Character & conductFrom the masjid's own video, May 3, 2026.

Choose Allah-centered role models

“Each and every one of us, the way Allah has created us, are going to follow someone.”

The khateeb, at 9:43

The khutbah in 4 steps

  1. Introduces adab and manners as what makes life beautiful, focusing on mosque etiquette.
  2. Explains that people inevitably influence and follow others, using Shaytan’s disavowal as a warning.
  3. Applies the lesson to Jumu'ah conduct: arriving early, sitting near the imam, listening quietly, and avoiding distractions.
  4. Uses paths in grass and prophetic rejection to explain blind imitation of popular and wealthy figures.
Try this week
Arrive early for Jumu'ah and be grateful for the opportunity.
Sit as close to the imam as possible.
Listen carefully and remain quiet throughout the khutbah.
Avoid phones and other distractions in the masjid.
Pray two rak'ahs, recite Quran, or engage in remembrance upon entering the masjid.
Audit whom you follow online and choose people known for faith, good conduct, and Allah-centered priorities.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“Masjid is a place of manufacturing human beings. Masjid is not just a place for salah. Masjid is a place where a person should come for his own rectification, purification, reformation, tarbiyat.”
NAMCC · North Austin, TX
Play from 6:47
“Each and every one of us, the way Allah has created us, are going to follow someone. We are going to be influenced. We are going to be affected.”
NAMCC · North Austin, TX
Play from 9:43
“The more you stay on the website, the more money they make. The more you stay on the app, the more money they are making. They are making money out of our attention, out of our following.”
NAMCC · North Austin, TX
Play from 22:11
“Whom are we following? Whom are we looking at? Whom are we listening to? We are unintentionally becoming like them.”
NAMCC · North Austin, TX
Play from 28:41
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The speaker reminded us that the masjid is a place where people are shaped and improved, not merely a place for prayer. Since everyone is influenced by someone, we should carefully choose the people and platforms we follow. Fame, wealth, and social media can attract our attention without giving us real happiness or preparing us for the Hereafter. We should show good manners in the masjid, especially by arriving early, listening quietly, and avoiding distractions. Our behavior also teaches the next generation what Islam looks like.

  1. Who influences you most, and what qualities make that influence healthy?
  2. What is one way we can show better manners in the masjid this week?
  3. How can we use our phones without letting them control our attention?