The Means of Da'wah (Call to Allah)

Enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al-Munkar makes us the best:

Dear brothers, a Muslim scholar was asked once, "Will the virtue of reading the Quran reach the spirit of the dead?" He said, "Put the dead aside, and let me ask you this, can you make the Quran reach the alive? Can you make the Quran reach the Muslims who live heedlessly amongst us?" The Almighty Allah says:

﴾You [true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his Sunnah (legal ways, etc.)] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allah.﴿

[Aal-'Imran, 110]

The reason of being the best of peoples is enjoining Al-Ma'ruf (good deeds) and forbidding Al-Munkar (evildoing). Enjoining that which the pure nature of man knows as goodness (Islamic teachings) and forbidding that which the pure nature of man knows as evil. The pure nature knows the goodness and the good deed and renounces the evildoing.

Dear brothers, enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al-Munkar is considered the sixth obligatory act of worship in Islam, if it is right to call it that. Muslims have got trapped in their evildoings since they went silent towards Al-Munkar, when they started to be courteous to their friends and when they preferred praising people who make mistakes instead of advising them. The responsibility of enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al-Munkar is great and burdensome, because it clashes with desires and lusts, given these desires and lusts become an important part of the majority of people's structure. This responsibility also clashes with pride and inherited dominant and accidental values with all their tangible gains and benefits.

This mission also clashes with the enemies of Islam who refuse guidance and plot against those who take the responsibility of spreading Islam. Moreover, it clashes with the desires of whoever enjoins Al-Ma'ruf and forbids Al-Munkar, for the soul tends to love comfort and prosperity. Thus, the most effective way to make this mission successful is to strive in its cause. Allah says:

﴾ Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful.﴿

[Aal-'Imran, 104]

Every order in the Noble Quran entails obligation. You should not go silent when you see something wrong, and I do not mean here to announce people's wrongdoings on public, but I mean that you should advise them in private and avoid slandering them. Beware, sins are misfortune to those who do not do them, for if they mention them, they backbite those who commit them, if they accept them, it means they are partners in committing the sins and if they taunt their doers, they might be afflicted with these sins. Hence, you should not slander, accept or taunt the wrongdoer, and all you have to do is advising him by which you will fulfill the sixth obligatory act of worship.

Means of enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al-Munkar from Quran and Sunnah:

1- Speech delivery method:

Dear brothers, Allah (may His Glory be glorified) puts in our hands, whether in His Quran or in His Prophetic Sunnah patterns, means and methods through which we can enjoin Al-Ma'ruf and forbid Al-Munkar. The first method is to enjoin Al-Ma'ruf and forbid Al-Munkar verbally by addressing people with wisdom and fair preaching. The Prophet, peace be upon him, gathered his close kindred to warn them as he was instructed in the Allah below:

﴾ And warn your tribe (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) of near kindred.﴿

[Ash-Shu'ara', 214]

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to them:

((O Bani 'Abdul-Muttalib, by Allah I do not know of any young man among Arabs who has brought for his people something better than what I have brought to you. I bring the best of this world and the world after, since Allah has commanded me to summon you to him.))

The Almighty Allah says:

﴾ And warn your tribe (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) of near kindred.﴿

[Ash-Shu'ara', 214]

Therefore, you should start with the closest relatives to you before anyone else, and you should act on the command of the Prophet, peace be upon him, when he said:
Attend to your own affairs, and leave alone the affairs of the generality

Thus, in this stage of Da'wah start with warning yourself, your brothers, your neighbors, your friends, your colleagues, your children and your kindred:

﴾ And warn your tribe (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) of near kindred.﴿

[Ash-Shu'ara', 214]

You address them directly through wisdom and fair preaching.

