In this Friday Sermon, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad warns us that materialism and desire for reputation only leads to anxiety and distracts us from reality, whilst reminding us that criticism, no matter the form, should not make us forget our duty as Muslims.

As believers, our journey towards faith always begins with nurturing our hearts and souls. We need to invest in our inner selves and build a strong connection with Allah (SWT), using the principles laid out in the Quran and the Sunnah.

There are individuals worth more in the sight of Allah than entire nations. How do you check the content of your character and weight of your soul in the sight of Allah?

Ramadan brings the cheerful lesson that we are capable of restraining ourselves and disciplining the nafs. But we are also called to look within and cultivate our inward qualities, especially the hidden parts that long for the affirmation of others.

What does it really mean to us that the devils are chained? How can reflect on our own desires during Ramadan.

Every person possesses a passion or something unique that makes them special. Discovering what makes you special can help with finding your career path, creating a passion project or a healthy hobby. However, many people struggle with figuring out what that is for them, specifically. Thankfully, there are certain steps that can be taken to help you navigate through this journey.

Have you ever said “I want to kill myself. I am tired of living. I just want to die.” Listen to Mufti Menk’s advice.

Some of the first verses revealed in the Qur’an were condemnations of the love of wealth, verses which are pertinent to us today. Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad teaches us how to Own Our Wealth by reminding us that we are ‘mutasaddiqin’, people who give. The Arabic word comes from ‘sadaqa’ – directly related to sincerity, truthfulness and the nature of the Prophet ﷺ.

If devils are locked away during Ramadan, why do we still sin?

Sh. Omar Suleiman discusses the meaning and implications of the hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad says, “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains.”

There is only one real love that matters the most and from that love is where our love for everything else in life will come to play.

In this khutba, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus focuses on one of the five most important devotions for spiritual development: cutting back on food. In today’s world, where desires are celebrated and obeyed, we need to be reminded of this profound act of devotion. Shaykh Yahya also lists the ten benefits of hunger, as mentioned by Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him).

As you grow older so do your responsibility and sometimes you become so busy that you forget about yourself. We all know the saying you can’t pour from an empty cup, take care of yourself first. Self-care doesn’t necessarily mean giving yourself a couple hours and relaxing by doing nothing. It could be a deed that you do in private that gives you a sense of self-gratification. Allah SWT tells us in Surat Ghafir verse 60 وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” Something as small as pouring your heart out to Allah SWT can be so therapeutic and help you destress.

As you grow older so do your responsibility and sometimes you become so busy that you forget about yourself. We all know the saying you can’t pour from an empty cup, take care of yourself first. Self-care doesn’t necessarily mean giving yourself a couple hours and relaxing by doing nothing. It could be a deed that you do in private that gives you a sense of self-gratification. Allah SWT tells us in Surat Ghafir verse 60 وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” Something as small as pouring your heart out to Allah SWT can be so therapeutic and help you destress.

Ustadh Nouman discusses what Allah says in the Qur’an regarding controlling our needs and wants.

The very first sin recorded ever was the sin of Iblis. Allah mentions in the Qur’an that he was arrogant. There are many dangers of being arrogant. In this Khutbah, Shaykh Yasir explains and also talks about the blessings of humility!

The only trait that can save us from a prolonged standing on the Day of Judgement is taking ourselves to account while we are still in this world. In this talk, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus reminds us that part of spiritual chivalry is the virtue of taking oneself to account.

Allah has given us different senses and different ways in which we perceive things, and odor has a persuasion that is stronger than our other senses. Sh. Omar Suleiman talks about the spiritual and physical implications of smell.

The world today is full of mini-Qaroons. What is meant by this? Do you know the story of Qaroon? Ustadh Nouman explains how the story of Qaroon from the Qur’an is happening all around us today and even in our own lives.

Khutbah by Imam Joe Bradford 11/28/2014 at the Islamic Dawah Center in Houston, Texas. He discusses the state of the dunya living in extravagance and abundance yet our lives are still empty.

Al-Ghazali was one of the most prominent and influential philosophers, theologians, jurists, and mystics of Sunni Islam. He was of Persian origin.

Islamic tradition considers him to be a Mujaddid, a renewer of the faith who, according to the prophetic hadith, appears once every century to restore the faith of the ummah (“the Islamic Community”).His works were so highly acclaimed by his contemporaries that al-Ghazali was awarded the honorific title “Proof of Islam” (Hujjat al-Islam).

