Friday Khutba of Tokyo Camii “Let us Look upon the Past with Reflection and toward the Future with Foresight”

Honorable Muslims!
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) is the messenger of mercy sent to all of humanity. From that Blessed Prophet (saw), we have learned to adopt virtues such as respect, love, and kindness as our guiding principles, and to cleanse ourselves of negative emotions and thoughts such as hatred, enmity, and envy. He showed us how to honor human dignity, to refrain from attacking what others hold sacred, to avoid stirring discord and corruption in society, to bring joy to the faces of orphans and the oppressed, and to grant women and children the worth they truly deserve.

Dear Muslims!
What befits us today is to hold fast to the Sunnah of our Prophet (saw) and to love him above all people and all things. We must recognize that showing him reverence and honor is both a command from our Lord and a requirement of our faith. It is to remain wholeheartedly devoted to the verse: وَلَاتَفَرَّقُواۖ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللّٰهِ جَم۪يعاً “Hold firmly together to the rope of Allah and do not be divided.” It is to refrain from every word, attitude, and action that would harm our unity and solidarity. It is to remain vigilant against all malicious forces, both internal and external, that attack our faith, our values, and all that we hold sacred.

Honorable Believers!
Alas, today Muslims are still beset by oppressors and enemies of Islam and humanity, who continue their tyranny in many lands, foremost among them Gaza, precisely because we have failed to act with the consciousness of brotherhood and as a unified ummah.
In such times, what befits us is to look upon the past with reflection and toward the future with foresight; to hold fast to the life-giving principles of Islam; to stand united against the vile attacks on the Qur’an and our Prophet (saw). It is to strengthen our bonds of brotherhood, taking to heart the hadith: “Do not sever ties with one another, do not turn your backs on one another, do not harbor hatred or envy. O servants of Allah, be brothers.”² It is to obey the divine command: وَاَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ “Prepare against them what you ˹believers˺ can of ˹military˺ power…”³ by striving to be strong in every field, material and spiritual alike, foremost in knowledge, science, and technology.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
I would like to conclude this Friday’s khutbah with Verse 46 of Surah al-Anfal: “Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not dispute with one another, or you would be discouraged and weakened. Persevere! Surely Allah is with those who persevere.”⁴

[1] Ali ‘Imran, 3/103.
[2] Tirmidhi, Birr wa Sila, 24.
[3] Anfal, 8/60.
[4] Anfal, 8/46.

Friday Khutba of Tokyo Camii “Let us Look upon the Past with Reflection and toward the Future with Foresight”