Jummuah Khutbah: Striving for Significance

Opening — The Three Khutbah Reminders

O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and you will not die except as Muslims.

O people, fear your Lord, Who created you from one soul, and created from it a wife, and spread among them many men and women. And fear Allah, with Whom you ask for mercy. Indeed, Allah is ever watching over you.

O you who believe, fear Allah and say the righteous word. Your deeds will be corrected, and your sins will be forgiven. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has won a great triumph.

The Human Desire for Significance

Ever wondered why people want to get married to that particular person? Or they want to achieve this particular level of happiness and joy? Why do people always look for these things? It's a very simple and very basic human principle and instinct. That is the desire for significance. In our life, we strive for significance.

We want to be loved. We want to be cared for. We want to be noticed. That is a very basic human principle. And subhanAllah, since it is a very basic human principle, and Allah designed us in that way, it plays a major role in people making decisions in life — how they care about others, and how they acquire this kind of significance in their lives.

It depends on their values. People find in their religiosity their significance. Others go far away to the left and find significance over there. Many, many people find that kind of importance in their lives through different ways. But for the Muslim — for the Muslim in particular — we believe that significance also has to do with other people, and through other people. Meaning, if you would like to become truly significant, then you need to give that significance to others around you.

You would like to be strong and be noticed? Empower those who are around you. You would like to shine? Shed light on others, and you will shine even more. That principle is very significant in our deen. And we've been taught that in the Qur'an, and the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

But again, that sense of significance we're all looking for — to be important for somebody else, or for something in our life — all of that, subhanAllah, we're looking for appreciation. We want people to notice us. That's why people go into anxiety, they go into depression. Why? Because it seems that they're lonely. They feel alone in this life, and no one is paying attention to them.

Like in the case of a husband and wife — the man comes and says, "I've done everything for her." And because he's not being noticed, he's not being appreciated, he feels insignificant in that moment. And that kind of destroys the relationship. People, subhanAllah, they do things because they want to be noticed, and when they don't get that, they feel depressed. They feel anxiety. Again, because we're looking for that significance. It's very important.

But as a Muslim, we need to make sure — as we look for significance through others — we need to understand that the ultimate significance is when you stand before Allah. Because Allah says, each and every one of you, on the Day of Judgment, will stand before Allah alone. Nothing will matter in that particular moment in time. Nothing will be as significant as you standing before Allah, and Allah being pleased with you.

Giving Significance to Others Is a Muslim's Duty

You see, as a Muslim, I need to connect with the people. That's part of my duty. I need to care for other people. I need to shed some light on them. I need to give them that empowerment. Because as a believer, I'm responsible to deliver that da'wah. But how can I do this unless I give these people significance and importance in this life? And before you start asking people for help, or asking them to lend you a hand, you need to touch their hearts first. And our deen is teaching us the principle of caring for others and about other people, in order to connect with them.

How many of us really know everybody in one masjid? Probably nobody would know everybody. But how many of us would recognize those who strive the most in our masjid? And sometimes we just don't pay attention to the people who even run the traffic outside, or some people who keep the bathrooms clean for us, or people who do things we consider insignificant. How many of us give these people significance in their lives? It is our duty to our brothers and sisters and the people around us, to give them that sense of significance.

The Story of the Workshop and the Janitor

There was an experiment — or at least a true story — in which an expert in public relations was given a workshop for a Muslim country in the Gulf area. He was giving a workshop for senior managers about PR in their companies. He taught them the principles of public relations, the significance of that, and all the laws and the rules and so on.

At the end of the workshop, there was a quiz — a simple quiz. Everybody studied for it. They studied day and night. And then when that exam came, it had only one single question. The question was: What is the name of the janitor in your department?

That was it. No one got it right. Because no one really cared genuinely about the person who cleans the hallways and the rooms enough to go and ask, "What's your name? How are you doing? Do you have kids?" No one gave that person significance. And as Muslims, it is our duty to do so.

The Hadith of the One Body

Let's see from the Prophet ﷺ and from our deen how shedding light on other people, how caring genuinely for them, is very important — and how it gives us significance ourselves.

The example of the believers — فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ — in their love for one another, their mercy towards one another, and their compassion towards one another — is like the example of one body. If one part aches, the whole body will respond — with fever, with lack of sleep, and so forth.

Can you imagine what that exactly means to us? It means you genuinely care about other people's pains, other people's worries, and whatever they go through. What they go through in Burma with the Rohingya — that's my pain. What is happening in another Muslim land — that's my pain. What happens here in this country, for Muslims and non-Muslims, when there is injustice — that should worry me. As a Muslim, as a believer, who knows that caring for other people is my way of getting my significance before Allah, because indeed, it is my duty.

