Friday Khutbah of Masjid Otsuka

December, Friday 09. 2022

In the name of Allah Most Gracious and Most Merciful 

All praises are due to Allah. I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah the uniquely One, who has no partners in His one-ness. And I testify that the Prophet Muhammad is the slave of Allah and His Messenger.

Dear Believers! Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Maaida and Surah Fatir:

“Eat of the good, lawful things provided to you by Allah. And be mindful of Allah in Whom you believe.”  (S.5  V.88)

“O humanity! Remember Allah’s favours upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? There is no god worthy of worship except Him. How can you then be deluded from the truth?”  (S.35  V.3)

Glory be Allah, He provides for us water and other nourishing drinks to drink and nourishes us with all manners of food. The Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recall these blessings upon him by saying as Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Ash-Shu’araa:　

“He (Allah) is the One Who created me (The prophet Ibrahim), and He alone guides me.”  “He is the One Who provides me with food and drink.”  (S.26  V.78—79)

So, the blessing of having access to proper nutrition is from the greatest of blessings and from the most manifest in its effects. Allah loves that His slaves know the degree of His blessings upon them and that they thank and praise Him accordingly. The Prophet SAW said: “Allah is pleased with a person who eats some food and then praises Him for it, or who drinks some drink and then praises Him for it.” [Muslim]  And the Prophet SAW used to say: “O Allah, whatever blessing I or any of Your creation have risen upon is from You alone, without partner, so for You is all praise and unto You all thanks.”  [Abu Dawud]  So, for Allah is all praise and thanks, for He has showered us with His blessings and tasked us to show gratitude.

Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Naahl and Surah Ibrahim:　

“And be grateful for Allah’s favours, if you truly worship Him alone.”  (S.16  V.114)

“If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more.”  (S.14  V.7)

From the gratitude for blessings is that a person obeys Allah and adheres to this obedience, abstaining from all that has been prohibited, and not wasting the blessings he has been given, acting in accordance with what Allah has commanded. Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah A’raaf: 

“…Eat and drink, but do not waste. Surely, Allah does not like the wasteful. …”  (S.7  V.31)

A person would find it hard to waste his blessings when he is aware of them and aware of them being given to him as a responsibility and that he will be taken to account with regards to. We should remember the blessings of Allah upon us and the importance of us preserving them by praising Allah and expressing our gratitude to Him for bestowing them upon us. Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Nisaa:

“O Believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. …”  (S.4  V.59)

May the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon prophet Muhammad SAW, his family and all of his Companions. May Allah be pleased with the Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and all those who will follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.

O Allah! Bless us with Your love. Bless us the love of those You love.

O Allah! Accept our prayers and all our ibada.  

O Allah! Guide us to the right path and make us of those on whom You bestows Your mercy.

O Allah! Accept our prayers, all our ibada and all of our good deeds and forgive us for our sins.

O Allah! Grant safety and security to everyone here in Japan as well as all over the world. Aamin ya Rabbil Aalamin.