Overcoming Struggles – The Quran’s Advice
How do we find solace in difficult moments? How do we navigate tragedies? We look for answers from the Qur’an.
Recorded at Sydney Madinah, Sydney.
Aarij Anwer – Overcoming Struggles – The Quran’s Advice
AI: Summary ©
The importance of guidance and patient counseling is emphasized, along with avoiding harm and stressing forgiveness. The conversation includes discussion of the impact of the pandemic on the economy and oil and gas industry, as well as the potential impact on the economy in the future. The speakers emphasize the need for everyone to stay safe and healthy.
AI: Summary ©
Brothers and sisters,
we have special guests tonight, all the way from Canada
is in orange Anwar is here to teach an ancova course this Sunday, which is called the ultimate reminder.
Study of the Quran to the life of the Prophet so
lucky to have him against Medina, tonight is going to talk about a
concept of struggle. Like what's Quranic advice for struggles.
So I'm going to just give a very brief background to
my marriage. Basically, he was born in Pakistan and grew up in
Canada, in the 50s bachelor's degree in Canada, after completing his bachelor's degree, then
he went to Egypt, study
Arabic, memorize the Quran, and did a bachelor's degree in
MBA in Islamic Studies.
And he joined us at the beginning of this year
to teach mainly the Quran studies, Arabic studies, as well as inshallah may pursue courses in the future. So without any further ado, I'll hand over to him a marriage. But just before that,
I think if you will notice the official salaries at 845. The talk will probably finish around 815 820 with some time for q&a brothers can ask the questions directly. and sisters, I think there is some paper being passed around. So please write down your questions and pass them in the front.
All right.
Good luck.
Rubbish.
Surrounding
the thank you all for sticking around after after militia
on this very pleasant Wednesday evening. And the idea of the of the talk
is one of the central parts of of how do we navigate life? How do we navigate the ups and downs of life? And this is something that nobody is, is immune from like all of us go through good times and bad times. The Prophet of Allah Islam also went through good times and bad times. And the thing that consoled him was the revelation of the Quran. The Quran, right? Last month law says about the ayat of the Quran. With regard to the prophet SAW Selim, he says that galvanically no sabita v.
13. Like the revelation comes piecemeal. Because that is meant to give the profits are slow to heart, it'll strip, okay. So that strength to be able to go through the challenges, right to be able to go through the good times and the bad times. That was one of the main purposes of the revelation of the program. And it's a it's a fascinating aspect of the guidance, we think of the guidance as it's our salvation in the center, right? That's obviously very important. We think of the guidance as a means of deliverance from the fire of *. Very critical, but also guidance in how do we navigate life right now, like how do we deal with issues? How do we deal with difficulties, all
these things, is part of the guidance of the Quran? So
in Surah, number 12, through the use of the last Pamela describes, or rather, concludes the surah with a very powerful liar. He says that not can if you also see him are able to do
that.
For sure. In the stories of the prophets, there is a grace for people of understanding it will come to the word liberal element, Makana Hadeeth, a new form, it's not a statement, it's not speech that is fabricated, the prophet is not making this up. When
in fact, what this is, is does this under the banner they will see the completion of houden Ramadan, the moon, it is for things it is affirmation of what the prophet or of previous revelation right
What previous profits brought this foreign firms? what's in them, and the see the cliche, it explains everything laid the foundations, the core of how we live our lives, how we navigate our religion, or how we practice our religion. That is from the Koran. Number three, we're houden. It's a guide, or othmar. And it's a mercy for people who leave. So the Quran
author describes that it is a guide, it is a mercy. It is something that explains how we live our lives. It affirms what's in the previous revelations. And a lot of that is untrue stories of the profits right now. But can you also see him? And so number 12 sudo user is the story of its profit?
This is a very easy question. Right? No marks for that.
So this after mentioning the story of usefulness, and I'm, it's a very fitting conclusion to that story. The word iraq refers to an old Arabic, they would describe like two bodies, or two, two parts of the land, being joined by a body of water right, like a river or channel that would join two bodies of land. So they would say, right, that the water is flowing from one part of the land to the other part. Right, it connects the water is the thing that connects the two parts of the land. So Abraham,
taking,
taking guidance from the Quran is not just for the stories of the prophets. But more precisely, it's not just taking them as, as a historical account, but rather to draw parallels. It is to draw parallels between their situation and our situation, between their struggles and our struggles. And when the parallel is drawn, that is when
that's when the guidance is attained. So the final loss model describes the stories of the prophets as a means for us to draw Prout to draw parallels and to be able to navigate our life. We look at the stories of the prophets, they are full of what they're full of struggles. Right? You look at UCLA, Salah? Did he need an easy life? Of course not. Right, he went through a lot of difficulties. In fact, the people who betrayed him, were the ones who were supposed to protect him.
