5:56 And today, I want to…25:33 it's our…
Civic engagementFrom the masjid's own video, Aug 28, 2026.

Civic duty is an Islamic obligation

ICSWO

“Civic duty is not a choice in Canada.”

The khateeb, at 5:56

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

Muslims in Canada have an Islamic obligation to engage constructively in civic life through community participation, alliances, candidate engagement, and voting.

The khutbah in 5 steps

  1. Frames civic duty in Canada as an Islamic obligation and emphasizes Islam’s public dimension.
  2. Uses Qur’anic guidance to connect promoting good with communal civic responsibility.
  3. Warns that political absence allows others to shape curricula, taxes, safety policies, and public narratives about Muslims.
  4. Expands civic engagement beyond voting to meetings, parent-teacher associations, Neighborhood Watch, committees, and candidate questions.
  5. Urges cooperation with Indigenous, Black, and Jewish communities while prioritizing local concerns alongside overseas issues.
Try this week
Meet candidates in your ward and attend mayoral candidate meetings.
Listen to candidates, ask questions, and vote in municipal elections based on principles and results.
Join parent-teacher associations, Neighborhood Watch, and local social committees.
Cooperate with Indigenous, Black, and Jewish communities on matters of goodness and righteousness.
Encourage children to view constructive civic participation as part of Muslim responsibility.
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 3:104Used to argue that Muslims must call toward good and oppose wrongdoing.
Quran 3:110Used to emphasize the Muslim community’s public responsibility toward humanity.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“And today, I want to mention that civic duty is not a choice in Canada. It is a responsibility. And more than a responsibility, it is an Islamic obligation.”
ICSWO · London, ON
Play from 5:56
“it's our responsibility to make it a clean practice, because that's what Prophet Muhammad did in Medina”
ICSWO · London, ON
Play from 25:33
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The khateeb taught that Muslims living in Canada have a public responsibility, not only private religious duties. He connected this to Qur’anic calls to promote good and serve the wider community. He urged families to join parent-teacher associations, Neighborhood Watch, social committees, candidate meetings, and eventually vote with principles rather than ethnic loyalty. He also encouraged cooperation with Indigenous, Black, and Jewish neighbors and attention to local concerns such as schools, taxes, transit, safety, and bullying. His message was that London is our Medina: home is where we should build clean, caring, constructive civic life.

  1. What is one place in our neighborhood where our family could participate or help?
  2. How can we disagree with someone while still working together for the good?
  3. What would it mean for us to treat our city as home?
Where it was given

The masjid

Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario951 Pond Mills Rd, London, ON N6N 1C3Jumu'ah Adhan 1:30 PM · sermon 1:35 PM · iqamah 1:55 PMArchiveAll khutbahs at ICSWO12 khutbahs
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