11:35 Do you really think…18:33 You are being tested…18:59 Every single one of us…
Patience & trialsFrom the masjid's own video, Sep 3, 2025.

Faith is tested through hardship and blessing

EPIC · Mohamad Baajour

“Every single one of us is being tested.”

The khateeb, at 18:59

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

Claiming to be Muslim entails sincerely submitting to Allah's commands and accepting costly tests through both hardship and blessing.

The khutbah in 6 steps

  1. Acknowledges illness, bereavement, and the blessings people often overlook.
  2. Calls believers to embrace Islam completely rather than selectively following only comfortable rulings.
  3. Uses Quranic tests and Ibrahim's example to explain how faith is purified and verified.
  4. Expands testing beyond hardship to include wealth, health, children, education, status, and authority.
  5. Applies the principle to charity, parents, employment, income, leadership, and resisting online temptations.
  6. Concludes that Paradise is costly, urging steadfastness and praying for relief and protection.
Try this week
Participate in helping people in need, even when the contribution is small.
Visit or support the sick and sincerely respond to prayers for them.
Honor and obey parents even when their behavior is difficult.
Reject haram employment, income, advertising, and businesses despite financial benefits.
Hire and treat people fairly rather than favoring unqualified relatives or insiders.
Lower the gaze and stop viewing illicit online material.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 2Used to command entering Islam completely and warn against selectively accepting revelation.
Surah 29Explained that believers are tested so sincere faith is distinguished from false claims.
Surah 21Established that people are tested through both evil and good.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“Do you really think you're going to be called a Muslim and walking around? I am a Muslim. I am a believer. And that's it. No! There's a cost!”
EPIC · Plano, TX
Play from 11:35
“You are being tested with that wealth that you have. You are being tested with that health that you have.”
EPIC · Plano, TX
Play from 18:33
“Every single one of us is being tested. So the test is not only in the sharr, but it's also in the khayr.”
EPIC · Plano, TX
Play from 18:59
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

Today’s khutbah teaches that saying “I am a Muslim” means submitting to Allah even when obedience costs comfort, money, status, or desire. Every person is tested not only by illness and hardship, but also by health, wealth, family, education, and opportunities. We should respond by helping people in need, honoring parents, refusing haram work and income, acting fairly, and guarding our eyes. These tests reveal whether faith is sincere and leave us no excuse before Allah. The khutbah ends by asking Allah to keep families steadfast and bring relief to Gaza and the oppressed.

  1. What blessing in our lives might also be a test?
  2. What is one difficult choice where obeying Allah may cost us something?
  3. How can our family help someone this week?
Where it was given

The masjid

East Plano Islamic Center4700 14th Street, Plano, TX 75074Jumu'ah First Jumu'ah 12:30 PM · second Jumu'ah 2:00 PMKhateebMohamad BaajourMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at EPIC165 khutbahs
Keep listening

More on Patience & trials

All on this topic
Qalam · Carrollton, TX · Oct 23, 2026Patience means grieving without rejecting Allah“Holding yourself together does not mean that you can't be emotional.”ICGT · Perrysburg, OH · Oct 17, 2026Patience should guide major decisions“You have to be patient and you have to think twice before taking any decision in your life.”Tawakkul does not mean to refuse help.18:22NHIEC · Union City, NJ · Oct 31, 2026Trust Allah through hardship and grief