4:48 do not give Allah…21:15 the rasul salam was…
Character & conductFrom the masjid's own video, Jan 24, 2026.

True intelligence means living the Quran

Al-Hidaya · Ahmad Abu-Hakmeh

“He was described as a walking Quran.”

The khateeb, at 21:15

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

True intelligence and taqwa are shown by embodying the Quran and the Prophet's character so that our presence brings calm, goodness, and guidance to every gathering.

The khutbah in 5 steps

  1. Gratitude for recognized and unrecognized blessings leads into a call to taqwa and surrender.
  2. Listeners are urged to honor Jumu'ah by putting away phones and postponing conversations.
  3. The khutbah examines whether one's presence calms, helps, or burdens a room.
  4. True intelligence is presented as intellectual, emotional, and Allah-grounded moral intelligence.
  5. Listeners are encouraged to embody the Quran through prophetic character and reconnect with it before Ramadan.
Try this week
Give the khutbah your full attention by putting away your phone and postponing conversations until after salah.
Enter difficult gatherings intending to see goodness in others and work toward calm and collective improvement.
Practice commanding good with good character, combining gentleness with firmness where appropriate.
Reconnect with the Quran and its meanings as Ramadan approaches.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 74The story of al-Walid ibn al-Mughira illustrates intellect and eloquence misused to turn people away from Allah.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“do not give Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala your afterthought do not give Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala our three minutes of salah after hours pouring into whatever it is we're pouring into”
Al-Hidaya · Latham, NY
Play from 4:48
“the rasul salam was not just somebody who held the quran in word he was described as a walking quran he was a person who walked with the meaning of the quran and he lived by the meanings of the quran”
Al-Hidaya · Latham, NY
Play from 21:15
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

Today’s khutbah asks us to notice what happens when we enter a room. A believer should bring calm, goodness, and hope, especially during family tensions, difficult meetings, tragedies, or moments of celebration. The khateeb taught that real intelligence joins knowledge with emotional wisdom and moral guidance from Allah, following the Prophet Muhammad’s example. Quran memorization matters, but its meanings should reach our hearts and shape how gently, firmly, and helpfully we treat people. As Ramadan approaches, we can reconnect with the Quran, the Messenger who lived it, and the One who revealed it.

  1. How can we make a room feel better when we enter it?
  2. What does it mean to let the Quran change our hearts?
  3. How can someone be smart and still use intelligence badly?
Where it was given

The masjid

Al-Hidaya Center of Latham322 Troy Schenectady Rd, Latham, NY 12110Jumu'ah 12:00 PM & 1:30 PMKhateebAhmad Abu-HakmehMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at Al-Hidaya53 khutbahs
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