Neglecting worship hardens the heart
“We should not make excuses to not be close to Allah.”
Turning away from Allah’s remembrance, especially by neglecting prayer and other acts of worship, hardens the heart and leads to worldly hardship and punishment in the grave, so Muslims must build consistent habits of remembrance and obedience.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Introduces neglecting Allah’s remembrance as a cause of punishment in the grave.
- Explains remembrance through salah, zakah, fasting, and other good deeds.
- Warns that worldly busyness, wealth, children, and Western life can displace worship.
- Uses Gaza as an example of faith and remembrance amid hardship.
- Draws on tafsir and hadith to connect heedlessness with hard hearts, Satanic companionship, and one’s final state.
- Closes by urging consistent worship and remembrance, followed by supplication and prayer.
In the khateeb's words
“the environment that we live in, does not change the habit of a Muslim. A Muslim, is a Muslim wherever you live.”
“we should not make excuses, to not be close to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala azzawajal.”
“whoever lives whatever life you live on you're going to die upon that path and whoever die upon whatever deed your action or path you die upon Allah will resurrect you upon that path”
For the dinner table
Today’s khutbah reminded us that remembering Allah is not only saying dhikr; it also includes prayer, charity, fasting, and choosing good actions. The speaker warned that turning away from remembrance can harden the heart and lead to a difficult life and punishment in the grave. Work, money, children, and life in the West must not become excuses for neglecting worship. Remembering Allah is described as a remedy that softens the heart and keeps us close to Him. We can start by protecting our prayers, doing regular good deeds, and returning to Allah in every circumstance.
- Which daily activity most often distracts you from prayer or remembrance, and what small change could help?
- What does it look like to remember Allah during a difficult day?
- Which good deed can our family practice consistently this week?
More on Prayer & worship
The remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is something very powerful.9:18ISCN · Corona, CA · Oct 24, 2026Knowing Allah makes worship joyful
Ali Khan Center · Suitland, MD · Oct 10, 2026Give the weekly prayer your full attention“Don't just time it so you get maybe five-minute kutbah and a five-minute salat, and you're out in 10 minutes.”
Don't set your floor at your peak time, like in Ramadan.19:52Al-Noor · Santa Clara, CA · Oct 24, 2026Build a sustainable spiritual floor