Note: The following transcript was generated using AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. Praise be to Him is the best and most beautiful praise. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. He speaks the truth, and He is the Guide. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger—peace be upon him, his family, and his companions. And those who follow him will have a good life until the Day of Judgment.
My beloved brothers and sisters, summer is approaching. Summer is one of the four seasons, and it is—according to us Muslims—a sign from the signs of Allah. When summer comes in, like any other month or season, we take lessons and reminders from it. Allah says this to us in the Qur’an. Allah tells us this in Surah Fussilat. Allah says that from the signs of Allah are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon.
So, in shā’ Allāh, I want, with the permission of Allah Al-Karīm, to share with my brothers and sisters some kalimāt (words) and also waʿiẓāt (reminders)—some advice and reflections, in shā’ Allāh—regarding the season of summer that is approaching and making its way towards us. And I ask Allah Taʿālā to make it a source of benefit for myself and for every single one of you.
I want to go through six points, in shā’ Allāh. Each point shares some benefits and some reminders related to this season—summer.
1. The Sun as a Blessing
In shā’ Allāh, my brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the sun is a niʿmah—a blessing from the blessings of Allah Taʿālā. This sun gives us light. It gives us heat, which we need.
We need the light in order to see. And we need the heat in order to not feel cold. Our bodies require a certain temperature—we can't freeze, and we also can't be too hot. The sun gives us that balance. Allah Taʿālā has distanced the sun from us in His wisdom, subḥānahu wa taʿālā, so that it does not burn us.
Also, as much as we need it, so do the vegetation and our fruits—our gardens require it as well. The Earth needs the sun. And now, we all see the direction the world is going. We're living in a time where solar power is being used. The sun is being utilized. So the need for it is becoming more than it was before.
Allah Taʿālā—look what He says. Allah made the sun a light to illuminate you. Also, Allah Taʿālā says: Allah made the sun and the moon—both of them—to serve what we need. The sun and the moon, my brothers and sisters, are helping us. They are working for our benefit.
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Nāṣir al-Saʿdī, in his tafsīr, when he came to the ayah, he said: Allah made the sun and the moon to serve you—to help and aid you, to give you what you want. For what? For the good that creation needs. The sun helps you with that, and so does the moon.
They also benefit our animals—our horses, goats, camels, cows—and our vegetation. They all need it.
So, that’s the first benefit I wanted to share: we have to understand that this summer is not just a season—it’s a blessing from the blessings of Allah, subḥānahu wa taʿālā.
2. A Reminder of the Day of Judgment
Number two: the sun and its heat. When it gets hot, we—as slaves of Allah, subḥānahu wa taʿālā—need to remember another day when there is going to be real heat. We need to remember the Day of Judgment.
We need to contemplate and think about Jahannam and how hot it will be, and how some people will burn when the sun is brought close to them, and they are going to sweat severely.
The Prophet ﷺ told us about the relationship between ḥarārat al-shams—the heat of the sun—and Jahannam.
A ḥadīth in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Muslim, narrated by Abū Hurayrah, the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِذَا اشْتَدَّ الْحَرُّ فَأَبْرِدُوا بِالصَّلَاةِ When the heat becomes very intense, delay the ṣalāh until it cools down a bit. فَإِنَّ شِدَّةَ الْحَرِّ مِنْ فَيْحِ جَهَنَّمَ Because the severity of the heat is from the breathing of Jahannam.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
وَاشْتَكَّتِ النَّارُ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا The Fire complained to its Lord, فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَبِّ أَكَلَ بَعْضِي بَعْضًا and said, "O my Lord, parts of me have consumed other parts." فَأَذِنَ لَهَا بِنَفَسَيْنِ So Allah permitted it to take two breaths: نَفَسٍ فِي الشِّتَاءِ وَنَفَسٍ فِي الصَّيْفِ One in the winter and one in the summer. فَهُوَ أَشَدُّ مَا تَجِدُونَ مِنَ الْحَرِّ، وَأَشَدُّ مَا تَجِدُونَ مِنَ الزَّمْهَرِيرِ The heat you feel in the summer is from the breath of Jahannam. And the extreme cold you feel in winter is also from the breath of Jahannam.
And the Prophet ﷺ told us this in a ḥadīth that is in Bukhārī and Muslim—this is at the highest level of authenticity.
So my brothers and sisters, there always has to be in your mind, when you see the heat and how hot it gets sometimes, a reminder—a moment to think and ponder over:
جَهَنَّمَ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ Jahannam—what an evil destination it is.
When Allah says:
قُلْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّا Say: The fire of Jahannam is more intense in heat.
Or when Allah says:
كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ Whenever their skins are burned, We will replace them with new skins so they can taste the punishment again.
So we need to think about that heat of Jahannam.
3. The Blessing of Cold Water
The third benefit, Insha’Allah Ta’ala, that I want to share with all of you is remembering the blessing of Allah Ta’ala upon us. Which blessing? Cold water.
