Central Khutbah: “Halal Is Light Upon Light, and Haram Is Filth Upon Filth”
Halal brings tranquillity to the heart, purity to the soul, and blessings to one’s life, while haram, no matter how attractive or beneficial it may appear, leaves its marks on a person’s heart, wealth, family, and acts of worship. Not every gain is a true profit, nor is every loss a deprivation. Sometimes, by giving up a single haram dinar, a person preserves more goodness than they could have gained by accumulating thousands of others. For the true value of what we possess is measured not only by its quantity, but also by the way we acquired it, the pleasure of Allah, and the blessings that accompany it. True wealth belongs not only to the one who possesses much, but also to the one who is content with what Allah has lawfully bestowed upon them, whose heart is not enslaved by the desire for what does not belong to them.
Allah, the Most Exalted, says: “Say: The bad and the good are not equal, even though the abundance of the bad may impress you.” (Al-Mā’idah, 5:100). This verse establishes a magnificent principle that a believer should never lose sight of: an abundance of haram can never become more valuable than a small amount of halal merely because of its quantity. Haram does not become pure because many people engage in it, nor does halal lose its value because the path to obtaining it is more difficult. What Allah has permitted remains good, and what He has forbidden does not become permissible because of human justifications, customs, the widespread prevalence of sin, or temporary benefits.
Allah, the Most Exalted, also says: “O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth that is lawful and good.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:168). Allah did not merely command us to seek what is halal; He also associated it with what is good and pure. In doing so, He teaches us to pay attention not only to what we consume, but also to the means by which we acquire it. Halal is therefore not limited to food and drink. It encompasses our income, business dealings, interpersonal relationships, commitments, and the rights of others. We cannot expect true blessings in wealth that is knowingly acquired through fraud, injustice, the violation of other people’s rights, or the transgression of Allah’s limits.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “O people! Allah is Good and accepts only what is good.” He then mentioned a man who travels on a long journey, with dishevelled hair and covered in dust, raising his hands towards the sky and calling out, “My Lord! My Lord!” Yet his food is haram, his drink is haram, his clothing is haram, and he has been nourished by haram. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then asked: “How, then, can his supplication be answered?” (Muslim, 1015).
Let us reflect on the profound nature of this warning! This man possesses several outward circumstances conducive to the acceptance of supplication: travelling, humility, raised hands, and a heartfelt appeal to his Lord. Nevertheless, the haram through which he nourishes himself and sustains his life represents a serious obstacle. How important it is, then, before asking ourselves why we no longer experience the sweetness of worship, why we lack tranquillity, or why we fail to recognise the blessings in what we possess, to examine what we bring into our homes and lives every day.
It is not enough to raise our hands and ask Allah for His blessings; we must also protect ourselves from what may undermine them. However, this warning does not mean that every hardship in life is the consequence of haram, nor that every trial is proof of Allah’s displeasure. Above all, it calls us to sincerely examine our own actions.
The earliest generations of Muslims were not content merely to avoid what was explicitly forbidden. Their piety also encouraged them to keep away from doubtful matters so that they would not cross the limits set by Allah. Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Piety led the people of piety to abandon many permissible things for fear of falling into what is forbidden.”
It is also reported that Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: “I like to place between myself and what is forbidden a barrier made up of permissible things that I will not cross.” (Both statements are cited by Ibn Rajab in his work Jāmi‘ al-‘Ulūm wa-l-Ḥikam, in his commentary on the hadith concerning what is clearly halal and what is clearly haram.)
These words do not mean that a person should forbid themselves what Allah has made permissible. Rather, they teach us to exercise caution towards paths that might lead us into sin. This is why the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The halal is clear and the haram is clear, and between them are doubtful matters that many people do not know. Whoever avoids doubtful matters safeguards their religion and their honour.” (Al-Bukhari, 52; Muslim, 1599).
This is the essence of true God-consciousness: not only abandoning clear sins, but also being willing to give up, for the sake of Allah’s pleasure, anything that might bring us closer to what is forbidden.
The depth of this awareness in the lives of the Companions is illustrated by the conduct of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that Abu Bakr had a servant who would bring him part of his earnings. One day, the servant brought him some food, and Abu Bakr ate some of it. When he learned that the money had come from compensation the servant had previously received for fortune-telling and deceiving a man, Abu Bakr put his hand into his mouth and vomited what he had eaten. (Al-Bukhari, 3842).
