This khutbah was delivered at the Ihsan Mosque in Norwich on Friday 29th January 2010.

‘Aqida of the Risala

الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيآت أعمالنا.
من يهده الله فلا مضل له، ومن يضلله فلا هادي له.

وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم.
(يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ).

(يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلاً سَدِيدًا (70) يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعْ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا(71)

أما بعد:
13 صفر 1431

•    اللَّهَ إلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ لاَ إلَهَ غَيْرَهُ ،

Allah is One God and that there is no god other than Him,

•    وَلاَ شَبِيهَ لَهُ ، وَلاَ نَظِيرَ لَهُ ،

nor is there any like Him, nor any equal to Him .

•    وَلاَ وَلَدَ لَهُ ، وَلاَ وَالِدَ لَهُ ، وَلا صَاحِبَةَ لَهُ وَلاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ .

He has had no child. He had no father. He has no wife. He has no partner.

•    لَيْسَ لأَوَّلِيَّتِهِ ابْتِدَاءٌ ، وَلاَ لآخِرِيَّتِهِ انْقِضَاءٌ .

There is no beginning to His firstness nor any end to His lastness.

•    لاَ يَبْلُغُ كُنْهَ صِفَتِهِ الْوَاصِفُونَ، وَلاَ يُحِيطُ بِأَمْرِهِ الْمُتَفَكِّرُونَ.

Those who try to describe Him can never adequately do so, nor can thinkers encompass Him in their thought.

•    وَيَعْتَبِرُ الْمُتَفَكِّرُونَ بِآيَاتِهِ، وَلاَ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي مَاهِيَّةِ ذَاتِهِ، وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ إلاَ بِمَا شَاءَ.

Real thinkers may derive lessons from His signs but do not try to think about the nature of His Essence . “But they do not attain any of His knowledge except what He wills .” (2:254)

•    وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ، وَلاَ يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا.

“His Footstool embraces the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not tire Him.

•    وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ، الْعَالَمُ الْخَبِيرُ، الْمُدَبِّرُ الْقَدِيرُ، السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ، الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ.

He is the Most High, the Magnificent”  (2:254) The All-Knower and the All-Aware, the Arranger and the All-Powerful . The All-Hearer and the All-Seeing . The High and the Great .

•    وَأَنَّهُ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ الْمَجِيدِ بِذَاتِهِ .

He is over His Glorious Throne by His Essence .

•     وَهُوَ فِي كُلِّ مَكَان بِعِلْمِهِ.

He is everywhere by His knowledge .

•     خَلَقَ الإِنْسَانَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ، وَهُوَ أَقْرَبُ إلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ.

He created man and He knows what his self whispers to him and He is nearer to him than his jugular vein.

•     وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إلاَ يَعْلَمُهَا.

No leaf falls without him knowing of it .

•     وَلاَ حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الأَرْضِ وَلاَ رَطْبٍ وَلاَ يَابِسٍ إلاَ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ.

There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, nor any wet thing nor any dry thing that is not in a clear book.

•     عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى وَعَلَى الْمُلْكِ احْتَوَى .

He is settled on His throne and has absolute control over His kingdom .

•     وَلَهُ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى وَالصِّفَاتُ الْعُلَى.

He has the most beautiful names and the most sublime attributes

•     لَمْ يَزَلْ بِجَمِيعِ صِفَاتِهِ وَأَسْمَائِهِ.

He has always had all these names and attributes.

•    تَعَالَى أَنْ تَكُونَ صِفَاتُهُ مَخْلُوقَةً وَأَسْمَاؤُهُ مُحْدَثَةً.

He is exalted above any of His attributes ever having been created or any of His names having been brought into temporal existence.

•     كَلَّمَ مُوسَى بِكَلاَمِهِ الَّذِي هُوَ صِفَةُ ذَاتِهِ لاَ خَلْقٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ.

He spoke to Musa with His speech which is an attribute of His essence and not something created.

•     وَتَجَلَّى لِلْجَبَلِ فَصَارَ دَكًّا مِنْ جَلاَلِهِ .

He manifested Himself to the mountain and it disintegrated through exposure to His majesty.

