Submit to Allah, not your desires
“Recognizing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala first and foremost is our main purpose in life.”
Human beings are honored with intellect and choice, but their purpose is to submit to Allah, resist making personal desires their authority, and serve others through gratitude, brotherhood, and self-sacrifice.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Human dignity, blessings, responsibility, and the purpose of recognizing Allah
- Human diversity as a basis for mutual recognition and community service
- The contrast between serving Allah and serving one’s desires
- Modern individualism and the danger of making the self the final authority
- Examples of submission to revelation and avoiding judgment of others
- Ithar, community involvement, civic responsibility, and self-reform
In the khateeb's words
“recognizing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala first and foremost is our main purpose in life.”
“we sometimes forget that ultimately it is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala who is providing all of this for us.”
“everything in the Qur'an I believe. Even if it's against my own family.”
“Our ideas have to be clean. Our thoughts have to be clean as well. And judging others in our thoughts, we will be questioned with regards to it in all aspects of our lives.”
For the dinner table
The khutbah reminds us that Allah gives us our minds, bodies, families, work, and every ability, so our first purpose is to know and serve Him with gratitude. Because people come from different backgrounds and have different strengths, we are meant to recognize one another and build a caring community. The speaker warned that our desires can quietly become our own authority when we place personal preference above Allah’s guidance. He encouraged us to keep our thoughts clean, avoid judging others, and practice ithar by giving priority to someone else even when we have a need. This week, we can serve our mosque and neighbors, teach our children generosity, learn about our local districts, and participate responsibly in our community.
- What is one ability or blessing you can thank Allah for today?
- When have you put someone else first even though you wanted something?
- How can our family serve the mosque or neighborhood this week?
More on Community & unity
There is no such thing as a nobody.19:44Masjid Fulton · Sacramento, CA · Oct 10, 2026No one should feel forgotten
The question is how do we disagree without destroying our relationships and our communities?14:27Al-Misbah Islamic Centre · Toronto, ON · Oct 3, 2026How to disagree without hostility
ICNYC · Greenwich Village, NY · Sep 26, 2026True faith serves people and Allah“We have a comprehensive and holistic understanding of this deen that goes beyond just benefiting ourselves to benefiting humanity at large.”