https://www.khutbah.info/realizing-our-absolute-dependence-upon-allah/ People’s utmost need for Allah the Most High is beyond description. They are in need of Him in all their states and in all their affairs. He, Glorified be He, is their Creator from nothingness, their Nurturer, their Guide to what benefits them, and the One who averts from them what harms them. What is the value of creation without their Creator? The glorious Quran has made these truths clear, yet many people overlook them. People must contemplate the words of Allah the Most High, to realize their true need for Him, and to recognize His grace and favor upon them.
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:
People’s utmost need for Allah the Most High is beyond description. They are in need of Him in all their states and in all their affairs. He, Glorified be He, is their Creator from nothingness, their Nurturer, their Guide to what benefits them, and the One who averts from them what harms them. What is the value of creation without their Creator?
The glorious Quran has made these truths clear, yet many people overlook them. People must contemplate the words of Allah the Most High, to realize their true need for Him, and to recognize His grace and favor upon them.
Our Lord, may His majesty be glorified, is the One who created us and does not need us. He did not create us to increase in numbers or to gain strength. Nor does He need us for anything. Thus, His creating us was purely a grace and favor from Him.
Imagine, if you were never created. What then? Would the universe be disrupted without you? Are the existent in need of your existence?
Did not times pass before your existence, and the universe was the universe, and no one needed you for their existence, and after you pass, the living will continue to live, and the universe will remain the universe, and people will remain people. Thus, existence did not need your creation, nor will it be disrupted by your passing.
This truth is stated in the Quran in more than one place:
أَوَلا يَذْكُرُ الإِنسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ يَكُ شَيْئاً -مريم 67
Maryam 19 67: Does man not remember that We created him before, while he was nothing?
Allah Almighty said:
هَلْ أَتَى عَلَى الإِنسَانِ حِينٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْئاً مَّذْكُوراً -الإنسان 1
Al-Insan (76) 1: Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?
Indeed, times passed before the creation of Adam, peace be upon him, when there was no mention of humans because they were not created yet. Then after the existence of humans none of us were mentioned or known because we had not yet been born. So it was a favor from Allah the Most High to create the origin of humans. Then He favored us by making us their descendants. When Zechariah, peace be upon him, was informed of a child and wondered about being granted a child while old and his wife was barren, the response was:
قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئاً -مريم 9
Maryam (19) 9: Your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.
We are vitally in need of Allah Almighty in our existence as humans, and we need Him for our survival and the continuation of our human race. Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, is in no need of us, is capable of annihilating the entire human race and creating a different one who worship Him without disobeying Him not even for an instant.
The Quran is replete with verses that affirm our dependence on Allah Exalted for our continued existence and that of our species:
وَرَبُّكَ الْغَنِيُّ ذُو الرَّحْمَةِ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفْ مِن بَعْدِكُم مَّا يَشَاءُ كَمَا أَنشَأَكُم مِّن ذُرِّيَّةِ قَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ -الأنعام:133
Al-An’am (6) 133: And your Lord is the Free of need, the possessor of mercy. If He wills, He can do away with you and give succession after you to whomever He wills, just as He produced you from the descendants of another people.
Indeed, the Quran states the reality of our dependence on our Lord, the Majestic, for our survival and that of our species:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاء إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ * إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ* وَمَا ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ -فاطر 15-17
Fatir 15-17: (15) O mankind, you are those in need of Allāh, while Allāh is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy. (16) If He wills, He can do away with you and bring forth a new creation. (17) And that is for Allāh not difficult.
We are also in need of Allah Almighty for our guidance, our faith, and to worship Him. Had it not been for Allah Almighty, we would not have been Muslims, nor would we have believed, prayed, fasted, done righteous deeds, or refrained from prohibitions. We are not the most noble of humans, nor the most intelligent, nor the strongest, but Allah Almighty has favored us with guidance, while others have gone astray:
قُل لا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلامَكُم بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلإِيمَانِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ -الحجرات 17
Al-Hujurat (49) 17: Say, “Do not consider your Islām a favor to me. Rather, Allāh has conferred favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you should be truthful.
