Central Khutbah: “Between the Weakness of the Servant and the Mercy of Allah”

Human beings are, by nature, weak. At times, fatigue overcomes them; at other times, laziness, anger, or the weight of their own mistakes. There are moments when a person clearly sees their shortcomings and feels that they are far from the person they would like to be. It is precisely at such moments that a believer most needs not to lose their good opinion of Allah.

Allah, the Most High, says in a hadith qudsī:

“I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself; if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than it. If he comes closer to Me by a handspan, I come closer to him by a cubit; if he comes closer to Me by a cubit, I come closer to him by a fathom; and if he comes to Me walking, I come to him with haste.”

This hadith is narrated by Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, and is recorded by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim.

This hadith brings together several things that the heart of a believer constantly needs: hope, dhikr, drawing closer to Allah, and the certainty that a sincere return to one’s Lord is never without value.

Having a good opinion of Allah does not mean neglecting one’s shortcomings or living without effort while relying solely on hope. Rather, it means knowing one’s Lord: knowing His mercy, His forgiveness, His wisdom, and His kindness—and precisely because of this, returning to Him.

Al-Hasan al-Baṣrī, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

“The believer had a good opinion of his Lord, so he performed good deeds.”

Therefore, having a good opinion of Allah is best demonstrated through a person’s actions. Whoever hopes for Allah’s forgiveness returns to Him through repentance. Whoever believes in Allah’s reward does not consider any good deed to be lost, even when no one sees it. Whoever believes in Allah’s wisdom does not interpret every trial as abandonment, nor every delay as deprivation.

Very often, it is precisely our inner weaknesses that damage this relationship. Laziness teaches a person to postpone what they know to be good. Anger narrows their perspective and may cause them, in a single moment, to destroy what they have spent a long time building. Negligence weakens their connection with dhikr, while repeatedly committing sins may make a person feel that there is no longer any true path back for them.

But a believer must never turn their own weakness into a bad opinion of Allah.

There is a difference between being aware of one’s own shortcomings and thinking that Allah will not accept sincere repentance, that He will not bring ease after hardship, or that the doors of His mercy are closed to a person.

The early generations of Muslims spoke extensively about the purification and education of the soul precisely because they understood how much a person’s inner state determines their relationship with Allah. They did not understand having a good opinion of Allah as a reason for negligence, but as a strength that brings a person back to action.

For this reason, it is important to guard oneself against both laziness and anger. Laziness distances us from beneficial deeds, while anger distances us from sound judgment and justice. If a person gives themselves over to them, they gradually move further away from what they should be as a believer.

However, a believer does not remain trapped in their weaknesses. They recognize them and struggle against them, while never forgetting the vastness of Allah’s mercy.

Perhaps a person falls, but they get back up.

Perhaps they make a mistake, but they repent.

Perhaps they become weak, but they return to dhikr, prayer, and goodness.

The value does not lie in never experiencing weakness. Rather, it lies in not allowing that weakness to become a reason for distancing oneself from Allah.

The hadith teaches us precisely this. The servant draws closer. The servant remembers. The servant comes. They take whatever step they are capable of taking, while Allah’s kindness towards them far exceeds their own effort.

Therefore, it is especially important to preserve one’s good opinion of Allah when a person is not satisfied with themselves. Not in order to justify their mistakes, but in order to find the strength to correct them.

The believer knows the seriousness of sin, but also knows the greatness of forgiveness. They are aware of their own weakness, but they know that their Lord is All-Powerful. They do not know what tomorrow will bring, but they know in Whose hands their tomorrow lies.

This is the balance that the heart must preserve: not feeling secure from the consequences of one’s sins, but never despairing of Allah’s mercy; fearing one’s shortcomings, while maintaining a good opinion of one’s Lord; striving as much as one is able, and ultimately placing one’s trust in Him.

For between the weakness of the servant and the mercy of Allah, there is always an open path of return.

And all that is required is for a person to sincerely take that path.

(Central khutbah by the Muslim Religious Leader Hafiz Hilmija Redžić on September 18, 2026, at the “Centre Islamique et Culturel Berat” in Esch-sur-Alzette)