ICICE AN-NOOR MASJID KHUTBAH FOR FRIDAY 20/12/2019

‘FOR YOU IS YOUR RELIGION, AND FOR ME IS MY RELIGION’

All praise is due to Allah Who had perfected the religion for us, completed His favour upon us, and had chosen for us Islam as our religion. I thank Him and I am grateful for His favour upon us. I bear witness that there is no deity worth of worship except Allah alone, He has no partners. Allah the Most High says: ‘And the Jews will never be pleased with you nor the Christian unless you follow their creed.’ And I bear witness that our leader, lover and role model Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. The one who say: ‘He is not one of us who resembles other than us’ May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, his household and companion (those with him are forceful against the believers, merciful among themselves).

To proceed, I advise you all and myself to be conscious of Allah and to hold firmly onto Islam. Do not seek for any other religion other than Islam for indeed Islam is the greatest favour bestow by Allah upon us and it has no similitude in this world. It is the religion of our father Ibrahim and the advice of his son Yakubu to his children. Prophet Yusuf asked Allah to Take his life in Islam. The disbelievers will also wish they are Muslims: Allah say: ‘ perhaps those who disbelieves will wish that they had been Muslims’

Verily Islam is the religion of the entire world. It is fit for every time and place, for every individual, every nation and generation. Allah say: And we have not sent you (O Muhammad), except as a mercy to the world).

Therefore, it is mandatory upon every Muslim to be proud is his/her region and to be indifferent to anyone who criticize him/her in coarse of Allah.

Allah says: (so do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are (true) believers)

It is quite unfortunate that some Muslims are not proud of their religion, they are ashamed to ‘I am a Muslim’ even if they do, they shy away from the ethics of their religion. Maybe their perception is that is Islam is primitive or obsolete or they are ignorant of their religion.

May Allah guide us all right and forgive us our shortcomings.

Oh believers! Yes, Islam commands us to be good neighbors and have good relationship with others, but it is not permissible for a Muslim to be carried away by what the disbeliever possess from the mere enjoyment of this world. It is not also permissible to admire their wealth such that you feel they are better than you. Rather we believe that the wealth give to them is a lure, trail and enjoyment for a short while.

Allah says: ‘Enjoy yourselves; for indeed, your destination is the fire’

‘So, let not their wealth or their children impress you. Allah only intends to punish them through them in wordily life and that their souls should depart (at death) while they are disbelievers’

How is it appropriate for believers whom Allah honoured with Islam and raised them above the entire mankind to imitate infidels and look like them?!

How it is appropriate for the higher to imitate the lower?! Verily if you copy someone, it means that person is better than you and he is of higher status than you. Therefore, Allah and His Messenger warned us from imitating the infidels in their worships and traditions. It narrated by Imaamu Ahmad and Abu Dawood and others from Abdullah ibn Umar (RA): He said: The Messenger Allah (PBUH): ‘Whoever imitates some people, he is amongst them.’ The is because copying others is a sign of respect to them, weakness and defect in oneself. It is also an insult to Islam and approval of their evil morals and deeds. It is also implying that we show love and loyalty to them. These are all forbidden and may lead to a greater sin which is Kufr. May Allah protect us, Ameen.

Allah says: ‘ Then we put you, (O Muhammad), on an ordained way concerning the matter (of religion);  so follow it and do not follow the inclination of those who do not know.(18) Indeed, they will never avail you against Allah at all. And indeed, the wrongdoers are allies of one another; but Allah is the protector of the righteous.

Finally

• We should all be grateful for Allah’s favours; most especially the favour of Islam. And remember we shall stand to account for our deeds on judgement Day.
• It is forbidden in Islam to imitate the disbeliever in their religion and traditions that contravene Shri’ah.
• Parents should fear Allah and remember they are shepherds and Allah will ask them for what He has given them to rear
• It is also very important we know that Islam only recognises two festive periods, Eedul Adhah And Eedul Fitir. Therefore, is not permissible to celebrate any other festival other than these two.
• Allah see all what we do and will be accountable for our deeds.