Excellence means a clean heart and truthful tongue
“Indeed, there is a piece of flesh in the body.”
The khutbah argues that true excellence before Allah comes from purifying the heart of envy and wrongdoing and disciplining the tongue to speak truthfully.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Asks who the best people are before Allah.
- Answers with the prophetic teaching of a clean heart and truthful tongue.
- Explains purity through freedom from envy, hatred, injustice, and resentment.
- Illustrates heart purification with the story of a man promised Paradise.
- Warns that gossip, lies, and careless words can consume accumulated good deeds.
- Closes with prayers for steadfastness, a sound heart, and a truthful tongue.
In the khateeb's words
“every night when I go to sleep I clean my heart from any envy, from any hasad, from any hatred, from any ghil against against any Muslim.”
“Indeed there is a piece of flesh in the body If it is sound, the whole body is sound. And if it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. Indeed, it is the heart.”
“Someone else cannot hear you, but Allah is here. Allah with you. Allah knows what you have said.”
For the dinner table
The khutbah teaches that the best person has a clean heart and a truthful tongue. A clean heart is free from envy, hatred, injustice, and resentment, while a truthful tongue avoids lies, backbiting, and harmful speech. The speaker warns that careless words can erase the reward of worship and will still be accounted for by Allah. He encourages listeners to examine their hearts each night, guard their conversations, and ask Allah for steadfastness, a sound heart, and a truthful tongue. The message is that inner character and everyday speech shape both our worship and our relationships.
- What is one way we can clean our hearts before going to sleep?
- How can we stop ourselves from speaking badly about someone who is not present?
- What does having a truthful tongue look like at school, work, or home?
The masjid
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