Patience & trialsFrom the masjid's own video, Jun 13, 2026.
Allah's pleasure matters more than fitting in
“Measure yourself by how sincerely and how hard you are striving to follow the Quran and the Sunnah.”
In one sentence
Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange, so blessed are the 'strangers' who hold fast to their religion despite social pressure, because Allah's pleasure, not people's acceptance, is the true measure of success.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- Opening adhan and the hadith of the strangers (ghuraba): Islam began strange and will return strange
- Why practicing Muslims look strange in the West: five daily prayers, Islam-centered life vs 'you only live once'
- Entering Islam completely: no picking and choosing verses or hadith by feelings
- Glad tidings for the strangers: reward with Allah and the hadith of holding to religion like a hot coal
- The reward of fifty companions for steadfastness in hard times
- Truth is not determined by numbers: the 73-sects hadith and the saved jama'ah
- Second half: Allah sees every hardship; do not fear the blame of the critic (Surah al-Ma'idah); story of a sister who took shahada despite family opposition; closing dua
Try this week
Establish the five daily prayers on time, including in public settings like airports, without delaying them out of embarrassment
Avoid riba/interest and seek halal income even when it costs financially
Maintain outward sunnah practice (beard for brothers, hijab/modest dress for sisters) despite social pressure
Accept the Quran and Sunnah in full rather than picking and choosing based on feelings
Measure yourself by Allah's pleasure rather than by fitting into the crowd or social media approval
Make dua for steadfastness and guidance, as the sister in the story did before her shahada
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 2:208Against selectively accepting some revelation and rejecting the rest based on feelings
Quran 2:112Glad tidings of reward and freedom from fear and grief for those who submit
Quran 4:69The greatest humans, those Allah favored, were themselves strangers rejected by their peoples
Quran 6:74Ibrahim as a young stranger disassociating from idolatry of his own family
Surah 29Nuh's 950 years of dawah as the supreme example of patient strangeness
Quran 6:116Majority opinion is no proof of truth; crowds often follow assumption
Quran 5:54Attributes of those Allah loves, humble with believers, firm against pressure, unafraid of the critic's blame
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“Where most of us, we give dawah for 5 seconds and we have a headache. We make dua, and two weeks later, we feel impatient. 950 years, imagine.”
“When people make you feel strange because of your commitment to the deen of Allah, then know that this is an honor. By Allah, this is an honor.”
“So do not measure yourself by how well you fit into the crowd. Measure yourself by how sincerely and how hard you are striving to follow the Quran and the Sunnah.”
Where it was given
The masjid
United Islamic Center of Paterson (Ulu Cami)408 Knickerbocker Ave, Paterson, NJ 07503Jumu'ah Preliminary sermon 11:45 AM · Khutbah 12:15 PM · Iqamah 12:30 PM (winter schedule, through March 13, 2027; one hour later during daylight saving time)KhateebUlu Cami CumaMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at Ulu Cami12 khutbahs
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