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Allah WILL Test You With Your Words | Khutbah
Do you remember the promises you have made to Allah in moments of despair? In this khutbah, Dr. Omar Suleiman delves into the importance of fulfilling our commitments to Allah and staying true to our intentions. How do we make sure our deeds match our words and our hearts ?
This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings.
We begin by praising Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and by bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped or unconditionally obeyed except for Him. We bear witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His final messenger.
We ask Allah to send His peace and blessings upon him, the prophets and messengers that came before him, His family and companions that served alongside him, and those that followed in His blessed path until the Day of Judgment. And we ask Allah to make us amongst them.
Allahumma ameen. We're all waiting for the promise of Allah. But how many promises have we actually made to Allah? Everyone asks,
when will Allah fulfill the promise that He has made to this ummah? When will Allah fulfill the promise that He has made to me should I abide by this set of conditions? But have we fulfilled the many promises
we have made throughout our lives at certain junctures to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? Dear brothers and sisters, when you look in the seerah of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his blessed biography and the biographies of his companions,
one of the things that you always find is that for every hero, there is a parallel villain. Meaning there is a person who reached their full potential and then there is someone who was full of potential
but because of the deviation in their hearts and because of the diseases in their hearts, they took a different path. The most obvious one that we speak about because the Prophet (ﷺ) included them in a singular supplication
was Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) and Amr ibn Hisham Abu Jahl. When the Prophet (ﷺ) said, Allahumma a'izzal Islam, Oh Allah give victory to Islam. Bi'ahab al-umarayn ilayk. With the more beloved of the two Umars to you.
Because Abu Jahl had potential but he took the route of becoming the pharaoh of this ummah, the fir'aun of this ummah. Whereas Umar (رضي الله عنه) became an emblem,
a symbol of what just rulership looks like, a leader who found his full potential. But one of the lesser known parallels
is the parallel to Waraqa ibn Nawfal (رضي الله عنه). Waraqa was a biblical scholar before the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived.
He was someone who had studied the Torah and the Injil. He is someone who had studied the lives of the prophets of Bani Israel from Abraham to David to Jesus peace be upon them all.
He studied it all and he waited for the moment of the arrival of the foretold prophet in so many biblical scriptures. The foretold prophet that had tribes from people of the book
staked out in Madinah waiting for him (ﷺ). The foretold prophet whom priests in Damascus, in Syria waited for and in Palestine waited for.
And when the Prophet (ﷺ) arrives, we know the story and I'll get to the end of it. He recognizes the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) but he was already at the end of his life and he knew it.
And you can imagine how many times he had rehearsed in his mind and in his heart that if the prophet of Allah that has been foretold in the scriptures, يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ
They know him like one of you would know their own children. There's no mistaken identity with your children. That if I live to see this man and I am a part of his advent, then I will support him with everything that I have.
Can you imagine how he felt then? When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrives at his door as the messenger of God and he can't even stand up anymore. He's walking on a cane. He doesn't have any energy.
And he says to the Prophet (ﷺ) immediately, لَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ حَيًّا إِذْ يُخْرِجُكَ قَوْمُكَ I wish I was alive when your people run you out.
I wish I was young. لَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ شَابًّا I wish I was young. فِيهَا جَذَعًا I wish I had the energy that when your people inevitably run you out
the way they ran out every prophet that came before you. I could be there to support you. And he was truthful. And that indeed he would not live except for a few days
after recognizing the Prophet (ﷺ). And the Prophet (ﷺ) was asked about Waraqa, about his state. And the Prophet (ﷺ) said, إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ لَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ I have seen for him in jannah.
A jannah or a jannatayn. A degree of paradise or two levels of paradise reserved for him. And the two levels of paradise, as some of the scholars mentioned, is what was mentioned for the people of the book who believed in Moses and believed in Jesus,
peace be upon them, and then completed their belief by believing in Muhammad (ﷺ). That he comes from that background. Some of them said that perhaps it was the intention that he had. That Allah rewarded him for his prior belief
and what he would have done had he lived to be with the Prophet (ﷺ). Even in the days of hijrah, Waraqa in his mind, No, I would walk out on, I would do the hijrah with the Prophet (ﷺ). I would take the beatings for the Prophet (ﷺ). But he didn't live long enough.
There's a parallel villain. His name is Abu Amir Al-Rahib. He was in Madinah, a man who was deeply studied in the scriptures. A man who knew that a prophet was to come.
And he aligned himself to Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, the chief hypocrite, who was on his way to be the leader of Madinah for purely materialistic reasons. Their kids were married to each other,
and I'll talk about them inshallah ta'ala in a little bit. But when Abu Amir Al-Rahib heard who the Prophet (ﷺ) was, and recognized that he would not have the benefits, the material benefit of being on his side,
all of those years of worship, Al-Rahib, all of those years of being a monk-like figure, of being a scholar, went out the window. And he said, I will oppose him. Because he's not from us.
