First Khutbah
All praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, we seek His help, and we ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves and from our bad deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can mislead; and whomever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ﴾
"O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims."
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا﴾
"O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of righteousness. He will amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment."
As for what follows: the most truthful speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ.
Servants of Allah, the blessings of Allah upon us cannot be counted. He says: ﴿وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا﴾ — "And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them." [Ibrahim: 34]
The blessing of Islam. The blessing of health. The blessing of safety. The blessing of family, children, and provision. Every one of these blessings is either preserved through gratitude, or lost through ingratitude and heedlessness.
Listen to the true promise of Allah: ﴿وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ﴾ — "And when your Lord proclaimed: If you are grateful, I will surely increase you; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe." [Ibrahim: 7]
Gratitude is the key to increase, and the reason blessings remain and grow. And gratitude, servants of Allah, is not merely a word on the tongue. It is three things together: recognition in the heart that the blessing is from Allah alone; praise on the tongue, thanking Allah for it; and action with the limbs, using the blessing in obedience to Allah and never in disobedience. Whoever is given wealth, his gratitude is to spend from it in good. Whoever is given knowledge, his gratitude is to teach it. Whoever is given health, his gratitude is to use it for worship.
Look at your Prophet ﷺ, the most grateful of people. He would stand in prayer at night until his feet became swollen. It was said to him: Allah has forgiven you your earlier and later sins — why do you burden yourself so? He said: "أَفَلَا أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا" — "Should I not be a grateful servant?" [Bukhari, Muslim, and an-Nasa'i]
If the one who was forgiven everything ﷺ stood until his feet swelled, out of gratitude — then what excuse do we have, we who fall short?
And he ﷺ warned us against wasting blessings through heedlessness: "نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ: الصِّحَّةُ وَالْفَرَاغُ" — "Two blessings that many people waste: health and free time." [Bukhari and Ibn Majah]
How many healthy people use their health only for distraction? How many people with free time waste their lives on what does not benefit them — until health departs and old age arrives, and then they regret, when regret is of no use.
So fear Allah, servants of Allah. Thank Him for His blessings and He will increase you. And beware of meeting His kindness with denial and turning away.
I say these words of mine, and I ask Allah's forgiveness for me and for you — so ask Him, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Khutbah
All praise belongs to Allah, abundant, pure, and blessed praise. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his companions. As for what follows:
Fear Allah, servants of Allah, and know that among the greatest aids to gratitude is supplication. The Prophet ﷺ took Mu'adh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, by the hand and said: "O Mu'adh, by Allah, I love you... Never leave, after every prayer, saying: اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ — O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You excellently." [Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i]
And among his own supplications ﷺ was: "اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي لَكَ شَاكِرًا، لَكَ ذَاكِرًا — O Allah, make me grateful to You, mindful of You, in awe of You, and obedient to You." [Abu Dawud]
So repeat this supplication after your prayers, and teach it to your children, and your hearts will be alive with gratitude and your lives blessed with increase.
O Allah, help us to remember You, thank You, and worship You excellently. O Allah, make us grateful to You, mindful of You, and patient at times of trial. O Allah, preserve Your blessings upon us, and lift from us and from the Muslims hardship, high prices, and trials, the seen and the unseen. O Allah, support our oppressed brothers and sisters everywhere, have mercy on our dead and the dead of the Muslims, and heal our sick and the sick of the Muslims.
Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings and peace upon him. O Allah, send Your peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾
"Indeed, Allah commands justice, excellence, and giving to near relatives; and He forbids indecency, wrongdoing, and transgression. He admonishes you, so that you may take heed."
And establish the prayer.