https://www.khutbah.info/quran-and-the-heart/ Life illuminated by the Quran is a blessing known by those who have tasted it. A favor that blesses and purifies life. The Quran brings joy to the hearts and guides them. And what a great blessing that the King of the kings, the Master, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the Great, the Self Sufficient, the Supreme, the Lord of the worlds directly addresses meager humans through the Quran. Allāh Almighty said: Al Ankaboot (29) 51: And is it not sufficient for them that We revealed to you the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] which is recited to them? Indeed in that is a mercy and reminder for a people who believe.
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:
Life illuminated by the Quran is a blessing known by those who have tasted it. A favor that blesses and purifies life. The Quran brings joy to the hearts and guides them. And what a great blessing that the King of the kings, the Master, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the Great, the Self Sufficient, the Supreme, the Lord of the worlds directly addresses meager humans through the Quran. Allāh Almighty said:
أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَى لِقَوْمٍيُؤْمِنُونَ-العنكبوت 51
Al Ankaboot (29) 51: And is it not sufficient for them that We revealed to you the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] which is recited to them? Indeed in that is a mercy and reminder for a people who believe.
Indeed the Quran is a mercy, reminder and blessing. Allāh Almighty said:
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ-يونس 58
Yunus (10) 58: Say, “In the bounty of Allāh and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.”
The interpreters of the Quran said that the bounty of Allāh is Islam and that His Mercy is the Quran. Say, “In the bounty of Allāh and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.”
And through the Quran, souls are filled with joy that overflows to the faces and extends to homes and communities. Allāh praised Himself for this bounty before being praised by those who praise Him. Allāh Almighty said:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجًا-الكهف 1
Al Kahf (18) 1: [All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who has sent down upon His Servant [Muḥammad (ﷺ)] the Book and has not made therein any deviance.
And this Great Book is a blueprint for life and moves the hearts. And just as water revives the land, this Noble Book revives the hearts. Allāh Almighty said:
أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُواالْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ * اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَيُحْيِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ-الحديد 16 – 17
Al Hadid 16-17: (16) Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allāh and what has come down of the truth? And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient. (17) Know that Allāh gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. We have made clear to you the signs; perhaps you will understand.
And how many barren lands, with no vegetation, no plants, no grass and no pasture, does Allāh Almighty revive with water? Then it is stirred to life, and it swells and puts forth every lovely kind of growth. Then with this water the land is revived from its barrenness, drought, and dryness. And likewise is the case with people’s hearts. For the hearts’ need for the revelation of Allāh Almighty and the knowledge with which the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ came is exactly like the barren land that needs the rain to be revived. And just as the earth is not revived except with water, hearts are not revived except by the revelation of Allāh.
And since the revelation is to the hearts what the rain is to the land, what is the situation of people with this revelation? And what is there share from it? And to what extent do they benefit from it? To know the answer, look with a contemplating eye upon the land when rain descends upon it. The one reflecting upon the land after rainfall, finds varying impact of the rain. And if there is variance in how land is impacted by the rain, there is also variance in how people are impacted by revelation.
And to increase understanding of this great concept, let us reflect upon a ḥadīth that was narrated by Abu Musa Al Ashari, may Allāh be pleased with him, who said that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إنَّ مَثَلَ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللهُ بِهِ مِنَ الهُدَى والعِلْمَ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَصَابَ أَرْضًا فكانتْ مِنها طَائِفَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ،قَبِلَتْ الماءَ فَأَنْبَتَتِ الكَلَأَ والعُشْبَ الكَثِيرَ، وكَان مِنها أَجَادِبُ أَمْسَكَتِ الماءَ فَنَفَعَ اللهُ بها النَّاسَ، فَشَرِبُوا مِنْهَا وسَقَوا وَزَرَعُوا، وأَصَابَ طَائِفَةً مِنها أُخْرَى إنَّما هِي قِيعَانٌ لا تُمْسِكُ مَاءً ولا تُنْبِتُ كَلَأً، فذلك مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقُهَ في دِينِ اللهِ وَنَفَعَهُ بِما بَعَثَنِي اللهُ بِهِ فَعَلِمَ وعَلَّمَ، ومَثَلُ مَنْ لم يَرْفَعْ بِذَلِكَ رَأْسًا ولم يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللهِ الذي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ
The similitude of guidance and knowledge that Allāh has sent me with is like heavy rain that fell on a land. Some spots had good soil; they absorbed the water and brought forth much greenery and vegetation. Other spots were solid; they held the water. Allāh thus made them useful to people: they drank, watered, and planted. Some of the rain, however, fell on parts that retained no water and produced no greenery. Such is the likeness of the one who understood the religion of Allāh and benefited from what Allāh has sent me with; he learned and taught others. It is also the likeness of the one who did not raise his head to it (does not turn to it and benefit) and thus did not accept Allāh’s guidance with which I was sent.” [Bukhari 79, Muslim 2282]
What a great example. And how much we are in need to reflect upon it. And one should look at their situation in light of this wonderful example in which the Prophet ﷺ linked us, so that we understand the matter clearly, with something that we see and witness when rain falls on the earth around us. And how the land is impacted to various degrees. Likewise is the case of the impact of the Divine revelation on people.
People’s situation with Allāh’s revelation is exactly like that of the earth with the rain. So there are some people who have been given success by Allāh Almighty in being attentive with this revelation through correct and precise understanding, reflection and contemplation. They combine preserving the Words of Allāh and words of His Messenger ﷺ and correct understanding of them, and reflecting on their meaning and extracting the rulings from them. These are the people who are anchored in knowledge and have a good understanding of the religion of Allāh Most Majestic.
