Certainty

First Sermon:  Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, who made signs in the heavens and the earth for those who believe with certainty, and prepared for them Gardens of Bliss in the Hereafter. I testify that there is no deity but Allah, the Protector of the righteous, and I testify that our Master and Prophet Muḥammad is His Messenger, the leader of the pious and God-fearing. May Allah’s peace, blessings, and grace be upon him, his family, his companions, and those who follow them. To proceed: O servants of Allah, equip yourselves with certainty and strive to be among the God-fearing. The Lord of the Worlds says: ﴿وَإِنْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ “If you believe and fear Allah, you will have a great reward.” (Qurʾān 3:179) O believers, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) once delivered a sermon, saying, The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said, «أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَمْ يُعْطَوْا فِي الدُّنْيَا خَيْرًا مِنَ الْيَقِينِ وَالْمُعَافَاةِ، فَسَلُوهُمَا اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ» ‘O people, no blessing better than certainty and wellbeing has been given to people in this world, so ask Allah Almighty for both.’ It is indeed certainty, O servants of Allah! And do you know what certainty is? It is:  «الْإِيمَانُ كُلُّهُ» “Faith (Īmān) in its entirety.” It is the greatest trait exemplified by the Prophets and Messengers. Here is Prophet Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him); Allah showed him (as stated in the Noble Qurʾān): ﴿مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ﴾ “the dominion of the heavens and the earth so that he would be among those who believe with certainty.” (Qurʾān 6:75) And here is Prophet Mūsā (peace be upon him) who reached the pinnacle of certainty, such that when his companions said, ﴿إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ ...﴾ “‘We are certainly overtaken,’” ﴿ قَالَ كَلَّا إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ﴾ “he said, ‘No! My Lord is with me; He will guide me.’” (Qurʾān 26:61-62) And here is your Prophet and Beloved, Muḥammad (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him), who exemplified certainty in the finest manner when he was besieged in the cave and said to his companion, ﴿لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا﴾ “Do not grieve; Allah is indeed with us.”  (Qurʾān 9:40) O servants of Allah, certainty in your Lord (that is, believing in Him with certainty) comes through having faith in His Existence, believing in His Majesty, and the Perfection of His Names and Attributes—faith untainted by doubts, unshaken by suspicions, faith that necessitates an awareness of His Presence and requires putting one’s reliance in Him. Recite, if you will, the Book of your Lord, for in it are: ﴿بَصَائِرُ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ﴾ “insights for humanity and guidance and mercy for people who believe with certainty.” (Qurʾān 45:20) Ponder the pages of His creation and the precision of His design in order that you may have certain belief in His absolute power, for Allah says: ﴿وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِلْمُوقِنِينَ* وَفِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ﴾ “and in the earth are signs for those of certainty, and within yourselves—do you not see?” (Qurʾān 51:20-21) Yes, O servant of Allah, strengthen your certainty in Allah, the Wise Disposer, ﴿الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّى* وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى﴾ “Who created and fashioned, Who determined and guided.” (Qurʾān 87:2-3) If He gives, He is the Most Kind, the Most Gentle; if He withholds, He is the All-Aware, the All-Knowing. ﴿أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ﴾ “Does He Who created not know, while He is the Most Kind, the All-Aware?” (Qurʾān 67:14) If He tests, He is the Most Merciful; if He grants health, He is the All-Knowing. ﴿وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ  وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ “Perhaps you dislike something, and it is good for you; and perhaps you like something, and it is bad for you; Allah knows, and you do not know.” (Qurʾān 2:216) So, O seeker of sustenance, be certain in the provision of your Lord. Know that sustenance is in His hands; trust His wisdom in its allocation, for He says, ﴿يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَقْدِرُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرًا بَصِيرًا﴾ “Allah expands provision for whom He wills and restricts it; indeed, He is ever, of His servants, All-Aware, All-Seeing.” (Qurʾān 17:30) So why, then, do some of us become anxious, distressed, and worried about the future, comparing himself to others? If one’s sustenance decreases, he asks, “Why was so-and-so given, while I was not? Why were they blessed, while I was not?” Has he not considered the Statement of Allah, the Exalted, ﴿وَأَنَّ ‌الْفَضْلَ ‌بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ﴾ “And that bounty is in the hand of Allah; He gives it to whom He wills?” (Qurʾān 57:29) or the Statement of the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him), «‌لَنْ ‌تَمُوتَ ‌نَفْسٌ حَتَّى تَسْتَوْفِيَ رِزْقَهَا» “No soul will die until it receives its complete