How to recognize a hard heart
“The Quran was sent for me to reform my life.”
A hard heart is revealed by neglecting the Quran and Sunnah, ignoring accountability, loving dunya over the akhirah, and losing joy in worship, so believers must examine themselves and return to Allah.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- The khutbah opens with taqwa, communal responsibility, and the guidance of Surah al-Ma'idah.
- The second sign is neglecting the Quran and Sunnah instead of applying them personally.
- The third sign is failing to return to Allah when confronted with divine warnings or wrongdoing.
- The fourth sign is excessive attachment to dunya at the expense of the akhirah.
- The final sign is finding no happiness or satisfaction in salah and dhikr.
- The speaker closes by asking Allah for sound, humble hearts, followed by prayer and a brief welcome for a new shahada.
In the khateeb's words
“the Quran was not sent for others the Quran was sent for me to reform my life”
“on the outside we might be growing but on the inside we are rotting away our akhlaaq our ibadat our ma'amalat everything in terms of our deen we are rotting away”
“another sign of a hard heart is a heart that is overly indulged in the love of this dunya that they cannot differentiate between what is right and what is wrong”
“these kind of people find no happiness they get bored very very quickly when it comes to remembering Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala”
For the dinner table
Imam Nadim Bashir reminded us to look honestly at our own hearts and let the Quran and Sunnah guide our daily lives. He distinguished making a mistake and returning to Allah from continuing in disobedience without reflecting or turning back. He reminded us that we will stand before Allah and answer for how we treat other people. Working hard and earning money are allowed, but pursuing this life should not cost us our faith or our hereafter. He also warned about losing interest in prayer and remembering Allah, and prayed for hearts that stay connected to Allah and are accepted by Him.
- When you want to win an argument, what could help you treat the other person fairly?
- What helps you pay attention and feel connected when you pray or remember Allah?
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