Sermon's Title: The All Powerfull, the All-Capable
Themes of the Sermon:
1- Allah's power is absolute.
2- Scenes of Allah's power and might.
3- The impact of believing in this.
4- Allah has more power over you than your power over creation.
Praise be to Allah, al-Qawī (the Powerful), al-Qadīr (the All-Capable). He decrees what He wills, and everything is easy for Him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah send abundant peace and blessings upon him.
To proceed: fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with the true fear He deserves, and remain 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 as Muslims [in submission to Him].” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 102].
O servants of Allah:
The Prophet ﷺ told us about a man from those who came before us, saying:
"There was a man who used to sin excessively against himself. When death approached him, he said to his sons, 'When I die, burn me, then grind [my bones], then scatter them in the wind. For by Allah, if my Lord gains power over me, He will punish me with a punishment that He has never inflicted upon anyone else!' When he died, that was done to him. Then Allah commanded the earth, saying, 'Gather what you contain of him!' It did so, and suddenly he was standing upright. Allah asked him, 'What prompted you to do what you did?' The man replied, 'O my Lord, it was fear of You!' So He forgave him."
O servant of Allah! Allah asked, questioning you:
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“Do you not know that Allah has power over all things?” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 106].
Indeed, it is part of the obligatory knowledge to know that Allah is al-Qawī (the Powerful), al-Qadīr (the All-Capable), al-Muqtadir (the Omnipotent), the Possessor of Might, the Strong. To Him belongs all power. In fact, one of the primary purposes behind creating the heavens and the earth and Allah's management of His creation is for us to know the greatness of His power and His knowledge. He, Glory be to Him, said:
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا
“It is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them. His command descends between them so you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge.” [Sūrat al-Ṭalāq: 12].
Indeed, Allah's power is absolute, without limits or bounds. He does whatever He wills; what Allah wills happens, and what He does not will does not happen. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is. Our Lord said:
إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَيْءٍ إِذَا أَرَدْنَاهُ أَنْ نَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
“Our word to a thing when We intend it is only that We say to it, 'Be,' and it is.” [Sūrat al-Naḥl: 40].
And He, Glory be to Him, said:
وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُقْتَدِرًا
“And Allah is perfect in capability over all things.” [Sūrat al-Kahf: 45].
And He, Glory be to Him, said:
وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا
“If only those who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to Allah.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 165].
And of His immense power is that everything is easy and effortless for Him. Nothing can escape Him or incapacitate Him, nothing burdens Him, no fatigue or exhaustion touches Him, and He stands in need of no one's help. He, the Exalted, said:
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعْجِزَهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيمًا قَدِيرًا
“And Allah is not such that anything in the heavens or on the earth can escape Him. Indeed, He is ever All-Knowing and All-Capable.” [Sūrat Fāṭir: 44].
By His power, Glory be to Him, He created the seven heavens and whatever is in and upon them, and the seven earths and whatever is in and upon them, without being touched by any weariness or fatigue. He, Glory be to Him, sustains and preserves the heavens and the earth, and preserving them does not tire Him. He, the Majestic and Exalted, said:
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ
“And We did certainly create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, and no weariness touched Us.” [Sūrat Qāf: 38].
And He, Glory be to Him, said:
وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ
“His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 255].
The disbelievers wondered at the resurrection after death, thinking that once they turned into dust, how could they possibly return? Allah exposed their falsehood by stating that He who created the heavens and the earth and was not tired by their creation is fully capable of giving life to the dead, and that He who created them the first time from dust is capable of bringing them back once again. He, the Exalted, said:
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَمْ يَعْيَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَنْ يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَى بَلَى إِنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“Do they not see that Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and did not tire by their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes. Indeed, He has power over all things.” [Sūrat al-Aḥqāf: 33].
In fact, He, Glory be to Him, restores man exactly as he was, down to his very fingertips, just as He said:
أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسَانُ أَلَّنْ نَجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ * بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى أَنْ نُسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ
“Does man think that We will not assemble his bones? Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips.” [Sūrat al-Qiyāmah: 3-4].
The human mind cannot fully comprehend Allah's dazzling power. Imagine with your heart that scene when Allah resurrects all creatures on the Day of Judgment—even the birds, beasts, and insects—resurrecting them and judging between them, all in the blink of an eye, as if they were a single soul. He, the Exalted, said:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَثَّ فِيهِمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَهُوَ عَلَى جَمْعِهِمْ إِذَا يَشَاءُ قَدِيرٌ
“And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and what He has dispersed throughout them of creatures. And He, for gathering them when He wills, is All-Capable.” [Sūrat al-Shūrā: 29].
And He, Glory be to Him, said:
مَا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
“Your creation and your resurrection are only as a single soul.” [Sūrat Luqmān: 28].
O servants of Allah:
When a believer is certain of the immense power and might of Allah, they attach their heart to Him alone, for the entire matter belongs to Allah, and whatever He wills comes to pass. Allah said:
وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him. And if He touches you with good—then He has power over all things.” [Sūrat al-Anʿām: 17].
By human standards, you may see something as far out of reach, and you may run out of means. Yet, the believer never despairs while their Lord has power over all things. He brings good to you by His might and protects you from harm by His power.
