Imam Murtadha Gusau

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise is for Allah, we praise Him, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, and we seek refuge with Allah from the evils of our own souls and the wickedness of our actions, whoever Allah guides, there is none that can lead him astray, and whoever Allah allows to go astray, there is none that can lead him to the right path.

I testify and bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth but Allah, alone, without any partners. And I testify and bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is His Servant and Messenger. As for what’s after:

Dear brothers and sisters! Allah Almighty says:

“Surely He (the Creator) has the power to bring him back (to life). On the Day when man’s deepest secrets shall be put to the test. He shall have no power, and no helper.” [Qur’an, 86:8-10]

Imam Qurtubi (Rahimahullah) said:

“The above Qur’anic verses signifies that Allah Who has created him (man) from a drop of seminal fluid is well able to bring him back to life after death. On the Day of Reckoning, the secrets will be tested and examined and laid bare. Man’s beliefs, his thoughts, his actions, and his motives and intentions that were hidden in this life, and no one knew about them, will be revealed and exposed in the Hereafter. Likewise, all his deeds and actions that he had done secretly, and no one was aware of them in this world, all of them will be tested and scrutinised on the Plain of Gathering and will be laid bare.”

Abdullah Ibn Umar said that:

“On the Day of Judgment Allah will disclose the secrets of all human beings. The sign of every good or bad belief and action will be displayed on man’s face, in the form of beauty or darkness or gloom [depending on each individual’s situation].”‘

Respected brothers and sisters! Wallahi, death is one of the few indisputable facts of life. Regardless of faith, race, status, age, region or tribe, we will all die. While the certainty of death is universally accepted, the question of what happens afterwards has been debated throughout history. Islam teaches that one’s life doesn’t end on earth; rather, it is followed by the eternal life of the hereafter. This sermon (Khutbah) explains how this belief has a major impact on our earthly lives, while instilling hope for healing in a perfect world where Allah’s ultimate justice will prevail.

Dear servants of Allah! Despite its inevitability, we get so absorbed in living that we forget about death. Our daily routines, the comfort of our homes and our relationships keep us so busy that we have little time left to ponder over the fleeting nature of this world.

Then, suddenly, we are forced to face the reality of our existence when a loved one is afflicted with a debilitating disease or we experience a shocking loss. Helpless, we are jolted by the frailty of life, leading us to question our priorities and reevaluate our lifestyles.

According to Islam, when confronted with a calamity, one should say:

“To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.” [Qur’an, 2:156]

This invocation is also recited when someone dies. Reminding us of our origin and our ultimate destiny, it puts the purpose of our lives in perspective. Allah clearly states in the Qur’an, the divinely revealed message from Allah to all humanity, that He has created humankind to worship Him. Since worship is a comprehensive concept in Islam, consisting of specific rituals as well as general actions that promote good, it encourages people to conduct every aspect of their lives with Allah-consciousness.

Muslims believe they will return to Allah when they die. Therefore, instead of the end, death becomes part of a continuum which stretches into eternity.

What will be the day like When Allah resurrects us? How everyone from all nations, from all generations, will be made to stand as equal in the Presence of Allah. Allah will then call each one of us to meet with us individually. There would be no translator, no interpretators – it would be just you, your Creator and your deeds!

What happens after death? Does a world exist beyond this life? Is there such a place as heaven or hell? These are common questions we ask from time to time.

After all, the enigma of death stumps us. We’ve devised various ways of killing other humans. Yet, despite innumerable technological and medical advances, we still cannot prevent an individual from dying. Furthermore, unlike life which we experience daily, we really don’t have firsthand knowledge of life after death. Aside from some near-death incidents, no one has come back from the dead to tell us what they encountered.

Due to their faith in the One Allah who created this universe and sustains it, Muslims rely on divine guidance for glimpses of a reality invisible to human eyes. Divine guidance comprises Prophetic examples and scriptural revelations. Allah sent Prophets to guide humanity, such as Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad, the final Prophet of Allah (Peace be upon all of them). Moreover, He also revealed Noble books, including the At-Taurah (Torah), Injil (the Gospel) and the Qur’an.

In keeping with the universal message of Allah, every Prophet warned of the certainty of the afterlife and each of the divine books speaks of the existence of the soul. In the Qur’an, Allah Almighty promises:

“Every soul will taste death. Then to Us will you be returned.” [Qur’an, 29:57]

On the Day of Judgment, every individual will be resurrected to account for their lives. Allah describes this event in the Qur’an:

“On that Day, people will come forward in separate groups to be shown their deeds: whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it, but whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil will see that.” [Qur’an, 99:6-8]

Allah Almighty will weigh everyone’s good and bad actions according to His Mercy and His Justice, forgiving many sins and multiplying the reward for many noble deeds. One who excels in goodness will be rewarded generously, but one whose evils and wrongs outweigh his virtues will be punished.

