Eid-ul-Adha Khutbah: Islamic approach to the nation’s contemporary challenges— Al-Habibiyyah Imam 

Being the Eid-ul-Adha Khutbah 10th Zul-Hijjah, 1443AH / 2022 from the Al-Habibiyyah Eid ground delivered by Sheikh Sulaiman Aliyu. 

THEME; *Islamic Approach to the Nation’s Contemporary Challenges-* “Lessons from the Eid” 

الحمد لله الذي فضل الحجاج وفضلنا فى هذا موسم الخير، الحمد لله الذى فضل الحجاج بالتلبية وفضلنا بالتكبير، الحمد لله الذى فضل الحجاج بوقوف عرفة وفضلنابصيام عرفة، فضلهم بالهدي وفضلنا بالاضحية، نحمده سبحانه وتعالى، لااله غيره، ولا نعبد الا إياه مخلصين له الدين ولو كره الكافرون. 

ثم الصلاة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء والمرسلين سيد الانام محمد (صلعم) القاءل في حديثه الشريف؛ “قفوا على مشاعركم فإنكم على إرث من ارث ابيكم إيراهيم” صلى الله تعالى عليه وعلى آله واصحابه وساءر النبيين وآل كل وساءر الصالحين وسلم تسليما كثيرا كثيرا. 

اما بعد، 

Praise be to Allah, Who Has in this festive period  honored the pilgrims at hajj and as well honored we at home, glorifications to Allah who honored the pilgrims with the “Talbiyah” (chanting their response supplication to Allah) and honored us at home with the “Takbir” (chanting the supplication of praises to Allah),  

adorations to Allah who honored the pilgrims with the station at Arafat and also honored we at home with the fasting of Arafat,  gratitudes to Allah the Almighty who honored the pilgrims in hajj with slaughtering of the sacrificial animal at Minna and as well giving us the opportunity to sacrifice our sacrificial animals here at home. 

We thank and glorify Him the Most High, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him and we worship none except Him, offering Him sincere and exclusive devotion even though the disbelievers detest that. 

May Allah’s benedictions be upon the best of Allah’s prophets and messengers, the leader and best of mankind Muhammad (saw) who said in one of his noble tradition that “O muslims stand firm by your rituals for you are on the path of your forefather Ibrahim (as)” i.e the Prophet who we commemorate with our Eid festivals today, may this benedictions of Allah extend to the Prophet’s family, his entire household, his brethren of prophets before him, his righteous companions and we the followers in abundance. 

O servants of Allah!  “for every nation, there is a festivity, behold! this is ours”, as said by our noble Prophet (saw) and recorded by Nasai as a sound Hadith. 

So unlike many other festivals that causes panic and fear, where women, children and the old are warned therein not to leave their homes, the Prophet (saw) emphasized the encouragement of everyone coming out freely including women (whether clean for salat or off salat), children and even the old especially for the morning Eid prayer which signifies that our festivity or Islam in general is a religion of peace. 

Our festivity does not in any way deprive the people around us their moral rights or freedom of movement. 

Allah the Most High says in  Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 208:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ

“O you who believe! Enter perfectly into Islam (by obeying all the rules and regulations of the Islamic religion) and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Verily! He is to you a plain enemy.” 

The Prophet (saw) also said in an authentic Hadith that;  “O muslims make things easy for people around you and don’t make things difficult, be good news where ever you are and not reasons for people to panic” 

Part of the lessons we learnt from the Eid-ul-Adha is that; just as Allah commanded the mother of Prophet Musa (as) to put her beloved son in the river and watch him drift away which she obliged, Prophet Ibrahim (as) who we commemorate with this Eid also obliged to the commandment of Allah by proceeding to slaughter his son,  these two great role models taught us an important lesson because it wasn’t their sons Allah asked them to give up, but it was their inordinate desires for anything dear to them in this world that may lead them to the disobedience of Allah. 

So when they put Allah’s command first over their precious bond, the Merciful God granted them relief and even returned that which they have given up Ma-sha-Allah! 

O brothers and sisters in Islam let us as well give up all inordinate desires for our greed and selfish purposes which is one of the major causes of the present predicament in our nation, let us sacrifice along with our sacrificial animals today our inordinate desires that has led us to nepotism, ethnicism, regionalism, tribalism, and every other negative -sm -sm which might blind us or cloud our right senses of reasoning from voting in competent and qualified leaders fit for offices in the coming election in-shaAllah. 

Abu Hurarah narrated that a bedouin Arab asked the Prophet (saw); “When is the hour of doom?” 

The Prophet (saw) answered; 

“When the trust is betrayed, expect the hour of doom” 

The Prophet (saw) was asked; 

“How will the trust be betrayed?” 

The Prophet (saw) said; 

“When office positions are given to those who are not entitled to it, expect the hour of doom!” 

Allah the Most High says in Surah An-Nisa, 135 :

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوَىٰ أَن تَعْدِلُوا وَإِن تَلْوُوا أَوْتُعْرِضُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do.” 

A major lesson from the lessons related to the issue of Eid for Leaders is;

The first thing ensured by Prophet Ibrahim (as) whom we commemorate with the Eid in the city of Makkah was “AMNUL ÃM” (the security of the city and the entire citizens of the city) when he said in 

Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 126:

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ…

“And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said, “My Lord, make this city (Makkah) a place of security and provide its people with fruits… ” 

Any nation that doesn’t ensure “amnul ãm” or “amnu dawlat” (state security) while only concerned with “amnu sa’ati dawlat” (the security of the presidency and those in power such as the governors, reps, and ministers alone) will certainly fail in the prevention of crime. 

It will interest leaders to know that once the general security of the masses is ensured, there’d almost be no need for the security of the leaders as the masses themselves will protect them. 

If a nation fails in the prevention of crime, it shouldn’t fail in its defence,  if it fails in its defence it shouldn’t fail in rescue, if it then fails in rescue, then it leads to a state of emergency which might eventually lead to a failed state, we seek Allah’s refuge against that. 

So let both the leaders and the masses take heed. 

Allah says in 

Surah Al-Araf, Verse 6:

فَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

Then verily We shall question *those* unto whom (Our message) hath been sent (in our case; the *masses* ) and verily We shall question the *messengers* (in our case; the *leaders* ).”

ايها الناس؛

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

O mankind; 

Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition.” 

(Surah An-Nahl, Verse 9). 

O Allah forgive us our sins and excesses, 

O Allah replace every difficulty in our nation with ease, 

O Allah bring all perpetrators of evil in our nation to book, 

O Allah appoint over us leaders who will fear you and have compasion on the masses, 

May Allah continue to support and strengthen our Chief Imam Sheikh Fuad A. Adeyemi and all other righteous Imam on the surface of the earth, starting from him and every other pilgrims at hajj, may Allah accept their Hajj as hajjan mabruran, wa sa’ayan mashkuran, wa zanban magfuran.