Never underestimate a small good deed
“If you see yourself behind, ask Allah to guide you and to make it easy for you.”
Continuing a series on Paradise and Hellfire, the speaker argues that because Allah reckons every atom's weight of deed, believers must never underestimate or nullify small good deeds and must prioritize salah and obedience over worldly excuses.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Opening khutbah formulae and taqwa verses
- Hadith of the last man to enter Jannah, narrated by Ibn Mas'ud, and what 'last' means
- The people of al-A'raf: Quran 7 scene and the majority view that their good and bad deeds are equal
- Surah az-Zalzalah: accountability for an atom's weight of good or evil
- Practical warnings: never belittle a hasanah, never ruin one by showing off or demanding return (Musa and the two women)
- Good deeds are Allah's favor on us, not our favor on Him; ease in worship is a sign of acceptance
In the khateeb's words
“Said, the last person to enter Jannah will be a man who will alternately walk, stagger and be touched by the fire.”
“is that they are the people whose good deeds and bad deeds are equal.”
“So whoever does anatom's weight of good will see it.”
“And if you see yourself behind, ask Allah to guide you and to make it easy for you.”
For the dinner table
The khutbah continued our study of Jannah and Hellfire by focusing on the last person to enter Paradise. This person will barely make it across the bridge, staggering and scorched by the fire, yet Allah will still save him through immense mercy. The khateeb also taught us that even the tiniest good or bad deed, as small as an atom's weight, will be weighed on Judgment Day, so we should never underestimate small acts of kindness or small sins. He reminded us to do good sincerely for Allah alone, not expecting favors from people, and to thank Allah when He enables us to pray or read Quran rather than looking down on others. Finally, he urged us to make salah and obeying Allah a true priority, even more than work, exercise, or entertainment, because protecting our souls matters most.
- What is one small good deed you can do today that might weigh heavy with Allah?
- Why should we thank Allah when we finish praying instead of feeling proud of ourselves?
- What is something that sometimes gets in the way of your prayer, and how can we fix it as a family?
More on Prayer & worship
The remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is something very powerful.9:18ISCN · Corona, CA · Oct 24, 2026Knowing Allah makes worship joyful
Ali Khan Center · Suitland, MD · Oct 10, 2026Give the weekly prayer your full attention“Don't just time it so you get maybe five-minute kutbah and a five-minute salat, and you're out in 10 minutes.”
Don't set your floor at your peak time, like in Ramadan.19:52Al-Noor · Santa Clara, CA · Oct 24, 2026Build a sustainable spiritual floor