Upholding Values in Times of Change

Upholding Values in Times of Change

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. O you who believe, fear Allah and say the right words. Your deeds will be corrected and your sins will be forgiven.

Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has won a great victory. As for the rest of the servants of Allah — did they not know that the best speech is the speech of Allah, the Most Blessed and Exalted? And the best guide is the guidance of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. And the worst of things are its innovations. And every innovation is a bid'ah. And every bid'ah is misguidance. And every misguidance is in the Fire.

Introduction: A World in Constant Change

My dear brothers and sisters, upholding values in times of change is a very important message that we deliver today for you, insha'Allah. As you know, for the past few months, the whole world is seeing changes — in every aspect of it. In terms of the social aspect, the economic aspect, the political aspect. In almost every area, there is a lot of change happening. And definitely, it influences every individual and every household and every community.

We don't live in a bubble. We're interconnected societies. So anything that happens will definitely influence you one way or another, and will probably prompt changes for some people. But what kind of change? What kind of change is considered okay? What kind of change in your community, in your life, in your household, in your schedule is permissible? And why is it so important to uphold these values — values that are anchored in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ — in times of change?

Brothers and sisters, we're living in a time once again that is continuously changing. We could barely comprehend what happened in the past few days or few weeks, and there are new changes happening. Unfortunately, we see that the leadership in the world is not helping very much — they are a reason for this chaos that is happening in the world. And if you're going to continue living in that kind of uncertainty, it's very, very distressing. People go through a lot of anxieties and they go, subhanAllah, into depression and many things.

But as a believer, alhamdulillahi rabbil 'alamin, I have an anchor that holds me down to the ground. So I need to uphold my values as we see the values changing around the world. We need to uphold the values that are anchored in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

We've seen it — families, even in the Muslim community right now, are breaking up. Parents with their children, children with their parents, spouses, husbands and wives. There are so many new ideas coming into our lives — through schools and TV, through books and social media. So many things are happening. And nowadays, even among the Muslims, people start changing their values. As a Muslim, telling the truth is a value that can never change. But nowadays, lying is considered to be smart. If you can get away with things illegally or in a haram way, that's considered being clever. That is not a value acceptable for a Muslim to change. Because telling the truth has always been, and will always be until the Day of Judgment, one of those values you need to uphold no matter what the circumstances are.

The Example of the People of the Cave

Look at the examples Allah has shown us in the Qur'an — such as the example of the young people of the cave. As today is Friday, we read Surah Al-Kahf. Those young people could not accept the values of their time, the values of their society. So they undertook a journey for the sake of Allah. And Allah made them a miracle to the world, because they wanted to uphold these very special values.

The Rapidly Changing Human Heart

Brothers and sisters, when it comes to change in this world and how we are going to be influenced — it is simple, because we're human beings. Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:

(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 23814)

He said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: The heart of the son of Adam changes more rapidly than a boiling pot." You know when a pot starts boiling, it doesn't settle anymore — there is no moment of settlement. It's boiling, it keeps moving and changing, going up and down. He ﷺ says the heart of a human being is actually changing more rapidly than the pot when it's boiling. This is how rapidly, subhanAllah, human beings change — or at least how easily they are influenced.

In the Prophet's hadith as well, we are told of how some people work good deeds their entire life, drawing very close to Jannah — and then, subhanAllah, the decree will shift them. They will do something that changes everything for them, and they begin doing the deeds of the people of Jahannam until they are ruined. And others — you think they are ruined — but every moment toward the end of their lives, subhanAllah, their heart changes, and they begin doing the good deeds that will lead them to paradise and to Al-Jannah.

Allah mentioned this in the Qur'an:

"When they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate as well." So we need to make sure that as we see all this change happening around us, we remain steadfast, insha'Allah.

The Qur'anic Command: Remain Steadfast

In the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ there are many instructions that lead us to this principle of remaining steadfast. The first is in Surah Hud, when Allah says:

This is an ayah revealed in Mecca. Allah is telling the Prophet ﷺ — while they were still in Mecca — فَاسْتَقِمْ: Remain steadfast. Remain steadfast just like the way you were commanded — meaning, whatever Allah has sent you of revelation, hold on to it. Remain steadfast on this path. وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ — and those who are with you, those who are surrounding you as well. وَلَا تَطْغَوْا — don't transgress; stay balanced in all your affairs. إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ — because He sees everything that you do.

So in this ayah, the command is very simple. When they were still in Mecca, what was there for them to hold on to? The instructions about salah and siyam and zakah and all the other rules of fiqh were not yet revealed — most of that came later in Medina. So in Mecca, they were ordered to uphold the principles that had been revealed to them. No matter how few they were, they would keep them steadfast until they met their Lord. And the main principle was: to believe in one God and only one God, and to understand that whatever you do, you will see it on the Day of Judgment and stand before your Lord to answer for your deeds.

The Qur'an as the Source of Upright Values

Brothers and sisters, Allah commands us in the Qur'an:

"Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most upright." Aqwam — in the Arabic language, the word for "value" in English is qeema, and qeema means value. So when the Qur'an says aqwam, it means the most upright values are found in the Book of Allah.

