Friday Sermon: Allah, The One Who Lowers and The One Who Elevates

In the Name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, who created everything and set it in place with clear purpose. He perfected what He decreed through His guidance. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner. I also bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, sent to all people to bring good news and warn them. May Allah send peace and blessings upon him. To proceed:

Dear brothers and sisters! Allah is Al-Khafid, The One Who Lowers, and Ar-Rafi’, The One Who Elevates. These names show His full control over the honour, rank, and status of all creation. The Abaser, or The One Who Lowers, humbles or reduces worldly status, wealth, or power as He sees fit. The Exalter, or The One Who Elevates, raises people in honour, rank, faith, and knowledge.

All changes in status, success, and difficulties come directly from Allah, not just from our efforts. Knowing that Allah can lower anyone helps successful or powerful people stay humble and avoid arrogance. Muslim believers facing low status or tough times find comfort knowing that setbacks are temporary and part of Allah's wisdom.

True and lasting elevation comes from faith, humility, right actions, and seeking useful knowledge. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) taught that whoever humbles himself for Allah will be raised by Him.

Allah is the One Who gives importance to what He wants in rulings and the order of things. What He prioritizes should be prioritized, and what He gives less importance to should be treated as less important. He restores what needs to be restored, and there is goodness in everything He does, even if we do not see the reasons.

Allah decides events, speeding them up or slowing them down as He wishes. He chooses among His friends whom He loves, raising some above others in status. He brings forward those He wants to higher ranks and keeps down others. He may delay things because He knows the consequences of that delay. No one can rush what He holds back, and no one can hold back what He brings forward.

Respected brothers and sisters! Al-Muqaddim and Al-Muʾakhkhir are two names of Allah that mean The One Who Brings Forward and The One Who Delays.

1. Al-Muqaddim: The One Who Brings Forward.
2. Al-Muʾakhkhir: The One Who Delays.

These names of Allah are studied together because they show His complete control over order, timing, and precedence in the universe.

Allah puts things and people in their right places. He raises whom He wills in rank, honour, success, or lifespan, and He delays whom He wills based on His wisdom.

Islamic scholars like Imam Al-Nawawi explain that Al-Muqaddim brings forward those He chooses for His guidance and mercy. In contrast, Al-Muʾakhkhir holds back or delays others, sometimes as a test, or to prepare them for the right time according to His justice.

People often confuse delay with failure and advancement with permanent success. Believing in these names teaches that a delay is not a denial; holding something back can be a form of divine protection until the right time arrives.

Dear servants of Allah! Allah the Almighty says:

“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them.” [Surah al-A’raf: 180]

Beloved brothers and sisters! Have you called upon Allah by His Names al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir, the One who brings forward and the One who delays?

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) would call upon Allah by His Names al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir daily. When he prayed at night, he would praise his Lord and then supplicate, saying:

“Ya Allah, to You I have submitted, in You I have believed, upon You I have relied, to You I have turned in repentance, with Your aid I have fought, and to You I have referred judgment. So forgive me for what I have done before and what I have done later, what I have hidden and what I have made public. You are al-Muqaddim, and You are al-Muʾakhkhir. There is no deity worthy of worship except You.” [Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim]

And when the Prophet (Peace be upon him) prayed, among the last things he would say was:

“Ya Allah, forgive me for what I have done before and what I have done later, what I have hidden and what I have made public, what I have done in excess, and what You know better about me than I do. You are al-Muqaddim and You are al-Muʾakhkhir. There is no deity worthy of worship except You.” [Narrated by Muslim]

He (Peace be upon him) would also praise his Lord by saying:

“Ya Allah, all praise belongs to You. Ya Allah, no one can withhold what You have given, and no one can give what You have withheld. No one can guide those You have allowed to go astray, and no one can misguide those You have guided. No one can bring near what You have made distant, and no one can make distant what You have brought near.” [Narrated by Ahmad]

Allah is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir. He created everything with precise purpose. He assigned everything a measure, which He brings about at the right time and in the right way, according to His knowledge.

