Qur'an & tafsirFrom the masjid's own video, Nov 21, 2025.

The Quran must be understood and lived

“If you don't understand it, you're not going to interact with it.”

The khateeb, at 3:11

In one sentence

The Qur'an should be approached not merely as text to read or recite, but as divine guidance to understand, seek from Allah, and embody in daily life.

The khutbah in 5 steps

  1. Explains why Muslims should understand the Qur'an rather than only hear or recite it.
  2. Distinguishes qira'ah, tartil, and tila'wah as stages from reading to embodied practice.
  3. Defines instructional guidance versus Allah's enabling guidance through teaching and destination analogies.
  4. Uses Qur'anic imagery of light and darkness to contrast guidance and misguidance.
  5. Urges study of al-Fatiha and living the Qur'an, followed by community announcements.
Try this week
Study Arabic or use a reliable translation to understand the Qur'an.
Move from reading and reciting toward applying Qur'anic guidance in daily behavior.
Study Surah al-Fatiha more deeply and reflect on it during prayer.
Ask Allah regularly for divine guidance and the light to practice the Qur'an.
Attend beneficial community learning, including the announced conference and halaqas.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 96Presented iqra' and reading as the first entry point to the Qur'an.
Surah 73Used tartil and night prayer to describe focused, repeated recitation.
Surah 42Distinguished conveying the straight path from granting divine guidance.
Surah 28Showed that the Prophet cannot grant divine guidance; Allah grants it.
Surah 24Used light, niche, and darkness imagery to contrast guidance and misguidance.
Surah 5Presented the Qur'an as confirming and guarding previous scripture.
Surah 1Encouraged intensive study because it is central to prayer and guidance.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“if you don't understand it you're not going to interact with it”
Bayonne Muslims · Bayonne, NJ
Play from 3:11
“the teacher could explain the lesson to the student but he cannot grant them that they're going to pass the exam”
Bayonne Muslims · Bayonne, NJ
Play from 11:53
“Just imagine if that niche is our heart. And we are focusing that source of light, or these sources of light, to our hearts. How bright and shining our hearts would be.”
Bayonne Muslims · Bayonne, NJ
Play from 17:36
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The khateeb encouraged us to move beyond simply hearing or reading the Qur'an. We should study its meaning, recite it carefully, and let its guidance shape our behavior. He explained that people can teach and point us toward truth, but Allah alone grants the inner guidance to accept and live by it. The family takeaway is to ask Allah for light, study Surah al-Fatiha and the Qur'an, and join beneficial learning in the community.

  1. What is one Qur'anic teaching you want to practice this week?
  2. How can we make our hearts more receptive to Allah's guidance?
  3. What would studying Surah al-Fatiha more deeply change in our prayers?