Praise be to Allah ﷻ, who bestowed on us blessings, both outward and inward.
We praise Him, Glorified be He, and thank Him.
For the gifts and abundant favors He singled us out with.
By His grace and bounty, they have become countless.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah ﷻ alone, with no partner.
He has showered us with His vast gifts and His shielding graces.
And I bear witness: our master and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.
He is Allah ﷻ's greatest lasting blessing and His noblest evident gift.
May Allah ﷻ bless him and grant him peace, his kin and Sahabah (RA), in both worlds.
Now then, I exhort you, people, and myself to fear Allah ﷻ.
Fear Allah ﷻ, may He have mercy on you, and thank Him for what He has granted you.
And rejoice in what He has allotted you.
For joy is an act of worship by which the servant draws near to his Lord and Master.
Servants of Allah ﷻ, He made man rejoice in blessings and good that come to him.
It may be a worldly blessing, as He ﷻ says.
"When We gladden people, they rejoice; when We grant mercy, they delight in it."
Or it may be the bliss of the Hereafter, as He ﷻ says.
"Rejoicing in what Allah ﷻ has given them of His bounty."
And joy is an attribute of perfection.
It is one of Allah ﷻ's active attributes, subject to His will and intent.
Anas ibn Malik (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Allah ﷻ rejoices more when His servant repents to Him.
He rejoices more than one of you who loses his mount in barren land.
It had his food and drink on it. He despaired of ever finding it.
So he went to a tree and lay down in its shade, having lost hope of it.
Then, while he was in that state, he suddenly found it standing beside him.
He seized its reins in sheer joy.
“O Allah, You are my servant, and I am Your Lord.”
He misspoke out of sheer joy. Narrated by Muslim.
And if this is how the Lord rejoices, blessed and exalted is He...
That is His joy at His servant's repentance from sin and forsaking it.
Then how much more does He rejoice, Glorious is He, at worship and obedience?
Joy, servants of Allah ﷻ, is of two kinds.
One is praiseworthy and sought, loved and desired.
It is the joy of gratitude, submission, humility, and thankfulness.
It is joy over what Allah ﷻ gave him in this world and the Hereafter.
And the other is blameworthy and shunned, hated and rejected.
It is the joy of pride and insolence, vainglory and reckless exultation.
And rejoicing in disobeying Allah ﷻ—Allah ﷻ forbid.
Allah ﷻ says:
Those left behind rejoiced to stay behind the Messenger ﷺ.
They hated striving with their wealth and lives for Allah ﷻ.
They said, ‘Do not march out in the heat.’
Say: Hellfire is far hotter, if only they understood.”
Among the praiseworthy joys is the heart's joy in Allah ﷻ:
in knowing Him, loving Him, and in His speech.
Allah ﷻ says
"Those to whom We gave the Scripture rejoice in what was sent down to you."
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, said:
"If the People of the Book rejoice in revelation..."
So the friends of Allah ﷻ and followers of His
Messenger ﷺ have more right to rejoice.
Allah ﷻ says: “When a surah is revealed, some ask, ‘Whose faith grew by this?’”
“As for the believers, it increases them in faith, and they rejoice.”
Allah ﷻ says: “O people, a lesson from your Lord has come to you.”
“It is a cure for what is in hearts, and guidance and mercy for believers.”
“Say: In Allah ﷻ’s favor and mercy, let them rejoice; let them rejoice.”
“It is better than what they amass.”
The commentators said: Allah ﷻ’s favor is Islam, and His mercy is the Quran.
Praiseworthy joy is rejoicing at finishing worship and obedience, including fasting.
Such joy is an early blessing.
It is given to servants in this life, before the Hereafter.
It brings success, support, ease, and right guidance.
Abu Hurayrah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Allah ﷻ said: All of Adam's deeds are for him, except fasting. It is Mine."
"I reward it. Fasting is a shield."
"When fasting, avoid foul talk and shouting.
If insulted or fought, say, 'I am fasting.'"
By Him in whose hand lies Muhammad ﷺ's soul.
The fasting person's breath is better to Allah than musk.
"The faster has two joys that gladden him: when he breaks his fast, he rejoices."