Our problem today is that we teach our children the Qur'an from a very young age — whether they just read it, memorize it, or learn a few surahs — and that's it. That's the connection we have with the Qur'an. By the time they go to high school or even college, we don't teach them that the Qur'an they learned in childhood is the compass by which they can live their future lives as adults. We don't teach them that. And Allah says that the direction is in the Qur'an. So if they go to college, to business, wherever they go, if they don't have the Qur'an as the value by which they live their lives, they're going to deviate — as Allah says in the Qur'an. That's why it's so important to hold on to the principles of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

Last week we spoke about how Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange, just as we see today. We are living right now the estrangement of Islam. And that's why the Prophet ﷺ says:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 145)

"Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange as it began — so good news for those who remain steadfast among the strangers."

He ﷺ also said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 52; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1599)

"Every king has a sanctuary, and the sanctuary of Allah is His prohibitions" — meaning Allah has kept those values for us to uphold and hold on to. And it is very important that in times of change we remain steadfast on these values.

Understanding the Ayah: A Framework for Life

Brothers and sisters, in the ayah that Allah gives us in Surah Hud — فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ — "Remain steadfast as you have been commanded" — this is not just a command. It is actually a life plan for you. It is a framework by which you live your life.

فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ — which means: if you want to be an upright person, if you want to stay on the path, if you would like to lead a healthy life, then it is found in following the commandments. A very simple message. The framework you live by — where you find healthy living — is through the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, which is where the command came to you.

Number two, He says وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ — "and those who repented with you." The command is for every individual. You begin with yourself. And then you realize the command is not just for you — you also need to encourage others. Who are these people around you? Everyone connected to you: your family, your friends, whoever is in your circle. You are obliged at least to deliver the message to them.

وَلَا تَطْغَوْا — "and do not transgress." Because sometimes people, subhanAllah, go from one extreme to the other. They were not so much into the deen, and the moment they find guidance, they think being righteous means going to the other extreme — that's not it. And sometimes people go so much into religiosity that they forget about this dunya. There has to be a balance. وَلَا تَطْغَوْا.

And Allah says: إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ — "Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do." What does that really mean? It means: you are under surveillance. And that gives you two things. Number one, I hope it gives you comfort — Allah is with you. As you try to uphold these values, there will be many hurdles, challenges, fitan and trials and ordeals. But Allah is with you — He was the one who commanded you to go through all these things. So if Allah is with me, alhamdulillah, it gives me ease. The second thing — it also keeps you alert. I know I don't want to disappoint my Lord. I don't want Him to catch me in a moment of disappointment. So you always reflect on what you do and what you say, because you don't want to displease Allah. You know that He is seeing you — and that is the meaning of this ayah.

Dedicating Our Lives to Allah

Brothers and sisters, what do I really need to do in order to uphold this? The framework of my life should be for Allah alone. As He says:

"Say: Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are all for Allah, Lord of the worlds." If you live with that principle, I hope you will find that guidance and you can be, insha'Allah, an upright character before Allah.

Second Part of the Khutbah: Practical Steps

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.

What guidance do I have from this ayah — فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ — and what should I do in order to hold on to the principle of this verse?

1. A Daily Connection with the Qur'an

The first thing we need to do, insha'Allah: if you truly believe that the Qur'an is a book of guidance, you must have a daily word with the Qur'an — a daily connection with the Qur'an. You have to believe in it. And it's not about whatever time is left for you at the end of the day or night that you check on the Qur'an or pick it up. No — it must be a priority.

2. Seek Istighfar Sincerely

Because we make a lot of mistakes along the way, I need to always ask Allah for forgiveness so He can keep me on that straight path, insha'Allah. So when you make your sajda, don't forget to seek istighfar — truly from the heart, not just as lip service. Seek forgiveness from Allah.

3. Find Good Companions

My dear brothers and sisters, on this path you might find loneliness. So it is very important to find good companions — and we have talked about this many, many times. Who are the people around you? You are the average of the few people you surround yourself with. So if you're happy with their character and happy with where they take you, then alhamdulillah. Otherwise, if you don't see that they're taking you where you're supposed to go, you better look for better friendship, insha'Allah. That is because Allah says: وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ — and those who are also with you.

4. Balance Dunya and Akhirah with Compassion

The fourth thing, insha'Allah: balance your life between this dunya and the akhirah. Between remaining steadfast and also having compassion. The challenge is, subhanAllah, not all of us can adhere equally — and especially when you deal with your friends, your children, your spouses. Your job is to give them the da'wah and to have mercy on them as well. Have mercy on them — because even if, la qadara Allah, they choose to go astray, don't be angry because of that. Be concerned for them, because they are running away from Allah.

5. Remember That Allah Is Always Watching

And finally, my dear brothers and sisters — part of إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ is that you know Allah is watching you all the time. Keep reminding yourself: whatever comes from this mouth, whatever action I do — it has to be pleasing to Allah.

Du'a

O servants of Allah — indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and salute him with a worthy salutation.

Al-Fatiha.