In winter, we don’t drink as much as we would in summer. Winter is cold, so people tend to drink hot beverages—coffee, tea, etc. لكن (but) in summer, people run towards الماء البارد—cold water, and also towards الظلال—shades to protect themselves from the heat.
Even the clothing we wear in summer differs from what we wear in winter. That, too, is a blessing. Allah has provided us, Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, with the ability to wear light clothing, to go under a shade, to stand there and cool off—or drink cold water.
Allah mentions all of this as a blessing, and these blessings appear clearly in the summer. Allah says:
وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلَالًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ وَسَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُم بَأْسَكُمْ كَذَٰلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ (Surah An-Nahl: 81)
Allah is telling us that He created for us:
- Shades to protect us from heat,
- Garments to protect us from extreme weather and even in battle. This is how Allah completes His blessings upon us, so that we may submit to Him.
And Allah also says:
وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ "Whatever blessing you have—it is from Allah." (Surah An-Nahl: 53)
So the next time you open your fridge, or go to a corner shop and buy a bottle of cold water—remember this is a blessing from Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. And remember—you will be asked about it on the Day of Judgment.
4. Hope for Reward and Expiation
The fourth reminder, Insha’Allah Ta’ala, is: When summer comes, have hope in Allah for reward and expiation of sins due to the hardship you may endure—especially the heat and the difficulty (mashakka) it brings, and the patience it requires.
Especially in the part of the world I currently live in—the Middle East—the heat gets extremely high. Just going to the masjid and praying Dhuhr and ‘Asr in that heat is much harder than in winter. But this difficulty brings reward, Insha’Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
وَلَا هَمٍّ وَلَا حَزَنٍ وَلَا أَذًى وَلَا غَمٍّ حَتَّى الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا إِلَّا كَفَّرَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ خَطَايَاهُ "No fatigue, nor illness, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim—even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn—but that Allah expiates some of his sins for it." (Bukhari and Muslim)
So let’s believe that the hardship we face in summer, Insha’Allah Ta’ala, will be a source of reward and forgiveness from Allah. Bring that niyyah (intention) with you—Insha’Allah.
5. The Importance of Dua
There is a famous duʿa that some people attribute to the Prophet ﷺ:
"إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمٌ حَارٌ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، مَا أَشَدَّ حَرَّ هَذَا الْيَوْمِ، اللَّهُمَّ أَجِرْنِي مِنْ حَرِّ جَهَنَّمَ" And it is claimed that Allah responds: "My slave has sought refuge in Me from the heat of Hell, so bear witness that I have granted it to him."
However, this hadith is not authentic. Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani رحمه الله clearly stated its weakness in his book As-Silsilah al-Da‘ifah. And many other scholars of hadith have also pointed this out.
While it is definitely recommended to seek refuge in Allah from Hellfire, one should not attribute this specific du‘a to the Prophet ﷺ if it is not proven.
6. Multiplication of Rewards
The sixth and final point is: Good deeds are multiplied—especially those that involve hardship like:
- Fasting
- Walking to the masjid
- Any other righteous action
These are multiplied بسبب المشقة الحاصلة غالبا من حرارة الشمس—due to the difficulty and hardship caused by the summer heat.
The Prophet ﷺ said to his beloved wife Aisha رضي الله عنها:
إِنَّ لَكِ مِنَ الْأَجْرِ عَلَى قَدْرِ نَصَبِكِ وَنَفَقَتِكِ "You will be rewarded according to your hardship and your spending." (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi; its origin is found in Sahih Muslim)
And this is not specific to Aisha—it applies to every Muslim. The more effort, struggle, and hardship you go through in an act of worship, the more reward you will receive, Insha’Allah.
Imam Al-Nawawi رحمه الله, in his explanation of Sahih Muslim, said:
هذا ظاهر في أن الثواب والفضل في العبادة يكثر بكثرة النصب والنفقة، والمراد النصب الذي لا يذمه الشرع "It is apparent from this hadith that the reward and virtue of an act of worship increases according to the hardship and effort involved, as long as the hardship is not something condemned by the Shari’ah."
Conclusion and Du’a
May Allah guide us with His verses and allow us to benefit from them. اللهم اهدنا بآياتك والانتفاع بها اللهم أرنا الحق حقًا وارزقنا اتباعه وأرنا الباطل باطلًا وارزقنا اجتنابه اللهم علمنا ما ينفعنا، وزدنا علمًا ينفعنا ولا تجعل فيما علمتنا وبالًا عليناO Allah, guide us through Your verses and grant us benefit from them.
O Allah, show us the truth as truth and grant us the ability to follow it,
And show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us the ability to avoid it.
O Allah, teach us what will benefit us, and increase us in beneficial knowledge.
And do not make what You have taught us a burden against us. سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك.
