Stand firm and reject racism
“There's no superiority or virtue of someone who's not an Arab over someone who is an Arab.”
In response to a nearby mosque attack and the fear it creates, Muslims should trust Allah, refuse to retreat, uphold Islam boldly, and oppose racism by grounding human worth in taqwa.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- Opens with reminders about taqwa, truthful speech, and obedience to Allah and the Prophet.
- Responds to the San Diego Islamic Center attack with grief, prayers, and recognition of communal fear.
- Uses Quranic reassurance from the moments of death and the Hijrah to show that Allah is with believers and grants tranquility.
- Urges Muslims not to retreat after violence but to strengthen their public commitment to Islam.
- Connects the lesson to Dhul Hijjah, Hajj, and Ibrahim’s courage when confronting idolatry and persecution.
- Applies the Farewell Sermon and Surah al-Hujurat to reject racism and define virtue through taqwa.
- Closes with supplications for protection, oppressed communities, and guidance before prayer.
In the khateeb's words
“the outcome might be go this way or that way but at the end know that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is with us”
“when we see incidents like that we don't go on the back pedal we just push the gas a little bit further right”
“there's no superiority to all the arabs here over someone who is not an arab and there's no superiority or virtue of someone who's not an arab over someone who is an arab”
For the dinner table
Our family can grieve the people harmed at the San Diego Islamic center while asking Allah to comfort the children and protect our communities. The khutbah teaches that fear is real, but Allah is with believers and can send tranquility so fear does not stop us from worshipping or gathering. Like the Prophet during the Hijrah and Ibrahim when he faced opposition, we should keep moving forward and make Allah’s message known. We should reject racism and remember that a person’s true honor comes from taqwa, not ethnicity or skin color. In these blessed days, we can strengthen our worship, recite the takbir, and get to know people who are different from us.
- What helps you feel brave when something frightening happens?
- How can we make someone from a different background feel welcome?
- What is one good action we can take during these blessed days?
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