True worship means drawing close to Allah
“If I owe somebody something I call and I apologize because I want to be clear.”
True worship means knowing and drawing close to Allah, avoiding shirk, honoring people's rights, and preparing for a joyful Hereafter.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Opens with praise and supplication for guidance, lawful provision, benefit to creation, and relief for Gaza and Palestine.
- Uses the hadith of Mu'adh to explain Allah's right: worship Him without associating partners.
- Broadens ibadah beyond ritual to honesty, avoiding theft, apologizing, repentance, and respecting people's rights.
- Uses examples of the Prophet's labor and a dying believer to illustrate worship as sincere effort and moral accountability.
- Compares worldly life to a womb, encourages good intentions and collective work, and connects lawful worldly enjoyment with the Hereafter.
- Concludes with prayers and Quranic recitation about worship, repentance, and returning to Allah.
In the khateeb's words
“but in the end we leave everything except one thing when I come closer to Allah so the more I live it will be way better for me because I'm so close to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala”
“if I owe somebody something I call and I apologize because I want to be clear”
“the real purpose of the ibadah to make you happy in this life and excited extremely happy in the hereafter when you see Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam”
For the dinner table
The khateeb reminded us that Allah created us for a purpose: to worship Him alone, know Him, and grow closer to Him. Worship includes how we treat people, such as telling the truth, respecting their rights, and apologizing when we make mistakes. He shared the story of a man near death who felt peaceful because he had tried to settle what he owed others, including apologies, and raise his children close to Allah. He also described Prophet Muhammad helping with hard, dusty work as an example of serving for Allah's sake. We can enjoy Allah's blessings in this life while preparing for the next, helping our families and communities with good intentions.
- When was telling the truth hard for you, and what helped you?
- What could you say to begin an apology when you have hurt someone?
- What helpful job could we do together this week for Allah's sake?
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