Commentary on Khutbah Al-Hajah, by Shaykh Muhammaad ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah)

Bismillaah Al-Hamdulillaah wa salatu wa salaamu 'ala rasulullaah
Amma-ba'd

Commentary on Khutbah Al-Hajah, by Shaykh Muhammaad ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee (hafidhahullaah)

Notes from a Commentary on Khutbah Al-Hajah – Part 1

Talk by: Shaykh Dr. Muḥammad b. Hādī b. ʿAlī Al-Madkhalī
Date: 25 Rabīʿ Al-Awwal, 1435
Location: Masjid Badr Al-ʿUtaybī, Al-Madīnah
Notes by: Abū ʿAbdillāh Owais Al-Hāshimī
Link to Audio (Arabic): http://ar.miraath.net/audio/7477

This great sermon contains great meanings, so tonight, the lesson is about this [sermon]. We will ponder it. How often speakers repeat it, but how rarely do we see it being implemented by them!
“...Verily the best speech is the Book of Allāh...”
This proves a very important aspect of belief and creed: Allāh’s attribute of kalām. “Ḥadīth” is like kalām (both refer to the speech of Allāh). In this part of the sermon, the Prophet explained that the Qurān is the speech of Allāh, most Sublime and High. It is not as the Jahmīyah sect – in all its iterations – claimed. The first Jahmīyah are the followers of Jahm. The Muʿtazilah are their children, and the Ashʿarīs and the Māturīdīs are their grandchildren. All of them are misguided with respect to the issue of kalām.
The Qur`ān tells us “Allāh sent down the best ḥadīth”. This is the Qur`ān. This proves that it was sent down, not created. Thus, the Qurān is the speech of Allāh which Allāh really spoke, which Jibrīl heard from Him, and thereafter brought down to our Prophet Muḥammad – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him.
This is what the people upon guidance and truth believe about the kalām of Allāh. Whoever claims that the kalām of Allāh is created is a kāfir (disbeliever), because he has disbelieved tens of proofs in the Book of Allāh and Sunnah of His Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him, one of which is this evidence (in the khuṭbah)
Anyone who says something else about the kalām of Allāh is labelled a Jahmī by the Salaf.
Everyone is required to accept and believe this creed about the Qurān. We must believe that it is “the speech of Allāh and His revelation, sent down by Him, not created. From Him it came and to Him it will return.”
“From Him it came” means it came from Him when He spoke it, and “to Him it will return” refers to the last days, shortly before the Final Hour. The Qur`ān will be lifted, deleted from all people’s hearts and from their writings, none of it will remain on Earth. After that, only the worst of people will remain on Earth, and it is upon them that the Final Hour will fall. Allāh will have already taken the souls of the believers.
This is the first matter included in this magnificent khuṭbah. __________________________________________________ _______

Notes from a Commentary on Khutbah Al-Hajah – Part 2

The best guidance is the guidance of Muḥammad – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him. And the worst affairs are those introduced...
This means we are encouraged to strictly follow (ittibāʿ) the Sunnah
It makes the intelligent person keen and concerned to make his way and behaviour follow that of the Prophet – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him
"Guidance" here refers to the Prophet’s Sunnah
His Sunnah covers his entire life. It is defined as what is attributed to the Prophet – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – of sayings, actions, approvals or qualities.
Also included in the Sunnah is what the Prophet intended to do, but was not able to. Meaning, he died before he could do it – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him, e.g. fasting the ninth of Muḥarram (the day before ʿĀshūrā) to be different from the Jews. If a person fasts the tenth and the eleventh, this is fine, it is from his Sunnah because he told us to. It is even better to fast the ninth (along with the tenth), because the Prophet – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – wanted to, but Allāh taʿālā chose to bring him to Himself and he joined the loftiest company (died) before the next year. Whoever fasts the tenth and eleventh has complied with the Prophet’s command, and has achieved the goal of differing from the Jews. But whoever fasts the ninth and tenth achieves that and more: by doing what the Prophet wanted and loved to do – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him.
The Sunnah must be held in high esteem
Whoever leaves it goes to the other side of good: the evil of following desires and bidʿah, the "worst of affairs."
All Muslims, human and jinn, are required to adhere to the Sunnah
The Sunnah explains the Qur`ān, which is the source of our strength and honour.
And thus did We reveal to you an inspired book by Our command. You did not know what the Book was, nor (what) the faith (was), but We made it a light, guiding thereby whom We please of Our servants; and most surely you show the way to the right path... Meaning of Qur`ān 42:52

10. It is therefore upon all Muslims to follow this Prophet who came with this Book, and not to turn away from his Sunnah. The Prophet – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – said about such people, All of my Ummah will enter Paradise, except those who refuse. When asked who refuses, he replied, Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, but whoever disobeys me has refused.

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Notes from a Commentary on Khutbah Al-Hajah – Part 3

As previously mentioned, the Sunnah explains the Qur`ān:

And we have revealed unto you the Reminder that you may clarify to people what has been sent down to them. Meaning of Qur`ān 16:44. The reminder mentioned in this verse is the Sunnah, which explains the Qur`ān, which is what was sent down to us.

Thus, whoever takes on the Sunnah is saved, but whoever leaves it is destroyed.
The Sunnah explains and clarifies what is (unspecified) in the Qur`ān. Example: the command to uphold the prayer in the Qur`ān is (general) and the Sunnah has explained exactly how it is done, as in the ḥadīth: Pray as you see me pray.
‘The one who prayed incorrectly’ – radiallaahu 'anhu – once entered the masjid and prayed while the Prophet – sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam – was sitting with his Companions, watching him pray. When he had prayed, he came and greeted the Prophet. The Prophet – sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam – returned his greetings and told him Go back and repeat the prayer for you have not prayed [properly]. He went and prayed the second time just as he had the first time. He returned and greeted the Prophet a second time and the Prophet replied to his greeting – sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. He told him again Go back and pray, for you have not prayed [properly]. This was the second time. The man went and prayed, and when he came back for the third time, after having greeted the Prophet again and after the Prophet – sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam – replied to his greeting, [he told him to go back and pray], he said, I swear by the One Who sent you with the truth, I do not know any other way to pray [this is the best I know]. So please teach me. It is because of this that the scholars called the way he prayed isāʾah (done badly), because he said it was the best he could do, but the Prophet did not accept it, so even though he had done the best he could do, it was not in fact the proper required way of praying, that is why he is known as “the one who prayed badly / incorrectly.” The Prophet – sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam – then explained to him in detail how to pray, thus explaining what Allāh commanded in the Qur`ān: aqīmū aṣ-ṣalāh (establish and uphold the prayer).
Likewise, the Qur`ān tells us to pay Zakāh, but are the amounts payable on different types of livestock and crops mentioned in the Qurān? No, only the command to pay zakāh is found. The Sunnah of the Prophet – sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam – explained the amounts and limits.
Similarly, Ḥajj, the Qur`ān tells us It is the people’s duty to Allāh to go to the House (Kaʿbah), whoever can…. The Qur`ān does not include more than this in the way of details. Is there another verse in the Qur`ān that explains this further? No. the Prophet – sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam – explained this; in the same way he did for prayer when he said Pray as you see me pray, he said about Ḥajj: Take your rites of pilgrimage from me.
Thus, the Sunnah explains the Qur`ān, clarifies what is general (mujmal), qualifies what is unrestricted (muṭlaq) and specifies what is general (ʿām) in the Book.
But the Sunnah also contains separate rulings, not mentioned in the Qur`ān. It is incumbent on us to take these rulings and commandments as well...
Source: http://owaisalhashimi.info/
http://www.sayingsofthesalaf.net/