Friday Sermon at Masjid al-Haram: Sheikh Ibn Humaid on Time, Humility, and Welcoming the New Hijri Year
The sermon and prayer for the Friday prayer in the Grand Mosque today was delivered by His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid.
The Imam of Masjidul Haram advised Muslims to fear God Almighty, warning them against being deceived by hopes and wishes, and that every living being is about to depart and move on, and that nothing remains for a person after his death except what he has done of good deeds.
God Almighty said: “So how will it be when We gather them together for a Day about which there is no doubt, and every soul will be fully recompensed for what it earned, and they will not be wronged?”
During his Friday sermon at the Grand Mosque, His Eminence explained that time passes quickly, and lives are passing little by little. When death comes, it is impossible to make up for what has passed. God Almighty said: “On the Day when every soul will find present what it has done of good and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that [evil] was a great distance.” This reflection can evoke feelings of accountability and hope for divine mercy, encouraging the audience to act righteously.
He pointed out that Muslims are welcoming a new Hijri year, calling for seizing this occasion to review oneself, renew repentance and turning to God, and asking Him, the Exalted, to bless lives, deeds, sustenance, and offspring, and to open for His servants the doors of mercy and acceptance, noting that the deserts of this world are traversed by feet.
However, the deserts of the Hereafter are traversed by hearts, and the most beloved of hearts to God is the heart that has been overcome by humility before its Lord and submission to its Master. God Almighty said: “Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord [like one who does not]?”
Sheikh Humaid emphasized that humility before God is one of the greatest stations of servitude. That true humility is realized when a servant reflects upon his weakness, poverty, helplessness, need, inadequacy, and shortcomings, and then raises all of this to God Almighty. He added that the degree of a servant’s success, sustenance, wealth, and happiness is directly
proportional to his humility before his Lord.
He further stated, “The essence of humility lies in the servant’s knowledge and unwavering certainty that he cannot do without his Lord for even a moment, and that God Almighty is the Sufficient, the Supporter, and the Helper. A servant has no power, strength, or ability except by God’s permission, will, power, facilitation, and assistance.” He added that the one who is truly humbly dependent upon God should constantly supplicate and beseech Him, asking Him not to abandon him to his own devices for even a moment.
His Eminence explained that the more a servant humbles himself before his Lord and the more dependent he is upon Him, the closer he is to Him, the more honored he is by Him, and the more beloved he is to Him. Emphasizing humility and reliance on God can inspire feelings of spiritual closeness and love, motivating the audience to deepen their devotion and trust in Him.
Sheikh Saleh Humaid emphasized that fear of God motivates diligence, earnestness, and eagerness for obedience. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “He who fears travels by night, and he who travels by night reaches his destination.” He further stated that one of the comprehensive principles in this regard is that “if one’s need for God is genuine, then one’s sufficiency in Him is genuine, and if one’s sufficiency in Him is genuine, then one’s need for Him is genuine.”
He concluded that supplication, seeking help, reliance, mindfulness, humility, desire, repentance, fear, love, constant remembrance of God, seeking forgiveness, fearing God in secret and in public, and venerating His commands and prohibitions are among the greatest means of elevating a servant to the station of neediness before God.
Sheikh Humaid stressed that neediness for God is a cause of wealth, mercy, grace, and support, and that true happiness and great success are achieved by perfect humility to God Almighty and neediness for Him, and that the servant has two positions before his Lord: a position before Him in prayer, and a position before Him on the day he meets Him, and that whoever fulfills the first position will find the second position easy, and that the servant alternates between the rulings of commands and the rulings of calamities, and according to how much he fulfills the commands, God’s kindness to him will be when calamities occur, and that the correctness of neediness for God purifies worship, cuts off worries from the heart, and makes its owner find the pleasure of obedience and the sweetness of closeness to God.
His Eminence said: “The captivity of the heart is greater than the captivity of the body, and the enslavement of the heart is more severe than the enslavement of the body. The most misguided and lost of people are those whose hearts are attached to other than God. God Almighty said: {Have you seen the one who takes his desire as his God?} And the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Wretched is the slave of the dinar, wretched is the slave of the dirham.”
He explained that the greatest losses are the loss of the heart and the loss of time. The loss of the heart is achieved by preferring this world over the Hereafter, and the loss of time is achieved by having long hopes. Corruption is achieved by following desires and having long hopes, while righteousness is achieved by following guidance and preparing to meet God. Not being in need of God leads to arrogance.
The obstacles that stand between the servant and his Lord are three: polytheism, innovation, and disobedience. Polytheism is removed by monotheism, innovation is removed by adhering to the Sunnah, and disobedience is removed by sincere repentance.
The Imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque called upon Muslims to welcome the new Hijri year with repentance and good deeds, emphasizing that days are the appointed times for life and deeds, and that a believer’s work does not end until his appointed time arrives. He quoted the verse: {And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (of death)} (Quran 15:99), and stressed that every hour of life has an opportunity for obedience to God, and that the servant draws near to his Lord with hope and fear.
He urged Muslims to fast on the Day of Ashura, citing the hadith narrated by Anas (may God be pleased with him) that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Fasting on the Day of Ashura, I hope from God, will expiate the sins of the previous year.” He also mentioned the hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with them both), attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Differ from the Jews by fasting a day before or a day after it,” and referring to the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) statement: “If I live until next year, I will fast the ninth along with the tenth.”
