https://www.khutbah.info/means-of-attaining-mercy/ Be conscious of Allah and reflect upon the names and attributes of your Lord, to boost your iman (faith) and conviction and increase your love, magnification, fear and reverence of Allah Almighty, and boost your trust in and reliance upon Allah. And from His most beautiful names are Ar Rahman (Entirely Merciful), Ar Raheem (Especially Merciful). And these two names indicate a great attribute from the attributes of Allah which is the attribute of mercy. And it is from the greatest attributes and we witness its effect in everything. For there is no blessing in the heavens or the earth except that it is from the effect of the mercy of Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty said: An Nahl (16) 18: And if you should count the favors of Allāh, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful. And from the mercy and generosity of Allah is that He gave his servants glad tidings about Himself:
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ , وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ , وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of our selves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ – آل عمران:102
Al Imran 102 : O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.
Oh people:
Be conscious of Allah and reflect upon the names and attributes of your Lord, to boost your iman (faith) and conviction and increase your love, magnification, fear and reverence of Allah Almighty, and boost your trust in and reliance upon Allah.
And from His most beautiful names are Ar Rahman (Entirely Merciful), Ar Raheem (Especially Merciful). And these two names indicate a great attribute from the attributes of Allah which is the attribute of mercy.
And it is from the greatest attributes and we witness its effect in everything. For there is no blessing in the heavens or the earth except that it is from the effect of the mercy of Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty said:
وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
An Nahl (16) 18: And if you should count the favors of Allāh, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
And from the mercy and generosity of Allah is that He gave his servants glad tidings about Himself:
كَتَبَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ
Al An’am (6) 12: He has decreed upon Himself mercy.
And He gave glad tidings that His mercy prevailed over His wrath. The Prophet ﷺsaid:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَّا قَضَى الخَلْقَ، كَتَبَ عِنْدَهُ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ: إِنَّ رَحْمَتِي سَبَقَتْ غَضَبِي
When Allah created the creation, He wrote with Him above His throne: My mercy prevails over My wrath. [Bukhari 7422, Muslim 2751c]
And from the manifestations of His Mercy preceding His wrath is that He accepts repentance, forgives sins, pardons misdeeds, gives opportunity to the sinners and does not hasten the punishment and forgives the one realizing tawhid even if he has earthful of sins.
Indeed the mercy of Allah is wide to the point that it encompasses everything. Allah Almighty said:
وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ
Al Araf (7) 156: But My mercy encompasses all things.
So these verses show that the general mercy of Allah encompasses everything. It accommodates all that is in the heavens and the earth and what is between them. It encompasses the righteous and pious. And it encompasses the sinner and evil doer. It encompasses the genuine believer and it encompasses the denying disbeliever. It even encompasses the inanimate objects. So there is no creation except that it is encompassed by the general mercy of Allah and covered with His grace and kindness.
But Allah has a special and specific mercy that is not for everybody. He gives to whom He wills of His servants. This mercy is required for happiness in this world and the hereafter. So he gives them success through it for having iman (faith) and performing righteous deeds. And He favors them because of it in the hereafter with gardens of everlasting bliss. And this mercy has many means that Allah has made clear to His servants so that they may race and compete for it.
From the means of triumphing with mercy is guarding against and refraining from shirk (associating others with Allah) as well as other sins, both major and minor. Allah Almighty said:
وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَسَأَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ
Al Araf (7) 156: But My mercy encompasses all things. So I will decree it for those who guard themselves against evil.
Ibn Abbas said that it means that I will decree it for those who guard against shirk (associating others with Allah).
And from the means of triumphing with the exclusive mercy is iman (faith), emigration for the sake of Allah and striving in the way of Allah. Allah Almighty said:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَةَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
Al Baqarah (2) 218: Indeed, those who have believed and those who have emigrated and strived in way of Allah – those expect the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
And from the means of triumphing with this special mercy is obeying Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. By performing what Allah and His messenger commanded and refraining from what Allah and His messenger prohibited. Allah Almighty said:
وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
Al Imran (3) 132: And obey Allāh and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy.
And among the means for attaining this specific mercy is establishing and maintaining the five daily prayers and paying the Zakat if required to do so. Allah Almighty said:
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
An Noor (24) 56: And establish prayer and give zakāh and obey the Messenger – that you may receive mercy.
And from what attains the Mercy of Allah is loving and cooperating with the believers, and supporting them in the truth with the truth, and enjoining good and forbidding evil. Allah Almighty said:
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُولَئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
At Tawbah (9) 71: The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakāh and obey Allāh and His Messenger. Those – Allāh will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise.
Among the doors of Allah’s mercy is seeking forgiveness plentifully while being genuine. For seeking forgiveness is the key to the doors of mercies and blessings in this world and the hereafter. Allah Almighty said in the narrative of the Prophet Saleh, peace be upon him:
قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ لَوْلَا تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
An Naml (27) 46: He said, O my people, why are you impatient for evil before [i.e., instead of] good? Why do you not seek forgiveness of Allāh that you may receive mercy?