provision.” So, O servants of Allah, fill your hearts with certainty and trust in the provision of your Merciful Lord. For how many people who have been tried and tested in this life, if they had certainty in their hearts, would have had their worries and sorrows all fade away? As the poet aptly says: يَقِينِي يَقِينِي مِنْ هُمُومِي وَكُرْبَتِي ** وَخَيْرُ عَتَادِ الْمَرْءِ صِدْقُ يَقِينِهِ “My certainty saves me from my worries and hardships, For a person’s best provision is his genuine and assured certainty.” Be, O servant of Allah, certain in Allah’s mercy in every moment, for in proportion to your certainty in your Lord, your aspirations are realized. Ask Allah for certainty, and take the means and measures (at your disposal) in every moment and at every turn, knowing that Allah is the One Who ﴿يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّكُمْ تُوقِنُونَ﴾ “arranges all matters, [and] explains the signs so that you may have certainty in the meeting with your Lord.” (Qurʾān 13:2) ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾ “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” (Qurʾān 4:59) I say these words and ask Allah, my Lord, for forgiveness.   Second Sermon: All praise is due to Allah, as is He rightly  deserves to be praised, and peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, His Prophet and servant, and upon his family and companions, and those who follow his guidance after him. To proceed: O you who believe with certainty, know that certainty is the core of the heart, the tranquility of the mind, the calmness of the soul, and the comfort of the self. Through it, the person of certainty is relieved of his worries, is content with what has been decreed for him, and is granted patience over what befalls him. This is evidenced by the prayer of the Prophet (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him): «اللَّهُمَّ اقْسِمْ لَنَا مِنْ خَشْيَتِكَ مَا يَحُولُ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ مَعَاصِيكَ، وَمِنْ طَاعَتِكَ مَا تُبَلِّغُنَا بِهِ جَنَّتَكَ، وَمِنَ الْيَقِينِ مَا تُهَوِّنُ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا مَصَائِبَ الدُّنْيَا» “O Allah, allot us a portion of fear of You that will prevent us from disobeying You, of obedience to You through which You will lead us to Your Paradise, and of certainty throuh which You will make the calamities of this world seem insignificant to us.” On the Day of Resurrection, those of certainty will reach the stations of the patient, will be rewarded with the recompense of those who persevere with hopeful endurance, and they will be among the people of clear triumph and success, about whom the Lord of all worlds says: ﴿وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ* أُولَئِكَ عَلَى هُدًى مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴾ “And they, of the Hereafter, are certain [in faith]. Those are upon guidance from their Lord, and it is they who will be triumphant and successful” (Qurʾān 2:4-5). So, servants of Allah, tend to the tree of your certainty with care. Make certainty your companion and ask your Lord to fill your hearts with it, that you may find happiness in this world and success in the Hereafter. O Allah, send blessings, peace, and mercy upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and companions altogether. O Allah, be pleased with Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, and with all the noble companions. O you who believe with certainty, I am engaging in prayer and supplication (to Allah), so say “Āmeen” while at the same time having absolute certainty that Allah will answer: “O Allah, grant us certainty in You, so that the hardships of this world become easy for us, and so that we know that nothing will befall us except what You have written for us, and that no provision will come to us except that which You have decreed.” O Allah, make us among those who have faith in You, worship You, and turn to You in repentance. O Allah, make us dutiful to our parents and have mercy on them as they raised us when we were young, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, bestow continuous and sustained stability onto our country, confer complete health upon us, expand our provisions, and bless us in our spouses and offspring. O Allah, grant success to the President of the State, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, his deputies, his brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and his loyal Crown Prince, in all that pleases You and earns Your approval. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and the founding leaders, and admit them, by Your grace, to Your vast gardens. Encompass the martyrs of the homeland with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on the Muslim men and Muslim women, believing men and believing women, those who are alive and those who have passed away. O Allah, send us rain and do not make us among the despairing. O Allah, shower us with rain, O Allah, shower us with rain, O Allah, shower us with rain. ﴿‌رَبَّنَا ‌آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ﴾ “Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire” (Qurʾān 2:201). Servants of Allah, remember Allah, the Great and Glorious, and He will remember you. Be grateful to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you (in blessings). And establish the prayer.