Community & unityFrom the masjid's own video, Apr 24, 2026.
The people around you shape your faith
“You are who you are around, you are the average of the five people you are with.”
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Uses a seed-and-soil analogy to show how environments shape personal growth.
- Explains through the good-companion and bad-companion analogy that friendship inevitably influences faith and character.
- Connects Surah al-Kahf and the People of the Cave to seeking refuge from corrupt environments.
- Illustrates faithful courage through early Muslims, Mus'ab ibn Umair, and Malcolm X.
- Warns that harmful friendships may lead to regret in the Hereafter.
- Closes with hope in Allah’s mercy, righteous companionship, and Paradise.
Try this week
Audit the people closest to you and consider their values and direction.
Prune or distance yourself from relationships that consistently pull you away from faith and good character.
Place yourself in healthier gatherings, communities, and environments.
Speak up when classmates, coworkers, or others make unjust or harmful comments.
Be a source of goodness and light for people around you.
Sources the khateeb cited
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“you are who you are around, you are the average of the five people you are with”
“Make the cuts where you need to. It will benefit you. You will thank yourself later.”
“The third, plant yourself in that fertile soil.”
Keep listening
More on Community & unity
There is no such thing as a nobody.19:44Masjid Fulton · Sacramento, CA · Oct 10, 2026No one should feel forgotten
The question is how do we disagree without destroying our relationships and our communities?14:27Al-Misbah Islamic Centre · Toronto, ON · Oct 3, 2026How to disagree without hostility
ICNYC · Greenwich Village, NY · Sep 26, 2026True faith serves people and Allah“We have a comprehensive and holistic understanding of this deen that goes beyond just benefiting ourselves to benefiting humanity at large.”