Eid Al Adha Khutbah | Reflecting on and Practicing Muslim Identity: Submission to Allah ( Abdullah Cheng)
My dear brothers and sisters,
On this beautiful day of Eid, we thank Allah and we praise Him for uniting us and guiding us to the truth, to the way of life that is recognized by Him, to the religion of submission, of Islam, to the path of our father Ibrahim (AS).
On this day, more than happiness and celebration in our families and communities, we are refreshing our identities as Muslims, we are reminded about our core identity, that we are first and foremost human beings, but at the same time, we have been chosen, blessed and honored by Allah to be Muslims, to be people that submit to Him and nothing else. This identity of being a “Muslim”, it is this identity that all of us here share, that millions of people around the world who are gathered in Makkah share, that people in the past, even before the time of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ share.
And the foundation of this identity was exemplified by our father Ibrahim (AS). When we look at the story of Ibrahim (AS) in the Qur’an, it is the perfect definition of what a Muslim means, and what we “Muslims” today are supposed to learn from when we claim ourselves to be Muslims. Whenever the story of Ibrahim (AS) appears in the Qur’an, there’s one keyword that keeps on appearing in those stories, and that is “Aslama”, which is to submit. And that is not just a coincidence; Allah is emphasizing to us through the story of Ibrahim (AS) that this is what a servant does when he completely submits to Allah over his personal desires.
مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّۭا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّۭا وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًۭا مُّسْلِمًۭا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allāh]. And he was not of the polytheists. [3:67]
رَبَّنَا وَٱجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةًۭ مُّسْلِمَةًۭ لَّكَ
Our Lord! Make us both ˹fully˺ submit to You and from our descendants a nation that will submit to You. [2:128]
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥٓ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
When his Lord ordered him, “Submit ˹to My Will˺,” he responded, “I submit to the Lord of all worlds.” [2:131]
فَلَمَّآ أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلْجَبِينِ
Then when they submitted ˹to Allah’s Will˺, and Ibrahim laid Ismail on the side of his forehead ˹for sacrifice˺, [37:103]
This keyword of submission keeps on repeating again and again throughout these stories, and in the last verse of Surah Al-Hajj, Allah mentions again:
وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍۢ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ
Strive for ˹the cause of˺ Allah in the way He deserves, for ˹it is˺ He ˹Who˺ has chosen you, and laid upon you no hardship in the religion—the way of your forefather Ibrahim. ˹It is Allah˺ Who named you ‘the ones who submit’. [22:78]
So this is not just a name, but a title, a description that Allah has given to us and those who came before us, in the Qur’an and in the previous scriptures. It is an action of the heart that leads to the action of the body. Submission is not about rationalizing or understanding the commandment of Allah. In fact, most of the times it requires the opposite; you don’t understand the wisdom behind the commandment of Allah, but you still choose to follow it, because you trust in Allah’s plan. And that is exactly what Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his family did. Ibrahim (AS) didn’t understand why he had to sacrifice his son, and the same goes for Ismail (AS); and Ibrahim’s wife Hajar didn’t understand why Ibrahim had to leave them; but they all understood that this is the commandment of Allah, and that is sufficient.
This is the spirit we need to learn, this is the level of trust we need to have for Allah. We don’t start practicing Islam only when we think we understood the wisdom behind the rules, because we are never going to fully understand them. And we are essentially following their footsteps when we are performing Hajj and Umrah and sacrificing the Qurban; not just in the sense that we are physically imitating their actions, but also in the sense that we submit to Allah without knowing the wisdom or benefits behind these actions. The key is to submit, even when we are not sure about the outcome.
And that is why this is not a title that we should feel ashamed of. Rather than complaining how we are suffering inconvenience in life because of this name, we should think of whether we are even worthy of this name.
My dear brothers and sisters, there are people in the world who live a comfortable life but they don’t have Islam; and there are people who are struggling in life but they have Islam. The measure of success is clear for us. There are many identities that a person can bear: business owner, CEO, lecturer, doctor, father, scholar. But the most valuable identity, and also the identity that gives other identities value, is none other than the title of being a Muslim. Our Prophet ﷺ told us: “Whoever calls with the call of Jahiliyyah (such as claiming his race or his country or his party is better than others) then he is from the coals of Hellfire." A man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Even if he prays and fasts?" So he (ﷺ) said: "Even if he prays and fasts. So call with the call that Allah named you with:
فَادْعُوا بِدَعْوَى اللَّهِ الَّذِي سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ
Muslims, believers, worshipers of Allah.” [Tirmidhi]
Therefore my brothers and sisters, let us learn to appreciate this gift of guidance from Allah. Let us treat the title of a Muslim as an honorable dignity that we should live up to, rather than an excuse to justify the mistakes of people.
