Faith means caring for others
“The most beloved people to Allah are those who are the most beneficial to others.”
True faith is proven not by rituals alone but by social responsibility, caring for orphans, the needy, one's family, and the community, grounded in daily salah, istighfar, and salawat.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening: recitation of Surah al-Ma'un 107:1-3 and the hadith of the most beloved people to Allah
- Tafsir/context: Allah ties denial of the religion to pushing away the orphan and neglecting the poor, not to rituals
- Hadith: the most beloved to Allah are the most beneficial to people; call to reflect on what Allah has given us
- Four real foster-care cases this month from Children's Aid Society (Peel/Toronto) via ISNA Canada, with an open invitation to help
- Salah as daily grounding rather than empty ritual; mindfulness in how we treat spouses, children, and parents
- 2024 statistics on partner and child violence; mutual (not one-sided) responsibility in family relationships
- Hasan al-Basri's advice: make istighfar a daily habit, grounded in Surah Nuh 71:10-12
- Summary: ground yourself spiritually (salah, istighfar, salawat) and fulfill responsibilities to household, neighbors, and community; closing dua
In the khateeb's words
“The most beloved people to Allah, are those who are the most beneficial to others.”
“You cannot have belief until you love for your brother what you love for yourself.”
“They may be silent in tears, silently in pain, and we will never know unless we try to engage.”
“Believer is that person from whom other believers are safe from their tongues and their hands.”
For the dinner table
Today's khutbah was about how real faith shows up in the way we treat people, not just in rituals. Shaykh Bemat reminded us of the hadith that the most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to others. He shared that Children's Aid called the masjid four times this month alone, including that very morning, about Muslim children, some as young as three, who need foster families, and about a boy who came to the masjid for a whole year before anyone knew he was living in foster care. He urged everyone to check on the people sitting next to them, because many are quietly hurting and we'll never know unless we reach out. He also reminded us to ground ourselves with salah, istighfar, and salawat, and to treat our spouses and children with kindness, since our homes are the first place our faith is tested.
- If a kid your age at the masjid had no family looking out for them, what are some ways someone your age could make them feel welcome?
- Why do you think people who are hurting often stay quiet about it, and what could we do to make it easier for them to talk?
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