Their Deeds Sail Them Through

Their Deeds Sail Them Through

All Praises be to Allah who showed the two ways and charged the two multitudes of jinn and humans. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the One who has no partner. He sent His messengers as the givers of glad tidings and warners. I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger, the seal of the prophets and intercessor on the Day of Judgement. May the blessings and peace of Allah be on him, his family and all companions. And after:

I advise you and myself of righteousness, of taking the provision of the acts of obedience, forsaking the forbidden, seeking a lot of forgiveness and renewing the repentance. The one who held onto righteousness, succeeded and the one who transgressed and followed the whims, failed. Allah said: (But when there comes the greatest Overwhelming Calamity -The Day when man will remember that for which he strove,And Hellfire will be exposed for [all] those who see – So as for he who transgressed, And preferred the life of the world, Then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge. But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, Then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.) [Al-Naaziaat: 34-41].

Slaves of the Merciful, Allah created His creatures and reinforced them with countless blessings. It’s His favour that He ordered them to worship Him and promised Him of lavish blessings on His obedience. It’s His mercy with His Slaves that He warned His slaves of punishment so that they stay away from the paths of destruction. It’s His favour that His mercy has got precedence on His wrath. He forgives the one who seeks His forgiveness. He provides guidance to the one who seeks His guidance. He sent His messengers as the givers of glad tidings and warners. They explained to the people good and bad and informed them they they’ll be held accountable and recompensed for their deeds. This world is all deeds without reckoning and the hereafter is all reckoning without deeds. Allah said in a Qudsi hadith: (“O My servants, it is but your deeds that I record for you and then recompense you for. So let him who finds good, praise Allah, and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.") This hadith has been narrated by Imam Muslim.

Slaves of Allah, deeds are what Allah sees. According to a hadith: (Verily Allah does not look to your faces and your wealth but He looks to your heart and to your deeds.) This hadith has been narrated by Imam Muslim.

The fruits of the belief in Allah are good deeds. In tens of places in the Holy Quran, Allah has combined belief in Him with good deeds. Sins are the cause of punishments in this world and of torment in Barzakh (intervening period between this world and the Day of Judgement) and the Last Day. We seek refuge of Allah in every prayer from the torment of the grave and of hellfire.

Brothers in belief, here’s a hadith that’s related to our deeds in the hereafter in many scenes. I pray to Allah that He benefits the speaker and the listener through it. We hope that we come closer to goodness and go away from sins.

Brothers in Islam, grave is the first stage of the hereafter. When a person dies, his family, wealth and deeds follow him. They all return except deeds which remain with him in his grave. According to a hadith: “A man with a beautiful face, beautiful garments and a sweet odour comes to him and says, ‘Rejoice in what pleases you for this is your day which you have been promised.' He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is perfectly beautiful and brings good?” He replies, ‘I am your good deeds.” This hadith has been narrated by Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Nasai, and Albaani has declared it to be of Sahih grade.

The same hadith further says: “and a man with an ugly, face, ugly garments and an offensive odour come to him and says, ‘Be grieved with what displeases you, for this is your day which you have been promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is most ugly and brings evil?' He replies, ‘I am your wicked deeds.’”

O’ slave of the Merciful, after the Hour appears, you’ll go through a lot of scenes that are connected with your deeds. Allah says: (That Day, the people will depart¹ separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds. So, whoever does an atom's weight¹ of good will see it, And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.) [Al-Zalzalah: 6-8].

Slaves of Allah, among the scenes of the Day of Judgement related to deeds are: proximity of the sun and variety of people with regard to their being soaked in their sweat according to their deeds. According to a hadith: “On the Day of Resurrection, the sun would draw so close to the people that there would be left only a distance of one mile. Sulaim b. Amir said: By Allah, I do not know whether he meant by" mile" the mile of the (material) earth or dn instrument used for applying collyrium to the eye. (The Prophet is, however, reported to have said): The people would be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds, some up to their knees, some up to the waist and some would have the bridle of perspiration and, while saying this, Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) pointed his hand towards his mouth.” This hadith has been narrated by Imam Muslim.

