Makkah, (UNA-OIC) – People performed Eid Al-Adha prayer at the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah, while committing to precautionary and preventive measures and social distancing.
The sermon was delivered by Imam of the Grand Holy Mosque Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Awwad Al-Juhani.
Following is Eid Al-Adha sermon from the Grand Holy Mosque:
“Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and praise belongs to Allah alone.
All praise is due to Allah. His bounty and kindness are limitless, and He multiplies rewards for those who have eemaan and perform their deeds in the best way. Allah is the Greatest. He has no needs, His blessings reach all living creatures, His mercy encompasses all things, and the goodness that comes from Him is never-ending. Allah is the Greatest. He is the Ever-Living Self-Sufficient Sustainer of all. He is neither affected by slumber nor sleep, and His generosity is not decreased by the passage of time. He does not tire from being asked, and He is not annoyed by anyone’s persistence. Despite all the requests made of Him in many ways and languages, He does not mix any of them up.
Allah deserves that His greatness be proclaimed as often as people assume ihraam at the Miqat and say the Talbiyah. Allah deserves that His greatness be proclaimed as often as people enter Makkah in safety, and perform Tawaaf and Sa’y while making mention of Allah. Allah deserves that His greatness be proclaimed every time people stay in ‘Arafah devoting themselves to Him with humility, penitence, and sincerity in worship; every time they remain in Muzdalifah calling upon Him in earnest; and every time they stone the jamaraat and then either shave or shorten the hair on their heads. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. None has the right to be worshipped except Him. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Him alone belongs all praise. May Allah grant commendation and protection to His Messenger Muhammad, as well as to the Messenger’s family and Companions.
Servants of Allah, observe taqwaa of Allah as He rightfully deserves [by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions], and remember that He always sees you whether you are in private or public. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. None has the right to be worshipped except Him. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Him alone belongs all praise.
Dear Muslims, today is the blessed day of Eid al-Adha, the day of the Greater Hajj, and the day on which Allah completed the revelation He would send and also completed the blessing of Islam. This was the day on which descended the statement of Allah, ((Today, I have perfected your religion for you, I have completed My favour to you, and I am pleased with Islam as a religion for you)) [5:3]. This passage occurs in Soorah al-Maa’idah, throughout which can be found various rulings pertaining to what is permissible and impermissible. That alludes to the fact that the foundations of Islam are a complete set of directives to be accepted as a whole, not divided or treated selectively. Consequently, it is incorrect to accept only some parts of Islam and reject others. Thus, all praise is due to Allah for the blessing of Islam which is the religion He is pleased with for us.
Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. None has the right to be worshipped except Him. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Him alone belongs all praise.
Servants of Allah, one of the most virtuous acts of obedience to Allah, and one of the greatest ways to draw nearer to Him, is fulfilling the obligation of Hajj which is one of Islam’s five pillars. Hajj is an obligation for every Muslim male and female if they have the ability to perform it. Hajj contains worship performed with one’s body and with one’s property, and this is why it merits tremendous rewards. The Prophet (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) said, “The reward for the accepted Hajj is nothing less than Jannah.” This was collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.
Our world is experiencing exceptional circumstances this year resulting from the spread of the coronavirus [Covid-19] and the dangers associated with it. Consequently, the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may Allah grant him continued protection – made the decision to let a limited number of worshippers perform Hajj this year. The decision was made to ensure the safety of those performing Hajj, and safeguarding people’s lives is one of Islam’s major objectives. Allah, the Most Exalted, said, ((And do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah continually bestows His mercy upon you)) [4:29].
The basic principles of Islam direct us to avert harms before they occur, and to also strive to remove them if they have set in. This can be understood from the hadeeth that states, “Harm is neither to be extended nor reciprocated.” This was collected by ibn Maajah. Among the beautiful elements of this religion is that when a Muslim intends to perform a righteous deed, but is then unable to follow through for a legitimate reason, the reward for what he intended is still recorded for him. When a person’s intentions are sincere, they can enable him to reach what his deeds alone do not reach. The eminent Companion Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillaah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) had narrated that some of the Companions were with Allah’s Messenger (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) during the expedition to Tabook and he told them, “There are indeed in al-Madeenah groups of individuals who remained with you throughout every path you tread and every valley you traversed.” This was said in reference to them being granted the same reward as those present, as understood from another narration of the hadeeth which contains the wording, “They shared with you in reward.” That was the case because those who stayed back only did so due to having a legitimate excuse. A wording of the hadeeth collected by Muslim says, “They were detained by illness.”
Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. None has the right to be worshipped except Him. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Him alone belongs all praise.
Servants of Allah, the current pandemic and awakened people and their minds. It has driven souls to return to Allah, take recourse to Him, be humble towards Him, comply with His directives, sincerely devote all worship to Him, and be consistent in obeying Him as well as His Messenger (may Allah grant him commendation and protection). Thus, my dear brothers, you should make much mention of Allah, supplicate Him, and humble yourselves to Him. Allah, the Most Exalted, said, ((Sincerely call upon your Lord with full humility and do so in private. He does not love those who transgress the bounds He has set. Furthermore, you must not cause corruption upon the Earth after Allah has put it in order. You must sincerely call upon Allah while fearing His punishment and hoping for His mercy. Allah’s mercy is surely near those who strive to worship Him in the best way)) [7:55-56]. Allah, the Most Exalted, also said, ((Call upon Me. If you do so, I will respond to you. Indeed, those who arrogantly refuse to worship Me shall enter the hellfire in humiliation)) [40:60]. Thus, du’aa’ (calling upon Allah) is an act of worship. There is no act more honourable to Allah than calling upon Him, and nothing can avert what Allah decreed besides calling upon Him. It is an act that avails a person regarding what has already happened as well as what has not yet happened. When a person opens the gates of du’aa’, Allah will open the gates of mercy to him. One of the most virtuous acts of worship is making du’aa’ constantly while awaiting relief from Allah. Beseech your Lord for all your needs, large or small, short-term or long-term.
O Allah, by Your name al-Haafith (the Protector), we call upon You to protect our land – as well as all lands of Muslims – against every type of harm. We also beseech You to decree what is good for us after what has befallen us. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. None has the right to be worshipped except Him. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Him alone belongs all praise.
My dear brothers in Islam, you must realize that there people who are opponents to yourselves and your religion; those who strongly dislike you and your brothers having the blessing of Islam; and those who detest you having safety, prosperity, tranquility, and stability. They endeavour to strip you of your blessings so that you would be the same as them. They look for any way break apart your jamaa’ah (collective that adheres to what is correct), leave you dispersed, rip brothers apart, and sever the bond between the people of Islam and their leaders. Therefore, my dear Muslim brothers, be alert and cautious. Do not leave any room to accommodate misinformation or rumours. Beware of phrases like such and such “is what the people are saying.” Remember your obligation to obey the leader in authority regarding all that does not amount to disobeying Allah. Realize that doing so is necessary for every person who submits to Allah in Islam, and it amounts to being sincere to the leader and assisting Him in fulfilling Allah’s commands and avoiding Allah’s prohibitions. Also realize that contending with the leader in authority is impermissible.
In a hadeeth in the Two Saheeh collections, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) said, “If someone obeys me, he obeys Allah; if someone disobeys me, he disobeys Allah; if someone obeys the leader in authority, he obeys me; and if someone disobeys the leader in authority, he disobeys me.”
My dear brothers in Islam, you must realize that there people who are opponents to yourselves and your religion; those who strongly dislike you and your brothers having the blessing of Islam; and those who detest you having safety, prosperity, tranquility, and stability. They endeavour to strip you of your blessings so that you would be the same as them. They look for any way break apart your jamaa’ah (collective that adheres to what is correct), leave you dispersed, rip brothers apart, and sever the bond between the people of Islam and their leaders. Therefore, my dear Muslim brothers, be alert and cautious. Do not leave any room to accommodate misinformation or rumours. Beware of phrases like such and such “is what the people are saying.” Remember your obligation to obey the leader in authority regarding all that does not amount to disobeying Allah. Realize that doing so is necessary for every person who submits to Allah in Islam, and it amounts to being sincere to the leader and assisting Him in fulfilling Allah’s commands and avoiding Allah’s prohibitions. Also realize that contending with the leader in authority is impermissible.
In a hadeeth in the Two Saheeh collections, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) said, “If someone obeys me, he obeys Allah; if someone disobeys me, he disobeys Allah; if someone obeys the leader in authority, he obeys me; and if someone disobeys the leader in authority, he disobeys me.”
At-Tirmithee collected a hadeeth with a hasan chain of narration from Aboo Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who stated that he heard Allah’s Messenger (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) say, “If a person degrades the leader in authority, Allah will indeed degrade that person.”
