Being Good When the World Isn't
Maintaining Integrity and Goodness in Times of Corruption: A Friday Sermon on Character
Summary
This is a Friday sermon (khutbah) delivered at the Muslim Community Center of Tucson that addresses the importance of maintaining good character and moral integrity in difficult times. Sh. Ali Mashhour uses the story of Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his slander against Aisha (the wife of the Prophet) as a foundation to discuss how believers should handle false accusations, maintain forgiveness, and uphold truth and dignity. The sermon emphasizes that being virtuous in an era of corruption is challenging but spiritually rewarding, comparing it to grasping hot coals. Sh. Ali Mashhour encourages the congregation to be good not for worldly benefit but because Allah commands it, referencing Quranic verses about patience and the qualities of those whom Allah loves.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
اشهد ان لا اله الا الله اشهد ان لا اله الا الله اشهد ان محمدا رسول اشهد ان محمد رسول الله حي على الصلاه.
[Silence]
حي على الفلاح.
[Silence]
الله اكبر الله اكبر لا اله الا الله.
[Silence]
بسم الله ان الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره ونعوذ بالله من شرور انفسنا وسيئات اعمالنا من يهده الله فلا مضل له ومن يضلل فلا هادي له واشهد ان لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له واشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله يا ايها الذين امنوا اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن الا وانتم مسلمون يا ايها الناس اتقوا ربكم الذي خلقكم من نفس واحده وخلق منها زوجها وبث منهما رجالا كثيرا ونساء واتقوا الله الذي تساءلون به والارحام ان الله كان عليكم رقيبا يا ايها الذين امنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم اعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم ومن يطع الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما اما بعد فان اصدق الحديث كتاب الله وخير الهدي هدي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وشر الامور محدثاتها وكل محدثه بدعه وكل بدعه ضلاله وكل ضلاله في النار اما بعد فيقول الله تعالى في كتابه الكريم امر المؤمنين وليعف وليصفحوا الا تحبون ان يغفر الله لكم الله سبحانه وتعالى and B of brotherhood the prop time was عبد الله ابي ابن سلول of منافقين that would go around to different gather andate and imply and articulate so many without coming out and that was unff our prop صلى الله عليه He didn't say it right out that. He didn't say she did X, Y and Z. He just insinuated it which oftentimes can be much worse than just coming out and saying something. gather people would you what happ you know i don't want to say anything i don't want to say anything about anyone but this is what i don't know and he would insinuate of prop and spread among the hypocrites like wildfire and it caused a big rift but it was superficial among the believer the maor الله سبحانه وتالى inocating all any and so it was however some bad bl lingered andஷ صلى الله عليه وسلم ابو بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه ابو بكر رضي الله and unforun he gotcked to these and so was by صلى الله عليه accuses of such a thing he is to bring witnesses three including himself and if he is unable to produce said witnesses they are to be floged publicly 80 times and so he was flogged thinkes wh is what is called a small whip or a bull whip and the scholars tell us that the flogging is to never include.
