“All praise is to Allah. We praise him, we seek His help, His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and of our actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him. Whomsoever Allah leads astray, none can guide him.
I testify there is no God but Allah alone, without any partners, and that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is His servant and messenger.”
Welcome to the Friday Khutbah! Based on sermons delivered by our esteemed instructors! We hope you find it beneficial!
After the death of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said to Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه, “Let us go visit Um Ayman, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to visit her.”
Um Ayman رضي الله عنها, whose name was Baraka, was the blessed nurse of the Prophet ﷺ. He loved her dearly and would regularly visit her. When Abu Bakr and Umar came to see her, she began to cry.
They asked her, “Why are you crying? What is with Allah is better for His Messenger ﷺ.”
She replied, “I know that what is with Allah is better, but I am weeping because the revelation has stopped. There will be no more Quran being revealed, no more revelation.”
And so she cried, and they cried with her.
Consider this: Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه at that time was the khalifa of the Muslims, the busiest man in the world. Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه was his right-hand man. Yet they recognized the immense value and virtue of spending time with this elderly woman.
The Importance of Connection in an Isolated World
As our society becomes increasingly isolated and individuals grow more disconnected, it is crucial that we constantly remind each other of the importance of visiting one another. What creates community, what builds family, what fosters the love that Allah loves so much is connection and visitation.
These acts of connection are among the most important elements in constructing a healthy social fabric.
Allah’s Love for Those Who Visit Each Other
Allah ﷻ says in a Hadith Qudsi, as reported by the Prophet ﷺ:
وَجَبَتْ مَحَبَّتِي لِلْمُتَحَابِّينَ فِيَّ، وَالْمُتَزَاوِرِينَ فِيَّ
“My love has been prescribed for those who love each other for My sake, and My love has been written for those who visit each other for My sake.”
(Reported by Imam Malik in al-Muwatta)
When someone travels to any part of the city or beyond it with no intention other than visiting their brother or sister for the sake of Allah, it is something that earns Allah’s love.
The Angel on the Road
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ narrated a profound story in a hadith reported by Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
A man set out to visit a brother of his in another town. Allah sent an angel to wait for him on the road. When the man approached, the angel asked, “Where are you going?”
He replied, “I am going to visit a brother of mine in this town.”
The angel asked, “Do you have some favor that you want to secure from him or repay to him?”
He said, “No, except that I love him for the sake of Allah.”
The angel then said, “I am a messenger from Allah to you, informing you that Allah loves you as you have loved your brother for His sake.”
(Reported by Muslim)
This hadith demonstrates the tremendous reward of undertaking a journey purely to visit someone for Allah’s sake.
Responding to Invitations
Just as Allah loves when we come to the masjid, He also loves when we go to the houses of our brothers and sisters. The Prophet ﷺ said:
حَقُّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ خَمْسٌ
“The rights of a Muslim upon another Muslim are five.”
(Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Among these five rights is ijabat al-da’wah, responding to their invitation. While many scholars say this specifically refers to wedding invitations (da’wat al-walimah), the statement is general and encompasses all invitations.
The Prophet ﷺ exemplified this beautifully. It is reported that if he was invited to eat the shoulder of a lamb (considered the most succulent meal) or the foot (the most humble meal), he would respond. Whether invited to a five-star meal or the simplest gathering, the Prophet ﷺ would accept his companions’ invitations.
Throughout the sirah, we see the Prophet ﷺ repeatedly visiting his companions and responding to their invitations.
The Unique Value of Home Visits
A person might ask: “Do I need to host people in my house? I see my friends all the time at restaurants and cafes.”
While meeting at restaurants is good, there is a level of vulnerability that comes with hosting someone in your home and a level of generosity unique to home hospitality.
As one person once observed, “When I meet my friend at a cafe, I’m able to leave them at that cafe.” This is one reason we host less frequently in our homes. Most people today host less than their parents’ generation did.
Guests can certainly present challenges. They might overstay their welcome, venture into areas of the house better left private, or witness family dynamics we’d prefer to keep hidden. This is precisely why Islam places such emphasis on the etiquettes of being a guest.
However, when we visit someone at their house, we gain access to a level of connection and understanding otherwise impossible to achieve. There are layers of their life we can access that ten years of meeting at the masjid or restaurants would never reveal.
When visiting someone’s home, we can meet their family members, gain insight into their challenges, and develop a much deeper understanding of who they are as a person.
The Etiquettes of Being a Guest
Because guests can present difficulties for hosts, Islam established comprehensive etiquettes:
- Sit exactly where the host directs you to sit
- Be attentive to not overstaying your welcome
- Be as light a presence as possible
- Don’t look around the house without the host’s permission
- Recognize and respect the vulnerability of the host
The Right to Decline Visitors
Some people avoid extending invitations because they fear being overburdened by guests. Others hesitate to visit for fear of inconveniencing someone.
Islam provides a beautiful solution to this dilemma. Allah ﷻ says in Surah al-Nur:
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارْجِعُوا فَارْجِعُوا ۖ هُوَ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ
“And when it is said to you, ‘Go back,’ then go back; that is purer for you.”
(Surah al-Nur, 24:28)
This verse teaches that if someone calls and says, “I’m in the neighborhood, are you available?” and the response is, “I’m sorry, I’m really busy right now,” there should be no offense taken. Allah says this response is pure for both parties.
The beautiful balance Islam creates happens when both sides fulfill their responsibilities: one makes themselves available to visit, while the other feels comfortable honestly saying when it’s not a good time.
Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه used to visit people hoping they would tell him it wasn’t the right time, because Allah says, هُوَ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ (“It is purer for you”).
Instead of teaching our children to lie and say “Tell them I’m not home,” we should normalize honest communication. When everyone does what they’re supposed to do, the beautiful balance Islam created naturally emerges.
Why Invitations Sometimes Stop
When asked why we don’t gather as much as we used to, some say, “I’m not invited. I don’t get invited to things.”
Consider this: when your brother or sister invites you and you decline the first time, the second time, and the third time saying “I’m busy,” what will they naturally do? They’ll stop inviting you.
Constant rejections may create a lack of opportunity. This is why we should be aware of and respectful toward invitations when they come. We should communicate our appreciation and, if unable to accept, try our best to fulfill the invitation at another time.
Who Deserves Our Visits Most?
Obviously, family members have rights over us, as do those we love for the sake of Allah. But the Prophet ﷺ placed tremendous reward in visiting the sick and elderly.
When noticing that certain acts of worship have become absent in society, one should resolve to perform those acts. Visiting the elderly and the sick, thinking about those who haven’t been seen at the masjid for weeks, this person who’s always at Jumu’ah but was absent this week—these are the people who deserve our attention.
One regular attendee of the masjid shared that when he was absent from one Jumu’ah, several brothers called to check on him. He said, “It made me so happy.”
Bringing Happiness to a Muslim
Visiting one another brings happiness. It is a cause of joy and connection.
The companions often asked the Prophet ﷺ:
أَيُّ الْأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ؟
“What action is most beloved to Allah?”
On one occasion, he simply replied:
سُرُورٌ تُدْخِلُهُ عَلَى مُسْلِمٍ
“Happiness that you bring to a Muslim.”
(Reported by al-Tabarani)
Let us recognize the virtue of this blessed action. When visiting others, it shouldn’t be merely because someone is cool, enjoyable to be around, or because we need something from them. Rather, let us make the intention that we are visiting this person for the sake of Allah. That is something Allah ﷻ loves.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنَّا عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
This article is based on a khutbah by Shaykh Ammar AlShukry. You can watch the original sermon here.
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