2:35 You do not want to…
Ramadan & fastingFrom the masjid's own video, Feb 20, 2026.

Let Ramadan reveal your character

ICNYC · Khalid Latif

“You do not want to shut down conversations around your own self-growth.”

The khateeb, at 2:35

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

Ramadan should function as a truthful mirror that reveals our character, motivates personal moral growth, and calls Muslim communities to embody justice, inclusion, and accountability beyond public religious performance.

The khutbah in 6 steps

  1. Explains Ramadan’s Qur’anic guidance, clarity, and discernment through huda, bayina, and furqan.
  2. Urges listeners to use Ramadan as a diagnostic of their character rather than merely counting religious practices.
  3. Connects patience, worship, charity, fasting, and suhur with softening the heart and accepting self-improvement.
  4. Calls for masjids to welcome women, converts, and people of different backgrounds throughout the year.
  5. Rejects public piety that masks domestic violence, forced marriage, or other abuses excused as culture.
  6. Closes by urging reflection, contemplation, moral growth, and recognition of one’s potential for goodness.
Try this week
Use Ramadan’s first days as a self-assessment, identifying good habits to strengthen and harmful habits to cut.
Reflect and contemplate on how worship is changing your character, not only how many acts you complete.
Continue Qur’an reading, charity, prayer, fasting, and suhur as practices that soften the heart.
Help make the masjid welcoming to women, converts, and people of different races, cultures, and classes throughout the year.
Reject cultural excuses for forced marriage and domestic violence, and take responsibility for confronting harm beyond public religious appearances.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 2Used to explain Ramadan as a source of guidance, clarity, and discernment between truth and falsehood.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“You do not want to shut down conversations around your own self-growth by saying that because it's Ramadan, I do not want to engage in what needs me to confront parts of myself.”
ICNYC · Greenwich Village, NY
Play from 2:35
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The khutbah teaches that Ramadan is meant to reveal who we are and help us grow, not simply make us look religious. Our worship should soften the heart and lead us to improve good actions while leaving harmful ones behind. Allah’s love gives us courage to face our flaws honestly. The masjid should welcome women, converts, and people from every background throughout the year. Faith must also lead us to reject excuses for abuse, forced marriage, and other injustice.

  1. What is one good habit Ramadan is helping you strengthen?
  2. How can we help someone feel welcome at our masjid or in our community?
  3. Why is being kind and just more important than merely looking religious?
Where it was given

The masjid

The Islamic Center of New York City350 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011Jumu'ah Pre-jummah talk + 1st jama'ah 12:30 PM · 2nd 1:30 PM · 3rd 2:15 PMKhateebKhalid LatifMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at ICNYC36 khutbahs
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