Al-Ghazali believed that the Islamic spiritual tradition had become moribund and that the spiritual sciences taught by the first generation of Muslims had been forgotten. That resulted in his writing his magnum opus entitled Ihya ‘ulum al-din (“The Revival of the Religious Sciences”).Among his other works, the Tahāfut al-Falāsifa (“Incoherence of the Philosophers”) is a significant landmark in the history of philosophy, as it advances the critique of Aristotelian science developed later in 14th-century Europe.

How can a heart be diseased? What are the ways to tell that the heart is sick? How can one find the cure to it? Can all hearts be cured?

The Prophet ﷺ told us that within the body, there’s a morsel of flesh that if it was sound, the rest of the body would be sound as well, and that is the Heart. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) knew this, when he made the dua’a to Allah ﷻ

(وَلَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ * يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ (سورة الشعراء 87 – 89
And do not disgrace me on the day they are resurrected. The day that wealth and offspring are of no benefit, except those that meet Allah with a sound heart. (Surat Ashuara, Ayah 87-89). How can I guarantee that I meet Allah ﷻ with a sound heart? The distractions and attacks directed towards our hearts are increasing all the time, how can I safeguard myself? What if I feel like my heart turned to stone, and it’s never been the same? (Qaf, ayah 37, and Shuara 89)

What is the spiritual loss for that individual obsessed with their worldly, egotistic, lowly desires and what is its underlining cause?

How can we improve ourselves and our inner-self in the Blessed month of Ramadan?

How can we improve ourselves through marriage in being better Muslims and reach the state of ihsan of worshipping Allah?

Do we think before we speak? Do we take advantage of our health, young age, wealth, our free time and our life before Allah takes it all away?

n this talk, Shaykh Sulaiman Moola discusses society’s need to address the ailments of the heart. He also imparts some useful advice for common struggles.

There is a need in every single human. Something needs to be filled. Everyone is motivated to fill it. What are you filling it in with? What should we fill it in with?

Shaykh Kamal El Mekki delivers a khutbah on lying. He discusses why people lie, and how to overcome lying. He also discusses how we teach our children to lie and how to prevent this.

“O you who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as they were enjoined upon those before you, so that you may attain a mindfulness of God” (2:183)
Fasting — or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God — for the sake of some spiritual purpose is markedly counter-cultural in our consumerist society. We fast in this life because we believe in the life to come. We don’t have to get it all here and now, because we have a promise that we will have it all in the coming age. We fast from what we can see and taste, because we have tasted and seen the goodness of the invisible and infinite Lord — and are desperately hungry for more of Him (May He Be Exalted). Listen with your heart as Shaykh Mokhtar Magharoui distills ancient wisdom to re-ignite your Ramadan and your spiritual life.

The equality of all human beings, races and nations before Allah is highlighted in verse 11 of Surat Al-Hujurat, where Allah says that no race should look down on any other race and that the only thing that places one person above another is, taqwa (consciousness of Allah) and good deeds. This unseen quality that is only known to Allah is what makes you superior before Him. As Nouman Ali Khan explains, the verse singles out women who mock other women and treat them as inferior. Such a societal attitude betrays a spiritual crisis and can even breed hatred, animosity and even war, between nations.

As Muslims in this age how do we make sense of what is happening around us? There are various movements in the Muslim in the last two hundred years that have struggled to do that. Imam Suhaib Webb explains.

Love is extremely powerful. Love can transform people. Love can destroy people, communities and societies. Love is the the single greatest motivator. What exactly is it and how can we use it to please Allah alone?

How do we spend our money? Do we truly buy what is required of us or do we go above and beyond what we truly need? What is necessary?

Imam Joe Bradford reminds us on how to be cautious of our tongue and not to worry about those who insult us with their words.

What is ego? Is it bad? What is our perception of what the ego is?

Ibn Ali Miller reminds the youth to look at what they have and be grateful. He reminds us about family and the sacrifice those who came before had to make to make it easier for the next generation.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj talks about the human nature to always compare and compete with one another and how this affects our hearts.

Dr. Umar gives a rich, engaging commentary on the aphorisms (hikam) of Ibn Ata’illah, which are one of the greatest summaries of authentic Islamic spirituality, grounded in mainstream understanding of the Qur’an and Sunna.

