Ibn Asakir narrated that Musa ibn Uqbah related that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq used to deliver the khutbah saying,
“Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the creatures, I praise Him and seek His aid, and We ask Him for generosity for that which is after death, because my term and yours have drawn near. And I witness that there is no god but Allah alone, no partner with Him and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger whom He sent with the Truth, as a bringer of good news and a Warner and an illuminating lamp so that he might warn whoever is alive and that the word would be realised on the disbelievers. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger is truly guided, and whoever disobeys them has gone astray into clear error.
I counsel you to have fearful obedience of Allah, and to cling strongly to the command of Allah which He has laid down for you and by which He has guided you, because the comprehensive summation of the guidance of Islam after the word of sincerity (the shahadah) is ‘hearing and obedience’ to whomever Allah has given authority over your affairs, for whoever obeys Allah and those who order the well-recognised virtues and forbid what is rejected, has succeeded and prospered, and discharged that duty with which he is obliged.
Beware of following the whim of passion, for he is successful and prospers who is protected from the whim of passion, greed, ambition, and anger. Beware of boasting, for what boast can he have who is created from dust, and then will later return to dust, then later maggots will eat him, and he is today alive and tomorrow dead? So know a day by a day (the Last Day) and an hour by an hour (the Hour of the end). Protect yourselves from the supplication of the wronged one, and count yourselves among the dead, and be patient, for all action is by patience, and be on your guard, for watchfulness is useful. And act, and action will be accepted. Guard yourselves from that which Allah cautioned you about of His torment, and hasten to that which Allah promised you of His mercy. Understand and you will be understood, have fearful obedience (taqwa\ literally – self-protecting) and you will be guarded, for Allah has made clear to you that for which He destroyed those who were before you, and that for which He saved whomever He saved before you. He has made clear to you in His book His halal and His haram, and which actions He loves and which He deplores. I will not neglect you and myself, and Allah is the One from Whom aid is sought. And there is no power (to prevent evil) and strength (to do right) but by Allah.
Know that as long as you are sincere towards your Lord in your actions then you have obeyed your Lord and you have protected and guarded your portion, and you will be in a state of well being. And that which you offer voluntarily for your deen, then make it a free-will offering (which you send) before you and you will receive full payment for your loan, and you will be given your permanent daily allowance of food during your poverty and in your (time of) need of it.
Then reflect, slaves of Allah, on your brethren and your companions who have passed away. They have come to that which they sent before them and they are established upon that, and they are alone in the grief and the happiness in that which is after death. Allah has no partner, and there is no relationship between Him and any one of His creatures by which He will give him good or avert evil, excepting by obedience to Him and following His command.
Truly, there is no good in a good after which comes the Fire, nor any evil in an evil after which comes the Garden. I say this word of mine and I seek the forgiveness of Allah, for me and for you. Send blessings on your Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and peace be on him, the mercy of Allah and His blessings.”
[al-Khulafa’ ar-Rashidun, by As-Suyuti, page 108-110]
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