Character & conductFrom the masjid's own video, Sep 3, 2025.
Being Muslim means bringing peace and making amends
“Are you a person who is not harming others in any form or any shape?”
In one sentence
A Muslim is defined not merely by belief, identity, or ritual, but by an inwardly rooted commitment to bring peace, avoid harming others, and repair harm when it occurs.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- A simplistic definition based on belief in God and the Day of Judgment is challenged through the example of Iblis.
- A hadith from Muslim and Qur'an 68:35 are used to define a Muslim as someone who does not harm others.
- Arabic word roots and the story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba connect Islam with actively extending peace.
- Faith in Allah and the Hereafter should produce peaceful conduct even when cameras, police, or other external controls are absent.
- Names, clothing, prayer, and other devotional acts do not excuse harming neighbors, animals, or civilians; peace is not passivity.
- Listeners are urged to examine their harms at home and work, apologize, reconcile, and keep striving to become people of peace.
Try this week
Monitor speech and actions for harm at home, work, in the mosque, online, and in public.
When you wrong someone, apologize directly, seek forgiveness, reconcile, and repair what you can.
Practice peaceful conduct because of an internal relationship with Allah, not merely external pressure.
Regularly reckon with your behavior and correct mistakes rather than relying only on verbal repentance.
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 68:35Contrasts Muslims with wrongdoers, supporting the definition of a Muslim as someone who does not harm others.
Sahih MuslimThe Prophet defines a Muslim as one who prevents his tongue and hand from harming others.
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“the muslim is the one that he prevented his tongue and his hand from harming others”
“the essence brothers and sisters in so far is to be a person of peace”
“A Muslim is the one in behavior. Are you a person of peace? Are you a person who is not harming others in any form or any shape? Then you are a Muslim.”
“When we slip, we correct. Not by astaghfirullah by itself. Astaghfirullah, it is an eye-opener, but I go and reconcile and I fix.”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
The khutbah teaches that being Muslim is more than having a Muslim name, appearance, or performing religious practices. A Muslim should be a person of peace who does not harm others with words, actions, or online behavior. Faith in Allah and the Day of Judgment should guide us even when nobody is watching. When we hurt someone, simply saying astaghfirullah is not enough; we should apologize, seek forgiveness, reconcile, and repair what we can.
- Where might our words or actions accidentally hurt someone?
- What does it look like to make peace after we have done something wrong?
- How can we stand up against wrongdoing while still acting peacefully?
Keep listening
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