EID-AL-FITR KHUTBAH, 1ST SHAWWAL 1439AH,15TH JUNE 2018

O people! Fear Allah the most-high and thank him on the favor of the completion of the month of fasting, ask him to accept from you what you have done in it of fasting and prayers, then ask him to forgive you what you have committed of shortcomings. You should know that this day is a day of Eid, believers jubilate in it for the blessing of Allah upon them to witness the completion of their month of fasting and night prayers, and for sparing them to make good use of it in obedience and seeking closeness to him, indeed, celebrating this is the ordained one.

On the other hand, celebrating the acquisition of perishable lusts and immediate desires is a prohibited celebration. Allah says: “say, “in the bounty of allah and in his mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.” [10:58]

This is a day of appreciation and zhikr (remembrance of allah), eating and drinking, fasting on this day is haram (prohibited). When the messenger (peace be upon him) arrived medina, people of medina used to have two days in which they play games in them, the messenger said: allah has substituted for you something better than them, the day of adha (sacrifice) and the day of fitr (breaking fast). Allah has substituted for this ummah days of play and games with days of zhikr, appreciation, and forgiveness.

O servants of allah! Among the greatest things that allah had ordained on this great day is the eid prayer, and that is evident in the quran and sunnah then the consensus of muslims. Allah says: “he has certainly succeeded who purifies himself and mentions the name of his lord and prays.” [87:14&15] some scholars said: “purifies himself” means he gives out zakat al-fitr while “prays” means that he prays the eid prayer.

The messenger (peace be upon him) ordered that the eid prayer be attended by all including the menstruating women, they attend the gathering so that they witness goodness and the supplication of the muslims.

We should know o servants of allah that the islamic festivities were not ordained for distraction and play; rather they were ordained for remembrance of allah, obedience and the intensification of istigfar. As muslims, our eid is not as any of the festivities of the disbelievers whose celebrations are all about pride and arrogance.

We should know that happiness doesn’t lie only on you having magnificent outfit or new clothes; it is not about filling the stomach with varieties of food or cracking jokes, laughter and too much talking. Happiness is achieved when your fasting and night prayers are accepted by allah, when your sins are forgiven, when you purify yourself and pray the eid prayer then return back home with the gift of allah and his honorarium (forgiveness).

O servants of allah! Remember those who prayed together with you at times like this in the past years among your parents, relatives, and your muslim brothers, who left this world leaving behind everything except their deeds, they left houses, palaces and wealth, their wealth and guards couldn’t protect them from death. Neither children nor wealth would be of benefit to them in the sight of allah except those who come to allah with sound heart.

You shouldn’t be deceived by this worldly life or the magnificent outfits, because the true adornment is the fear of allah, allah says: “o children of adam, we have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness – that is best.” [7:26]

You should fear allah and dignify this day, contemplate on the reason behind ordaining it and remember how it passes and how it reoccurs which clearly shows the diminish of your lifetime and the closeness of your appointed time of death, so take provision for this long journey and the best provision is piety. Allah says: “and the intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid. And the horn will be blown. That is the day of [carrying out] the threat. And every soul will come, with it a driver and a witness. [it will be said], “you were certainly in heedlessness of this, and we have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this day, is sharp.” [50:19-22]

Remember as you gather here the greatest gathering on a day that will be witnessed, allah says: “that is a day for which the people will be collected, and that is a day [which will be] witnessed. And we do not delay it except for a limited term. The day it comes no soul will speak except by his permission. And among them will be the wretched and the prosperous. As for those who were [destined to be] wretched, they will be in the fire. For them therein is [violent] exhaling and inhaling. [they will be] abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your lord should will. Indeed, your lord is an effecter of what he intends. And as for those who were [destined to be] prosperous, they will be in paradise, abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your lord should will – a bestowal uninterrupted.” [11:103-108]

It is important to know that being a muslim is not a mere label or claim without adhering to islam’s injunctions and mandated acts of worship while abstaining from what annuls it. Islam has pillars, traditions and injunctions; islam is about worshiping the creator and being kind towards creatures. A true muslim is the one who executes the mandatory acts and abstains from the prohibited ones, who testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship but allah and muhammad (peace be upon him) is his messenger, who prays the mandatory prayers, gives zakah, fasts ramadan and performs hajj then enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil.

A true muslim is the one who other muslims are safe from his tongue and hand in terms of their lives, wealth, and rights. O muslims! Abstain from harming the muslims in any way, allah says: “and those who harm believing men and believing women for [something] other than what they have earned have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin.” [33:58]

O muslims! Lower your gaze because failing to do that endangers falling in satan’s trap, be careful of sending down your lower garments (below ankles) out of arrogance, be humble because allah doesn’t like the arrogant people, make sure your women wear the hijab and cover themselves well then avoid mixing with men or being in seclusion with the driver or maid because “whenever a man is in seclusion with a woman that is not his wife or muharramah, satan is their third”. Be careful of cheating in your business dealings and in whatever you do, because cheating is oppression and oppression will turn into excessive darkness on the day of resurrection, and whoever cheats muslims is not one of them as it is mentioned in the hadith. Avoid being harsh during disputes and be wary of taking oaths and witnessing lightly, allah says: “indeed, those who exchange the covenant of allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the hereafter, and allah will not speak to them or look at them on the day of resurrection, nor will he purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.” [03:77]

Finally, abstain from the collection of bribes, consumption of usury (or interest), consumption of orphan’s wealth because that is one of the greatest sins and one of the dirtiest earnings that cause the wrath of allah and his fire.