He's not one of us. He's actually the man behind Masjid al-Dirar, that Allah mentions in the Qur'an. A masjid that was built upon falsehood to compete with Masjid Usisa 'ala al-Taqwa.
A masjid built on piety which was Masjid Quba. He was the parallel of Waraqa. But instead, he becomes a loser in the full sense of the word. All of those decades of study,
when he was actually tested with the moment, he fell short. He could have been like Waraqa. Instead, he became a nobody, a failure. Someone who tried to use his spiritual prowess to support Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul.
A hypocrite who didn't even believe in God. Just so that he could have that material benefit. He had a son. His son was named Hanzala ibn Abi Amir. (رضي الله عنه)
Hanzala was married to Jameela. (رضي الله عنها) Bint Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. And when Uhud came, Hanzala, the young man who embraced Islam despite his father.
Partly because he heard his dad talking about a prophet to come. Why are we rejecting him now? He embraced the Prophet (ﷺ) as a young man. Jameela, the daughter of the chief of the hypocrites, embraces Islam.
We know who he is. We've been told about him. Hanzala and Jameela got married the night before Uhud. Hanzala was intimate with Jameela for one night. And he came to Uhud.
Before he could even wash himself. Before he could even do ghusl. And he is known as the one who was washed by the angels. Because the companions saw his body lifted and washed.
Showered by the angels. Bathed by the angels. Before they could clean his wounds. And the Prophet (ﷺ) said, that I saw him on a silver platter between the heavens and the earth. And his body being washed. His ghusl, his washing was done by the angels.
There's a twist to the story as well. Many of us saw in the people of Gaza, these ayat of Allah, these signs of Allah. Ayman al-Jaddi, rahimahullah, the journalist.
Who was on his way to the hospital. To be with his wife while she would give birth. He married her during the genocide. He and his wife Dana got married during the genocide.
And then he was on his way to the hospital to welcome his child. And the Zionists bombed his van. And set him on fire along with four other journalists.
His wife was inside giving birth to his child. She had no idea that her husband had just been killed outside. The boy's name was Abdullah. He is Abdullah.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allow him to rise up. To be one who brings greatness to this ummah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala see through him a glorious promise. Allahumma ameen.
Hanzala left. And he didn't know that Jameela was pregnant. And she gave birth to Abdullah ibn Hanzala. Who grew up to be a shaheed just like his father.
There are promises that are made in the midst of darkness. There are things that you say that you would do if the moment confronts you.
And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will test you at times with the words that you say. We've all been through it in our lives. O Allah, if you give me this position, I will do this.
If I achieve this financial goal, I'll do this. You give me this person, I'll do this. Once this is solved, I'll do this. We make these empty promises time and time and time again.
May Allah make us from the truthful. Allahumma ameen. And I want to actually walk that back and see how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala spoke to that behavior of making promises to him that go unfulfilled.
The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned ayatul munafiq, 3. The signs of a hypocrite are three. Idha haddatha kadhab. When they speak, they lie. Wa idha wa'ada akhlaf. And when they make promises, they break their promises.
Wa idha tumina khan. And when they are entrusted with something, they betray that trust. There is no greater lie to tell than to Allah Himself. Those that lie to God.
Those that break promises to Allah. Those that betray the ultimate amanah from Allah to them. And so it's important to actually interrogate ourselves with those qualities.
Say, do I have some of those qualities? You see, most of us are familiar with a surah in the Qur'an, Surah Al-Munafiqun. The chapter of the hypocrites.
But this actually wasn't the first surah about hypocrisy. Rather, there's a narration from Abdullah ibn Salam (رضي الله عنه). The chief rabbi of Madinah. His name was Husayn ibn Salam.
And he embraced Islam as soon as he saw the Prophet (ﷺ). And he was the most knowledgeable rabbi in Madinah. He said, this is him. And he says in an authentic hadith in Musnad Ahmad, tathakarna.
We said to ourselves, ayyu al-a'mali ahabbu ilallah. Which deeds are most beloved to Allah? Let's ask the Prophet (ﷺ). If only someone would ask the Prophet (ﷺ), what does Allah want most to see from us? Sincerity.
He's the opposite of those who knew the book and then betrayed it. He wants to know. And he was amongst a group of people who said, give us the tafsir. We'll do it. Fa anzal Allahu ta'ala.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala revealed Surah As-Saff. Sabbaha lillahi ma fi samawati wa ma fil ard. Wa huwa al-Aziz al-Hakim. Ya ayyuha al-ladhina amanu. Lima taquluna ma la taf'alun.
