Title of Sermon: Distraction and the Manufacture of Negligence
Elements of Sermon:
The World as Amusement and Play
The Danger of Being Occupied with the Worldly Life Over the Hereafter
Distracting from the Path of Allah through Amusement and Play: The Criminals' Tradition
The Believer's Objective: Achieving Servitude to Allah
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah exalt and send peace to the best of prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions. As for what follows:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with true piety, and be mindful of Him in private and in secret:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
"O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]."
O servants of Allah:
Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: "While we were praying Friday prayer with the Prophet ﷺ, a caravan from the Levant arrived carrying food, and people turned to it until only twelve men remained with the Prophet." ﷺ Then this verse was sent down:
وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انْفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا
"But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, they rushed to it."
Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.
The life of this world is adorned with various kinds of enjoyment, as Allah Almighty says:
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
"Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children, like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion."
Thus, the souls of most creation are inclined towards it, some of whom let it take over their hearts to the extent that it distracts them from their religion, and perhaps they become enslaved to it. Yet, there are those among people who utilize it without being enslaved by it, rather they make it a means to the Hereafter without it distracting them from worshipping Allah Almighty.
The adornment and pleasure of the world are a test from Allah for His creation, to see who is deceived by it and who prefers the Hereafter over it:
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا * وَإِنَّا لَجَاعِلُونَ مَا عَلَيْهَا صَعِيدًا جُرُزًا
"Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed * And indeed, We will make that which is upon it [into] a barren ground."
Allah has warned His servants not to be distracted by the world's enjoyment from obeying Allah, saying:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
"O you who believe, let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that - then those are the losers."
And the greatest reason people of Hell endure punishment is because they were deceived by the world, taking their religion as diversion and play, and here they are in Hell, crying out for water, but they are not aided, as Allah Almighty says:
وَنَادَى أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَنْ أَفِيضُوا عَلَيْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ أَوْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ * الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَهُمْ لَهْوًا وَلَعِبًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا فَالْيَوْمَ نَنْسَاهُمْ كَمَا نَسُوا لِقَاءَ يَوْمِهِمْ هَذَا وَمَا كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ
"And the companions of the Fire will call to the companions of Paradise, 'Pour upon us some water or from whatever Allah has provided you.' They will say, 'Indeed, Allah has forbidden them both to the disbelievers * Who took their religion as diversion and amusement and whom the worldly life deluded.' So today We will forget them just as they forgot the meeting of this Day of theirs and for their having rejected Our verses."
And the Prophet ﷺ warned his companions and his Ummah after him from being tempted by the world and distracted from achieving servitude to Allah, saying: "By Allah, it is not poverty that I fear for you, but I fear that the world will be extended to you as it was extended to those before you, and you will compete for it as they competed for it, and it will distract you as it distracted them." Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.
Brothers of Islam:
Entertainment has a strong influence on hearts and souls, a fact realized by Satan and his allies, who then adorned it for people to divert them from the path of Allah and occupy them with falsehood and lofty matters.
Allah has told us about the deceit of Satan, saying:
وَاسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُمْ بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِمْ بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ وَعِدْهُمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا
"And incite [to senselessness] whoever you can among them with your voice and assault them with your horses and foot soldiers and become a partner in their wealth and their children and promise them."
But Satan's promise is nothing but deception. Satan tempts people with his whisperings and provocations to indulge in play and amusement, provoking them to falsehood with singing and musical instruments, shouting at them with all his supporters, and commanding them to spend their wealth in ways other than obeying Allah.
His allies among the disbelievers, who preferred the worldly life over the Hereafter, were not satisfied with their disbelief and misguidance. Instead, they spent wealth and rallied troops to deter people from the path of Allah by every means, as Allah Almighty said:
وَوَيْلٌ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ * الَّذِينَ يَسْتَحِبُّونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى الْآخِرَةِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا أُولَئِكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ بَعِيدٍ
"And woe to the disbelievers from a severe punishment * Those who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter and deter [people] from the way of Allah, seeking to make it [seem] deviant. Those are in a far-reaching error."
Their methods may vary, but their goal is one; there may have been a time when magicians and priests were the means, but every era has its magic, and every tyrant has his priest.
When the disbelievers of Quraysh heard the Quran, they knew it threatened their falsehood, so they decided to prevent people from listening to it, resorting to vain talk against it. Allah Almighty said:
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَسْمَعُوا لِهَذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَالْغَوْا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ
"And those who disbelieve say, 'Do not listen to this Quran and speak noisily during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome.'"