He brings forward what He wills and delays what He wills. No one can bring forward what He has delayed, and no one can delay what He has brought forward.

Allah, the Most High, is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir. He places everything in its proper rank. He brings forward what He wants and delays what He wants. By His grace, He lifts those He loves among His servants above others, and by His justice, He holds back whom He wills.

Only He controls His decrees. What He has decided for the right time will surely happen. Nothing can come before or fall behind the time He has set.

One day, Ummu Habibah, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), said:

“Ya Allah, let me enjoy the company of my husband, the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him), my father Abu Sufyan, and my brother Muʿawiyah.”

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) told her:

“You have asked Allah about lifespans already set, days already numbered, and provisions already given. Allah will not bring anything forward before its time, nor delay anything beyond its time. Asking Allah for protection from punishment in the Fire or the grave would be better.” [Narrated by Muslim]

If your lifespan and provision are already set, trust your Lord.

Know that when a servant of Allah obeys Him, by speaking the truth, confronting wrong, or striving for Allah, this does not hasten his death or delay his provision.

Allah is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir. He has set each soul’s provision and lifespan. A person cannot bring their time forward or delay it.

Allah spoke about those who wished for fighting to be prescribed for them. When it was prescribed, fear filled their hearts. They thought if fighting was not prescribed, they would die at their normal time. Allah the Most High says:

“Have you not seen those who were told, ‘Restrict your hands, establish prayer, and give zakah’? But when fighting was prescribed for them, a group of them feared people as they should fear Allah. They said, ‘Our Lord, why have You prescribed fighting for us? If only You had delayed us for a little while!’ Say, ‘The enjoyment of this world is little, while the Hereafter is better for the one who fears Allah, and you will not be wronged even by a thread of a date stone. Wherever you are, death will reach you, even in fortified towers.’” [Surah al-Nisaʾ: 77, 78]

So our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) advised:

“Fear of people must not stop you from speaking the truth when you see it, as that will not bring your death closer or push your provision further away.” [Narrated by Imam Ahmad]

Know that in His wisdom, Allah has hastened some things in this world while delaying others until the Day of Resurrection.

Among these is that Allah has delayed complete reward and punishment until the Hereafter, while He may reward disbelievers in this world. He has not willed for the faithful to receive their full reward in this fleeting world.

So if you see a righteous person with less in this world than a disbeliever, remember our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). One day, Umar Ibn al-Khattab visited him and saw he had nothing of worldly luxury. Umar said:

“O Messenger of Allah! You are the Prophet of Allah, while Chosroes and Caesar sit on thrones of gold!” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied: “O Umar! They have received their good things early, and they will soon end. We are a people whose good things have been delayed until the Hereafter.” [Narrated by Imam al-Hakim]

And if you see an oppressor happy because of Allah’s patience, know that Allah has only given him time and delayed his punishment. He has not been careless. Allah the Almighty says:

“Do not think Allah is unaware of what wrongdoers do. He only delays them until a Day when eyes stare in horror.” [Surah Ibrahim: 42]

Allah may quickly bring punishment for a servant based on His justice, and He may delay it based on His mercy. Allah the Most High says:

“If Allah seized people immediately for their wrongdoing, He would leave no living creature on earth. But He delays them until a set time. When their appointed time arrives, they can neither delay it nor bring it forward.” [Surah al-Nahl: 61]

You must know that some sins have punishment that Allah has decided to hasten in this world due to the corruption they cause. So fear Allah and beware of His quick punishment.

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“Allah delays punishment for every sin until the Day of Resurrection, except for transgressions against parents and severing family ties. He hastens punishment for these sins before death.” [Narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad]

Whoever understands that Allah alone is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir will trust their affairs to Him. No one can bring near what He has made distant, and no one can make distant what He has brought near.

