Khutbah on Laziness

Delivered on Friday 17th June 2005

Talib Fehlhaber

First Khutbah:

‫ﻥ‬
 ‫ـ‬‫ﻭﻤ‬ ‫ﻪ‬ ‫ﻀلﱠ ﹶﻟ‬
ِ ‫ﻤ‬ ‫ﻪ ﻓﹶﻼ‬ ‫ﻬ ِﺩ ِﻩ ﺍﻟﱠﻠ‬ ‫ﻴ‬ ‫ﻥ‬
 ‫ﻤ‬ ‫ﺎِﻟﻨﹶﺎ ﹶﻓ‬‫ﻋﻤ‬ ‫ﺕ َﺃ‬
ِ ‫ﻴﺌَﺎ‬ ‫ﺴ‬  ‫ﻭ‬ ‫ﺴﻨﹶﺎ‬
ِ ‫ﻭ ِﺭ َﺃ ﹾﻨ ﹸﻔ‬‫ﺸﺭ‬ ‫ﻥ ﹸ‬  ‫ﻭ ﹸﺫ ﺒِﺎﻟﱠﻠ ِﻪ ِﻤ‬‫ﻭ ﹶﻨﻌ‬ ‫ﻩ‬ ‫ﺭ‬ ‫ﺴ ﹶﺘ ﹾﻐ ِﻔ‬
 ‫ﻭ ﹶﻨ‬ ‫ﻪ‬ ‫ﺴ ﹶﺘﻌِﻴ ﹸﻨ‬
 ‫ﺩ ِﻟﱠﻠ ِﻪ ﹶﻨ‬ ‫ﻤ‬ ‫ﺤ‬
 ‫ﻥ ﺍ ﹾﻟ‬
‫ِﺇ ﱠ‬
‫ﻪ‬ ‫ﻭﻟﹸ‬‫ﺭﺴ‬ ‫ﻭ‬ ‫ﻩ‬ ‫ﺩ‬ ‫ﺒ‬ ‫ﻋ‬
 ‫ﺍ‬‫ﺤ ﱠﻤﺩ‬
 ‫ﻤ‬ ‫ﻥ‬ ‫ﺩ َﺃ ﱠ‬ ‫ﺸﻬ‬
‫َﺃ ﹾ‬‫ﻪ ﻭ‬ ‫ ﺇِﻻ ﺍﻟﱠﻠ‬‫ﻥ ﻻ ﺇِﹶﻟﻪ‬  ‫ﺩ َﺃ‬ ‫ﺸﻬ‬ ‫َﺃ ﹾ‬‫ﻪ ﻭ‬ ‫ﻱ ﹶﻟ‬  ‫ﺎ ِﺩ‬‫ل ﹶﻓﻼ ﻫ‬ ْ ‫ﻀِﻠ‬ ‫ﻴ‬

All praise is due to Allah. We laud Him, we beseech help from Him and ask His protection;
we confide in Him, we trust Him alone and we seek protection against the evils and
mischief of our souls and from the bad results of our deeds. Whomsoever He guides on
the right path, none can misguide him; and whosoever He declares misled, none can
guide him onto the right path. And we bear witness that none deserves to be worshipped
except Allah. He is alone and has no partner. We bear witness that Muhammad is His
servant and Messenger.

O servants of Allah! May Allah be merciful to you. Verily, Allah commands you to act with
justice, to confer benefits upon each other and to do good to others as one does to one 's
kindred and forbids evil which pertain to your own selves and evils which affect others and
prohibits revolts against a lawful authority.

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ), an incident
happened in which a man slept the entire night and he missed the Fajr prayer. Despite the
fact that this is a very common occurrence in our present day, at that time such things
rarely happened.

He missed Fajr, and so they came and spoke to the Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) about this…

‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood, (radiyAllaahu ‘anhu) narrates: A man came and said to the
Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ), “Oh Messenger of Allaah, verily a person slept
last night until the morning, until the dawn came and he missed Fajr.” The Prophet (sal
Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ) replied “This is a person whom the devil has urinated in his
ears.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters, try going to any books of hadeeth. In each and every one you
will find a chapter entitled, ‘Baab al-Isti’aadhah Minal Kasl.’ Translated, this chapter is
called ‘Chapter of Seeking Allaah’s Protection from Laziness.’

Kasl or laziness, also known as ‘procrastination’ is a disease. University Students know

what procrastination can do to their studies. It is a disease that afflicts the minds. After
the mind, it then afflicts the heart. Finally, through the heart, the body is afflicted.

