Khutba: Proud to be a Muslim

Servants of Allah, you should know, may Allah be pleased with you, that Allah, Subhanahu wa ta’ala, has created us to worship Him alone, without associate; And in this sincere worship is where our strength lies.
It is in this worship of Allah, which we know to be in many different ways, that we will find the energy we need to overcome the difficulties of the world in which we live.
In the past few weeks we have talked about the need to change ourselves in order to change what is around us; that this is achieved by turning sincerely to Allah by using the intellects that Allah has given us and by using reflection, observing what is around us and taking lessons from it.
That is the way Allah has given us to be able to change our state; the way to do this is by employing the means that Allah makes available to us, which are varied and diverse.
Where do we want to change?
What is the direction in which we want to direct our steps?
We all know the state of today’s society.
We know how low it has fallen.
We are aware of the evil that usury has done at all possible levels.
We know how lost family relationships are, how little value is placed on behavior and character qualities, the excessive value placed on wealth and possessions, the hypocrisy that is so present… Knowing this as we all do, something so obvious that we can see it clearly with our eyes, we must then ask ourselves this question, all of us, individually and collectively, with great sincerity: where do we want to go?
If we want real change, real change, the only way to achieve it is by turning to Allah and His Messenger; by fulfilling what Allah commands, turning away from what Allah forbids; complying with what the Messenger, SAWS, commands and turning away from what the Messenger, SAWS, forbids.
This is where we will find strength.
It is in trust in Allah, a total and sincere trust, that we will find the strength to make a real change; and trust in Allah is surrendering to Him, it is being aware that He is with you at all times and places, it is worshipping Him as if you saw Him; knowing that He does see you, even if you can’t see Him.
If we are able to have this real surrender and trust, we will have used our intellects, we will have reflected and recognized the essentials of things and, then, nothing will stop us, nothing will stop us, because we will have in our hands the key to success in this life and in the next.
Servants of Allah, in order for this to become a reality, for the surrender to Allah and His Messenger to be sincere, we need a precondition, a condition without which we would not be able to do so, a condition that is absolutely necessary, and even more so in this time in which we live.
And that condition is to feel proud of being Muslims.
We cannot go back to something we are not proud of.
It is totally impossible.
So, the first step we must take in order to be proud of being Muslims is to be clear about our identity, our identity as Muslims, as Muslims in the world in which we live, in the place where we live, in the society in which we live, with all that this entails. This will give us strength and make us proud to be Muslims, as it will allow us to see through the fog around us and we will be able to see the light, no matter how dark it is around us.
Islam is that light.
Islam is the light that illuminates our path.
Islam is the light that lies among so much darkness.
But to have it, to get it, we must want it, and to want it we have to yearn for it and covet it with sincerity, beyond words; only in this way will we be able to possess it, only in this way can we obtain it.
This longing and ambition is internal.
Their place is breasts and hearts.
This longing for light, which has its origin within us, is what will move us on the outside to carry out the necessary actions to achieve it.
This is the beginning, this is the basis for obtaining the light: to desire it, to want it, to long for it within us.
The outward way is by fulfilling what Allah and His Messenger ask of us, which is not just to do five prayers, fast, not to eat pork, and not to drink alcohol.
We have to understand that Islam is much bigger than that: Islam is worshipping Allah, but it is also the relationship with the rest of the creatures, and this is what is really difficult: good character, good behavior, bringing out good qualities while covering up and hiding evil and degrading qualities.
This is also part of Islam.
The Deen must be adopted in all states and situations, not only when we are in the mosque.
We have to soak up the Deen of Islam externally and internally, for only then will we feel proud to be Muslims and only then can we change and achieve success in this life and in the next.
O Allah, we ask You to long for Your light within us and may that longing lead us to do the actions that will give us Your light.
Servants of Allah, know that one of the aspects that will make us proud to be Muslims is to have a healthy aquida , a correct aquida , a strong Imam in our hearts, an Imam who makes us see life with hope in the Mercy of Allah.
The Messenger of Allah, SAWS, said: “The strong believer is better and more loved by Allah than the weak believer, and in both there is good. Seek that which will lift you up and seek help from Allah and do not feel helpless. And if something afflicts you, do not say, ‘If I had done such a thing, this would not have happened to me,’ but rather say, ‘Allah has decreed it and has done what He wanted.’ Because saying ‘if there were’ opens the door to Shaytan’s action.”
This strength of the believer is obtained through holding fast to the Deen of Islam, by putting it into practice correctly, by holding fast to the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, by holding fast to a correct aquidah .
Part of the strength of the believer is to purify the nafs of the appetites and desires that lead to fitnas and confrontations, while at the same time imbuing himself with the Imam, the noble qualities of behavior, good character, adab and courtesy in dealing with his brothers.
All this increases the strength of the believer.
All this increases and strengthens the identity of the Muslim.
Acting in this way will make us proud to be Muslims. The strength of the believer is to know that Allah is the One Who decrees all matters, it is to know that in the hands of Allah is good and evil, and that when He wants something to happen He says: “I know, and it is.”
The strength of the believer is to know that no matter how much you want something, if Allah has not decreed it for you, you will never have it.
The strength of the believer is to be pleased and satisfied with what Allah has decreed for you because Allah has decreed it and has done what He wanted.
The strength of the believer is to close the door to helplessness and affliction, to close the door to despair and regret for the past, for doing so will open the door to the Shaytan’s action.
Fear Allah, O His slaves.
Believe in Allah, be strong believers in Allah, sincere believers who turn to Allah and gain strength upon strength, sincere believers who reflect on their surroundings and draw lessons from it, sincere believers who are able to recognize the essentials of things.
Be sincere believers in Allah who are proud to be Muslims, for that strength and pride will be what will lead us to change what we have to change.
That strength and pride will be what will lead us to have a good life in dunia.
That strength and pride will be what will lead us to enjoy in the Garden delights that the eyes have not seen, the ears have not heard and the hearts have not even imagined.
O Allah, we ask You, as strong and sincere believers, to make us one of those who get the best out of this life and the next.
Khutba of Friday, April 17, 2015, Seville.
Hafith Luqman Nieto