Alhamdulillah, Who is praised in different languages, The One Known for His bounty and His benevolence. He, praise be to Him, guides to the best of speech, and guides to a path worthy of praise.
And I bear witness that our teacher, our Prophet, our beloved and our intercessor, Muhammad, is His servant and Messenger; truthful in speech, generous in character and honourable in attitude, peace and blessings be upon him and his companions and his family.
Muslims! Have taqwa Allah in secret and in public, in what is said and in what is done, and this one today is a warning not to waste life in frivolity and falsehood, for we are not created in vain and we will be asked. There is no doubt that the way to a person's success and happiness in this world and in the hereafter is to purify oneself, to polish one's heart, and not to waste the precious moments of life on frivolities. The Muslim spends his time in doing good, and in all that will bring him happiness and success, in this life and in the hereafter.
Allah, may He be praised, has described the successful people as those who abstain from frivolity and keep away from falsehood. The mission of the servant is to worship Allah and to be his jalifa. Likewise, whoever does not occupy himself with the truth, will be occupied by falsehood. Allah Almighty says: "When they heard a vain word, they turned away from it".
If we stopped to correct every ignorant person, we would do nothing with our lives, because one speaks to us in a wrong way, and another mocks and ridicules, and that one whispers and speaks ill of others, and that one over there does not lower his gaze... So, do not worry about these kinds of people and turn away! just as Allah has commanded us. Says Allah, may He be exalted: "And turn away from the ignorant". And a poet said: "And if it comes to you as a test to stand before a person without righteousness, act as if you did not hear it, and as if nothing had been said. For you must look with the light of Allah and seek that which Allah has reserved for you. And the ignorant are by nature enemies of Din and of that which Allah, the Most High, has revealed, so do not concern yourselves with them, nor pay any heed to them. Allah Almighty says, describing the servants of the Rahman: "and when they pass by frivolity they do so with nobility". and this covers all kinds of falsehoods, whether they are sayings or deeds.
Believers, Allah, may He be praised, mentions abstaining from frivolity right between two obligations, two pillars of the din of Islam: prayer and zakat. He says: "The believers will have triumphed. Those who in their salat are present and humble themselves. Those who turn away from frivolity. Those who make the Zakat effective".
And among the worst frivolities are slander, gossip, obscenities, revealing the privacy of others, mocking others, listening to and watching forbidden things. The consequence of this is the corruption of the heart, turning away from obedience and denying the good.
Your servants! Many among us occupy our senses with vain words and deeds, such as lies, gossip, false witness, slander, insult, cursing or backbiting. Indeed, there are those who use their tongue to criticise people's honour with sarcasm, insinuations and slander.
If the believers gather, they should remember Allah, because the Prophet ﷺ said: "If a group of people gather in a gathering, and they do not remember Allah the Almighty in it, nor ask blessings for the Prophet ﷺ it is a loss for them, a grief, if Allah wills He punishes them, and if He wills He forgives them".
Therefore, gatherings have an atonement which the Prophet ﷺ taught us: "Whoever sits in a gathering and speaks excessively in it, then, before getting up from the gathering, says: "Glorified and praised be You O Allah! I testify that there is no divinity but You, I ask Your forgiveness and I turn to You in repentance. That one will be forgiven for what happened in his gathering". Narrated by Abu Dawud.
Believers! Allah has praised in His Book those who turn away from vain talk and frivolity, and has said: And because when they heard a vain word, they turned away from it and said, "Our deeds are for us, and yours for you. Peace be with you, we do not seek the ignorant".. Al-laghw is everything trivial and useless, everything that distracts you from what is more important, such as buying and selling at the time of prayer. Almighty Allah saysO ye who believe! When the Friday Prayer is called for, turn promptly to the remembrance of Allah and leave all buying and selling; that is better for you if ye know". Every contract agreed upon at the time of Jumah is invalid, whatever it is, and every meeting during prayer is invalid, it is a frivolity and a waste of time, and every class during prayer is frivolity because prayer is standing before Allah at a specific time. Is there really anything so worthwhile as to cancel or postpone this appointment with the Creator?
In the hadith which is recited before the khutbah It is said: "Whoever tells his companion to keep silent has committed a frivolity, and whoever does so will not have his prayer counted". In another hadith: "Whoever touches the stones is frivolous". Touching stones encompasses anything that distracts you inside the mosque, such as drawing on the carpet, playing with your fingers, the phone and obstructing the rows, jumping between people to get to a row, all this is frivolity. The believer should be wary of anything that creates distraction among the people inside the mosque.
So have at it taqwah of Allah, O you servants of His, and turn away from the ignorant, and repent to your Lord before it is too late, and beware of your words and deeds, for every word or deed is written for or against you.
Allahumah, protect our tongues from slander, gossip and mockery, and accept our repentance. You are the Merciful. Allahumah, guide us, and bring us back to the truth and to Your straight path, and support our oppressed brothers. Defeat the oppressors wherever they are. Allahumah, look upon them with Your eyes that never sleep. Amin. And I ask Allah's forgiveness for you and for me.
