Title of the Sermon: "And He will heal the breasts of a believing people."
Elements of the Sermon:
Allah will disgrace the disbelievers in this life and the next.
Examples of humiliation and disgrace for the disbelievers.
On the Day of Judgment, Allah will heal the hearts of the believers.
All praise is due to Allah, who promised His allies victory and honor, and threatened His enemies with disgrace and humiliation. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, alone with no partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and messenger. May peace and abundant blessings be upon him.
To proceed: Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with true piety, and be mindful of Him in secret and in public.
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 in a state of submission to Him as Muslims.” [Āl ‘Imrān: 102]
O servants of Allah:
After the Battle of Badr, the leaders of disbelief were cast into a filthy well. Three days later, the Prophet ﷺ stood over that well and called out:
“O Abū Jahl ibn Hishām! O Umayyah ibn Khalaf! O ʿUtbah ibn Rabīʿah! O Shaybah ibn Rabīʿah! Would it please you now if you had obeyed Allah and His Messenger? For indeed, we have found what our Lord promised us to be true. Have you found what your Lord promised you to be true?”
ʿUmar said: “O Messenger of Allah, are you speaking to bodies with no souls in them?”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: “By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muḥammad, you do not hear what I say more clearly than they do.” (Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)
Qatādah said: “Allah gave them life so they could hear his words—out of reproach, humiliation, vengeance, and regret.”
The battle between the believers and the soldiers of Shayṭān—whether disbelievers or hypocrites—remains alight and unquenched. The days alternate between them, yet Allah grants ultimate victory to His allies. And if, on some day, the tide appears in favor of His enemies, it is only so that Allah may distinguish the wicked from the good.
At times of weakness and oppression, the hearts of the believers may falter when they witness the tyranny of the criminals, but they remain certain of their Lord’s words:
وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
“Do not weaken or grieve, for you will be superior—if you are believers.” [Āl ʿImrān: 139]
Allah has decreed disgrace for the disbelievers in this life and the next. He addressed them, saying:
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِي اللَّهِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ مُخْزِي الْكَافِرِينَ
“And know that you cannot escape Allah, and that Allah will disgrace the disbelievers.” [al-Tawbah: 2]
He humiliates them in this world with disgrace and abasement at the hands of the faithful Mujāhidīn, aided with proof, clarity, strength, and weaponry, as He said:
قَاتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنْصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُؤْمِنِينَ
“Fight them—Allah will punish them by your hands, disgrace them, give you victory over them, and heal the breasts of a believing people.” [al-Tawbah: 14]
As for the Hereafter, Allah said:
وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَخْزَى وَهُمْ لَا يُنْصَرُونَ
“But the punishment of the Hereafter is more disgraceful, and they will not be helped.” [Fussilat: 16]
It is a journey of humiliating torment from the moment the angels of punishment surround them until they are thrown into the depths of Hell.
This disgrace begins from the moment of death, when the angels strike their faces and backs. Allah said:
وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ
“If only you could see when the angels take the souls of those who disbelieved, striking their faces and their backs…” [al-Anfāl: 50]
Then the angels rebuke them, saying:
أَخْرِجُوا أَنْفُسَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ
“Bring yourselves out—today you will be rewarded with the punishment of humiliation.” [al-Anʿām: 93]
They will hear the harshest of reproaches. Their vile souls will be called by the worst of names. The angels will address their filthy spirits and say: “Come out, O foul soul that was in a wicked body! Come out despised, and receive the tidings of scalding water, pus, and other torments of similar kind!” (Narrated by Aḥmad)
This world will perish—but life does not end. The tyrants and criminals will die—but their crimes will not be erased. Allah will resurrect them as they cry out in terror:
يَا وَيْلَنَا مَنْ بَعَثَنَا مِنْ مَرْقَدِنَا هَذَا مَا وَعَدَ الرَّحْمَنُ وَصَدَقَ الْمُرْسَلُونَ
“Woe to us! Who has raised us from our resting place? This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers spoke the truth!” [Yā Sīn: 52]
They will know this is the Day of Judgment and recompense. So they will cry out in ruin:
يَا وَيْلَنَا هَذَا يَوْمُ الدِّينِ
“Woe to us! This is the Day of Recompense!” [al-Ṣāffāt: 20]
Yes, it is the Day of full and just recompense. They will receive their due punishment in full. And the torment of that Day is not only the Fire—it is accompanied by degrading humiliation, surrounding them from every direction. Allah said:
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِثْمًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ
“And let not those who disbelieve think that We delay for their good. We only delay for them so they may increase in sin. And for them is a humiliating punishment.” [Āl ʿImrān: 178]
And the greatest humiliation of the Hereafter will be when they are veiled from their Lord, the Most Merciful. They will not see His noble face. He will not look upon them, nor speak to them, nor purify them. They will be turned away from His door. Allah said:
كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ * ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَصَالُو الْجَحِيمِ
“No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be veiled. Then indeed, they will burn in Hellfire.” [al-Muṭaffifīn: 15–17]
Among the humiliations of that Day is the repulsiveness of their bodies. They will be extremely deformed and hideous.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The distance between the shoulders of a disbeliever in the Fire will be like the distance of three days’ travel for a swift rider.”
