Anyone can become a friend of Allah
“His love is just a claim.”
Anyone can become a wali (friend) of Allah by fulfilling the obligatory acts, adding voluntary worship, and avoiding sins, true wilaya is an internal state of love and obedience, not special status or powers.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Definition and three criteria of the awliya: iman, taqwa, and constancy (publicly and privately)
- Wilaya is open to everyone, no VIP status, family name, wealth, or language required
- Iman must grow from shahada to deep conviction (aslamna to amanna), like Salman al-Farisi's 30-year search
- True wali vs. false 'special people' who exploit claims of closeness to Allah for money and fame
- Levels of submission: first the faraid (five prayers), then going beyond with voluntary deeds out of love
- Reflection on four names of Allah in Surah al-Hadid: al-Awwal, al-Akhir, al-Zahir, al-Batin
- Hadith Qudsi on Allah's friendship: obligations, then nawafil, until Allah becomes one's hearing and sight
- Practical means: treat every ayah as a personal message, dhikr, be kind to all since you never know who is a wali
In the khateeb's words
“who is wali wali our friend is a one who will act on your behalf who understands you and who has your best interest at heart”
“obey Him subhana otherwise his love is just a claim it's just a lip service”
“just stay away from the social media or turn your eyes to the sky to the environment around creation”
For the dinner table
This khutbah was about becoming a wali, a friend of Allah, and the beautiful news is that this friendship is open to absolutely everyone, with no special family, wealth, or status required. The path is simple but serious: believe with sincerity, stay mindful of Allah, fulfill the obligations like the five daily prayers, do extra voluntary good, and stay away from sins. The khateeb reminded us that real love for Allah shows up in obedience, otherwise it is just lip service, and that when Allah loves someone, He even places love for that person in the hearts of others. He encouraged us, especially when feeling lost, to step away from social media, which makes us focus on what we don't have, and instead look at the sky and creation around us with gratitude. He ended by reminding us that Allah's friends walk among us unnoticed, so we should be careful and kind to every single person we meet.
- If being Allah's friend needs no money, fame, or special family, just effort, what's one small effort you could start this week?
- When something fun clashes with salah time, what usually wins for you, and why?
- The khateeb said Allah's friends are hidden among ordinary people, how would you treat people differently if you really believed that?
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