Suffering tests faith and calls us to serve
“Those that are hungry, we take care of them; those that are homeless, we provide them shelter.”
Suffering and comfort are both tests from Allah through which believers can prove sincere faith, gain forgiveness and spiritual elevation, and fulfill a duty to relieve others’ suffering with patience and service.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Introduces suffering as a Ramadan question, prompted by an elder’s grief and recent genocide.
- Explains Quranic tests of fear, hunger, loss, and mortality, and why faith must be proven through trials.
- Shows that luxury can also test believers, while every hardship may bring forgiveness and reward.
- Uses hadith to explain that tribulation can elevate a believer’s rank and that Paradise eclipses worldly suffering.
- Calls for patience, care for the hungry and homeless, and support for community institutions.
- Closes with a request to support the mosque financially and prayers for Muslims.
In the khateeb's words
“this has to be proven through actions and actions are proven through tribulations and trials”
“so sometimes luxury itself can be a trial for you forgetting Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala”
“there's also a human obligation to end suffering in all types of ways obviously those that are hungry we take care of them those that are homeless we provide them shelter”
For the dinner table
The khutbah teaches that suffering is part of life and can test whether our faith is sincere. Hardship can bring forgiveness and raise a believer’s standing, while comfort can also become a test if it makes us forget Allah. Ramadan trains us to respond with patience, including controlling anger and harsh words. The speaker reminds us that people of faith must relieve suffering by caring for the hungry, homeless, and needy and by supporting community institutions. For those who have suffered deeply, he points to the hope of lasting joy in the hereafter.
- What is one blessing you have that you could use to help someone else?
- How can we practice patience when we feel hungry, tired, or upset?
- What could our family do this week to reduce someone else’s suffering?
The masjid
More on Patience & trials
Qalam · Carrollton, TX · Oct 23, 2026Patience means grieving without rejecting Allah“Holding yourself together does not mean that you can't be emotional.”
ICGT · Perrysburg, OH · Oct 17, 2026Patience should guide major decisions“You have to be patient and you have to think twice before taking any decision in your life.”
Tawakkul does not mean to refuse help.18:22NHIEC · Union City, NJ · Oct 31, 2026Trust Allah through hardship and grief