45:58 If you are speaking…
Prayer & worshipFrom the masjid's own video, Sep 3, 2025.

Prayer anchors a life on the straight path

DarusSalam · Minhajuddin Ahmed
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In one sentence

The khutbah argues that seeking Allah’s straight path means grounding life in prayer, honoring both divine and human rights, and following righteous exemplars who speak truth with wisdom and courage against wrongdoing.

The khutbah in 6 steps

  1. Recites Surah al-Kahf, emphasizing faith, worldly impermanence, patience, knowledge, and accountability.
  2. Explains prayer as the first major deed for which people are accountable and the foundation of religious life.
  3. Examines the believing man from Pharaoh’s family in Surah Ghafir as a courageous, strategic defender of truth.
  4. Distinguishes rights owed to Allah from rights owed to people, warning against shirk, missed worship, oppression, and killing.
  5. Urges truthful speech before power while stressing wisdom, context, restraint, and avoiding rash judgments.
  6. Closes by invoking Abu Bakr’s defense of the Prophet and urging taqwa, congregational prayer, obedience, and relief for the oppressed.
Try this week
Establish and protect salah as the first major religious priority.
Attend Jumu'ah and maintain congregational prayer.
Reflect on al-Fatiha and ask Allah for the straight path.
Fulfill both Allah’s rights and people’s rights, avoiding oppression and harm.
Speak truth with wisdom, considering context and avoiding rash judgments.
Keep company with righteous people and cultivate taqwa in private and public.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 18Its recitation foregrounded faith, worldly tests, patience, knowledge, and accountability.
Surah 1
Quran 4:69Identifies the straight-path exemplars as prophets, truthful people, martyrs, and the righteous.
Surah 40
Surah 20Moses’ response about knowledge illustrates wisdom and restraint in answering difficult questions.
Quran 16:125Supports inviting others with wisdom and good exhortation.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“If you are speaking truth to someone who is cannot do anything to hurt you.”
DarusSalam · Lombard, IL
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For the dinner table

The khateeb began with a recitation of Surah al-Kahf and reflected on al-Fatiha’s request to be guided along the straight path. He explained that this path is represented by prophets, truthful people, martyrs, and the righteous, and that prayer is the first major deed for which we will be questioned. The story of the believing man from Pharaoh’s family showed how to stand for truth with courage while choosing wise words and the right moment. We were reminded to honor both Allah’s rights and people’s rights, avoid oppression, keep close to good company, and protect congregational prayer. The khutbah closed with prayers for the oppressed and a call to live with taqwa in public and private.

  1. What would treating prayer as the foundation of our day look like this week?
  2. When is it difficult to speak truth, and how can we do it with wisdom?
  3. Which quality of the believing man or Abu Bakr would you like to practice?
Where it was given

The masjid

Masjid DarusSalam21W525 North Avenue, Lombard, IL 60148KhateebMinhajuddin AhmedMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at DarusSalam150 khutbahs
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