Activism without knowledge harms the community
“Ignorance has consequences, my dear brothers and sisters.”
Seeking Islamic knowledge, especially obligatory, structured learning from qualified teachers, must accompany worship and activism because ignorance misdirects priorities and harms the community.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- Distinguishes personally obligatory knowledge from communal scholarly obligations.
- Uses prophetic and scholarly teachings to prioritize learning alongside worship and service.
- Warns that activism without knowledge produces misjudgment, misplaced priorities, compounded ignorance, and arrogance.
- Urges learning from qualified teachers rather than relying solely on books, the internet, Google, or AI.
- Presents Imam al-Shafi'i's six requirements for learning: intelligence, eagerness, hard work, sustenance, teacher companionship, and time.
- Calls Dallas-Fort Worth mosques to provide structured, all-ages Islamic learning programs.
- Closes with an Azhar experience and prayers for the Muslim community.
In the khateeb's words
“Not everything is fardain, but there is a set of knowledge that is incumbent on every adult Muslim individual.”
“Ignorance has consequences, my dear brothers and sisters. When we are involved in Islamic work, in activism, and we don't have the prerequisite knowledge, we will mistake truth for falsehood.”
“This knowledge is deen. Be careful who you take your deen from.”
“Learning requires hard work. It does require work. Number four, sustenance. You must have food on the table before you can go and attend a class.”
For the dinner table
Sh. Arsalan reminded us that learning our deen is a lifelong responsibility for young people and adults alike. Each of us needs to learn the basics that apply to our worship and daily responsibilities, while the community also needs people who study more deeply. He encouraged those helping others and serving the masjid to make serious learning part of their lives, because good intentions alone do not prevent mistakes. He emphasized learning with qualified teachers, whose character and behavior can teach us alongside their lessons, and treating online resources as a supplement. Learning takes eagerness, effort, patience, and time, and he encouraged families and people of every age to join structured learning in their masjids.
- What is one thing about our deen you would like to understand better, and why?
- When has asking a question helped you discover something you misunderstood?
- What could we do together to make time for learning each week?
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