Among the slaves of Allah, there’ll be many who’ll be in the shade of the Merciful. May Allah make you and me among them!

Among the scenes of the Day of Judgement connected with deeds is the scene of the light in the ground of the day of Resurrection as every slave will get as much light as his deed warrants. Allah, the Exalted said: (“On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right.”) [Al-Hadeed: 12].

Ibn Masud said: “They’ll be granted their light according to their deeds. Some will be granted light like a palm tree, some will get light like a standing man. The person with the least light will be the one who’ll have his light on the thumb of his foot which will go off sometime and will light up sometime.”

Slaves of the Merciful, Siraat is also among the scenes of the deeds on the Day of the Judgement. The speed of crossing it will be according to the deeds. According to a hadith narrated by Imam Muslim: “Trustworthiness and kinship would be despatched, and these would stand on the right and left of the Path and the first of you would pass with (the swiftness) of lightning. He (the narrator) said: I said, O thou who art far dearer to me than my father and my mother I which thing is like the passing of lightning? He said: Have you not seen lightning, how it passes and then comes back within the twinkling of an eye? Then (they would pass) like the passing of the wind, then like the passing of a bird, and the hastening of persons would be according to their deeds.”

May Allah benefit you and us from the Book and the Sunnah and the guidance and wisdom they contain. Seek forgiveness of Allah, He’s the Most Forgiving.

The Second Sermon

All praises be to Allah who said: (So whoever does an atom's weightof good will see it, And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.) [Al-Zalzalah: 7-8].

May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon His messenger and slave, his family and companions. And after:

The days of our life are the days of cultivation and the harvesting is on the Day of Judgement. What an eventful day it’ll be!

There’ll be some who’ll be safe from terror on that day. The angel will receive them. On the other hand, there’ll be some who’ll terrified in their heart and the fear will reach their throats. What an eventful day it’ll be! (“And you will see every nation kneeling [from fear]. Every nation will be called to its record [and told], "Today you will be recompensed for what you used to do.”) [Al-jaathiyah: 28].

According to a hadith: “and he who lags behind in doing good deeds, his noble lineage will not make him go ahead."

Among the hereafter-related scenes connected with deeds is the scene of hooks on the two sides of the Siraat which will grab the people according to their deeds. According to a hadith: “There will be hooks like the thorns of Sa'dan in Hell. Have you seen the horns of Sa'dan?" The people said, "Yes." He said, "These hooks will be like the thorns of Sa'dan but nobody except Allah knows their greatness in size and these will entangle the people according to their deeds; some of them will fall and stay in Hell forever; others will receive punishment (torn into small pieces) and will get out of Hell.” This hadith has been narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.

Among the scenes of the Day of Resurrection connected with deeds is the scene of reckoning and questioning. According to a hadith: “You will soon meet your Rubb and He will ask you about your deeds.” This hadith has been narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.

Allah said: (“And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do.”) [Al-Nahl: 93].

Slaves of the Merciful, our deeds are with us in Barzakh and the hereafter. So, the sweat of the people at the proximity of the sun will be according to their deeds. The light of every person in the darkness will be according to his deeds. The speed of their crossing the Siraat will be according to their deeds. And the hooks around the Siraat will grab the people according to their deeds. And Allah will question His slaves about their deeds.

As reported in authentic hadith, entering the paradise will be based on the mercy of Allah. But, good deeds are the cause of attaining the mercy of Allah and the precedence in grade in paradise.

To conclude, it’s not hidden from any noble person that deeds include all the deeds of my heart, speech and action.

We pray that Allah give us strength for good deeds and save us from sins. We’ll talk about the means of divine help for good deeds the next Friday, Allah willing.

Send out blessing and peace…