Prayer & worshipFrom the masjid's own video, Jan 7, 2026.
Why worship must be sincere
“Riyah is when good deeds are for a social benefit, not for a spiritual one.”
In one sentence
Riya, doing good deeds to be seen or praised, can empty worship of its spiritual purpose and constitute minor shirk, so Muslims should continually renew their intention for Allah.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Defines riya as showing worship for people’s praise and warns it can destroy deeds.
- Connects performative worship with extrinsic motivation, anxiety, and reduced meaning.
- Explains the prophetic warning that showing off is minor shirk and difficult to detect.
- Argues that righteous deeds become spiritually empty when people replace Allah as the audience.
- Offers the intention test: would one still do the deed if nobody saw it?
- Closes with a prayer for mindful prayer, pure hearts, and sincerity in public and private deeds.
Try this week
Before a good deed, ask who you are doing it for.
Ask whether you would still do the deed if nobody saw it.
Be mindful and present in prayer.
Keep actions sincere whether they are seen or unseen.
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“Modern psychology shows us something powerful. Studies in motivation psychology show when people act mainly for praise, likes, or recognition, their inner satisfaction decreases, their anxiety increases, their sense of meaning collapses.”
“The scholars have said, the heart can only face one direction at a time. If it's facing people, it is turned away from Allah.”
“Riyah is when good deeds are for a social benefit, not for a spiritual one.”
“If no one saw me, would I still do this?”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
Today we learned about riya, the danger of doing good deeds mainly so other people will notice or praise us. The sermon reminded us that worship should be directed to Allah, even when no one else sees it. We can pause before an act of worship and ask, “If no one saw me, would I still do this?” Let’s try to pray with attentive hearts and keep our good deeds sincere, whether they are public or private.
- What is one good deed you would still do if nobody knew about it?
- How can social media make it harder or easier to keep our intentions sincere?
- What helps you feel more present during prayer?
Keep listening
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