The sermon was delivered by Imams in all mosques across Türkiye during Friday prayer.
The full text of the sermon titled “SENSE OF IHSAN: THE ZENITH OF SERVITUDE” is as follows:
Dear Muslims!
In the verse I have recited, our Almighty Lord states: “Whoever submits themselves to Allah and does good will have their reward with their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.”
In the hadith I have read, our Prophet (saw) says, “Verily Allah has enjoined goodness to everything.”
Dear Believers!
One of the qualities of a believer is the consciousness of ihsan. The essence of ihsan is to have a perfect faith. It means wholeheartedly believing that Allah the Almighty has created the universe out of nothing and governs it, and that He (swt) is generous to His servants. It means loving our Lord (swt) more than anyone and anything else. It means sincerely accepting the Qur’an as a guide, our beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw) as an example, and the life-giving principles of Islam as a standard. Ihsan means building our innermost self with tawhid, and seeking our soul’s serenity in the remembrance of Allah.
Dear Muslims!
Ihsan begins with embodying sincerity (ikhlas) in worship. It means worshipping Allah alone and seeking help only from Him (swt). It also means having good morals. It means not deviating from truthfulness and honesty, and doing good to every creature our Lord (swt) has created. Ultimately, ihsan means a believer’s practicing their profession in the best way possible, doing their job diligently, and being loyal to their duty.
Dear Believers!
Our Prophet (saw) says,
اَلْإِحْسَانُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللّٰهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ
“Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is seeing you.” As expressed in the hadith, ihsan means to be a servant only to Allah (swt) and to live as if one sees Him at all times.
The believer who lives with the sense of ihsan turns their prayer into mi‘raj for themselves. Through zakat, they purify their earnings from spiritual impurities, make their wealth blessed, and strengthen their brotherhood. Through fasting, they protect themselves from evil and heal their body and soul.
Believers who have the awareness of ihsan are kind; they do not hurt anyone. They are trustworthy; they do not betray the trust, nor do they violate the rights of other people and the public. They are pious; they never engage in lies and slander, backbiting and gossip, hatred and envy.
Dear Muslims!
In the Holy Qur’an, our Lord Almighty (swt) states: وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ اَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْۜ “He is with you wherever you are.” Indeed, ihsan means being with the Almighty (swt) while being among the people. It means being a responsible parent, a faithful spouse, a good son or daughter, and a good neighbor. It means supporting relatives, extending a hand to the oppressed, and taking care of the orphan. It is the assurance of peace and brotherhood. It means knowing that everyone’s life, property and dignity are inviolable, and never resorting to violence. It means not deceiving anyone in trade, not stockpiling or black-marketing. It means not exploiting people by selling or renting a property for more than its value in an unfair and unscrupulous way, and not being opportunistic. It means earning one’s income through halal (permissible, lawful) means, and spending it on what is halal.
Dear Believers!
Let us benefit from Ramadan’s climate of mercy and blessings by obeying the commandment, “And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those mindful of Allah.” Let us continue to share the blessings our Lord (swt) has bestowed on us with our brothers and sisters in need. Let us follow the path of mercy in order to enjoy the forgiveness of our Lord (swt). Let us beautify our world and make our Hereafter prosperous through the consciousness of ihsan, which is the zenith of servitude.
Dear Muslims!
Sadly, in yet another month of Ramadan, there are attempts to turn al-Quds, the land of peace and serenity, into a place of conflict. The sanctity and inviolability of Masjid al-Aqsa, the first stop on the Mi‘raj, is being violated. Muslims are being prevented from worshipping in their own mosques in their own homelands. It should be known, however, that al-Quds is not just a plot of land; al-Quds is the land of Islam, the dar al-salam (land of peace). It is the shared heritage of humanity, where all religions have continued to exist freely throughout history. Masjid al-Aqsa is not just the sanctuary of Palestinians, but of all Muslims. Insha Allah, our glorious nation, which has stood against the oppressor and by the side of the oppressed throughout history, will continue to stand by Masjid al-Aqsa today and tomorrow as it did yesterday. (ILKHA)