Islam addresses each society's sins
“When we are submissive to Allah, regardless of how much money or power we have, we're supposed to follow the rules.”
The story of Prophet Hud and the people of 'Aad shows that Islam is a practical religion that addresses each society's specific sins, and what distinguishes believers is maintaining Allah's boundaries, calling others with compassion, and aligning our character with the Prophet rather than blindly imitating our forefathers.
The khutbah in 9 steps
- Belief in all prophets is required; rejecting one means rejecting all
- Yunus's haste and flight as a warning against abandoning one's people
- Hud's opening call: taqwa paired with obedience to the prophet
- Prophets take no salary, unlike fortune tellers with vested interests
- Islam is pragmatic: each prophet addressed his people's specific issues, including ours in America
- 'Aad's three crimes: wasteful monuments, palaces for imagined immortality, tyrannical violence, mirrored in modern superpowers
- Allah's favors demand gratitude; da'wah must carry genuine compassion, not name-calling
- 'Aad's excuse of merely following forefathers, their destruction, and the closing call to complete noble character
- Parking etiquette, neighborly conduct, and donation announcements
In the khateeb's words
“It is not just a ritualistic religion where you just follow rituals and you just do this and you say that and that's it. No, it addresses the problems that we're having.”
“When we are submissive to Allah, regardless of how much money or power we have, we're supposed to follow the rules. We're supposed to maintain the boundaries of Allah regardless.”
“Even if you're inviting your child. Any person that you're inviting, whoever that may be, there must be compassion in the invitation. You must actually care about the person.”
“Don't say, oh, my forefathers, this is how we are. This is what we've done. It's not going to work.”
For the dinner table
The khutbah tells us about the people of Aad, who rejected Prophet Hud and refused to change because they were following what people before them had done. Hud called them to protect themselves through taqwa, worship Allah, obey the prophet, and recognize that their blessings, children, cattle, gardens, and springs, were gifts that should produce gratitude. Their impressive buildings, wasteful spending, and tyrannical use of power remind us that wealth and strength do not give anyone permission to cross Allah’s boundaries. We are also reminded that Islam speaks to real problems in every place and that inviting others should come from compassion, not from a desire to win or humiliate. The closing reminders bring this lesson into everyday conduct, including how we treat neighbors and share limited parking space.
- What is one blessing in our family that should make us more grateful to Allah?
- How can we correct someone with compassion instead of trying to win?
- What is one way we can show taqwa when we have power or influence?
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