22/05/2026
(خطبةالجمعة) #70
for มัสยิดดารุ้ลอาบิดีน Masjid DarulArbideen - Trok Chan Chan Kampong Chan
Corresponding to Friday, 22 May 2026 / 4 Dhul Hijjah 1447H
Topic: “Ability (Istita’ah) and Readiness in Performing Acts of Worship”
الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِيْ جَعَلَ الزَّمَانَ مِيْدَانًا لِلطَّاعَةِ، وَفَضَّلَ بَعْضَ الشُّهُوْرِعَلَى بَعْضٍ بِحِكْمَةٍ بَالِغَةٍ، فَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا شَهْرَ َذِيْ الْحِجَّةِ شَهْرًا حَرَامًا، وَمُوْسِمًا لِزِيَادَةِ التَّقْوَى وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ، شَهَادَةً تُنْقِذُنَا مِنْ عَذَابِهِ وَتُبَلِّغُنَا رِضْوَانَهُ،
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ الَّذِيْ يَحُثُّ أُمَّتَهُ عَلَى الطَّاعَاتِ وَالْقُرُبَاتِ
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى أَلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَاةً وَسَلَامًا مُتَلَازِمَيْنِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّيْن
ِ. أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَيَاأَيُّهَا الْحَاضِرُوْنَ اِتَّقُوا اللهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوْتُنَّ اِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُوْنَ. قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى فِي الْقُرْاٰنِ الْعَظِيْمِ
O believers who have received the mercy of Allah,
May we all remain steadfast upon Taqwa towards Allah سبحانه وتعالى by obeying all of His commands and abstaining from everything that He has prohibited. Let us be grateful to Allah, who has granted us the opportunity to witness the month of Dhul Hijjah, one of the noble months that Allah has bestowed upon us. In this blessed and honoured month, may Allah grant us happiness, peace, prosperity, and salvation in this world and the Hereafter.
And I would like to remind all brothers and sisters attending the prayer to completely refrain from using mobile phones during the khutbah, in order to preserve proper manners and show respect towards listening to the khutbah.
The subject of this week’s khutbah is: “Ability (Istita’ah) and Readiness in Performing Acts of Worship.”
Honoured brothers and sisters,
Allah ﷻ has stated in Surah Al-Fajr, verses 1-2, regarding the virtue and blessings of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah:
﴿ وَالْفَجْرِ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ ﴾
“By the dawn, and by the ten blessed nights.”
Some scholars have explained that the “ten nights” mentioned in this verse refer to the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also said in one hadith:
“There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah ﷻ than these ten days (the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah). Therefore, increase in saying the tahlil ‘La ilaha illallah’, increase in saying the takbir ‘Allahu Akbar’, and increase in saying the tahmid ‘Alhamdulillah’ during this period.” [Narrated by Imam Ahmad]
Beloved believing brothers and sisters,
We have now entered the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, which are among the most virtuous days of the year in the sight of Allah ﷻ. Therefore, let us all hasten to increase our righteous deeds and good acts, while also encouraging our family members to seize this golden opportunity of mercy and blessings together.
Believing Muslim brothers and sisters,
What are the righteous deeds that we are encouraged to perform during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah?
Examples of good deeds include increasing charity (sadaqah), increasing remembrance of Allah ﷻ (dhikrullah), increasing various sunnah prayers, and another important act of worship that should not be missed is fasting on the Day of Arafah. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ spoke about its immense reward, saying:
“Fasting on the Day of Arafah expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year.” [Narrated by Imam Muslim]
Indeed, fasting on the Day of Arafah is a noble act of worship for which Allah ﷻ has promised forgiveness of sins for two years to those who fast. This also includes reciting takbir beginning from the Subh prayer of the 9th of Dhul Hijjah (Muqayyad), after the obligatory prayers, starting from Fajr on the Day of Arafah (9 Dhul Hijjah) until Asr on the final day of Tashriq (13 Dhul Hijjah).
On behalf of the Imam and the Islamic Committee of Masjid DarulArbideen, Trok Chan, we invite everyone to participate in fasting on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, which falls on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, and to attend the Eid al-Adha prayer on Thursday, 28 May 2026 at 9.00 a.m., followed by making du’a for our ancestors through ziyarah kubur at 1.00 p.m.
We ask for everyone’s cooperation in striving their utmost to fast on this blessed day, while also encouraging our family members to fast together and increase various acts of worship so that everyone may attain the immense rewards from these acts of worship together.
Beloved brothers and sisters,
During this period, many of us have had the opportunity to send off our brothers and sisters who are travelling to perform Hajj. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى grant blessings and barakah to us and to our beloved pilgrims, enabling them to perform Hajj with “Istita’ah” — readiness in strength, capability, and potential to fulfil the duties of Islam in the most complete and beautiful manner — while also granting acceptance for all their acts of worship and goodness. Ameen يا رب العالمين
“O Lord of all the worlds, please accept.”
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 286:
﴿لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا﴾
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”
Believing brothers and sisters,
This verse is often understood within the context of life’s trials, meaning that Allah will never test a human being with anything except what he is capable of enduring and bearing. This understanding focuses on spiritual growth and strengthening the heart.