2- The narrative method:

Dear brothers, the effect of the narrative method is incredible. I was told that a man whose job was one of the dirtiest at all (he used to edit pornography videos) listened once to a religious story in a tape recorder, and he was deeply impressed upon listening to the following Ayah:

﴾Verily, (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) the Grip (Punishment) of your Lord is severe.﴿

[Al-Burooj, 12]

The Ayah was interpreted by mentioning a story or more. Actually, the effect of the story is like a charm on the soul, because of its cliffhanger nature through its characters, dialogue, events, exposition, climax, resolution, moral lessons, narration and analysis. The story is a fascinating work of art, and the Almighty Allah used all the aforementioned elements, of the story, in the longest story in the Quran, which is the story of Yusuf, peace be upon him. This story has events, characters, exposition, climax, narration, analysis and resolution in order to give the reader the moral lesson of it:
﴾And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not.﴿

[Yusuf, 21]

If you say to people, "And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not", this Ayah will not be influential if the story (of Yusuf, peace be upon him) is not mentioned along with it.. The real story gives you facts since it is based on real events. Many people turn to Allah in repentance after they listened to a realistic story in a meeting, and many people refrain from committing sins upon listening to a touchy story.

The moral story is less likely to be forgotten, because of the nature of its consecutive events. People give their ears to the story, their souls are gravitated to it and they interact with its events, because it is about real people. The fortunate person is whoever gets benefits from others' stories, and the miserable is whoever sticks to his own backsliding:

﴾Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding.﴿

[Yusuf, 111]

﴾We relate unto you (Muhammad, peace be upon him) the best of stories ﴿

[Yusuf, 3]

When you listen to a story from its beginning to its end and you sense Allah's Greatness, the Divine Spirituality, Allah's Justice and Allah's Mercy, you would better write it down and narrate it to others in your social gatherings.

Dear brothers:

((The top of its (Islam's) hump is Jihad in the Way of Allah.))

((He who dies without having gone or thought of going out for Jihad in the Cause of Allah, will die while being guilty of having one of the qualities of hypocrisy.))


Al-Jihad Ad-Da'awi (Calling people to Allah) is Fard Ayn (compulsory duty on every single Muslim), and the least you can do is to teach the people you know from the knowledge you have, such as telling them a moral story. For instance, you can tell them about a man who used to deal with usury, and as a result his wealth was destroyed, you might tell them a story about an adulterer who is impoverished by Allah or you can tell them about an oppressor who was doomed by Allah, Glorified and Sublime be He.
Make your narration, of the story, attractive in its events, setting, atmosphere and interaction. Narrating moral stories is the most effective method of enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al-Munkar. In fact, the narrative method is very neoteric, and it is impressively influential. Thus, instead of being used by the disbelievers to indoctrinate immoral and corrupted values, believers should use it in spreading virtue and the word of the truth.

3- Using parables method:

Dear brothers, besides narrating moral stories, there is another method which is using parables. The Almighty says:

﴾And Allah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember.﴿

[Ibrahim, 25]

The abstract idea is less likely to be comprehended when it is complicated, but using a parable will make it crystal clear. Using parables is an effective method in enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al-Munkar. I would like you to understand that enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al-Munkar is not about standing and preaching people by saying do this and do not do that. Preaching people by giving them orders is not accepted nowadays. Therefore, leave the direct preaching and the speeches with high-pitched tone, for the truth is glamorous and has an effective power even if you whisper it, whereas saying nonsense will never be influential no matter how loud your voice is, better yet it will not affect even a little boy. Therefore, when you talk (about the truth), use a pacifying voice and support your words with proofs and evidences. Man loves his existence and the purpose, the safety and the continuity of his existence. Thus, he is impressed by parables and stories manifolds than the direct preaching.

Dear brothers, Allah gives us lots of parables in the Noble Quran. The Prophet, peace be upon him, also gave us many parables in his Sunnah. Allah says:
﴾Is as the likeness of a spider, who builds (for itself) a house, but verily, the frailest (weakest) of houses is the spider's house; if they but knew.﴿

[Al-Ankabut, 41]

This weakness has to do with the familial ties in the household, so the spider web denotes the weak familial times in someone's household. As for the spider silk, it is stronger than steel, but the web is as weak as the household when the married couple has a bad relationship with one another or with their children:

﴾But verily, the frailest (weakest) of houses is the spider's house; if they but knew.﴿

[Al-Ankabut, 41]

﴾Allah puts forth a similitude: a (slave) man belonging to many partners (like those who worship others along with Allah) disputing with one another, and a (slave) man belonging entirely to one master, (like those who worship Allah Alone). Are those two equal in comparison? All the praises and thanks be to Allah! But most of them know not.﴿

[Az-Zumar, 29]

The Prophet, peace be upon him, gave us a parable through the following Hadith:

((The parable of the one who observes the limits prescribed by Allah and the one who transgresses them is the likeness of people who board a ship after casting lots. Some of them are in its lower deck and others are in its upper deck. Those in the lower deck, when they need water, go to the upper deck and say: If we make a hole in the bottom of the ship, we will not harm you. If those in the upper deck leave them to carry out their plan, they will all be drowned, but if they stop them, then all of them will be safe.))

