Quiet sacrifice earns honor with Allah
“I want us to be of those who sacrifice for the sake of Allah.”
People who are unknown on earth can be among the most honored with Allah through quiet sacrifice, sincere da'wah, good character, and devotion to their parents.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening khutbah and introduction: two people unknown on earth but famous in heaven
- Story of Dr. Abdul Rahman al-Sumit, who left a luxurious life in Kuwait for 30 years of da'wah and relief work in Africa
- His accomplishments: 6,000 masajid, 10 million converts, 9,000 schools, 50,000 orphans, 10,000 wells, 70 hospitals
- His good character (akhlaaq) won over even a hostile evangelical pastor who then accepted Islam
- The unnamed believing man of Surah Yaseen who did da'wah alongside three messengers
- The unknown mother of Imam al-Shafi'i who mortgaged her home for his education, and the unnamed man who encouraged Abu Hanifa to become a faqih
- Uwais al-Qarni: Umar searched years for him because of his devotion to his mother (Sahih Muslim), and the Bukhari hadith of the poor man better than an earth full of the rich man
- Closing exhortation: set a goal, keep a secret good deed with Allah, honor your parents; dua and final recitation
In the khateeb's words
“I don't want our life to be a normal life I want us to be of those who sacrifice for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala”
“we need to have something with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala we need to have a secret good deed”
For the dinner table
Today's khutbah reminded us that Allah sees deeds that people often overlook. The speaker told the story of Dr. Abdul Rahman al-Sumit, a Kuwaiti doctor who left a comfortable life with his wife and spent thirty years in Africa building masajid, schools, wells, and orphanages. He also spoke about hidden heroes in the Quran and history: a poor man in Surah Yaseen, Imam al-Shafi'i's mother who mortgaged her home for his education, the man who encouraged Imam Abu Hanifa, and Uways al-Qarni, who stayed back to care for his blind mother. The big lesson is that being unknown or unimportant in this world does not matter if Allah knows and loves you. What matters most is sincerity, sacrifice for others, and kindness, especially to our parents.
- Who is someone you think is famous with Allah even though most people don't know their name?
- What is one small way our family can help someone in need this week?
- What is one thing we can do at home to show more kindness to our parents or grandparents?
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