🕌 Khutbah : This Life is Short, the Afterlife is Forever
Khutbah Part One
All praise is due to Allah, the One who created life and death to test which of us is best in conduct. We praise Him, we seek His help, and we ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and from the consequences of our misdeeds. Whoever Allah guides, no one can misguide; and whoever is led astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, alone without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and final Messenger.
O you who believe!
Fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims. (Surah Aal-‘Imran, 3:102)
O Servants of Allah, Know This Life is Brief
Allah ﷻ tells us in the Qur’an:
“He is the One who created death and life to test you, which of you is best in conduct. And He is the Almighty, the All-Forgiving.”
(Surah Al-Mulk, 67:2)
My dear brothers and sisters, reflect deeply on this ayah. Allah began with death before life. Why? Because death is a certainty. None of us can escape it. No matter how long we live—60 years, 80 years, 100 years—it is still a limited time. It is temporary, and it is a test.
What happens after death, however, is eternal. There is no limit, no end, no second chance. A life that is short and passing should never be preferred over a life that is eternal and everlasting.
A Worldly Life That Feels Like a Day
On the Day of Judgment, Allah will ask:
“How many years did you remain on earth?”
They will say: ‘We remained a day or part of a day; ask those who enumerate.’”
(Surah Al-Mu’minun, 23:112-113)
Brothers and sisters, can you imagine? People will stand before Allah and look back at their entire life and feel like it was only one day—or even less than a day.
This dunya is a test. Every moment is a choice. A test of your heart, your intentions, your actions. Are you choosing the eternal over the temporary? Are you preparing for the next life, or are you being distracted by the glitter of this world?
The Real Life Begins After Death
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever.”
(Muslim)
Why is it a prison? Because the believer knows that true freedom is in the Akhirah. This world is filled with tests—loss, sickness, injustice, temptation—but the believer stays patient, knowing that Paradise is coming.
Allah says:
“Indeed, the home of the Hereafter—that is the real life, if only they knew.”
(Surah Al-‘Ankabut, 29:64)
So many people live as if this life is everything. They plan for retirement, but not for eternity. They save for their future, but not for their grave.
The Opportunity is Now
Rasulullah ﷺ reminded us:
“Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your busyness, and your life before your death.”
(Hakim)
This is your chance. You are alive. You are able to pray, to give, to ask for forgiveness, to change. But once the soul reaches the throat, the test is over. The pen stops writing.
So let every one of us reflect:
What am I sending ahead for my eternity?
[End of First Khutbah]
I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and for you. Seek His forgiveness—indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Khutbah Part Two
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. We thank Him for the gift of Islam, for the light of guidance, and for granting us the opportunity to repent and return to Him. We send peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his family, his companions, and all those who follow him until the Day of Judgment.
Live for the Hereafter
Dear brothers and sisters, Allah has told us clearly:
“Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments—We fully repay them for their deeds in this life, but in the Hereafter, they will have nothing but the Fire.”
(Surah Hud, 11:15–16)
But for those who work for the Hereafter:
“Indeed, those who have said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and then remained steadfast—the angels will descend upon them [saying], ‘Do not fear and do not grieve, but receive good news of Paradise, which you were promised.’”
(Surah Fussilat, 41:30)
So be from those who believe and remain firm, who do righteous deeds with sincerity, and who live every day with the Hereafter in mind.
Final Advice
Let us renew our intention. Let us not waste the few years we have. Let us pray with focus. Give charity with open hearts. Apologize to those we wronged. Forgive those who wronged us. And let us always remember:
“Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your full reward on the Day of Resurrection. So whoever is spared from the Fire and admitted into Paradise has truly succeeded. And what is the life of this world except a deceiving enjoyment?”
(Surah Aal-‘Imran, 3:185)
Make Du‘a
O Allah, purify our hearts, refine our souls, forgive our sins, manage our affairs, grant us a good ending, and admit us to Paradise without reckoning.
Conclusion
O Allah, help us make the most of this short life. O Allah, let us meet You with hearts that are sound, with deeds that are accepted, and with faces that are full of light.
Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives and forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He instructs you, so that you may be reminded.
