Seek Allah's pleasure, not people's praise
“People might forget, and they will forget, but Allah will not forget.”
Human beings naturally want to matter and be remembered, but that longing should be directed toward Allah's pleasure through sincere good deeds rather than human recognition.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Opens with gratitude, prayers for the deceased and boat-disaster victims, announcements, and mosque reminders.
- Reflects on human existence before birth and after death to show that worldly relevance is temporary.
- Explains the human desire for love, appreciation, and recognition through examples from childhood, marriage, wealth, and status.
- Argues that Allah created this desire to be fulfilled through guidance, gratitude, and seeking significance in Allah's sight.
- Uses Nuh, Ibrahim, and Ismail as examples of sincere sacrifices remembered by Allah despite limited human recognition.
- Concludes that Allah remembers and rewards sincere effort, then offers supplications and final mosque instructions.
In the khateeb's words
“Your sacrifice that you thought nobody noticed, only in your heart knew that, O Allah, O Allah, I'm only doing it for you.”
“People might forget, and they will forget, but Allah will not forget.”
For the dinner table
People naturally want to be loved, noticed, and remembered, but human attention does not last. The khutbah teaches that Allah created this longing so we would seek to matter in His sight, not depend on people's praise. We should keep doing our work and serving others while making our intention Allah's pleasure. Even unnoticed sacrifices are known and appreciated by Allah, and His approval is greater than every gift in Jannah. The sermon also asks us to remember those who died, care for the masjid, and pray with sincerity.
- What is one good thing you can do this week without needing praise?
- When do you notice yourself wanting attention, and how can you respond in a better way?
- How can your schoolwork, job, or chores become an act done for Allah?
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