First Khutbah - 1:00 PM by Imam Hatem Saad
Summary of today's Khutbah
Hardness of the heart (qaswat al-qalb) is one of the most serious spiritual illnesses. When the heart becomes hard, a person loses the sweetness of worship, stops being moved by the Qur’an, and becomes distant from Allah ﷻ.
Types of Hearts
Scholars describe three main types of hearts:
The Living Heart:
Soft, humble, responsive to the Qur’an, and quick to repent.
The Hard Heart:
Hears reminders but does not benefit, reads the Qur’an but does not feel humility.
The Dead Heart:
Unable to distinguish right from wrong; ruled by desires and worldly temptations.
Practical Remedies for the Hard Heart
1. Remembering Death & Visiting Graves
Uthmān ibn ʿAffān رضي الله عنه would weep at the grave and say, “The grave is the first stage of the Hereafter.”
2. Reflecting on the Qur’an
Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: “Your disease is the hardness of your hearts, and its cure is in your tears.”
He would sit long with the Qur’an until his heart softened.
3. Frequent Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)
Ibn al-Mubārak advised: “Increase your remembrance of Allah, for dhikr is a healing for the heart.”
4. Sincere Duʿā’
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb would say: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from a heart that does not humble itself.”
5. Helping the Poor & Showing Compassion
Al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ taught: “If your heart becomes hard, then feed the poor and wipe the head of the orphan.”
6. Keeping Righteous Company
Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī advised a man: “Stay with the righteous, for they are the light of this world.”
7. Constant Istighfār & Repentance
Al-Ḥasan told a Bedouin complaining of a hard heart: “Seek much forgiveness; it unlocks the heart.”
Final Message
Reviving the heart is the key to a meaningful relationship with Allah.
A soft heart lives with humility, sincerity, compassion, and deep love for the Qur’an.
A hard heart lives with distraction, heaviness, and distance from Allah.
May Allah grant us living hearts that are humble, pure, and filled with His light.
