Resist desires that defy revelation
“We are here in a test.”
The khutbah argues that believers must recognize and struggle against vain desire by submitting to revelation, remembering the Hereafter, and cultivating God-conscious companionship.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- He defines hawa as following desires that contradict revelation and makes it the khutbah’s central theme.
- He describes symptoms including resisting reminders, self-deception, arrogance over knowledge, and showing off in worship.
- He warns that desire can override Prophetic guidance, illustrated through the Khawarij’s violent rejection of hadith.
- He urges remembrance of death and the Hereafter and choosing companions who reinforce prayer rather than worldly obsession.
- He presents mujahadat al-nafs as disciplined resistance, using the Talut-and-Jalut river test and Paradise as motivation.
- He closes with supplications for purification, protection from harmful desires, and oppressed Muslims before prayer.
In the khateeb's words
“this Hawa that I will keep repeating which is the vain desire, the wrong desires”
“a person really need to think about himself and see if this exists in me or not”
“if you are thirsty you can drink a little bit not to go into it it's test from Allah”
“we are living here and we have to enjoy every minute no we are here in a test to go back inshallah to where we created first Adam alayhi salam in Jannah”
For the dinner table
Today’s khutbah taught that hawa means letting our desires lead us away from Allah’s guidance. Desire can make us ignore reminders, become proud of our knowledge, show off worship, or forget the Hereafter. We should examine ourselves honestly, remember death and the Day of Judgment, resist wrong impulses, and stay close to people who remind us of prayer and Allah. The story of Talut and Jalut showed that even a small act of restraint can be a real test of faith. The khutbah closed with prayers for purified hearts and for oppressed Muslims, including those in Sudan and Palestine.
- What is a desire that can be good, and when could it become a distraction from what Allah asks?
- What reminder helps you make a better choice when you really want something?
- Who helps you remember prayer and do the right thing?
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