Repentance & taqwaFrom the masjid's own video, Jul 25, 2026.
Your nafs must be actively tamed
OUC · Saad
“The nafs is something that must be tamed.”
In one sentence
Your soul (nafs) is never idle and will pull you toward sin unless you actively tame it, and there are six practical strategies, from counseling it to guarding the first passing thought, that keep it oriented toward Allah.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening praises, shahada, and the Qur'anic command to have taqwa
- Scenario of the young person scrolling on their phone late at night who never fought their nafs
- Point 1: counsel the nafs like a disobedient spouse and never abandon it
- Point 2: the forbidden is magnetic, the story of Adam and the one tree
- Point 3: busy the mind with dhikr and Quran to lighten the load of desire
- Point 4: ride high-motivation days with extra deeds and hold to obligations on low days (Umar's saying and the shirrah/fatrah hadith)
- Point 5: beware trivial sins, the twigs hadith and the halal/haram gray area
- Point 6: guard the first thought before it becomes a habit (millstone analogy), then recap, dua, and a brief masjid support appeal
Try this week
Counsel your nafs directly, tell yourself what is right and wrong and never let go of it
Let reminders actually affect your heart instead of scrolling past them
Busy your mind with dhikr, Quran recitation, or helping others so desire loses its grip
Use high-motivation days for extra voluntary prayers and charity; on low days hold firmly to the obligatory deeds (salawat, responsibilities at home)
Beware small 'trivial' sins, a glance, a group-chat backbite, a small lie, and say Astaghfirullah whether or not you feel it in your heart
Stay away from the gray area between halal and haram instead of grazing near it
Stop the first passing thought before it becomes an idea, desire, resolve, action, and habit, redirect the mind to something else
Ask yourself whether you would be comfortable with your parents or the imam knowing your thoughts, remembering Allah hears them
Support the masjid with donations after salah
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 12:53The nafs commands toward evil, the untamed soul pushes a person to bad
Quran 89:27-30The contented soul that is entered into Allah's mercy, the contrast to the untamed nafs
Quran 91:7-10Allah inspired the soul toward either good or bad, echoed in the closing dua (zakkaha/dassaha)
Quran 7:20Shaytan's whisper to Adam and Hawa about the tree, the magnetic pull of the one forbidden thing
Quran 3:102Opening taqwa verses framing the whole khutbah
Quran 4:1Opening taqwa verses framing the whole khutbah
Jami` at-TirmidhiAdmonition that makes hearts tremble and eyes weep is sometimes required to tame the nafs
Sahih MuslimEvery action has vigor and a lull; whoever's lull returns to the Sunnah is guided, hope on low-motivation days
Musnad AhmadSmall 'trivial' sins accumulate like twigs until they bake the bread, destruction by accumulation
Sahih al-BukhariHalal and haram are clear with a gray area between; grazing near it leads to falling in, and the heart is the organ whose soundness determines the whole body
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“the nafs is something that must be tamed. The nafs is something which if not tamed, it will cause your destruction.”
“Fight the occupation with occupation. Do not sit idle.”
“There is no pause button for your nafs.”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
Imam Saad taught us that our soul, or nafs, is always moving, it's never on pause. He said we need to tame it like a spouse who needs wise counsel, not harsh abandonment. The khutbah reminded us that forbidden things often feel magnetic, small sins can pile up like twigs into a fire, and our thoughts can grow from a tiny idea into a habit if we keep feeding them. The good news is that Allah's commands are protection, and even when our motivation is low, we can hold on to our prayers and obligations. Let's talk this week about what we're feeding our hearts and minds, and how we can turn back to Allah together.
- What's one good thing you can feed your mind this week?
- Why do you think a tiny bad thought can grow into a habit?
- Who is someone you trust to help you when your nafs feels out of control?
Where it was given
The masjid
Keep listening
More on Repentance & taqwa
First, practice humility by accepting correction.28:46Worcester Islamic Center · Worcester, MA · Oct 31, 2026Arrogance hardens the heart against guidance
2:40Islamic Association of · Flower Mound, TX · Oct 24, 2026Repentance begins a life of self-discipline“Whilst you are alive, whilst you are reading, whilst you are even sitting in the masjid now, you can do Tawba with Allah.”
I want to be quick to apologize.29:24Lighthouse · Temescal · North Oakland, CA · Oct 17, 2026Move steadily in life, rush to forgiveness