Quotes From The Prophet's Pulpit

 "...It is time that we realize that our practices of jumu'a are full of stereotypical statements, buzzwords, and concepts that defy reason, logic, and beauty. It is time to rebel against them. It is time to make our religion more meaningful in our lives and in the lives of our children..."

From Chapter 22: More on Virtual Khutbahs and the Personal Nature of a Pandemic

"...Use the gift that God gave you. Remember that every intellect is unique and that this is part of the miracle of diversity that God has created. Had God willed, people would not be different. God created them to be different (Q 10:99; 13:31; 35:28). The fact you think in ways that do not mirror others is no bad thing. It is what creates richness. It is proof of Divinity. This is why the Prophet said the most secure people in the Hereafter are the most thoughtful in the here and now.[1] I repeat it because of how unusual it is for modern Muslims, sadly, to hear that thinking and reflecting is an Islamic obligation. It is a solemn obligation that you are rewarded for. If you are not a thinking and reflective human being, then you are a robot that unthinkingly follows habits and traditions without reflecting upon what is just and unjust, beautiful and ugly, humane and inhumane. You will be held responsible for that in the Hereafter..."

[1] Al-Ghazali, Ihya’, 1/282.

From Chapter 2: On Evaluating Moral Character, Trusting Intuition, and Cleaning Your Vessel