Blessings are tests we must manage justly
“Whatever ni'am you have, favor you have, it is from Allah.”
The blessings Allah gives, especially Islam, wealth, health, family, and authority, are tests, and success requires recognizing them as Allah's gifts, thanking Him, and managing them justly rather than misusing or claiming them as our own.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Asks listeners to assess their current grade in the test of blessings.
- Frames both hardship and goodness as tests that should return people to Allah.
- Identifies Islam as the greatest blessing and surveys other blessings such as health, wealth, family, professions, and authority.
- Assigns a quiet home exercise to list blessings, thank Allah, and examine their use.
- Contrasts Qarun and Fir'aun's misuse of wealth and authority with Uthman ibn Affan's generosity and the just ruler.
- Concludes with three principles: recognize blessings as tests, attribute them to Allah, and manage them properly.
In the khateeb's words
“these blessings are not just, should not be taken for granted, it is a test, and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is testing us how we will use it, and how we will manage them, these tests.”
“Whatever ni'am you have, favor you have, it is from Allah. So the second one is very important. Don't say like, I was given that because of my knowledge.”
“manage it properly, manage the ni'ma that you have properly, don't misuse it, otherwise we saw the two examples for Qarun and Fir'aun”
For the dinner table
The khateeb reminded us that every good thing in our lives is a test and a gift from Allah. Islam is the greatest blessing, while health, family, money, work, education, and authority are also blessings. We should pause at home to name these gifts, thank Allah for them, and remember that they came from Him rather than from ourselves alone. Qarun and Fir'aun were examples of people who misused wealth or power, while Uthman ibn Affan and the just ruler showed how blessings can be used responsibly. This week, we can ask whether we are managing our blessings with gratitude, justice, and care.
- What is one blessing you often overlook, and how could you thank Allah for it?
- How can someone use money, skills, or leadership to help others?
- What would being a just leader look like at home this week?
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