Those who fulfilled their purpose in life and lived righteously will enter an eternal paradise of pure bliss. The people of heaven will reside in beautiful mansions, no longer suffering from fatigue, disease and old age. Allah will remove animosity and pain from people’s hearts, providing supreme healing in a world of abundance and luxury, of lush gardens and flowing rivers.

In contrast, those who die in a state of transgression against Allah or oppress others will be led to Hellfire. Despite all of Allah’s blessings, they neglected their ultimate purpose of leading their lives in accordance with His Will and Guidance. The Qur’an describes Hell as a place filled with immense suffering, with extreme temperatures, unquenchable thirst and blazing flames.

Truly, Allah wants each one of us to be salvaged in the afterlife. He has sent guidance and left signs for those who seek Him and reflect. At the same time, He has given us the choice to freely indulge in the world around us or to abide by His laws. In the Qur’an, Allah Almighty declares:

“Why should Allah make you suffer torment if you are thankful and believe in Him? Allah always rewards gratitude and He knows everything.” [Qur’an, 4:147]

Respected servants of Allah! Belief in the soul and the afterlife gives a context to our current existence. Those who focus only on this immediate life miss out on the bigger picture. Indeed, they become heedless of their purpose in life. Allah reminds humanity:

“The life of this world is merely an amusement and a diversion; the true life is in the Hereafter, if only they knew.” [Qur’an, 29:64]

Islam teaches that this life is simply a test to determine our place in the eternal life after death. Those who understand the reality ahead of them are aware that their ultimate fate after death is based on their actions in this life. Such individuals are thankful for all the blessings that Allah Almighty has given them and humbly worship Him while promoting goodness in all aspects of their lives. When a person embraces such an Allah-conscious way of life, their purpose extends beyond merely enjoying worldly pleasures.

Their life is one of submission to Allah and they seek to positively contribute to the world around them. All of their transactions with people, even animals and the environment, are rooted in this motivation. They are guided by the certainty that they will one day return to their Creator and be held accountable for all their deeds. Although they have the freedom to live according to their whims, they limit their attachment to this brief and imperfect life, seeking an eternal paradise in the hereafter.

Dear brothers and sisters! Believing in the soul and the afterlife is foremost about having faith in the unseen. Just as our souls are intangible beings giving life to our physical bodies, the world we see around us is functioning based on an invisible system created by Allah who is Ever-Watchful and All-Aware. Muslims believe that Allah is also Just and He maintains a meticulous record of our deeds. We will be recompensed for our earthly lives in the hereafter where ultimate justice prevails.

And the Hadith of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, where two men came to him and informed him, “There has appeared before us a people who recite the Qur’an and seek knowledge, and they proclaim that there is no Qadr and verily this affair is scornful,” to which Ibn Umar responded:

“When you meet these people tell them that I am free from them and that they are free from me, for verily by Him in whose hand is the soul of Abdullah Ibn Umar, were they to give Mount Uhud in gold (as charity) it would never be accepted from them until they believe in Qadr.” [Muslim]

The scholars of Islam have derived four main principles pertaining to al-Qada and al-Qadr as follows:

1. That Allah, the Most High, has absolute knowledge of all affairs. Whether it be past, present, or future.

2. That Allah, the Most High, has written all matters that would ever occur in a preserved tablet (al-Lauhul-Mahfuz).

3. That nothing occurs except by the will of Allah, the Most High.

4. That Allah, the Magnificent, created everything.

The above four points will be briefly explained in the following passages, by the will of Allah:

1. That Allah, the Most High, has absolute knowledge of all affairs. Whether it be past, present, or future.

Allah’s knowledge encompasses all affairs. He knew that which was, He knows what is, and He knows what will be. He knows that which we hide in the midst of our souls and He knows that which we publicise to all of mankind. He knows when we were born, how we will live, and where and when we will die. He knows which of us will be in Jannah (Paradise) and which of us will be in the Hell-Fire. He is the all knowing and the all aware. Imam al-Ajurri states in his blessed book ash-Shari’ah:

“He (Allah) created for Jannah (Paradise) its inhabitants and for the hellfire its inhabitants, before he brought them into this world. No one whom Islam has prevailed and overcome and has tasted the sweetness of Iman (Faith) will differ in this. The Qur’an and the Sunnah have indicated this, and we seek refuge in Allah from the one who rejects this … “

Allah Almighty states:

” … Indeed, Allah knows all things.” [Qur’an, 8:75]

” … so that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that He has encompassed everything in knowledge.” [Qur’an, 65:12]

2. That Allah, the Most High, has written all matters that would ever occur in a preserved tablet (al-Lauhul-Mahfuz).

From the wisdom of Allah is that He wrote everything that would occur before He created the heavens and the earth in a preserved tablet known as al-Lauhul-Mahfuz. As Muslims it is upon us to believe this whether it agrees with our intellect or not, and to not ask why? When? And how?