Kabura maqtan 'ind Allahi an taqulu ma la taf'alun. Inna Allaha yuhibbu al-ladhina yuqatiluna fi sabilihi saffan ka annahum bunyanun marsus. Allah revealed the whole surah.
O you who believe, why do you say that which you don't do? It starts with this. The word munafiq was not used yet. Allah didn't call anyone a hypocrite yet. But the behavior was pointed out.
Why have you gotten yourself used to saying things that you're not actually going to do? Be careful of making claims that you have no intention to fulfill.
Be careful of making lofty statements that you have no intention to back with your actions. Beware. Surah Al-Baqarah was revealed right at the beginning of Badr. In the beginning of Madinah. Allah dedicates a whole section.
Wa minan nasi man yaqulu amanna billahi wa bil-yawm al-akhiri wa ma hum bi-mu'minin yukhadi'una Allah wa al-ladhina amanu wa ma yakhda'una illa anfusahum wa ma yash'urun fi qulubihim maradun fa zadahum Allah maradan.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about those who say they believe but they're not really believers. They have a disease in their hearts. So they're reading the room. The Prophet (ﷺ) entered into Madinah.
He said, yeah, let's do this because it looks like this is the most favorable political stance to take. Let's attach ourselves to the believers and read the situation. Allah did not use the word munafiq.
Yes, hypocrite. Yeah, but Allah identified the behavior of hypocrisy. Surah As-Saff, Allah identified the behavior of hypocrisy. And the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to root it out of everyone's heart to the maximum ability, to the point.
There was a man by the name of Abdullah ibn Rabia. He said that, my mother said to me, I was a young boy when the verse was revealed. I was playing outside and my mother said to me,
ta'al u'tika shay'an, come home, let me give you something. Trying to entice him to come inside the house. And the Prophet (ﷺ) said, do you actually intend to give him something? He heard her call her son out.
Did you actually intend to give him something? And she said, yeah, I was going to give him a date, something to get the child back into the house.
And the Prophet (ﷺ) said, had you not been telling the truth, kutibat alayki kidhba, Allah would have written a lie upon you. We don't do that in this community. Don't say things you don't intend to do.
Kabura maqtan 'inda Allahi an taqulu ma la taf'alun. Allah hates, finds it repulsive that a person makes statements that they have no intention to actually fulfill. And then Surah Al-Munafiqun came.
Allah called out the people who insisted on that behavior. And then the most detailed expedition, the most detailed exposition of the hypocrite Surah At-Tawbah comes down.
Because now it is al-fadihah, it is the exposure. Your hypocrisy is as clear as night and day. The whole community can see you for who you are. Too many times you failed the test. It came and you failed the test.
You keep making statements, but you have no intention of putting your heart behind. But you have no intention of putting your deeds behind. So when the battle of Badr happened,
how many people said, Oh, you know, we wish we were at Badr. Glorious moment, Allah gave victory to the small band of believers against a ruthless army,
ill-equipped, outnumbered. If I was there, I would have been there too. There are a lot of people that made these claims. But there is a man who comes forth, Anas ibn Nadr.
And he says, Ya Rasulullah, I miss Badr. But if Allah gives me another chance, Allah will see what I will do. مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ
فَمِنْهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا His nephew, Anas ibn Malik says, (رضي الله عنه), that this was revealed about the likes of my uncle.
From those who have been truthful as believers, are those who are truthful in their covenants to Allah. Some of them have the opportunity to fulfill their covenant right away, and some of them are delayed.
وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا They don't relinquish in any way that state that they're in. You know what that means? You know how many times Anas ibn Nadr sat in his house and rehearsed, if I get another chance?
He already played it out in his head over and over and over again. If it comes, I will be there. And when Uhud came, when others fled, he went forward. When others ran, he ran forward.
And he pushed people back to the battlefield. Until Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala granted him shahada. صدق الله فصدقه الله He was truthful with Allah, so Allah was truthful with him.
He made a promise, and Allah tested him with that promise. I wanna bring this to our time, and conclusion first and foremost, with the global situation that's around us.
So many of us see what's happening in Gaza right now, and we say, if only I had a meaningful way to help, I would do so. And you know what? There was a large group of doctors in our community
that were tested with those words. Because the only people that could get in from our communities were the doctors. And may Allah bless those doctors that have put themselves in the middle of a genocide,
where hospitals are targeted, just like military bases. May Allah reward them and elevate them. They were tested. We're all sitting back and we're saying, if I had the chance,
then I would do this and I would help. That I feel emasculated watching what's happening in Gaza right now. I would do this and I would do that. Careful. Careful. Be truthful.