Today, you will learn that laziness is a technique used by Satan, and today you will learn
the techniques you can use to combat it.

The Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ) frequently made the following supplication:
“Oh Allaah, I seek your protection from, ‘alajz’ – which means the inability to do
something.” And when someone says, “I can’t do that,” the Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa

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sallam ) would seek protection from such negative speech by adding: “and I seek your
protection (Oh Allaah) from ‘alkasl’- which is translated as laziness.”

At its core, this society is built on laziness. Consider that it is a society based on the idea
that we have to rest on Sundays. “Why do you have to rest on Sundays?” some may ask.
And society (may Allaah protect us from this) would answer that even Allaah got lazy on
Sunday. He did His work all week long, He built the heavens and the earth, and then on
Sunday He got tired and rested. So, may Allaah protect us, contemporary culture has us
resting and watching football games on Sundays.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) testifies to the lunacy of such an idea, implicitly stating,
“That there is no drowsiness and no sleep that comes to Him.” (2/255)

In addition, we live in a society that lives for “fast and easy”. You have the fast food joints,
even the microwave meals that take 5 minutes are considered tedious because you have
to take it out after a couple of minutes and stir it before it is finished cooking. Ever hear
the promises to have the perfect body in ten minutes for only three days a week?
Examples abound. And in its quest for fast and easy, society does not realize that the
root of its problems, indeed, the root of all major sins, lies in laziness.

Why would a person take alcohol and drugs? They are too lazy to change their situation.
Instead of actively striving for change, they take a drug to immediately change it. Why do
people practice black magic, a phenomenon that is, unfortunately, prevalent in many of our
parent’s societies? They do it because they are too lazy to go out and get married, or
they’re too lazy to influence people in ways that will accomplish their various goals. Why
do people partake in ‘Riba’ (mortgages) and deal with financial interest? They are too lazy
to get a proper job and work to pay for something honestly. Why do people gamble?
They addictively buy lottery tickets at ridiculous odds of winning in the hopes that their one
pound will instantly earn millions. Laziness is again the culprit. What about that job? Why
do people backbite? People backbite because they are too lazy to go and tell the person
the truth…And these, dear brothers and sisters, are all major sins.

Thus, like a poison, laziness corrupts all good things.

There are beautiful and amazing things that you want to do for yourself, or do for Allaah
(subhaahanu wa ta’aala). Your intention is good, but if you don’t have the energy, or you
suffer from the laziness plight, your desires will go nowhere, they will bear no fruit.

The causes of the disease called laziness are rooted in the heart.

Firstly, a lazy person doesn’t know and doesn’t understand his or her need to accumulate
good deeds. We understand the need to accumulate money, but we may not understand
why or how to accumulate good deeds. Very few people understand that this life is about
collecting deeds and preparing for the journey of the hereafter.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) advises, “to prepare your provisions (that pack your
suitcases) for the best provision, the best thing to pack your suitcases with is the Taqwa
(or Fear/Piety) of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). (2/197) And this is the commandment of
Allaah.”

Secondly, people are discouraged by the thought that others will consider them “holier
than thou.” Or perhaps the problem is that some people think too highly of themselves,

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glorifying themselves to such a high level that when they hear the commandments of
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) they reply by justifying their laziness with excuses like;
“My heart is clean,” or “Why do I have to do that,” or “I’m a good person.” Allaah
(subhaanahu wa ta’aala) states: “Do not claim piety to yourselves.” (53/32) If someone
says, “I’m good,” the response should be that “Allaah knows best who is true, who is
righteous.”

Indeed, those who suffer from laziness don’t understand the gold mine of opportunity
awaiting them. There are thousands of people around you waiting to hear the call of
Islam. You are living among sponges ready to listen to you say, “I am a Muslim.” And
they are going to ask, “How can I become one too?”

A brother I knew said it perfectly: “The UK has such enormous prospects. Imagine
teaching a new Muslim Soorah al-Faatihah, or how to pray. You will get the reward for this
most noble lesson each time the person recites this soorah. You can’t do that in Muslim
countries, although there are other different opportunities there, most people don’t
recognize them and this leads to laziness”

Know that this concerns you and if you start demonstrating the energy and zeal it takes to
worship Allaah to the best of your ability, then you will be the one to benefit.