Allah says in the hadith Qudsi:
يَا عِبَادِي، كُلُّكُمْ ضَالٌّ إلَّا مَنْ هَدَيْته، فَاسْتَهْدُونِي أَهْدِكُمْ.
O My servants, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you. [Muslim 2577a]
How many have lost the path to Iman (faith) with no guide ? Indeed, the majority of humanity are in misguidance, destined for Hell. And our Lord , the Exalted, has made us among the believers, who are the minority. Read the verses related to guidance and misguidance in the Book of Allah to appreciate the grace of Allah upon you with guidance and to realize your utter dependence on Him for remaining steadfast upon Iman (faith). Allah, the Exalted, has refuted the ones seeking to guide those He Almighty sent astray and clearly stated that there is no path to guidance for the one whom Allah has sent astray:
أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَهْدُواْ مَنْ أَضَلَّ اللّهُ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللّهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ سَبِيلاً -النساء 88
An-Nisa (4) 88: Do you wish to guide those whom Allāh has sent astray? And he whom Allāh sends astray – never will you find for him a way [of guidance].
We continue to be in desperate need of Allah Almighty to maintain our Iman (faith) and remain steadfast upon our religion. For there is no steadfastness except through Allah, and with His help and success from Him. Thus, Allah Almighty stated that those firmly grounded in knowledge say:
رَبَّنَا لاَ تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا-آل عمران 8
Al-Imran (3) 8: [Who say], Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us.
And the one praying recites this blessed supplication in every unit of prayer:
اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ -الفاتحة 6
Al-Fatiha (1) 6: Guide us to the straight path.
We are in utmost need of Allah Almighty for our sustenance. Who else can provide for us other than our Lord, our Creator, and the One who bestows blessings upon us? Regardless of their greatness, strength, or status, the created cannot provide for themselves, let alone for others. For all are dependent upon Allah Almighty, who directs their sustenance to them wherever they may be. Allah Almighty said:
وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللّهِ رِزْقُهَا -هود 6
Hud (11) 6: And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allāh is its provision.
Allah Almighty has combined the mention of our dependence on Him for our creation and provision in many verses. And that there is no stability or continuation of our species after our Lord created us except through His provision that He provides us:
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ هَلْ مِن شُرَكَائِكُم مَّن يَفْعَلُ مِن ذَلِكُم مِّن شَيْءٍ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ -الروم 40
Ar-Rum (30) 40: Allāh is the one who created you, then provided for you, then will cause you to die, and then will give you life. Are there any of your “partners” who does anything of that? Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.
He has commanded us to always remember this great blessing and not to forget it:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ هَلْ مِنْ خَالِقٍ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ-فاطر 3
Fatir (35) 3: O mankind, remember the favor of Allāh upon you. Is there any creator other than Allāh who provides for you from the heaven and earth?
And if He were to withhold His provision, who else could provide for us?
أَمَّنْ هَذَا الَّذِي يَرْزُقُكُمْ إِنْ أَمْسَكَ رِزْقَهُ -الملك 21
Al-Mulk (67) 21: Or who is it that could provide for you if He withheld His provision?
For provision should only be sought from the One who owns it and is capable of giving it. Our Lord, the Most Glorious, holds the treasuries of the heavens and the earth:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ رِزْقاً فَابْتَغُوا عِندَ اللَّهِ الرِّزْقَ وَاعْبُدُوهُ وَاشْكُرُوا لَهُ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ -العنكبوت 17
Al-Ankabut (29) 17: Indeed, those you worship besides Allāh do not possess for you [the power of] provision. So seek from Allāh provision and worship Him and be grateful to Him. To Him you will be returned.
