17 Dhul Hijjah 1446 AH Excerpts from the Friday Sermon at Masjid An Nabawi, Madinah By Sheikh Ali Al Hudaify *The Greatest Glad Tidings for Humanity* The greatest glad tidings for all of creation is that the relationship between the Lord of the Worlds and His creation is one of mercy. His general mercy encompasses both the righteous and the sinful in this world, but in the Hereafter, it is exclusive to the believers, for they acted upon good deeds and avoided prohibitions. Mercy is a true attribute of Allah Almighty, unique to Him. Its reality is known only to Him, and understanding its nature is exclusive to His perfect knowledge. True guidance lies in following the path of the righteous predecessors, and misguidance is in the innovations of those who came after. Life becomes pleasant with mercy. The weak, the poor, and the oppressed live under the shelter of the strong, the wealthy, and those capable of justice — all through mercy. When mercy is lost, people lose the joy of life and are subjected to its harshness and sufferings. They fall into evil in proportion to the mercy they have forsaken. Our Lord, Exalted is He, begins every surah with “In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” to give glad tidings that all of His legislation is rooted in mercy and perfection — that His commands are filled with mercy, goodness, and elevation through righteous deeds, and that His prohibitions are mercy that protect from evil and destruction. He sent the Master of the Messengers, our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as a mercy to all of mankind. Indeed, mercy has descended upon you from your Lord — in the form of blessings, goodness, and righteous deeds. None knows the extent of its outcomes except the Lord of the heavens and the earth. People remain in goodness so long as they uphold the rituals and symbols of the religion. Now, after the months of Hajj, the days have become pure for you through acts of obedience, and you have returned with the blessings and forgiveness of your Lord, each with what Allah has allotted for them. So preserve your righteous deeds, and do not nullify your good deeds with sin.