((These are they who have purchased error for guidance, so their commerce was profitless. And they were not guided.))

(Al-Baqarah: 16)

((Do they think that We enlarge them in wealth and children,* We hasten unto them with good things (in this worldly life so that they will have no share of good things in the Hereafter)? Nay, but they perceive not.* Verily! Those who live in awe for fear of their Lord;* And those who believe in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord,* And those who join not anyone (in worship) as partners with their Lord;* And those who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for reckoning)* It is these who race for the good deeds, and they are foremost in them))

(Al-Mu'minun: 55-61)

The purpose of man's existence:

 Dear brother, most people do not know why they were created, do not look into the purpose of creating them (by Allah), do not look into the purpose of their existence in the worldly life or do not know their mission in the worldly life.. Allah says:

((Say (O Muhammad, peace be upon him): "Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?*Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds!*They are those who deny the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord and the Meeting with Him (in the Hereafter). So their works are in vain, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall not give them any weight.*That shall be their recompense, Hell; because they disbelieved and took My Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and My Messengers by way of jest and mockery.))

(Al-Kahf: 103-106)

 They also have a philosophy in life that is manifested in their behavior, whether they declare it or not; they believe that this worldly life is everything, and that there is nothing but this life. Allah says:

((They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world (i.e. the matters of their livelihood, like irrigating or sowing or reaping, etc.), and they are heedless of the Hereafter.))

(Ar-Rum: 7)

 Because of this belief you find them racing for collecting money by legitimate and illegitimateways, and they don't care whether this money is Haram or Halal. They do this in order to fulfill their sensual pleasures and live in luxury as long as they can reach it. However, you can notice that those who forgot their Lord and the Last Day are not happy in their life as they thought they would be. The reason is that none can have a perfect life; if someone is wealthy, he might be deprived of good health, and if he has good health, he might be deprived of tranquility. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

((O people, this worldly life is a place of crookedness and is not a place of straightforwardness. It is a place of grief and is not a place of joy.))

 In the Quran, Allah the Almighty says:

(("But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection."))

(Ta-Ha: 124)

 Let us say that life starts to be as someone wants it, but this happens after a great deal of effort and striving. Such a person loses his youth while trying to have a perfect life; he collects huge amounts of money only to spend them shortly, and as soon as he reaps the fruits of his effort, the angel of death comes and takes away in a second everything he exhausts himself to have throughout his life. He never relaxes or is at ease in his life (because he is always working for the worldly life). Yet, the angel of death comes unexpectedly and deprives him of everything he owns at once. At that moment he will not be ready for the eternal life (the Hereafter) as he does not live steadfastly in the worldly life nor does he perform a good deed with which he can meet Allah. Allah says:

((He will say: "Alas! Would that I had sent forth (good deeds) for (this) my life!"))

(Al-Fajr: 24)

((And (remember) the Day when the Zalim (wrong-doer, oppressor, polytheist, etc.) will bite at his hands, he will say: "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger ( Muhammad, peace be upon him).* "Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a friend!*"He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this Qur'an) after it had come to me. And Shaitan (Satan) is ever a deserter to man in the hour of need."))

(Al-Furqan: 27-29)

((Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says: "My Lord! Send me back,*"So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected.*Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another.*Then, those whose scales (of good deeds) are heavy, - these, they are the successful.*And those whose scales (of good deeds) are light, they are those who lose their ownselves, in Hell will they abide.*The Fire will burn their faces, and therein they will grin, with displaced lips (disfigured).*"Were not My Verses (this Qur'an) reauthord to you, and then you used to deny them?"*They will say: "Our Lord! Our wretchedness overcame us, and we were (an) erring people.*"Our Lord! Bring us out of this; if ever we return (to evil), then indeed we shall be Zalimun: (polytheists, oppressors, unjust, and wrong-doers, etc.)."*He (Allah) will say: "Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!"*Verily! There was a party of My slaves, who used to say: "Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us, and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of all who show mercy!"*But you took them for a laughingstock, so much so that they made you forget My Remembrance while you used to laugh at them!*Verily! I have rewarded them this Day for their patience, they are indeed the ones that are successful* He (Allah) will say: "What number of years did you stay on earth?"* They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep account."* He (Allah) will say: "You stayed not but a little, if you had only known!* "Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?"* So Exalted be Allah, the True King, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!* And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allah, any other ilah (god), of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely! Al-Kafirun (the disbelievers in Allah and in the Oneness of Allah, polytheists, pagans, idolaters, etc.) will not be successful.* And say (O Muhammad, peace be upon him): "My Lord! Forgive and have mercy, for You are the Best of those who show mercy!"))

