By Shaykh Rashid Khan
1 August 2025

﷽ 

Alhamdulillah. All praise is due to Allah, who sent down the Qur’an as a guide, a healing, and a source of light for all who seek Him sincerely.

In this khutbah, I want to speak about something many of us struggle with: staying connected to the Qur’an in the flow of daily life. Not in theory, but in real, practical, lived experience.

Let’s begin with a powerful image from our history. There was a time when Muslims were prevented from praying at the Kaʿbah. Abu Bakr (RA) was one of them. So he stood in the courtyard of his home and recited the Qur’an in prayer. His voice trembled. He wept. And the people – women, children, even those who didn’t believe – gathered around, overcome by the beauty of what they heard.

The Qur’an was alive. It wasn’t just a book. It was a presence. A reality in the hearts of those who recited it.

Even the Prophet ﷺ, who was chosen by Allah  before all of creation, needed the Qur’an to keep his heart firm. Allah says:

Why stages? Because life isn’t lived all at once. It’s lived day by day. And just like our hearts get stained daily, by distractions, by sin, by stress, the Qur’an cleanses and restores us, day by day.

The Prophet ﷺ and his companions didn’t live in ideal conditions. They faced disbelief, corruption, and temptation, just like we do. They would begin their day with the Qur’an, glowing with light. But the moment they stepped outside, that light would be tested and tainted.

So they came back to it. Every day. That was their anchor. And it should be ours.

Some of us hesitate. “I don’t have tajwīd.” “I can’t read fluently.” “I don’t have the voice for it.” But the Prophet ﷺ said:

The one who recites the Qur’an and finds it difficult, stammering through it – he will have two rewards.

One reward for reading. Another for struggling.

Your struggle is worship. Whether it’s pronunciation or finding time, your effort counts.

And here’s the key: don’t aim for perfection. Aim for consistency. Even one verse a day. Even if it’s at different times. Even if the recitation isn’t beautiful. The Qur’an isn’t about performance, it’s about being present, it’s about reconnecting.

The Prophet ﷺ also said that the Qur’an slips from the heart faster than a camel slips its rope. If we don’t hold onto it regularly, it escapes us. And many of us fall into a trap: we think it has to be 100% or nothing. So we end up doing nothing. 

But Allah accepts the effort. What matters is that we don’t walk away.

Especially in these months of rest and free time where many are in school holidays and enjoy family breaks, it becomes even more important to protect our routine. Leisure itself is not the problem. But when joy makes us forget the One who gave it to us, that’s when it becomes dangerous.

Allah warns:

Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751H / 1350CE) said sometimes the blessings we’re given can veil the One who gave them. So we must enjoy, but with mindfulness.

What makes an action worship isn’t just what you’re doing, it’s whether you remember Allah while doing it. Two people can go to the same place, take the same walk, eat the same meal. But only one of them is rewarded: the one who is mindful of Allah throughout. That awareness turns something ordinary into an act of worship.

And this is something we should teach our families too. When we make time for school trips, for sports, for outings, but hesitate when it comes to the masjid, the Qur’an programme, or the halaqah, we’re sending a message. That deen is separate. That faith is a burden. That Qur’an belongs in another box.

We seek rest from other sources. But the Prophet ﷺ would say:

O Bilal, bring us rest through the prayer.

His source of comfort was salah. His source of joy was Qur’an. And that can be ours too.

Let’s be practical. Not every family has perfect routines. Not every person has a consistent schedule. But even if your day shifts, don’t give up. One verse. One reminder. One sincere effort, it all matters.

And if you feel like you’re too far, too broken, too behind, then remember this hadith:

Whoever intends to do good but does not do it – Allah writes it as a complete good deed.

So even if all you can offer is concern, that concern is worship.

Let the Qur’an be part of your day. In your home. In your car. In your breaks. Choose it over the next scroll. Play it over the next episode of whatever series you are watching on Netflix. Make it something your children remember as part of joy, not separate from it. 

O Allah, make the Qur’an the spring of our hearts, the light of our chests, the remover of our sadness, and the reliever of our worries. Let us live by it, die upon it, and be raised with its people. 

Ameen.

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