Title of the Sermon : The Transformed Human: The Danger of Deceiving the Divine Law
Themes of the Sermon:
A transformed nation whom Allah made a lesson for others.
Why did Allah transform them?
Forms of circumventing the Divine Law.
The punishment of the deceiver in this world and the Hereafter.
All praise is due to Allah, the Subtle, the All-Aware. He hears every secret and private conversation, and He knows the wandering glance of the eyes and what the hearts conceal. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger, the bringer of glad tidings and the warner. May Allah send His peace and many blessings upon him, his family, and his companions.
To proceed: Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with the true fear He deserves, and remain mindful of Him in private and in public.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 102].
O servants of Allah:
In one of the villages of the Children of Israel, there was a strange and terrifying morning. A group of the people of this village woke up to find their human forms had been changed into animal forms. Just yesterday, they were honored human beings, but they became despised apes.
What happened to them? Why did they deserve such a punishment? And has this punishment ended from the records of this worldly life?
Come and listen to the words of your Lord in His Book regarding that amazing event. He, Glorified be He, said:
وَاسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ كَذَلِكَ نَبْلُوهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ * وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا قَالُوا مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ * فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ أَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ * فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا عَنْ مَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ قُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ
“And ask them about the town that was by the sea—when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. When their fish came to them openly on their Sabbath day, and the day they had no Sabbath, they did not come to them. Thus did We discipline them because they were defiantly disobedient. And when a community among them said, ‘Why do you advise a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?’ they said, ‘To be free from guilt before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him.’ And when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged with a wretched punishment because they were defiantly disobedient. So when they were insolent about that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, ‘Be apes, despised.” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 163–166].
This incident became a parable that Allah made as a reminder for the believers. Regarding the Jews, He, Glorified be He, said:
وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا مِنْكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ * فَجَعَلْنَاهَا نَكَالًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا وَمَوْعِظَةً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
“And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the Sabbath, and We said to them, ‘Be apes, despised.’ And We made it a deterrent punishment for those who were present and those who succeeded [them] and a lesson for those who fear Allah.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 65–66].
Allah had forbidden them from fishing in the sea on Saturdays (the Sabbath) and permitted it for them at all other times. He intended to test their faith because of the disobedience He knew was in their hearts. On the Sabbath, the fish would appear clearly from everywhere, but on other days, they would hardly come at all.
So, they used a trick to circumvent Allah’s command. They set up nets and dug trenches on the seashore. When the fish came on Saturday, they would get caught in the nets and fall into those trenches, unable to return to the sea. When Sunday arrived, the people took the fish and claimed, "We did not hunt on the Saturday!"
When the God-fearing people among them saw this deception, they forbade them and rebuked them, but they did not stop or listen. Consequently, Allah sent down the punishment of al-maskh (transformation) upon them.
What is al-maskh? And who is the "transformed human"?
Al-maskh is the changing of a thing's original form into another, ugly form. The "transformed human" is a person whose heart and appearance Allah has changed from a human image into an animal image.
Here, a question arises: Why did Allah choose this specific punishment for them?
There is a fundamental rule regarding reward and punishment: the recompense is of the same nature as the deed. These people wanted to strip themselves of Allah's Law and abandon what Allah had made obligatory. They wanted to violate the sacred prohibitions, but at the same time, they did not want to do so in an obvious way that revealed their pursuit of their own desires. They wanted to appear in the image of the God-fearing while they were, in reality, disobedient.
So, what did they do? They "transformed" their religion—meaning they changed its reality while keeping its outward appearance—by maneuvering around the command of Allah. Thus, when they transformed the religion, Allah transformed them.
O servants of Allah:
Deceiving the Law of Allah is a grave matter in the sight of Allah. It proves the falsehood of the deceiver’s claim to have faith and submission to Allah's command. There is a huge difference between a servant whose soul weakens in the face of a command or prohibition, leading them to sin while admitting their guilt and then feeling regret and seeking forgiveness, and another who belittles Allah's knowledge of their heart and actions, attempting to trick Him!
