Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this episode Dr. Abou El Fadl discusses what makes the Sirah and the Sunnah and how the Qur’an is essential as a companion to the life of the Prophet. Furthermore we delve into reports about violence against the Prophet during prayer and why he insisted on this prayer despite the danger. Finally, other reports are discussed following the Prophet’s example in willingness to express devotion as defiance to the elite, under threat of torture.
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - What is Islam?
4:00 - Recognizing Islamic values
6:10 - Worshipping God, the Sunnah, treasuring Islam
12:50 - “I’m here to talk about God, not Gaza”…what is the Sunnah?
14:00 - Qur’an as companion to the Prophets life: mentions what is important about the Sunnah; anything else is extraneous
21:05 - Prophet assaulted while praying at the Ka’ba
30:45 - Reports of violence against the Prophet which do not hold up against scrutiny; “if you’re a Prophet, perform miracles or destroy us”
35:45 - Persian mythology vs Qur’anic narratives; entertainment vs moral value via metaphor
39:14 - Were there lions in Arabia?; baseless reports
45:40 - Rendering the Shahada frivolous: Uqbah Ibn Abu Mu’it
51:29 - The Prophet is assaulted and insulted while praying, but keeps insisting on prayer; this symbolic power of prayer empowers the powerless
55:30 - Ibn Mas’ud: reciting the Qur’an in defiance of Quraysh
1:02:10 - Muslims died under torture
1:03:30 - ‘Abd ‘Amr: Prophet tells him you are no slave to any man
1:09:30 - The Family of Yasir; the first martyrs
This Ramadan consider supporting our work - bit.ly/usuli2026
Instagram ~ @usuliinstitute
Twitter ~ @usuliinstitute
Facebook ~ facebook.com/usuliinstitute
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER (scroll to the bottom)
usuli.org
📚 Usuli Press - Check out our publications on the current state of the Muslim world
The Prophet's Pulpit Trilogy ~ amzn.to/40PBtnt
The Palestine Sermons ~ amzn.to/3AOxXiu
Substack ~ substack.com/@theprophetspulpit
~ Spotify & Supercast ~
https://usuli.supercast.com!
🎥 Full list of our recorded khutbahs and their transcripts ~ bit.ly/usulikhutbahs
📰 The full list of articles referenced in this Khutbah can be found at usulinews.org
In this episode Dr. Abou El Fadl discusses what makes the Sirah and the Sunnah and how the Qur’an is essential as a companion to the life of the Prophet. Furthermore we delve into reports about violence against the Prophet during prayer and why he insisted on this prayer despite the danger. Finally, other reports are discussed following the Prophet’s example in willingness to express devotion as defiance to the elite, under threat of torture.
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - What is Islam?
4:00 - Recognizing Islamic values
6:10 - Worshipping God, the Sunnah, treasuring Islam
12:50 - “I’m here to talk about God, not Gaza”…what is the Sunnah?
14:00 - Qur’an as companion to the Prophets life: mentions what is important about the Sunnah; anything else is extraneous
21:05 - Prophet assaulted while praying at the Ka’ba
30:45 - Reports of violence against the Prophet which do not hold up against scrutiny; “if you’re a Prophet, perform miracles or destroy us”
35:45 - Persian mythology vs Qur’anic narratives; entertainment vs moral value via metaphor
39:14 - Were there lions in Arabia?; baseless reports
45:40 - Rendering the Shahada frivolous: Uqbah Ibn Abu Mu’it
51:29 - The Prophet is assaulted and insulted while praying, but keeps insisting on prayer; this symbolic power of prayer empowers the powerless
55:30 - Ibn Mas’ud: reciting the Qur’an in defiance of Quraysh
1:02:10 - Muslims died under torture
1:03:30 - ‘Abd ‘Amr: Prophet tells him you are no slave to any man
1:09:30 - The Family of Yasir; the first martyrs
This Ramadan consider supporting our work - bit.ly/usuli2026
Instagram ~ @usuliinstitute
Twitter ~ @usuliinstitute
Facebook ~ facebook.com/usuliinstitute
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER (scroll to the bottom)
usuli.org
📚 Usuli Press - Check out our publications on the current state of the Muslim world
The Prophet's Pulpit Trilogy ~ amzn.to/40PBtnt
The Palestine Sermons ~ amzn.to/3AOxXiu
Substack ~ substack.com/@theprophetspulpit
~ Spotify & Supercast ~
https://usuli.supercast.com!
🎥 Full list of our recorded khutbahs and their transcripts ~ bit.ly/usulikhutbahs
📰 The full list of articles referenced in this Khutbah can be found at usulinews.org
