Those Under Our Roof

<p>The eighth sermon in the series <em>Estranged: Joining Creation as God’s Servant</em>.</p><p>Having returned to the ordinary appetites of life, we now return to the place where spiritual formation is tested most intimately: the home. What happens when Allah has taught us to need less, endure more, worship more seriously, or detach from things that once occupied us, but the people under our roof have not been brought to the same place? In this sermon, we consider the danger of making our families carry the weight of our spiritual development, and the responsibility to remove ourselves from the center without abandoning the trusts Allah has placed in our hands. Through the encounter between Salmān and Abū al-Dardāʾ, we see that devotion to Allah cannot consume the rights Allah Himself has given to others.</p><p>The sermon then turns the gaze inward. When a spouse or child disappoints us, their conduct may sometimes expose something we have learned not to see in ourselves. Yet self-examination does not make us sovereign over another person’s heart. We are responsible for how we lead, teach, correct, provide, and cultivate, but guidance belongs to Allah. Our task is to form a household directed toward Him while preparing those within it to live responsibly in the world. The clearest sign that the path has truly brought us home is that those under our roof are the first to taste the fruits of what Allah has cultivated within us.</p><p>Produced by Hanbali Disciples.<br>Preserve the Tradition. Become a Patron.<br><a href="https://www.hanbalidisciples.com/patrons">https://www.hanbalidisciples.com/patrons</a></p>