6:51 many of us myself…17:47 He will change their…
Ramadan & fastingFrom the masjid's own video, Mar 6, 2026.

Ramadan fasting should build taqwa

ICUC
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In one sentence

Ramadan fasting should cultivate taqwa by restraining harmful behavior, purifying the heart, and pursuing repentance and worship.

The khutbah in 6 steps

  1. Reframes Ramadan as a time to pursue taqwa beyond instant gratification.
  2. Reviews fasting’s purpose and the danger of wasting its reward through sin and distraction.
  3. Uses the leaky-bucket metaphor to explain how harmful speech and wrongdoing can erase good deeds.
  4. Connects repeated sin with stains on the heart, while good deeds bring light.
  5. Urges listeners to protect themselves and their families, focus on their own records, and ask Allah to purify their hearts.
  6. Calls for nightly tarawih, sincere repentance, and righteous action, ending with du'a.
Try this week
Reorient fasting toward taqwa rather than hunger, routine, or entertainment.
Stop backbiting, harmful speech, disrespect, and other sinful actions.
Reduce distracting scrolling and use fasting hours for worship and reflection.
Ask Allah to purify and steady the heart through the recommended dua.
Stand in tarawih with faith and sincere hope for forgiveness.
Repent, believe, and follow repentance with righteous deeds.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 83Uses the stained-heart image to explain how persistent wrongdoing marks the heart.
Surah 9Promises that repentance, faith, and good deeds can result in sins being changed into good deeds.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“many of us myself included this is the way we treat our deeds we continue to do good deeds and fill the bucket of water but then sin after sin after sin”
ICUC · Union, NJ
Play from 6:51
“He will change their bad deeds into good deeds that leaky bucket that will continue to leak out Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will essentially catch those sins”
ICUC · Union, NJ
Play from 17:47
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

Ramadan is meant to build taqwa, an awareness of Allah, not just hunger or routine. The khateeb warned that backbiting, harmful speech, and other sins can leak away the reward of good deeds, so we should watch our words and actions. We should ask Allah to clean and steady our hearts. Every night of tarawih is an opportunity to seek forgiveness. Repentance, faith, and good deeds can transform our past wrongs, so the rest of Ramadan is a chance to reset together.

  1. What is one distraction you could replace with worship during the rest of Ramadan?
  2. How can our family help protect one another from harmful speech?
  3. What good deed could we do tonight after asking Allah for forgiveness?
Where it was given

The masjid

Islamic Center of Union County2372 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083Jumu'ah English 12:15 PM · Arabic 1:15 PM · third service resumes September 2026ArchiveAll khutbahs at ICUC19 khutbahs
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