Community & unityFrom the masjid's own video, Sep 3, 2025.

A building is only the start of community

“Our community is not built on brick and mortar.”

The khateeb, at 10:33

In one sentence

The new extension is only a beginning, and the community must turn gratitude for its building into lived Islam through remembrance, inherited practice, service, family life, and trust in Allah.

The khutbah in 6 steps

  1. Opens with standard Arabic khutbah invocations and thanks the people who built the community extension.
  2. Celebrates the extension while emphasizing that a community is more than physical infrastructure.
  3. Uses Robert Pirsig's concept of philosophology to distinguish analysis of Islam from practicing Islam.
  4. Calls the community to embody remembrance, prophetic teachings, service, family life, and trust in Allah.
  5. Reframes the completed extension as the start of building a multigenerational society of Islam.
  6. Urges listeners to reflect on real versus fake Islam and closes with prayers for the community and suffering people worldwide.
Try this week
Reflect during the break on the difference between fake Islam and real Islam.
Help build a community centered on remembrance of Allah, Qur'an recitation and study, and praise of the Prophet.
Bring Islamic teachings into the home, workplace, relationships, and treatment of neighbors.
Work hard, plan carefully, and execute wisely while placing ultimate trust in Allah.
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 3:102The opening exhortations ground the sermon in God-consciousness, family ties, truthful speech, and obedience.
Quran 4:1The opening exhortations ground the sermon in God-consciousness, family ties, truthful speech, and obedience.
Quran 33:70-71The opening exhortations ground the sermon in God-consciousness, family ties, truthful speech, and obedience.
Quran 3:110Sets the standard the community must strive to embody as a community offered for humanity.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“our community is not built on brick and mortar on drywall on plumbing on bolts even though the man with the clipboard that's what he seems to think the community is built on”
ICCP · Potomac, MD
Play from 10:33
“take a moment during this break to think about the difference between fake islam and real islam”
ICCP · Potomac, MD
Play from 20:45
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

Today we celebrated the completion of the community’s new extension and thanked the people who made it possible. The khateeb reminded us that a masjid is more than walls: it should be a living community of remembrance, learning, worship, support, and praise of the Prophet. He encouraged us to bring Islam’s teachings into our homes, work, relationships, and treatment of neighbors. We should work hard and plan wisely while remembering that the final outcome rests with Allah. The extension is therefore a beginning, calling every generation to help make the community beautiful in practice.

  1. What makes a masjid feel like a real community?
  2. How can our family practice Islam more fully this week?
  3. How can we work hard without losing trust in Allah?