Salamu Alaikum dear brothers and sisters,
Today’s khutba began with the reality of our hearts as explained in the hadith:
“It is called the heart (qalb) because of its fluctuations (taqallubuhu). The similitude of the heart is like a feather at the root of a tree that the wind turns upside down.” (Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad)
The rest of the khutba discussed the means at our disposal to stay on the Straight Path:
- Checking oneself
- Umar ibn Al-Khattab said, “Reckon yourself before you are reckoned. And weigh your deeds before they are weighed”
- Whenever we notice ourselves slipping just a little bit, we should do our best to correct our wrongs and find our way back to the correct path
- Striving to improve ourselves:
- It keeps me humble, I do not start viewing myself superior to others
- I ask Allah for forgiveness for my shortcomings and make tawba for my deficiencies
- Allah will not abandon the one who is sincere towards Him
- We should always make du’a or invoke Allah for His guidance to keep us along the Straight Path
- If you feel yourself slipping, maybe it is time to be sincere when I say Ihdinas-Sirat ul-Mustaqeem
- Another excellent means to help us stay along the Straight Path is Islamic knowledge
- It is through knowledge that we can be certain that Islam is the truth and and that meeting with Allah, the Hereafter, Paradise and Hell are all true
- While knowledge is important, it is not enough
- Need examples and role models of a people putting knowledge into practice
May Allah guide us all to the Straight Path and give us strength to follow it till the end.
Was-Salam,
Imam Mufti
Feature Image Credit: Flickr