At the same time, early mufassir scholars such as Imam Al-Qurtubi and Imam At-Tabari explained that this verse also refers to “the ability to perform the acts of worship that have been prescribed,” which is known as “Istita’ah” in matters of religious obligations.
Beloved brothers and sisters,
The concept of “Istita’ah,” or capability and readiness, has been established within every major principle of Islam after the two declarations of faith.
For example:
* A person who is unable to stand for prayer is permitted to pray while sitting.
* In fasting, a person who is ill, based upon the diagnosis of a trustworthy doctor, is granted concession not to fast.
* Zakat is only obligatory upon those whose wealth reaches the nisab and fulfils the conditions over a complete lunar year.
* As for Hajj, it only becomes obligatory when a person possesses readiness physically, mentally, financially, and fulfils all necessary conditions.
All of these examples demonstrate that the principles of Islam, or the Islamic Shari’ah, were not established to create hardship, but rather to open the path of worship so that mankind may worship according to their own capabilities.
And is this not a manifestation of the vast mercy of Allah سبحانه وتعالى?
Believing brothers and sisters,
Allah سبحانه وتعالى has reminded us of the limitations of human beings and His immense mercy, teaching us about the nature of Allah and mankind in Surah An-Nisa’, verse 28:
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُمْ ۚ وَخُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ ضَعِيفًا
“Allah intends to lighten your burdens, and mankind was created weak.”
Beloved brothers and sisters,
When we face difficulties in performing acts of worship due to the absence or loss of “Istita’ah” (capability and readiness), let us hold firmly to the following three reminders:
First: Istita’ah is part of the decree of Allah.
At every stage of life, human beings may lose physical strength, financial stability, or intellectual readiness at any moment. If we are tested with such circumstances, we should remain confident that the loss of Istita’ah is also part of Allah’s divine decree (Qadar).
A believer should never confront Allah’s decree with dissatisfaction, but instead respond with patience, gratitude for the abilities once possessed and those still remaining, while continuously supplicating sincerely to Allah.
Second: The absence of Istita’ah does not mean the loss of opportunities for goodness.
Being unable to perform certain acts of worship does not mean that we cannot draw closer to Allah. Likewise, possessing greater ability does not necessarily make a person closer to Allah than others.
For example, one who cannot perform qurban (the sacrificial slaughter during Eid) due to financial limitations does not mean that the doors of reward are completely closed to him. It may be that his patience, gratitude, and sincerity in other acts of worship are equally great and valuable in the sight of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
Third: The absence of Istita’ah does not mean the absence of Allah’s love.
Some people may feel that when comparing their abilities with others, they are less loved by Allah, or when they are unable to perform certain acts of worship — such as losing physical ability and therefore being unable to perform Hajj despite having waited for the opportunity for many years — they may mistakenly believe that this is a sign of diminished love from Allah — and we seek protection from such thoughts (والعياذ بالله).
In reality, such understanding is entirely mistaken.
In such situations, we should remain certain that only Allah knows the wisdom, reasons, and divine purposes behind all matters. It may be for the purification of the soul, a reminder from heedlessness that went unnoticed, or preparation of the spirit before even greater doors of mercy are opened.
And if we are unable to comprehend that wisdom, then we must remain assured that Allah knows best what is good for us.
Indeed, all of this, in reality, is a sign of Allah’s deep and beautiful love for His servants.
Believers who have received mercy,
On the occasion of the Hajj season, this khutbah reminds us that performing Hajj is obligatory only upon those who possess complete “Istita’ah” (capability and readiness) in terms of physical health, finances, mental readiness, and necessary arrangements.
Indeed, Hajj in its essence is “an invitation from Allah.” If that invitation has not yet reached us, then let us never despair of Allah’s mercy nor harbour negative thoughts about Him.
Let us remember the Hadith Qudsi:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ:
قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:
«أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا ذَكَرَنِي»
Narrated by Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that Allah Ta‘ala said:
“I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me.” Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim
Beloved brothers and sisters,
At the end of this khutbah, let us raise our hands in du’a to Allah, asking Him to continually grant us opportunities and Istita’ah so that we may perform acts of worship and righteous deeds to the fullest of our abilities.
At the same time, let us pray for the pilgrims in the sacred lands, that they may always remain under the protection of Allah, safe from all hardship and danger.
And finally, let us supplicate to Allah عز وجل to grant us “Ability (Istita’ah) and Readiness in Performing Acts of Worship” so that one day we may become guests of Allah in the sacred lands as well.
Ameen يا رب العالمين
والله مسؤول أن يهدِيَنَا جميعًا إلى سواءِ السبيل
Allah our Lord, is the One responsible for guiding us all to the straight path.
بَارَكَ اللهُ لِيْ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقُرْاٰنِ الْعَظِيْمِ وَنَفَعَنِي وَاِيَّاكُمْ بِمَا فِيْهِ مِنَ الْاٰيَاتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيْمِ وَتَقَبَّلَ مِنِّيْ وَمِنْكُمْ تِلَاوَتَهُ اِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ. وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ الْعَظِيْمَ لِيْ وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ فَيَا فَوْزَ الْمُسْتَغْفِرِيْنَ وَيَا نَجَاةَ التَّائِبِيْنَ
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