Have you seen him who takes his low desires for his god? (Surah Furqan, 25:43)

And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so beware of Him. (Surah Baqarah, 2:235)

Balance holds a very significant place in every phase of life, and yet the phenomenon of social media creates an inner world for us to become so self-focused that it can lead to narcissism. It is a self-love, a need for attention to keep the fragile inner ego convinced it is liked. A recent study has found that students who posted more often on Facebook and Twitter scored higher in specific measures of different types of narcissism, including personality traits such as being exhibitionists, exploitative, and feeling superior. This may result in over-evaluating the importance of our own opinions. How do we center ourselves to the consciousness that every individual should pursue life with firm balance and composure? The goal sought in the remembrance of God is the attainment of balance and being centered as one submits to the consciousness of the Divine.

Brother Yusha Evans reminds us of the attraction of this world and how to prevent it from entering our lives misguiding us off the straight path.

Shaykh Yahya Rhodus provides insights to help us along our lifelong struggle to find clarity, calm, and community through spiritual development and draw near our Creator with step-by-step tried and proven methods for removing pride (kibr or ujub).

Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed discusses how we can maintain our spiritual lives while living in this world every day.

It is a commentary on Mathnavi II, 1878-1930. Rumi tells the comic story of a man who swallows a snake, which turns out to be a symbol of our ignorance of the poisonous dangers of our lower selves.

Living in such a fast paced world we often lose ourselves in the commotion around us. Join Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui as we learn to sit still and realize the need to carve out a portion of our day to reconnect with the only thing that will bring peace to our otherwise hectic lives, the Source of all that is.

This khutba takes a look at 10 signs of good character mentioned in the commentary of Imam al-Munawi. They are:
1. Rarely engaging in arguments
2. Treaty people fairly
3. Not seeking out people’s faults/mistakes
4. Thinking best of what appears from people’s mistakes
5. Seeking people’s forgiveness
6. Bearing harm from others
7. Reproaching one’s self
8. Focusing on one’s own faults
9. Having a cheerful presence
10. Speaking well

How do we use the deen to conquer our desires? How do we avoid our desires from committing prohibited actions? Especially with those who are young and growing up in a society where it is easy to access things that are prohibited. Imam Suhaib Webb explains this and more.

How can become better human beings towards the ultimate goal of reaching the state of complete submission to Allah? Shaykh Yahya Rhodus explains.

What does it mean to have a pure heart? Why is it important to a have a pure heart? Shaykh Yasir Qadhi explains.

Shaykh Abdur-Raheem McCarthy reminds us the importance of reading and also understanding the Quran in order to revive our souls. He also discusses the importance of repentance.

Shaykh Mokhtar Maghrauoui talks about cleaning our hearts to be better believers in Allah.

Shaykh Yahya Rhodus speaks about purifying ourselves from anger, rancor, and envy. He is joined by Qari Amar Bellaha.

In this two part lecture Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui discusses that the only success in this world is with a pure and clean heart. Everything else will not matter in our life. How do we clean and purify our hearts?

Temptation is all around us in this world. How do we go about controlling our emotions? Sr. Haleh Banani discusses solutions.

Imam Zaid Shakir discusses the Jihad of the self.

Allah says: “By the Soul and Him who perfected it, Then he inspired it to understand what is right and wrong for it; He will indeed be successful who purifies it, And he will indeed fail who corrupts it.” (Al-Quran 91:7-10)
Yusha Evans at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 17th December 2012. Hosted by SOAS Islamic Society.

Shaykh Abdur-Raheem McCarthy discusses the dangers that lead to a corrupt heart and soul, steps to the purification of the heart and soul, how to attain true success and happiness, dealing with difficulties and calamities and attaining a peaceful heart.

Imam Khalid discusses the introduction to a classical text on purifying your heart.

Shaykh Yahya Rhodus discusses internal dimension of the human being. He explains the spiritual parts that we do not see.

Forgiving is a virtue and it is a challenge to the nafs. Why is it important to forgive? Shaykh Mokhtar explains in this lecture.

Have you seen him who takes his low desires for his god? (Surah Furqan, 25:43)

And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so beware of Him. (Surah Baqarah, 2:235)

Balance holds a very significant place in every phase of life, and yet the phenomenon of social media creates an inner world for us to become so self-focused that it can lead to narcissism. It is a self-love, a need for attention to keep the fragile inner ego convinced it is liked. A recent study has found that students who posted more often on Facebook and Twitter scored higher in specific measures of different types of narcissism, including personality traits such as being exhibitionists, exploitative, and feeling superior. This may result in over-evaluating the importance of our own opinions. How do we center ourselves to the consciousness that every individual should pursue life with firm balance and composure? The goal sought in the remembrance of God is the attainment of balance and being centered as one submits to the consciousness of the Divine.