We are in dire need of Allah Almighty for our food, drink, clothing, health, and all our affairs. Our utmost dependence upon Allah Almighty is always with us, accompanying us. For our every movement and stillness is by the decree and arrangement of Allah Almighty. Those who affirm this, submit to the worship of their Lord, the Most Glorious, and are among the triumphant and successful. While those who deny it, arrogantly turn away from worshipping Him, and are among the doomed and punished.
Therefore, affirm the grace of Allah, and disavow all power and strength except through Allah Almighty. For that disavowal except from the power and strength of Allah is a treasure among the treasures of Paradise, as it is an admission of our constant need for Allah Almighty. Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said to him:
أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى كَلِمَةٍ مِنْ كَنْزِ الْجَنَّةِ . قُلْتُ مَا هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ
Shall I not tell you of a word which is one of the treasures of Paradise?’ I said: ‘What is, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’ (There is no power and no strength except with Allah). [Bukhari 6409, Muslim 2704c]
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:
It was the way of the messengers, peace be upon them, and the way of the righteous before you to internalize their utter dependence upon Allah Almighty, to humble themselves before Him, and to admit their incapacity, weakness and need before Him, and to disavow their own power and strength.
Ibrahim, peace be upon him, disavowed the idols of his people and declared his utter need for Allah Almighty in all his affairs in this world and the hereafter, saying:
قَالَ أَفَرَأَيْتُم مَّا كُنتُمْ تَعْبُدُونَ * أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمُ الأَقْدَمُونَ * فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِّي إِلَّا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ *الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ * وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ * وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ * وَالَّذِي يُمِيتُنِي ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ *وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ ) [الشعراء:75-82
Ash-Shu’araa (26) 75-82: (75) He said, “Then do you see what you have been worshipping, (76) you and your ancient forefathers? (77) Indeed, they are enemies to me, except the Lord of the worlds, (78) Who created me, and He [it is who] guides me. (79) And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink, (80) and when I am ill, it is He who cures me. (81) And who will cause me to die and then bring me to life, (82) And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense.
This is his, peace be upon him, affirmation of Allah’s favor upon him, declaring his utter need for Him, and enumerating His blessings upon him.
And the Prophet ﷺ cultivated his offspring and community to constantly realize their utmost need for Allah Almighty, and to affirm their need for Him in all their affairs. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said to his daughter Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her:
ما يَمنعُكِ أنْ تَسمَعي ما أُوصيكِ به أنْ تَقولي إذا أَصبحتِ يا حَيُّ يا قيُّومُ برَحْمَتِك أستَغيثُ، أصلِحْ لي شأني كُلَّه، ولا تَكِلْني إلى نَفْسي طَرْفةَ عَينٍ
What prevents you from observing what I advise you to say when you reach the morning and the evening: ‘O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, by Your mercy I seek relief, set right for me all my affairs and do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye. [Al-Hakim 2026: Grade: Sahih on the condition of Bukhari and Muslim]
So follow the path of the prophets and the righteous in their realization of their utmost need for Allah Almighty. How much we are in need to revive this feeling of utmost need in our hearts, after they have been hardened by sins.
Indeed, we are in utmost need of Allah Almighty to rectify our hearts, to remain steadfast upon our religion, to protect ourselves, our children, and our wealth from diseases, accidents, and calamities, and for the continuity of our security and stability, and for the continuity of the blessings He has bestowed upon us. He is the One who owns their continuity and disappearance. How impoverished we are for the relief of our Lord and His mercy.
So do not be deceived by your status, wealth, health, or comfortable life, or by the blessings extended to you. For that is among the clearest signs of your utmost need, because you are captive to them, cannot endure their loss, and none but Allah Almighty sustains them for you. Feel impoverished to Him, the Exalted, He will enrich you, and do not seek sufficiency through other than Him, lest you perish.
We ask Allah Almighty to enrich us with the realization of our utter dependence upon Him for all our affairs and at all times. 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.
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