His brothers, right, they were the ones who were supposed to protect him and love him and mentor him. And they're the ones who ended up betraying him. That is trauma by the way that people suffer even though they and they never really get over it, being betrayed by the one who loves you, or should have loved you and protected you. So he went through that from a very early age, stripped of his freedom sold into slavery. Right? Now, finally, he rose up. And now he is accused of, of what
is accused of you know, the story
is accused of something he's accused of having an affair with the wife of the, of the disease of the minister, right. And then, when those accusations are proven false, he still gets put in jail. Even when they know he is innocent, he still gets thrown into jail. You know what it feels like for somebody to be in jail when they're innocent?
It is absolutely, like just incites rage in a person. It just makes you so angry. I was there's a book I was reading about this person who accepted Islam in Guantanamo Bay was one of the guards of Guantanamo Bay. Right? Very interesting. He was a guard, US Army guard, Christian, or agnostic. And then through his interactions with the Muslim prisoners, he did what he said to this lamp and quit his role and at one time, but you read the description of the people who are there without trial, who are held without charges. Who is a that is a very difficult thing, anybody or any story or any case study you read about somebody who is in prison
without a legitimate reason, it should make you angry, because they're more is the most essential part of their life, which is their freedom has been taken away unjustly. So usefulness in his life, has experienced some of them biggest traumas that people experience individually, being betrayed by those who love you, stripped of your innocence, stripped of your freedom, not
accused of a crime that you didn't do, and then still being put into prison while being acquitted. So he went through so much.
I don't think all of us combined in the room will go through that much missing. That's the idea behind the story, that when we read that history, and we read
How patient he was. We read how patient his family was jacoba listener, we read how that experience did not make him sour and bitter looking for revenge. That's what happens to people, right? When they go through tough experience. What do they become?
bitter old men, you know? Why are they better old men because, you know, experience in life has jaded them, they just want to stick it to everybody. You know what I mean? So that they didn't do that to us.
He didn't want revenge against his brothers. He didn't want to wrench against people who wronged him, the wife of disease, when it came time for his to be in court, he didn't say, put her in prison.
He was just like, just make just proclaim my innocence. Make sure that people know that I'm innocent. And then that's what she said. He said, call it
an hosaka hop on out to one of our Minnesota team. Today, the truth is out. He was innocent and guilty. See them and his brothers came. His brothers were finally realizing that he has the upper hand. He didn't say, Alright, I'm gonna punish you now. You took away 30 years of my life. I'm gonna take away something from you. Is that not the three walls? I'm sorry, I have nothing for you to nothing gets you. Your little local, I have forgiven you. May Allah forgive you as well. to Harvard, not none of that bitterness in your heart. That is an incredible lesson. Now imagine a person is going through that difficulty, similar situation. Maybe you are robbed of something that is
rightfully yours. Maybe you feel betrayed by people. Right? Maybe there's an accusation made against you. That is completely false. Maybe people are questioning your character for no good reason.
A bunch of things can happen. Does that make us better people? Should that make us better people? No, because that's not the guidance of the Quran. The guidance on the Quran is telling us, we have to be people who are forgiving. We have to be people who
take all this in our stride. And understand that this is a lost purpose test for us. And this is a way of Allah raising our ranks in general. This is a way of removing our sins. So the stories of the of the prophet in particular, is one of the major ways that a lot consoled the profits also. And it's one of the major ways for us to get over our own difficulties in life. Whatever difficulty we are going through, fundamentally, you will find it in the life of a prophet.
And you will find it to be like in its worst case scenario. It's not like a little bit bit here or there, if you will find it to be like its worst case manifestation. So when we see that, that allows us to take take heart, and allows us to move on allows us to act if not exactly like a profit, but act in a similar way, act inspired by the profits. And that's the goal, right? That's what we want to be a common beginner, for civilians, for sure that you're solid in the people on the street, Pat worthy, they're the ones who are with the profits, and the truthful. And the markers. And the righteous guys want to be in that company.
