All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah as He should be feared for fear of Allaah is light to the eyes and life to the hearts.

Dear Muslims! Human beings perform various deeds in this worldly life. The deeds that are in disobedience to Allaah will vanish and those performed to seek the pleasure of Allaah will remain. Allaah says,

"Then, as for the foam it passes away as scum upon the banks, while that which is for the good of mankind remains in the earth."

(Ar-Ra'd 13:17)

Blessings are removed from anything done for the sake of other things besides Allaah. It is only Allaah Who blesses, and He gives blessings to whomever He wills among His creatures. Allaah says,

"And blessed is He to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, and with Whom is the knowledge of the Hour, and to Whom you (all) will be returned."

(Az-Zukhruf 43:85)

Everything that is attributed to Him is blessed and His Name is blessed and the blessings are attained through Him. Allaah says,

"Blessed be the Name of your Lord (Allaah), the Owner of Majesty and Honour."

(Ar-Rahmaan 55:78)

Brethren in faith! Allaah, in His mercy, gives favours and multiplies blessings. Increase in wealth and deeds, does not lie in much wealth and deeds nor does increase in age lie in the passage of months and years. Rather, the increase in wealth and life lie in blessings that are in them. It is through blessed deed that man attains good commendation in this world and abundance reward in the Hereafter.

Blessing purifies the heart and the soul and it elevates man. If blessing enters a small thing it increases it and if it enters a much thing it makes it beneficial. No one can dispense of blessing. The Prophets and the Messengers even asked it from their Lord. Allaah's Messenger said, "When Prophet Job was taking a bath naked, golden locusts began to fall on him. Job started collecting them in his clothes. His Lord addressed him, 'O Job! Haven't I given you enough so that you are not in need of them?' Job replied, 'Yes!' By Your Honour (power)! But I cannot dispense with Your Blessings.' ". (Al-Bukhaaree)

The Messengers and the preachers are blessed in their good deeds and in their invitation of people to righteousness and guidance. Allaah tells us that Prophet 'Eesaa said,

"And He has made me blessed wherever I be, and has enjoined on me Salaah (prayer), and Zakaah, as long as I live."

(Maryam 19:31)

Prophet Noah came down from the arch with blessings from Allaah. Allaah says,

"It was said: "O Noah! Come down (from the ship) with peace from Us and blessings on you and on the people who are with you."

(Hood 11:48)

Prophet Noah asked Allaah to make him arrive at the blessed station saying,

"And say: "My Lord! Cause me to land at a blessed landing-place, for You are the Best of those who bring to land."

(Al-Mu'minoon 23:29)

Allaah blessed Prophet Ibraaheem and his family. Allaah says,

"And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaaq (Isaac) - a Prophet from the righteous. We blessed him and Ishaaq (Isaac)."

(As-Saaffaat 37:112-113)

Allaah also blessed Prophet Abraham and his household. He says,

"They said: "Do you wonder at the Decree of Allaah? The Mercy of Allaah and His Blessings be on you, O the family (of Ibraaheem (Abraham)) Surely, He (Allaah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious."

(Hood 11:73)

Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "The blessed household of Abraham is absolutely the noblest household in the world, for all Prophets that emerged after Abraham emerged from his household and all friends of Allaah who will enter Paradise after them shall do so through them and their call."

The Messenger of Allaah supplicated to his Lord for blessing in all that He gave him. He would say, "And bless me [O Allaah] in all that You give [me]." (At-Tirmidhee)

Muslims' greeting when they meet one another is invocation of peace, mercy and blessings.

Brethren in faith! The glorious Qur'aan is full of blessings. It is blessed, detailed and the guardian Book. It is mercy, healing, explanation and guidance. Allaah says,

"And this is a blessed Reminder (the Qur'aan) which We have sent down, will you then (dare to) deny it?"

