Prayer & worshipFrom the masjid's own video, Jul 25, 2026.
The soul needs Quran and dhikr
“We need to nourish and look after our ruh as well.”
In one sentence
Just as the body must be nourished with food from the earth it was created from, the soul (ruh) must be nourished with what comes from Allah, dhikr, Quran, salah, and good deeds, or it spiritually dies.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- The human being is body plus ruh; little is known of the ruh (the Quraysh's three test questions and 'qul ir-ruhu min amri rabbi')
- The body is nourished from the soil it was created from ('minha khalaqnakum'); the soul, coming from Allah, is nourished by Quran and Sunnah
- Dhikr keeps the soul alive: hadith of the living vs. the dead, Ibn Qayyim's fish-out-of-water analogy
- The Prophet's advice to Mu'adh: the dua 'Allahumma a'inni ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ibadatik' after every salah
- Surah al-Jumu'ah: leave business and rush to Jumu'ah; money earned then has no barakah; missing three Jumu'ahs hardens the heart
- Avoid feeding the soul 'junk food': sin, doubtful things, and especially social media addiction and phone use
- Balance, not abandoning dunya: the hadith of the three men who vowed extremes and the Prophet's moderate example
- The body is temporary but the ruh is eternal, invest time in Quran, dua, dhikr, and family
Try this week
Recite 'Allahumma a'inni ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ibadatik' after every salah
Come to Jumu'ah on time and leave work/business for it rather than arriving at the end
Do daily dhikr (subhanallah, alhamdulillah, astaghfirullah) and Quran recitation; don't let 24 hours pass without them
Limit social media and phone use; keep phones away during khutbah, salah, and family meals
Eat wholesome, natural food and avoid spiritual 'junk': sins and doubtful things
Spend phone-free time with family, converse, build relations, let children play outside
Pray with khushu' rather than mechanically, and beautify your ibadah
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 17:85Used to establish that the soul is from Allah's command and humans are given little knowledge about it
Surah 18Background story: the questions about Ashab al-Kahf, Dhul Qarnayn, and the ruh were tests of the Prophet's authenticity
Quran 20:55Recited at burials; argues the body comes from and is fed by the soil, while the soul is fed from divine revelation
Sahih al-BukhariArgues dhikr is what keeps the soul alive
Sunan Abi DawudA concrete daily practice for nourishing the soul through dhikr, gratitude, and beautified worship
Quran 62:9-10Rebukes missing Jumu'ah for work; income earned during it lacks barakah
Sahih al-BukhariTeaches balanced devotion: sleep, fasting some days, and marriage all coexist with remembering Allah
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“So similarly, we need to nourish and look after our ruh as well.”
“the example of a person who remembers Allah and the one contrary who doesn't remember Allah is like the person who is alive and the one who is dead”
“dhikr of Allah is like the example of the water for the fish”
“the algorithm, it catches it and gives you the same content that you want to see more and more of”
Keep listening
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