Repentance & taqwaFrom the masjid's own video, May 8, 2026.

Love Allah by choosing His guidance

“If you love Allah truly, you're going to give precedence to what Allah loves over what you want.”

The khateeb, at 13:30

In one sentence

The khutbah argues that sincere love of Allah and His Messenger is proven by choosing divine guidance over personal desires, comfort, social pressure, and worldly interests.

The khutbah in 6 steps

  1. Human actions are recorded and judged, so repentance and change must begin in this life.
  2. Love for Allah and His Messenger is demonstrated by following the Sunnah and rejecting sin.
  3. Believers must prioritize Allah's commands over family, money, business, comfort, and social expectations.
  4. Following personal desires leads to sin, religious innovation, and rejection of revealed guidance.
  5. Prayer, worship, service, and good deeds must take priority over games, entertainment, and worldly distractions.
  6. The khutbah closes with encouragement to follow the Sunnah and prayers for the sick, dead, and oppressed.
Try this week
Begin correcting sinful habits today rather than postponing repentance.
Choose Allah's commands over personal desires, social pressure, money, and convenience.
Protect the prayer times and do not let games, entertainment, or friends delay salah.
Read the Quran, attend the masjid, help people in difficulty, visit the sick, and attend janazah.
Follow the Quran and Sunnah and leave actions identified as haram or sinful.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 4Used to argue that believers must accept the Prophet's judgment without resistance.
Surah 3Used to connect love of Allah with following the Prophet.
Sahih al-BukhariUsed to teach that faith requires loving the Prophet more than oneself, family, and all people.
Surah 9Used to warn against loving family, wealth, business, and homes more than Allah and His Messenger.
Surah 59Used to present the early emigrants as truthful examples of sacrificing worldly attachments for Allah.
Sahih al-BukhariUsed to explain the three qualities that produce the sweetness of faith.
Surah 28Used to warn that refusing divine guidance means following one's desires.
Surah 45Used to command following Allah's revealed way rather than uninformed desires.
Surah 5Used to support judging by what Allah revealed instead of following vain desires.
Surah 19Used to warn against neglecting prayer or delaying it for entertainment.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“If you want to change anything, change it today. If you don't want to see any bad things on Yom Kippur, get rid of them today.”
Masjid Ibad-ur-Rahman · Marietta, GA
Play from 4:14
“If you love Allah truly, you're going to give precedence to what Allah loves over what you want.”
Masjid Ibad-ur-Rahman · Marietta, GA
Play from 13:30
“I have to struggle, I have to strive, I have to fight, because I have to do what's pleasing to Allah. That person will taste the sweetness of Iman.”
Masjid Ibad-ur-Rahman · Marietta, GA
Play from 17:02
“Whenever there is khair, masjid, salat, you see them, they're the first one, always the first one in the masjid.”
Masjid Ibad-ur-Rahman · Marietta, GA
Play from 29:32
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The khutbah reminds us that our choices are not random: they show what we love and what we put first. Loving Allah and His Messenger means following the Quran and Sunnah, especially when comfort, money, entertainment, or other people's opinions pull us away. We can start today by protecting our prayers, leaving sinful habits, reading Quran, and making time to help family and neighbors. When we choose Allah's guidance over our desires, the speaker says we can taste the sweetness of faith. May Allah help us stay on the straight path and remember people who are sick, grieving, or oppressed.

  1. What is one distraction that can pull us away from prayer, and how can we handle it?
  2. What is one good deed we can be first to do this week?
  3. When is it difficult to choose what Allah loves over what we want?