Muslims must prepare to defend mosques
“It is from the sunnah to carry a weapon.”
In the wake of a deadly anti-Muslim attack on a San Diego mosque during the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, Muslims must trust Allah's wisdom in honoring the victims as martyrs while heeding the Quranic command 'take your precaution' by actively planning and preparing to defend their mosques and community.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening praise and grief over three Muslims killed at a San Diego mosque, affirmed as a hate crime
- Husn al-dhann: Allah chose the victims as martyrs, combining the honors of dying for their faith, at His house, in the best days of the year
- The martyr hadith (killed defending wealth, religion, life, family) proves Islam commands self-defense, not passive surrender
- Mosques are targets, Christchurch 2019 and local bomb threats show the community is unprepared ('sitting ducks')
- Quran commands taking precaution (4:71); legal armed protection, exit plans, and security measures are needed now
- Reflection on the nearness of death and prioritizing the akhira over dunya
- Second khutbah: maximize dhikr in the ten days, fast the Day of Arafah, sincerity in intention
- Closing salawat, dua, and announcements (Eid prayers, iftar, imam office hours)
In the khateeb's words
“and we have to take precaution and learn from this incident”
“we are like sitting ducks they walk in they can get a hundred people two hundred people that is their goal”
“it is from the sunnah to carry a weapon it's not only that it's American culture the second amendment gives you the right to bear arms for a reason”
For the dinner table
Today's khutbah was heavy but hopeful. Imam Amar spoke about the three Muslim men killed at a mosque in San Diego simply for being Muslim, and he asked Allah to accept them as martyrs, reminding us that Allah honored them by choosing the time, the sacred days of Dhul-Hijjah, and the place, His own house, for their souls to be taken. But he also said loving and trusting Allah doesn't mean doing nothing: Allah commands us to 'take precaution,' and our masajid need real plans and protection instead of waiting for tragedy to strike first. He reminded us that death is closer than the laces of our shoes, so we should prioritize the hereafter over extra hours at work or more money, because no one on their deathbed wishes they had earned more, they wish they had prayed, memorized, and given more. Finally, he encouraged us to fill these blessed ten days with dhikr, saying la ilaha illa Allah, alhamdulillah, and Allahu akbar, and to fast the Day of Arafah on Tuesday, which wipes away the sins of the year before and the year after.
- If death is closer than your shoelaces, what is one thing you'd want to do differently tomorrow?
- The imam said we should take precaution without being afraid, what's one way our family or masjid could be better prepared?
- Dhikr 'doesn't cost you anything', what's one easy time in your day you could add it?
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