Friday Khutbah of Masjid Otsuka

Feb, Friday 09. 2024

All praises are due to Allah. I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, the uniquely One who has no partners in His one-ness. And I testify that the Prophet Muhammad is a slave of Allah and His Messenger.

Dear Believers! Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah al-Hadid:

“O you who have believed, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will [then] give you a double portion of His mercy and make for you a light by which you will walk and forgive you. …”  (S.57  V.28)

In a night the Prophet SAW was in the Macca. Suddenly, a light emerged from the midst of darkness. It was the angel Gabriel, who came to take the most noble of creation, the Prophet SAW, from the Sacred Masjid in Mecca to the Al-Aqsa Masjid in Jerusalem. From Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, the Prophet SAW ascended unto the highest heavens, to meet the Lord. This is the miracle of the Night Journey and the Heavenly Ascension. It is narrated on the authority of Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah SAW said: “Gabriel took me to heaven. In the heaven we saw Adam. he welcomed me and prayed for my good. Then we ascended to the second heaven, the third heaven, the fourth heaven and the fifth heaven. In the each heaven any prophets welcomed me and prayed for my good. Then I was taken to the sixth heaven. There I was with Musa SAW and he welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then I was taken up to the seventh heaven. There I found Ibrahim SAW reclining against the Bait-ul-Ma’mur. When I was taken to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha, and Allah revealed to me a revelation and He made obligatory for me fifty prayers every day and night. Then I went down to Moses SAW and he said: ‘What has the Lord enjoined upon your Ummah?’  I said: ‘Fifty prayers.’  He said: ‘Return to thy Lord and beg for reduction (in the number of prayers), for your community shall not be able to bear this burden. I went back to the Lord and said: ‘I beg to make things lighter for my Ummah. The Lord reduced five prayers for me. I went down to Moses and said: ‘The Lord reduced five prayers for me.’  Then Moses said: ‘Verily thy Ummah shall not be able to bear this burden. Return to thy Lord and ask Him to make things lighter. Then I kept going back and forth between the Lord and Moses, till the Lord said: ‘There are five prayers every day and night. Each being credited as ten, so that makes fifty prayers. He who intends to do a good deed and does not do it will have a good deed recorded for him; and if he does it, it will be recorded for him as ten; whereas he who intends to do an evil deed and does not do, it will not be recorded for him; and if he does it, only one evil deed will be recorded.’  Then I came to Moses and informed him. Moses said: ‘Go back to thy Lord and ask Him to make things lighter.’  Upon this the Messenger of Allah SAW remarked: ‘I returned to the Lord until I felt ashamed before Him.’” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Dear Believers! In the Night Journey, the Messenger of Allah SAW witnessed the greatest signs of the Lord. Let’s strive towards it with righteous deeds. We ask Allah to admit them into Paradise by His grace.

Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah al-’Ankabut:

“Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, ˹genuine˺ prayer should deter ‘one˺ from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is an even greater deterrent. And Allah fully knows what you all do.’”  (S.29  V.45)

May the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon prophet Muhammad SAW, his family and all of his Companions. May Allah be pleased with the Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and all those who will follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.

O Allah! Accept our prayers, all our ibada and all of our good deeds and forgive us for our sins.

O Allah! Guide us to the right path and make us of those on whom You bestows Your mercy.

O Allah! Accept us for Your service and for the service of Islam and Muslims

O Allah! Give shifa to all those who are sick.

O Allah! Grant safety and security to everyone here in Japan as well as all over the world. Aamin ya Rabbil Aalamin.