FRIDAY KHUTBA OF TOKYO CAMII “HALAL EARNING AND SWEAT OF THE BROW”

“HALAL EARNING AND SWEAT OF THE BROW”

Honorable Muslims!
In the verse I have recited, our Lord Almighty (swt) states, “Eat of the good, lawful things provided to you by Allah. And be mindful of Allah in Whom you believe.”¹
In the hadith I have read, our Prophet ﷺ says, “The truthful, trustworthy merchant is with the Prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs.”²

Dear Believers!
Our Lord (swt), Who is “al-Razzaq”, has bestowed countless blessings upon His servants. He (swt) commands that their servants seek halal and clean sustenance, and stay away from what is haram. He (swt) advises that their servants strive for earning through halal ways, thus having their brow sweated while making an honest living. As a matter of fact, He (swt) states in the Holy Qur’an, “Seek provision from Allah alone, worship Him, and be grateful to Him. To Him you will all be returned.”³

Dear Muslims!
Halal earning is about recognizing that a blessing obtained through fair and honest effort and work is “the best provision”. It is about weighing with justice, not giving short measure, and being honest in words and behaviors. Halal earning is about being diligent in one’s work, and giving the worker their wage before their sweat dries. It is about observing and respecting human rights and public rights, thus striving for increasing barakah in their earnings and life.

Halal earning is about not losing in spiritual terms while growing in material and financial terms. It is about not becoming a captive of their ambitions and greed and making sure that they have not violated the rights of anybody. Halal earning is about staying away from lying, cheating, and deceiving, and viewing a haram morsel as a flame burning the stomach.

Dear Muslims!
As in every aspect of our life, we should base our business and trade on truth and honesty as well. Let us properly protect the boundaries of halal-haram set out by Allah (swt). Let us earn through halal ways, produce halal, and spend halal. Let us not prefer the temporary worldly possessions over the happiness in the Hereafter.

I would like to conclude this Friday’s khutbah with our Prophet’s ﷺ following warning: “The feet of the son of Adam shall not move from before his Lord on the Day of Judgement, until he is asked about his wealth, how he earned it, and how he spent it.”⁴

[1] Ma’idah, 5/88.
[2] Tirmidhi, Buyu’, 4.
[3] Ankabut, 29/17.
[4] Tirmidhi, Sifat al-Qiyamah, 1.

FRIDAY KHUTBA OF TOKYO CAMII “HALAL EARNING AND SWEAT OF THE BROW” (PDF)