And he said: “The molar tooth of the disbeliever—or his canine—is like [Mount] Uḥud, and the thickness of his skin is the distance of three days’ travel.” (Narrated by Muslim)
Their faces will be humiliated, grim and dark, covered with dust. Allah said:
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ * تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ * أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ
“Some faces that Day will be covered with dust, overwhelmed by darkness. Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.” [ʿAbasa: 40–42]
He also said:
وَالَّذِينَ كَسَبُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ جَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ بِمِثْلِهَا وَتَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ مَا لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمٍ كَأَنَّمَا أُغْشِيَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ قِطَعًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مُظْلِمًا
“But those who earn evil deeds—each evil deed will be repaid by its equivalent, and humiliation will cover them. They will have no protector from Allah. It will be as if their faces were covered with patches of the night’s darkness.” [Yūnus: 27]
Among the torments of humiliation is the rebuke and mockery of the angels toward them, reminding them of their crimes. The angels will say to them:
ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
“Taste the punishment of the blazing Fire!” [Āl ʿImrān: 181]
ذُوقُوا مَسَّ سَقَرَ
“Taste the scorching touch of Saqar!” [al-Qamar: 48]
فَذُوقُوا فَلَنْ نَزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا
“So taste! We will not increase you except in torment!” [al-Naba’: 30]
By Allah! If only you saw their state when the guardians of Hell bring them forth, their heads lowered, kneeling around Hell, and then their leaders are dragged forward—humiliated and disgraced—before the rest. Allah said:
فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَحْشُرَنَّهُمْ وَالشَّيَاطِينَ ثُمَّ لَنُحْضِرَنَّهُمْ حَوْلَ جَهَنَّمَ جِثِيًّا * ثُمَّ لَنَنْزِعَنَّ مِنْ كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ أَيُّهُمْ أَشَدُّ عَلَى الرَّحْمَنِ عِتِيًّا
“So by your Lord, We will surely gather them and the devils; then We will surely bring them, kneeling, around Hell. Then We will surely extract from every group those who were most defiant against the Most Merciful.” [Maryam: 68–69]
And He said:
وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُو رُءُوسِهِمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ
“If you could see the criminals, their heads bowed before their Lord...” [al-Sajdah: 12]
What if you saw the angels placing chains and shackles on their necks, dragging them on their faces toward Hell—pulled by their heads and feet—then cast into the Fire? Allah said:
إِنَّ الْمُجْرِمِينَ فِي ضَلَالٍ وَسُعُرٍ * يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُوا مَسَّ سَقَرَ
“Indeed, the criminals are in error and madness. The Day they are dragged into the Fire on their faces: ‘Taste the touch of Saqar!’” [al-Qamar: 47–48]
And He said:
إِذِ الْأَغْلَالُ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ وَالسَّلَاسِلُ يُسْحَبُونَ * فِي الْحَمِيمِ ثُمَّ فِي النَّارِ يُسْجَرُونَ
“When the shackles are on their necks, and chains as well—they will be dragged. In boiling water they will be scalded, then in the Fire they will be burned.” [Ghāfir: 71–72]
And He said:
يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِي وَالْأَقْدَامِ
“The criminals will be known by their marks, and they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet.” [al-Raḥmān: 41]
The angels will present them before the Fire, and they will find nothing but regret and ruin. Allah said:
وَيَوْمَ يُعْرَضُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَلَى النَّارِ أَذْهَبْتُمْ طَيِّبَاتِكُمْ فِي حَيَاتِكُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهَا فَالْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَفْسُقُونَ
“And the Day those who disbelieved are presented to the Fire: ‘You squandered your good things in your worldly life and enjoyed them—so today you will be repaid with the punishment of humiliation because you were arrogant on the earth without right and because you used to defiantly disobey.’” [al-Aḥqāf: 20]
Disgrace will be written on their gazes in that state:
وَتَرَاهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا خَاشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ يَنْظُرُونَ مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ
“You will see them being presented to it—submissive from humiliation—looking with a hidden glance.” [al-Shūrā: 45]
As soon as the Fire scorches their faces, they will scream:
يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ
“Woe to us! We have indeed been wrongdoers!” [al-Anbiyāʾ: 46]
And when they are thrown into the Fire, the keepers of Hell will gather for them zāqqūm, ghislīn, ḍarīʿ, and rods of iron—accompanied by rebuke, contempt, and degradation. A torment upon torment. Allah said:
إِنَّ شَجَرَتَ الزَّقُّومِ * طَعَامُ الْأَثِيمِ * كَالْمُهْلِ يَغْلِي فِي الْبُطُونِ * كَغَلْيِ الْحَمِيمِ * خُذُوهُ فَاعْتِلُوهُ إِلَى سَوَاءِ الْجَحِيمِ * ثُمَّ صُبُّوا فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْحَمِيمِ * ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْكَرِيمُ * إِنَّ هَذَا مَا كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تَمْتَرُونَ
“Indeed, the tree of Zāqqūm is the food of the sinner. Like molten brass, it boils in the bellies, like the boiling of scalding water. Seize him and drag him into the midst of Hell. Then pour over his head the torment of boiling water. Taste! Indeed, you are the mighty, the noble! This is what you used to doubt.” [al-Dukhān: 43–50]
At that moment, they will scream, plead, seek help, and call upon their Lord—regretful for their disbelief and tyranny—begging Him to bring them out so they may believe and do good deeds. But the answer they receive will be worse than the torment itself.