Among the mercy that springs from seeking forgiveness is forgiveness of sins, lifting the punishment, abundance of livelihood, physical strength and being granted children.
And what brings the mercy off Allah is recitation of the Noble Quran and listening intently if it is recited and acted upon it. For the Quran is mercy and the one reciting it and the one listening intently to it receive mercy if they act upon it. Allah Almighty said:
وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
An An’am (6) 155: And this [Qur’ān] is a Book We have revealed [which is] blessed, so follow it and fear Allāh that you may receive mercy.
And Allah Almighty said:
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنْصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
Al Araf (7) 204: So when the Qur’ān is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.
And among the means of attaining the mercy of Allah is striving to reconcile between the believers when conflicts and quarrels arise between them. Allah Almighty said:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
Al Hujurat (49) 10: The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allāh that you may receive mercy.
And among the means of securing the mercy of Allah is to be patient when calamities befall. So one should not say or do except what pleases Allah. Allah Almighty said:
وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ . الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ. أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ
Al Baqarah (2) 155-157: (155) But give good tidings to the patient, (156) Who, when disaster strikes them, say, Indeed we belong to Allāh, and indeed to Him we will return. (157) Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.
أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Khutbah
الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ
All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
Oh Muslims:
So be conscious of Allah and know that from the means of attaining the mercy of Allah is for one to be merciful to the creation. The Prophet ﷺ said:
الرَّاحِمُونَ يَرْحَمُهُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ ، ارْحَمُوا مَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ يَرْحَمْكُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ
The merciful are shown mercy by The Merciful. Be merciful to the occupants of the earth, and you will be shown mercy from Who is above the heavens. [Jami’ At Timithi 1924]
That is be merciful to who you are able among the Muslims, disbelievers and the righteous and the wicked and humans and animals in a manner befitting to each one of them. Fpr Allah is merciful to whoever is merciful to them. And the opposite is true. The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ لاَ يَرْحَمُ لاَ يُرْحَمُ
He who is not merciful, will not receive mercy. [Bukhari 6013, Muslim 2318a]
As Saadi, may Allah have mercy on him, said, and the person’s mercy to creation is from the biggest means of attaining Allah’s mercy, which among its effects is the bounties of this world and the bounties of the hereafter. And missing out (on being merciful to creation) is one of the biggest deterrents and obstacles to attaining the mercy of Allah. And he also said, and the effects of this mercy that what is in the hearts appears on the limbs and tongue in striving to bring goodness and benefits to people and to remove harm and hardships from them. And the sign of mercy in a person’s heart is that they love to deliver goodness to all creation, in general, and to Muslims especially and hate that harm and evil befalls them. And to the extent of this love and hate is the extent of this mercy.
And among the means of receiving the specific mercy is doing good in all matters. Allah Almighty said:
إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
Al Araf (7) 56: Indeed, the mercy of Allāh is near to the doers of good.
And from the means of attaining mercy is leniency in buying and selling. Jaber bin AbdAllah, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
رَحِمَ اللَّهُ عَبْدًا سَمْحًا إِذَا بَاعَ سَمْحًا إِذَا اشْتَرَى سَمْحًا إِذَا اقْتَضَى
May Allah have mercy on a person who is lenient when he sells, lenient when he buys, and lenient when he asks for payment. [Sahih Ibn Majah 2203]
These are some of the means for attaining mercy, so be guarded over the other means. Learn them and put them into practice. For Allah forgives the past sins of the one to whom He has shown mercy and safeguards him in what remains of his life, and makes him happy in his life and in his grave, and after his resurrection and in his hereafter.
And ask your Lord for His mercy and do not desist from it at all. And when you ask Allah for mercy couple with asking for pardoning or forgiveness as is in His words:
وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا
Al Baqarah (2) 286: Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us.
And in His words:
اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
Al Muminoon (23) 109: Forgive us and have mercy upon us, and You are the best of the merciful.
And from the prophetic supplications in this regard:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
O Allah, I have greatly wronged myself, and no one forgives sins but You. So, grant me forgiveness and have mercy on me. Surely, you are Forgiving, Merciful. [Bukhari 7387, Muslim 2705a]
And also from the supplications is:
اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي، وَارْحَمْنِي، وَعَافِنِي، وَارْزُقْنِي
O Allah forgive me, have mercy on me, pardon me, provide for me. [Sahih Ibn Majah]
May Allah grant us success in memorizing these supplication and invoking Him through them. May Allah make us among those who receive mercy in this world and the hereafter. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Answering.
هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى نَبِيِّكُم كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِذلِكَ رَبُّكُمْ , فَقَالَ
I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
Al Ahzaab (33) 56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لنا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لَنا خَيْرًا
O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good
عِبَادَ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَجًا وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة
Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.
Click here to download a ready to deliver Khutbah transcript in pdf format