True faith means obeying Allah in private
“Fearing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in your privacy, in your seclusion, when you are alone, when no one is watching over you.”
True faith and ihsan are shown by fearing Allah and avoiding sin in private, when no one else is watching.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Defines private God-consciousness as a foundational quality of iman and taqwa.
- Explains ihsan as worshipping Allah with awareness that He always sees us.
- Uses Yusuf's resistance to temptation as an example of private obedience.
- Connects hidden sincerity with forgiveness, paradise, and the reward of the seven shaded people.
- Warns that private sins can nullify outward religious deeds.
- Urges listeners to practice private worship and carry awareness of Allah into everyday work and device use.
In the khateeb's words
“fearing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in your privacy, in your seclusion, when you are alone, when no one is watching over you”
“That you worship Allah, just as you are seeing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. If you cannot do that, at least you assume that Allah is watching over me, every time, all the time”
“when they are using their laptop, mobile phone, when they are on their call, they remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is watching over me.”
“When you are alone, at least show something good to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, stand up, make vudu and offer some nawafil, recite the Quran.”
For the dinner table
Today the khateeb talked about fearing Allah when we are alone, when nobody else can see us. He said anyone can look good in front of people, but real iman shows when we are by ourselves, with our phones or laptops, and still remember that Allah is watching. He told the story of Prophet Yusuf, who chose prison over doing wrong even though no one was watching, and Allah gave him honor and a great reward. He reminded us that one of the seven groups Allah will shade on the Day of Judgment is a person who remembers Allah alone and cries. He said that is also why fasting is so special: we are hungry and the food is right there, but we don't eat because Allah sees us. And when we feel Allah watching us, even our schoolwork, jobs and chores can become worship.
- If nobody could ever find out, what is one good thing you would still do, and why?
- How do you think Prophet Yusuf felt when he chose to do the right thing even though it meant going to prison?
- What is one way you can remember Allah when you're on your phone, tablet or computer?
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