Take Zakariyyā (peace be upon him) as an example: his head flared with white hair, his wife was barren, yet Allah gave him glad tidings of a pleasing son. He said in amazement:
رَبِّ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا * قَالَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا
“My Lord, how will I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?” [An angel] said, “Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and I have already created you before, when you were nothing.'” [Sūrat Maryam: 8-9].
Here is ʿUthmān ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ, complaining to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about a pain that would not leave him. The Prophet ﷺ advised him, saying:
“Place your hand on the part of your body that hurts and say, 'Bismillāh' (In the name of Allah) three times. Then say seven times: 'Aʿūdhu billāhi wa-qudratihi min sharri mā ajidu wa-uḥādhir' (I seek refuge in Allah and His power from the evil of what I feel and worry about).”
ʿUthmān said: “I did that, and Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, removed what I was suffering from. After that, I never stopped instructing my family and others to do the same.”
A believer who has certainty in the power and capability of Allah finds peace in His promise, Glory be to Him. For when He promises, He fulfills; no one can come between Him and His will. If He promises you provision, trust in Him, for He is the One Who says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ
“Indeed, it is Allah who is the Continual Provider, the Possessor of Might, the Strong.” [Sūrat al-Dhāriyāt: 58].
And if He promises you salvation and victory, trust in Him, for He is the One Who says:
أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ
“Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory.” [Sūrat al-Ḥajj: 39].
If you ever think that His promise of victory has been delayed, know that He did not break His promise to you; rather, the servant failed to meet the condition. Allah said:
وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ
“And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.” [Sūrat al-Ḥajj: 40].
When a believer is certain of the immense might and power of Allah, it bears fruit in their heart as fear, awe, and reverence for Allah, Who encompasses all of His creation. If He threatens a servant with punishment, who could possibly stand between Him and the execution of His threat? He, Glory be to Him, said:
قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ
“Say, 'He is the [one] Able to send upon you punishment from above you or from beneath your feet or to confuse you [by splitting you into] sects and make you taste the violence of one another.'” [Sūrat al-Anʿām: 65].
How many tyrants and oppressive nations have walked the earth, once saying, “Who is greater than us in strength?” Allah gave them time, but when His wrath intensified, He destroyed them, and they had no protector or helper against Him. Allah said:
أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُوا هُمْ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَآثَارًا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَاقٍ * ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانَتْ تَأْتِيهِمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَكَفَرُوا فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ إِنَّهُ قَوِيٌّ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
“Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who were before them? They were greater than them in power and alterations in the land; but Allah seized them for their sins, and they had not against Allah any protector. That was because their messengers used to come to them with clear proofs, but they disbelieved; so Allah seized them. Indeed, He is Powerful and severe in punishment.” [Sūrat Ghāfir: 21-22].
Indeed, Allah is the Strong One; there is no power except through Him, and no servant has capability over anything except with His help. Therefore, free yourself before Allah from any claim to your own strength and power, and know that there is no change or power except through Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ once said to Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī: “Shall I not direct you to a word that is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise?” I replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!” He said, “'Lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā billāh' (There is no change or power except through Allah).”
It is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise because it is a word of complete submission, delegation of authority, and recognition of helplessness—an acknowledgment that the servant possesses nothing alongside Allah.
Do you think you sustain yourself? No, by Allah! You do not even have the power to eat a single morsel of food except by His power.
The Prophet ﷺ says: “Whoever eats food and says, 'Al-ḥamdu lillāhilladhī aṭʿamanī hādhā wa-razaqanīhi min ghayri ḥawlin minnī wa-lā quwwah' (Praise be to Allah Who has fed me this and provided it for me without any might or power on my part), his past sins will be forgiven.”
Our Prophet ﷺ also taught us in the supplication of Istikhārah (seeking guidance) to open by saying:
“O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek power through Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. For You are capable and I am not capable, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen.”
So, O servant of Allah! Seek refuge with Allah from helplessness and laziness, and seek help from Allah, the All-Powerful, the All-Capable, so that He may grant you the strength to do what He loves.
May Allah bless me and you through the magnificent Qur’ān, and benefit us all through the verses and wise remembrance it contains. I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness, for He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Second Sermon:
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow him. To proceed:
One day, Abū Masʿūd al-Badrī (may Allah be pleased with him) was beating a slave of his with a whip. He narrated:
I heard a voice from behind me saying, “Know, Abū Masʿūd!” But I did not recognize the voice due to my intense anger. When he came close to me, I realized it was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he was saying, “Know, Abū Masʿūd! Know, Abū Masʿūd!” I immediately dropped the whip from my hand. He ﷺ said, “Know, Abū Masʿūd, that Allah has more power over you than you have over this boy!” I said, “I will never beat a slave after this day.”
How magnificent is this advice for anyone who is deceived by their own strength, causing them to tyrannize, transgress, and abuse the weak! It was the way of the people of Jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance) that the strong among them would devour the weak. You must recognize Allah's immense power over you, fear Him, and restrain yourself from injustice and aggression. Remember that Allah has more power and might over you than your power over creation.
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor the Muslims, and destroy the criminal disbelievers. O Allah, send down tranquility into the hearts of those striving in Your cause, save Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of the religion by Your might, O Powerful, O Mighty One.
O Allah, secure us in our homelands, guide our leaders and those in authority over our affairs, and place our leadership under those who fear You, remain mindful of You, and pursue Your pleasure.
Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
