Repentance & taqwaFrom the masjid's own video, Dec 28, 2025.

Publicizing sins defies Allah and harms communities

“Turn back to Him and He will forgive you of your sins.”

The khateeb, at 22:13

In one sentence

Publicizing and normalizing sins is a grave defiance of Allah that harms individuals and communities, but sincere repentance remains open.

The khutbah in 6 steps

  1. True life and blessing come through obedience, while all people sin and the best sinners repent.
  2. Communities face shared trials when public wrongdoing goes unchallenged.
  3. Publicizing sins reflects defiance, weakened faith, lost modesty, and disregard for others’ influence.
  4. Public examples can call others toward misguidance and accumulate shared sin.
  5. Worldly success amid disobedience may be istidraj, a delayed test or punishment rather than approval.
  6. Listeners are urged to repent, avoid public sin, and never despair of Allah’s forgiveness.
Try this week
Do not publicize or boast about sins; seek repentance when you sin.
Remind and warn others against openly harmful wrongdoing.
Respond to blessings with gratitude and obedience rather than assuming success means divine approval.
Turn back to Allah in repentance and do not despair of forgiveness.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“the true calamity beloved brothers and sisters is when a sin is committed openly without any shame without any care that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is watching and that the people are watching”
Dar Al-Istiqamah · Brooklyn, NY
Play from 4:37
“whosoever calls to misguidance then he will have the sin of every single individual who followed him in that sin and none of them will be decreased in sin”
Dar Al-Istiqamah · Brooklyn, NY
Play from 11:14
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The khutbah taught that everyone makes mistakes, but openly showing off sins is especially dangerous. Public sin can weaken modesty, encourage others to follow the same path, and contribute to a community-wide trial when nobody speaks up wisely. Comfort and success while disobeying Allah may be a test or istidraj, not proof of Allah’s approval. We should avoid making wrongdoing look normal, encourage good, and protect our dignity. Even after serious mistakes, we should never despair, because sincere repentance and returning to Allah remain open.

  1. How can social media make harmful behavior seem normal or admirable?
  2. How can we remind someone about wrongdoing with wisdom and kindness?
  3. What might help a person return to Allah after making a serious mistake?