You just want to just just want to be part of that company, you want to be inspired by them and you want to try to emulate them as much as you can. So our behavior is is managed or is
is informed by the stories of the prophets. That's one of the biggest ways you navigate difficulties. Another very important way we understand difficulty and navigate it is understanding the nature of it. And this is one of the things the Quran talks about that
the were the number one Lacombe Shay in middle Hopi you are in will not see me that will not seem mean, I'm worldly well and footsie with camarat oversee the slavery, this is our number 155. And number two.
Last month law says for sure we will try you and test you
with some type of a trial.
Some type of trial that could be a type of fear that a person that a person will experience or a type of hunger, meaning you are starved
for a food or you are robbed of your security.
The people who are fleeing war, there's about 42 million people in the world that are refugees today. Right.
What are what are they fleeing?
They're they're fleeing this particular situation that they are afraid of their hometowns of their of their homes of situations that they're in and they're fleeing that escaping that. So the loss of
security and peace that Avast wanted to try us with that he could try us with the loss of food even the most essential food, they could try us by a loss of wealth via loss of us losing family members what unforce people who are dear to us and near to us, and what's tomorrow? Not tomorrow do similar.
You can translate Tell me like
fruits. Yes, I'm happy someone said that. Right.
So that's a good translation. But some are in like, the way the scholars describe it is cool, don't buy into therapy, everything that you can benefit from, okay. And it is considered to be like above like the basic necessities of life. So you have the basic necessities, the food that you need to eat to survive, correct. That does not include camel meat or chicken.
Salad basic necessity, you know, it's like it's a somewhat of a luxury, right?
What's interesting is, some are art, art, complete luxuries. These are things that you don't have to eat to survive, or to live another day, these are things you eat, to enjoy. These are things that are eating for enjoyment. So our sponsor could test us by taking away our luxury, he could test us by taking away our most basic necessities, he could test us by taking away our sense of security, he could test us by taking away some more money, he could test this by taking away some family members. And more there is many different types of tests that a person can go through. And what Allah says is, for sure, this will happen while a number one nagambie shavian for sure, it will come to the US
there is no escaping it. So when something bad happens to us, we have to understand what
we have to understand that this is for a lot holders, right? This is meant to happen. When the Sahaba were
trapped in Medina. And the army of the aza came to read them and others and read them completely eradicate them from the face of the earth. What was their reaction? That they say, oh, why is this happening? How can Allah punish us? We are good people. Why us? Why do we keep getting attacked? That like no other more than a lawsuit or sort of a lawsuit? This is exactly what a line is messenger promises. And they're correct, they're truthful, they the idea of understanding that a trial is not some sort of
some sort of punishment that the last part was trying to get you understanding that the difficulty a test is part of life that Allah has told us is going to happen. It will come to pass. So deal with it. How do we deal with it? Well, question is slavery. Congratulate those who are patient, you know, the word masiva in Arabic, you know, what is the most economical
trial, right? In although it means like, sleep, right, like, difficulty what's wrong with this person? He's right.
But it we'll see, but either cassava to masiva the idea of a calamity. Right? Or a trial. You know, linguistically where that word comes from is very interesting. It comes from the Archer, the archer when the archer fires the arrow, and the arrow goes, who like hits the target. So they will say or saw, but unheard of. Right? But we'll see we'll have the target was hit.
So masiva is meant to be something like an arrow striking, you know that you're like, Ah, right.
But it's not you can't miss you.
It was not going to miss you. It was going to come to you. It was meant for you. There was no way it was going to miss you. So this is the understanding that we're supposed to have of a difficult situation our lives. This was meant to happen a loss patola is the one who put it in this place.
Right? And once we understand that,
then it's easier for us to deal with it. What should is slavery, the ones who are patient, how are these people patient alladhina hither atharva Tomasi, but the ones who when they are struck by an affliction, whether the arrow have that affliction strikes them, then what do they say? They say Why me? Oh god, why is this evil in this world? I was a good person, how can this happen to me is that what they say?
To the get agitated, they become bitter. Know the inner Elahi when
they say we truly we belong to a lot and we will be returning to him as well. Meaning we are
loss, whatever we have in our lives is a loss are everything Allah gave us. And when we die, we will go back to meaning whatever Allah wants he can do to us. Whatever Allah wants, he can put us through. And our job is to be patient to show our gratitude. And then the last one that says when these people are patient, what is it gonna do for them? Will I guarantee him Salalah tomorrow because these are people who receive the greatest mercies of Allah.
