Exams

By Arshad Gamiet

Khutbah: Exams

(reminder: put away your mobile phones!)

 “A-ūthubillāhi minash shayṭānir rajīm. Bismillāhir Rahmānir Rahīm

Alhamdu lil Lāhi nahmaduhū wanasta’īnahū, wanastagh;-firuhū, wanatūbu ilayhi, wana’ūthu Billāhi min shurūri an-fusinā, wamin sayyi āti a’mālinā. May- Yahdil-lahū fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falantajidā lahū walīyan murshidā. Wa ash-hadu an Lā-ilāha ill-Allāh, wahdahū lā sharīkalah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhū warasūluh”

All Praise is due to Allāh, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allāh is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no All but Allāh, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ, peace and blessings on him, is His servant, and His messenger.

Bismillāhir Raḥmānir Raḥīm! Yā Ay-yuhal-lathīna ‘āmanut taqul-lāha, ḥaqqa tuqātihī walātamū tun-na, il-lā wa-antum Muslimūn.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allāh, with correct awareness, an awe-inspired awareness, and die not except as Muslims.

“Yā Ay-yuhal-lathīna āmanut taqul-lāha, waqūlū qawlan sadīdā. Yuslih-lakum a’mālakum wayaghfir lakum thunūbakum, wamay yu’-til-lāha waRasūlahū, faqad fāza fawzan athīmā.”

O You who believe, – Be aware of Allāh, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allāh and His Prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.

In the opening verse of Sura An-Nisaa’, Allāh says:

“O mankind! Show reverence towards your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate and from the two of them scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Be conscious of Allāh, through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and (show reverence towards) the wombs (that bore you): for surely, Allāh always watches over you.”

My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

In schools, colleges and universities around the country and around the world, students will be busy with their exams over the next few weeks. This is a very stressful time for them, and we must give our students all the help and encouragement they need. This khutbah is therefore addressed to the students, but I hope we can all benefit from the advice.

No doubt every one of you are here to seek Allah’s help in passing your exams. You have been studying hard all year. You have been praying earnestly, pleading with Allah to help you succeed. Now, here’s what Allah says in the Qur’an 2:186

“Wa izaa sa alaka ‘ibaadee ‘annnee fa innee qareebun ujeebu da’wataddaa’i izaa da’aani falyastajeeboo lee wal yu’minoo bee la’allahum yarshudoon”

“When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of everyone who calls on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way”

This beautiful verse tells us about Allah’s closeness to us and Allah’s willingness to answer our prayers. But there’s a condition: If we want Allah’s help, we must obey Allah in return. We must resist the lower impulses of our selfish ego and we must respond to Allah’s call. That’s the deal.

Dear Students, passing your exams is an important achievement, but it’s only a means to an end. It cannot be the end, in itself. Building your career, buying a new car, living in a palatial home, these material achievements should never be your final goal. Your end, your real goal should be to enjoy Allah’s eternal good pleasure in Al Jannah Firdaws. Everything you achieve in this life should be the by-products of reaching your main goal. If you can grasp that lesson, you’ve achieved a great deal.

As you go through life, beware of distractions. Modern life is full of distractions. Hidden persuaders, advertisers and social media “influencers” are constantly exploiting your weakness to buy their products and services.  Ignore them. Be yourself. Be authentic. Jealously guard your special relationship with Allah. Keep your lips moist with Allah’s remembrance. Dhikrullah is very easy, and very powerful. You can recite Allah’s praises anywhere and anytime.

In a well-known Hadith, we are reminded that if we “Remember Allah in times of ease, and Allah will recognise you in times of distress. What hit you could not have missed you; What missed you could not have hit you. …

Remember that victory comes with patience, relief comes with affliction, and ease comes with hardship”

“Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalamīn. Was-salātu was-salāmu alaa Khairil mursalīn. Muhammadin-nabīy-yil Ummiy-yī, wa-‘alā ālihī, wasah-bihī, aj-ma’īn.

Ammā ba’ad:

“Innalláha wa malāikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal lathīna ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas līma. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa alā áli Muhammad, kamā salayta alā Ibrahim, wa alā ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik alā Muhammad, kamā barakta alā Ibrahim, wa alā āli ibrahim. Fil ála mīn, innaka hamīdun majīd.”

(Second Khutbah):

“Soob’ hānallahi wal hamdu lillāh, walā hawla walā quwwata illāh billāh yu althi yual thīm”

Glory to Allah!  Praise to Allah! There is no power and no strength except from Allah!

My dear sisters and brothers,

We should always recite this short and beautiful du’ah:

“Rabbana atina fid dunya hasanatan wa fil akhirati hasanatan wa qina athaaban naar.”

“My Lord, give us the best of this world, and the best of the world to come, and save us from the torment of The Fire.”

We want our students to do well at school, at college and university. That’s the earthly dimension. But we also want them to do well in the heavenly dimension. We want them to pass the ultimate exam on the Day of Judgement. Whatever we achieve here on earth will not last, but our success in the life to come is forever…

Let us pray: O Allah, please let our students pass their exams with distinction. O Allah, please help our students to find good jobs and build successful careers, and meet and marry good believing husbands and wives, and raise children with Iman and Taqwa. O Allah, please help our students to become good examples that inspire others and bring many more people into Islam.

O Allah, help all those of our brothers and sisters who are suffering unspeakable hardship in Gaza, the West Bank, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Kashmir, Burma, China and so many other parts of the world.

Brothers and sisters, to conclude our khutbah:

Innal-Lāha, Yamuru bil ‘adel, wal ihsān, wa ītā-i zil qurbā; wa yanhā anil fahshā-i, wal munkari walbaghi; ya-idzukhum lallakum tathak-karūn. (Sura 16:90),

“Surely Allah commands justice, good deeds and generosity to others and to relatives; and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, so that you may be reminded.”

Fadth kurūnī adth kurkum, wash kurūlī walā tak furūn [2:152].

(Allah says), “and remember Me: I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject faith.”

walā thikrul-Lāhi akbar, Wal-Lāhu ya’lamu mā tasna’ūn.” [29:45].

“and without doubt, Remembrance of Allah is the Greatest Thing in life, and Allah knows the deeds that you do.”

Amīn.    Aqīmus ṣalāh