(Al-Mu'minun: 99-118)

The purpose of Man's existence in the worldly life:

 Dear brother, if our creation was without any purpose- the purpose is of course confirmed in the Quran- then why were we created? Why are we here in the worldly life? Do we have a mission we are suppose to accomplish? If we have a mission to accomplish, then what is it? What is the goal that we should seek so that we won't be regretful, disappointed and losers on the Day of Resurrection? Were we created in order to accumulate money and pass it on to our children so that they can waste it in a short period of time? Well, money alone does not please man. Not to mention that its owner, if he is not enlightened or guided, is likely to deviate and tell lies…

 Were we created then only to get certificates, hang them up on walls, brag about them and make use of them to the fullest financially speaking? We see how those scientific certificates cannot stop their owners from committing sins. Let alone, that they do not elevate inferior souls, nor do they purify them from their evil whims. Although scientific certificates are not the main purpose of our existence, as believers we are ordered to be educated because education is the strongest weapon nowadays.

 Were we created to indulge ourselves in desires completely? In fact indulging in desires grants a temporary happiness that does not guarantee the everlasting one for man. Besides, man's ability to enjoy tangible things is limited; youth does not last forever, health deteriorates gradually and money is to be spent. Why were we created, then? We were created in order to know our Creator, and so be happy when we know Him, in order to get closer to Him and so be blessed with that closeness and in order to make the worldly life as a vehicle to the Hereafter. That is why Allah the Almighty says:

((Verily, Qarun (Korah) was of Musa's (Moses) people, but he behaved arrogantly towards them. And We gave him of the treasures, that of which the keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men. When his people said to him: "Do not be glad (with ungratefulness to Allah's Favours). Verily! Allah likes not those who are glad (with ungratefulness to Allah's Favours).*But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world, and do good as Allah has been good to you, and seek not mischief in the land. Verily, Allah likes not the Mufsidun (those who commit great crimes and sins, oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupts).))

(Al-Qasas: 76-77)

((But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter,))

(Al-Qasas: 77)

 It means make use of your powerful position by helping the weak. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

((He is not one of the good people whoever among you disgraces the worldly life for the sake of the Hereafter, or whoever disgraced the Hereafter for the sake of the worldly life unless he takes some of his sustenance from them both as the first is a vehicle that leads you to the second.))

 Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

((Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich, and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him whether it want to or not. And whoever makes the world his goal, Allah puts his poverty right before his eyes, and disorganizes his affairs, and the world does not come to him, except what has been decreed for him.))

(At-Tirmizi)

 O Allah, keep life in our hands, not our hearts. O Allah, make it subjected to us while we are obedient to You, and do not make us run after it when we are disobedient to You. O Allah, bless whatever You have decreed for us in this life and make us satisfied with it. O Allah, make the Hereafter our main concern and the destination of our hopes, and keep granting us Your bounties, O You the Most Generous.

 Also, we can say as it is said: Dear brother, call yourselves to account before you are called to do so, weigh your deeds before they are weighed and keep connected with Allah in order to be pleased. You should know that the angel of death has been reaching sh3er and will reach us soon, so pay heed. The clever one is he who upbraids himself and works for what comes after death; and the weak one is he who follows his desires and lives on wishful thinking.

 Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
***

The second sermon:

 Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah Alone, the Guardian of the righteous, and that our Master Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, who is on an exalted standard of character.

Du'a:

 O Allah, we beseech you to show us the way of rightness, together with those to whom You have showed it; and give us good health, together with those whom You have healed; and be our Protector, together with those for whom You have become their Protector; and bless us in what You have bestowed on us and save us from the afflictions that You have decreed, for You rule with justice and You are never judged.

 O Allah, increase us [in Your Blessings] and do not decrease us, honor us and do not humiliate us, give us [from Your Gifts] and do not deprive us, be in favor of us and not against us, and make us satisfied and be satisfied with us.

 O Allah, dignify us by Your generosity and don't make us lose our dignity in trials, turning to the worst among your creations, praising those who give us and dispraising those who don't, for You are the One Who bestows and in Your Hands only the treasures of heaven and earth.

 O Allah, please lead us to the good deeds, for no one leads to them but You, and please save us from the bad deeds, for no one saves us from them but You.