Allah, Allah sends his showers His mercy award, but when it comes to do, and these people they exclusively are the ones who are guided. While we're at the wood exclusively here, if you look at the ayah, who logica? Those people whom they
don't, are the ones who are guided, meaning there is nobody else who can claim to be God.
This is linguistically if you have the word. You know, that's like I say, this is a cup, right? Let's
think about that for a minute.
You know, the word after is?
But what is the word after isn't my sentence.
Okay, so that, you know, if I was to say, this is the cup in Arabic, what I'm trying to say is, there is no cup besides his cup.
Obviously, that is not like the entire index the entire intention behind it. But linguistically, as a rhetorical tool, it is used to sound like that. Okay, so analysts like to do those people, they are the ones who are guided, like that is exclusively them. So unless a person can calm themselves down, and control them themselves, when stuff gets difficult, when things get tricky. They can't clean guidance. Doesn't matter how much you've studied, how much you know how much Parana memorize whatever evidence is, you know, a fifth, if you can control your anger, in moments of difficulty, if a person cannot control their tongue, in a time of distress,
the guidance is missing. I was missing when I come home. So Allah, Allah describes here, the people
Firstly, the reality of difficulties is going to come. He describes that the people who go through this, they signaled that he were in a hurry Roger, this is from Allah accepting that, you know, I had a I have a friend. And he, his his son actually was one of my students. Mashallah. Very bright young man. And then this this friend of mine, he had kidney failure. Very bad one and he's pretty young. It's not that old, you know, my friend. So yes.
So, he has a kidney failure. He's really he's really young. He has little kids. So
what ended up happening was he was on the list to get a you know, doughnut, right? Like that, or organ donor. The list is 15 years long. He's what has to be 15 years and he may not even live to see 15 years is given a situation. So his wife decides to donate her kidney time, right? Mashallah, what a beautiful marriage. So, they go through that difficult operation, like the wife goes through it, the husband goes through it, right? To replace the kidney. He's in the hospital recovering, right? everything's looking Okay. And then about a week into the surgery or after the surgery, sorry.
The body is like, reacting, right? And because it's a foreign object, the body thinks it's
something that has to be attacked, right? It's a foreign object, the body's instinct was to attack it, and the body starts attacking the new kidney. And he's having all these difficulties. The doctors are like, we have to operate on you again, they operate on him, and they decide that they're going to take the kidney out and throw it away.
And now he's left with
his wife has one kidney left now and he's back to square one basically. So and he having gone through that difficult surgery, right, like the to open up those stitches again, to go through that again, and then be stitched up again. The pain Oh, my goodness, the pain, right? It's like, it's too much. I've been through like a couple of surgeries to hunger a lot. Nothing serious. Just like, you know, reconstructive surgery on my knees. You know, you can blame my hip hyper extended knees for failing me when I'm playing basketball but
Interestingly enough, the pain of
this time was so much to just kind of like reopened after they were supposed to dissolve. Right? And it's like a small patch. That's all there is like on my, my thigh, right? So that really small patch. And I was so bothered by it was a doctor I can't sleep is gonna be antibiotics and instead of the other was a terrible week, right? Because my stomach was upset. I'm not feeling very happy, right? Imagine your whole like stomach is cut up
and then they stitch it and then they reopen it and they're restricted. So Panama the pain
is too much. And here is a person Mashallah his both his sons details. He himself is leading, you know, a person of the most upright character, everybody that says nothing but good things about him, his wife as well, you know, this is like an amazing family.
But the last month was putting them through these difficult situations. So I go to their house to, you know, offer. notices, but to see them Raymond person is sick, we should go see them. So nonprofits are often very often neglected. So nonprofit, particularly people my age, right? Nobody goes to see anybody. Everybody is in their homes, watching Netflix watching the game, okay, into the garage to go visit people were sick, right? We're going through difficult times. Very important, guys.
So
I go to visit him. And I'm like, I don't know what to say to this person. Right? He's gone through so much trauma. What do I say to someone like this? So his wife is there. He's there. And all they're saying is, everything's okay. Well, Hamdulillah, we're fine. And last month was so merciful, and so kind to us. I'm like, Man, this is amazing. Look at these people. They're going through so much difficulty, right. And all they can say is 100 lost partners take care of us, and we're fine now. We'll be better later. And then his wife says something amazing. He's like, you know,
this kidney of mine was given to me by a lot. It was with me for this many years. And then a last one that has decided to take it from me. Now he's taken, right, it was his,
he gave it to me. And then he took it from me. And I was like Pamela that is you know, without calling him Slovakian European mama Bakula, that is what it means to be guided to have that level of acceptance, for the difficulties that a person is going through, to be that patient and thankful in the situation of such difficulties in the face of such difficulties. That is what guidance means.