Have you not heard what Allah said of their plea?
رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ * قَالَ اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ
“Our Lord! Bring us out from it! If we return [to sin], then indeed we are wrongdoers!” He will say: “Remain despised therein, and do not speak to Me.” [al-Muʾminūn: 107–108]
They will call upon the angels to lighten the punishment for even one day—but what answer will they receive? The angels will reply:
قَالُوا أَوَلَمْ تَكُ تَأْتِيكُمْ رُسُلُكُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا بَلَى قَالُوا فَادْعُوا وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ * إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ * يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ الظَّالِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ
“Did your messengers not come to you with clear proofs?” They will say: “Yes.” The angels will say: “Then supplicate—but the supplication of the disbelievers is only in vain. Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe in the worldly life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand. The Day the wrongdoers’ excuses will not benefit them, and theirs will be the curse, and theirs the worst home.” [Ghāfir: 50–52]
They will call out to the keeper of Hell, asking him to let them die—but how can they hope for death? Can death be a recompense for their disbelief, injustice, and tyranny? No, by Allah! There will be no death for them. They will not be judged so that they die, nor will any punishment be lessened for them. Allah said:
وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ * لَقَدْ جِئْنَاكُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ
“They will cry out: ‘O Mālik! Let your Lord finish us off!’ He will say: ‘Indeed, you will remain.’ We brought you the truth, but most of you hated the truth.” [al-Zukhruf: 77–78]
Do you know when the keeper of Hell answered them?
ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (may Allah be pleased with them both) said:
“They will be left for forty years without a reply. Then he will answer them: ‘Indeed, you will remain.’ They will then say: ‘Our Lord, take us out from here! If we return [to sin], then indeed we are wrongdoers.’ They will be left again for a span equal to the life of this world. Then the answer will come: ‘Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.’ By Allah, they will never utter another word after that—nothing but moaning and wailing.” (Narrated by al-Ḥākim)
Then they will regret—but regret will be of no benefit. They will curse one another—the followers will curse the leaders, and every tyrant will disown his soldiers. The lowly ones will wish to trample their wicked leaders under their feet.
We seek refuge in the Compeller from the fate of the people of the Fire.
May Allah bless me and you with the great Qur’an, and benefit us through its verses and wise reminder. I seek His forgiveness for myself and for you—so seek His forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Sermon
All praise is due to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and all who follow him. To proceed:
O you, the believer who feels weak and oppressed! Have you not heard that the day will come when Allah will heal your heart, showing you with your own eyes what He will do to that wicked one who disbelieved in Allah and inflicted upon you various forms of harm to turn you away from the path of Allah?
After hearing something of their humiliation, I want you to picture their state—nothing but disgrace and shame, crying and screaming while suffering the torment of Hellfire.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed, the people of the Fire will weep until, if ships were set afloat in their tears, they would sail. And they will weep blood instead of tears.” (Narrated by al-Ḥākim)
Rejoice, for Allah says:
فَالْيَوْمَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ * عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنْظُرُونَ * هَلْ ثُوِّبَ الْكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ
“So today, those who believed will laugh at the disbelievers, reclining on couches, observing. Have the disbelievers not been repaid for what they used to do?” [al-Muṭaffifīn: 34–36]
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor the Muslims. Destroy the disbelieving criminals. O Allah, send tranquility into the hearts of those who strive in Your path, deliver Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of religion by Your might, O All-Powerful, O Strong.
O Allah, grant us safety in our lands, rectify our leaders and those in authority over us, and place our rule with those who fear You, seek Your pleasure, and follow Your guidance.
Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