"And when he meets his Lord, he will rejoice in his fasting."
Agreed upon.
O servants of Allah ﷻ, a faster's joy is in ending the day's fast at sunset.
Another joy is in ending the month's fast on 1 Shawwal.
So fear Allah ﷻ, servants of Allah ﷻ, and rejoice in completing Ramadan's fast.
Thank Him for qiyam and Quran recitation. Be among the rightly guided.
I say this and ask Allah ﷻ to forgive me, you, and all Muslims for every sin.
So seek His forgiveness. He is the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah ﷻ, the Answerer of prayers.
He fulfills needs and bestows gifts. We praise and thank Him, Exalted is He.
He has forgiven our sins, erased our lapses and covered our shame.
Peace and blessings be upon the best of creation, master of masters.
Peace be upon his family and Companions (RA), noble and honored.
To proceed, Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, said.
Rejoicing in Allah, His names, and His attributes is pure faith.
Rejoicing in His Messenger ﷺ and in his Sunnah is pure faith.
It is faith in its purest form, its choicest part and core.
It brings wondrous devotion and an effect beyond words.
The heart delights in Allah, His names, attributes, and speech.
It delights in His Messenger ﷺ and in meeting Allah.
This is among the greatest gifts. Indeed, it is the loftiest gift.
In the Hereafter, one rejoices in Allah ﷻ and in meeting Him.
That matches one's joy in Him and love for Him in this life.
Now know, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on you: Thank Allah ﷻ for His guidance and help.
Follow worship with worship, and obedience with obedience.
That includes following Ramadan fasting with six days of Shawwal.
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Ramadan followed by six days of Shawwal is like fasting a lifetime."
Narrated by Muslim.
Whoever can fast easily, let him observe the six whenever he can.
But if it is difficult for him, let him hasten while he still desires it.
Invoke blessings and peace on Muhammad ﷺ, best of Allah ﷻ's creation.
Your Lord commanded
this: Indeed Allah ﷻ and His angels bless the Prophet.
Believers, bless him and grant him peace.
Bless Your servant and Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, abundantly.
O Allah ﷻ, send prayers and peace.
Be pleased with the Companions and the Followers as well.
And with all who followed them in goodness until the Day of Judgment.
And with us among them, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of all.
O Allah ﷻ, honor Islam and the Muslims. O Allah ﷻ, honor Islam and the Muslims.
Protect the stronghold of the faith, and grant victory to Your monotheists.
O Allah ﷻ, relieve the distress of grieving Muslims.
Ease the afflicted and pay debtors' debts, and heal our sick and ill Muslims.
O Allah ﷻ, keep us safe in our homelands and set right our leaders and rulers.
Aid with truth, success, and guidance our ruler, Custodian of the Holy Mosques.
O Allah ﷻ, grant him long life in health, wellness, and abundant grace.
O Allah ﷻ, guide him and his trusted heir to what benefits the land and the people.
Raise Islam and Muslims in honor, Lord of the Worlds.
O Allah ﷻ, protect our troops stationed on the borders and front lines.
O Allah ﷻ, guard them with Your eye that never sleeps.
Enfold them in Your inviolable care, O Lord of the Worlds.
Allah ﷻ, aid oppressed brethren worldwide. Allah ﷻ, aid oppressed brethren worldwide.
Allah ﷻ, be their supporter, champion, helper, and defender.
Allah ﷻ, turn their weakness to strength, their fear to peace, misery to prosperity.
Allah ﷻ, grant them victory in Palestine over the usurping Zionists.
Allah ﷻ, preserve our land's safety, stability, prosperity, and soldiers.
Repel plotters and aggressors from it and all Muslim lands, Lord of the worlds.
Allah ﷻ, make faith beloved to us and beautify it in our hearts.
Make disbelief, sin, and disobedience hateful to us. Make us rightly guided.
Allah ﷻ, make it beloved to us.
Allah ﷻ, spare us from trials, seen and unseen.
Especially in this land.
And in all Muslim lands, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful.
Our Lord, give us good in this life and the next; shield us from the Fire.
Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they say.
Peace be upon the messengers.
Praise be to Allah ﷻ, Lord of the worlds.