Friday Khutba Of Tokyo Camii “Muslims Should Possess Taqwa”
Dear Muslims!
In the verse I have recited, Allah the Almighty states, “O children of Adam! We have provided for you clothing to cover your nakedness and as an adornment. However, the best clothing is righteousness. This is one of Allah’s bounties. So perhaps you will be mindful.”1
In the hadith I have read, our Prophet (saw) says: “Humanity has learned a saying expressed by all the early prophets: If you don’t feel ashamed, do whatever you like.”2
Dear Believers!
Taqwa is the reverent avoidance of Allah’s displeasure. It means to incline towards goodness, and to avoid the evil. It is to protect oneself from all kinds of sins and forbidden acts. It means living with the awareness that our Lord (swt) sees and watches over us at all times, and knows everything we do. It is to live a lifetime without forgetting death, resurrection, the Day of Judgment, heaven, and hell.
Dear Muslims!
When taqwa takes root in our hearts, our souls become the center of goodness. Taqwa purifies us from negative feelings such as hypocrisy, arrogance, pride, and ostentation. When taqwa is manifested in our speech, our words become truthful and beautiful. It keeps us away from disasters like gossip, lies, and slander.
When taqwa is manifested in our clothing, we preserve the dignity of our bodies. Indeed, every person, whether male or female, has bodily privacy. Our exalted religion, Islam, commands us to cover the parts of our bodies that need to be covered, and prohibits us from exposing them to others, in order to protect this privacy from harm. For women, the parts of the body that must be covered in the presence of unrelated men and when going outside their homes are the entire body except the face, hands, and feet. For men, the body parts that should be covered are from the navel to the knee. Wearing tight or revealing clothing that exposes the features of the body violates the dignity of the body entrusted to us by Allah (swt). It should be remembered that covering the required body parts is first and foremost a commandment from Allah, not merely a personal choice. It is the adornment of a believer; it is a dispositional necessity. In one of his hadiths, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, is forbearing, modest and concealing, and He loves modesty and concealment.”3
Dear Believers!
Let us strive to imbue every moment and aspect of our lives with the consciousness of taqwa. We should not forget that what will enrich our world and make our Hereafter a paradise is our faith, righteous deeds, good morals, and sense of responsibility.
I would like to conclude this Friday’s khutbah with the following invocation from our Prophet (saw): “O Allah! I beg of You the right guidance, taqwa, chastity, and richness of heart.”4
[1] A’raf, 7/26.
[2] Bukhari, Adab, 78.
[3] Nasa’i, Ghusl, 7.
[4] Muslim, Dhikr, 72.