Muslims are in one boat, exactly like the example in the previous Hadith which is extremely impressive. We, Muslim, are in one boat, so if we let the one who transgresses do whatever he wishes, he will drown and will take all of us with him to the bottom, and if we stop him, he will be saved, and all of us will be saved too. Hence, if you track down all the Ahadeeth of the prophet, peace be upon him, you will find lots of great parables, like the following one:

((Salah is the skeleton of all the religion, whoever keeps it and gives it its rights he would have kept the faith, and whoever destroyed it or forgot it then he had destroyed the faith.))

As if Islam is a tent which needs a pillar to stand, and removing that pillar will make it just a fabric. Hence, it will turn from a tent to a mere piece of fabric. There are many other Ahadeeth and stories which were mentioned in the Prophetic Sunnah. Allah says:

﴾The likeness of those who were entrusted with the (obligation of the) Taurat (Torah) (i.e. to obey its commandments and to practise its legal laws), but who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is as the likeness of a donkey who carries huge burdens of books (but understands nothing from them).﴿

[Al-Jumu'ah, 5]

What would your donkey comprehend of any book you put on its back? It would comprehend nothing! In another Ayah, Allah says:

﴾So his description is the description of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out.﴿

[Al-a'raf, 176]

The Almighty Allah says:
﴾As if they were frightened (wild) donkeys.﴿

[Al-Muddathir, 50]

Allah also says:

﴾They are as blocks of wood propped up.﴿

[Al-Munafiqun, 4]

Allah says:

﴾They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worst than cattle).﴿

[Al-Furqan, 44]

Dear brothers, the importance of the parable is derived from making an abstract idea a visible fact. Take for example the following fact (to which the poet referred in the following verses:
Whoever is used to be insulted
Would never react whenever he is humiliated


How can we comprehend this fact? The poet enabled us to do that by using a simile:
Just like the dead man, who never
feels the pain of the wound

It means the ruthless man who is used to be humiliated will be indifferent to any humiliation towards him.

4- Practicable method:

The practical method is another method, and it is based on turning words into actions. What did our Master Ibrahim, peace be upon him, do to the idols? He broke them to pieces, and when he was asked about that he said:

﴾Nay, this one, the biggest of them (idols) did it. Ask them, if they can speak!﴿

[Al-Anbiya'', 63]

They were shocked by his answer. Hence, enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al-Munkar do not mean to stand and preach people, because people are bored of this style noticing that some preachers are not up to the words they refer to when they preach others. Therefore, use other methods like narrating a story, mentioning a parable and other different methods of Da'wah to Allah.

5- Dialogue:

Dialogue is another method of Da'wah. When your discussion, with a person, is based on a solid ground, constant facts and unchangeable standards only, he will feel that he is restricted. You should not talk all the time and make him listen to you, but rather you should let him express himself, his ideas and his conviction, lest he turns away from your Da'wah. Try to have a calm conversation with him, and answer him when he asks you and listen to his answer when you ask him, only then the dialogue will be fruitful.

The believer should use modern methods when he has a conversation with people, like using the dialogue standards, referring to authenticated resources (like the Quran and Sunnah), to the Companions' actions and to the practical, natural and realistic proofs. When you organize the proofs neatly, and then start your dialogue, it will certainly be useful to the other person and will guide him to Allah. Here is another example of the practical method. Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood said that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

((Beware of the sins that are belittled. For verily, they are gathered in a man until they destroy him. And indeed the Messenger of Allah made an example of them (sins that are taken lightly) by saying that they are like a people who settle in barren land. Then their leader comes and orders the men to go out one at a time and each bring back a stick until they have gathered a large number of sticks. Then they kindled a fire and burned everything that they threw into it.))

