Righteousness must build better communities
“You have to be a builder.”
Modern knowledge and technology are worthless without moral clarity, so believers must reject normalized evil, reform their families and communities, and act faithfully because their deeds will remain after death.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- The speaker reflects on the deaths of his grandmother and Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ajmi, praising the elder generation’s simplicity and moral clarity.
- Technology expands knowledge but can also decay society, while manipulated language can conceal injustice, including in Gaza.
- Repeated exposure to temptations tests the heart, requiring believers to reject evil personally and publicly.
- Media, sexualized content, and normalized immorality can weaken individuals, families, and the wider Muslim community.
- Believers must become muslihun, builders and reformers, rather than merely privately righteous people.
- The story of Yusuf presents obedience to Allah as true freedom and moral courage as preparation for confronting injustice.
- The khutbah closes with calls to action, prayers for Gaza, and reminders of accountability before Allah.
In the khateeb's words
“having knowledge is not enough for humanity having knowledge is not enough without Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala”
“it's not your responsibility to change and it is not your responsibility to bring about results it's your responsibility to act because you will die”
“it's not enough for you to have a good heart it's not enough for you to be righteous you have to be a builder you have to be a fixer”
“do not fall into the trap do not fall into the typical cliche of everybody is doing it so I can do it too NO! reject evil at the level of your heart and work to make society better”
For the dinner table
The khutbah says that modern technology can give us information without giving us wisdom, and that clever words can hide injustice. We are warned that repeated exposure to harmful images, entertainment, and talk can slowly darken the heart, so believers should reject wrong at personal and public levels. The speaker urges us to become people who repair and improve their families and communities using whatever Allah has given them. The story of Yusuf reminds us that obedience to Allah is real freedom, even when it requires sacrifice. We should serve, teach our children, guard our eyes and hearts, and remain truthful because our deeds are what accompany us after death.
- What is one kind of media or conversation that helps your heart, and one that harms it?
- How could our family be a builder or fixer for someone this week?
- When is it hard to do the right thing, and what might help us choose it?
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