Repentance & taqwaFrom the masjid's own video, Jul 18, 2026.
Allah's remembrance matters more than being remembered
“We hope our children make du'a for us and we hope our grandchildren will remember us, but how many generations until our name is forgotten?”
In one sentence
Islam's rituals are tools meant to instill values, above all the constant remembrance of Allah through istighfar, and chasing Allah's remembrance, not human recognition, is what etches a believer into eternity.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening duas and Friday Sunnah recitations: Surah al-Kahf, plus Surah as-Sajdah and al-Insan at Fajr
- The halal/haram binary is insufficient; the Prophet taught a value-based approach to ambiguous matters
- Islam, Iman, and Ihsan as a ladder of values, illustrated by the sahaba's laqabs (al-Amin, al-Siddiq, al-Farooq)
- Surah al-Insan humbles mankind: humanity occupies a sliver of cosmic time, and our sight and hearing force a choice between gratitude (shakir) and ingratitude (kafur)
- Humans crave being remembered (airports, benches, social media), but only Allah's remembrance is eternal
- The reciprocal promise of dhikr: 'Remember Me, I will remember you', forgetting Allah is the deepest loneliness
- Istighfar is the practical tool: not only for sin, but for every gap in remembrance, said continuously as the Prophet did 70-100 times daily
- Closing: the grateful striving of this dunya is finally appreciated in Jannah; keep the tongue moist with istighfar
Try this week
Say istighfar continuously throughout the day, between meetings, clients, and tasks, not only after sinning
Recite Surah al-Kahf every Friday and reflect also on Surah as-Sajdah and Surah al-Insan
Increase prayer, istighfar, and dua while alive, treating each breath as a rare opportunity
Teach children the values behind halal and haram rules, not just the rules themselves
Redirect the desire for recognition away from people and toward being remembered by Allah
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 76Central text: man's non-existence before creation, the faculties of sight and hearing, the shakir/kafur choice, and the closing verse that striving is 'mashkura' (appreciated)
Surah 18Cited as the Prophet's Friday recitation custom the congregation already knows
Surah 32Cited as the two surahs the Prophet customarily recited in Fajr, framing reflection on al-Insan
Surah 76Cited as the two surahs the Prophet customarily recited in Fajr, framing reflection on al-Insan
Sahih al-BukhariUsed to contrast heavenly remembrance/love with fleeting human praise
Quran 2:152Quoted to seal the promise: remember Allah and He remembers you
Quran 55:26Everything on earth perishes, including those who remember you, so human remembrance cannot be the goal
Surah 110Even in victory Allah commands tasbih and istighfar, proving we forget Allah even in triumph
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“he said whoever has taqwa in those situations they have protected their honor and their deen he responded by a value based approach not by saying do X, Y, and Z but rather look at this value”
“do you know your great great grandparents name? we hope our children make du'a for us and we hope our grandchildren will remember us but how many generations until our name is forgotten?”
“you don't have to be doing something wrong to keep saying it it keeps you close to Allah”
“this is your reward today and your striving that you did in the dunya it is now appreciated with this reward”
Where it was given
The masjids
Daar-Ul-Islam Masjid (Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis)517 Weidman Rd, Ballwin, MO 63011Jumu'ah 12:30 PM and 1:30 PMMasjid Bilal Ibn Rabaah (West Pine Masjid)3843 W Pine Mall Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108Jumu'ah 12:30 PMKhateebFaraz MalikMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at Daar-Ul-Islam46 khutbahs
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