Friday Khutbah of Masjid Otsuka

December, Friday 08. 2023

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.

O Servants of Allah! Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Al-i-Imraan:

“…Indeed, Allah loves those who Taqwa of Him.”  (S.3  V.76)

From the regular supplication of the Prophet SAW was his saying: “O Allah! I ask You for Your love and the love of those You love, and the love of [performing] actions that will draw me near to Your love.”    So, the love of Allah is the very nourishment of our souls and blessings for our hearts. Hence, it is the goal of the believers, which they seek to hasten towards and for which they are avid. Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Baqarah:

“…Those who believe are stronger in love for Allah. …”  (S.2  V.165)

How can we not love our Lord when He has manifested His love to us through the countless blessings, generosity and nobility He extends towards us. He has bestowed all this upon us through His clemency and gentleness, and has given us provision through His pure magnanimity. Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Ghafir:

“It is Allah who made for you the earth a place of settlement and the sky a ceiling and formed you and perfected your forms and provided you with good things. That is Allah, your Lord; then blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.”  (S.40  V.64)

So, given this, it is an obligation upon us to instill the love of Allah into our hearts. This can be achieved by being constant in His remembrance, to do much recitation of His Book, and to reflect on the meanings of the verses in it and the signs that disclose Him in the cosmos. For there is nothing more pleasing to a lover than to hear and engage with the words of his beloved, as this is the delight of their hearts and the utmost of what they desire. Let those who claim to love Allah, cement the love of Allah in their hearts by embodying goodly character and morals through the demonstration of the beauty of their actions. The Prophet SAW is reported to have said: “Whomsoever would love that they be amongst those who love Allah and His Messenger and that Allah and His Messenger love them; then let them be truthful in their speech, fulfill the trusts they have been bequeathed with, and let them be good to their neighbors.” [Shuab al-Iman]

O Servants of Allah! Indeed, the believers are those who find the sweetness of their faith manifest as a felt sense in their hearts. This is because such faith has settled in it. The Prophet SAW said: “There are three qualities for which anyone who is characterized by them will experience the sweetness of faith: [And of the first of these qualities he mentioned] That Allah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anything else besides. [Bukhari and Muslim]    So, the love of Allah is the means to all happiness. It is the means of success and attaining unto Paradise and an eternal life of bliss. It is narrated by Anas a man came to the Messenger of Allah SAW and said: “O Messenger of Allah! When will the Hour be established?”  So he SAW said: “Where is the one who asked when the hour will be established?”  The man said: “It was I, O Mesenger of Allah!”  He SAW said: “What have you prepared for it?”  He said: “O Messenger of Allah! I have not prepared very much of Salat nor Fasting for it, but I love Allah and His Messenger.”  So the Messenger of Allah SAW said: “A man shall be with whom ever he loves, and you shall be with whomever you love.”  [Bukhari and Muslim]

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 all of our good deeds and forgive us for our sins.

O Allah! Accept us for Your service and for the service of Islam and Muslims

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