20:03 Hunger didn't stop…26:20 you come for the…29:31 The month of Ramadan…
Ramadan & fastingFrom the masjid's own video, Feb 6, 2026.

Ramadan hunger trains us to serve

ISF

“You come for the khidmat and the service of the ummah, not to service yourselves, right?”

The khateeb, at 26:20

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In one sentence

Ramadan hunger should be embraced as spiritual training that cultivates gratitude, resilience, trust in Allah, and selfless service to others.

The khutbah in 5 steps

  1. Explains Surah al-Nahl’s parable of a secure, prosperous town that denied its blessings and tasted hunger and fear.
  2. Reframes Ramadan hunger as psychological and spiritual training, not merely physical deprivation.
  3. Introduces the Sahih al-Bukhari account of Ahl al-Suffa and Abu Huraira’s extreme hunger and dignity.
  4. Retells how the Prophet had Abu Huraira serve milk to everyone before drinking himself.
  5. Applies the story to Ramadan by urging selfless service, respectful iftar behavior, and trust in Allah’s provision.
Try this week
Serve others before serving yourself at iftar.
Respect elderly people, pregnant women, and others waiting for food.
Teach children adab, etiquette, and manners in mosque food lines.
Enter Ramadan trusting Allah as the provider.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 16Used the parable of a prosperous town whose ingratitude led it to taste hunger and fear.
Sahih al-BukhariUsed Abu Huraira’s account of Ahl al-Suffa, shared milk, and serving others first.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“Hunger didn't stop them from excelling neither in deen nor dunia. Because because of them, this deen was propagated to this day.”
ISF · Frederick, MD
Play from 20:03
“you come for the khidmat and the service of the ummah, not to service yourselves, right? Not to service yourselves.”
ISF · Frederick, MD
Play from 26:20
“The month of Ramadan is not to service yourselves. Come to the masjid let me get my iftar and go home. No, you need to change your mindset.”
ISF · Frederick, MD
Play from 29:31
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

Ramadan is not meant to be only a month of feeling hungry; hunger can teach gratitude, trust in Allah, and spiritual strength. The khutbah reminds us that early Muslims, including Abu Huraira and the Ahl al-Suffa, endured hardship without letting it stop them from serving and learning. In the story of the milk, Abu Huraira serves everyone else before he drinks, and Allah places blessing in what seems scarce. At our own iftars, we should slow down, respect elders and vulnerable people, and make sure others are cared for. We can enter Ramadan asking how we will serve the community, not only what we will receive.

  1. What is one way we can serve someone else before taking food for ourselves?
  2. How might feeling hungry help us notice blessings we usually overlook?
  3. What should good manners look like in our family or mosque iftar line?
Where it was given

The masjid

Islamic Society of Frederick1250 Key Pkwy, Frederick, MD 21702ArchiveAll khutbahs at ISF78 khutbahs
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