Al-Muakhkhir (The Delayer)

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ  ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ  وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ ,  وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا  ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ  فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,  وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ   وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُ

All praise is due to Allah. We praise him, we seek His help, we seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and our evil deeds. Whoever Allah guides, there is none to misguide him. Whoever Allah leads astray, there is none to guide him. I testify there is no God but Allah alone, without any partners, and that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is His servant and His messenger.

قال الله عز وجل في القرآن الكريم

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِۦ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

Allahu Azzawajal said in the Holy Qur’an, “O you who have faith, fear Allah as it is His right to be feared and do not die unless you are Muslims,”

وقال الله سبحانه وتعالى

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًۭا

And Allahu Subhanahu wa ta’ala said, “Fear Allah, from whom you ask each other, and in your family ties, for Allah is ever watchful over you,”

وقال الله 

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًۭا سَدِيدًۭا يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

And Allah said, “Fear Allah and speak words as befitting. He will amend your deeds for you and forgive your sins. Whoever obeys Allah and His messenger has achieved a great triumph.”

وقال رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم

 إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَأَحْسَنَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

 وَشَرُّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلُّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ وَكُلُّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّار

And His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The truest word is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace be upon him. The most evil matters are those that are newly invented, for every newly invented matter is an bid’ah. Every bid’ah is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.”

اَمّا بَعْد

Often we are told how we should learn the 99 names of Allah by heart but why?

Why it’s important to understand Allah’s names and attributes? More knowledge of Allah improves khushu’. Imagine sitting in front of the Prime Minister, etc – you would give full attention right? Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) would go pale when making wudhu. When asked why, he would respond: “Aren’t you aware who it is that I am about to bow and prostrate to”- This behaviour is caused by knowledge of Allah by knowing his names and internalising their meanings.

وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا

And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke him by them (7:180)

For example, when sleeping, you can say, oh Allah, you are Al-Khabir, The All-Aware while I sleep tonight, keep my heart awake in remembrance of you.

Another name to invoke is Al-Mu’akhkir, one can invoke using this name in times of hardship and in times of peace. So that’s what I’d like to take a look further into today.

Al-Mu’akhkhir is the Delayer, the One who postpones and puts off advancement. The One who holds something back in order to put it in its correct place. He delays the disobedient ones and grants His guidance to those who obey Him. This attribute of Allah is a reminder to us to have faith in Allah that He is the best planner. If things happen to us that we do not understand, or if there is something we want but cannot seem to achieve, have faith that it will come in due time and that any delay has khayr (good) in it.

This attribute of Allah also means that oppressors of this world will not necessarily be punished for their sins in this Dunya. That perhaps the Delayer knows that their true punishment will be after their death and therefore, we must have trust in that. We must believe that all justice will be restored in due time, by Al-Adl, the utterly just, and that terrible things happening in this life do not mean that Allah SWT has turned a blind eye to them. Surely He is Al-Aleem as well – the All-Knowing and so knows when to hold something back so that it can be given at the correct time, including both punishment and blessings.

Often when we are struck with calamity, we want the ease to come straight away, not realising the reward there is in having sabr and understanding that only Allah knows when the time is right. But If Yusuf (as) focused on only getting out of prison, then he wouldn’t have benefited from what was happening within the prison.

Perhaps getting that job or opportunity when YOU wanted it would clash with something else and put you in a vulnerable situation. You wouldn’t realise this until later and think ‘ah, THAT’S why I was given the job now and not then’. Perhaps it didn’t work out with someone but that experience made you a better Muslim and forced you to focus on improving so you can be ready for when Allah decides the time is right for you. You end up putting these things together afterwards.

وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُوَ شَرٌّۭ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you and like something which is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.

And it’s a beautiful thing to look back on struggles you’ve had in life, and in reflecting, realise why they happened and se the benefit of that hardship. This can then also make us more grateful for not only the good times but grateful for the difficulties as we know it is happening for the best. The reward is in having faith in the Qadr of Allah DURING your hardship. That is when you are tested at your lowest and show your true imaan. So know that your time for good will come and fully trust His timing.

مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَآ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌۭ

No calamity or blessing occurs on earth or in yourselves without being written in a record before we bring it into being. This is certainly easy for Allah. We let you know this so that you neither grieve over what you have missed nor boast over what he has granted you. (57:22)

So have patience with life. Patience purifies the heart and then you’re more able to see signs of Allah. The Qu’ran does not specify a reward for patience. Ibn Juzayy said, “Every good deed has a specified reward (e.g. x10, 100) with the exception of patience, there is no limit to the reward.”

إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ

“The patient ones will be given their reward without measure.” (39:10)

So instead of saying, “Ya Allah, when is this hardship going to end?”, we should be grateful for it

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Nothing afflicts a Muslim of hardship, nor illness, nor anxiety, nor sorrow, nor harm, nor distress, nor even the pricking of a thorn, but that Allah will expiate his sins by it.” (Sahih al Bukhari 5641)

We should take a step back and look at the unique opportunity of hardship to come closer to Allah. What you attain in terms of faith and character in a delay, would be far greater than what Allah could’ve hastened for you in that moment.

Story of the Butterfly – delaying when it can leave its’ coocoon and fly. The butterfly does not fly despite its struggle out of the cocoon but rather because of it.

اقول قولي هذا واستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين فاستغفروه انه هو الغفور الرحيم

(I say this and ask forgiveness from God for me and for you and for the rest of the Muslims, so seek forgiveness from Him, for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful)

[Pause between first and second Khutbah]

بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰه , وَالحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ,  وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ

Al-Muakhkhir takes many forms. It can also refer to guiding those toward the straight path. Often, those who are born into Islam will reach a point in which they ‘re-discover’ Islam on their own terms and at their own pace. This self-discovery is also an act of the Delayer who chose the perfect point in your life for you to truly turn to Him. And the same goes for converts. Al Mu’akhkhir postponed the moment they said la ilaha illallah as He knows what the best time would be for them.

Allah never takes a blessing from you except He gives you something in return. The best thing Allah can give you is Himself. So If, in your hardship, you rediscover a meaningful relationship with Allah, then you better believe that that hardship is one of the best things that ever happened to you.

وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَـٰكِرِينَ

“They planned, but Allah also planned. And Allah is the best of planners.” (8:30)

So we know to submit ourselves to Allah’s plan BUT we should also Submit ourselves to Allah’s schedule and stop seeing delay as deprivation/denial. We have to submit to Allah’s timing and appreciate what blessings we do have right now.

Sometimes in the process of pursuing a particular blessing, we neglect the blessings that already exist around us. E.g. It could be your parents are getting older and you’re neglecting that experience with them when pursuing something else. And likewise, parents pursue something else and neglect the youth of their children. Missing out on other blessings around us that have an expiration date. Perhaps one of our greatest blessings is our unanswered prayers.

When it seems like our du’as are not answered, it is not Allah saying no, many times it’s Allah saying not yet, and it’s for our own good – and if not observing the lessons of that delay, then the blessings of that delay would’ve gone to waste. Allah hears and answers every du’a. So that not yet could mean after this life is already over – but it is there. Allah will not let you ask without giving you.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is no Muslim who calls upon Allah, without sin or cutting family ties, but that Allah will give him one of three answers: He will quickly fulfill his supplication, He will store it for him in the Hereafter, or He will divert an evil from him similar to it.” They then said, “In that case, we will ask for more.” The Prophet said, “Allah has even more.”

Allah won’t ever actually harm us, it’s always for the best for us. So alhamdulillah for everything.

Oh Allah, let us be pleased with what you have decreed, and bless us in the decree that is to come. So that we do not wish for that which has been delayed to be hastened, nor that which has been hastened to be delayed.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواتَسْلِيم

(Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace)

اللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيْمَ، وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَجِيْدٌ، اللّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيْمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَجِيْدٌ 

(O Allah, confer Your blessings on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad as You have confered Your blessings on Ibrahim and on the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.)

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةًۭ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

اللهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلامَ وَالمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَذِلَّ الشِّرْكَ وَالمُشْرِكِينَ 

رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ  وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 

 عِبَادَ اللّهِ  إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ  يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Oh Servants of Allah, Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving [help] to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. 

اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَج

(Remember Allah, the Great and He will remember you, and thank Him, He will increase you, and ask His forgiveness, and He will forgive you, and fear Him, He will make for you a way out of your affairs.)

وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة

[Time for Prayer]