Rabi al-Awwal 1, 1448 (August 14, 2026)
Assalaamun Alaykum Warahmatullah Taallah Wabarakatuhu
Beneficial Knowledge Never Dies: Lessons from the Life of Shaykha Nakata Kaori
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. We praise Him, we seek His help and His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Him from the evil within ourselves and the consequences of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and Messenger.
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,
It is incumbent on us to fear Allah (taqwa), for the fear of Allah is the provision of the believers and the key to success in this world and the Hereafter.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“Say, ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” (Qur’an 39:9)
And He also says:
“Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge by degrees.” (Qur’an 58:11)
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.” (Sahih Muslim)
Today’s khutbah invites us to reflect on one of these enduring legacies—beneficial knowledge—through the inspiring life of a remarkable Muslim woman whose influence continues long after her departure from this world: Shaykha Nakata Kaori, celebrated as Japan’s first female Muslim scholar.
Brothers and sisters,
The history of Islam is not only the story of great rulers or famous warriors. It is also the story of ordinary believers who performed extraordinary acts of sincerity for the sake of Allah. Some built mosques, others established schools, while many dedicated themselves to teaching and spreading knowledge.
Shaykha Nakata Kaori belonged to this noble tradition.
Born on 26 January 1961 in Japan, she embraced Islam in January 1991. In a society where Muslims formed only a tiny minority and where authentic Islamic literature in Japanese was scarce, accepting Islam was itself an act of courage and conviction.
Yet she did not stop at becoming a Muslim. She asked herself a profound question: “How can I serve this religion?”
That question transformed her life.
Instead of seeking recognition, she devoted herself to knowledge. She realized that countless Japanese people desired to understand Islam but lacked reliable resources in their own language.
So she became a bridge.
One of her greatest achievements was translating Tafsir al-Jalalayn into Japanese. This was no ordinary task. Translating a classical Qur’anic commentary requires deep understanding of the Qur’an, the Arabic language, Islamic scholarship and the ability to communicate profound meanings in another language.
She understood that if people could read authentic Islamic scholarship in their own language, many misconceptions about Islam would disappear.
Dear servants of Allah,
The Qur’an repeatedly calls us to reflect, learn and convey knowledge with wisdom.
Allah says:
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction…” (Qur’an 16:125)
Notice that Allah did not say to invite people through harshness or argument. Rather, He commanded wisdom.
Shaykha Nakata Kaori practiced this command through education. She wrote books introducing Islam in language that ordinary Japanese readers could understand. She replaced misunderstanding with clarity, suspicion with knowledge and fear with dialogue.
She proved that da’wah is not limited to public lectures. Sometimes the most effective invitation to Islam comes through a carefully translated book, a thoughtful article or a sincere conversation.
Brothers and sisters,
Another remarkable contribution of Shaykha Nakata Kaori was her role in establishing an Islamic newspaper that served Japan’s Muslim community.
Today we live in the age of smartphones and instant communication, but decades ago Muslim communities depended on newspapers and printed publications to remain connected.
Through that newspaper, Muslims shared knowledge, strengthened their identity and encouraged one another in faith.
This teaches us another lesson: every skill Allah gives us can become a means of serving Islam. Some serve through teaching, others through writing, journalism, translation, medicine, engineering or business.
The important question is not, “What is my profession?” but rather, “How can my profession become an act of worship?”
Dear believers,
The life of Shaykha Nakata Kaori also reminds us that Muslim women have always occupied an honoured place in the preservation of Islamic knowledge.
From our mother Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who transmitted thousands of hadiths, to generations of female scholars throughout Islamic history, women have educated communities, preserved knowledge and nurtured future scholars.
Shaykha Nakata Kaori continued this noble tradition in modern Japan.
She demonstrated that scholarship knows no racial, national or cultural boundaries. Islam belongs to no single people. It is a mercy for all humanity.
Allah says:
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Qur’an 21:107)
Islam reached Arabia, Africa, Europe and Asia because ordinary believers carried extraordinary sincerity.
The same way, Islam found a devoted servant in Japan through Shaykha Nakata Kaori.
Dear brothers and sisters,
One of the greatest tragedies today is that many Muslims consume knowledge but rarely share it. We attend lectures, read books and listen to reminders, yet we hesitate to teach our children, support Islamic education or produce beneficial knowledge for others.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Teaching is not confined to the classroom. A translated book, an educational article, a charitable publication or a sincere effort to explain Islam correctly can all become forms of continuous charity whose rewards continue long after we leave this world.
My dear brothers and sisters,
Shaykha Nakata Kaori returned to her Lord on 16 August 2008, at only 47 years of age. She embraced Islam when she was 30 years old and inspiringly served Allah for about 16 years before her death.
Her life was short, but her legacy is long.
She reminds us that success before Allah is not measured by the number of years we live but by what we leave behind. Wealth fades, fame disappears and worldly positions are forgotten. Beneficial knowledge, however, continues to illuminate hearts across generations.
As we remember her today, we should ask ourselves:
If Allah were to call us back today, what beneficial knowledge would remain after us?
What book have we written?
Whom have we taught?
Which young person have we mentored?
What institution have we supported?
What legacy of faith are we leaving behind?
May Allah make us among those whose lives benefit others.
Shaykha Nakata Kaori’s exemplary life is a challenge to all lettered Muslims. If a revert Muslim sister could do what she has done for Islam, we are compelled to reflect, especially those of us born and brought up as Muslims.
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May Allah reward Shaykha Nakata Kaori abundantly for every soul guided through her scholarship, every heart enlightened by her writings and every reader inspired by her translations.
May Allah forgive her shortcomings, expand her grave, fill it with light, admit her into Jannatul Firdaus and unite us with the righteous in the highest ranks of Paradise.
Ameen.
Indeed, Allah commands justice, excellence and generosity to relatives and forbids immorality, wrongdoing and oppression. He instructs us so that we may take heed. So remember Allah, the Most High; He will remember you. Be grateful to Him for His blessings; He will increase you. Surely, the remembrance of Allah is the greatest of all acts, and Allah knows all that you do.
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Endeavour to recite Surah Al-Kahf (Chapter 18: Verses 1-110).
Juma’ah Mabrouq
