Prayer & worshipFrom the masjid's own video, Sep 3, 2025.
Love Allah through worship and obedience
“Pick out a few of these good deeds and these actions that resonate most with you.”
In one sentence
Loving Allah is expressed through worship and following the Prophet, while seeking Allah's love requires cultivating the qualities and practices that Allah loves.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Establishes humanity's relationship with Allah as servant and Lord, defining worship as devotion, service, adoration, and love.
- Uses Quranic examples to argue that believers must love Allah intensely and follow the Messenger to receive Allah's love.
- Identifies qualities Allah loves, including excellence, repentance, purity, taqwa, patience, trust, and justice.
- Explains hadith about Allah's love spreading from Jibreel to the angels and people, and encourages supplication for that love.
- Presents Ibn al-Qayyim's ten pathways, including Quranic contemplation, obligatory and voluntary deeds, dhikr, gratitude, humility, night worship, righteous companionship, and a purified heart.
- Closes by describing divine love as strength through trials and urging listeners to put Allah's love above every other love.
Try this week
Reflect deeply on the Quran and apply its guidance.
Fulfill obligatory acts, including the five prayers, Ramadan fasting, and zakah.
Add voluntary acts of worship after fulfilling obligations.
Remember Allah frequently through dhikr.
Prefer Allah's commands and the Prophet's guidance over personal desires.
Learn and live by Allah's names and attributes.
Recognize Allah's blessings and thank Him for them.
Approach Allah with humility and make dua.
Worship privately, especially during the last third of the night.
Keep company with people who remind you of Allah.
Purify the heart, forgive those who wrong you, and avoid ill feelings.
Make dua asking Allah for His love and for deeds that bring you closer to it.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 7Uses the repeated calls of Noah, Hud, Salih, and Shu'aib to establish worshipping Allah alone.
Surah 2Contrasts misplaced love of false gods with believers' stronger love of Allah.
Surah 3Links claiming love of Allah with following the Messenger, Allah's love, and forgiveness.
Surah 5Challenges the claim that the People of the Book are automatically Allah's beloved.
Sahih MuslimUses the story of visiting a fellow believer solely for Allah's sake to illustrate earning Allah's love.
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“There is nothing higher. No other way you can express your love to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala except through worshiping Him.”
“So try to pick out a few of these good deeds and these actions that resonate most with you and implement them to the best of your ability, sincerely seeking Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's love.”
“Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will bless you through this love that you will be able to endure every challenge and you'll be able to come out of that challenge stronger and closer to Allah”
“Always purify your heart. Try to make it so that you have no ill feelings towards anyone.”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
Today's khutbah reminded us that worship is an expression of our love for Allah, and that we should also seek His love. The khateeb described qualities Allah loves, including repentance, patience, justice, and trust in Him. He shared practical ways to grow closer to Allah, such as fulfilling our obligations, adding voluntary good deeds, reflecting on the Quran, remembering Him, and thanking Him for His blessings. He also encouraged us to keep good company, love others for Allah's sake, and work toward forgiving those who hurt us. Each of us can choose a practice that speaks to us and begin sincerely, remembering that Allah's love helps us endure challenges and grow closer to Him.
- Which blessing from Allah did you notice today, and how could you show your thanks?
- What is one good deed from the khutbah you would like us to practice together this week?
- Who helps you remember Allah, and what do you learn from spending time with them?
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