Hadith 3 & 4 — The Five Pillars: Building Faith's Foundation

[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:

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; and whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and His final Messenger.

[Quran,3:102,"O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]."]

[Quran,4:1,"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer."]

[Quran,33:70-71,"O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment."]

Part One: The Foundation of Islam - The Five Pillars

Brothers,

Today's khutbah is based on the third and fourth hadiths of Imam Nawawi's 40 Hadith—the hadiths that teach us the foundation of our religion: the five pillars of Islam.

[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"Abdullah ibn Umar (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing Salat, paying zakat, making hajj to the House, and fasting Ramadan.'"]

This Hadith is not just a list—it is a blueprint for life. Each of the five pillars is a support for the structure of our faith. If even one pillar collapses, the whole structure is weakened. Let us go through them, one by one.

The First Pillar: Shahadah

The first is the Shahadah—the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger. This is the foundation, the key to Islam. But it is not just something you say. It is something you live by.

[Quran,47:19,"So, know ˹well, O Prophet,˺ that there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Allah. And seek forgiveness for your shortcomings and for ˹the sins of˺ the believing men and women. For Allah ˹fully˺ knows your movements and places of rest ˹O people˺."]

To say \"La ilaha illa Allah\" means we reject all false gods—money, fame, ego, leaders, even desires—and we submit to Allah alone. And to say \"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah\" means we follow his Sunnah in every aspect of our life—in how we pray, how we speak, how we deal with people, and how we raise our families.

[Hadith,Bukhari,"Whoever says 'La ilaha illa Allah' sincerely from his heart will enter Paradise."]

The Second Pillar: Salat

The second is Salat—the prayer. Our direct connection to Allah. The first action we will be questioned about on the Day of Judgment.

[Hadith,Muslim,"Between a man and shirk or kufr is the abandonment of the prayer."]

Salat is the rope that connects you to your Lord. If that rope is cut, the rest of your faith begins to unravel. That is why scholars like Imam Ahmad and others considered the one who abandons Salat, knowingly and continuously, to be outside of Islam.

[Quran,74:42-43,"˹And asking them,˺ 'What has landed you in Hell?' They will reply, 'We were not of those who prayed.'"]

No matter how far you feel, never abandon your prayer. It is your lifeline, your anchor, and your witness before Allah.

The Third Pillar: Zakat

The third pillar is Zakat—the obligatory charity. It is not a favor from the rich to the poor. It is a command from Allah and a right for the needy.

[Quran,70:24-25,"And in whose wealth there is a recognized right for the beggar and the poor."]

[Hadith,Bukhari,"Whoever is given wealth by Allah but does not give its Zakat, his wealth will be made into a bald-headed snake... wrapping around his neck saying: 'I am your wealth! I am your treasure!'"]

Zakat purifies our wealth, cleans our hearts of greed, and strengthens the bonds of our ummah. It is a pillar—not a choice. Neglecting it is a sin. Fulfilling it brings blessing in this life and reward in the next.

The Fourth Pillar: Hajj

The fourth pillar is Hajj—the pilgrimage to the House of Allah. It is a symbol of unity, humility, and devotion. Millions gather in one place, wearing the same clothes, doing the same acts, and crying out the same words:

Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk...

[Quran,22:27,"And proclaim the pilgrimage to humanity. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel from every distant path."]

[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"Whoever performs Hajj and avoids sin and argumentation will return like the day his mother gave birth to him."]

Even if we haven't gone, the lessons of Hajj should live within us: to be humble, to strive, to sacrifice, to unite, and to purify ourselves for Allah's sake.

The Fifth Pillar: Sawm

The fifth pillar is Sawm—fasting in Ramadan. This is the pillar that teaches us control, patience, taqwa.

[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"Fasting is a shield. So when one of you is fasting, let him not speak indecently nor act ignorantly."]

It is not just about hunger. It's about restraining our desires and elevating our souls. Ramadan is the training ground. The rest of the year is the battlefield.

[Hadith,Ibn Khuzaymah,"If my Ummah knew what Ramadan truly was, they would wish the whole year was Ramadan."]

Together, these five pillars form the foundation of our faith. But remember—a building with pillars and no roof is still incomplete. The five pillars are the base. Ihsan, character, sincerity, and consistency—they complete the structure.

Part Two: The Warning and the Hope

Brothers,

After describing the five pillars of Islam, the Prophet ﷺ reminded us that actions alone are not enough. That a person could live their whole life appearing righteous—but die in sin. Or live their life in sin—but die upon repentance.

[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (ra) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he is the truthful, the believed, told us: 'Verily the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother's womb... then the angel is sent and writes four matters: his sustenance, his lifespan, his actions, and whether he will be happy or miserable. And by Allah, one of you may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until he is only an arm's length away—then what was written overtakes him and he does the deeds of the people of Hell and enters it. And one of you may do the deeds of the people of Hell until he is only an arm's length away—then what was written overtakes him and he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it.'"]

This hadith teaches us two things: never be arrogant and never lose hope.

Don't think you're safe just because of your good past—and don't think you're doomed just because of your sins. The end is what matters.

[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"'None of you will enter Paradise by his deeds alone.' They asked, 'Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?' He replied, 'Not even me, unless Allah envelops me in His mercy.'"]

So let us renew our intentions today. Live the pillars—with heart, with humility, with sincerity.

One sincere prayer, one sincere tear, one sincere step toward Allah can change your entire ending.

O Allah, make the best of our deeds the last of them, and the best of our days the day we meet You.

O Allah, we ask You for sincerity in our words and actions, and firmness upon the truth until we meet You.

O Allah, give us a good ending. Let the last words we say be 'La ilaha illa Allah,' and raise us upon it on the day we meet You.

O Allah, accept our sincere repentance, forgive our sins—those we know and those we don't—and renew the light of faith in our hearts.

O Allah, make us from the people of Paradise, save us from the Fire, guide us to what You love and are pleased with, and be pleased with us, O Most Merciful.

Wa ākhiru da'wānā an al-hamdu lillāhi rabbi'l-'ālamīn

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. ]

Wa sallallāhu 'alā nabiyyinā Muhammadin wa 'alā ālihī wa sahbihī ajma'īn