1:37 Allah subhanahu wa…14:19 call yourselves by…
The ummah & current eventsFrom the masjid's own video, Sep 3, 2025.

Faith must come before nationality

Toronto Islamic Centre · Kamil Ahmad

“You are Muslims, you are believers, mu'minun, you are ibadullah, you are the servants of Allah.”

The khateeb, at 14:19

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

Muslims must prioritize the bond of faith over ethnic and national identities, standing in solidarity with fellow Muslims while keeping homeland love subordinate to Islam.

The khutbah in 6 steps

  1. The Prophet unites the rival Aws and Khazraj and prevents their old hostility from reigniting.
  2. Surah Ali Imran presents unity as a divine blessing and commands believers to hold firmly to Allah’s rope.
  3. Nationalism and inherited borders are portrayed as forces that divide Muslims and weaken solidarity.
  4. Suffering in Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, and Kashmir is presented as a concern for the entire ummah.
  5. Prophetic teachings and examples from the Sahaba place faith above tribal, racial, and national bonds.
  6. Homeland attachment is permissible, but Islam and iman must remain the highest loyalty.
Try this week
Prioritize iman and Islam over ethnic, tribal, racial, or national loyalties.
Reject rhetoric and labels that divide Muslims against one another.
Treat the suffering of Muslims in other regions as a shared communal concern.
Stand with fellow believers under attack regardless of race, language, or nationality.
Love one’s homeland without allowing patriotism to compromise faith.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 3Used to command taqwa, collective adherence to Allah’s guidance, and remembrance of the blessing of Muslim unity.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala united them and now they were one”
Toronto Islamic Centre · Toronto, ON
Play from 1:37
“call yourselves by what Allah has called you you are Muslims you are believers mu'minun you are ibadullah you are the servants of Allah”
Toronto Islamic Centre · Toronto, ON
Play from 14:19
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

Allah brought the Aws and Khazraj together after generations of fighting, and the Prophet stopped them when old rivalries resurfaced. The khutbah teaches that Muslims should hold firmly to the bond of faith and care about one another’s suffering wherever it happens. It warns that ethnic and national loyalties can divide the ummah, while allowing that loving one’s homeland is not wrong. The key is to keep Islam and iman as the highest loyalty. We should reject divisive labels, stand with oppressed fellow Muslims, and ask Allah to unite the community.

  1. What does it mean to put faith before a national or group identity?
  2. How can our family show care for Muslims facing hardship elsewhere?
  3. What is one way we can avoid letting group rivalries divide us?
Where it was given

The masjid

Toronto Islamic Centre817 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4W 2G9Jumu'ah 1st Khutbah: 1:30 PM | 2nd Khutbah: 2:30 PMKhateebKamil AhmadMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at Toronto Islamic Centre33 khutbahs
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