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English translation
45. It was narrated that Jâbir bin 'Abdullâh said: "When the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ delivered a sermon, his eyes would turn red, he would raise his voice and he would speak with intensity, as if he were warning of an (enemy) army, saying, 'They will surely attack you in the morning, or they will surely attack you in the evening!' He would say: 'I and the Hour have been sent like these two,' and he would hold up his index and middle finger. Then he would say: 'The best of matters is the Book of Allâh and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil matters are those that are newly-invented, and every innovation (Bid'ah) is a going astray.' And he used to say: 'Whoever dies and leaves behind some wealth, it is for his family, and whoever leaves behind a debt or dependent children, then they are both my responsibility.'"(Sahih)
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Commentary
The main purpose of the sermon is to caution people against falling into error and the consequences of falling into error. It is therefore imperative that the sermon be used to pinpoint to the people the mistakes prevalent in the present times, and guide them to the right path.
It is also perfectly all right to give the sermon an emotional touch in accord with the nature of the subject.
c. The sum total of the true path is in following the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ.
d. Pointing with the finger of the hand during the sermon is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and the use of appropriate gestures to drive home a point is an acceptable practice.
e. Reference to proximity of the Hour represents the clear indication that Muhammad ﷺ is the last of the Prophets. And just as no finger is there to intervene between the index and middle fingers, there is also no Prophet to come after the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ until the Last Hour. The descent from heaven of Prophet 'Eisa ﷺ does not negate the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ for the simple reason that he had already been invested with prophethood, and in his second coming he will follow the Shari'ah of Muhammad ﷺ.
f. Reference to proximity of the Hour contains the message for the community that they must not be so engrossed in the affairs of the world as to lose sight of the approach of the Hour. They should instead prepare themselves more intently for the Hour.
g. It is not proper to classify the Bid'ah into 'good' and 'bad'. In fact Bid'ah in all its forms and manifestations must be avoided.
h. Inheritance of the deceased person must be distributed among the rightful heirs as per the rules given in the Qur'an and Hadith. Rulers have no right to interfere in them. It is rather their duty to ensure that each inheritor gets his rightful share.
i. Taking care of the needs of the survivors and other persons in distress is the responsibility of the state. Similarly, if the deceased person has left some unpaid debts, and the property left by him is insufficient to pay off those debts, it is the responsibility of the Islamic state to pay off the debts from the state treasury and look after other genuine financial needs of the surviving members of the family.