Allah Almighty says:

“Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and the earth? This is in a Book. This is easy for Allah.” [Qur’an, 22:70]

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“Allah wrote what was ordained for creation, fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth and His Throne was on the water.” [Muslim]

3. That nothing occurs except by the will of Allah, the Most High.

From the belief of the Muslim pertaining to al-Qadr is that he believes that nothing occurs except by the Will of Allah. If Allah, the Most High, has permitted it to happen it will take place without a doubt. Whether we like it or not. Allah Almighty says:

“But you cannot will unless Allah wills; Allah is Knowing, Wise.” [Qur’an, 76:30]

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) also said:

“If the whole Ummah (nation) were to unite and try to benefit you in something, they would never benefit you except by that which Allah has written for you. And if the whole Ummah were to unite and try to harm you in something, they would never be able to harm you except that Allah had written it upon you.” [At-Tirmidhi and Ahmad]

Allah’s Will here is of two types, al-Kauni and ash-Shar’i. Al-Kauni is all that Allah wills and hasn’t given man total control over, the likes of the orbiting of the earth around the sun, the appearance of the stars at night, the waves in the ocean, the ability to ride a bicycle, etc.

Ash-Shar’i is all that Allah is pleased with and has ordered mankind with. It is in the hands of mankind to fulfill. Such as praying five times a day, fasting in Ramadan, not associating partners with Him, being obedient to our parents etc.

4. That Allah, the Magnificent, created everything.

Imam Murtadha Gusau

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy

All praise is due to Allah, lord of all worlds, the creator of everything, who gave us every thing, and honoured us with Islam.

Dear brothers and sisters! Allah Almighty says:

“if you would count up the favours of Allah, you would never be able to numerate them.”

In my previous sermons, I discussed about the subject on “how to reestablish a powerful Muslim Ummah (nation).”

Actually, we are now followers than leaders, imitators rather than creators, and this is not the proper condition for this Ummah (nation). Allah Almighty says:

“You are the best people evolved for mankind.”

But now, none can say that Muslims are the best people among the different nations. So, there is something we should do to re-correct our condition.

In those sermons, I have mentioned some points that may draw to us the right way to bring this dream into reality; to reestablish a great and powerful Islamic Ummah.

But I know the subject was too condensed to be squeezed in just few sermons, and because of its importance, I will pick up just one character of this way and In Shaa Allah I will try to discuss the other points in other sermons if possible.

Respected brothers and sisters! The purpose of this sermon or any other sermon is to achieve benefit. Do not consider the sermon just a part of Juma’ah prayer, so you should listen to it, read it; try to benefit from this sermon.

As long as you spent some time, and some effort in something, you should benefit from it, as this is the wisdom.

So, try to concentrate carefully, and follow what you learn if it is the right way.

Dear brothers and sisters! When we mention our history and when we say that Muslims used to lead the world for years, and when we go into the details of our previous success, this does not mean we just cry over the spilt milk, rather we mention that to learn from it and the wise is who learns from his mistakes. Allah Almighty says:

“There is, in their stories, instructions for men endowed with understanding.”

Dear servants of Allah! Whoever does not follow the means will never get the results. This is the way of Allah:

“You will find no change in Allah’s way.”

My beloved people! The responsibility of our situation is the responsibility of all of us. None of us is free from responsibility. All Muslims should work to correct our position.

So before describing the first character of our way to reestablish our strong Islamic Ummah. I want to summarise these four important facts:

1. You should benefit as much as you can from this sermon or any other sermon or lesson you attend.

2. We should learn from our history, do not repeat your previous mistakes.

3. To accomplish the results you want, you should follow the correct means.

4. The responsibility of reestablishing the great Islamic Ummah is the responsibility of all Muslims including all of us.

So the first means to change our situation is to be positive: To be positive is not easy job, so difficult job, so be prepared to suffer. Allah Almighty says:

“The merchandise of Allah is expensive, the merchandise of Allah is the paradise.”

