The Human Tragedy

The Human Tragedy - Khutbah By Nouman Ali Khan

This Khutbah was given at the Bayyinah Masjid in Euless on 7/1/2016.

Nouman Ali Khan shares insights from the last passages of Surat Al-Haj, where, he explains, Allah gives a striking example that encapsulates the tragedy of humanity. Addressing people regardless of their faith, Allah says that those who call on anything other than Him cannot even create a single fly. Allah takes the analogy a step further by referring to the pagan ritual of offering food to idols who have neither the power nor the will to stop a tiny fly from snatching bits of that food and desecrating their temples. The passage closes with a thought-provoking axiom which, in a few simple words, sums up the futility of our petty human pursuits: “Inherently weak are both the seeker and that which he seeks”. Here Allah reminds us that whatever God, ism or philosophy we turn to instead of him will never give us strength. Unless we make Him our priority, unless we seek His satisfaction, we will continue to be distracted from the very essence of our purpose in this world and instead get caught up in an endless cycle of desire and indifference that leaves us feeling empty and unfulfilled. The solution: to appreciate Allah the way He alone deserves to be appreciated, to establish the prayer and give Zakat in pure acts of spiritual and material change, to hold on to Allah, who will be our protector and constant helper as we fulfill the heavy responsibility of representing our faith in the way we carry ourselves through life.