By Shaykh Abdul Qayum | 26 Jan 2024

I addressed the congregation on Friday regarding the importance of justice and accountability in the sight of Allah. We, as Muslims, firmly believe in the existence of a Hereafter where each soul will stand before Allah, bearing witness to its deeds. The sermon focused on the gravity of our actions and the consequences of denying the rights of others. 

Allah, in His infinite wisdom, assures us that no soul will be treated unjustly; each person’s account, be it good or bad, will be laid bare before them on the Day of Resurrection. The Qur’an warns, “On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good one has done, and all the evil one has done, one will wish that there were a great distance between one and one’s evil.” (Qur’an 3:30) 

The Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) further reinforces our belief that divine justice even extends to the animal kingdom. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared, “The rights of justice will surely be restored to their people on the Day of Resurrection. Even the right of the hornless sheep will be taken from the horned sheep who attacked the other.”

This serves as a powerful reminder that no injustice, not even the injustice against animals, will go unresolved. So, what about us humans, endowed with a higher purpose and responsibility? “So, whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.” (Qur’an 99:7–8).

I urged the congregation to beware of violating the rights of others. We will owe them compensation in the Hereafter. “None of the people of Hellfire will enter Hellfire and none of the people of Paradise will enter Paradise until Allah finishes judging between His servants,” said the Prophet ﷺ in a Hadith Qudsi – a saying of the Messenger that is traced back not to the Prophet ﷺ but to the Almighty.

Be wary of the one our Prophet ﷺ called the Muflis. “Do you know who is bankrupt?” asked the Messenger ﷺ. “The Bankrupt amongst us is one who has neither dirham nor wealth,” replied the companions, before the Prophet ﷺ corrected them:

“The Bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat, but he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire,” said the Messenger ﷺ.

Let us heed the warnings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: “Beware of oppression, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection,” as he said in a famous Hadith. And remember the saying: “The blood, honour and wealth of a Muslim is inviolable.” 

Though this references Muslims because the Prophet ﷺ was addressing the Muslims of Arabia, matters of rights in Islam extend to all humans. 

On the Day of Judgement, Allah will ask: “So what has brought you to Hellfire?" (Qur’an 74:42) Let it not be the violation of people's rights granted by Him.

I pray we are beacons of justice and mercy in this world. Make sincere repentance and redeem ourselves by worshipping Allah and serving His creation.

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