Such a person is like the hypocrites. The hypocrite tries to deceive Allah regarding the claim of faith, while the one who circumvents the Law tries to deceive Allah regarding the claim of following the command and applying the Law.
Do not think, O Muslim, that this vile trait and horrific punishment were exclusive to the Children of Israel. Rather, it exists among some Muslims. This is why our Prophet ﷺ warned us against following their path, saying: “Do not commit what the Jews committed, such that you treat the prohibitions of Allah as permissible through the lowest of tricks.” (Reported by Ibn Baṭṭah).
In fact, our Prophet ﷺ informed us that the punishment of transformation would occur in this Ummah (nation). He said: “People from my nation will certainly drink alcohol, calling it by other than its name. Musical instruments will be played over their heads and female singers [will perform]. Allah will cause the earth to swallow them and will turn some of them into apes and pigs.” (Reported by Ibn Mājah).
It is the exact same path. Those people from the Children of Israel used tricks regarding fishing on the Sabbath, and these people use tricks to drink alcohol by calling it something else—as if changing its name changes its reality! How evil is their deception!
O servants of Allah:
The forms of circumventing the Law are many. Some people use tricks to escape performing an obligatory command, others to commit a forbidden act, and others to disable the Law entirely—all in the name of religion.
One day, the Prophet ﷺ said to his companions: “Indeed, Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, carrion, pigs, and idols.” It was asked: “O Messenger of Allah! What do you think about the fat of carrion? For it is used to coat ships, to grease skins, and people use it for light (meaning they light their lamps with it).” He ﷺ replied: “No, it is forbidden.” Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “May Allah destroy the Jews! Indeed, when Allah forbade the fat of [carrion], they melted it down, then sold it and consumed its price.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim).
Allah forbade carrion, and that includes its fat. However, the Jews used a trick against the Divine Law; they sold it and benefited from its price. Did they truly comply by doing so?
The Prophet ﷺ established the governing rule when he said: “May Allah curse the Jews! Fats were forbidden to them, yet they sold them and consumed their price. Indeed, when Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, forbids the eating of a thing, He forbids its price [as well].” (Reported by Aḥmad).
This means that if Allah forbids the use of something and prohibits it, He also forbids its sale and trade. If a person stops using a substance but proceeds to sell it, they have used a trick to circumvent Allah’s command.
Another form of deception against Allah’s Law is the act of the "borrowed billy goat" (al-tays al-mustaʿār). This refers to a man who enters into a sham marriage with a woman whose husband has divorced her three times (making her irrevocably divorced from him). Allah says:
فَإِنْ طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ مِنْ بَعْدُ حَتَّى تَنْكِحَ زَوْجًا غَيْرَهُ فَإِنْ طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا أَنْ يَتَرَاجَعَا إِنْ ظَنَّا أَنْ يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ اللَّهِ وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ يُبَيِّنُهَا لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
“And if he has divorced her [for the third time], then she is not lawful to him afterward until [after] she marries a husband other than him. And if [the latter] divorces her, there is no blame upon the woman and her former husband for returning to each other if they think that they can keep [within] the limits of Allah. These are the limits of Allah, which He makes clear to a people who know.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 230].
The Prophet ﷺ cursed both the one who performs this and the one for whom it is performed, saying: “Shall I not inform you of the 'borrowed billy goat'?” They said: “Of course, O Messenger of Allah!” He replied: “He is the one who marries a woman only to make her legal for her first husband (al-muḥallil). May Allah curse the muḥallil and the one for whom it is done (al-muḥallal lahu)!” (Reported by Ibn Mājah).
How hideous is the image of this cursed "goat"! He thinks that calling his action "marriage" makes it permissible, ignoring that judgment is based on intentions and purposes, not merely on words.
