Seek Allah’s pleasure in times of fitna
“Save yourselves and your families from hellfire.”
In an age of fitna, Muslims should seek Allah’s pleasure by disciplining themselves, guiding their families and influence circles, seeking knowledge, and prioritizing meaningful action over obsession with uncontrollable affairs.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Hellfire and Paradise represent Allah’s displeasure and pleasure, making spiritual protection the highest priority.
- The command to focus on oneself still includes advising oneself and others toward good and away from harm.
- Four signs of fitna are obeyed selfishness, followed desires, preferring this world, and obsession with personal opinions.
- During confusing times, believers should focus on themselves and their influence circles while building patience, humility, generosity, and good habits.
- The khutbah urges listeners to recognize their time, use it wisely, give, seek knowledge, and develop understanding rather than merely speaking.
- The people of Badr illustrate that prioritizing Allah brings divine help even amid overwhelming difficulty.
In the khateeb's words
“Save yourselves and your families from hellfire. What He's actually saying is. Save yourselves and your families from my displeasure.”
“Work on yourself. Work on your family. Build your good habits. That is what our Rasul Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is telling us.”
“they trusted Allah and they trusted the rasul sallallahu alaihi wasallam yes they believed in paradise but their goal was the pleasure of Allah”
For the dinner table
The khutbah reminds us that Paradise is Allah’s pleasure and Hellfire is His displeasure, so our first priority is to protect our hearts and families. Focusing on ourselves does not mean selfishness: we should guide ourselves and those within our influence toward good and away from harm. The speaker names four dangers of a troubled age, obeyed selfishness, followed desires, choosing this world over the next, and becoming impressed with our own opinions. We should prepare now by practicing patience, humility, generosity, good habits, and seeking knowledge instead of wasting our time on matters we cannot control. The people of Badr are presented as an example of trusting Allah and receiving His help.
- What is one good habit you can practice now before a difficult test?
- How can we help someone in our family or circle of influence this week?
- When should we pause before sharing an opinion and seek knowledge first?
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