Friday Sermon : Preparing Provisions Before Death

 

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Friday Sermon: Preparing Provisions Before Death

Sermon I:

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِيْنُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُوْرِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْه ُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ. أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ.

اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سيدنا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ. اما بعـد

قال الله تعالى: اَعُوْذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيْمِ. يَا أَيُّهاَ الَّذِيْنَ ءَامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوْتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُمْ مُّسْلِمُوْنَ.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ ءَامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَقُوْلُوْا قَوْلاً سَدِيْدًا. يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوْبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيْمًا.

O Muslims, may the mercy of Allah be upon you!

Beloved congregants of Friday Prayer, who, by the grace and guidance of Allah SWT, remain steadfast. We continuously offer praise and gratitude to Allah SWT, who has bestowed upon us the great blessings of faith and Islam, a tremendous gift granted to His servants. May we always be among those who receive His guidance and remain in a state of faith and Islam until the end of our lives.

Indeed, we express our gratitude to Allah for the various blessings of life that He has granted us. Thus, on this occasion, we can still worship Him, remember Him, and praise Him.

Praise is solely deserving of Allah. Alhamdulillah; all praise is due to Allah alone. Truly, it is not fitting for humans to seek praise, nor is it appropriate for humans to feel deserving, for all praise belongs to Allah alone.

On this noble occasion, as the sermon deliverer, I invite all of you to continually enhance our faith and piety towards Allah SWT. Piety, in the sense of constantly striving and endeavoring to bring Allah into every situation and condition by engaging in remembrance of Him and obeying His commands. Piety, in the sense of involving Allah in every challenge we face through supplication, seeking His assistance, and earnestly supplicating to Him. This will bring about tranquility and peace in every aspect of our lives.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ

Translation: 

Meaning: "O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]." (Quran, Surah Al-Imran, verse 102)

And surely, may blessings and peace be incessantly bestowed upon Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his family, and his companions.

Esteemed congregation of Friday prayer, who are blessed by the mercy of Allah SWT,

In this brief Friday sermon, let us take a moment to reflect on the current situation surrounding us, as we have been experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic for over a year now. Many people have lost their lives, and among them are our brethren. Suddenly, our friends pass away, and anyone, anytime, and anywhere can meet their demise.

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَاۤىِٕقَةُ الْمَوْتِ

Translation: 

Every living being will experience death.

Death is something that we will inevitably face. It serves as the gateway from worldly life to the hereafter.

O Muslims, may the mercy of Allah be upon you!

In Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 28, Allah says:

كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَكُنْتُمْ اَمْوَاتًا فَاَحْيَاكُمْۚ ثُمَّ يُمِيْتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيْكُمْ ثُمَّ اِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُوْنَ

Translation:

How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He brought you to life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you [back] to life, and then to Him you will be returned.

In Ibn Kathir's Tafsir, it is explained that this verse highlights the power of Allah, and it is indeed strange for someone to disbelieve in Allah while they were initially non-existent, and then Allah brought them into existence on this Earth. This verse also indicates that we will all inevitably die and be resurrected after death.

Beloved congregation of Friday prayer, who are blessed by the mercy of Allah SWT,

So, what are our obligations in this life as a preparation before facing death? Surely, there are many things to consider. However, at least three aspects will be discussed on this precious occasion.

Firstly, we must strive to perform righteous deeds to the best of our abilities. In Surah Al-Mulk, verses 1-2, Allah says:

تَبٰرَكَ الَّذِيْ بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُۖ وَهُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌۙ ۨالَّذِيْ خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيٰوةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ اَيُّكُمْ اَحْسَنُ عَمَلًاۗ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْغَفُوْرُۙ

Translation:

1. Exalted is Allah, the Possessor of all sovereignty; He has power over all things.

2. It is He who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.

O Muslims, may the mercy of Allah be upon you!

What constitutes the best deeds? One indicator is that the actions are performed with steadfastness. In a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:

فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْعَمَلِ أَدْوَمُهُ وَإِنْ قَلَّ

Translation:

It means: "Indeed, the best of deeds are those that are consistent, even if they are small in quantity."

Striving to perform the best deeds also means that we carry out our actions with utmost sincerity, to the best of our abilities, and with perfection. Whether it is in our interactions with Allah or with fellow human beings, in every deed we should instill in ourselves the awareness that it could be our last.

O Muslims, may the mercy of Allah be upon you!

Secondly, we should prepare deeds that continue to generate ongoing rewards. Among the things we can prepare are engaging in continuous acts of charity (sadaqah jariyah), acquiring beneficial knowledge, and educating our children to become righteous individuals who will pray for us in the future. As mentioned in a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال: ((إِذَا مَاتَ الإِنْسَانُ اِنْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ: صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ، أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ، أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُوْ لَهُ))؛ رواه مسلم

It means: It is narrated by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, "When a person dies, their deeds come to an end except for three things: ongoing charity (sadaqah jariyah), beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who prays for them." (Narrated by Muslim)

Thirdly, we should pray to be granted a good end (husnul khatimah). What does a good end mean? One of the main signs of a good end is when a person utters the statement of faith, "Laa ilaaha illallaah" (there is no god but Allah), at the end of their life. In a authentic hadith narrated by Abu Dawud, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, "Whoever's last words in this world are Laa ilaaha illallaah will enter Paradise."