This "goat" has many likenesses today—those who trick the Divine Law to nullify it. They legitimize adultery under the name of "cohabitation," permit sinful relationships between men and women under the name of "friendship," and legalize usury (ribā) under the name of "interest." They permit gambling under the name of "lotteries" and "prizes," and they tolerate the spread of evil under the name of "freedom." They take the criminal Jews as allies under the name of "normalization" and "tolerance," and they abandon the fundamentals of religion under the name of "rationality" and a "realistic outlook." They justify leaving the Divine Law by claiming "public interest." Who exactly are they trying to deceive?
ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “Whoever seeks to deceive Allah, He will deceive them.” (Reported by ʿAbd al-Razzāq).
Circumventing and bypassing the Divine Law by changing names and methods does not change the reality of those things or their rulings. It does not hide the matter from Allah, who knows what is hidden and what is apparent. Calling corruption "reform," or altering the religion in the name of "excellence" and "success," does not lighten the crime; rather, it makes it more severe. It does not remove the punishment; it confirms it. Allah says:
فَكَيْفَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ جَاءُوكَ يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَا إِلَّا إِحْسَانًا وَتَوْفِيقًا * أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَعِظْهُمْ وَقُلْ لَهُمْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًا بَلِيغًا
“So how [will it be] when a disaster strikes them because of what their hands have put forth and then they come to you swearing by Allah, ‘We intended nothing but good and conciliation’? Those are the ones of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts, so turn away from them but admonish them and speak to them a far-reaching word concerning themselves.” [Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 62–63].
O servants of Allah:
The religion, in its essence, is ease. Allah has removed from us burdens and hardships. One of the greatest objectives of the Divine Law is for the Muslim to fulfill the duty of servitude to Allah with love and submission, moving away from the dictates of personal desire.
Allah only legislated acts of worship, made duties obligatory, and forbade prohibitions because of the benefits they contain for His servants in this world and the Hereafter. If people use tricks to drop their worship, abandon their duties, and commit prohibitions, their hearts and their lives will become corrupted.
May Allah bless me and you through the Great Qur’ān and benefit us through the verses and wise remembrance within it. I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and for you; so seek His forgiveness, for He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Second Sermon:
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow him. To proceed:
O servants of Allah:
Among the concise yet profound words of the Prophet ﷺ is: “Actions are but by intentions.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim). Allah is All-Knowing of what is in the hearts. He looks at the hearts of His servants; He knows the reformer from the corrupter, and the righteous from the wretched.
To those who use tricks against the Law of the Lord of the worlds: Have you not heard the statement of Allah:
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُ
“And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so beware of Him”? [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 235].
Against whom are you plotting? Whom are you deceiving? Allah says:
وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
“But they do not conspire except against themselves, and they perceive [it] not.” [Sūrat al-Anʿām: 123].
He, Glorified be He, threatened such people by saying:
وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْرًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ * فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَاهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
“And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not. Then look at how was the outcome of their plan—that We destroyed them and their people, all of them.” [Sūrat al-Naml: 50–51].
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Plotting, deception, and betrayal are in the Fire.” (Reported by al-Ḥākim).
O servants of Allah:
Our Prophet ﷺ warned us against following the path of the People of the Book and informed us that the same punishment could occur [to some in this nation]. He said: “In this nation, there will be landslides, transformations, and stones falling from the sky.” A man from the Muslims asked: “O Messenger of Allah! When will that be?” He replied: “When female singers and musical instruments become widespread and alcohol is drunk.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhī).
O Allah, rectify the affairs of the nation of Islam, and return us to You in a beautiful manner.
O Allah, grant us victory and do not grant victory over us. Plan for us and not against us. Guide us, make guidance easy for us, and grant us victory over those who oppress us.
O Allah, grant us safety in our homelands, rectify our leaders and those in authority over us, and place our leadership among those who fear You, are conscious of You, and seek Your pleasure.
Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
