Friday Khutbah of Masjid Otsuka

OCT, Friday 06. 2023

All praises are due to Allah Who has made the Masjids an oasis and beacon for worship, and a guide for communities to progress and civilization. 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 a slave of Allah and His Messenger.

Dear Believers! Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah An-Nur:

“(Lit is such a Light) In houses that Allah has permitted to be raised, and His name is celebrated there. He is glorified there, morning and evening.”  (S.24  V.36)

Masjid are the houses of Allah and are amongst the most beloved of places to Him. The Messenger of Allah SAW is reported to have said: “The parts of the land dearest to Allah are its Masjids.” [Muslim]   For Masjids are places of devotion, piety and worship of the Most Merciful. They are where remembrance, intimate discourse, recitation of the Qur’an takes place, which bequeaths peace, tranquility, and the teaching of ethics in words and deeds. The Prophet SAW said: “Indeed these [Masjids] are for the remembrance of Allah, prayer and recitation of the Qur’an.” [Muslim]   So, it is an obligation upon us to honor the houses of Allah, to know its rights, to esteem them and their ranks. So let us guard our prayers therein. Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Tauba:

“The only people to attend Allah’s masjids are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and pray regularly, and practice regular charity, and fear none except Allah. It is they who are expected To be on true guidance”  (S.9  V.18)

From such honoring of Masjids and esteem is that Muslims keep these Masjids clean and pure. Everybody should wear the best of his clothes when entering any Masjid, and he should be in the best of states when he enters, adorning himself in best of fragrances. Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah A’raaf:

“O Children of Adam! Dress appropriately at every Masjid. …”　(S.7  V.31)

The Prophet SAW said: “He who purified himself in his house, and then he walked to one of the houses of Allah for the sake of performing a Fard (obligatory prayer) out of the Fara’id (obligatory acts) of Allah, all of his steps (would be significant) as one of them would obliterate his sin and the second one would raise his status.”  [Muslim]    From that which a believer should be avid about when entering a Masjid, is that they safeguard their cleanliness and adorn themselves with fragrance prior to entering. Indeed, the Prophet SAW commanded that one should do this, such that Masjids can remain an oasis for worship and faith. In this manner the Masjid becomes a manifestation from the manifestations of the civilization of Islam.

Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Hajj: ‌

“…Whoever esteems the sacred symbols of Allah– that is from the reverence of the hearts.”  (S.22  V.32)

So, such honoring is honoring the sacredness of the houses of Allah. This includes not just looking after its facilities and furnishings, endowments, and maintaining the beauty of their appearance, but abiding by the procedures put in place therein. So, one should remove anything that is not becoming of entering a Masjid, not place one’s shoes

randomly at the entrances, for this distorts their appearance and hinders the entry of worshipers into and out of them. Similarly, one should not park cars or queue erratically in front of them, as this obstructs the movement of traffic and threatens the safety of others.

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

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

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

O Allah! Give shifa to all those who are sick.

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