Friday khutba, 30 January 2026 (11 Shaʿbān 1447 AH)
Who Is the Quarrelsome Person Whom Allah Does Not Forgive?
All praise is due to Allah. We worship Him alone and seek His help. We bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (salla lláhu ʻalayhi wa sallam) is His servant and His Messenger. “O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of righteousness. He will rectify your deeds and forgive your sins; and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed attained a great success.”
In the previous sermon, we spoke generally about the virtues of the month of Shaʿbān, and more specifically about the great significance of its middle night—a blessed and noble night that is now only a few days away. Its importance is confirmed by the narration of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported that the Prophet (salla lláhu ʻalayhi wa sallam) said: “On the night of the middle of Shaʿbān, Allah looks upon His creation and forgives all of them except those who associate partners with Him and those who are engaged in enmity.”
This ḥadīth is deeply meaningful and instructive. It awakens hearts and calls souls to vigilance. Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—watches over His servants at every moment; nothing escapes His knowledge. As the Almighty says: “Do you not see that Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth? … Indeed, Allah is Knowing of all things.” (58:7)
This night is not singled out because Allah’s knowledge is confined to it—rather, it is an opportunity for the believer to reflect, to examine his heart, and to correct his relationship with his Lord and with others. This meaning is further emphasized in the ḥadīth narrated by Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported that the Prophet (salla lláhu ʻalayhi wa sallam) said: “The gates of Paradise are opened on Mondays and Thursdays, and forgiveness is granted to every servant who does not associate anything with Allah—except a person who is in conflict with his brother. It is said: ‘Delay these two until they reconcile.’” (Reported by Muslim)
These narrations highlight the vastness of Allah’s mercy, while also drawing attention to two categories of people who are deprived of forgiveness: those who commit shirk, and those who harbor enmity. The one who associates partners with Allah is a person who directs any act of worship to other than Him, and this is the gravest of all sins. If such a person dies without repentance, forgiveness will not be granted, and he deserves eternal punishment, as Allah says: “Whoever associates partners with Allah—Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge will be the Fire.” (5:72)
As for the quarrelsome person, his heart is filled with hatred, hostility, resentment, envy, and anger—diseases that destroy relationships and tear families apart. The Prophet (salla lláhu ʻalayhi wa sallam) warned against these spiritual illnesses, saying: “The disease of the previous nations has spread among you: envy and hatred. They are the razor—not that they shave hair, but that they shave away religion.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhī)
Enmity erodes the spirit of religion even if its outward form remains, whereas shirk destroys faith at its very foundation. The danger of discord is especially severe because Islam is a religion of unity and community. Prayer is performed in congregation, the pilgrimage is a collective gathering, and fasting and zakāt carry social dimensions. When love and harmony are absent, acts of worship lose their vitality, for hearts filled with hostility cannot unite in obedience or cooperate in righteousness.
Shirk corrupts the relationship between the servant and his Lord, while enmity corrupts his relationship with other believers. When both relationships are damaged, how can a person hope for complete forgiveness? For this reason, Islam places great emphasis on the purification of the heart. When the Prophet (salla lláhu ʻalayhi wa sallam) was asked, “Who is the best among people?” he replied: “Everyone who is pure-hearted and truthful,”
meaning one whose heart is free from malice and envy.
The Islamic texts clearly indicate that enmity itself is a sin that prevents forgiveness during these blessed times as long as it persists. It can only be removed through sincere repentance, reconciliation, and the restoration of rights—because forgiveness involves both the right of Allah and the rights of His servants. Once reconciliation takes place, the barrier to forgiveness is removed. While Allah may forgive other sins between the servant and his Lord through sincere repentance, the obligation to purify the heart and seek reconciliation remains.
For this reason, the Prophet (salla lláhu ʻalayhi wa sallam) forbade Muslims from abandoning one another for more than three days and affirmed that reconciliation is better for both parties. Although distancing oneself may be permissible in certain cases for a valid legal reason, the fundamental principle in Islam is to maintain a pure heart and to reconcile despite differences, seeking Allah’s pleasure and forgiveness.
We ask Allah Almighty, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to forgive us, to purify our hearts, to unite our hearts, and to forgive us, our parents, and all Muslims.
