Being the English Rendition of the Text of Khutbah Delivered by Al-Ustaadh Tawfeeq Olanrewaju (Aboo Hanoon) on Friday 6th Rabiul Thaanee, 1440 (15th December, 2018) at Masjid Tawheed, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria.
Translation and Transcription by Aboo Ubaydah Ridwan Sanyaolu
All praise is due to Allah, we praise Him, we seek His help and we seek His forgiveness, we seek refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves, and from the sins of our actions. Whoever Allah guides (to the straight path), there’s no one who can lead him astray, and whoever Allah leads astray, there’s no one who can guide him (to the straight path). I bear witness that there’s none worthy of worship except Allah and that the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) is Allah’s slave and messenger.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ [ آل عمران:١٠٢]
“O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]”. [Al 'Imran:102]
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسٖ وَٰحِدَةٖ وَخَلَقَ مِنۡهَا زَوۡجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنۡهُمَا رِجَالٗا كَثِيرٗا وَنِسَآءٗۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِي تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلۡأَرۡحَامَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ رَقِيبٗا [ النساء: ١]
“O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an Observer”. [An Nisa":1]
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُواْ قَوۡلٗا سَدِيدٗا يُصۡلِحۡ لَكُمۡ أَعۡمَٰلَكُمۡ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدۡ فَازَ فَوۡزًا عَظِيمًا [ الأحزاب:٧٠-٧١]
“Oh you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment”. [Al Ahzab:70-71]
As for what follows, certainly the most truthful of words is the words of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) and the worst of matters are the innovated matters, certainly every innovated matter is Bid’iah, and every Bid’iah is misguidance and every misguidance is in the hell.
Allaah the all-Mighty says:
وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا لِبَشَرٖ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ ٱلۡخُلۡدَۖ أَفَإِيْن مِّتَّ فَهُمُ ٱلۡخَٰلِدُونَ كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۗ وَنَبۡلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلۡخَيۡرِ فِتۡنَةٗۖ وَإِلَيۡنَا تُرۡجَعُونَ [ الأنبياء:٣٤-٣٥]
And We did not grant to any man before you eternity [on earth]; so if you die - would they be eternal? Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned. [Al Anbiya":34-35]
Death is a door every soul m enter through it, but oh you Slaves of Allaah, from the condition of the matter, verily the slave of Allaah, when death comes to him, he is severed from performing good deeds, Allaah the all-Mighty says:
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱرۡجِعُونِ لَعَلِّيٓ أَعۡمَلُ صَٰلِحٗا فِيمَا تَرَكۡتُۚ كَلَّآۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَاۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرۡزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ [ المؤمنون:٩٩-۱٠٠]
“[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back, that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind." No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected”. [Al Mu"minun: 99-100]
Because of this, oh you Slaves of Allaah, the dead are in extreme need of goodness to them, oh you Slaves of Allaah, our dead ones are in extreme need of goodness from us because the opportunity to perform good deeds have been severed from them, they have been severed from their families and their relatives, goodness to the dead is from been dutiful to them, the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) motivated us upon this is in more than a hadeeth, He (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) said:
"إذا كفّن أحدكم أخاه، فليحسّن كفنه"
“When anyone of you shrouds his brother, he should shroud him very well”
[Reported by: Muslim and others]
He (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) said in a hadeeth reported by al-Imaam at-Tirmidhii:
"إذا صلى أحدكم على الميّت، فاخلص له الدعاء"
“When anyone of you performs the funeral prayer on a dead person, he should supplicate sincerely for him”
Goodness to the dead person starts from dictating to him and commanding him to say the words of the declaration of faith when death comes upon him, after which his death should be announced so as people can come out to perform the funeral prayer upon him, an announcement in accordance with the Laws of Allaah, not resembling that of the period of ignorance.
Then the dead person should be bathed, it is compulsory that the families of the dead should be sincere to their dead person and they should choose to bath their dead one someone who is knowledgeable and an expertise about the process, then after that is the shrouding of the deceased, quality shroud that covers its entire body, it should be from a white a garment, as the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) have said. After this is the burial of the deceased and lowering it into the grave upon the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam), that which is appropriate is for the grave to be wide and deep, verily the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) have commanded this, that which is witnessed amongst the Muslims today in their deficiency in this, this is weakness oh slave of Allaah.
After this is the following of the deceased to the grave, the following which is in line with the Laws of Allaah, without reciting anything, chanting any supplication and raising of voices. The companions of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) used to sit at the graves as if there were birds standing on their heads.
After the deseased has been buried, there’s nothing left except supplications, the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) used to say:
"استغفروا لأخيكم، فاسألوا له التثبيت، فإنه الآن يسأل"
“Seek forgiveness for your brother, ask (Allaah) for him stabilization, verily he is being questioned now.”
After this, that which is compulsory upon those present and the family of the deceased is that they should establish the remaining rights such is paying his debt, the debt which the deceased has left behind, the debt is from the rights of Allaah the all-Mighty, such as fasting, hajj, vows, etc.
Then the instructions of the deceased upon his properties must be carried out because Allaah says:
فَمَنۢ بَدَّلَهُۥ بَعۡدَ مَا سَمِعَهُۥ فَإِنَّمَآ فَإِنَّمَآ إِثۡمُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَدِّلُونَهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞ [ البقرة:۱٨١]
“Then whoever alters the bequest after he has heard it - the sin is only upon those who have altered it. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing”. [Al Baqarah:181]
After this is the sharing of the properties left behind by the deceased in according to the principles laid down in the Laws of Allaah, is goodness oh you Slaves of Allaah.
All praise is due to Allah, we praise Him, we seek Allaah’s Blessing and Salutation upon the Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam), His Household, His Companions and those who follows His path. Oh Slaves of Allaah, verily from being good to our deceased is for us to supplicate for them, (Allaah says):
وَٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَلِإِخۡوَٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلۡإِيمَٰنِ وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلّٗا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٌ [ الـحـشـر:١٠]
“And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful." [Al Hashr:10]
The Prophet Muhammad (Sallaahlaahu ‘alayhi was salaam) said:
"من استغفر أو قال اللهمّ اغفر لكل مؤمن، أو قال اللهم اغفر للمسلمين والمؤمنين، والمسلمات والمؤمنات، غفر الله له عدد ذلك"
"Whoever seeks forgiveness or says oh Allaah forgive all believers or say oh Allaah forgive every Muslim Men and Believing Men and the Muslim Women and Believing Women, Allaah would forgive him for that number of times (he has said it)”
Supplicating for the deceased is from what they are in extreme need of, giving alms on their behalf by their offspring, and being good to their children and their families.