‏” مَنْ كَانَ آخِرُ كَلاَمِهِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ ‏”‏

"Whoever's last words are 'Laa ilaaha illallaah' will enter Paradise."

Another indicator of a person having a good end is if they perform righteous deeds towards the end of their life.

قَالَ رَسُولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ إِذَا أَرَادَ اللهُ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْرًا اسْتَعْمَلَهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقِيلَ كَيْفَ يَسْتَعْمِلُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ ‏”‏ يُوَفِّقُهُ لِعَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ قَبْلَ الْمَوْتِ‏

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, "When Allah intends good for someone, He enables them to do righteous deeds." The companions asked, "How can one be enabled to do righteous deeds?" He replied, "Allah grants him guidance and success in performing righteous deeds before his death." (Narrated by Ahmad and Tirmidhi)

In addition to striving with all righteous deeds to achieve a good end, we must also constantly supplicate to Allah to grant us a good end in our lives.

In conclusion, may we become servants of Allah who excel in preparing our lives, who are able to increase our faith and piety towards Allah SWT, and may Allah make us among those who pass away with a good end.

بَارَكَ اللهُ لِي وَلَكُمْ فيِ القُرْآنِ العَظِيْمِ، وَنَفَعَنيِ وَإِيَّاكُمْ بِمَا فِيْهِ مِنَ اْلآياَتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الحَكِيْمِ وَتَقَبَّلْ مِنيِّ وَمِنْكُمْ تِلاَوَتَهُ َإِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيْعُ العَلِيْمُ.

أَقُوْلُ قَوْليِ هذَا أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ ليِ وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَالمُؤْمِنَاتِ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوْهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ.

Sermon II

الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِيْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ تَتِمُّ الصَّالِحَاتُ، وَبِفَضْلِهِ تَتَنَزَّلُ الْخَيْرَاتُ وَالْبَرَكَاتُ، وَبِتَوْفِيْقِهِ تَتَحَقَّقُ الْمَقَاصِدُ وَالْغَايَاتُ. أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ لَانَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ. اللهم صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ المُجَاهِدِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْنَ. أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَيَا آيُّهَا الحَاضِرُوْنَ أُوْصِيْكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ بِتَقْوَى اللهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُوْنَ. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ، وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى.

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم. إنَّ اللهَ وملائكتَهُ يصلُّونَ على النبِيِّ يَا أيُّهَا الذينَ ءامَنوا صَلُّوا عليهِ وسَلّموا تَسْليمًا

اللّـهُمَّ صَلّ على سيّدِنا محمَّدٍ وعلى ءالِ سيّدِنا محمَّدٍ كمَا صلّيتَ على سيّدِنا إبراهيمَ وعلى ءالِ سيّدِنا إبراهيم وبارِكْ على سيّدِنا محمَّدٍ وعلى ءالِ سيّدِنا محمَّدٍ كمَا بارَكْتَ على سيّدِنا إبراهيمَ وعلى ءالِ سيّدِنا إبراهيمَ إنّكَ حميدٌ مجيدٌ.

اَللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ، وَالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ اْلأَحْيَاءِ مِنْهُمْ وَاْلأَمْوَاتِ، إِنَّكَ سَمِيْعٌ قَرِيْبٌ مُجِيْبُ الدّعَوَاتِ.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْلَنَا ذُنُوْبَنَا وَ ذُنُوْبَ وَالِدَيْنَا وَارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانَا صِغَارًا

O Allah, O Lord, only by Your power everything that happens to Your servant occurs; there is no power or effort except through Your greatness. O Allah, may all the blessings and trusts You have bestowed upon Your servant increase our gratitude.

Grant us strength in faith and Islam, O Allah. Guide every step we take on Your path, O Allah. Pour Your mercy and grace upon our families and children, O Allah.

O Allah, O Lord, on this day You have created, teach us to always place You in the highest position, for we are aware that often we prioritize this world over You, O Allah.

O Allah, O Knower, O Mighty and Powerful, You are the All-Knowing. Forgive all the faults within us, forgive our darkest past, conceal all our faults, O Allah. Forgive us, O Allah. Open new pure pages to replace our dark past.

O Allah, forgive and save our parents, for their blood runs through our bodies, O Allah. Forgive us if we have wronged them and make us grateful children for the remaining years of our lives, O Allah.

O Allah, protect us from a bad end, protect us from the torment of the grave, O Allah.

O Allah, unite our hearts in obedience and steadfastness in fulfilling Your obligations, O Allah.

Make us steadfast on Your path, O Allah. Bestow upon Your servant all Your glory, O Allah.

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلّاً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

رَبَنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي اْلأَخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النّارِ .

عباد الله، ان الله يأمر بالعدل والاحسان وايتاء ذي القربي وينهي عن الفحشاء والمنكر والبغي لعلكم تذكرون فاذكروا الله العظيم يذكركم واسألوه من فضله يعطكم ولذكر الله اكبر

In conclusion, "Friday Sermon: Preparing Provisions Before Death" reminds us of the profound significance of preparing ourselves for the ultimate reality of death. It serves as a poignant reminder to prioritize our spiritual journey, strengthen our faith, and engage in righteous deeds that will benefit us in this world and the hereafter. We express our heartfelt gratitude for your continuous support and encouragement towards our blog. May your efforts in sharing this article and promoting its message serve as a source of blessings and goodness for us all. Together, let us strive to deepen our understanding of Islam and strive for a meaningful and purposeful life. Thank you, and may Allah bless us all.

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