(Al-Anbiyaa 21:50)

Soorah Al-Baqarah is a blessed Soorah which we are commanded to learn. The Messenger of Allaah said, "Learn Soorah Al-Baqarah. For learning it is a blessing and abandonment of it is a loss. The sorcerers will have no power over it." (Ahmad)

Increase in wealth and a blessed life lie in being kind to kith and kin. Allaah's Messenger said, "Whoever desires an expansion in his sustenance and age, should keep good relations with his Kith and kin." (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

He who is honest in all his buying and selling and in all his transactions will be blessed in his earnings. The Messenger of Allaah said, "The seller and the buyer have the right to keep or return goods as long as they have not parted. If both the parties spoke the truth and described the defects and qualities (of the goods), then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they told lies or hid something, then the blessings of their transaction would be lost." (Al-Bukhaaree)

Dear brethren! It is Islaam's keen desire for the wellbeing of the family and its attainment of blessings right from its very beginning that it recommends invoking blessing on the newly-wed couple. Aboo Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allaah used to tell the newly-wed, "May Allaah bless you, may He bestow blessings on you and may He join you together in good." (At-Tirmidhee)

The most blessed woman is the least in expenses. The happy marriage is the one in which easiness and facilitation are prevalent. Allaah's Messenger said, "The greatest of all women in blessing is the least of them in expenses." (Ahmad)

The blessed wife is the one who obeys her husband in lawful things and the blessed child is the one who grows up upon obedience to Allaah and upholds the Sunnah. He is the one who guards himself against sins.

Brethren in faith When the family head enters his house he starts by saluting members of his family, invoking Allaah's blessing upon them. Anas narrated that Allaah's Messenger told him, "Whenever you enter your house, say 'Salaam' for that will be blessing upon you and upon your family." (At-Tirmidhee) The blessed man is the one who benefits others whenever he goes.

Dear brethren! If a servant moves closer to Allaah his time will be blessed and he will be able to carry out many good deeds in a short time. Aboo Bakr was able to visit a sick person and feed a destitute before the Fajr prayer. He was also fasting on the same day. Abu Hurayrah reported that Allaah's Messenger said: Who amongst you is observing fast this day? Aboo Bakr said: It is I. He (again) said: Who amongst you has followed the bier today? Aboo Bakr said: It is I. He (the Prophet) again said: Who amongst you has served food to the needy? Aboo Bakr said: It is I. He (again) said: Who amongst you has today visited the sick? Aboo Bakr said: It is I. Thereupon Allaah's Messenger said: "If these [noble qualities] are combined in a person he will enter Paradise." (Muslim)

Dear Muslims! The best company is the company of righteous people and the purest gathering is the one in which Allaah is remembered, for Angels attend such a gathering. The sins of those who attend the gathering are forgiven. The Angel will say: 'There was so-and-so amongst them, and he was not one of them, but he had just come for some need.' Allaah would say, 'These are the people whose companions will not be reduced to misery.' " (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

This is some of the blessings that those who remember Allaah and their companions enjoy.

The blessed money is the one that has many benefits and that is spent in the way of righteousness and out of desire for Allaah's pleasure. He who is contented with little lawful profit and is sincere in his transactions, blessings will be in his wealth and children. The Messenger of Allaah said, "If it [the money] is taken from lawful means and it is spent in rightful places, it will be a wonderful support for its owner." (Al-Bukhaaree)

Worldly happiness can never be attained except by earning from lawful means. The wealth is augmented if it is spent in righteous ways. Allaah's Messenger said, "No wealth is diminished through spending [in righteous ways]." (Muslim)

Fellow Muslims! Whatever wealth that is given without asking or longing for it will be blessed. The Messenger of Allaah said, "He who takes it [wealth] without desiring it, it will be blessed for him. But he who takes it out of desire for it, it will not be blessed for him." (Ibn Hibbaan)

The Muslim should seek after blessing in his food. Your food will be blessed if you eat from what is nearest to you and you abstain from eating from the middle of the plate. It will also be blessed if you mention the Name of Allaah upon it. Allaah's Messenger said, "Blessing comes into the middle of the food. Eat from its sides and do not eat from its middle." (At-Tirmidhee)

The Messenger of Allaah also recommended that fingers and the plate should be thoroughly licked after eating in order to attain blessings. He said, "For you do not know in which part of [your food] is blessing." (Muslim)

Eating together brings blessing as disunity causes the removal of blessing. The companions of Allaah's Messenger told him, "Allaah's Messenger, we eat but we are not satisfied. He said: Perhaps you eat separately. They replied: Yes. He said: If you gather together at your food and mention Allah's name, you will be blessed in it." (Aboo Daawood)

The most blessed and the most beneficial water is Zamzam. Allaah's Messenger said, "It is blessed. It is food that nourishes." (Muslim)

Dear Muslims! Allaah blessed some periods and places. Laylatul-Qadr is a blessed and highly honourable night. Allaah says,

"We sent it (this Qur'aan) down on a blessed night."