So, what is the positivity? The positivity is to carry your responsibilities without waiting someone reminding you. Remember this fact. And the facts are always better explained by stories, so back to our history, not to entertain but to learn.

If you look to the life of any companion of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), you will find the positivity in every step in this life. Because of time, I will mention only two stories:

1. In the battle of Al-Qadisiyyah, between Muslims and Persians, Persia at that time was one of the most powerful empires on the earth. Actually Persia and Rome divided the world between them.

2. The leader at that battle was Sa’ad Ibn Abi Waqqas and he decided to send a group of messengers to the leader of the Persian army to invite them to Islam. A Muslim soldier, Rib’iy Ibn Amir said to him:

“I think it is better to send just one messenger not a group, so that they will know that we are not afraid of them. It was a good opinion. So this is the positivity, this is the responsibility of every Muslim to give the advice to other Muslims. However, the story is still incomplete. Sa’ad asked Rib’iy: who we can send alone? He is afraid to send one messenger to the Persians. Look to Rib’iy. He continued his positivity and said: let me be that person.”

Here, the responsibility is not of Rib’iy himself, however, he obligated himself with a responsibility that may be carried by any other Muslim. This is an extra positivity!

The second positivity is that of the battle of Tabuk, one of the most difficult battles of the Prophet:

“The Prophet asked the companions to donate to prepare the army. So Uthman started the donation and said:  I will pay one hundred camels. This is the positivity of Uthman, he did not wait till the Prophet ask him “how much you will pay”, but he started quickly. Again the story is incomplete. The Prophet asked again for donation, and again Uthman said: I will pay more one hundred camels. Moreover, he went and brought one thousand dinar and put them in the hands of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). This was too much to the degree that the Prophet looked to the camels and said: “Nothing will harm Uthman after that day whatever he did.” This is an extra positivity, and the surprise was that the story is incomplete; Uthman is still donating till it reached 400 camels, 100 horses, and 1000 dinars. This is an extreme positivity.”

Dear brothers and sisters! From these stories, we can understand that positivity is grades or dangers.

1. The least degree in positivity is to participate in the activities that done by other Muslims. Just to participate. Just be with Muslims Ummah.

This is what I call “passive positivity.”

How we called the positivity passive? Let me give you a practical example.

Today In Shaa Allah we have a lesson from Islamic history after Isha’ prayer. To come to this lesson, this is a positivity. To participate by your presence, this is positivity. Yes, you are not participating in preparation of this work. Yes, you come alone without inviting your friends to come with you. Your coming is positivity because this will encourage people do this work to refine their work and this will make other people to attend the lesson and this will spread the knowledge of this lesson and will make us feel as being an Ummah rather than individuals. Your coming is certainly a kind of positivity.

2. A higher degree of positivity is to respond quickly to the one who ask you to do something for Islam, which is one of your duties usually. So this is an active positivity so if I asked you to attend the lesson, you should respond quickly. If I asked someone to help us in typing or clearing, he should respond quickly and so forth.

3. The higher degree of positivity is to do your duties without waiting for someone to direct you, so this is initiative positivity.

You should think in a work that benefits Muslims without delay. Someone thinks in a project for the Muslim youth and he started to do it. Someone has some knowledge in the religion and started to teach others. Someone has money and started to give without waiting someone to ask him repeatedly. Someone started to clean the premises without waiting others ask him to do so. Someone started to regulate the premises in our crowded parking a lot.

4. The last degree and the most difficult in positivity is to carry the responsibilities of other if they denied them as Uthman and Rib’iy, may Allah be pleased with them, did. It is not his responsibility to spend all this wealth, but he did his job and that of others who either denied or were unable. This type is what we need to reestablish our strong Islamic Ummah.

If at this bad time a lot of Muslims decided to carry their responsibilities, we should have the Muslims who carry their responsibility and those of others. I know it is difficult, but wallah, “the merchandise of Allah is more precious.”

To complete this subject of positivity, I have to mention two things:

1. Every one of us has something to do for Islam. None is deprived from the ability to serve Islam. So do something, do not hesitate, one of you has knowledge, another has a skill in computer, another has money, other has ability to talk to people, some know typing, expert in sports, so look inside yourself, and do not wait, as none know when he will die.

2. If you decided not to be positive, and chose negativity, please do not follow to the mistakes of others.

Any active work will have some mistakes but too much criticism may lead to frustration, so do not take the responsibility of stopping an Islamic work.

I ask Allah to make us positive and make this positivity in His cause, and to make paradise the price of this positivity, Ameen!

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation; may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly and sincerely until the establishment of the Hour.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.

This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today Friday, Rajab 26, 1444 AH (February 17, 2023).