Gentleness wins people over
“It is about winning a person over.”
Because Allah loves gentleness, Muslims should make rifq a pervasive character trait, especially in speech and relationships, since it achieves what harshness cannot and brings goodness in this life and the Hereafter.
The khutbah in 5 steps
- Allah is Al-Rafiq and loves gentleness, which achieves what force, threats, and manipulation cannot.
- Gentleness is practiced through ordinary habits such as wudu, drinking, walking, and closing doors.
- In marriage, parenting, and correction, Muslims should speak truth gently and acknowledge good before addressing problems.
- Examples from Uhud, scholars, commerce, animals, and a toy-shop encounter show gentleness drawing people closer.
- Gentleness brings relational success and hope in the Hereafter, so listeners are urged to practice it everywhere.
In the khateeb's words
“He was a walking quran His manners His demeanor Everything he did Is from the quran”
“You can say the truth You can say it gently And wallahi Big difference”
“Gentleness does not mean I'm weak The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam Is not weak The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam Is not helpless”
“It is not about winning over a person It is about winning a person over And that cannot be done except through this khulq of gentleness”
For the dinner table
The khutbah teaches that Allah is gentle and loves gentleness, so Muslims should make gentleness part of their character. We can practice it in small things, such as using water carefully in wudu, closing doors and devices softly, and treating animals kindly. At home, we should tell the truth without harshness, notice what our spouses and children are doing well, and remember that some problems take time to solve. Gentleness does not mean weakness; it helps us keep people close and seek goodness in this life and the Hereafter.
- Where could our family use a gentler tone this week?
- What good thing can we acknowledge before discussing a problem?
- How can we be gentle with people and things in our home?
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