Contentment is true wealth and worship
“We do not have contentment with what Allah has written for us.”
Qana'ah, contentment with Allah's provision, is an act of worship that brings true wealth, peace, and divine and human love, while unchecked competition for worldly gain destroys people.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Human dissatisfaction with wealth and status fuels sin and worldly competition.
- Qana'ah applies to both rich and poor, keeping worldly wealth in the hand rather than the heart.
- Contentment brings tranquility and true wealth, illustrated by safety, health, and daily sustenance.
- True wealth is contentment, not possessions, and it attracts Allah's and people's love.
- Qana'ah grows through trust in divinely written provision and awareness that worldly life is temporary.
- Comparing downward rather than upward helps believers recognize blessings and give thanks.
In the khateeb's words
“We do not have contentment with what Allah has written for us.”
“That wealth, true wealth it is not one has a lot of possessions from his house and his car and his materialistic possessions.”
“Rather one should look at the people who are beneath us.”
For the dinner table
Today the khutbah was about qana'ah, which means being content and satisfied with what Allah has written for us. The khateeb said that people often always want more: a bigger house, a newer car, a better job. That never-ending wanting can rob us of peace and can even lead weak people into sins like cheating and stealing. He taught that true wealth isn't how much we own. It is a rich, content heart, and a person who wakes up safe, healthy and with food for the day is like someone who owns the whole world. Ibn Abbas even explained the 'good life' Allah promises believers as contentment itself. To reach it, we should trust that Allah has already written our provision, remember that this world is temporary, and look at people who have less than us rather than those who have more, so that we become more thankful.
- What are three blessings you have today, like safety, health or food, that you usually forget to thank Allah for?
- Can you think of a time you really wanted something someone else had? How did it make you feel?
- The khateeb said true wealth is in the heart. What do you think makes a heart 'rich'?
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