198 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADfollowing was the content of the sermon of the Messenger of God (SAAS) on the
first Friday he prayed in Medina, among the Bann Sali b. 'Amr b. 'Awf, God
bless them: 'Praise be to God; I give Hi praise, and I ask His help. I ask for His
forgiveness and for His guidance. I believe in Him, will not disbelieve in Hi,
and will do battle with those who do. I bear witness that there is no god but God,
that He has no associate, that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger whom
He has sent with guidance and the religion of truth and light, at a time without
messengers, when there is little knowledge, the people are misguided, when the
time is out of joint, and the day of retribution and fate is at hand.
"'Whoever obeys God and His Messenger is right-guided; whoever disobeys
them is misled, and has erred and gone far astray.
"'I charge you to fear God; this is the best advice a Muslim can give a Muslim,
to urge him on to the afterlife, to order him to fear God. Beware of what God
has, of Himself, cautioned you. There is no better advice nor charge than this. It
is an act of piety for those who accomplish this with apprehension and fear and
a true means of assistance towards your aspirations from the afterlife.
"'Whoever cultivates, both openly and in secret, his relationship with God,
seeking only God's favour thereby, shall receive recognition in the short term
and reward after death, when a man will wish he had done differently than he
had before, and would want to put great distance between himself and that
behaviour. God bids you beware of Him, though He is merciful towards His
worshippers.
"'Whoever believes His words and fulfils His promise will find nothing taken
back therefrom, for God Almighty states, "Whatever I say shall not be changed,
and I am not unjust towards my worshippers" Qak L, v.29).
"'Fear God both in matters that are at hand and those that follow, in secret
and openly, for "whoever fears God, God will remove his evil ways from him
and give him great reward" (swat abTahq; LXV, v.5). And "Whoever fears
God and His Messenger will have won a mighty suc~ess."~' Fearing God will
forestall His disapproval, His punishment, His anger. Fearing God will bring
satisfaction, please the Lord and elevate one's status.
"'Take advantage of your good fortune and do not be lax in matters pertain-
ing to God. God has instructed you in His book, laid out for you His path, so
that He may know those who speak the truth and those who lie. Do good, just as
God does good to you. Oppose His enemies and strive energetically for God. It
is He who chose you and named you "Muslims", so that those who perish do so
for evident cause, while those who live do so for evident cause. There is no
power but with God. Make frequent mention of God. Strive for what comes
after death. For he who makes good his relationship with God will find his rela-
tionship with people satisfactory. That is because God passes judgement upon
- Verse 71 of stirat al-Ahzeb (XXXIII) is somewhat different. It reads, "Whoever is obedient
to God and His Messenger."