Thus, the leader is a shield and source of protection for those under his governance, and he bears many responsibilities and difficulties on their behalf. He tires himself so they can rest, stays awake so they can sleep, works hard so they can be happy, endeavours to attain what they require, and strives to keep harms and dangers away from them. The leader in authority has better insight into what is best for his people and nation. He has better expertise when it comes to bringing about advantages and avoiding disadvantages, and he also has better knowledge regarding other governments and nations. Thus, it is necessary for us to love him for Allah’s sake, support him, stand in solidarity with him, and remain sincere to him in all ways we can. Allah, the Most Exalted, said, ((People of eemaan, obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you. If you ever dispute about something, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger if you truly have eemaan in Allah and the Last Day. Doing so is better than disputing or acting based on mere opinion, and it will produce the best outcome)) [4:59].
May Allah bless all of us by the Glorious Qur’aan and may He enable us to glean benefit from from the evidences and wisdom it contains.
All praise and gratitude are due to Allah for His kindness, favour, and blessings. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah’s worshipping servant and Messenger. May Allah grant commendation and protection to His Messenger, as well as to the Messenger’s family, Companions, and brothers in Islam.
Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. None has the right to be worshipped except Him. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Him alone belongs all praise.
Servants of Allah, every set of people has days which it commemorates repeatedly at specific times. As for us, the people of Islam, we have two such days: Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when Allah’s Messenger (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) came to al-Madeenah, there were two designated days the people had for enjoyment. He asked, “What are these two days?” The people replied, “We use to enjoy ourselves on them during jaahiliyyah (the era of ignorance prior to Islam).” Allah’s Messenger (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) then told them, “Allah has indeed given you a substitute for them that is even better than them: Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr.” This was collected by Aboo Daawood.
Part of the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) regarding Eid was that if it fell on a Friday, he would perform the Eid prayer as well as the Friday prayer. However, in the case of people who attended the Eid prayer, he granted them the concession to not attend the Friday prayer and instructed them to pray Dhuhr instead, at its usual time, and the best guidance is that of the Prophet (may Allah grant him commendation and pr6otection). This day of Eid is the most virtuous of days to Allah. The Prophet (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) said, “The greatest of days to Allah is the Day of Sacrifice, and then the day when people are settled in Mina.” This was collected by Aboo Daawood. “The day when people are settled in Mina” is the eleventh of Dhul-Hijjah, the day immediately following the Day of Sacrifice; and the Day of Sacrifice is the first of the days of Eid, and it is the day of the Greater Hajj. It was given that name because several major acts of worship are performed on it such as being in Muzdalifah [i.e. in the early morning], stoning Jamratul-‘Aqabah, offering one’s sacrifice, shaving one’s head, performing Tawaaf al-Ifaadah, and performing the Eid prayer. In addition, it is recommended to set out early to the Eid prayer, and to go from one route and return from another.
It is also recommended to mention words of prayer to each other for Eid by saying what was narrated from Jubayr ibn Nufayr. He said, “When the Companions of Allah’s Messenger (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) met each other on Eid, they would say to one another, ‘taqabballAllahu minnaa wa minkum’ (we pray that Allah accepts the deeds that we ourselves performed, and the deeds that you performed as well)’.” Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy upon him) graded its chain of narration authentic (hasan). The time for exchanging words such as those is after the Eid prayer, as done by the Companions.
Among the important acts of worship on this day is offering a sacrifice after the Eid prayer. The Prophet (may Allah grant him commendation and protection) said during a sermon he delivered, “The first thing with which we begin this day of ours is that we pray, then return, and then sacrifice. Anyone who does that has complied with our Sunnah.” This was collected by al-Bukhaaree.
On this day, it is encouraged to show happiness, uphold ties of kinship, do away with differences and grudges, pardon others, and to be generous and accommodating towards one’s dependents and also make them happy. There is nothing wrong with permissible forms of playing and recreation, since the teachings of our religion allow for that.
It is also encouraged to say the takbeer after the five daily prayers beginning from Fajr on the Day of ‘Arafah until the end of the third Day of Tashreeq (i.e. 13th Dhul-Hijjah) which is the fourth day of Eid. One of the wordings that can be said is: “Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. None has the right to be worshipped except Him. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Him alone belongs all praise.”
Servants of Allah, let this Eid of yours be one of happiness, and uphold the acts of worship prescribed by your religion. In addition, be kind to the poor and needy, and relieve them of needing to ask of anyone on this day. Hope for Allah’s reward, and remember that Allah’s mercy is always near to those who strive to worship Allah in the best way. We beseech Allah to bless all of us with acceptance of our deeds, protection against adversities, and forgiveness for wrongdoing”.
AG/OIC-UNA
