Repentance & taqwaFrom the masjid's own video, Apr 24, 2026.

Private meetings should serve righteousness

“Make sure it's based on what tanajaw bil birri wa taqwa.”

The khateeb, at 26:12

In one sentence

The khutbah teaches that private meetings become sinful when driven by backbiting, hostility, or disobedience, but can be righteous when used for support, reform, and taqwa.

The khutbah in 5 steps

  1. Defines najwa as private meetings and explains its harmful use in Medina.
  2. Connects destructive private conversations to marriages, friendships, families, and communities.
  3. Uses Surah al-Mujadilah to emphasize that Allah knows and records every secret conversation.
  4. Identifies sin, hostility, and disobedience to the Messenger as the three harmful foundations of najwa.
  5. Calls believers to use private meetings for righteousness, mutual support, and community benefit.
Try this week
Avoid private conversations centered on backbiting, slander, lying, cheating, or plotting against others.
Handle disagreements privately in a civilized way that pleases Allah.
Use private meetings to encourage righteous behavior, such as helping someone establish Fajr.
Direct private counsel toward the benefit of the community, children, family, and marriage.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 4Used to warn that many secret meetings contain no good and involve backbiting and plotting.
Surah 58Used to explain Allah’s awareness of secret conversations and distinguish harmful najwa from meetings based on righteousness and taqwa.
Quotes

In the khateeb's words

“No matter how little the gathering is, no matter how much or the numbers of the gathering are, at the end of the day, He is always present and everything is being documented.”
IIT · Malvern, ON
Play from 14:32
“Let's do it for the benefit of the community. Let's do it for the benefit of the children, the family, the marriage.”
IIT · Malvern, ON
Play from 26:41
Talk about it at home

For the dinner table

The khutbah explains that najwa means a private meeting or secret conversation. Private conversations can become harmful when they revolve around gossip, hostility, plotting, or disobedience. Allah knows what is said even when nobody else hears it, so we should speak carefully and honestly. Private meetings can also be good when they help someone improve, support a family, or benefit the community. The key is to keep them rooted in righteousness and awareness of Allah.

  1. What makes a private conversation helpful instead of hurtful?
  2. How can we support someone privately when they are struggling?
  3. What would Allah want us to change about our group chats or family talks?