GratitudeFrom the masjid's own video, Feb 28, 2026.
Do not wait for hardship to be grateful
“Don't wait until calamity comes to become grateful.”
In one sentence
The khutbah teaches that believers should resist following the majority, remain among the few who are guided and grateful, and attribute both relief from hardship and worldly success to Allah through constant gratitude and righteous action.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- The khutbah opens with calls to taqwa, truthful speech, familial responsibility, and obedience to Allah and His Messenger.
- Umar's encounter with a man praying to be among the few introduces the Quranic contrast between grateful minorities and misguided majorities.
- Examples from Nuh, Musa, and the later generations emphasize that guidance is often followed by relatively few people.
- The congregation is urged to resist crowd conformity and hold firmly to faith even when religious commitment feels strange.
- After hardship, believers should remember their helplessness and Allah's help rather than minimizing the severity of the trial.
- Qarun's story warns against attributing wealth, achievement, health, or success solely to personal effort; gratitude should continue during ease.
- The khutbah closes with reminders about patience, prayer, gratitude, remembrance, and concern for suffering Muslims.
Try this week
Question whether a popular behavior is right instead of treating majority practice as justification.
Examine personal habits, resist sins normalized by trends, and hold yourself accountable.
Send abundant salutations upon the Prophet on Jumu'ah.
After hardship passes, remember its severity and thank Allah rather than minimizing it.
Seek Allah's help through patience and prayer, and maintain gratitude during times of ease.
Make du'a for suffering Muslims while fasting and at iftar, and donate to causes you can support.
Sources the khateeb cited
Surah 34Encourages believers to aspire to be among Allah's few grateful servants.
Surah 7Examples portray majorities as lacking knowledge, gratitude, or belief.
Surah 2Examples portray majorities as lacking knowledge, gratitude, or belief.
Surah 11Examples portray majorities as lacking knowledge, gratitude, or belief.
Surah 11The small number of followers of Nuh and Musa illustrates that truth is not validated by numbers.
Surah 10The small number of followers of Nuh and Musa illustrates that truth is not validated by numbers.
Surah 56The relatively few later believers entering Paradise reinforces the theme of faithful minority commitment.
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“Now, especially today, in these times that we're living in, it is very normal and easy to normalize behaviors, to normalize sins that the majority of people are doing.”
“So it is paramount that we look within ourselves and wonder which of these groups do we belong to? And which of these groups should we aspire to be in?”
“But the servant should say, the matter was more severe than I had imagined, more severe than I had knowledge of. This was way worse than I couldn't understand.”
“Don't wait until calamity comes to become grateful. We need to be extra mindful, especially when times are good, that this can be taken away at any time.”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
The khutbah reminded us that truth and gratitude are not measured by how many people do something. The speaker encouraged us to think for ourselves, hold firmly to faith, and be among the few who remain grateful and guided. When Allah brings us through hardship, we should remember how dependent we were on Him instead of minimizing the trial. When life is comfortable, we should still thank Allah and avoid claiming that our success came only from our own effort. We can show gratitude through prayer, good conduct, remembrance, du'a, and care for people who are suffering.
- What is one good habit that might be difficult because fewer people practice it?
- How can we show gratitude to Allah during an ordinary good day?
- What can our family do to remember people who are suffering?
Keep listening
More on Gratitude
ICI · Irving, TX · Oct 24, 2026Thank Allah in ease and hardship“Even in moments of difficulty, when it feels like there's nothing going your way, there is always something to be grateful for.”
Either we're receiving a blessing, which calls for shukr, or we're going through a hardship, which calls for sabr.13:29Al-Ittehad · Vista, CA · Sep 19, 2026Gratitude and patience carry believers through life
Real gratitude is not a feeling.16:14London Muslim Mosque · London, ON · Sep 11, 2026Gratitude means using blessings well