Allah can reward you like Waraqa, and you never actually have a moment to prove your heart. Or you could be tested with your words. And I'm only giving Gaza as an obvious example
because of those doctors in our community, subhanAllah, who had to make that decision. And Allah bless them. Here we are, dear brothers and sisters, and we see the global climate shifting rapidly. And Allah will test you.
Allah will test you with your wealth. You said, if you get this much money, you're gonna do this. You said, if you find yourself in this career, you're gonna do this. You said, if you get this taken care of in your life, you're gonna suddenly be this.
Where is it? كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ Don't be those people who say things that they don't intend to actually do. Renew your intention. Now on a personal level,
what about all those times in my life where I've dropped the ball? I said, oh Allah, I will repent from this sin. Oh Allah, I will give this. Oh Allah, I will do this. Oh Allah, I'm gonna become this person.
If you see me pass this obstacle in life. I want you to leave with the following. Number one, renew your promises to Allah. Go back, take account of your life.
I don't care if you were 13, 14 years old and you're 40 years old now. Think back to the promises you've made Allah. And see if you can renew them. Number two, repent for the times that you've dropped the ball.
Repent for the promises that you failed on. Number three, identify the root causes of why you keep dropping the ball. Of why you keep fumbling on your promises with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Why does it keep happening?
Because remember Allah identified a mindset, a behavior before it became full-blown hypocrisy. You might not be a munafiq. May Allah protect us from hypocrisy. But perhaps, as Abdullah ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) said,
If you have a trait, khasla, if you have one of these khisal, one of these traits, then that's your share of hypocrisy. You could be one-fourth hypocrite, one-half hypocrite, three-fourths hypocrite. You could be a hundred percent hypocrite as far as your behavior is concerned.
So identify the root causes. And then deal with those root causes. Number four, surround yourself with people who are always growing in their path towards Allah.
Who are hitting the next step, the next step, the next step. Who clearly are on a journey, a covenant with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Surround yourself with those people of excellence that are pursuing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So that it can be contagious with you as well. Number five, set a lot of thabat. Ask Allah for firmness.
The most frequent du'a of the Prophet (ﷺ). O Turner of hearts, make my heart firm on your way.
O Allah, do not let our hearts go astray after you have guided us. Don't let them deviate. Because they can deviate.
O Allah, we seek refuge in you from being a people who say what they have no intention to do.
O Allah, make us a people whose intentions are even better than what they are able to materialize in their output. Let our tongues match our hearts. And let our deeds match our tongues.
We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to write us from as-sadiqeen, people of truthfulness. May Allah make us truthful in everything that we say that we plan to do. May Allah allow us to fulfill our promises to Him.
And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala fulfill His promise to us as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala never betrays His promise. Wa'adallah la yukhlifallahu wa'adah. Allah does not betray His promise.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant victory to this ummah. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us a part of that victory. And may Allah guide us towards all good. Forgive us for our shortcomings. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allow us to be immersed in that good. In every element of our existence.
Say this and ask Allah to guide you and send you messengers. So ask His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Allahumma aslih ahwal ikhwanina mankoobina fee kulli makan.
Allahumma aslih ikhwanina mustad'afina wa al-mujahidina fee filastin. Wa fee al-sudan wa fee kulli makan. Allahumma alayka bi'aduwika wa'aduwihim. Allahumma arina fil-dhalimina aja'iba qudratik.
Allahumma ahlikil-dhalimina bil-dhalimina wa akhrijna wa ikhwanana min baynihim salimeen. Ibadullah, inna Allah ya'muru bil-adli wal-ihsan wa ita'i dhil-qurba wa yanha anil-fahsha'i wal-munkari wal-baghyi. Ya'idhukum la'allakum tadhakkarun. Fadhkuru Allah yadhkurkum washkuruhu ala ni'amihi yazidkum.
Wa ladhikru Allahi akbar. Wallahu ya'lamu ma tasna'un. www.yaqeeninstitute.org


































































































































































































































































































