Strive for Allah by purifying your heart
“Work every day as if you're working for your akhira.”
Sustained striving for Allah through learning and practicing the deen, purifying the heart, choosing good company, and holding oneself accountable leads to guidance and success.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- Introduces tazkiyah and striving as the path to guidance and success.
- Explains Ibn Abbas's interpretation: learn the deen and implement it.
- Focuses on purifying the heart through forgiveness and avoiding envy, backbiting, and lying.
- Encourages following the Prophet's Sunnah by adopting practical habits regularly.
- Warns against loving worldly life and forgetting the temporary nature of this world.
- Recommends righteous company that reminds believers of Allah.
- Concludes with daily self-accountability before Allah and striving with one's wealth and self.
In the khateeb's words
“those who strive for our cause or in our sake we will guide them”
“you want to be guided then you have to strive to learn and to implement then you will be guided”
“before I go to sleep I forgive everyone from my heart I take every hatred that I have against my brothers and I go to sleep that way”
“Work every day as if you're working for your akhira.”
For the dinner table
The khutbah teaches that success comes from purifying the heart and striving for Allah's sake. We should learn our deen and then practice what we learn, beginning with small steps such as forgiving people before sleep and adopting a Sunnah. We should remember that this world is temporary, keep the Hereafter in view, and choose companions who remind us of Allah. Each day, we can review our actions and transactions before Allah asks us about them. The goal is to become more truthful, sincere, and ready to meet Allah.
- What is one good habit or Sunnah you could practice this month?
- Who helps you remember Allah, and how do they influence you?
- What would you change if you reviewed your day honestly before Allah?
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