[Ahmad, by Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood]

It is wasteland with nothing on it, but gathering a stick by everyone enables them to have huge fire. Likewise, the minor sins of the Muslim will gather as they are committed repeatedly till they destroy him. Therefore, the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to practise a practical Da'wah (through giving these practical examples). Hence, there must be a methodology in your dialogue.

Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri said:

((When Allah's Apostle (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) distributed some grants to [the people of] Quraish and [among some] other Arab tribes, Al-Ansar did not receive anything from it, so they [were disappointed] and felt saddened [because of this]. Some words started to go around about that, till one of them said, "By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) has met his people (i.e. he has reconciled with them and forgotten about us)." Saad ibn 'Ubada (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Messenger of Allah and said, "O Allah's Apostle, this group from among Al-Ansar are [feeling] sad within themselves about what you have done with the spoils which you have acquired, where you divided for your people (i.e. the tribe of Quraish) and gave great grants to numerous Arab tribes, but did not give anything for this group of Al-Ansar." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "And how do you feel about this, O Saad?" He said, "O Allah's Apostle, I am just one of them."

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "So gather for me your people in this place. So Saad left, and gathered Al-Ansar in that place." Some of the Muhajirun came and he allowed them to enter, and others came after them but he did not allow them. When they were assembled, Saad went to the Messenger of Allah and said, "Those people of Al-Ansar have assembled for you." So Allah's Apostle, peace be upon him, came to them. He praised Allah and glorified Him duly, then he said, "O people of Al-Ansar, what have I heard about you, and about the sadness you felt among yourselves [for not receiving a share of the spoils]? Did not I come to you and you were astray then Allah guided you, and you were poor and Allah enriched you, and you were enemies to one another but Allah joined your hearts together?"

They said, "Yes, and Allah and His Messenger are more in their favours and better."

Then he said, "Do you not reply back to me, O people of Al-Ansar?"

They said, "And by what can we answer you O Allah's Apostle, and truly the Allah and His Messenger and more in their bounties and better?"

He, peace be upon him, said, "By Allah, if you wished you could have said, and you would have been truthful in it and would have been believed, that: You came to us accused of being a liar but we believed you, and you came to us forsaken and we supported you, and you came to us as a refugee and we sheltered you, and you came to us poor and we aided you. Did you feel saddened, O Ansar, for a trifle of this worldly life that I used to reconcile the hearts of some people [to Islam] and entrusted you to your faith? Would it not please you, O Ansar, that the people return back to their homes with sheep and camel, and you go back to your homes with the Messenger of Allah? By He whom Muhammad's soul is in His Hand, had it not been for the Hijra I would have been one of Al-Ansar, and if the people [altogether] take a way and Al-Ansar take another, I would take the way of Al-Ansar. O Allah have mercy on Al-Ansar, and sons of Al-Ansar, and the sons of the sons of Al-Ansar!" [Upon hearing this] the people wept bitterly till they wet their beards, and they said, "We are pleased with the Messenger of Allah as our share and fortune", then Allah's Apostle went back and we left.))

[Ahmad, by Abi Sa'eed Al-Khidri]

Do you see how important the dialogue and the example are when the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked each Companion to a piece of wood? Do you see how impressive the moral story is? Do you see how effective the parables are? Do you see the effect of the direct preaching (when you abide by what you preach others)?

6- Setting a good example for others:

The last method is to set a good example to be followed by others. It is enough for you to be honest, for your honesty will be your Da'wah to Allah, it is enough to be trustworthy, because your trustworthiness will be your Da'wah to Allah and it is enough to be chaste, as your chastity will be an act of enjoining Al-Ma'ruf and forbidding Al–Munkar. Furthermore, when you apply Shari'ah rulings to yourself, you will become one of the most influential Du'aat (callers to Allah) without saying a word, but by setting a good example for others.

We mentioned in the past few minutes of this Khutbah the methods of Da'wah, among which are the direct preaching, the narrative method (telling moral stories), the parable method, the practical method, the dialogue method and setting a good example. Muslims should use some of these methods in their Da'wah to Allah, so if you know an astounding parable, write it down, and if you know a moral story, write down its headlines. Then, use these means of Da'wah and try to convey the truth to others while you are invited to a banquette, a meeting or a social gathering, in the clinic or in your travel. Convey the truth using unique and creative methods which penetrate the soul of the addressee.