The Qur’an tells us that “God does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition” (13:11). We also know that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) told us that our greatest enemy is the ego that resides between our two sides. What is the ego (nafs), and why is it such a formidable foe? The current Muslim crisis can be solved only by divine change. But first we must learn to change our own condition so that it may help bring about the change we want in the world. This talk will include a Qur’anic diagnosis and treatment plan for the current Muslim crisis.

The Book of Assistance, authored by Imam al-Haddad, is widely considered the greatest summary of Islamic spirituality ever written. It summarizes the foundations of Islamic spirituality into 32 succinct, practical chapters covering topics such as certainty, vigilance, knowledge, reflection, prayer, adherence to the sunnah, and much more. The book serves as a comprehensive, practical manual for traveling the path to Allah (swt) and is taught to the present-day by teachers of Islamic spirituality throughout the world. Soundly based on the Qur’an and Hadith, this book is invaluable to all who love the Prophet (saw) and his way.

In this monthly class, Shaykh Abdul Karim Yahya will guide attendees through the Book of Assistance, covering each lesson with a special focus on what we can do now to apply the Imam’s teachings, improve our spiritual states, and strengthen our relationship with Allah (swt).

Jummah Khutbah by Mufti Menk on purification of the heart.

Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda keeps it real in his talk about personal finance, debt, Islamic finance and what the the sharia compliant way is really with all of this.

A Mighty Test! Effects of Loving The Life of This World.

Imam Feiz Muhammad discusses the fitna of the tongue.

Our modern condition bombards us with artificial stimuli that not only teases our senses and creates in us the yearning for things we do not need, it also blurs our inner vision and distracts us from the real purpose of our lives — to know, remember and worship Allah. In this lecture, sister Yasmin Mogahed, discusses the danger that the modern condition poses to the actualization of our true humanity, the resultant spiritual poverty and how it can be overcome.

A great reminder on the importance and benefits of Ramadan by Shaykh Omar Suleiman.

Breaking the two desires and the rememberance of death by Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad. This is a 4-part series.

Imam Suhaib Webb talks about the power of prayer and supplication to Allah for protection and strength from the traps of the dunya. He also discusses the idea of “transhumanism” or how people can live forever.

Sh. AbdulRahman Chao gives a very inspiring lecture what is [on how to achieve] true happiness, as well as touching upon the true nature of the dunya. He also examines practical steps of how to increase happiness through moderate asceticism.

In this lecture Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al Kawthari discusses purifying our hearts as well as the recent events of the London Riots in 2011.

The USC MSU was very honored to host our beloved guest, Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed, on November 7th, 2011 to discuss the very relevant and poignant topic of keeping our hearts alive while facing the struggles of this life. Alhamdulilah, an excellent lecture that is both practical and relevant.

Mankind is lost and confused. Islam has the answers and solutions but yet we stray from it. We do not reflect upon the Quran. Our hearts yearn for Allah and want to be purified. In this lecture Shaykh Hamza discusses ways to improve our souls and get closer to Allah.

Imam AbdelRahman Murphy discusses the dangers of interacting with the opposite gender in un-Islamic ways.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

He who has no one has Allah
By Navaid Aziz:

I want to dedicate it to every individual who is struggling with life and doesn’t know what to do. I want to dedicate it to every individual who may have been abandoned by a father. I want to dedicate it to every individual who may have a love that was not reciprocated. I want to dedicate it to every individual who lost someone to death and found their own selves lost. I want to dedicate to everyone that just wants to be reminded. I want to dedicate this lecture to you.

Session 1: Session 2: Session 3: Session 4: Session 5: Session 6: Session 7: Session 8: Session 9: Audio Versions

Hamza Yusuf implores the audience to consider the major crisis of our time: the disillusion of the human soul itself. He then presents a program based on a hadith in which the Prophet (P) said, “I was sent to perfect noble character.” In this context, he outlines the two primary concerns of the Muslim, the heart and the limbs, and the need to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (P) by utilizing his divinely-inspired methodology to guard them.

Part 1: Part 2: