoothersthatwerenotdescribedintheQuran.ThismeansthatinordertobeacompleteMuslim,onemust gatherone'sknowledgefromboththeQuranandtheSunnah.BelittlingeitherisaformofshirkasAllaah subhanahuwataa'lasaidinHisHolyQuran: [ ]

Say(OMuhammadPBUH):"ObeyAllahandtheMessenger(MuhammadPBUH)."Butiftheyturnaway, thenAllahdoesnotlikethedisbelievers.[AalImraan3:32]

Oyouwhobelieve!ObeyAllh,andobeytheMessenger(MuhammadSAW)andrendernotvainyour deeds[Muhammad47:33]

[ ]

Soasyoucanseefromtheabovementionedverses,itisconsideredshirktodiscreditanyofthetwoauthentic sourcesofIslaamicknowledge:theQuraanandtheSunnah. Finally,theProphet(PBUH)highlightsthemostdangerousofmattersinourreligion,whichareunauthentic

5 TheAbridgedVersionofTafsirIbnKathir(Riyadh:DarussalamPublishers&Distributors2000),Vol.2:pp.370.

innovationsintothereligionorbida'a(singlebida'ah).Anyaspectof,oractofworshipthatwasnotbroughtby theProphet(PBUH)isconsideredaninnovation.Theseinnovationsnomatterhowbigorsmalltheymaybe shouldbecondemnedbecauseallinnovationsinthereligionleadtothehellfire.WeseekrefugeinAllahfrom beinginnovatorsinthemattersofreligion.

CONCLUSION
Thisconcludesourexplanationofkhutabatalhaajah.Asyoucanseemydearbrotherandsister,thisshort sermonencapsulatessomeofthemostimportantconceptsofaqeedah,suchastawheed,taqwa,yaqeen(certain knowledge),andimaan. WeaskAllaah, subhanahuwataa'la,thatHeacceptsthishumbleeffortsolelyforhisNobleFaceandthatHe grantusitsbenefitsinourscaleonthedayofjudgment.Ameen.