Every person must have misconceptions, worn-out values or wrong perceptions, and usually it is so hard to break through them using the direct speech and preaching. Therefore, hold on to the stories and parables you know, and use them as a substitute means by which you can break through the defensive lines of every person (the bad habits, and unacceptable manners he sticks to firmly) and can overcome his unacceptable traditions and benighted customs. By using the dialogue, the moral story, the parable and the practical example, and by setting a good example you can be very effective on people.

Dear brothers, next week insha' Allah I will talk about the silent Da'wah and how you can become the greatest Da'iyah to Allah by keeping silent. You can affect others at work without saying a word, because your Da'wah lies in the values you adopt, the principles you embrace and the methods you follow.

The methods of Da'wah should proceed in stages:

Dear brothers, one more thing; these means, plans and methods you use should proceed in stages in order to make the best out of them. The person you are addressing trying to call him unto Allah embraces worldly values, devilish principles and wicked sly ways which you should refute. This is how you can know what kind of enemies the Muslim has, and so you would be able to accomplish something great when you help the person you call to Allah keep protected from Kufr (disbelieving). Allah says:
﴾Those who disbelieve [in the Oneness of Allah, and in the Message of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him], and hinder (men) from the Path of Allah (Islamic Monotheism), He will render their deeds vain.﴿

[Muhammad, 1]

This heedless person who hinders from the Path of Allah, must have deviated seriously.

Dear brothers, man should disbelieve in Kufr in order to become a believer. Besides, as long as the values adopted by Kuffar, their lifestyle and their principles are idealized and sought, man's way to reach Allah is blocked. This is a crucial fact, and realizing it should make us reject the prevailing values which are based on deviating man from the Path of Allah.

Let me tell you one more point, which is removing the psychological barriers between the addressees (in your Da'wah) and the solid Aqeedah. This can be done by avoiding discussing all the religious issues at once. Instead, you should discuss them separately and in different periods of time. For instance, start discussing his relation with his children, and avoid giving him all the matters in the Divine Method in one dose, because comprehending them all is beyond his capability, and he might reject the Method. This is the meaning of the following Ayah:

﴾Invite (mankind, O Muhammad, peace be upon him) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching﴿

[An-Nahl, 125]

Da'wah should be accomplished by steps:

It is very essential to have steps in Da'wah. If the one you are calling to Allah asks you, answer his question, but do not tell him about all the prohibitions in one meeting, given the corrupted values are deeply rooted in his soul and psychological structure. Therefore, telling him about all the impermissible matters in religion in one meeting will make the addressee consider applying Shari'ah rulings something unbearable. You should start with giving him hints about the importance of religion in fulfilling the basic needs of man like security. Tell him that the believer's heart will be full of security, referring to the fact that Allah gives health, intelligence and beauty to so many people, but only the chosen believers will be granted security and serenity. This is a very critical point. Also, one of his basic needs is maintaining his provision, so start with these needs. Almighty Allah says

﴾If they (non-Muslims) had believed in Allah, and went on the Right Way (i.e. Islam) We should surely have bestowed on them water (rain) in abundance* That We might try them thereby.﴿

[Al-Jinn, 16-17]

Allah also says:
﴾And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth﴿

[Al-A'raf, 96]

Man has concerns about his provision, but when he notices that Allah helps him have Halal provision as long as he is upright on the Path of Allah, his concerns will vanish. Assure him that his heart will be full of security when he gets acquainted with Allah. Therefore, one of the most successful methods of Da'wah is to help the addressee fulfill his basic needs.

Dear brothers, try to keep people away from any benighted behavior like attending mixed gender parties. It is recommended to kindly advise whoever attends mixed gender parties to avoid attending them, saying that they will sabotage his marriage. Tell him about the adverse consequences of his violations bit by bit, because if you tell him that this relationship does not please Allah, this meeting is unacceptable in Islam and that whatever he does is Haram (forbidden), he will explode out of anger and will be depressed thinking that all his actions are against Allah's Method. As a result, he will prefer to stay away from you. Hence, you should be kind and friendly when you call people to Allah as Allah instructs us:

﴾And verily, (either) we or you are rightly guided or in a plain error.﴿

[Saba', 24]

This means that you should not patronize, theorize or look down on the addressee. You should be down to earth when you teach someone about Shari'ah rulings, and when learn from a Ad'iyah. The friendliness of Ad-Da'iyah is one of the successful methods to reach out to people and spread the truth.

