9:35 Your higher self…16:51 If I don't make effort…22:46 We are taught the…
Character & conductFrom the masjid's own video, Aug 2, 2025.

Guidance grows through mastering the lower self

ISWV

“If I don't make effort against my own issues, they will take control of me.”

The khateeb, at 16:51

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

Allah's guidance is attained through ongoing internal struggle against the lower self, expressed through humility, gratitude, and resistance to envy.

The khutbah in 5 steps

  1. Uses the last verse of Surah An Kabut to connect striving with guidance and Allah's companionship.
  2. Defines mujahada as internal effort between lower desires and higher potential.
  3. Connects neglected self-purification to personal, communal, and global disorder while emphasizing hope.
  4. Uses Musa and Harun as examples of overcoming envy through cooperation and humility.
  5. Prescribes saying MashaAllah, attributing blessings to Allah, acknowledging others' gifts, and congratulating them.
Try this week
Engage in continual self-assessment and internal mujahada against personal faults.
When envy arises, say MashaAllah and La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
Attribute others' blessings to Allah, acknowledge their gifts, and congratulate them.
Practice humility and gratitude by supporting people whose abilities differ from your own.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 55Used to explain divine balance and the prohibition against transgressing it.
Surah 113Used as a prayer for protection from the evil of envy.
Surah 18
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“Your higher self doesn't mean you're a perfect human being But it means you come back”
ISWV · Canoga Park, CA
Play from 9:35
“If I don't make effort Against my own issues They will take control of me”
ISWV · Canoga Park, CA
Play from 16:51
“We are taught the first thing we do is we assign all of someone's blessings to Allah”
ISWV · Canoga Park, CA
Play from 22:46
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

Today's khutbah teaches that becoming better starts with mujahada, the effort to struggle against the part of ourselves pulled by selfish desires. Allah gives us hope and guidance when we keep returning to what is good, even after mistakes. The khateeb uses Musa and Harun to show that envy can be replaced by recognizing another person's gifts, thanking Allah, and working together. When we notice someone's blessing, we can say MashaAllah, credit Allah, and congratulate them. At home, we can practice humility, gratitude, and honest self-assessment instead of judging others.

  1. What is one good quality you see in a sibling or friend?
  2. What can we say or do when we feel jealous?
Where it was given

The masjid

Islamic Society of West Valley7060 Owensmouth Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91304ArchiveAll khutbahs at ISWV9 khutbahs
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