Main Topic
An explanation of the concluding verses of Surah Al-Mu'minun (verses 115-118) and the poignant lessons from the final khutbah of Caliph Umar bin Abdulaziz (Rahimahullah) regarding the purpose of life, the value of Iman, and the remembrance of death.
Key Lessons
- The Value of Iman: Iman is the greatest favor granted by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, often passed down through generations of parents and ancestors.
- Purposeful Creation: Human existence is not created in vain; every soul will return to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for reckoning.
- Danger of Minor Shirk (Riyah): Performing good deeds for ostentation or to impress people voids the reward of those deeds on the Day of Qiyamah.
- Power of Surah Al-Mu'minun: The final four verses of Surah Al-Mu'minun possess immense spiritual weight and efficacy when recited with genuine faith.
- Inevitability of Maut: Funeral attendances should serve as a stark reminder of one's own mortality and readiness for the Hereafter.
Quranic/Hadith References
- Surah Al-Mu'minun (23:115-118): Verses highlighting the purposeful creation of humanity, the absolute sovereignty of Allah, the severe outcome of shirk, and the instruction to pray for forgiveness and mercy.
- Hadith on Minor Shirk: Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) described Riyah (showing off) as minor shirk, noting that Allah leaves the reward of ostentatious deeds to the ones the practitioner sought to impress.
- Hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (Radhiyallahu anhu): Recitation of the last four verses of Surah Al-Mu'minun over a sick person brought cure; the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) remarked that reciting them with true faith on a mountain could move it.
- Hadith on the Deceased: Three things follow a funeral—family, wealth, and deeds. Two return, while only one's deeds remain in the grave.
Practical Advice
- Continually monitor and rectify intentions (Ikhlas) before and during worship to protect deeds from Riyah.
- Increase daily Istighfar and Tawbah, keeping abundant seeking of forgiveness in one's book of deeds.
- Maintain mindfulness during funerals, reflecting on personal mortality rather than engaging in idle worldly talk.
- Frequently recite the closing verses of Surah Al-Mu'minun for spiritual strength and healing.
Hazrat Moulana Dawood Seedat Saheb