Freedom requires resisting oppression for all
“If you celebrate freedom, if you celebrate liberty, you must celebrate it for all human beings.”
Ashura’s story of Moses and the Prophet’s example teach Muslims to resist oppression, uphold freedom for all, and maintain hope and trust in Allah through trials.
The khutbah in 4 steps
- Explains Ashura as the day Allah saved Moses and Bani Israel from Pharaoh.
- Connects Moses’s identity crisis and awakening to injustice with Muslims’ moral struggles in America.
- Uses Moses and Frederick Douglass to challenge selective freedom and oppression of Palestinians.
- Calls listeners to fast Ashura, maintain worship, serve family, and keep hope during hardship.
In the khateeb's words
“One group of people cannot suppress another group of people until they see them as not human.”
“And if you celebrate freedom, if you celebrate liberty, you must celebrate it for all human beings.”
“You must in that moment say to the haters and say to the shaitan, No. My Lord is with me. My Allah is with me. And He will guide me.”
“Don't let up. Keep coming to the masjid. Keep up your dhikr. Keep doing your sadaqah. Keep doing your khayrat.”
For the dinner table
The khateeb reminds us that Ashura remembers Allah saving Musa and his people from oppression. He invites us to reflect on belonging, recognize every person's humanity, and speak up against injustice without violence. When Musa faced the sea with an army behind him, he trusted that Allah was with him and would guide him. The khateeb calls our own moments of fear and uncertainty “Musa moments,” when we can turn our hearts toward Allah. He encourages us to keep praying, giving, caring for our families, and holding on to hope even before we see a way forward.
- What would help you remember Allah when you face something that feels too big to handle?
- How could you speak up kindly when someone is being treated unfairly?
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