Central Khutbah: “A Sincere Good Deed Leaves an Indelible Mark”

The Almighty Allah, in His great mercy and goodness, has decreed that the reward for kindness is also kindness: “Is the reward for good [anything] but good?!” (Translation of the meaning, Ar-Rahman, 60). Thus, whoever beautifies their actions, Allah will beautify their reward. The Almighty Allah has clarified in His noble Book that the reward for the doers of good is the most magnificent and complete, saying: “For those who have done good is the best [reward] and extra.” (Translation of the meaning, Yunus, 26). The Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, explained the meaning of this verse in a hadith reported by Muslim from Suhayb, may Allah be pleased with him, saying that (al-husna) the good reward is Paradise, and (az-ziyadah) the “extra” is the vision of the face of Allah, the Most High and Generous.

The connection between this magnificent reward and this deed, i.e., (al-ihsan) beneficence, is clear, as the (muhsinin) benefactors worshiped Allah as if they saw Him, and Allah rewarded them for this by allowing them to see Him in the Hereafter. In contrast, the state of the disbelievers in this world, whose hearts are sealed and are not filled with (khushu’) fear of Allah and (muraqaba) awareness of Allah’s watchfulness, is different. Therefore, Allah punished them by veiling them from seeing Him in the Hereafter, as He says in His Book: “Nay! Surely, they [the disbelievers] will be veiled from [seeing] their Lord that day.” (Translation of the meaning, Al-Mutaffifin, 15).

Just as the reward for the benefactors is good, the punishment for those who do evil is evil, as the Almighty says: “The evil-doers will have an awful punishment, because they denied the signs of Allah and mocked them.” (Translation of the meaning, Ar-Rum, 10). Allah’s reward for the benefactors is also mentioned in these verses: “For those who have done good, We will increase it for them!” (Translation of the meaning, Al-Baqara, 58); “Those who believe and do righteous deeds, We will not allow the reward of the doer of good to be lost. They will have the Gardens of Eden beneath which rivers flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on couches. Excellent is the reward, and beautiful is the resting place!” (Translation of the meaning, Al-Kahf, 30-31); “For those who have done good in this world is good, and the Hereafter is better. And excellent indeed will be the home of the righteous: Gardens of Eden which they will enter, underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will have whatever they wish.” (Translation of the meaning, An-Nahl, 31); “To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, so that He may recompense those who do evil with what they have done and reward those who do good with the best [reward].” (Translation of the meaning, An-Najm, 31); “Allah is pleased with the first believers, the Emigrants and the Helpers, and also those who followed them in doing good. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.” (Translation of the meaning, At-Tawbah, 100); “But whoever submits his face [himself] to Allah while being a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.” (Translation of the meaning, Al-Baqara, 112); “Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good.” (Translation of the meaning, Al-A’raf, 56).

Consider an example of the lasting impact of a good deed born out of sincere love for the mosques.

Halil was a man who made mats, and whenever he saw a mosque or a prayer area without mats, he would rush to cover the place with mats, as prayer areas at that time were covered with mats. One day, he had a strange dream. In the dream, he saw a grapevine growing from his spine, bearing rich clusters of grapes. People came in groups to eat the grapes, but the grapes never ran out. After having the same dream several times, he went to a sheikh to have it interpreted. After Halil narrated the dream, the sheikh asked, “Do you have children?” Halil replied, “I have a two-year-old son named Mahmud.” The sheikh said, “Take him to Al-Azhar to study Islamic sciences, for he will become very respected and famous.”

And so it was. His father took him to Al-Azhar University, and Mahmud memorized the Quran by the age of eight. He became the first Quran reciter in the world to record the melodic recitation of the Quran according to the narration of Hafs from Asim, and he refused to accept any compensation for it, so Allah made him beloved by the people.

• In 1961, he was the first to record the recitation of the Quran according to the narration of Hafs from Asim.
• In 1964, he was the first to record the recitation of the Quran according to the narration of Warsh from Nafi’.
• In 1968, he was the first to record the recitation of the Quran according to the narrations of Qalun and ad-Duri from Abu Amr al-Basri.
• In 1969, he was the first to record the Quran as a teaching method for learning and practicing correct Quranic recitation (pedagogical method).

– The first to recite the Quran at the United Nations and to call the adhan for the Dhuhr prayer there.

– The first to recite the Quran at the White House, the U.S. Congress, and the Royal Palace (Westminster) in London.

He passed away on November 24, 1980, after the Isha prayer, after nearly fifty-five years of dedication to the Quran. We continue to taste the delicious grapes from the vine he left behind, and these clusters never cease to replenish. Allah, exalted be He, will not allow the reward of the benefactors to be lost.

This was the famous Quran reciter Mahmud Khalil al-Husari. His father Halil covered mosques with mats (Arabic: hasir), hence his surname al-Husari, and Allah caused the voice of his son Mahmud, also known as al-Husari, to spread across the globe, with his melodious recitation of the Quran being listened to by Muslims from generation to generation.

May Allah have mercy on the two benefactors, Sheikh Mahmud Khalil al-Husari and his father Halil al-Husari, and may He grant them Paradise al-Firdaus. May Allah have mercy on all those who do good deeds sincerely! Ameen.

(Central khutbah by the religious leader Hafiz Hilmija Redžić on August 2, 2024, at the “Centre Islamique au Luxembourg” in Contern)