[Silence]
and was and taking and punishment he was cleared because you cann punish someone to blame that person simultane بكر ممد صلى الله عليه وسلم مدين ابو بكر time was everything but this came out accused accus and friendly عليه الصلاه والسلام ابو بكر الله سبحانه وتعالى that those of great and those among you generity ولا they are not by Allah that they will not give those areess fortunate they will never الله سبحانه وتعالى وليعفوا وليصفحوا الا تحبون ان يغفر الله are and are paron do you not all desire forgives and pardons you this is point here that someone accused your daughter of such a thing someone accused someadful rors and tainted your daughter, your mother, your sister, your tainted your honor and you have always been good to this person. about the hand that feed you and did what we would never give you thisay الله سبحانه وتالى said you are never to use আল্লাহ name as a name الله why this is not tre because for that's why and so we learn from this ver that a more general rule of thumb if you will a yard stick and that is that you will be tre by صلى الله عليه وسلم فمن احب ان يزحزح عن النار ويدخل الجنه فلتاته منيته وهو يؤمن بالله واليوم الاخر ولياتي الى الناس الذي يحب ان يؤتى اليه صلى الله عليه وسلم desires to be shieldedoved from the fire and admitted into parad is to him while he is in a state of belief in Allah in the last day and he brings unto others what he wishes our time become more difficult because we era of wolves we have human beings with the hearts of devils in the form of human beings walking aroundilling up and occ usy minority among the last those not the quر as anything more than the you know make And so the more the more predatory people become the more the me and the good and the dutful and the generous and the merful will be exped. is a if you want to be good and a world of wolves, you need to prepare yourself because you are going to get picked apart. But does that stop us? Does that change our trajectory? No. We are more desperate today for good men and women to be good men and women than any other time before. If the earth is filled with animals and you are to be the only believer, then you are to do it and hold your head up high whil. Because we don't do what good because popular and don't because anything good because are that is why in today's world people boast about being having the worst of traits. of in poety to be arrogant we call that driven arrogance is dri and dutiful is and last in today's in poy isolishness الله سبحانه وتالى are الله سبحانه وتعالى ديسكرايب ياتي بقوم يحبهم ويحبونه اذله على المؤمنين اعز على الكافرين يجاهدون في سبيل الله ولا يخافون لوملائم the most and of the those loves and they in love him who are those individuals they are those who are gentle with the believer firm with the disbelieving and they are not hinder by those are prop صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول ان من وراء كم ايام الصبر الصبر فيهن مثل قبض على الجمر للمتمسك فيهن بما انتم عليه اليوم اجروا 50 رجلا منكم قالوا يا رسول الله منا اي من الصحابه ام منهم قال بل منكم انتم ايها الصحابه اسمعوا الاوصاف ايام الصبر سماها الصبر فيهن مثل قبض على الجمر للمتمسك فيهن في تلك الايام للمتمسك فيهن بما انتم ايها الصحابه عليه اليوم اجر 50 رجلا منكم قالوا منا ام منهم قال بل منكم صلى الله عليه said these are being patient and holding to yourigion during such times is trying to clasp your fist around lits. You take a lit amber and you squeeze it. prop صلى الله عليه for those to you all are speaking to the companion he said for those and wom those believing brothers and sisters during those days of patience those who are holding to that which you all are upon today is the reward of 50 men amongst you the companion said 50 men amongst us or amongst them? He said 50 men amongst you doesn't mean in everything the reward of 50 men 50 companions in everything but the reward of 50 companions in the element of patience holding to the truth in spite of unpularity because era of the wasable to be it was it was the en of the world's nations to be they were at the helm of society and humanity edovit those days easy to be a easy to be good but in a day when the truthful is looked at with accusing eye and is tr on the days is deem