The Five Rights of a Muslim Upon Another Muslim

Even the Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed us to care about people in regard to basic huqooq — basic rights. He said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1240; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2162)

The rights of the Muslim upon another Muslim are five. They are very basic rights — which means you may not consider them a significant achievement if you do them, but to Allah they are. And they are:

First: رَدُّ السَّلَام — Returning the salaam. If someone says salaam to you, you say وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَام. How significant is that? To many people, that's not a big deal. But to Allah, it is. Because when you respond to the salaam, what does that exactly mean? You cared. You noticed the person. You paid attention. You made them significant, and you replied to them. You didn't leave pain in their heart from wondering why he or she didn't respond to me.

Second: عِيَادَةُ الْمَرِيض — Visiting the sick. When someone is ill, you visit them. Because that's when people are most vulnerable. They feel that they may be dying in that moment — maybe it's just a headache, but because it's so severe, people feel left on their own to suffer. But when you go and visit and give them support, they realize that people genuinely care.

Third: اتِّبَاعُ الْجَنَائِز — Following the funeral procession. People are again very vulnerable when someone dies. They need to know that they are not alone. So you go, follow the procession, and help out with the funeral.

Fourth: إِجَابَةُ الدَّعْوَة — Accepting the invitation. If someone invites you for food, you accept. Because you don't want to leave them hurt, feeling as though you think you're better than them. You show that you genuinely care.

Fifth: تَشْمِيتُ الْعَاطِس — Saying "yarhamukallah" when someone sneezes. Someone sneezes — what's the big deal if you say يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّه or not? What's the big deal, really? Other than just letting them know — I heard you say الْحَمْدُ لِلَّه, and I cared. And I responded to you, يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّه — may Allah have mercy on you.

Can you imagine that these huqooq are very basic principles between Muslims? And they are considered wajibaat — obligations that you fulfill. Even though for us they might seem insignificant. But the essence of it is that you really care about others. You put them ahead of yourself.

The Lesson of Surah 'Abasa — The Blind Man

Allah even taught us in the Qur'an how important it is to care about other people. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was actually scolded a little bit in the Qur'an, in Surah 'Abasa, because he gave significance to certain people while Allah wanted the Prophet ﷺ to shift that significance to another person.

The blind man, a Muslim, came while the Prophet ﷺ was speaking. He didn't know who he was speaking to, but he heard the voice of the Prophet ﷺ. He heard the Qur'an. He heard the beautiful words of the Messenger of Allah. He came and said, "Ya Rasulullah, I want to ask you. Please, I want to learn from you."

And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was busy inviting the dignitaries of the community, the leaders of Quraysh — perhaps they would accept Islam. And this blind man kept insisting, "Ya Rasulullah, hear from me. Let me hear from you." And the Prophet ﷺ, being so occupied with these people, turned to the man and frowned. All he did was frown — a feeling of frustration. Like, just give me a break.

Allah is teaching us: you cannot do this, especially with people of special needs. People who have challenges with their hearing, with their sight — in that moment, to hear from you, or just to shake your hand, or even to ask you a question — that is the whole world for them. And Allah is teaching us a lesson: don't worry about these other people. Pay attention to the one who has come to listen to you.

And that blind man — his name was Ibn Umm Maktum, رضي الله عنه — since then, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ put him in a position to be recognized by the entire community. He became the Mu'adhin of the Messenger of Allah. Can you imagine? He used to call the adhan for the entire community to hear his voice. And when the Prophet ﷺ would travel, sometimes he would appoint him as his deputy — leading the salah for the ummah in the absence of the Prophet ﷺ. This is how much trust the Prophet ﷺ placed in this man.

The Story of Ka'b ibn Malik and the Three Who Stayed Behind

Allah even taught us about the Sahaba, رضي الله عنهم, and the importance of showing significance to one another — even in ways we might think are not a big deal. But it was so significant to Allah that it was mentioned in the Qur'an.

Remember the three Sahaba who did not go with the Prophet ﷺ to the Battle of Tabuk? For 40 days they were under a complete boycott from the community — no talking to them, no speaking to them. And then Allah sent down their tawbah in the Qur'an. Divine words from Allah until the Day of Judgment — we recite them and we remember them.

One of those Sahaba, Ka'b ibn Malik, رضي الله عنه, on the last night of that discipline and lesson he was learning — he was making sajdah, asking Allah to give him mercy in that moment. And suddenly he heard two people running from far away, each one racing to deliver the good news to Ka'b ibn Malik. One was riding a horse and the other was running — and the one who was running arrived first.

He says, "Ya Ka'b ibn Malik, أَبْشِر! Good news! Good news!" What does that mean? They cared about each other. Wallahi, they cared about each other. When something good happened, they would race to go and deliver that khair to one another. They didn't want to keep it for themselves.

