Regret comes when chances are gone
“You can't pick up the phone and talk to your mom and dad.”
Regret is universal and will peak on the Day of Judgment, so believers should use self-accounting, trust in Allah's decree, gratitude, and urgent investment in family relationships now, while the doors of opportunity are still open.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening praise, taqwa reminder, and call to truthful speech
- Shaytan whispers 'if only' thoughts after missed opportunities, defining hasra/nadam (regret)
- Yawm al-Hasra: the greatest regret is on the Day of Judgment when chances are gone
- Benefit of regret while alive: muhasabah (self-accounting) and seizing second chances
- Wisest believers remember death most and prepare for it (hadith in Ibn Majah)
- Combatting the 'if only' trap: trust Allah's qadr, say what the Prophet taught, be grateful
- Urgency of settling wrongs with people before the Day of Judgment
- Children serving living parents and parents being present with children before the opportunity passes
In the khateeb's words
“the rasul Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam answers the man he said the one who remembers death the most”
“do not say oh if i have done this then this would have happened but say Allah but say Allah did what He had ordained”
“people are not going to be bartering with money but as people's hasanat will be taken from their account and their sins will be exchanged”
“there will be a time where there's no one to bring that glass of water to they're not there anymore you can't pick up the phone and talk to your mom and dad”
For the dinner table
The khutbah was about regret, the 'if only' thoughts Shaytan whispers to all of us about money, missed chances, and people we've lost. The greatest regret will be on the Day of Judgment, when no one can go back and fix anything. But while we're still alive, regret can be useful: it pushes us to take account of ourselves and grab second chances. The Prophet taught that the wisest people remember death and prepare for it, and that instead of saying 'if only,' we should say Allah ordained what He willed. He also told us to quickly make things right with anyone we've wronged, because on Judgment Day debts are paid with good deeds, not money. Most of all, we were reminded to cherish our parents and children now, a phone call, a visit, or simply sitting together, before the opportunity is gone.
- Who is someone you could call or visit this week before it's too late?
- What's one 'if only' thought you can let go of and trust Allah with?
- What's one way we can spend real time together as a family this summer?
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