al-Qaaseeaa: Warning about Satan, caution against vanity and other vices, his precedence in Islam

Known as “al-Khuṭbah al-Qāṣi‘ah” (Sermon of Disparagement). It comprises disparagement of Satan [Iblīs] for his vanity and his refusing to prostrate before Adam [a.s.], and his being the first to display bigotry and to…

Praise be to Allāh who wears the apparel of Honour and Dignity and has chosen them for Himself instead of for His creation. He has made them inaccessible and unlawful for others. He has selected them for His own great…

[Allāh’s trial and the vanity of Iblīs :] and He has hurled a curse on him who contests with Him concerning them. Then He put His angels on trial concerning these attributes in order to distinguish those who are modest…

His vanity stood in his way. Consequently, he felt proud over Adam by virtue of his creation and boasted over him on account of his origin. Thus, this enemy of Allāh is the leader of those who boast, and the fore-runner…

[Allāh’s trial of His creatures :] If Allāh had wanted to create Adam from a light whose glare would have dazzled the eyes, whose handsomeness would have amazed the wits and whose fragrance would have caught the breath,…

You should take a lesson from what Allāh did with Satan; namely He nullified his great acts and extensive efforts on account of the vanity of one moment, although Satan had worshipped Allāh for six thousand years -…

[Warning against Satan :] Therefore, you should fear lest the enemy of Allāh (Satan) infects you with his disease, or ‘leads you astray through his call, or marches on you with his horsemen and footmen’, (ref. 17:64)…

Although he (Satan) had said so only by guessing about the unknown future and by wrong conjecturing, yet the sons of vanity, the brothers of haughtiness and the horsemen of pride and intolerance proved him to be true, so…

Then they pushed you into the hollows of disgrace, threw you into the whirlpools of slaughter, and trampled you, wounding you by striking your eyes with spears, cutting your throats, tearing your nostrils, breaking your…

You should therefore spend all your force against him, and all your efforts against him, because, by Allāh, he boasted over your (i.e., Adam’s) origin, questioned your position and spoke lightly of your lineage. He…

You should therefore put out the fires of haughtiness and the flames of intolerance that are hidden in your hearts. This vanity can exist in a Muslim only by the machinations of Satan, his haughtiness, mischief and…

[Caution against vanity and boasting about ignorance :] Beware! you strove hard in revolting and created mischief on the earth in open opposition to Allāh and in challenging the believers over fighting. (You should fear)…

[Caution against obeying haughty leaders and elders :] Beware! Beware of obeying your leaders and elders who felt proud of their achievements and boasted about their lineage. They hurled the (liability for) things on…

They are the foundation of vice and the linings of disobedience. Satan has made them carriers of misguidance and the soldiers with whom he attacks men. They are interpreters through whom he speaks in order to steal away…

[Taking lessons from the past peoples :] Take instruction from how Allāh’s wrath, violence, chastisement and punishment fell upon the arrogant nations before you. Take admonition from the resting places of their cheeks…

Certainly, if Allāh were to allow anyone to indulge in pride He would have allowed it to his selected prophets and vicegerents. But Allāh, the Sublime, disliked vanity for them and liked humbleness for them. Therefore,…

Therefore, do not regard wealth and progeny the criterion for Allāh’s pleasure and displeasure, as you are not aware of the chances of mischief and trials during richness and power as Allāh, the Glorified, the Sublime,…

[The humility of the Prophets (peace be on them) :] When Mūsā son of ‘Imrān went to Pharaoh along with his brother Hārūn (Aaron) wearing (coarse) shirts of wool and holding sticks in their hands, they guaranteed him…

When Allāh, the Glorified, deputed His prophets, if He had wished to open for them treasures and mines of gold and (surround them with) planted gardens and to collect around them birds of the skies and beasts of the…

If the prophets possessed authority that could not be assaulted, or honour that could not be damaged or domain towards which the necks of people would turn and the saddles of mounts could be set, it would have been very…

[The Holy Ka‘bah :] Do you not see that Allāh, the Glorified, has tried all the people among those who came before, beginning with Adam, upto the last ones in this world with stones which yield neither benefit nor harm,…

Then He commanded Adam and his sons to turn their attention towards it. In this way it became the centre of their journey in seeking pastures and the rendezvous for meeting of their carrier-beasts, so that human spirits…

