Some reminders mentioned in Khutbah by Imam Dr. Shaheed Coovadia for pondering:

30:30

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًۭا ۚ فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٠

So be steadfast in faith in all uprightness ˹O Prophet˺—the natural Way of Allah which He has instilled in ˹all˺ people. Let there be no change in this creation of Allah. That is the Straight Way, but most people do not know.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

عَنْ عِيَاضِ بْنِ حِمَارٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ أَلَا إِنَّ رَبِّي أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أُعَلِّمَكُمْ مَا جَهِلْتُمْ مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِي يَوْمِي هَذَا كُلُّ مَالٍ نَحَلْتُهُ عَبْدًا حَلَالٌ وَإِنِّي خَلَقْتُ عِبَادِي حُنَفَاءَ كُلَّهُمْ وَإِنَّهُمْ أَتَتْهُمْ الشَّيَاطِينُ فَاجْتَالَتْهُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِمْ

‘Iyad ibn Himar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, my Lord has commanded me to teach you what you do not know, from what he has taught me this day, ‘All wealth I bestowed upon them is lawful. I have created all of My servants inclined to worship, but devils come to them who turn them away from their religion.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2865

16:36

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ٣٦

We surely sent a messenger to every community, saying, “Worship Allah and shun false gods.” But some of them were guided by Allah, while others were destined to stray. So travel throughout the land and see the fate of the deniers!

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

95:4

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِىٓ أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍۢ ٤

Indeed, We created humans in the best form.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

95:5

ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَـٰهُ أَسْفَلَ سَـٰفِلِينَ ٥

But We will reduce them to the lowest of the low ˹in Hell˺,

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran