Unchecked desires can divide the Ummah
“When we see our brother going astray, we can advise him and that is our only opportunity to do so.”
Unchecked desires can displace Allah’s guidance and divide the Ummah, so believers must return to submission, repentance, prayer, Qur’an reflection, and humble counsel while balancing hope in Allah’s mercy with fear of His reckoning.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- Opens with exhortations to taqwa, truthful speech, complete submission, and avoiding Shaytan’s footsteps.
- Uses the khateeb’s conversion story to frame communal hardship, oppression, disunity, and desire-driven distraction.
- Explains how knowingly pursuing harmful desires can make people worse than animals, while desires themselves need proper direction.
- Warns through the people of Lot and other Qur’anic passages against following inclinations beyond Allah’s limits.
- Balances hope in Allah’s mercy with fear of His justice, reckoning, and consequences for wronging others.
- Calls listeners to repentance, prayer, remembrance, translated Qur’an study, reflection, and seeking knowledgeable guidance.
- Closes with prophetic warnings about temptation and a supplication for purification, forgiveness, guidance, and protection from the self.
In the khateeb's words
“This Ummah is standing at a crossroads of understanding when it comes to the reality of hardship. We are facing such pain in the form of oppression and disunity.”
“Knowing that it's a detriment to our own soul. Knowing that it hurts other people. This is what makes us worse than animals.”
“When we see our brother going astray, we can advise him and that is our only opportunity to do so. That is our only job to do.”
“When you read the Quran. Read it with the translations. Try to understand and contemplate.”
For the dinner table
The khateeb reminded us that desires are not automatically bad, but they become dangerous when they replace Allah’s guidance. We should remember that Allah knows our hearts, that our choices have consequences, and that we must balance hope in His mercy with fear of His justice. When we fall, we should repent, feel remorse, repair harm, and return to prayer and remembrance rather than escape into distractions. The sermon encouraged us to read the Qur’an with translation and reflection, seek trustworthy knowledge, and advise others gently without pretending we can control their guidance. Its closing prayer asked Allah to purify us, protect us from our own desires, and keep us connected to Islam.
- When do phones, shows, shopping, or other distractions make it harder to turn to Allah?
- What could it look like to read one Qur’an passage with its translation and think about its meaning this week?
- How can we advise someone we love without trying to control their choices?
The masjid
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