What remarkable sensitivity towards halal and haram! Abu Bakr had not knowingly consumed something forbidden, nor had he known the origin of the food when he ate it. Yet, as soon as he learned the truth, he did not seek excuses or downplay the seriousness of what had happened. His conduct reflects the profound piety of a man who understood that the purity of one’s sustenance is worth sacrificing for, and that nothing done for the sake of Allah is ever lost.
Haram becomes particularly dangerous when a person grows accustomed to it, begins to justify it, and ceases to feel its seriousness. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, warned: “A time will come upon people when a person will no longer care how they acquire their wealth, whether through halal or haram.” (Al-Bukhari, 2083).
Is it not precisely this indifference that conceals one of the greatest dangers to a person’s faith? When the goal becomes more important than the means by which it is achieved, a person can easily begin to justify what Allah has forbidden. First, they commit a sin once; then they repeat it; eventually, they become accustomed to it until they lose their sense of its seriousness.
Allah, the Most Exalted, says: “No! Rather, what they used to do has covered their hearts.” (Al-Mutaffifin, 83:14). Sins leave marks on the heart, and persisting in them without repentance only deepens those marks. Protecting ourselves from haram is therefore also a way of protecting our hearts. A heart that guards itself against Allah’s prohibitions becomes more sensitive to goodness, whereas a heart that grows accustomed to sin may lose its ability to recognise what distances it from its Lord.
A person often believes that what they have acquired is exclusively the result of their own abilities, efforts, and resourcefulness. Yet how many people earn a great deal while finding little enjoyment in what they possess! How many see their wealth increase while their tranquillity diminishes! And how many have been given little, yet Allah has granted them contentment, gratitude, and blessings within it!
Halal does not mean that we will always have a great deal, but it means that we have chosen a path that pleases Allah. Haram does not mean that a person will immediately lose their wealth, but its apparent benefits can never justify violating Allah’s prohibitions. True success does not consist of fulfilling every desire, but of ensuring that what we attain does not become a reason for drifting away from Allah.
Allah, the Most Exalted, says: “And whoever fears Allah, He will make for them a way out and provide for them from where they do not expect.” (At-Talaq, 65:2–3).
This promise fills with hope everyone who gives up what is forbidden for the sake of Allah, even when the halal path appears longer, more difficult, and more uncertain.
We have a particular responsibility towards our families. A parent who cares about what their children eat should be equally concerned about how they earn the money used to feed them. It is not enough to wish our children a bright future while neglecting the purity of the means through which we seek to build it. True success does not consist of leaving our children a large fortune if we acquired it by knowingly trampling on the rights of others. It is far more valuable to leave them the example of honesty, God-consciousness, contentment, and the firm conviction that Allah’s provision must never be sought through disobedience to Him.
For upbringing is shaped not only by the words with which we advise our children, but also by the decisions we make in front of them. When a child sees their parent refuse dishonest earnings, even when they are in need, that child receives a life lesson about the value of halal that is difficult to replace with any other form of teaching.
And when a person makes a mistake, turns towards what is forbidden, or realises that they have spent part of their life in heedlessness, they should not despair of Allah’s mercy. The door of repentance remains open. They should abandon what is haram, sincerely repent, firmly resolve not to return to it, and make amends for the injustices they have inflicted upon others.
The purity of the heart is not demonstrated by claiming that we have never made a mistake, but also by our willingness to acknowledge our errors and return to the limits set by Allah.
Allah, the Most Exalted, says: “Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” (Az-Zumar, 39:53).
Therefore, no sin should be justified, but no sinner should ever lose hope in Allah’s forgiveness.
Halal is light upon light: a pure intention, a lawful path, a peaceful conscience, and hope in Allah’s blessings.
Haram is filth upon filth: a forbidden deed, the injustice that may accompany it, and the mark that sin leaves upon the heart.
Let us not sacrifice what is far more valuable for the sake of a fleeting benefit. Let us not trade the tranquillity of our souls for a few moments of worldly pleasure, nor forget the responsibility that awaits us before Allah in exchange for wealth that we will inevitably leave behind.
For the greatest gain is not what we have managed to acquire from this world, but what we have managed to preserve of our faith while living in it.
O Allah, make what is halal sufficient for us so that we do not turn to what is haram. Grant us pure sustenance, sincere hearts, blessings in what we possess, and the strength to abandon everything that displeases You.
Protect our families from haram, our hearts from its consequences, and our souls from becoming accustomed to sin. Make us among those who are content with Your decree, grateful for Your blessings, and steadfast in obedience to You.
Amin!
(Central khutbah by the Muslim Religious Leader Hafiz Hilmija Redžić on October 2, 2026, at the “Centre Culturel Islamique de Luxembourg” in Mamer)