Not just one, not just two — many people. And when Ka'b came to the masjid, the Sahaba ran to him, hugging him, telling him: "Alhamdulillah, Allah has sent your tawbah in the Qur'an." That is how significant the matter of being brothers to each other, being compassionate with one another, truly is.

The Prophet's Way of Making Everyone Feel Significant

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the best example for us in this. They used to say about him — when someone talked to the Prophet ﷺ, he would turn around to completely face that individual. Not just speak and listen from the side — no, he would turn to face that individual fully. And the Sahaba say that when they spoke to the Prophet ﷺ, each and every one of them felt that they were the most significant person to him — the most important person. Like each individual, when they spoke to the Prophet ﷺ, felt that the Prophet ﷺ valued them more than anybody else.

The Story of 'Amr ibn al-'As

'Amr ibn al-'As, رضي الله عنه, became Muslim in the 7th year of Hijra — which means he missed 13 years in Mecca, and then 7 years in which he was fighting against the Prophet ﷺ right up until al-Hudaibiyyah. And when he became Muslim and came to Madinah, there were hundreds — thousands — of Sahaba who had already sacrificed themselves and their time with the Prophet ﷺ. Still, the Prophet ﷺ recognized his talents, and was ready to forgive and care about him.

When 'Amr was giving the Prophet ﷺ his bay'ah and his pledge, he was shaking hands with the Prophet ﷺ — but then he pulled his hand back and said, "I have one condition. I want to be Muslim, but I have one condition." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "What is it?" He said: "That Allah forgive me for what I have done before I became Muslim. I have messed up a lot. I fought against you. I killed some Muslims. I want Allah to forgive me."

And the Prophet ﷺ told him:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 121)

"O 'Amr, don't you know? Islam demolishes everything that was done before." Which means: you're fine. And then immediately the Prophet ﷺ assigned him to head one of the expeditions — right away — recognizing his talent.

When he came back, 'Amr asked in front of the Prophet ﷺ and the people: "يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَنْ أَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَيْكَ؟" — "Who is the most beloved person to you?" He thought it was him. The Prophet ﷺ immediately said: "Aisha." Even 'Amr was surprised. "No, no — I'm talking about men." The Prophet ﷺ said: "Her father." And then he asked a few more times. His name didn't appear on the list.

But the question is: why would 'Amr even think that he was so significant to the Prophet ﷺ that he would be the most beloved person to him? Because of the way the Messenger of Allah ﷺ treated him. It didn't matter that he had fought against the Prophet ﷺ for 20 years. When he gave his shahada, that was it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forgave him, forgot about it, and moved on. Because he genuinely cared about this man coming to Allah more than anything else.

The Story of Abu Bakr's Father, Abu Quhafa

Even in the year of the conquest of Mecca, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was meeting many people coming to embrace Islam and give their shahada, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq brought his father — an old man, Abu Quhafa — whose head had turned completely white. As he was bringing his father to the Prophet ﷺ, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ felt so moved. He told Abu Bakr al-Siddiq:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 23)

"You should have left the old man at home — I would have gone to him." Look, subhanAllah — the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: I will go to his house and I'll receive his shahada from him over there. And Abu Bakr al-Siddiq of course said: "No, he should walk to you, because you have more right upon people to come to you, Ya Rasulullah." Even though the Prophet ﷺ said: "No, no — just keep him home. I'll go and see him."

The Prophet ﷺ genuinely cared about people, Wallahi. He cared about the elders, about the ladies, about the children. He cared about everybody ﷺ.

The Bedouin Who Interrupted the Khutbah

And even he cared to teach people regardless of the circumstances. One of these moments: the Prophet ﷺ was delivering the khutbah on Jumu'ah — the most important event for many people throughout the whole week. But then as he was giving the khutbah, a Bedouin came in and walked through the lines. And he stopped the Prophet ﷺ, saying:

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، رَجُلٌ يَسْأَلُ عَنْ دِينِهِ لَا يَدْرِي مَا دِينُهُ — "Ya Rasulullah, a man asks about his religion and knows nothing about Islam."

Now at that moment, the Prophet ﷺ could have said: "Sit down. Wait — let me finish and I'll talk to you afterwards." Instead, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stopped the khutbah. He came down the minbar. They brought him a chair — and they described the chair as being made of steel, showing you how vivid their memory of the event was. "I was there when it happened" — that's what that level of detail means. It was going to take a while. And he spoke to that man. He taught him about Islam until the man was satisfied. When he was satisfied, the Prophet ﷺ went back to the minbar and finished Salatul Jumu'ah.

What do you learn from this? This moment was more significant than anything else. Because at that moment in time, that man saw the entire world in that significant interaction. If the Prophet ﷺ had said, "I'll talk to you later," — probably that would have been it. It could have destroyed that man's life. But the Prophet ﷺ gave him that moment.

