5:09 there's no magic word…5:33 you don't you don't…11:25 He is going to ask you…11:38 we are not the…
Family & marriageFrom the masjid's own video, Aug 8, 2025.

Parents cannot control their children's hearts

Masjid At-Tawheed · Numan Hussain

“There's no magic word that you utter and they become sincere and come back to Allah.”

The khateeb, at 5:09

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

Parents cannot control their children's hearts or guarantee guidance, but they remain accountable for sincerely trying to guide them with reminders, explanation, gentleness, and mercy while trusting Allah for the outcome.

The khutbah in 5 steps

  1. Introduces the family problem of children or parents moving away from the deen, especially during college and independence.
  2. Rejects the idea of a magic formula and emphasizes that guidance ultimately belongs to Allah.
  3. Reassures parents that prophets and sincere believers also faced family faith struggles.
  4. Explains that parents cannot control hearts or force prayer, but must make sincere efforts to remind and guide.
  5. Urges families to follow the Prophet's example of gentleness and mercy toward struggling relatives.
Try this week
Remind children that prayer is important and beneficial.
Explain the value and consequences of prayer instead of relying only on pressure.
Show family members the Quran and the way of Allah.
Keep trying sincerely and do not assume a child's outcome proves parental failure.
Approach struggling family members with gentleness and mercy rather than force.
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 4:1Frames the sermon with shared human origins and an exhortation to fear Allah.
Quran 33:70-71Calls believers to fear Allah and speak rightly.
Quran 3:102Urges believers to maintain taqwa and remain Muslim until death.
Quran 3:159Supports treating family members with gentleness and mercy.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“there's no magic word that you utter and they become sincere and come back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala no that's not how it works”
Masjid At-Tawheed · Cheektowaga, NY
Play from 5:09
“you don't you don't guide somebody you cannot guide somebody unless Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala guides them”
Masjid At-Tawheed · Cheektowaga, NY
Play from 5:33
“He is going to ask you why did not you try to guide your kids we have to try to guide”
Masjid At-Tawheed · Cheektowaga, NY
Play from 11:25
“we are not the controller of hearts we can't control hearts I can control hearts of my son my son cannot control hearts of me”
Masjid At-Tawheed · Cheektowaga, NY
Play from 11:38
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The khutbah reminds us that parents cannot control their children's hearts or force faith into them. Guidance belongs to Allah, but parents are still responsible for sincerely trying to teach, remind, and help. A child's struggles do not automatically mean that the parents have failed or that their own faith is worthless. The Prophet's example teaches families to respond with gentleness and mercy. We should keep making sincere efforts while trusting Allah with the results.

  1. What is one gentle way we can remind each other about prayer?
  2. How can we support someone in our family without trying to control their heart?
  3. What sincere effort could we make this week?
Where it was given

The masjid

Masjid At-Tawheed / Cheektowaga Islamic Cultural Center3459 Harlem Rd, Cheektowaga, NY 14225KhateebNuman HussainMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at Masjid At-Tawheed25 khutbahs
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