Success means living for Allah's pleasure
“You only get two lives, but you only get one Islam.”
True success comes from earning Allah's pleasure through Islam, the Quran, and Sunnah, even when faithfulness makes believers socially strange.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Calls for a year-end self-review of worldly versus Islamic measures of success.
- Explains the ghuraba, or strangers, through the Prophet and early companions' steadfastness.
- Applies steadfastness to prayer, hijab, youth culture, and resisting online approval.
- Urges youth to seize their time, pursue education, and follow the Prophet and companions.
- Reorients listeners toward Allah's pleasure, the afterlife, Jannah, and seeing Allah.
- Closes by emphasizing return to Allah and calling listeners to become steadfast strangers.
In the khateeb's words
“The success is Islam. The religion of Islam it began as something strange and it will go back to being strange.”
“You only get two lives, but you only get one Islam.”
“Read, educate yourself, especially as a youth, because it's one of the five before five that we're going to be questioned about”
“This is not our home, ikhwan. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said, live in this dunya as if you're just passing through on a journey.”
For the dinner table
The khutbah invited us to review the year by asking whether we measured success by wealth and appearance or by Islam and Allah's pleasure. It reminded us that faithful people may sometimes feel like strangers when they pray, learn, dress modestly, or resist the world's pressures. We were encouraged to make the Prophet and his companions our role models, especially for our children and youth, and to use our time for worship and learning. The world is a journey, not our final home, so we should remember that we came from Allah and will return to Him. The hope is to live with steadfast faith and receive Allah's pleasure in Jannah.
- What does success mean to you after hearing this khutbah?
- Who are some role models who help you stay close to Allah?
- What is one good use of your time you want to begin this week?
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