And there is another group that Allāh Almighty has honored, so they gave great care to the Quran and Sunnah. They took care in preserving and memorizing it, and spent time in recounting it. But, unlike the first group, they were not given insightful understanding, firm knowledge and ability to extract the rulings from the words of Allāh and the words of His Messenger ﷺ. However, they are upon great goodness and success from Allāh. And they have a share from the words of the Prophet ﷺ:
نَضَّرَ اللَّهُ عبدا سَمِعَ مَقَالَتِي فَحَفِظَهَا فَبَلَّغَهَا إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَوْعَى مِنْهُ، فَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ غَيْرِفَقِيهٍ، وَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَفْقَهُ مِنْهُ”.
Allāh brightens a person who hears what I say, then retains it, then conveys it to one with more capacity than him, so perhaps a bearer of knowledge is not a scholar, and perhaps a bearer of knowledge conveys it to one who is more knowledgeable than him. [Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Majah 2498, Grade: Ṣaḥīḥ (Albani)]
And both of these two previous groups are happy.
And as for the last group, they are denied this goodness. They are like porous land that does not hold water and cannot be benefited from, and it does not grow greenery, so there is no benefit from the water. So this is the situation of the one who does not raise their head to the revelation and does not give it any attention. Their days pass and their lives are wasted without spending time on the revelation of Allāh neither through knowledge of it or putting it into practice. So those are the losers. We seek refuge in Allāh Almighty from that.
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:
Allāh the Exalted referred to those not reflecting upon the Quran as having locks on their hearts. Allāh Almighty said:
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا-محمد 24
Mohammad (47) 24: Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’ān, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?
And just as Allāh Almighty is able revive a barren land through rain and cause it to thrive with greenery after drought, Allāh the Exalted is able guide the astray, soften hearts after their hardness and open locked hearts. And Allāh the Most Merciful, Especially Merciful has made keys for these locks.
The first of these keys, is knowledge of Allāh Almighty. For the Quran is the Words of Allāh the Majestic. My Lord, your Lord and the Lord of your ancestors, the Lord of east and the Lord of the west and what is between them, the Lord of the Worlds. the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong. And the honor of words is based on the honor of whose words they are. And all speech, even if it is great, is less than the Words of Allāh Almighty. Let alone the false speech and idle talk.
Uthman, may Allāh be pleased with him, said, “if your hearts were purified, you would not get enough of the Words of your Lord.”
Purifying the heart through doing what Allāh Almighty commanded and performing different acts of obedience. And purifying the heart through asking Allāh Almighty to rectify your heart which is the second key for unlocking hearts. Asking Allāh to rectify your heart by saying, “oh Allāh purify my heart”, “oh Allāh rectify my heart”, “oh Allāh guide my heart”.
And Ibn Masood, may Allāh be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺsaid:
ما أصاب أحدًا قط همٌّ و لا حزنٌ ، فقال : اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ وَفِي قَبْضَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوْ أَلْهَمْتَ عِبَادَكَ أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي مَكْنُونِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قلبِي ، إلا أذهبَ الله همَّه وحُزنَه، وأبدلَه مكانَهفرَحًا
No one is afflicted with distress or sorrow and says: O Allāh, I am Your servant, and the son of Your male servant, and the son of your female servant. My forehead is in Your Hand (i.e. you have control over me). Your Judgment upon me is assured, and Your Decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation, or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness, and the reliever of my distress. Except that Allāh will remove his distress and sorrow and replaced it with relief. [The Authentic Series, Albani (199), Grade: Ṣaḥīḥ]
And another key for unlocking hearts is knowledge of the blessings of the Great Quran. Allāh Almighty said:
كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ-ص 29
Sad (38) 29: [This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.
The blessings of the Quran are upon individuals, families and societies. Blessings in this world and the hereafter. The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا -رواه الترمذي
Whoever recites a letter from Allāh’s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2910, Grade: Ḥasan]
And the Prophet ﷺ said:
اقْرَءُوا سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ فَإِنَّ أَخْذَهَا بَرَكَةٌ وَتَرْكَهَا حَسْرَةٌ وَلاَ تَسْتَطِيعُهَا الْبَطَلَةُ
Recite Sūrat al-Baqarah, for retaining it is a blessing, and abandoning it is a (cause of) regret, and the sorcerers cannot handle it. [Muslim 804a]
And the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ سُورَةً مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ثَلاَثُونَ آيَةً شَفَعَتْ لِرَجُلٍ حَتَّى غُفِرَ لَهُ وَهِيَ سُورَةُ تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ
Indeed there is a Surah in the Qur’an of thirty Ayat, which intercedes for a man until he is forgiven. It is [Surah] Tabarak Alladhi Biyadihil-Mulk. [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2891, Grade: Ḥasan]
And the Prophet ﷺ said:
يُقَالُ لِصَاحِبِ الْقُرْآنِ اقْرَأْ وَارْتَقِ وَرَتِّلْ كَمَا كُنْتَ تُرَتِّلُ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَإِنَّ مَنْزِلَكَ عِنْدَ آخِرِ آيَةٍ تَقْرَؤُهَا
It will be said to the one devoted to the Qur’an: Read, ascend, and recite with deliberation as you used to recite with deliberation in the world. Your rank will be at the last verse that you recite. [Sunan Abi Dawud 1464, Grade: Ḥasan Ṣaḥīḥ (Albani)]
We ask Allāh Almighty through His most Beautiful Names and Lofty Attributes to nourish our hearts with ịmān (faith), and to give us success in reciting His Book in the hours of the night and at both ends of the day. Indeed Allāh 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.
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