This is your life. This is your soul. You are only going to live once on this earth, and you’ll
be travelling to the hereafter with a suitcase of good deeds.

Hopefully, you won’t be travelling light. The one who understands this early on, the one to
get on the bandwagon of the worship of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) early on,
accumulates everything.

Be a pioneer, bring Islam to everyone. “And so they come on the day of resurrection and
they see these mountains of good deeds that they never imagined they would have had…
and it will be said to them… this is because you weren’t lazy back in the day when other
people were lazy…” Recognize the opportunity, seize it, and kick start the worship of
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) by others.

But if you chose not to heed these words, to yawn, and to be lazy, you are turning your
back on the words of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). And the consequences will be
grave, for the sunnah of creation, indeed the law of nature, stipulates that that which does
not contribute will be destroyed. What do you do with weeds in your garden? You pull
them out, you get rid of them. What do you do when your nails get too long, when there is
no purpose to their length? You clip them off, discard them in the trash. And so it is, as a
community and as individuals in that community, if we are not contributing, and if we are
not energetically producing, we will be deemed useless and we will be eliminated.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) says: “In this way, He gives forth the parable of the truth
and falsehood and the vanity. Vanity is like the foam, the dirt on the ocean (there is not
benefit to it). But the things that do bring benefit (those devoid of laziness) will remain
steadfast in the land.” Even after you are gone, your good deeds will continue to benefit.
(13/17)

Do not make the mistake of thinking that Allaah pays attention to the lazy one’s worship.
The Prophet Muhammad (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Do those deeds that you
are able to perform, for verily, Allaah will not tire of your ‘Ibadah (worship) until you tire.”

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Ponder the phenomenon of those who make du’aa absentmindedly, not knowing what it is
that they are saying. They may even be yawning, confused, or focused on something else
entirely. Allah is not paying attention to that person just like they are not paying attention
to their du’aa. That is a du’aa that is not answered by Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). A
du’aa that is answered is the one where the person’s heart and energy are invested in it.
Allaah will listen. If you can consistently take your du’aa to that level, you’ll see dramatic
changes in your life.

When I was younger, there was an imam from overseas who came to lead the taraweeh
prayers in Ramadhan. We would have to pick him up at Fajr time and drive him to the
masjid. One early morning, I was feeling particularly tired and lazy. My parents had an
especially hard time waking me up. Yet, when we arrived at the Imam’s house, I noticed
that the neighbors were in the midst of an all-night party. It was 5 am and their lights were
blaring, their music was booming, and the party-goers were still drinking their alcohol.
They’d spent the entire night awake in “Qiyaamul layl,” but not to Allaah (subhaanahu wa
ta’aala). Their worship was for the devil.

I remember thinking to myself that this disbeliever has the stamina and energy to waste
the night away, how can the servant of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) not have the
energy and ability to worship Him? After all, they, too, are humans like us. ‘Umar ibn al-
Khattaab (radiyAllaahu ‘anhu) is quoted as saying, “I seek Allaah’s protection from the time
when the ‘fasiq’ or disobedient will have much energy and enthusiasm and the righteous
will be lazy.” The fasiq will open up bars everywhere and run his houses of immorality with
vigour. And the righteous will do little to nothing in the sake of Allaah. When this happens,
there is an imbalance on earth, and corruption will be widespread and prevalent.

Brothers and sisters, let me tell you about the blessedness of having energy and
enthusiasm in worshipping Allaah will do for you.

Number 1: The extra energy will win you the pleasure of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala).

Musa (‘alayhis salaam) was told to come to the mountain for 40 days. And come he did,
not walking slowly, not ten minutes late, but running. In explaining his arrival, Musa said, “I
came hastily to you, oh Allaah, so that you will be pleased with me.” (20/84) And indeed,
his words were so pleasing to his creator that Allah recorded them in the Quran for all
eternity.

When you hear a name of a prophet’s companion, you say, “May Allaah be pleased with
him.” Well, this is how you get that same distinction for yourself. Be hasty in your desire
and actions that lead to goodness.

Number 2: Having energy is the characteristic of the believer. Being lazy is the
characteristic of the hypocrite.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) says the ‘munaafiq,’ or hypocrite is he who has disbelief in
his heart, while outwardly claiming belief. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) describes them
in the following verse: “If they get up for the ‘salaah’ (prayer), they get up with laziness.”
(4/142)

“Give me ten more minutes…give me ten more minutes… oh! I missed fajr…oh no. I’ll
pray after fajr… Give me ten more minutes. Give me ten more minutes…”

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A characteristic of hypocrisy; when they reach for that snooze button and get up lazily for
prayer, they’re experiencing a state of ‘nifaq’ or hypocrisy. May Allaah protect us.

