Prayer & worshipFrom the masjid's own video, Dec 27, 2025.
Allah sees the intention behind every action
“Every person will have what they intended.”
In one sentence
Sincere intentions are essential because Allah evaluates the motives behind both religious and ordinary actions, so believers should consciously renew their intentions, persevere through difficulty, and cultivate private good deeds.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Warns that impressive deeds can lead to punishment when performed for reputation
- Explains the hadith that actions are judged by intentions, including migration for marriage or business
- Applies the principle to congregational prayer and difficult acts of worship
- Challenges listeners to assign sincere intentions to daily habits
- Recommends purposeful faith challenges and consistent private service
- Closes with supplications for sincerity and a Quranic admonition before prayer
Try this week
Renew the intention before one habitual daily action, such as working or exercising.
Make the daily intention a consistent habit.
Create manageable challenges that strengthen faith and perseverance.
Practice good deeds privately and consistently.
Persist in prayer, especially when praying is difficult or inconvenient.
Sources the khateeb cited
Quran 16:90Closed with commands toward justice, excellence, and helping relatives, alongside prohibitions against indecency, wrongdoing, and oppression.
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“actions are only by intentions. So every person will have what they intended.”
“If you really want to pray, you'll always find an excuse to pray.”
“The beautiful thing is that when we take even ordinary actions every day, things that aren't inherently religious, like going to work, for example, and we are sincere in them, we can also get good deeds from that as well.”
“find one thing that you do every single day, one habit that you do mindlessly every single day, and to make a good intention about doing that action before you do it”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
The khutbah teaches that Allah cares not only about what we do, but why we do it. Good deeds can lose their value when they are done for praise, reputation, or recognition instead of to please Allah. We can strengthen our sincerity by renewing the intention behind an ordinary daily habit, persevering when worship is difficult, and doing good deeds privately. Even work, exercise, and caring for family can become worship when they are guided by a sincere intention.
- What is one ordinary thing you do that could become worship through a better intention?
- When is it hardest for you to pray or do the right thing, and what helps you continue?
- What private good deed could you practice this week?
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