Denying faith includes harming others
“If people give you assistance don't repay it with evil.”
Surah al-Ma'oon teaches that denying Allah's deen is revealed not only by words but by harmful conduct, neglecting prayer, lacking mercy, showing off worship, and withholding help, so believers must align their intentions and actions with Allah's guidance.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Defines deen as Allah's guidance for human safety and explains submission to it.
- Distinguishes verbal denial from behavioral denial driven by unchecked desires.
- Reads Surah al-Ma'oon's treatment of orphans and the poor as signs of lost mercy.
- Explains heedless prayer and riya, or showing off, as failures of connection with Allah.
- Interprets withholding ma'oon, or simple assistance, as socially destructive.
- Calls listeners to inspect intentions, conceal private good deeds, help others, and avoid repaying help with harm.
In the khateeb's words
“deen is those set of rules and do's and don'ts from Allah specifically for our safety”
“you can look at deen as it limits your your motion or it limits it for your safety and you accept it”
“the cure to riya is do it in this in secret do it without anybody knowing because if nobody knows that you did this good deed”
“if people ask you for for simple you know assistance give it and if if people give you assistance don't repay it with evil”
For the dinner table
Today's khutbah was about Surah Al-Ma'oon, which starts by asking, 'Have you seen the one who denies the deen?' The imam explained that we are complex creations, so Allah, who knows us best, gave us the deen like an instruction manual or a danger sign on the road. It is there to keep us safe, not to hold us back. He said the most common way people reject the faith is not with words but with actions, like being unkind to orphans, not caring whether the poor are fed, being careless about prayer, showing off, and refusing to give even small help. He reminded us to do our good deeds for Allah alone, to keep them secret when we can, and to always help people who ask, even with something as simple as giving directions. And when someone is kind to us, we should never repay that kindness with harm.
- If Allah's rules are like a danger sign on the road, which rule do you think protects you the most?
- What is one small act of kindness you could do this week that nobody else would ever know about?
- Why do you think Allah named a whole surah after small everyday help, like lending something or giving directions?
The masjid
More on Qur'an & tafsir
IOK · Diamond Bar, CA · Oct 24, 2026Do right despite the consequences“Doing the right thing is going to be the right thing, regardless of whether there are negative or positive consequences after.”
Masjid Al-Islam · North Smithfield, RI · Oct 17, 2026Every deed will be revealed“The earth will speak and what will it speak about?”
EPIC · Plano, TX · Sep 26, 2026The Quran teaches us to stop rumors“Your job and my job is to crush those flames.”