May He also protect us from using excuses to not follow through with our deeds.

A Canadian may say it’s too cold. An African will say it’s too hot. Both are making
excuses for not doing good actions. It was summer in the desert during the time of the
Battle of Tabuk, and a walking distance of what is today a seven hour car trip from
Madinah to Tabuk. The Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ) was rallying his troops for
an exhaustive trek that, back then, would have taken months.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) says, “they (the hypocrites) encouraged people not to go
with the Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ) by saying ‘do not go out in the heat’.”
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) response was to tell them, “that the fire of hell is much
hotter; if only they understood.” (9/81)

Ibn al-Jawzee, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said “I have never seen a flaw sadder to
me than a community whose people stop working, despite having the ability to continue.”

WA AQULU QAULI HADHA WAS-TAGHRFIRULLAH LI WA LAKUM MIN KULLI DHAMB

FASTAGHRFIRUUHU. ID’U RABBAKUM WASJIB LAKUM.

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Second Khutbah

All praise is due to Allaah. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his
household and companions.

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah and hold fast unto your faith. Love and fear of Allaah is the
best provision to achieve Allaah’s pleasure.

Brothers and sisters in Faith,

The ramifications of laziness can be very harmful. Some of you may have come across a
person who displays a genuine interest in Islam. That person may be about to take the
shahada when shaytan gets to him and her. An excuse the devil uses is, “You have to
comprehend the Qur’aan first.” Hence the would-be Muslim is convinced that they do love
Islam, but perhaps further study is required. And so it is that he or she delays coming
back to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala), and as time passes they may no longer possess
the same enthusiasm.

Similarly, Muslims seeking to make repentance to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) might

give themselves time by saying, “let me wait till I pay off my mortgage, or pay off my
student loans… let me wait till I do this , let me wait till I do that, then I will repent to
Allaah.” But it doesn’t work like that because as time passes and sins grow, the heart
consistently gets weaker and weaker. A time will come when the person knows it’s the
last chance, but the heart may have already been sealed shut.

And as the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ) said, “Race to good deeds
before a time and a fitnah comes, (a test) that will sweep over you like the darkest of the
darkest nights.”

Are not the trials apparent all around us?

Look to the Islamic educational scene. Scholars we may or may not know are being
singled out by the dozens. Religious knowledge is being taken from us. If you have the
chance to attend a halaqah, or an Islamic class, you have to race to it NOW! It may be
that you won’t have another chance.

Fitnah will come to you, and you must survive it with whatever knowledge you hold. It may
be that the knowledge you possess will suffice to protect you, and it may be that it will not
be enough to avail you. The consequences thereof would be disastrous, and may
eventually lead to hellfire. May Allah protect us.

Picture this analogy: In Australia they have sharks that prey near the coastline. To warn
bathing humans of impending danger, they have a certain whistle that rings when a shark
is sighted. Now imagine if you’re feeling sluggish or you’re playing a game trying to see
how long you can hold your breath under the water. You don’t hear the warning sound,
and then you raise your head out of the water, and notice that nobody is in it except you.
Everyone has made it to shore, they are yelling for you to hurry, but you are ten minutes
from the beach. How would you make it? Would you make it? Only Allaah knows for
sure, but that’s exactly what laziness does to you. It not only renders you unprepared, but
also helpless as to the actions you must take in order to survive.

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But today is a new day, and by the grace of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala), you and I can
learn to let go of that laziness. We will work with renewed energy, striving to return to the
worship of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala).

Here are some techniques to use.

Number 1: Yawning promotes laziness

Yawning is from the devil. And when it comes to us, we must fight it. Despite what your
medical classes are telling you about needing oxygen through yawning, it was your
Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ) who advised on covering the mouth and resisting
the yawn, by not letting out any noise. No “Ahhhsss!”

Number 2: Eating 1/3rd

The Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ) taught us to eat using the 1/3rd method.
You don’t need much to sustain yourself, a few bites will usually do, but if you are going to
eat a meal, then 1/3rd is the crucial number. One third should be the food, one third for
water, and one third for breathing.
Realize that one of the most cunning tricks of shaytan is urging people to fill their
stomachs beyond capacity. How many times have you eaten a huge meal only to feel like
taking a nap afterwards? And how many times has this nap dissuaded you from the
worship of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala)?

