Hadith 2 — Islam, Iman & Ihsan: The Complete Religion
[Arabic,إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. ]
Indeed, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the consequences of our wrong actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone without partner, and Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.
Part One: Islam and Iman - The Foundation
Brothers,
Today's khutbah is based on one of the most important hadiths in our religion—Hadith Jibril—the second hadith in Imam Nawawi's 40 Hadith collection.
It teaches us our entire religion in one conversation: Islam, Iman, Ihsan, the Hour, and its Signs.
Let us reflect on it deeply and take each part of it seriously.
[Hadith,Muslim,"Also on the authority of Umar (ra) who said: While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a man appeared with extremely white clothes and very black hair... He sat close by the Prophet ﷺ, rested his knees against his, and said: 'O Muhammad, inform me about Islam.' The Prophet ﷺ replied: 'Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to establish prayer, pay zakat, fast Ramadan, and perform Hajj if able.' He said: 'You have spoken the truth.' Then he asked about Iman, Ihsan, and the Hour... The Prophet ﷺ answered each. Then he said: 'That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion.'"]
This hadith is the foundation of everything in Islam.
Let us go through its lessons in four sections:
- Islam—actions
- Iman—beliefs
- Ihsan—excellence
- The Hour—our preparation
1. Islam—The 5 Pillars
Islam is the outward practice: testifying, praying, fasting, giving, and pilgrimage.
[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"Five prayers in the day and night... Fasting Ramadan... Giving Zakat... Hajj if able. When the man asked 'Anything else?' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'No, unless you want to do extra voluntarily.' The man said: 'By Allah, I will do no more and no less.' The Prophet ﷺ replied: 'He has succeeded, if he is truthful.'"]
Islam is accessible, simple, and clear—but the reward is based on truthfulness and steadfastness.
[Hadith,Muslim,"Say, I believe in Allah—then remain steadfast."]
[Quote,Abdullah ibn Ahmad,,"On his deathbed, Iblis came and said, 'You've escaped me!' Imam Ahmad replied: 'Not yet, not yet...'"]
We don't stop until our last breath.
[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"One of you may act like a person of Paradise... until he is one arm's length away, and then the decree overtakes him..."]
So keep doing the pillars. Don't give up.
2. Iman—The 6 Articles of Faith
- Belief in Allah
- His angels
- His books
- His messengers
- The Last Day
- The Divine Decree (Qadr)
[Quran,2:285,"The Messenger ˹firmly˺ believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They ˹all˺ believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. ˹They proclaim,˺ 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers.' And they say, 'We hear and obey. ˹We seek˺ Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You ˹alone˺ is the final return.'"]
We must believe in the unseen, and live every day like we'll meet Allah.
Even being in prison or hardship is within Allah's decree—and it can be a mercy.
Even this moment is an opportunity:
- To pray without distractions
- To reflect and improve
- To do da'wah to others around you
- To build before you return to society—or return to Allah
What matters is being ready to meet Allah—wherever we are.
Part Two: Ihsan and Preparing for the Hour
3. Ihsan—Excellence
[Hadith,Muslim,"To worship Allah as if you see Him—and if you don't see Him, know that He sees you."]
This is not just fear—it's presence, love, and sincerity.
[Hadith,Abu Dawud & Ahmad,"A person may pray, and only 1/10, 1/9, or 1/8 of it is recorded... depending on their focus."]
Ihsan means to:
- Speak beautifully—knowing Allah hears
- Act kindly—knowing Allah sees
- Give in secret—knowing Allah will reward
- Forgive—knowing Allah forgives
[Quran,2:195,"And spend in the cause of Allah and do not let your own hands throw you into destruction ˹by withholding˺. And do good, for Allah certainly loves the good-doers."]
[Quote,Aisha (ra),,"She would perfume her coins before giving charity: 'Because it goes to Allah before the beggar.'"]
Even small deeds—done with ihsan—are heavy on the scale.
4. The Hour—and its Signs
[Hadith,Muslim,"'Tell me of the Hour.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'The one asked knows no more than the questioner.' 'Then tell me of its signs...'"]
The Prophet ﷺ mentioned two major signs:
- Social reversal—slave-girl gives birth to her mistress
- Meaning: children rule over parents, families are broken
[Hadith,Ahmad,"People will treat their mothers like slaves."]
- Materialism and pride—barefoot shepherds build tall buildings
- Gulf states, modern cities, race for tallest towers
The Prophet ﷺ predicted this—it's happening now.
But he didn't teach us to obsess over when.
He taught us to prepare.
[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"A man asked, 'When is the Hour?' The Prophet ﷺ replied: 'What have you prepared for it?' The man said: 'Love for Allah and His Messenger.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'You will be with those whom you love.'"]
That's our goal.
[Quote,Imam al-Qurtubi,At-Tadhkirah,"Death is the minor Qiyamah. And every person's Qiyamah begins when they die."]
[Quran,18:110,"Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ 'I am only a man like you, ˹but˺ it has been revealed to me that your God is only One God. So whoever hopes for the meeting with their Lord, let them do good deeds and associate none in the worship of their Lord.'"]
We ask Allah to make us firm upon His straight path, to guide us and not let us go astray, to have mercy on us and forgive us.
Whatever good was said in this khutbah is from Allah alone, and whatever mistakes or errors are from myself and from Shaytan. I ask Allah to forgive me and you for any shortcomings.
I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and you all. Seek His forgiveness—indeed, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Arabic,أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ. ]