3:28 And on and on and on…4:09 We call it an-nafsul…31:40 we ask Allah subhanahu…
Seeking knowledgeFrom the masjid's own video, Aug 1, 2026.

Clear thinking requires the right kind of knowledge

ICCP · Tarek Elgawhary

“We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to help us think clearly.”

The khateeb, at 31:40

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

Clear thinking as a Muslim requires recognizing that knowledge comes in distinct types, empirical, rational, and revelatory, and applying each only to the questions it is suited to answer.

The khutbah in 8 steps

  1. Opening Arabic praise, salawat, and taqwa verses
  2. The Quran repeatedly commands reflection and thinking (tadabbur)
  3. Three categories of knowledge: empirical, rational, and revelatory
  4. Early Muslims built supportive sciences (logic, geodesy, astronomy) to serve religious understanding
  5. The sahaba were diverse specialists, not one block of people
  6. Misapplying the wrong knowledge type to religion (inheritance, flood of Nuh) and vice versa (doctor/lawyer examples)
  7. Second khutbah: clarifying last week's ahlul kitab remarks, theology vs fiqh
  8. Community announcements, dua, and prayer
Try this week
Before answering any question, first ask which type of knowledge it requires, empirical, rational, or religious
Consult qualified experts when a matter exceeds your own specialty, as muftis do in the fatwa process
Bring questions directly to the imam after prayer instead of emails and phone messages
Attend the open Q&A session Tuesday night, August 4th, and keep sending questions
Fill out sister Zainab Jackson's anonymous 10-minute questionnaire on Muslim American mental health via the QR code after prayer
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 47:24God challenges people to reflect on the Quran or admit locks on their hearts
Surah 91Success belongs to the one who purifies the self; ruin to the one who neglects it, the nafs as organ of perception
Quran 3:190Those who reflect on creation conclude it was not made in vain
Quran 51:21God's signs exist within our own selves, 'do you not see?'
Quran 16:43Grounds relying on experts in the fatwa process
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“And on and on and on and on the verses go in which Allah SWT asks us, challenges us, encourages us to think and to reflect.”
ICCP · Potomac, MD
Play from 3:28
“We call it an-nafsul mudrika, an-nafsul aqila, an-nafsul natiqa.”
ICCP · Potomac, MD
Play from 4:09
“we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to help us think clearly we ask Allah ta'ala to give us insight into ourselves into the world around us”
ICCP · Potomac, MD
Play from 31:40
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

Today the khateeb taught that Allah praises people who think, and that the Qur'an constantly asks us to reflect on ourselves and on creation. He explained that there are three kinds of knowledge: things we learn by observing the world, things we know by pure reason, and things we can only know because Allah revealed them, like how many rak'ahs are in dhuhr. The early Muslims took this so seriously that they developed sciences like logic, grammar, and astronomy to support their understanding of the faith, and Imam al-Ghazali said a person who cannot think logically cannot be trusted in their thinking. Problems come when we mix these up, using science or personal opinion to judge religious rulings, or using religion where expertise like medicine or engineering is needed. Sometimes the real answer is simply 'because Allah said so,' and accepting that with 'we hear and we obey' is part of being Muslim. He ended by asking Allah to help us all think clearly, and reminded the community to support one another, especially students and anyone struggling not to give up.

  1. The khateeb said we don't eat pork simply 'because Allah said so', how is that different from rules we follow because we understand the reason?
  2. If a doctor pulled out the Qur'an instead of an X-ray to fix your shoulder, why would that be a mistake, and what does that teach us about using the right tool for each question?
  3. The khateeb almost quit his PhD but didn't, who in your life can you help so they don't give up on something hard?
Where it was given

The masjid

Islamic Community Center of Potomac10601 River Rd, Potomac, MD 20854Jumu'ah Adhan 1:15 PMKhateebTarek ElgawharyMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at ICCP96 khutbahs
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IMAN Center · Kirkland, WA · Sep 19, 2026Knowledge matters only when it changes us“Sometimes the problem is knowledge without action.”Daar-Ul-Islam · Ballwin, MO · Oct 3, 2026The first revelation calls us to learn and serve“Before any type of great transformation occurs outwardly, there must be deep reflection inwardly.”CCIL-KBW · Laval, QC · Sep 26, 2026Protect your heart from information overload“Faire confiance à Allah ne signifie pas rester sans rien faire.”