14:17 one of the greatest…15:48 we pointed fingers to…
Character & conductFrom the masjid's own video, Apr 3, 2026.

Judge yourself before judging others

IAR Atwater

“I forget the three fingers that pointed at me.”

The khateeb, at 15:48

Watch the khutbahFamily kit
In one sentence

Because suspicion, gossip, and unfair judgment harm others and expose our own hypocrisy, believers should hold themselves accountable, verify information, and meet people with justice and understanding before judging them.

The khutbah in 7 steps

  1. Opens with taqwa, truthful speech, and accountability before Allah.
  2. Introduces the theme of judging oneself before judging others.
  3. Explains Surah al-Hujurat's warning against suspicion and traces thoughts into gossip, backbiting, and communal harm.
  4. Contrasts quick judgment of others with neglect of one's own faults.
  5. Applies justice and verification by warning against assumed intentions and unverified news.
  6. Uses the Quranic purpose of nations and tribes to challenge stereotyping.
  7. Closes by urging humility, understanding, and self-accountability.
Try this week
Reflect on your own mistakes before criticizing someone else.
Pause when suspicious thoughts arise instead of treating them as facts.
Verify news before sharing it or acting on it.
Avoid gossip, backbiting, harmful speech, and unfair criticism.
Do not assume other people's intentions without knowledge.
Hold yourself to the same standards you apply to others.
Respond to differences with humility and understanding rather than stereotypes.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 49Warns believers to verify news before harming people through ignorance and regret.
Surah 49Grounds the warning against suspicion, spying, gossip, and backbiting.
Surah 49Explains that nations and tribes exist so people may know one another, not stereotype one another.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“one of the greatest disease of the hearts is being quick to judge others while ignoring our own faults”
IAR Atwater · Southwest Raleigh, NC
Play from 14:17
“we pointed fingers to others as I'm pointed right now and I forget the three fingers that pointed at me”
IAR Atwater · Southwest Raleigh, NC
Play from 15:48
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The khutbah reminds us to look honestly at our own mistakes before pointing out someone else's. A suspicion is not automatically true, and sharing it can become gossip, backbiting, or harm, so we should verify important news first. Allah made people into different nations and tribes so they can know one another, not rely on stereotypes. We should speak fairly, avoid holding others to standards we ignore in ourselves, and protect people from the harm of our tongues and hands. This week, pause before judging, ask what you need to correct in yourself, and choose understanding over quick labels.

  1. What is the difference between noticing a problem and judging a person's whole character?
  2. How can we check whether a story is true before passing it along?
  3. What is one way our family can choose understanding over quick labels this week?
Where it was given

The masjid

Islamic Association of Raleigh, Atwater Campus808 Atwater St, Raleigh, NC 27607Jumu'ah 1st shift 11:30 AM · 2nd shift 1:00 PM · 3rd shift 3:00 PMArchiveAll khutbahs at IAR Atwater39 khutbahs
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