Religious practice should make us kinder
“A person who prays well is a person who is humble, is a caring person, is a loving person.”
The more sincerely Muslims practice their rituals, the more humility, compassion, justice, and kindness those rituals should produce in their relationships and service to others.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Explains that prayer, fasting, zakah, and Hajj cultivate humility, purpose, unity, and moral restraint.
- Connects prayer with caring for orphans, the poor, Gaza, Sudan, and other suffering communities.
- Argues that helping someone in need can surpass optional personal worship.
- Presents God-consciousness, self-correction, and compassionate treatment of humanity as interconnected duties.
- Shows that rituals have inner objectives, especially humility, generosity, family care, and moral conduct.
- Concludes by urging advocacy, charitable relief, and dua for oppressed and hungry people.
In the khateeb's words
“For the Salah has to impact our life. And that's why a person who prays well is a person who is humble, is a caring person, is a loving person.”
“And the act of worship that extend to somebody else, to serve somebody else, that act of worship is better than you praying.”
“as more we become religious, the more we become kind individuals.”
“First to advocate because there's two aspects of feeding people. One of them advocating for them to be fed and the other actually feeding them.”
For the dinner table
Imam Mohamed Magid explains that prayer, fasting, zakah, and Hajj are meant to shape how we live, not remain mechanical rituals. They should make us humble, compassionate, grateful, and attentive to the needs of family, neighbors, and strangers. He says helping someone in need can be better than an optional act of worship, because worship should benefit people too. Seeing our privilege, he urges us to advocate for people facing hunger and war, donate to relief organizations, and keep making dua. The central lesson is simple: the more religious we become, the kinder we should become.
- How can prayer change the way we act toward someone who needs help?
- What is one humble or kind action we can take this week?
- How could our family help people suffering from hunger or war?
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