In addition to being compassionate towards whoever you call to Allah, you are supposed to prepare a comfortable environment for him, because the Islamic environment brings him closer to Allah, whereas the Satanic one push him away from Him. Hence, the addressee is in dire need of attending a religious session, deliberating meetings and social gathering where those who attend them are all believing young men. If the people who surround him are deviated and corrupted, and the environment is full of committing sins, Kufr, dissoluteness and worldly tendencies, nothing will enable him to get closer to the Almighty Allah. Accordingly, you should keep in touch with whoever you call to Allah, because it is not enough to lecture him, then leave him a prey to his corrupted and licentious friends.

Bring him to a religious session where there are morals, respect and knowledge. Bring him to a party where the invitees are all believing men in order to enable him to hear the good word and be in a friendly environment which will bring him closer to the truth. Let him get used to attend Masajid regularly and befriending pious people. The rule concerning befriending people goes as follows, "A good companion is better than loneliness, and loneliness is better than a companion".

These are so many practical methods in Da'wah, and I hope that Allah will inspire you to use them. Unless the truth grows, the falsehood will grow instead, and it will surround the truth and will not make a path for it to spread.

The basic elements for the truth survival:

Allah gives us four ways through which the truth will survive, one of which is:

﴾And recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf)which Allah has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar)which Allah has forbidden).﴿

[Al-Asr, 3]

In order to spread the truth, you should call people to it. As I have mentioned earlier, when you authenticate the religious facts and support them with irrefutable proofs, your Da'wah to Allah will be remarkable. When you plant the seeds of goodness in the society and prepare a religious environment, these things will bring people closer to the truth. What keep people away from Islam is the non-Islamic environments, like the mixed gender parties and sinful meetings where there are backbiting, calumny, forbidden lusts and cheap pleasures. Since man is clung to his desires, these sinful environments attract him, but if he is invited to be in other environments, like sessions of remembering Allah, attending Masajid and religious gatherings, he will be motivated to be obedient to Allah.

Dear brothers, call yourselves to account before you are called to do so and weigh your deeds before they are weighed against you, and you should know that the Angel of Death reached others and will reach us soon, so pay heed. The wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
***

The 2nd Khutbah:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and I bear witness that there is no Deity but Allah Alone, the Protector of the righteous. And I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is His Servant and Messenger, the one with noble morals. May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, his Folks and Companions.

The virtues, etiquettes and rulings of Masajid:

Dear brothers, Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face, said, "Whoever attends the Masjid regularly, derives eight benefits from it: 1- Befriending a brother in faith …"

You will be blessed with an honest brotherhood in the Masjid. Who comes to the Masjid? They are Knowledge seekers. Hence, when you come to the Masjid, you will meet the elite of Muslim brothers. Is not befriending one of them is likely to happen?

The Prophet, peace be upon him, commanded us to become brothers in Islam. According to the Prophetic Sunnah, each one of you should have at least one brother in Islam, so that you check on one another, you advise one another, guide one another and give hand to one another. This is one of the benefits you get from going to the Masjid, but in other sinful places, all you will get is wickedness, deception, grudge, bitter feelings and offence.

"The one, who visits the Masjid regularly, derives eight benefits from it: 1- Befriending a brother in faith. 2- Acquiring versatile knowledge …"

You might miss a crucial fact, but you will likely know about it in the Masjid through an Ayah, a Hadith, a word of wisdom or an indication. Man has a cognitive power that is fed with w knowledge. Thus, you need knowledge which can be acquired in the Masjid. An Ayah might be interpreted in the Masjid, and you could find in its interpretation the solution that you desperately need for a complicated problem in your life, in your beliefs or in your social affairs. The Quran is a cure to the hearts, like honey which is a cure to the bodies. Hence, by going to the Masjid you might befriend a brother in faith, learn a useful piece of information, listen to the interpretation of a clear Ayah or you will get a granted abundant good. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

((Any group of people that assemble in one of the Houses of Allah to study the Qur'an, tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will engulf them, angels will surround them and Allah will make mention of them to those (the angels) in His proximity.))

