The full text of the sermon titled “THE MOST BEAUTIFUL NAMES BELONG TO ALLAH”, is as follows:

Dear Muslims,

In the Surah al-Ikhlas I recited at the beginning of the khutbah, our Lord Almighty (swt) describes Himself as follows: “Say, o Prophet, ‘He is Allah—One and Indivisible. Allah—the Sustainer needed by all. He has never had offspring. Nor was He born. And there is none comparable to Him.”

Dear Believers!

Allah the Almighty is the Lord of the worlds. To Him (swt) alone belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He (swt) is the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Ruler.

Allah (swt) is the Eternal, Everlasting, and the One whose existence is without a beginning. He (swt) is al-Baqi, the Everlasting, the One to whose existence there is no end. Allah (swt) is al-Sami’ and al-Basir, the One who sees and hears all things.

Allah (swt) is al-Ghafur, the All-Forgiving, who forgives a lot. He (swt) is al-Wadud, the Loving One, who has bountless love. He (swt) is al-Razzaq, the Sustainer, who provides countless nice and clean blessings for His servants. He (swt) is al-Hafiz, the Guarding One, who protects those who seek refuge in His mercy. He (swt) is al-Tawwab, the Ever-Acceptor of Repentance, who accepts His servants’ repentance.  He (swt) is al-‘Afuww, the Supreme Pardoner, who forgives those who ask for His forgiveness.  As for those who persist in rebellion and sin, His (swt) punishment is severe.

Dear Muslims!

Allah (swt) is al-Qadir, the One who has endless power and might. Allah (swt) is al-Muhyi and al-Mumit, who has created life and death to test which of us will do better deeds in this short world of trials. He (swt) will resurrect us all after we die, and will hold us to account for what we have done, and will give to everyone in full exactly what they deserve.

Dear Believers!

When we look through the lens of wisdom, we see the reflections of the names and attributes of Allah the Almighty, the Creator of the universe, everywhere. We order our lives inspired by the beautiful names of our Lord (swt). We get inspired by His (swt) matchless creations and glorify Him by uttering, سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ  (Subhan Allah). By saying,     اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ (Alhamdulillah), we thank for His offerings and blessings. With the chant of اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ (Allahu Akbar), we acknowledge His Glory and Majesty. We show our helplessness by saying لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللّٰهِ (La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah), “There is no power except with Allah.”  We rely on Him (swt) in all circumstances and conditions by saying,         الْوَكِيلُ  حَسْبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعْمَ (Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal wakil), meaning “Allah alone is sufficient as an aid for us. He is the best Protector.”  In accordance with our Lord Almighty’s (swt) verse, فَاذْكُرُون۪ٓي اَذْكُرْكُمْ  “Remember Me; I will remember you.”  , we start everything we do in the name of Allah (swt). When we have a wish in our hearts, we say “Insha Allah!” and declare that nothing will happen without Allah’s (swt) will. We express our congratulations and appreciation with “Masha Allah!” and “Barak Allah!” When we set out on a journey or say goodbye to our loved ones, we say “Fi Amanillah.”

Dear Muslims!

Let us know our Lord (swt) as He has made Himself known to us. Let us be true to our promise to Him (swt) until our last breath. Let us bless our lives with worship, righteous deeds and good morals, which are indicators of our submission to Allah (swt). May our path be tawhid and wahdat, and our direction be to gain the pleasure of our Lord (swt).

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

As I conclude this Friday’s khutbah, I would like to remind you of an important point. As you know, “The Holy Qur’an, the Life of our Prophet, and Basic Religious Knowledge” courses are taught as elective courses in our schools. For the 2023-2024 school year, course selections in our schools have started. Let us show the necessary sensitivity for our children to select these courses. Let us not forget that it is our most precious responsibility to ensure that our children learn about our Lord (swt), our Prophet (saw), our book, the Qur’an, in short, our great religion, Islam. (ILKHA)