(Ad-Dukhaan 44:3)

The beginning of the day after the Fajr prayer is a very blessed period and the time in which provisions and blessings are sent down. Allaah swears with this period in His glorious Book when He says,

"And by the night as it departs. And by the dawn as it brightens."

(At-Takweer 81:17-18)

The Prophet supplicated for Allaah's blessing in the beginning of the day. He said, "O Allaah! Bless for my Ummah [in what they do] early in the morning." Sleeping after Fajr prayer and before the sunset makes one miss the beauty of the day.

The Sacred House of Allaah is the most blessed house. Allaah said,

"Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and guidance for (the mankind and jinn)."

(Aal 'Imraan 3:96)

The Prophet's city is a blessed place. A prayer performed in the Prophet's mosque equals a thousand prayers performed in other mosques. Its dry measures are blessed and its dates are of high healing value. The Prophet said, "O Allaah, bless us in our city, bless us in our saa and bless us in our mudd. O Allaah, place a double blessing [there] along with every blessing." (Muslim) The Prophet would also say, "O Allaah! Put in Al-Madeenah the double of the blessing You have put in Makkah." (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

An-Nawawee said, "This means the measure is blessed in that, the mudd that will not be enough for those who live outside Al-Madeenah will be enough for the inhabitants of city."

Allaah also blesses some places in His earth. He says,

"Glorified (and Exalted) is He (Allaah) Who took His slave [Muhammad] for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque [at Makkah] to Al-Aqsaa Mosque [in Jerusalem], the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed in order that We might show him of Our signs."

(Al-Israa 17:1)

Brethren in Islaam! There are merits in faith and good deeds in every place and time. Any time or place that can assist a person to carry out good deed is his best time. Salmaan said, "The earth sanctifies no one. It is one's good deed that sanctifies one."

Fellow Muslims! When people commit sins they will be visited with frequent punishments. The less the sins are committed in the land the more the blessings. Spread of sins is the reason for removal of blessings. Allaah says,

"If they (non-Muslims) had believed in Allaah, and went on the Right Way (i.e. Islaam) We would surely have bestowed on them water (rain) in abundance, that We might try them thereby. And whosoever turns away from the Reminder of his Lord (i.e. this Qur'aan, - and practice not its laws and orders), He will cause him to enter in a severe torment (i.e. Hell)."

(Al-Jinn 72:16-17)

Sins play major role in the removal of blessings from wealth, knowledge and deeds. Allaah's Messenger said, "Man is deprived of sustenance because of the sin that he committed." (Ibn Maajah)

Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "Generally, sin removes the blessings of religion and worldly life. The sinner will have no blessing in his life and religion."

What is with Allaah cannot be attained except by obeying Him; and happiness is only attained by moving closer Allaah and doing much righteous deeds. It is by making a sincere return to Allaah that doors of sustenance are opened. Allah says,

"And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwâ (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (polytheism and crimes)."

(Al-A'raaf 7:96)

Fellow Muslims! Removal of blessings causes lack of success and corruption on the heart. The most useful thing is the most blessed. Do not seek for blessing from things that Allaah and His Messenger have not ordained. It is through enjoining good and forbidding evil that souls are purified, conditions are reformed and the society is blessed.

If one is truthful in his word he will be endowed with wisdom and appropriateness. And he who earns money from unlawful means will not benefit from it. The Prophet said, "He who earns unlawfully is like one who eats but is not satiated." (Al-Bukhaaree)

Dear brethren! Usury is useless and it destroys and causes distress. Allaah says,

"Allaah will destroy usury and will give increase for deeds of charity. And Allaah likes not the disbelievers, sinners."

(Al-Baqarah 2:276)

False swearing may promote sales but it removes the blessings. Refusal to pay Zakaah to avoid the diminution of the property actually ruins the wealth. The Messenger of Allaah said, "Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allaah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allaah! Destroy every miser.'" (Al-Bukhaaree)

Adhere to the worship of your Lord in accordance to the Sunnah. Keep away from forbidden and ambiguous things, your money will be blessed for you.