How many moments in your life — with your spouse, with your children — when your child came to you saying, "Daddy! Mommy! Look at this! Look what I did!" — how many times did you say, "Later, later. Oh, that's fine"? How many times did you spoil that moment for them? That particular moment was their entire world. And that's with our own kids. With your spouse, the moment they want to talk to you may be the most important event of their life — and we treat it as completely insignificant.

The Prophet's Care for Children

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ even cared deeply about children. He would go to the house of Anas, رضي الله عنه, his servant, and his little brother Abu 'Umayr had a bird as a pet. And the Prophet ﷺ — every time he went there — would ask him about his bird. Can you imagine the Messenger of Allah ﷺ speaking in baby language? SubhanAllah.

And then one day the bird died. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: "Ya Abu 'Umayr, what happened to the birdie?" And you can imagine how the little boy spoke about his anguish over losing his bird. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ listened — to that child.

When Ja'far's daughter came from Abyssinia around the 8th year of Hijra to Madinah — she was a little girl who had grown up in Abyssinia and spoke the Abyssinian language more than Arabic. One day she came out dressed nicely, wearing a new dress for perhaps the first time, and she was so happy. The Prophet ﷺ noticed that — subhanAllah, even the Messenger of Allah ﷺ noticed these little things. He saw her dressed nicely and he used the Abyssinian word for "good" and "beautiful" — sana — and said to her: "Sana! Sana!" — "Beautiful! Beautiful!" And you can imagine what it meant to a little girl when the Prophet ﷺ himself was complimenting her and how she looked in her new dress.

Conclusion — Shine by Shedding Light on Others

The significance that the Prophet ﷺ gave to everybody around him — to men, women, children, people who were new Muslims or had been Muslims for years, someone with special needs or otherwise — the Prophet ﷺ always gave people their significance.

Remember: if you would like to have your own significance in this life, then shed some light on others, and you will shine.

I say this and ask Allah's forgiveness for me and for you and for the rest of the Muslims — so ask His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Second Part of the Khutbah

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his companions.

My dear brothers and sisters, as we care about others and genuinely put other people's needs and significance above our own, some people ask: how much of that should I sacrifice? What if this clashes with my own significance, my own importance, my own feelings at some point? If I do this, does it mean people are going to run over me and take advantage of me? How should I deal with this?

Well, it doesn't matter what people say — if you are doing it for the right reason, and you are doing it out of confidence, not because you are weak. You do it because you can, not because you can't. You are doing it because you have the power, not because someone else is dictating how you should show your significance towards others.

Be the First to Give Salaam

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ says that the one whom Allah will always recognize first is the one who always starts people with a salaam — meaning, you always start by recognizing people. السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ. You don't wait until someone says salaam to you. You go and give them salaam, because you want to be the first person to do so.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ says that one of the signs of someone's good Islam is that you feed people — whether the poor or guests — and that you give salaam to people, those whom you know and those whom you don't know.

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3694; graded Sahih by al-Albani)

Sometimes you come to the masjid and there are so many people — you come in, you leave, and you're just a stranger. No one says salaam to you, and you don't say salaam to anybody. Why? The least we could do to recognize each other is to say salaam to one another. The least we could do.

Allah's Love Brings Significance in This World and the Next

And the Prophet ﷺ said: if you would like to love one another — spread peace, spread salaam amongst yourselves. Why is that so important? Because if you do so, Allah — I guarantee you — will love you. Allah will recognize you. You become significant to Allah. And the result of this significance with Allah will come immediately in this dunya.

How? In the hadith, the Prophet ﷺ says: when Allah loves somebody, He will call upon Jibreel — "Ya Jibreel, I love this person — love him." So Jibreel loves this person. And then Jibreel brings the news to the angels and the heavens: "Allah loves fulan — you should love him." And they love this person.

Look at the importance of this person. And then Allah will place acceptance among the people on earth for them. So wherever they go, people recognize them. People would love to be around them. People would just want to hear from them. SubhanAllah — the significance for them in the dunya comes when Allah recognizes these people in the heavens.

So my dear brothers and sisters, it is for your own sake when you care about other people. Truly, if you would like to strive for significance, you need to give significance to the people who are around you. And if you can try it starting from today — I want you to try this today, this Jumu'ah, after Salat al-Jumu'ah.

One person at a time. Just think of one individual — whether the person sitting next to you, a neighbor, someone in your household, a co-worker, the cashier in the grocery store — anybody. Try every day to shed some light on somebody. Give them a sense of significance, even for a few seconds. Just show that you care. Genuinely, from the heart.

And let's see how the world will change by just caring for one another, insha'Allah ta'ala — one person at a time.