By Essam Mahgoub
Paradise, Al Jannah, is not for everyone. It is for those with purified souls on whom Allah has shown mercy. Muslims aren’t Allah’s “chosen people.” We have to work hard to earn Allah’s good pleasure. That means that we will constantly be tested to see whether our our words and our actions are of the same substance….
By Essam Mahgoub
Good Muslims work hard on the five Pillars of Islam. We should also avoid the Pillars of Kufr (disbelief): Pride, Arrogance, Envy, Anger and unholy Desires. Faith can become weak if it isn’t strengthened by daily good habits. The path to evil begins in small careless steps, so we must be constantly checking our behaviour.
By Essam Mahgoub
We should take great care not to harm other by careless talk, gossip, slander and backbiting, for example. Things that we think are minor infractions, but are really major sins in the sight of Allah. Allah will forgive our missed prayers and missed days of fasting, but if we damage the honour and reputation of someone, we should ask them for forgiveness. Allah does not forgive that.
By Essam Mahgoub
“Every tribulation in life is a test from Allah. The greater the test, the greater the reward. That is why the highest places in Al Jannah Firidaws are reserved for the Prophets, the martyrs and the doers of good deeds. We should remember this regarding the crisis in Gaza. Those thousands who have died in Gaza are already in Paradise, where they will remain forever…”
By Essam Mahgoub
Even though our final destination may be in Allah’s garden, how can we be sure that we won’t first have a temporary taste of the hellfire? This khutbah offers some good advice to ensure that we avoid that nasty experience and pass on from this life straight through to Al Jannah Firdaws…
Beware of taking Allah’s mercy for granted. You may fool yourself into thinking that you can get away with repeated sinful behaviour, and that Allah will overlook that. Don’t count on it! Never repeat your sins intentionally. Show real remorse. Stop sinning. Be determined not to slip backwards. Do good deeds instead, and sincerely turn towards Allah’s obedience.
By Essam Mahgoub
Be sincere. Do as you say and say as you do. Let there be no contradiction between your words and your actions. Be rational and logical, but Allah’s explicit commands come first. Whatever Allah has forbidden (harām) overrules any rational or logical debates. Allah always knows best, and we may only discover that Divine wisdom in the fulness of time…
By Essam Mahgoub
“We are both slaves and worshippers to Allah. We are slaves in the sense that all functions of our bodies that are not under the control of our Will, like our heartbeat, hormones and autonomous functions work under Allah’s direct control. Then we are also worshippers, in that we have the choice to follow or not to follow Allah’ls guidance…”