Number 3: Spend time with energetic people

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) says, “Be patient with those people who call upon their
lord…in the mornings and the evenings.”

When you see a person going for salah consistently, always in a state of worship and
remembrance of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala), you say to them, “Hey brother / hey
sister, how about we go out for lunch? I’d like to spend time with you.”

Feed from their energy. Alternatively, if lazy people surround you, distance yourself from
them, or give them da’wah, encouraging positive action. You want to pick the right people,
because we tend to emulate those whom we befriend.

Do as your prophet did and constantly seek refuge from Allaah from the laziness that
shaytan uses to defeat the Muslims. When you find yourself reaching for that snooze
button, a.k.a ‘the shaytan button’, remember the ploy against you and seek Allaah’s help to
resist. You will have the strength to wake for fajr. Ultimately, laziness is a state of mind.

In conclusion, the one concept that ties this all together is honesty. Being honest about
your laziness and sincerely striving to change is the first step in seeing results. The fact of
the matter is that when Allaah commands us to do something, it is not possible to have
excuses, and know that tasks put upon you are doable, for Allaah “does not place a
burden on a person more than they can bear.” (2/286) You can do it, others have done it
before you, and others continue to do it. Join the ranks of the energetic.

Ka’b ibn Malik, (radiyAllaahu ‘anhu), went to the Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam )
after the battle of Tabuk, and the hypocrites had been making excuses for their absence
from the fighting. Ka’b had not participated and he thought that he too might come up with

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some excuse in order to save himself, but he realized that he could not lie to the Prophet
of Allaah. He told the Prophet (sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ), “I have never had more
energy or ability than this time, but I just didn’t go.” And the prophet said, “he is the one
who is truthful.” And by the potency of his honesty and sincerity, the Qur’aan mentions
that Allaah had forgiven Ka’b.

How do you truthfully word the reasons for your laziness? If the Fajr prayer has passed
you by and the devil has urinated in your ears, do not place blame where blame is not
due. Don’t make excuses like, “I had a long night.” Instead, say, “the truth is that the
accumulation of my sins led me to miss fajr. But this is not who I am. I am the slave of
Allaah. Oh Allaah, tomorrow, with your permission, I will show you what I am going to do
for your sake” And so you make your repentance, you repeat your good intentions, and
you continue until you reach those higher levels of energy.

I ask Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) to bless you with that energy and I pray and hope
that you can make the same du’aa for me.

I ask Allah's forgiveness, Allah whom there is no God other than He, the Merciful the
Beneficent. I declare there is no companion for him, and that Muhammad is his servant
and messenger.

"Allahuma Salla 'Ala Muhammadin Wa 'Ala Ali Muhammadin, Kama Sallaita 'Ala Ibrahima
Wa 'Ala Ali Ibrahim, Allahuma Barik 'Ala Muhammadin Wa 'Ala Ali Muhammad, Kama
Barakta 'Ala Ibrahima Wa 'Ala Ali Ibrahim. Fil 'Alameena Inaka Hameedun Mujeed."

"O Allah! Greet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the family of Muhammad (peace be
upon him), as you greeted Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim."

"O Allah! Bless Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the family of Muhammad (peace be
upon him), as you blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim."

O Allah, send peace to Muhammad (our leader and our master, peace be upon him) as
numerously as those who pray and observe fasts.

O Allah, send peace on all the Prophets and the Messengers, and on all Companions and
Followers, and on all your pious servants.

O Allah, provide assistance to Islam and the Muslims.

O Allah, help those who help the ‘Deen’ of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and include
us also among them. And disgrace those who disgrace the ‘Deen’ of Muhammad (peace
be upon him) and do not make us among them.

O Allah, show us the Truth as Truth and help us follow it.

O Allah, help us see falsehood as falsehood and help us avoid it.

O Allah, give us in this world your blessing and in the hereafter your blessings and make
the punishment of Fire less upon us.

O Allah, enlighten our hearts with the light of Faith.

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O Allah, forgive living and deceased believing men and women.

"Glorified by your Lord, the Lord of Majesty, from that which they attribute (unto
Him). And peace be unto those sent (to warn). And praise be to Allah, Lord of the
Worlds!" (37:180-182)

"Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and giving to kith and kin, and He forbids all
indecent deeds, and evil and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition."
(16:90)

Aqeemu salaah!