If Allāh, the Glorified, had placed His sacred House and His great signs among plantations, streams, soft and level plains, plenty of trees, an abundance of fruits, a thick population, close habitats, golden wheat, lush…

If the foundation on which the House is borne and the stones with which it has been raised had been of green emerald and red rubies, and there had been brightness and effulgence, then this would have lessened the action…

(Fear) Allāh! Allāh! from the immediate consequence of rebellion (to accrue in this world), and the eventual consequence of weighty oppressiveness (to accrue in the next world), and from the evil result of vanity,…

Look what there is in these acts by way of curbing the appearance of pride and suppressing the traces of vanity. I cast my glance and noticed that no one in the world, except you, feels vanity for anything without a…

In the same way the rich among the prosperous communities have been feeling vanity because of their riches, as (Allāh) said: And said they: “We are more (than you) in wealth and in children, and we shall not be…

In case you cannot avoid vanity, your vanity should be for good qualities, praiseworthy acts, and admirable matters with which the dignified and noble chiefs of the Arab families distinguished themselves, such as…

You should also fear what calamities befell peoples before you on account of their evil deeds and detestable actions. Remember, during good or bad circumstances, what happened to them, and be cautious that you do not…

Think about the condition of people from among the believers who passed before you. What distresses and trials they were in! Were they not the most over-burdened among all the people and in the most straitened…

Look, how they were when their groups were united, their views were unanimous, their hearts were moderate, their hands used to help one another, their swords were intended for assisting one another, their eyes were sharp…

[Learning lessons from the past nations :] You should take a lesson from the fate of the progeny of Ismael, the children of Isaac and the children of Israel. How similar are their affairs and how akin are their examples.…

[The blessing of the Messenger of Allāh, peace be on him :] Now, look at the various favours of Allāh upon them, that He deputed towards them a prophet who got them to pledge their obedience to him and made them unite at…

[Condemning the disobedient ones :] Beware! You have shaken your hands loose from the rope of obedience, and broken the divine fort around you by (resorting to) pre-Islamic rules. Certainly, it is a great blessing of…

You should know that you have again reverted to the position of the Bedouin Arabs after migration (to Islam), and have become different parties after having been once united. You do not possess anything of Islam except…

Certainly, there are examples before you of Allāh’s wrath, punishment, days of tribulations and happenings. Therefore, do not disregard His promises, ignoring His punishment, making light His wrath and not expecting His…

Beware! You have broken the bonds of Islam, transgressed its limits, and destroyed its commands. Beware! Surely Allāh has commanded me to fight those who revolt, or who break the pledge, or create trouble on the earth.…

Even in my boyhood I had lowered the chest of (the famous men) of Arabia, and broken the horn points (i.e., defeated the chiefs) of the tribes of Rabī‘ah and Muḍar. Certainly, you know my position of close kinship and…

From the time of his weaning, Allāh had put a mighty angel with him to take him along the path of high character and good behaviour through day and night, while I used to follow him like a young camel following in the…

When the revelation descended on the Prophet of Allāh - peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants - I heard the moan of Satan. I said, “O Prophet of Allāh, what is this moan?” and he replied, “This is…

I was with him when a party of the Quraysh came to him and said to him, “O Muḥammad, you have made a big claim which none of your fore-fathers or those of your family have made. We ask you one thing; if you give us an…

The Messenger of Allāh said: “What do you ask for?” They said: “Ask this tree to move for us, even with its roots, and stop before you.” The Prophet said, “Verily, Allāh has power over everything. If Allāh does it for…

By Him who deputed the Prophet with truth, the tree did remove itself with its root and came with a great humming sound and a flapping like the flapping of the wings of birds, till it stopped before the Messenger of…

When the people saw this they said by way of pride and vanity. “Now you order half of it to come to you and the other half of it remain (in its place).” The Holy Prophet ordered the tree to do the same. Then half of the…

Then I said, “There is no god but Allāh! O Prophet of Allāh, I am the first to believe in you and to acknowledge that the tree did what it did just now with the command of Allāh, the Sublime, in testimony to your…

Certainly, I belong to the group of people who care not for the reproach of anybody in matters concerning Allāh. Their countenance is the countenance of the truthful and their speech is the speech of the virtuous. They…