IMAN Center of Kirkland

As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatu-llāhi wa barakātuhū

As our children begin another school year, khutbah of September 11, 2026 raised a question that is much bigger than Sunday School:

What kind of human beings are we trying to raise?

What does it mean for our child to have a good life?

The khutbah calls us to make five commitments:

* FAITH: Know Allah. Trust Allah. Believe in the potential and goodness in one another.

* GROWTH: Learn. Reflect. Improve. Teach our children how to learn and think.

* COMMUNITY: Belong. Connect. Build relationships. Turn strangers into friends.

* SERVICE: Give. Help. Welcome. Contribute. Be candles that give light to others.

* DISCIPLINE: Commit. Show up. Be punctual. Follow through. Be dependable.

These are not simply values we teach our children. They are values we must model ourselves.

I encourage parents, students, teachers, administrators, and all community members who were unable to attend today’s khutbah to spend a few minutes reflecting on these ideas—especially as we prepare to begin our 2026/2027 school year and look forward to a successful and meaningful year together.

May Allah help us raise a generation that succeeds not only in the dunya, but also in faith, character, service, and purpose—and that uses whatever success Allah grants them to make the world a better place.