Character & conductFrom the masjid's own video, Nov 28, 2025.
Serve others without seeking their thanks
“When you serve others you expect that reward from Allah.”
In one sentence
Muslims should preserve solidarity with suffering people and embody three prophetic habits: serve without seeking reciprocity, guard their speech, and pray as if each prayer were their last.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- Opens with Quranic exhortations and prophetic advice before addressing fading concern for global suffering.
- Calls Muslims to feel the pain of Gaza, Sudan, Kashmir, and others and support them through aid and ethical consumption.
- Explains the first prophetic principle: serve others without expecting repayment from people.
- Uses the companions’ generosity and the resilience of suffering Palestinians to emphasize seeking reward from Allah.
- Warns against hurtful speech, messages, and tones, illustrated by a father’s lifelong regret after his son’s death.
- Urges praying and living as though each moment may be the last, illustrated by an Umrah story involving the speaker’s brother.
- Recaps the three practices and closes with prayers for suffering communities and justice.
Try this week
Support suffering communities through appropriate financial aid and sustained concern.
Make consumption and organizational choices that avoid companies the speaker considers complicit in injustice, including the mentioned boycotts.
Serve others without expecting repayment, praise, or even thanks.
Speak only beneficial words, including in texts and emails; otherwise remain silent.
Seek forgiveness from anyone harmed verbally and pray each salah with the mindset that it may be your last.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 33The command to fear Allah and speak rightly frames the sermon’s moral counsel.
Surah 93Allah’s reassurance that He has not forsaken the Prophet supports hope through hardship.
Surah 93The command not to repel a questioner supports patience and kindness toward those seeking help or answers.
Surah 35Human dependence on Allah supports serving others without relying on their reciprocity.
Surah 76The companions’ feeding without seeking thanks illustrates doing good solely for Allah.
Surah 62The closing recitation commands responding to Friday prayer, leaving trade, and remembering Allah.
Musnad AhmadThe concise prophetic advice provides three principles: pray as if departing, avoid regrettable words, and expect nothing from people.
Sahih MuslimUsed to argue that Muslims should feel and respond to one another’s suffering.
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“if that person is a Muslim then if one person suffers the rest of the people the rest of the Muslim Ummah is supposed to feel that pain”
“when you do good for people live a life in service for others but live a life when you serve others you expect that reward from Allah”
“don't say anything to people that you are going to regret tomorrow”
“live your life thinking that every single action you do is going to be the last action before you pass away”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
The khutbah reminds us that Muslims should care when any part of the ummah is suffering, including people in Gaza, Sudan, and Kashmir. It teaches three habits from prophetic advice: serve people without waiting for something back, speak words we will not regret, and pray as if each prayer may be our last. We can practice this by helping others, being careful with our words and messages, and asking forgiveness when we hurt someone. The goal is to live for Allah’s reward and carry a more mindful, compassionate heart.
- What is one way we can help someone without expecting anything back?
- What would change if we prayed today as though it might be our last prayer?
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