Your tongue carries great responsibility
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
Because the tongue is a powerful, accountable blessing, Muslims should keep it upright by controlling speech, treating people well, grounding necessary responses in Qur'an and Sunnah, and practicing self-correction.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Introduces the tongue as a powerful human blessing whose words are recorded.
- Defines an upright tongue through prophetic guidance and presents three methods.
- Teaches beneficial speech or silence and protecting others from verbal harm.
- Uses examples from Makkah and Uhud to distinguish personal retaliation from principled religious response.
- Urges listeners to examine themselves before advising others.
- Closes with repentance, improving family speech, upholding justice, and maintaining dhikr.
In the khateeb's words
“And so with that, with that it gives us a great power and with great power comes great responsibility.”
“When they personally attack us, it doesn't give us enough reason to defend ourselves.”
“Start being aware of what you say on how you deal with your family members.”
For the dinner table
Our ability to speak is a blessing from Allah, and the khateeb reminded us that our words are recorded and carry responsibility. He shared three ways to keep our tongues upright: control what we say, speak kindly to others, and follow the advice we give. Through examples from the Prophet’s life, he showed the importance of restraint and of grounding our responses in the Quran and Sunnah when speaking up for our faith and those facing oppression. He encouraged us to begin at home, where our families sometimes hear our harshest words, and to seek forgiveness for the harm we have caused. Remembering Allah with words like subhanallah and astaghfirullah can help keep our tongues occupied with good.
- What could you say when you are upset that explains your feelings without hurting someone?
- What advice do you give others that you could practice yourself this week?
- When could our family make a little time to remember Allah together?
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