If you want something good to happen quickly, turn to your Lord, not anyone else. Present your needs to Him, and know that only your Lord can hasten that good.

Some women from among the Companions once came to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) crying about the lack of rain. He called upon his Lord, saying:

“Ya Allah, grant us rain that brings relief, wholesome and abundant rain, beneficial and not harmful, brought swiftly and without delay.” Then the sky filled with clouds. [Narrated by Abu Dawud]

The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) also said:

“Whoever suffers from poverty and turns to people, their poverty will not be relieved. But whoever turns to Allah, He will soon grant them sufficiency, either through death or by swift wealth.” [Narrated by Abu Dawud]

Allah is al-Muqaddim and al-Muʾakhkhir in both His universal decree and His religious laws. Whatever Allah and His Messenger (Peace be upon him) have put first must be prioritized, and whatever they have put later must come later. Allah the Most High says:

“O you who believe, do not put yourselves before Allah and His Messenger.” [Surah al-Hujurat: 1]

When our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) circumambulated the Sacred House (Ka’abah) and wanted to perform saʿayi, he approached al-Safa and recited:

“Indeed, al-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah.” [Surah al-Baqarah: 158]

Then he said:

“I begin with what Allah began with.” So he started with al-Safa. [Narrated by Muslim]

If the Prophet (Peace be upon him) prioritised al-Safa over al-Marwah because Allah mentioned it first, then why do people put their own thoughts and opinions over Allah’s words?

They put later what Allah has put first and put first what Allah has put later. Sound reason does not contradict authentic revelation.

If a conflict seems to arise, true Ahlus-Sunnah prioritizes revelation over reason. They do not place any opinion or personal feeling over revelation.

The Shari’ah of Allah shows what should be prioritized and what should come later. Allah has placed everything correctly without injustice.

The Shari’ah prioritizes obeying Allah and His Messenger (Peace be upon him) over obeying others, and to the rights of Allah over human rights.

Allah prioritised His Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) over other Prophets and his Companions over the rest of his Ummah.

Among the Companions, He prioritized Abubakar, then Umar, then Uthman, then Ali, may Allah be pleased with them all. The Shari’ah gives precedence in prayer to the one most knowledgeable about the Book of Allah and gives scholars precedence over others in judgment.

It gives precedence to believers over disbelievers and to the righteous over the corrupt.

It gives precedence to mothers in dutiful treatment, to husbands in marital obedience, and to men in guardianship.

This is how we should order our judgments and actions: do not prioritize what the Shari’ah has placed later, nor place later what the Shari’ah has prioritized.

For this reason, when Abdullah Ibn Masʿud saw women in the Mosque, he would say:

“Keep them where Allah has placed them.”

He also said:

“Among the Children of Israel, women used to pray alongside men.” [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaimah]

One day, the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) noticed some Companions holding back, so he said to them:

“Come forward and follow me in prayer, and let those behind you follow you. A people will remain back until Allah holds them back.” [Narrated by Muslim]

The believer who hopes to get closer to Allah hurries towards His pleasure.

When he hears the call of faith, he rushes to Allah without holding back, because Allah does not treat the one who rushes to Him the same as the one who lags behind.

Paradise has various levels, and its people have different ranks. For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Attend the remembrance and draw near to the Imam, for a man may remain far behind until he is placed at the back in Paradise, even if he enters it.” [Narrated by Abu Dawud]

Ya Allah, help us and do not support our enemies. Support us and do not support others against us. Plan for us and do not plan against us. Grant us victory over those who wrong us.

Ya Allah, grant us safety in our homelands, fix our leaders, and put authority in the hands of those who fear You and do what pleases You.

Ya Allah, support our oppressed brothers and sisters in Gaza and everywhere else, and grant them victory soon.

Dear servants of Allah! Remember Allah often and glorify Him morning and evening. And we conclude our supplication with: all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.