Help sincerely without expecting repayment
“If I really did it for Allah, then why am I expecting that person to pay me back?”
Help others sincerely for Allah's sake without keeping score or expecting repayment, while gratefully acknowledging those who help you.
The khutbah in 5 steps
- Recounts the slander against Aisha and the Quranic command to verify reports.
- Explains Abu Bakr's support of Mistah and his oath after Mistah spread the slander.
- Shows how Surah An-Nur instructed Abu Bakr to forgive and continue helping.
- Applies the lesson through the imam's experience with an ungrateful Quran student.
- Urges sincere service, gratitude toward helpers, and closing supplications.
In the khateeb's words
“but we do good, we help people, not because that person is deserving or undeserving of our charity, because when we help others, this is something that Allah really loves.”
“Because, if I really did it for Allah, then why am I expecting that person to pay me back?”
“So if you're ungrateful to people, it's a sign that you're ungrateful to Allah because you can't see Allah and you can see people.”
For the dinner table
The khutbah teaches that we should help people for Allah's sake, not because they always deserve it or thank us. The story of Abu Bakr and Mistah shows how difficult it can be to keep doing good after someone hurts our family, yet Abu Bakr continued helping when Allah reminded him to forgive. The imam also shared how a student's lack of thanks tested his own sincerity. We should help as much as we can, let go of the emotional “receipt,” and remember that Allah sees every good deed. At the same time, we should thank people who help us, because gratitude to people is part of gratitude to Allah.
- When have you helped someone without expecting anything back?
- What makes it hard to forgive someone who has hurt us?
- Who is someone we should thank this week?
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