Hardship needs patience, ease needs gratitude
“Times of hardship and times of ease are both times of trial for us.”
The story of Musa and the day of Ashura teaches Muslims to respond to hardship with patience and trust in Allah, and to respond to ease with gratitude and action, while using the new Hijri year to reflect on death, time, and repentance.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Khutbah opening: praise of Allah and reminder of taqwa
- The story of Musa and Bani Israel fleeing Pharaoh and reaching the sea
- Musa's certainty and trust in Allah when his people despaired
- The command to remember Allah's days and the virtue of fasting Ashura
- How to face personal hardship: patience, dhikr, and tawakkul
- How to face ease: gratitude must be expressed through action
- Reflection on death, the passing year, and missed opportunities
- Practical resolutions: guard time, do small consistent deeds, and repent
In the khateeb's words
“Musa fasted this day Out of gratitude To Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala Because he knew That saying this Alhamdulillah Or thanking Allah With his tongue Isn't enough It needs to be followed up By action”
“This life is a test Times of hardship And times of ease Are both Times of trial for us Allah is looking to see Which one of us Will be true to Him”
“we don't want to be of those that regret on the day of judgment because how bad of a feeling that would be so think of the time that we wasted in the last year”
“free time is something that we can never get back brothers and sisters so think of the things that we lost the time that we lost and the screen time on your phone is a good indicator of that”
For the dinner table
The khutbah reminded us that life includes both hardship and ease, and both are tests from Allah. The story of Musa teaches us to be patient, trust Allah, and keep moving toward what is right while taking practical steps. We should show gratitude not only with our words, but also through good deeds and obedience. As a new Islamic year begins, we can reflect on wasted time, missed opportunities, and habits we want to change. Allah’s mercy remains open, so we should repent and build small, sincere deeds that we can continue consistently.
- What is one small good deed you could do regularly?
- How can you make better use of your free time this week?
- What helps you remember Allah when you feel worried?
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