Eid-ul-Fitr 2008 Khutbah

Eid-ul-Fitr 2008 Khutbah

Opening: Gratitude for Completing Ramadan

We gather together today to celebrate this month of fasting, which Allah guided us to. And for many of us, including myself, I'm sure we asked ourselves before the beginning of this month, How am I going to fast for 29 or 30 days? How am I going to make it this month? And Allah, God Almighty, gave us the power and the ability to obey Him in this month and to serve Him. And for that we say:

"Alhamdulillahi alladhi hadana li hadha wa ma kunna li nahtadiya lawla an hadana Allah - All praise is due to Allah who has guided us to this, and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us."

We praise Allah. We magnify God Almighty. We acknowledge His blessing upon us to make us from those who submit to Him and those who completed this month of fasting. And for that we say, Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen.

The Day of Celebration

Dear brothers and sisters, I'm not going to take much of your time because today is the day to party. It's to have fun for our youth. This fun, of course, is halal fun. Halal party. But this is the day of Eid. And this is the day of celebration for the Muslims. That we celebrate Allah's blessing upon us to have been able to complete this month.

Three Important Components from Ramadan

Looking back at this month, looking back at this important month of Ramadan, we find three important components. Three important components. If we act on them and we utilize them, insha'Allah, they will carry over with us after this month, insha'Allah, for the rest of our lives. Because the real sign, brothers and sisters, that we benefited from this month is that we're able to maintain some of the things that we did in this month. Not everything, of course. But some of the things that we started in this month, we'll be able to continue.

First Component: The Importance of the Individual

The first thing that we learned from this month is the importance of the individual. The importance of the individual in his relationship with Allah. With God Almighty. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, he said to us brothers:

(Sahih al-Bukhari 893, Sahih Muslim 1829)

"Every one of you is a shepherd and every one of you will be asked about his flock."

The first thing that has to be looked after is the person himself. Allah says:

"O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones."

So first and foremost we see an individual effort. An individual effort in this month. A drive that pushed us. We found in our hearts the connection with Allah. As everything around us crashed like Fannie and Freddie, we found that the Muslim was able to transcend himself and his sins and her sins, and their weaknesses in this month. And that feeling in the heart that pushed them to Allah.

"Those who strive in our way, We will open up doors and means for them."

All of us we felt that individual effort.

Building a Strong Community Through Individual Responsibility

So first and foremost, Allah, we have so many people here. Let's not be blinded by visions of grandeur. At the end of the day we're one community. We're one body. We're one people. And every single one of us, no matter who we are, we have an important position in this community. Because we are the servants of Allah. Allah blessed us to be His servants.

So first and foremost is good community, a good individual. People ask me all the time, give me a good speech. I said, be a good crowd. So people come and say, be in the community. Be a good member of the community. So we should take that with us after this month.

The Spirit of Volunteerism

That feeling of volunteerism that we saw in the community. Masha'Allah, I've never seen so many volunteers in my life like I saw this month in our community. Masha'Allah alhamdulillah. And we should carry that over beyond this month into volunteering into the community. Being part of the community. Getting to know people.

Everybody has an idea of what's best for the community. But before we can come and start to talk about theories, we should begin at the bottom by volunteering. And we have many organizations and many committees that people can take part in and contribute to their community.

Brother Esar Shah, a dear brother of mine and ours, whose daughter passed away a few months ago, may Allah have mercy upon her. I remember a few weeks ago, a brother and sister came to him and asked him, how can I be part of the community? He said, volunteer, do something. Get involved.

So carry over, brothers and sisters, that individual feeling of responsibility. And don't underestimate your importance. Just picking up something off the floor of the masjid is such a reward for you. Smiling in the face of your brother and sister is such a reward for you. Doing any type of work in the community, insha'Allah Allah will bless you, and make the community strong.

Second Component: Family - The Foundation of Community

Number two is family. Communities are based on strong families. Strong families. Alhamdulillah, I know that many of us are still single. And we ask Allah yaziduka ja'ulat. We ask Allah to get those young brothers and sisters married insha'Allah, with righteous spouses, to make that easy for them. And we ask Allah to give our young brothers and sisters as well as older brothers and sisters patience. Because it's not easy, I understand. It's not easy, it's not easy. So we ask Allah to bless you and help you.

Connection to the Masjid for Families

But I understand after MSA, especially for our young professionals, young professionals in the Muslim community are AWOL. The most talented people in our community are displaced. A lot of it has to do with the community. A lot of it has to do with the community, no doubt about it. But those of us suffering from post MSA depression syndrome, who are married and have families, we have to realize that a connection with the masjid, the masjid is the umbilical cord which makes the family strong and keeps the family strong.

Brothers, fathers, you got to set an example for your young people, man. Your young kids around you, your children, they're watching you, they're looking at you. If Baba is saying, masjid, this and that, or he's busy with this and that, your kids are going to be busy with this and that. So at least we should try as fathers to have a connection as mothers with the masjid. This is the dialysis for our hearts.

Spending Quality Time with Children

Number two is families, we need to spend time together. Time with our children. One time I sat with the child of a famous scholar in the Muslim world. And he said, there's only one thing I wish my father would give. And I said, what was that? He'd give his time.

Fathers, you cannot underestimate, ever, you cannot overestimate the importance of spending time with your sons and your daughters, man. It's crucial. Because if you don't raise them, somebody else will raise them, brother. And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: The best thing a father can give to his son is a good character, a good example to follow.

Mothers, mothers, you got to turn off the Bollywood. Turn off the Arab movies. Turn off the American movies. And start spending time with your kids. Spend time with your kids. Because if you don't, your children are going to spend time with someone else. And then you're going to come to me, when your kids are 25, and come and ask me to save your kids. I better tell you, I can't save your kids. I can't save your kids.

Establishing Family Time

So families got to spend time with each other. Designate one night a week to be together as a family. It will make a massive difference in your life.

Forgiveness Between Spouses

Brothers and sisters who are married and have problems with each other. Masha'Allah, I know some brothers

and sisters that have problems since the time of Jamal Abdel Nasser. Right? 40 years ago, 30 years ago. Today is the day to forgive your spouse. Today is the day to forgive each other.

"Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?"

(Sahih al-Bukhari 5997, Sahih Muslim 2318)

"Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy."

Forgive each other, man. Let things go.

Practical Advice for Eid Day

Practical things on this day. We don't need a lecture today. We just need practical advice. The first thing we should do is go to each other and ask each other to forgive each other. For the sake of Allah.

Children, respect and obey your parents. Man, I know you're 14, and you think you know everything. Guess what? I got a surprise for you. You don't know everything when you're 14. You don't, ask me. Forgive your mothers and fathers. Be patient with people like me who wear these hats and boss you around. Be patient, young brothers and sisters. And know that we have concern for you. That's why we advise you, want to look out for you.

Commitment to Family Night

So the family has to be strong. One night a week from today, let's establish family time in our homes. Can we do it, insha'Allah? Can we do it, brothers? Wallahi, if you do it, insha'Allah, next year I'm gonna ask you, if you didn't do it, I'm gonna be upset and I'll make a long speech. Right? Family night. It's gotta be there. Family night.

Together. Turn off the cell phone. Turn off the TV. Shut everything down. Focus on each other as a family. Have some ibadah. Pray qiyam. Fast. Do something together as a family. Go out somewhere. Let's spend time together as a family. Families make the community.

Third Component: The Community at Large

Number three is the community at large. The community within our mosque and the community of our Muslim brothers and sisters, outside of our mosque.

Opening the Doors of the Mosque

As for in our mosque, today many people are here that have inner issues about coming to the community. They see people dressed like me, they get scared. They think they're gonna be, they're gonna judge you or something like that. What we have to do, brothers and sisters, is stop the feeling of self-righteousness in the community and open the door to everybody.

Let people come and struggle in their relationship with Allah. And let's be the crutches that people walk on when they have problems. Not judges.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, how many times in his seerah, man, how many times in his lifetime did the worst person in the community come to him? The worst person. Here, the best people in the community don't come to the mosque because they're scared they're gonna get judged. They're scared someone's gonna talk about them.

Cultivating Love and Respect

And we have to remove that. Although we have a lot of people here, it's important that we cultivate a feeling of family, a feeling of genuine love and respect and honor for each other. If we do that, if we do that, then we'll see the blessings of Islam in our community by Allah.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, he mentioned that love is the key to paradise. And the first way to start the love is to spread the salam. So today when you leave, find someone that you've never met before in your life from a different ethnicity and give them salams, exchange phone numbers, get to know each other, build relationships.

Everyone is Welcome

Communities need cultivation. And I want all of you brothers and sisters out here in the community who are scared, man, I did this, I did this, I got more dirt than a caterpillar company. No problem out here. Everyone here's got issues. Everyone here's got problems. But we help each other. We work together. We support each other. As the Prophet said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari 481, Sahih Muslim 2585)

"The believer to the believer is like a building, each part strengthens the other."

Our Non-Muslim Community

Last is the community outside of us. Our non-Muslim friends, neighbors, family members. We ask Allah to make us a good example for those people.