May Allah keep our hearts firm upon His religion of Islam, may Allah grant us honor and strength, may Allah protect the Iman of our community.
On this beautiful day of Eid, we thank Allah and we praise Him for uniting us and guiding us to the truth, to the way of life that is recognized by Him, to the religion of submission, of Islam, to the path of our father Ibrahim (AS).
On this day, more than happiness and celebration in our families and communities, we are refreshing our identities as Muslims, we are reminded about our core identity, that we are first and foremost human beings, but at the same time, we have been chosen, blessed and honored by Allah to be Muslims, to be people that submit to Him and nothing else. This identity of being a “Muslim”, it is this identity that all of us here share, that millions of people around the world who are gathered in Makkah share, that people in the past, even before the time of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ share.
And the foundation of this identity was exemplified by our father Ibrahim (AS). When we look at the story of Ibrahim (AS) in the Qur’an, it is the perfect definition of what a Muslim means, and what we “Muslims” today are supposed to learn from when we claim ourselves to be Muslims. Whenever the story of Ibrahim (AS) appears in the Qur’an, there’s one keyword that keeps on appearing in those stories, and that is “Aslama”, which is to submit. And that is not just a coincidence; Allah is emphasizing to us through the story of Ibrahim (AS) that this is what a servant does when he completely submits to Allah over his personal desires.
مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّۭا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّۭا وَلَـٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًۭا مُّسْلِمًۭا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allāh]. And he was not of the polytheists. [3:67]
رَبَّنَا وَٱجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةًۭ مُّسْلِمَةًۭ لَّكَ
Our Lord! Make us both ˹fully˺ submit to You and from our descendants a nation that will submit to You. [2:128]
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥٓ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
When his Lord ordered him, “Submit ˹to My Will˺,” he responded, “I submit to the Lord of all worlds.” [2:131]
فَلَمَّآ أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُۥ لِلْجَبِينِ
Then when they submitted ˹to Allah’s Will˺, and Ibrahim laid Ismail on the side of his forehead ˹for sacrifice˺, [37:103]
This keyword of submission keeps on repeating again and again throughout these stories, and in the last verse of Surah Al-Hajj, Allah mentions again:
وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍۢ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ
Strive for ˹the cause of˺ Allah in the way He deserves, for ˹it is˺ He ˹Who˺ has chosen you, and laid upon you no hardship in the religion—the way of your forefather Ibrahim. ˹It is Allah˺ Who named you ‘the ones who submit’. [22:78]
So this is not just a name, but a title, a description that Allah has given to us and those who came before us, in the Qur’an and in the previous scriptures. It is an action of the heart that leads to the action of the body. Submission is not about rationalizing or understanding the commandment of Allah. In fact, most of the times it requires the opposite; you don’t understand the wisdom behind the commandment of Allah, but you still choose to follow it, because you trust in Allah’s plan. And that is exactly what Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his family did. Ibrahim (AS) didn’t understand why he had to sacrifice his son, and the same goes for Ismail (AS); and Ibrahim’s wife Hajar didn’t understand why Ibrahim had to leave them; but they all understood that this is the commandment of Allah, and that is sufficient.
This is the spirit we need to learn, this is the level of trust we need to have for Allah. We don’t start practicing Islam only when we think we understood the wisdom behind the rules, because we are never going to fully understand them. And we are essentially following their footsteps when we are performing Hajj and Umrah and sacrificing the Qurban; not just in the sense that we are physically imitating their actions, but also in the sense that we submit to Allah without knowing the wisdom or benefits behind these actions. The key is to submit, even when we are not sure about the outcome.
And that is why this is not a title that we should feel ashamed of. Rather than complaining how we are suffering inconvenience in life because of this name, we should think of whether we are even worthy of this name.
My dear brothers and sisters, there are people in the world who live a comfortable life but they don’t have Islam; and there are people who are struggling in life but they have Islam. The measure of success is clear for us. There are many identities that a person can bear: business owner, CEO, lecturer, doctor, father, scholar. But the most valuable identity, and also the identity that gives other identities value, is none other than the title of being a Muslim. Our Prophet ﷺ told us: “Whoever calls with the call of Jahiliyyah (such as claiming his race or his country or his party is better than others) then he is from the coals of Hellfire." A man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Even if he prays and fasts?" So he (ﷺ) said: "Even if he prays and fasts. So call with the call that Allah named you with:
فَادْعُوا بِدَعْوَى اللَّهِ الَّذِي سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ
Muslims, believers, worshipers of Allah.” [Tirmidhi]
Therefore my brothers and sisters, let us learn to appreciate this gift of guidance from Allah. Let us treat the title of a Muslim as an honorable dignity that we should live up to, rather than an excuse to justify the mistakes of people.
May Allah keep our hearts firm upon His religion of Islam, may Allah grant us honor and strength, may Allah protect the Iman of our community.