Friday sermon: Warm words and good deeds earn God’s favour

Worshippers will be told of the positibve impact of a single kindly word

Righteous words and good deeds can earn God's favour and erase sins.

The benefits of generosity of speech and action will be highlighted to worshippers during the Friday sermon.

Encouraging others to carry out virtuous acts will also be rewarded.

“O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins,” the sermon cites from the Quran.

“To Him ascends righteous speech, and righteous work raises it.”

The sermon will explain the definition of virtuous speech is “Words that are pleasing to Allah, words that enter happiness and joy into the hearts of those who hear them.

“Indeed it could be just one kindly word uttered by the tongue that allows for a person to attain the pleasure of the Merciful.”

Righteous speech also includes remembrance of Allah, phrases and prayers that praise God and ask for His forgiveness, protection, and aid among other things.

When Prophet Mohammed called people to give charity, he said: “He who called (people) to righteousness, there would be reward (assured) for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who called (people) to error, he shall have to carry (the burden) of its sin, like those who committed it, without their sins being diminished in any respect.”

People are also encouraged to express gratitude with motivational words.

"Whoever when some good was done to him, says: 'May Allah reward you in goodness' has done the most that he can of praise,” Prophet Mohammed once said.

The sermon also cites an incident that occurred in front of Prophet Mohammed, to remind people what to do to bring calm to an angry situation.

A man got very angry until his face turned red, Prophet Mohammed then said: “I know a speech, which if this man says, it will cause him to relax.”

The speech was: "I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the outcast.

“Righteous speech is always closer to contentment and acceptance, its effect in the self is more profound and eloquent,” says the sermon.

“It is for this reason that Allah ordered Prophet Musa and Harun (peace and blessing be upon them both) to speak to the Pharaoh with gentle speech.”

“And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah ],” the sermon quotes from the Quran.

“In other words, the command was to speak to Pharaoh with words that are soft, easy to take in, more prone to being listened to,” explains the sermon.