treous and the treous are deem trustwthy during the days of patience it's very difficult to be that good person it's very difficult to be a good man or woman it's very difficult to If you are among peopleesty if you are among the people of impurity if you are straight in era of crookedness if you are dutiful in era of in of treachery if you are generous in the epic of stinginess and misery you will be taken advantage of there's no way around it there's no way around it and that is not a shamme that is what makes being good in a by immediats. You have a higher code, a higher book that you turn to, and a higher that you answer to. You're not good because it yields results. You're not generous becauseelying on the thankfulness and gratitude of those who earn your generity. You're not dutiful because people are dful to you. You are dful because this is something that Allah. You are gener because you look for your reward with Allah. You are strong upon your de and you tell the truth not becauseields immedi but becauseields the almighty the king of kings the judge of judges that is the high order that the muslwers to and you will be اقول ما تسمعون واستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين فاستغفروه انه هو الغفور الرحيم الحمد لله والصلاه والسلام على رسول الله واشهد ان لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له واشهد ان محمدا عبده ورسوله اللهم صل على محمد وعلى ال محمد كما صليت على ابراهيم وعلى ال ابراهيم انك حميد مجيد اللهم بارك على محمد وعلى ال محمد كما باركت على ابراهيم وعلى ال ابراهيم في العالمين انك حميد حميد مجيد اللهم اغفر لنا ذنوبنا اللهم كفر عنا سيئاتنا اللهم توفنا مع الابرار ربنا واتنا ما وعدتنا على رسلك ولا تخزنا يوم القيامه انك لا تخلف الميعاد اللهم اننا نسالك فعل الخيرات وترك المنكرات وحب المساكين وان تغفر لنا وترحمنا وتتوب علينا واذا اردت بعبادك فتنه فاقبضنا اليك غير مفتونين اللهم احينا ما كانت الحياه خيرا لنا وتوفنا اذا كانت الوفاه خيرا لنا اللهم اجعل القران العظيم ربيع قلوبنا ونور صدورنا وجلاء احزاننا وذهاب همومنا ربنا علمنا منهما جهلنا وذكرنا منهما نسينا وعلمنا الحكمه منه اللهم اننا نعوذ بك من جهد البلاء ودرك الشقاء وسوء القضاء وشماته الاعداء اللهم اننا نسالك عيش السعداء ومنازل الشهداء ومرافقه الانبياء والنصر على الاعداء يا سميع الدعاء يا ذا المن والعطاء اللهم اللهم انصر الاسلام والمسلمين واخذل الشرك والمشركين وافضح النفاق والمنافقين اللهم انصر اخواننا المجاهدين في غزه وفلسطين وفي كل مكان اللهم انصرهم على عدوهم اللهم اجعل ثارهم على من ظلمهم اللهم انصرهم على عدوهم اللهم عليك باعدائك اعداء الدين اللهم اننا نجعلك في نحورهم ونجعلك في نحورهم ونعوذ بك من شرورهم اللهم عليك بهذا الكيان الصهيوني المحتل اللعين اللهم بكته تبكيتا اللهم ردهم خائبين مخزيين اللهم اضرب عليهم الذله والهوان واقطع الحبال بينهم وبين العباد اللهم زلزل اركانهم اللهم صدع بنيانهم اللهم اقتل اجنادهم اللهم افضحهم يا رب العالمين اللهم ارنا فيهم عجائب قدرتك اللهم اقتلهم قتل عاد وارم اجعل احياءهم في ذل وخزي وهوان واجعل قتلاهم يتقلبون في النيران اللهم امين وصل اللهم وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى اله واصحابه اجمعين والحمد لله رب العالمين الله اكبر الله اكبر اشهد لا اله الا الله اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله حي على الصلاه حي على الفلاح قد قامت الصلاه قد قامت الصلاه الله اكبر الله اكبر لا اله الا الله استووادوا shoulders.
[Silence]
All pleas الله اكبر سبحانك اللهم الحمد لله رب العالمين الرحمن الرحيم مالك يوم الدين اياك نعبد واياك نستعين اهدنا الصراط المستقيم صراط الذين انعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين امين بسم الله والعصر ان الانسان لفي خسر الا الذين امنوا وعملوا الصالحات وتواصوا بالحق وتواصوا بالصبر الله سمع الله لمن حمده الله.
[Arabic recitation]
اكبر بسم الله الحمد لله رب العالمين الرحمن الرحيم مالك يوم الدين اياك نعبد واياك نستعين اهدنا الصراط المستقيم صراط الذين انعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين امين ويل لكل همزه لمزه ويل لكل همزه لمزه الذي جمع مالا وعددا يحسب ان ماله اخلده كلا لينبذن في الحطمه وما ادراكما الحطمه نار الله الموقده التي تطلع على الافئده انها عليهم مؤصده في عمد ممدده الله اكبر سمع الله لمن حمده الله.
[Silence]
اكبر الله.
[Silence]
السلام عليكم ورحمه الله.
[Silence]
صلاه الفجر صلاه العشاء صلاه الفجر 4:30 صلاه العشاء 9 الله Pleas notrive your people as donate generously الله سبحانه وتعالى.
[Silence]
كم حياك.
[Silence]
السلام.