•
•    [the Qur'an]

•    وَأَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ كَلاَمُ اللَّهِ: لَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ فَيَبِيدُ ، وَلاَ صِفَةً لِمَخْلُوقٍ فَيَنْفَدُ.

The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, not something created which must therefore die out, nor the attribute of something created which must therefore come to an end.

•    [the Decree]

•     وَالإِيمَانُ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ وَحُلْوِهِ وَمُرِّهِ، وَكُلِّ ذَلِكَ قَدْ قَدَّرَهُ اللَّهُ رَبُّنَا.

Also included is belief in the Decree both the good of it and the evil of it, the sweet of it and the bitter of it . All of this has been decreed by Allah, our Lord .

•     وَمَقَادِيرُ الأُمُورِ بِيَدِهِ وَمَصْدَرُهَا عَنْ قَضَائِهِ.

The way things are decided is entirely in His hand and the way they happen is according to His decree.

•     عَلِمَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ قَبْلَ كَوْنِهِ فَجَرَى عَلَى قَدَرِهِ.

He knows all things before they come into existence and they take place in the way He has already decided.

•     لاَ يَكُونُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ قَوْلٌ وَلاَ عَمَلٌ إلاَ وَقَدْ قَضَاهُ وَسَبَقَ عِلْمُهُ بِهِ.

There is nothing that His servants say or do which He has not decreed and does not have knowledge of.

•    {أَلاَ يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ}.

“Does not He who creates know, when He is the Subtle and the Aware.” (67:14)

•     يُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَيَخْذُلُهُ بِعَدْلِهِ، وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَيُوَفِّقُهُ بِفَضْلِهِ.

He leads astrays whomever He wills and in His justice debases them and He guides whomever He wills and in His generosity grants them success.

•     فَكُلٌّ مُيَسَّرٌ بِتَيْسِيرِهِ إلَى مَا سَبَقَ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ وَإِرَادَتِهِ مِنْ شَقِيٍّ أَوْ سَعِيدٍ.

In that way everyone is eased by Him to what He already has knowledge of and has previously decreed as to whether they are to be among the fortunate or the wretched .

•     تَعَالَى أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي مُلْكِهِ مَا لاَ يُرِيدُ، أَوْ يَكُونَ لأَحَدٍ عَنْهُ غِنًى، أَوْ يَكُونَ خَالِقٌ لِشَيْءٍ إلاَ هُوَ.

He is exalted above there being anything He does not desire in His kingdom, or that there should be anything not dependant on Him, or that there should be any creator of anything other than Him

•     رَبُّ الْعِبَادِ، وَرَبُّ أَعْمَالِهِمْ، وَالْمُقَدِّرُ لِحَرَكَاتِهِمْ وَآجَالِهِمْ.

The Lord of all people, the Lord of their actions, the One who decrees their movements and the time of their death .

•    [Belief in the Messengers and Muhammad – peace be upon them]

•     الْبَاعِثُ الرُّسُلَ إلَيْهِمْ لإِقَامَةِ الْحُجَّةِ عَلَيْهِم.

He has sent Messengers to them in order to establish a proof before them.

•     ثُمَّ خَتَمَ الرِّسَالَةَ وَالنِّذَارَةَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ بِنَبِيِّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – فَجَعَلَهُ آخِرَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ بَشِيرًا، وَنَذِيرًا، وَدَاعِيًا إلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ، وَسِرَاجًا مُنِيرًا.

He sealed this Message, warning, and Prophethood with his Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whom He made the last of the Messengers – “A bringer of good news and a warner, calling to Allah by His permission and an illuminating lamp .”

•     وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِ كِتَابَهُ الْحَكِيمَ، وَشَرَحَ بِهِ دِينَهُ الْقَوِيمَ، وَهَدَى بِهِ الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ.

He sent down on him His Wise Book and by means of him He explained his upright Deen and guided people to the Straight Path .

أقول قولي هذا واستغفر الله لي ولكم فاستغفروه، فيا فوز المستغفرين.

Second Khutbah

الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله.

أوصيكم بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم عن معصيته ومخالفته.

فاتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نهى عنه وزجر.

قال تعالى: (فمن يعمل مثقال ذرة خيرا يره ومن يعمل مثقال ذرة شرا يره).

أما بعد:

•    [Resurrection and Judgement]

•     وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهَا.

That the Final Hour is coming – there is no doubt about it.

•     وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَنْ يَمُوتُ، كَمَا بَدَأَهُمْ يَعُودُونَ.

It must be believed that Allah will raise up all who have died: “As He brought them into existence the first time so they will be brought back again;”

•     وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ ضَاعَفَ لِعِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْحَسَنَاتِ، وَصَفَحَ لَهُمْ بِالتَّوْبَةِ عَنْ كِبَارِ السَّيِّئَاتِ، وَغَفَرَ لَهُمْ الصَّغَائِرَ بِاجْتِنَابِ الْكَبَائِرِ.

It must be believed that Allah, glory be to Him, multiplies the reward of the good actions of His believing servants. He pardons them for their major wrong actions by virtue of their repentance (tawba) and He forgives them for their minor wrong actions by virtue of their avoidance of the major wrong actions.

•     وَجَعَلَ مَنْ لَمْ يَتُبْ مِنْ الْكَبَائِرِ صَائِرًا إلَى مَشِيئَتِهِ {إنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ} .

Those who do not repent of their major wrong actions become subject to His will. “He does not forgive anything being associated with Him, but He forgives anything other than that to whoever He wills.”

•     وَمَنْ عَاقَبَهُ بِنَارِهِ أَخْرَجَهُ مِنْهَا بِإِيمَانِهِ فَأَدْخَلَهُ بِهِ جَنَّتَهُ {وَمَنْ يَعْمَلُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ}.

Those He punishes with His Fire, He will remove them from it because of any belief they have and by this He will cause them to enter His Garden. “Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it.” (99:7)

•     وَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا بِشَفَاعَةِ النَّبِيِّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – مَنْ شَفَعَ لَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكَبَائِرِ مِنْ أُمَّتِهِ .

Any of the community of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who have committed major wrong actions and for whom he intercedes, will be brought out of the Fire by his intercession.

•    [Reward and punishment]

•     وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ قَدْ خَلَقَ الْجَنَّةَ فَأَعَدَّهَا دَارَ خُلُودٍ لأَوْلِيَائِهِ .

Allah has created the Garden and has made it ready as an everlasting abode for His friends (awliya).

•     وَأَكْرَمَهُمْ فِيهَا بِالنَّظَرِ إلَى وَجْهِهِ الْكَرِيمِ .

He will honour them in it with the vision of His Noble Face.

•     وَهِيَ الَّتِي أَهْبَطَ مِنْهَا آدَمَ نَبِيَّهُ وَخَلِيفَتَهُ إلَى أَرْضِهِ بِمَا سَبَقَ فِي سَابِقِ عِلْمِهِ.

This is the same Garden from which He sent down Adam, His Prophet and Khalif, to the earth, which was as it had already been decreed in His foreknowledge.

•     وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ النَّارَ فَأَعَدَّهَا دَارَ خُلُودٍ لِمَنْ كَفَرَ بِهِ وَأَلْحَدَ فِي آيَاتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجَعَلَهُمْ مَحْجُوبِينَ عَنْ رُؤْيَتِهِ.

He has created the Fire and has made it ready as an everlasting abode for those who disbelieve in Him and deny His signs and Books and Messengers and He keeps them veiled from seeing Him.

•    [Details of the Resurrection]

•     وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَجِيءُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا: لِعَرْضِ الْأُمَمِ وَحِسَابِهَا، وَعُقُوبَتِهَا، وَثَوَابِهَا.

Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, will come on the Day of Rising together with the angels, rank upon rank, to put peoples on display, together with their accounts, their punishments and their rewards.

•    وَتُوضَعُ الْمَوَازِينُ لِوَزْنِ أَعْمَالِ الْعِبَادِ ،

The balances will be set up to weigh people’s actions

•    فَمَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمْ الْمُفْلِحُونَ.

“Whoever’s actions are heavy in the balance – they are the successful”.

•    وَيُؤْتَوْنَ صَحَائِفَهُمْ بِأَعْمَالِهِمْ.

People will be given pages on which their actions are recorded.

•    فَمَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ: فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا، وَمَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ وَرَاءَ ظَهْرِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ يَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا.

“Whoever is given his book in his right hand will be given an easy accounting and whoever is given his book behind his back – they will burn in a Fire.” (84:7-13)

•    وَأَنَّ الصِّرَاطَ حَقٌّ، يَجُوزُهُ الْعِبَادُ بِقَدْرِ أَعْمَالِهِمْ فَنَاجُونَ مُتَفَاوِتُونَ فِي سُرْعَةِ النَّجَاةِ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ، وَقَوْمٌ أَوْبَقَتْهُمْ فِيهَا أَعْمَالُهُمْ.

The Bridge (Sirat) is true and people will cross it according to their actions. Those who cross it, and achieve safety from the Fire, do so at different speeds, while the actions of others cast them to their destruction in the Fire.

•    وَالإِيمَانُ بِحَوْضِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، تَرِدُهُ أُمَّتُهُ، لاَ يَظْمَأُ مَنْ شَرِبَ مِنْهُ وَيُذَادُ عَنْهُ مَنْ بَدَّلَ وَغَيَّرَ.

Also included is belief in the Basin (Hawd) of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, which his community will come down to drink from after which they will never feel thirst again. But those who make any changes or alterations in the Deen will be driven from it.

•    [Belief]

•    وَأَنَّ الإِيمَانَ قَوْلٌ بِاللِّسَانِ، وَإِخْلاَصٌ بِالْقَلْبِ، وَعَمَلٌ بِالْجَوَارِحِ.

Belief consists of what you say with the tongue, what you believe sincerely in the heart, and what you do with the limbs.

•    يَزِيدُ بِزِيَادَةِ الأَعْمَالِ، وَيَنْقُصُ بِنَقْصِهَا، فَيَكُونُ فِيهَا النَّقْصُ، وَبِهَا الزِّيَادَةُ.

Belief increases when your actions increase and decreases when they decrease. So it is through actions or the lack of them that increase and decrease in belief occurs.

•    وَلاَ يَكْمُلُ قَوْلُ الإِيمَانِ إلاَ بِالْعَمَلِ.

The statement of belief is not complete without action.

•    وَلاَ قَوْلٌ وَعَمَلٌ إلاَ بِالنِّيَّةِ.

Neither the statement nor action are complete without intention.

•    وَلاَ قَوْلٌ وَعَمَلٌ وَنِيَّةٌ إلاَ بِمُوَافَقَةِ السُّنَّةِ .
And neither the statement nor intention are complete unless they are in accordance with the Sunna.

•    وَأَنَّهُ لاَ يَكْفُرُ أَحَدٌ بِذَنْبٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقِبْلَةِ.

No Muslim becomes an unbeliever (kafir) through wrong actions.

•    وَأَنَّ الشُّهَدَاءَ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ.

Martyrs (Shuhada’) are alive, receiving their provision in the presence of their Lord .

•    وَأَرْوَاحُ أَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ بَاقِيَةٌ نَاعِمَةٌ إلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ، وَأَرْوَاحُ أَهْلِ الشَّقَاوَةِ مُعَذَّبَةٌ إلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.

The spirits of the fortunate remain in bliss until the day they are raised again. The spirits of the wretched are tormented until the Day of Judgement.

•    وَأَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُفْتَنُونَ فِي قُبُورِهِمْ وَيُسْأَلُونَ. (يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الآخِرَةِ).

The believers are tried and questioned in their graves. “Allah makes those who believe firm by giving them firm words in the life of this world and the next world.” 14:27

[The Angels]

•    وَأَنَّ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ حَفَظَةً يَكْتُبُونَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ، وَلاَ يَسْقُطُ شَيْءٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ عَنْ عِلْمِ رَبِّهِمْ.

People have Recording Angels [Hafadha] over them who write down their actions. And nothing people do escapes the knowledge of their Lord.

•    وَأَنَّ مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ يَقْبِضُ الأَرْوَاحَ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ.

The Angel of Death seizes people’s spirits by the permission of his Lord.

•    [Authorities]

•    وَأَنَّ خَيْرَ الْقُرُونِ الْقَرْنُ الَّذِينَ رَأَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَآمَنُوا بِهِ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ.

The best generation are those who saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and believed in him . Then those who followed them and then those who followed them .

•    وَأَفْضَلُ الصَّحَابَةِ الْخُلَفَاءُ الرَّاشِدُونَ الْمَهْدِيُّونَ: أَبُو بَكْرٍ، ثُمَّ عُمَرُ، ثُمَّ عُثْمَانُ، ثُمَّ عَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ.

The best of the Companions (Sahaba) are the Rightly-Guided Khalifs. Firstly, Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then ‘Uthman, then ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with all of them.

•    وَأَنْ لاَ يُذْكَرَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ صَحَابَةِ الرَّسُولِ إلاَ بِأَحْسَنِ ذِكْرٍ. وَالإِمْسَاكُ عَمَّا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ أَحَقُّ النَّاسِ أَنْ يُلْتَمَسَ لَهُمْ أَحْسَنُ الْمَخَارِجِ وَيُظَنَّ بِهِمْ أَحْسَنُ الْمَذَاهِبِ.

None of the Companions of the Messenger should be mentioned except in the best way and silence should be maintained concerning any disagreements that broke out between them. They are the people who are most worthy of being considered in the best light possible and the people whose opinions should be most respected.

•    وَالطَّاعَةُ لأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ وُلاَةِ أُمُورِهِمْ  وَعُلَمَائِهِمْ.

Obedience to the leaders of the Muslims, both their rulers and their men of knowledge, is obligatory.

•    وَاتِّبَاعُ السَّلَفِ الصَّالِحِ وَاقْتِفَاءُ آثَارِهِمْ وَالاسْتِغْفَارُ لَهُمْ.

It is also obligatory to follow the Right-acting Companions, to tread in their footsteps and ask forgiveness for them.

•    وَتَرْكُ الْمِرَاءِ وَالْجِدَالِ فِي الدِّينِ وَتَرْكُ كُلِّ مَا أَحْدَثَهُ الْمُحْدِثُونَ.

It is also obligatory to avoid wrangling and argumentation regarding the Deen and to avoid every new thing which people have introduced into it.

•    وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ وَسَلِّمْ تَسْلِيمًا كَثِيرًا.

May Allah bless and give much peace to our Master Muhammad, His Prophet, and his family and his wives and his descendants.

إنَّ اللهَ ومَلائِكَتَهُ يُصلُّونَ على النَّبِي يَا أَيُها الذينَ آمنوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وسَلِّمُوا تَسْليماً.

اللهمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّم وبارِك عَلَيْهِ وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِ أجمعين.

وارض اللهم عن الخلفاء الراشدين المرشدين الحنفاء ساداتنا وأئمتنا أبي بكر وعمر وعثمان وعلي ، وعن سائر الصحابة أجمعين ، وخصوصا الأنصار منهم والمهاجرين ، وعن التابعين وتابع التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

اللهم انفعنا بمحبتهم واحشرنا يا مولانا في زمرتهم ولا تخالفنا اللهم عن نهجهم وعن طريقتهم وسنتهم يا أكرم الأكرمين ويا أرحم الراحمين.

اللهمّ أَعِزَّ الْلإسلامَ والمُسِلمينَ (3)
واَخْذُلِ الكُفْرَ والكافِرينَ،
وانْصُرِ المُجاهِدينَ في سَبِيلِ اللهِ.
واجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وكَلِمَةَ الكُفْرَ هِيَ السُّفْلى.

رَبَّنا لا تُزِغْ قُلوبَنا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وهَبْ لَنا مِن لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَة إنَّكَ أنْتَ الوَهَّاب.

اللهم لا تضع في مقامنا هذا ذنبا إلا غفرته ولا عيبا إلا سترته ولا مريضا إلا شفيته وعافيته ولا مسجونا إلا طلقت سراحه ولا مسافرا في برك وبحرك إلا سلمته وغنمته.

إنّ الصلاةَ تنهى عَنِ الفحشاءِ والمُنكَرِ- ولَذِكْرُ اللهِ أكبر والله يَعْلَمُ ما تَصْنَعُون.

وقُومُوا إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يغفر الله لنا ولكم.

This khutbah was delivered at the Ihsan Mosque in Norwich on Friday 11th December 2009.

Jadis, si je souviens bien, ma vie était un festin  ou s’ouvraient tous les coeurs,

ou tous les vins coulaient.

From Une Saison En Enfer by Arthur Rimbaud

‘What thou lovest well remains,

the rest is dross

What thou lov’st well shall not be reft from thee’

From Canto LXXXI of The Pisan Cantos by Ezra Pound

A Dying Poet

Rimbaud got away; he got out young.

With a second Saison en Enfer, he travelled delirious, back to France from Abyssinia. A torturous journey, overland on a rude litter, typically reserved for the dead. By sea left for days unattended without food or water.

The last of the dross burnt away.

His leg amputated in hospital in Marseilles.

A heated arrival at Roche met with the same cold censure, reserved for her ‘profligate son’, although a little sister had grown up, sympathetic, someone to talk to, to tell his amazing tales. A mother grown yet even harder, more small.

He would have to leave all over again.

He could not die there in that place.

Isabelle would bring him poppy-seed tea, made from their garden flower bed to ease the horrid pain and incessant fever. The floor of his little room covered with woven prayer mats he’d brought with him from Harar. They said he would recite strange ‘oriental verses’, as in a trance. One night woken from a dream having forgotten his condition sprang from his bed to see through an open window the moon rise luminous and fell crashing to the floor.

He had, like his father, whom he’d never met, who while stationed in Algeria as a Legionnaire governor learnt Arabic and made an early translation of Qur’an into French, also learnt Arabic and with the assistance of his house servant, Djami, they would recite. Djami married a girl from the local village, and at twenty became a young father to a little daughter, a little light, like playful fireflies in the night. And so he would often speak of his faithful friend, who he dearly loved, sometimes calling Isabelle by his name, and how he wanted to return to Africa with a bride and have a family. After a short month lasting a near eternity he set off by train with his sister accompanying him. He was by all accounts terribly unwell, unfit for even the shortest trip let alone an arduous and now impossible journey back to Africa. In Paris they had to change stations and continue on to Lyon, then another train to Marseilles. Upon his arrival he was immediately brought to the hospital of the Immaculate Conception, which he would never leave. The doctors told Isabelle that any hope of recovery was futile and the end was near. They, on the other hand, fed Arthur unpalatable encouragement. Whenever he was conscious his sister would work on him to convert to Catholicism, and accept the holy Sacrament. What stale bread for a sublime poet whose visions poured from the Unseen.

Robert Luongo

The Sleeper in the Valley

It is a green hollow where a stream gurgles,
Crazily catching silver rags of itself on the grasses;
Where the sun shines from the proud mountain:
It is a little valley bubbling over with light.

A young soldier, open-mouthed, bare-headed,
With the nape of his neck bathed in cool blue cresses,
Sleeps; he is stretched out on the grass, under the sky,
Pale on his green bed where the light falls like rain.

His feet in the yellow flags, he lies sleeping. Smiling as
A sick child might smile, he is having a nap:
Cradle him warmly, Nature: he is cold.

No odour makes his nostrils quiver;
He sleeps in the sun, his hand on his breast
At peace. There are two red holes in his right side.

Arthur Rimbaud

October 1870

- As translated by Oliver Bernard: Arthur Rimbaud, Collected Poems (1962)

Le Dormeur du Val

C’est un trou de verdure où chante une rivière
Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons
D’argent ; où le soleil, de la montagne fière,
Luit : c’est un petit val qui mousse de rayons.

Un soldat jeune, lèvre bouche ouverte, tête nue,
Et la nuque baignant dans le frais cresson bleu,
Dort ; il est étendu dans l’herbe sous la nue,
Pâle dans son lit vert où la lumière pleut.

Les pieds dans les glaïeuls, il dort. Souriant comme
Sourirait un enfant malade, il fait un somme :
Nature, berce-le chaudement : il a froid.

Les parfums ne font pas frissonner sa narine ;
Il dort dans le soleil, la main sur sa poitrine
Tranquille. Il a deux trous rouges au côté droit.

Arthur Rimbaud

Octobre 1870

- Texte du recueil confié à Paul Demeny, fac-similé Messein.
- Première publication dans l’Anthologie des poètes français du XIXe siècle, tome IV, Lemerre, 1888.

This khutbah was delivered at the Ihsan Mosque in Norwich on Friday 16th january 2009.