1:08 whoever abandoned the…16:06 do not talk too much…16:58 if you want to soften…18:36 always always always…
Character & conductFrom the masjid's own video, May 3, 2026.

Remembering Allah softens a hardened heart

ICCP

“If you want to soften your heart then feed the poor and stroke the head of an orphan.”

The khateeb, at 16:58

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

Remembering Allah, engaging with the Quran, showing mercy, and serving vulnerable people are essential remedies for a hardened heart.

The khutbah in 5 steps

  1. Defines hardness of the heart and its loss of compassion
  2. Describes personal, family, and social consequences of hardened hearts
  3. Uses Quranic warnings and hadith to explain the disease
  4. Presents remembrance, Quran, worship, mercy, and service as remedies
  5. Gives closing advice about Quran translations, punctuality, and phone use
Try this week
Recite and reflect on the Quran regularly.
Remember Allah frequently and reduce speech without remembrance.
Perform prayers and seek religious knowledge.
Show mercy and kindness to people and animals.
Feed the poor, stay close to them, and care for orphans.
Supplicate persistently for Allah to purify and soften the heart.
Use trustworthy human Quran translations rather than relying on AI translations.
Arrive before the khutbah begins and avoid looking at the phone during it.
Sources the khateeb cited
Sahih MuslimDescribes trials leaving black or white marks on the heart depending on acceptance or rejection.
Musnad AhmadAdvises feeding the poor and caring for orphans to soften the heart.
Surah 39Warns that hardened hearts are in clear misguidance.
Surah 2Compares hardened hearts to stones or something harder.
Surah 3Presents gentleness and mercy as qualities that preserve relationships.
Surah 8Describes believers as affected by Allah's mention and Quranic recitation.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“whoever abandoned the remembrance of Allah will find their heart becoming very hard as solid as a rock”
ICCP · Phoenix, AZ
Play from 1:08
“do not talk too much without Allah's remembrance as too much without Allah's remembrance is hardness of the heart”
ICCP · Phoenix, AZ
Play from 16:06
“if you want to soften your heart then feed the poor and stroke the head of an orphan”
ICCP · Phoenix, AZ
Play from 16:58
“always always always be aware that your life can be taken any time at any moment and the last word you said could be your last on earth”
ICCP · Phoenix, AZ
Play from 18:36
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

Today's khutbah warned that a hardened heart stops responding to suffering, truth, and compassion. The speaker said remembrance of Allah, reflecting on the Quran, prayer, learning, mercy, and service to the poor can soften it. We can care for orphans, keep vulnerable people close, speak less without remembrance, and ask Allah sincerely for healing. He also urged us to use trustworthy Quran translations and arrive early for the khutbah, putting phones away. The goal is to become people whose hearts notice pain and turn back to Allah with humility.

  1. What is one way we can show mercy to someone this week?
  2. When does remembering Allah help you make a better choice?
  3. How can we care for people who are poor, lonely, or vulnerable?
Where it was given

The masjid

Islamic Community Center of Phoenix7516 North Black Canyon Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85051Jumu'ah 1:00 to 1:30 PMArchiveAll khutbahs at ICCP52 khutbahs
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