Whoever does good, it is to their own benefit The first speech

Whoever does good, it is to their own benefit

The first speech

Praise be to Allah, the Forgiving, the Most Appreciative, the munificent, He sent down the Revelation as guidance and mercy for the servants, whoever Allah leads astray, no one can guide him, I bear witness that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner.

His is the dominion and His is the praise and He is Able to do all things.

and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, the last of His prophets and the pre-eminent of the His righteous people.

To proceed: I advise you and myself to fear Allah, because the last revealed verse reminds us the meeting with Allah. (And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be wronged [i.e., treated unjustly]) [Al-Baqrah 281].

Slaves of the Most Merciful:

Al-Tirmizi narrated that 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had slaughtered a sheep and distributed major portions of its meat. Then he (ﷺ) asked, "Is there anything left?" She replied, "Nothing, except the shoulder." Thereupon he said, "All of it is left except its shoulder." (Graded Sahih by Albani).

Allah is great… As if our Prophet peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, wanted to draw attention to the virtue of charity that will continue till the day of judgment, so its reward will remain for you: (Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has is lasting). [Al-Nahl 96]. Whatever you eat in this world, does it not be rot and perish.

The servants of the Most Merciful: the one who looks at the words of the Truth glory be to Him, will find the repetition of the reminder that your worship will only benefit you just as your disobedience will harm you only.

He, the Mighty and Sublime said: (Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned) [Al-Baqrah 286].

He, glory be to Him, said: (There has come to you enlightenment from your Lord. So whoever will see does so for [the benefit of] his soul, and whoever is blind [does harm] against it) [Al-Anaam 104].

He, may be glorified and exalted, said: (Indeed, We sent down to you the Book for the people in truth. So whoever is guided - it is for [the benefit of] his soul; and whoever goes astray only goes astray to its detriment) [Al-Zumar 41].

He, glory be to Him, said: (Whoever does righteousness - it is for his [own] soul; and whoever does evil [does so] against it. And your Lord is not ever unjust to [His] servants) [Fussilat 46].

He, the Mighty and Sublime said: (And whoever purifies himself only purifies himself for [the benefit of] his soul. And to Allah is the [final] destination) [Fatir 18].

He, glory be to Him, said: (And whoever is grateful - his gratitude is only for [the benefit of] himself.) [Al-Naml 40].

He, may be glorified and exalted, said: (And whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself. Indeed, Allah is Free from need of the worlds.) [Al-Ankabut 6].

Glory be to the One (who feeds and is not fed) Glory be to You O, my lord, You are the Free of need, while we are the needy, You are the All-Powerful while we are the weak, You are the Most Forgiving and Merciful while we are the sinners and ignorants...

In the Qudsi Hadith: “O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My dominion in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My dominion in anything.” (Transmitted by Muslim).

Servant of the most Merciful:

How much I and you are needy to perceive this fact, which has been clarified and repeated by the Truth, Glory be to Him, that the servant is the one who benefits himself from righteous deeds! Knowing this truly, makes the believer feel the necessity of guidance and seeking its causes.

That feeling sharpens the believer's determination to do good deeds, and remember that you are the beneficiary, as He pours in your heart pleasure and joy with obedience! Rather, the believer remembers Allah’s favour upon him and his grace when He helped him and eased for him the doors of reward.

It has been said to Hasan Basari: How much you make yourself tired! He replied: I seek its relief.!

Allah is Great, What a best preaching it is: (So whoever will see does so for [the benefit of] his soul) [Al-Anaam 104].

(Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul.) [Al-Zumar 41].

(Whoever does righteousness - it is for his [own] soul) [Fussilat 46].

(And whoever purifies himself only purifies himself for [the benefit of] his soul) [Fatir 18].

(And whoever is grateful - his gratitude is only for [the benefit of] himself) [Al-Naml 40].

(And whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself.) [Al-Ankaboot 6].

May Allah bless me and you with His book and Sunanh of the prophet PBUH, and the signs and wisdom that they contain.

Seek your Lord’s forgiveness, ˹for˺ He is truly Most Forgiving.

The second speech

Praise be to Allah who said: “If you do good, you do good for yourselves” peace and blessing of Allah be upon His selected prophet, his family members, his companions, and upon the one who has followed their path.

To proceed:

Slaves of the Most Merciful:

The virtue of the pure deeds of worship such as prayer and fasting, is not secret (to us), but perhaps we need to be reminded about the other kinds of worship which belong to the creation. These deeds have virtues that create an interest in other reward that the servant obtains.

Slave of Allah: If someone cuts your ties of kinship you, then you maintain it, because maintaining the bonds of kinship is one of the reasons for your abundant provision and long life. The word of Rahman (the Most Merciful) for kinship, is enough for you: “Are you not content that I cut off the one who cuts you off”.

You are the first beneficiary.

When you cover (the sin of) a Muslim, you are the first beneficiary, “Whoever covers (the sin of) a Muslim, Allah will cover him (his sin) in this world and in the Hereafter.”

When you spend on a poor, then your benefits are more than his benefits: (And whatever good you [believers] spend is for yourselves) [Al-Baqrah 272] because his benefits will be only in this world, but will get its benefit in both lives, i.e., in this world and in hereafter.

If you remove an iron from the road or a glass or other things that harm people, then you are the first beneficiary! Have the Prophet -peace and blessing of Allah- not told us about the one who entered Paradise because of the root of a thorn that he removed from the road?

When you supplicate for your brother in his absence, you are the first beneficiary: “Whenever a Muslim supplicates for his (Muslim) brother in his absence, the angels say: ‘May the same be for you too”. (Narrated by Muslim).

If you forgive the person who has oppressed you, then your reward is on Allah, what do you think about the reward from the Most Generous? you are the beneficiary of relief of heart in this world, and of great reward in hereafter.

If you try to fulfil the need of your brother, you are the first beneficiary, “And whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfil his needs”. (Transmitted by Bukhari).

Whoever comforts the person (a debtor) in his difficulty or waives of some his loan, he is the first beneficiary: “Whoever is easy with (a debtor) who is in difficulty, Allah will be easy with him in this world and in the Hereafter.” In another Hadith: “He who grants a respite to one who is in straitened circumstances or remits his debt will be taken by God under His protection.” (Transmitted by Muslim).

When someone offends you, and you respond ˹to evil˺ with what is best, then you have great luck, and if you relieve a Muslim of hardship, you are the first beneficiary: “If anyone relieves a Muslim believer from one of the hardships of this worldly life, Allah will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection”. (Transmitted by Muslim).

Then, invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worthy greetings of peace...