Leave behind good character
“Allah will not ask you about others.”
As a farewell wasiya after 25 years, the khateeb argues that the single most important thing to leave a community is good akhlaq, character proven in hardship, anger, and authority, because the best in character will be closest to the Prophet on the Day of Judgment.
The khutbah in 9 steps
- Opening praise and personal framing: a farewell wasiya after 25 years in the community
- The one wasiya: akhlaq, proven not in ease but in trial, anger, authority, and the urge for revenge
- Jibril khawatir and the suicide-investigator story: one person's greeting could have saved a life
- Allah praised the Prophet for his khuluq; gentleness is a rahmah, and harshness would have scattered people
- Hadith: the most beloved and closest to the Prophet are the best in character, an open invitation to all
- Quran as the manual for akhlaq; tazkiya is a lifelong, never-finished journey
- Facing trials: stop asking why, start asking what; ease is within hardship; Allah never burdens a soul beyond capacity
- Sadness comes from expectations and entitlement; reflecting on inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un means you belong to Allah
- Closing duas, community announcements, and salah
In the khateeb's words
“today i'm going to jump off of the bridge i'm going to walk towards the bridge i'm going to walk through but if only one person says hi to me i'll turn around”
“Allah will not ask you about others He will ask you about how did you conduct yourself”
“most of your sadness or your agony it's not because of what you go through but it's because of your expectations”
For the dinner table
The khateeb gave a farewell message after 25 years in the community, and said if he could leave only one piece of advice it would be good character, akhlaq, especially when we are angry, hurt, or in charge. He told a heartbreaking true story of a man who wrote that if just one person had said hello, he would not have taken his own life. He reminded us that Allah praised the Prophet for his beautiful character, and that the Prophet said the people closest to him on the Day of Judgment will be those with the best manners, not the most famous or knowledgeable. He also taught that hard times get harder when we expect life to follow our own plans, and that saying 'we belong to Allah and to Him we return' helps us remember everything we have is a trust. His closing message: keep improving your character every day, be gentle like the Prophet, and your family and community will feel the difference.
- Who is one person at school or the masjid you could greet first this week?
- When you are really angry, what would acting like the Prophet look like in that moment?
- What is one expectation you could let go of to feel more at peace?
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