9:36 real masculinity is…20:44 He wants ihsan not…
Character & conductFrom the masjid's own video, Sep 18, 2026.

Real faith means accountability, not fearlessness

NWIIC · Osama Estwani

“Real masculinity is when you are accountable for your actions.”

The khateeb, at 9:36

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

A real Muslim man is defined not by fearlessness or worldly success but by accountability to Allah, disciplined prayer and zakah, resistance to distraction, attachment to the masjid, and effort to guide his family.

The khutbah in 4 steps

  1. Defines real believing men as leaders who master worldly responsibilities without being mastered by them.
  2. Uses Surah al-Nur to connect masculinity with fear of Judgment, accountability, remembrance, prayer, and zakah.
  3. Applies lowering the gaze to temptation, consumerism, comparison, sports, hobbies, and digital distraction.
  4. Closes with repentance, ihsan over perfection, and a supplication for faith and Paradise.
Try this week
Structure each day around the five prayers.
Attend the masjid regularly, including morning and night prayers.
Calculate and pay zakah properly, and give sadaqah.
Say astaghfirullah after every salah and keep improving.
Lower your gaze and fast if unmarried.
Reduce or remove activities and distractions that pull you away from Allah.
Bring children to the masjid and read Quran with them.
Make dua for people who have more worldly possessions instead of comparing yourself.
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 24:36-37Defines people in Allah’s houses whose commerce does not distract them from remembrance, prayer, and zakah.
Quran 24:30-31Commands believing men and women to lower their gaze; the speaker applies this to resisting distractions and practicing modesty.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“real masculinity is when you are accountable for your actions it's not when you're fearless”
NWIIC · Crown Point, IN
Play from 9:36
“He wants ihsan not perfection He wants the effort knowing that we recognize that Allah is watching us”
NWIIC · Crown Point, IN
Play from 20:44
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The khutbah says that being a real Muslim man is not about acting fearless or chasing status. It is about answering to Allah, organizing life around prayer, giving zakah and charity, and refusing to let work, money, phones, sports, or comparison take over. The speaker encourages regular masjid attendance and parents to bring children, read Quran, and make worship part of family life. He also urges men and women to lower their gaze and step back from whatever pulls them away from remembrance. We do not need perfection, but we should keep returning to Allah and offering sincere effort.

  1. What distracts you most from remembering Allah, and what small change could you try this week?
  2. How can our family make the masjid, prayer, or Quran a more natural part of our routine?
  3. What does doing something with ihsan, not perfection, look like at school, work, or home?
Where it was given

The masjid

Northwest Indiana Islamic Center9803 Colorado St, Crown Point, IN 46307Jumu'ah 12:30 PM & 1:30 PMKhateebOsama EstwaniMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at NWIIC30 khutbahs
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