An awakened heart follows divine guidance
“Our actions get in line with what the intellect wants and we become guided the way God would like us to be guided.”
An awakened heart, cultivated through prayer, taqwa, remembrance, and detachment from material desires, keeps divine guidance effective and transforms grief into closeness to Allah.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Continues Imam al-Husayn's warning that haram wealth and food can seal the heart.
- Explains the heart as the spiritual leader that directs actions despite intellectual understanding.
- Urges listeners to ask Allah to awaken their hearts and practice frequent God-conscious remembrance.
- Recommends physical reminders, timely prayer, and evaluating decisions by whether they draw one closer to God.
- Warns against excessive material attachment, especially when it interferes with prayer or serving others.
- Presents tears and broken-heartedness, especially over Karbala and current suffering, as ways of turning toward Allah.
In the khateeb's words
“Once the heart buys in and is awakened, then our actions get in line with what the intellect wants and we become guided the way God would like us to be guided.”
“I've always said that for spiritual matters, matters that I cannot see, I have to set physical reminders to remind me of that which I cannot see.”
“And the moment I start to just prioritize my own happiness over the happiness of others, it's an indication that my attachment to this material world is becoming stronger.”
“And when we can connect all three together, I'm telling you these three when they connect together they can move mountains.”
For the dinner table
The khateeb reminded us to care for our spiritual hearts so that we remain open to Allah's guidance. He encouraged us to ask Allah for an awakened heart, remember that our hearts belong to Him, and avoid becoming overly attached to material things. Simple reminders can help us remember Allah throughout the day and bring that awareness into our prayers and decisions. Enjoying what we have should not keep us from obeying Allah or helping others. Drawing on Imam As-Sajjad's grief, he also reminded us that tears are not weakness and that we can turn to Allah with our sadness and pray for people who are suffering.
- Where could we put a reminder to say Bismillah before starting something?
- How could we use something we have to help someone else this week?
- What could we say or do to comfort someone who feels sad?
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