Honor imams and return to the Quran
“We need to go back and see what we are doing wrong.”
The khutbah argues that Muslim communities can recover from humiliation by returning to the Qur'an and Sunnah, restoring the sacred authority of qualified imams, and honoring and supporting them rather than treating them as disposable employees.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- The ummah's suffering is attributed to collective failure and requires sincere self-reform.
- Imamah is presented as a divinely honored trust requiring taqwa, knowledge, and qualification.
- Qur'an and hadith distinguish righteous guidance from leaders who invite people toward kufr.
- Prayer leadership requires following the imam and prioritizing Qur'an knowledge, Sunnah, hijrah, and age.
- Communities are criticized for treating imams as disposable employees and excluding them from meaningful governance.
- Listeners are urged to respect and support imams, especially younger ones, while remembering deceased and ill scholars in prayer.
In the khateeb's words
“We need to go back and see what we are doing wrong, then we can make a U-turn.”
“Allah will not change the state or the status or the condition of any people until they change themselves.”
“We don't hire. We don't hire the Imam. We choose our Imam.”
“You go and shake his hand and show him respect. Show him, make him feel, oh my God, what am I doing? What a job is this?”
For the dinner table
The khateeb said Muslims should not treat the community's struggles as someone else's fault, but should begin by changing themselves and returning to the Qur'an and Sunnah. He explained that leading prayer and guiding a community are trusts requiring knowledge, taqwa, and qualification. He criticized communities that treat imams like disposable employees and urged people to honor the role even when they disagree with the individual. He asked families to greet, respect, and support imams, especially younger ones, while praying for ill and deceased community members.
- What does respectful leadership look like at school, at home, or in the masjid?
- Why might a community need to support the people who teach and lead it?
- What is one change our family could make to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah more carefully this week?
More on the ummah & current events
Islam belongs to all of humanity.16:15FIC · Swartz Creek, MI · Oct 10, 2026Dawah must serve all of humanity
EPIC · Plano, TX · Aug 3, 2026The ummah must serve humanity“We have to engage the greater society and we have to better the greater society.”
18:19ICRR · Round Rock, TX · Aug 1, 2026Liberation depends on the next generation“The success of a project is not dependent on the physical completion of it, but it's dependent on if the next generation inherits your legacy or not.”