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Witness Unto Mankind
Suggested: Friday, 20 November 2026
· 10 Jumada al Thania
witness
shahada
ummah
responsibility
dawah
Summary
We are an ummah appointed as witnesses over humanity. This khutbah explores what that role demands of us in practice.
Part One — First Khutbah
Opening — Khutbat al-Hajah
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ
Innal hamda lillah, nahmaduhu wa nasta'eenuhu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na'udhu billahi min shururi anfusina wa min sayyi'ati a'malina. Man yahdihillahu fala mudilla lah, wa man yudlil fala hadiya lah.
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Wa ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
"Ya ayyuhalladheena amanut-taqullaha haqqa tuqatihi wa la tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun." (Aal 'Imran, 3:102)
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
"Ya ayyuhannas uttaqu rabbakumul ladhi khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin wa khalaqa minha zawjaha wa baththa minhuma rijalan katheeran wa nisa'a. Wattaqullahalldhee tasa'aluna bihi wal-arham. Innallaha kana 'alaykum raqeeba." (An-Nisa, 4:1)
أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ
Amma ba'd. Fa inna khairal hadeethi kitabullah, wa khayral hadyi hadyu Muhammadin sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, wa sharral umuri muhdathatuha, wa kulla muhdathatin bid'ah, wa kulla bid'atin dalalah, wa kulla dalalatin fin-nar.
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,
The Heaviest Responsibility
Brothers and sisters, Allah gave this ummah a title that carries the heaviest responsibility of any nation in history:
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا
"Wa kadhalika ja'alnakum ummatan wasatal-li takunu shuhada'a 'alan-nasi wa yakunar-rasulu 'alaykum shahida." (Al-Baqarah, 2:143)
"And thus We have made you a middle nation, that you may be witnesses over the people, and the Messenger may be a witness over you."
On the Day of Judgement, when nations deny that they received the message, this ummah will testify that every nation received a messenger. And then the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, will testify for us.
But being a witness is not just about testifying on Judgement Day. It means being a living testimony now — through our conduct, our values, and our presence in the world.
What Does Being a Witness Require?
1. Moral excellence. A witness must be credible. If our behaviour contradicts our message, our testimony is worthless. We cannot call people to justice while being unjust. We cannot call people to honesty while being dishonest.
2. Visibility. A witness who hides is useless. We must be visible in our communities — present, engaged, and contributing. We cannot withdraw into Muslim-only bubbles and then complain that people misunderstand Islam.
3. Consistency. A witness whose story changes is not trusted. Our message must be consistent — the same Islam in private as in public, the same principles at work as at the masjid, the same values in prosperity as in hardship.
4. Courage. A witness who stays silent when truth is needed has failed. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:
أَفْضَلُ الْجِهَادِ كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ عِندَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ
"The best jihad is a word of truth before an unjust ruler." (Sunan Abu Dawud, 4344; Sunan at-Tirmidhi, 2174 — graded Sahih by al-Albani)
Speaking truth — even when it is costly — is the hallmark of a true witness.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Aqulu qauli hada, wa astaghfirullaha li wa lakum wa li sa'iril muslimeen, fas taghfiruh, innahu huwal Ghafurur Rahim.
Part Two — Second Khutbah
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Bismillah, wal hamdulillah, was-salatu was-salamu 'ala Rasulillah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
Brothers and sisters,
Your Takeaway — Two Actions This Week
First: Ask yourself: if Islam were judged by my behaviour alone, what verdict would the world reach? Be honest. Then identify one area where your conduct falls short of your testimony — and fix it.
Second: Be proactively visible as a Muslim this week. Don't hide your identity — own it. Say salaam to a stranger. Offer to explain something about Islam to a curious colleague. Let your actions speak before your words.
The world is watching. Our testimony is being recorded — not just by angels, but by the people around us. Let us make it a testimony worth giving.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ
"Ya ayyuhalladheena amanu kunu qawwameena lillahi shuhada'a bil-qist." (Al-Ma'idah, 5:8)
"O you who believe, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice."
Closing Du'a
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الْإِسْلَامَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ
Allahumma a'izzal islama wal muslimeen.
اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ
Allahumma irham al-muslimeena fee kulli makaan.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنَّا عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
Allahumma a'inna 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni 'ibadatik.
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaban-nar.
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ
Rabbana la tuzigh quloobana ba'da idh hadaytana wa hab lana min ladunka rahmah, innaka antal Wahhab.
أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ
Aqimis-salah.