[Abu Dawood, by Abi Hurairah]

You will be granted serenity which in its turn brings wisdom. I always repeat the following Ayah:

﴾And he, to whom Hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good.﴿

[Al-Baqarah, 269]

Because of wisdom, you will be happy with a wife with mild beauty, but without wisdom you will be miserable though your wife might be a very beautiful woman. Because of wisdom, you earn Halal (lawful) money, and Allah will bestow benediction upon your earning, but without wisdom you will earn ill-gotten money which will be the reason of your doom. Because of wisdom, your enemy becomes a friend of yours, but without wisdom your friends will become enemies of yours. Therefore, Allah makes wisdom the most fruitful gain of faith:

﴾And he, to whom Hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good.﴿

[Al-Baqarah, 269]

Wisdom is the granted abundant good:

((Any group of people that assemble in one of the Houses of Allah to study the Qur'an, tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will engulf them, angels will surround them and Allah will make mention of them to those (the angels) in His proximity))
[Abu Dawood, by Abi Hurairah]

"…3- Listening to a clear Ayah or Hadith, in speeches and sermons, which guides him to the right path and prevents him from evils…".

He may be committing a sin or a serious violation of Shari'ah rulings without being aware of that, but the minute he knows about its ruling, he abstains from repeating it. A word he hears in the Masjid might prevent him from doing something which displeases Allah, or it might guide him to the Right Path so he might offer a good deed, serve the poor or rescue the needy, and when he does so, his soul will be enlightened.

"…4- Listening to a word of truth that makes him abstain from doing evil. 5- Listening to a word of truth that guides him to the Right Path. 6- Refraining from committing sins out of fear of Allah. 7- Becoming Modest (towards Allah and His Creations). 8- Having hope in Allah's Mercy." It was reported in Hadith Qudsi:

((My houses on earth are the Masajid, and those who attend them regularly are My endeared visitors. Congratulation to My servants who purify themselves in their houses before they come and visit Me (in the Masjid). Those deserve to be welcomed warmly.)) [Abu Na'eem, by Abi Sa'eed Al-Khidri]

Supplication:

O Allah, we beseech You to show us the way of righteousness together with those to whom You showed it; and to give us good health together with those whom You have healed; and to be our Protector, as You are of those whom You protect; and to bless what You have bestowed on us; and to save us from the affliction that You have decreed –for You rule with justice and You are never judged; and he whom You protect shall never be humiliated, and he whom You make Your enemy shall never be elevated, blessed and dignified are You. We thank You for what You have decreed, we ask You for Forgiveness for our sins, and we repent to You.

O Allah, help us do a good deed that would draw us closer to us. O Allah, increase us [in Your Blessings] and do not decrease us, honor us and do not humiliate us, give us [from Your Gifts] and do not deprive us, be in favor of us and not against us and make us satisfied and be satisfied with us.

O Allah, please make us do well in the Deen, which is our dignity, make us do well in our worldly life, in which we dwell and grant us safety on the Day of Judgment for it is our Final Destination. O Allah, please supply our life with all good things and make our death a rest from every evil, O our Master, the Lord of all Worlds.

O Allah, make us desire what You have made lawful and reject what You have made unlawful, make us by Your benevolence independent of all others and make our obedience to You turn us away from our disobedience.

O Allah, let us not be oblivious to Your planning; do not deprive us of Your shield and do not make us forget Your remembrance. O Allah, as You have given the people of the worldly life its pleasures, be pleased with us and let Your Contentment be the apple of our eyes, O Lord of the Worlds.

O Allah, dignify us by Your generosity and do not make us lose our dignity in trials, turning to the worst among your creations, praising those who give us and dispraising those who don't, for You are the One who bestows and in Your hands only the treasures of heaven and earth.

O Allah we seek refuge with you from being in need of anyone but You, from fearing anyone but You, from lowering ourselves before anyone save You. O Allah, we seek refuge from an intractable disease, from enemies who glee at our misfortune and from withholding after bestowing, O Lord of the Worlds.

O Allah, by Your Mercy and Benevolence, raise high the word of Al-Haqq and this Deen, grant triumph to Islam, dignify Muslims and lead the rulers of Muslims to what pleases You, O Lord of the Worlds, as You are the only One Who is capable over His decreed and Who responds to our supplication