That is, if you hear the Quran, ignore it, talk over it, raise your voice, and distract yourselves and others from it with all kinds of amusement, perhaps you will overcome the people of Islam by not listening to the Quran.
Some of them even spent money to buy types of amusement and falsehood, such as singing, musical instruments, and ecstasy, narrating myths and false stories from perished civilizations, to distract people from listening to the Quran. Allah said:
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ
"And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in jest. Those will have a humiliating punishment."
This is the evil path that the misguided always follow to deter people from the path of Allah, seeking to make it deviant, spending vast amounts of money, and mobilizing pens and media to distract creation with varieties of falsehood, adorning it for people, covering its ugliness, and inviting them to it by every means, until people become as if they have no minds, like moths that, upon seeing fire, plunge into it like a drunkard, even if it leads to their destruction.
Here is Qarun, who emerged among the Children of Israel in all his adornment, and a group among them were tempted by him. Allah said:
فَخَرَجَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ فِي زِينَتِهِ قَالَ الَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا يَالَيْتَ لَنَا مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ قَارُونُ إِنَّهُ لَذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ
"So, he emerged before his people in his adornment. Those who desired the worldly life said, 'Oh, would that we had like what was given to Qarun. Indeed, he is one of great fortune.'"
Just as it is today, they follow in his footsteps; indeed, they are a people transgressing. The nation is first made ignorant, its thinking superficial, and its riches plundered. People are turned away from listening to sincere advisors, willingly or unwillingly, then immersed in the pursuit of livelihood and every kind of vain amusement, to make them forget their purpose of creation, distract them from their religion, lower their concerns, and keep them away from the truth and the major existential issues of the nation, and from all that benefits them.
Their methods vary according to the interests of every individual; perhaps they distract some with movies, concerts, and festivals, others with the pleasure of games, matches, and races, and yet others with the fabrication of false events and imagined crises. Indeed, they create triviality and comedic content, making it a commodity from which money is earned, until the happiest people in life became those who are idle.
Thus, the youth, men, and women of the nation were diverted from the purpose for which Allah created them, and lifetimes were wasted in frivolity and play, and in supporting clubs and teams.
And look where the people are today, more than four months after the aggression on Gaza. Most people, except those whom Allah has mercy on, have turned to what they were distracted by, as if nothing had happened. This is while the bombing, criminal acts, and displacement are still increasing and continuing, and to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.
May Allah bless me and you with the great Quran and benefit me and you with the verses and the wise remembrance it contains, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and for you, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Second Sermon
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah exalt and send peace to the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who ally with him. As for what follows:
O servants of Allah:
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah will admit three people to Paradise for a single arrow: the maker who has good intentions in his craft, the archer, and the one who assists with it. He said: 'Shoot and ride, but shooting is more beloved to me than riding. Every pastime a Muslim man engages in is vain, except for his shooting with his bow, training his horse, and playing with his family, for these are from the truth.'" Narrated by At-Tirmidhi.
It is necessary for a person to have permissible leisure time that is not forbidden by the Sharia, does not distract from obligations, and does not bring harm to one's religion or worldly life. Despite this, the Prophet ﷺ deemed all leisure as vain, meaning it has no benefit, reward, or utility except for these three, as each of them, upon reflection, is found to aid in the pursuit of truth and lead to it. So, what about engaging in prohibited leisure that corrupts both religion and worldly life?
The purpose for which Allah created man is to achieve servitude to Him and establish the religion on Earth. Allah said:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me."
And He Almighty said:
كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ
"You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah."
Is it fitting for a believer to be distracted by a football match, a concert, or a festival of immorality from his Lord, his religion, and the issues of his nation?
Is it fitting for a believer to forget or ignore his brothers and their pains and remains with false amusement and vain play?
The great events in the nation are indeed meant to elevate spirits to noble matters and urge Muslims to fill the gaps. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Indeed, Allah loves noble matters and dislikes trivial ones." Narrated by Al-Tabarani.
And Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I hate to see a man idle, doing nothing for this world or the Hereafter."
They prepared you for a matter, if you were aware, So disdain yourself from grazing with the heedless.
O Allah, rectify for us our religion, which is the safeguard of our affair, and rectify for us our worldly life, wherein lies our living, and rectify for us our Hereafter, wherein lies our return.
O Allah, deal with the corrupting Jews in the land, scatter their unity, divide their gathering, and grant us victory over them with Your strength, O Mighty, O Majestic.
O Allah, guide our leader to what You love and are pleased with, and lead him to righteousness and piety. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
O servants of Allah: Remember Allah frequently, and glorify Him morning and evening, and our last call is that all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
