Character & conductFrom the masjid's own video, Aug 30, 2025.
Choose friends who strengthen your faith
“A person is on the faith of their friend.”
In one sentence
Righteous, loyal, faith-strengthening friendships are essential to staying on the path to Allah, so believers should choose friends carefully and become such friends themselves.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Introduces friendship as a universal human need and a path that can lead toward Jannah or away from it.
- Explains that companions shape a person’s reputation, faith, habits, and ultimate direction.
- Uses Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt as an example of how a harmful friend can lead someone to reject truth.
- Defines when to leave a toxic friendship while emphasizing that Muslims should not judge people’s hearts.
- Describes righteous friends as loyal advisers who remind one of Allah, increase knowledge, and protect one’s honor.
- Concludes by encouraging friendships formed for Allah’s sake and matching words with actions.
Try this week
Choose friends based on faith, character, loyalty, and their influence on your life.
Evaluate whether a friendship’s positive influence outweighs its harmful influence.
Leave or distance yourself from friendships that consistently make you worse.
Advise friends about their faults, protect their honor when absent, and prefer their needs over your own.
Visit, support, and maintain friendships for Allah’s sake.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 25Depicts the Day of Judgment regret of choosing a harmful close friend.
Jami` at-TirmidhiPresents the believer as a mirror who identifies and helps correct a friend’s faults.
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“The Prophet said that a man, a person is on the faith of their friend. That each person should reflect and look who they take as their friend.”
“But if it's the other way, they're influencing you to become worse, then at that moment, it's okay to say, As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh to them.”
“Why? Because your friend shows you where your deficiencies are, where your weaknesses are, and gives you a path towards improving the same exact way that a mirror does.”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
Friends shape the direction of our lives, so we should choose people whose faith, character, and loyalty help us remember Allah. A true friend gently points out our faults, protects our honor when we are absent, and stops us when we are heading toward harm. We should not judge everyone, but we should notice whether a friendship is making us better or worse. The khutbah also reminds us to love and visit good friends for Allah’s sake. We can ask Allah to surround us with righteous friends and make us worthy of that friendship.
- What is one way a good friend can help you become a better Muslim?
- How can you protect a friend’s honor when they are not present?
- What kind of friend do you want to be this week?
Where it was given
The masjids
Daar-Ul-Islam Masjid (Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis)517 Weidman Rd, Ballwin, MO 63011Jumu'ah 12:30 PM and 1:30 PMMasjid Bilal Ibn Rabaah (West Pine Masjid)3843 W Pine Mall Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108Jumu'ah 12:30 PMKhateebHuzaifa HamiraniMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at Daar-Ul-Islam46 khutbahs
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