Use each moment for faith and good deeds
“A servant may utter a word that pleases Allah without giving it much thought, and Allah raises him in status because of it.”
Because time is precious and fleeting, Muslims should fill every moment with faith, good deeds, self-accountability, and obedience to Allah, using the new year for repentance rather than wasteful celebration.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Time is honored in the Qur'an, and salvation from humanity's default loss requires faith, good deeds, truth, and patience.
- Because life passes quickly, believers should hasten toward good deeds and prepare for accountability.
- Self-examination is essential because angels record people's words and actions, and a careless word can bring reward or punishment.
- Believers should use virtuous times for excellent deeds and invest their lives in obedience to Allah and following the Prophet.
- The new year should inspire reflection, repentance, and greater closeness to Allah.
- Muslims are cautioned against extravagant Gregorian New Year celebrations as outside Muslim festivals and traditions.
In the khateeb's words
“indeed a servant may utter a word that pleases Allah without giving it much thought and Allah raises him in status because of it”
“if Allah loves a servant He allows him to use the most virtuous times in excellent deeds if He dislikes a servant He allows him to use the most virtuous times in bad deeds”
For the dinner table
The khutbah reminds us that time is one of Allah's great gifts and that every passing day is part of our lives disappearing. We should use our hours for faith, good deeds, truth, patience, and following the Prophet. We should review our words and actions because they are recorded, and even a careless word can matter greatly. When a new year arrives, we can make it a time for honest self-review, repentance, and drawing nearer to Allah. The speaker also cautions Muslims against wasteful Gregorian New Year celebrations, which he says are not Muslim festivals or traditions.
- What is one useful thing you want to make more time for this week?
- What kinds of words help people feel closer to Allah and to one another?
- If you reviewed today tonight, what would you keep and what would you change?
The masjid
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