You know, we say what sort of
what we asked for and sort of our different
is in a certain supreme guidance, the straight path, this is what guided to the straight path means.
So the idea of a person
being able to bear the difficulties, that's a very important construct in the Quran. The Quran also talks about the idea of why Allah sparklers testing you. When was the last one to put us in difficult situations. What's the point? Well, the prophets awesome says about this, that in the law is a habit is a habit level government, if the level that when a law loves a people, key
tests that he tries.
It seems counterintuitive, right? So if you love somebody want to give them some more good things, right? But he lost half our love and he loves somebody he tests and tries them. Why is that? There is great wisdom in it. In educational psychology, we have this idea called the zone of proximal development a fancy term for basically figuring out why or how people learn. Right? And the idea is, is if things are too easy, and there's no stress, right, things are very easy, then a person doesn't learn anything. Because their brain isn't challenged enough. They just kind of cruise through. And they may not actually, despite all of their ability and talent. They may not learn anything. Despite
it being easy and then being very smart. They may not learn anything, because it was too easy. Not challenging enough. Okay. Then there is the second part, which is something is too hard.
Right? Something is too stressful. In that situation. A person hasn't learned anything either. Because the reaction of the brain and the body to that stress is what shuts down. I can't do this. There's too much right? That's what everybody says about Matt. I can do this. Too much to heart. Put it away. That's what some YouTube videos
so
The ideal zone is right between the two, where it's difficult enough for the brain to pay attention, but not too difficult where the rains like gotta give him. right stick the right amount of stress and anxiety is needed for a person to learn anything. the right amount of stress and anxiety is needed for a person to actually do something.
Right. So I'll give you an example. I do like these projects. For example, I was reading the COVID course or making the slides for the course. Right? And I emailed with the freedom the benefit, I'll send it to you by Thursday. Okay, Thursday comes in like a week to the course. Right? So it comes and goes on like, I have no problem. Okay. Friday comes and goes. Next thing I know, I know, I'm on the plane coming to the UK. Right. And I still haven't finished my slides. So the moment I get on the flight, unlike now I'm going to be working on the slides. Because there's this anxiety, the right amount of anxieties there. Right before that there's not enough anxiety I have a whole week.
It's okay. I'll do it. Let me just want some highlights first. It was something you know, I just, I saw something on social media. That is was that a little bit? Let me read this. Let me that. And next thing I know time's up, I go to sleep. Great. But when the right and when anxiety is there, that's when I walked in? I'm like, yeah, you know, this is me at my heart. Like, most optimal, right? Anybody feel that way, too. All right. You don't remember writing exams. I mean, I remember writing exams. And that would be like a three hour exam, the first two and a half hours, I get to like half of the last half hour, I get to the other half. Because I'm so focused in that half hour,
it's insane. And I would do it. And I'm like, I wish I could just do this, like in the first half an hour, why is it have to be the last half hour. So the idea of that kind of stress needed to bring out the best of you. This is the thing that we know, right? That's what pushes us to do something really well. That's actually what brings out the best of our abilities. That's what's needed for us to learn anything for a brain test to become activated to remember things in the
below formula, and a lot of the people who've tried them, and test them, he puts them under a situation that brings out the best,
it brings out the best of their character, it brings out the best of their version, the best of them,
write it, this is what happens. So it's a means of a loss of bringing a person closer. I remember when I was in Egypt. And I was going through a difficult time. You're studying Arabic broke, right? surrounded by options, not ideal combination right of things. So I love my family, my fellow, all my teachers as options. I am indebted to the options forever hamdulillah. But what's interesting is you surround your circumstances are tough, right? So I was I remember, I would make such a heartfelt blog every single day. And I will be making it between the adult and IBAMA without fail to the point some brother came to me in the mud once he saw me go up. And he's like, imagine this is a big draw
for me.
was so impressed by my dog. And I was like, why is it that now? I don't mean to I like that. Right? Why is it that now? I'm like,
Alright, check the scores. I'm thinking, let me check Facebook, hey, the anxiety is busy. Right? That drive is missing, the urgency is missing.
So when that urgency is there, when the circumstances are difficult, the best dollar comes out, the best seller comes out of the best everything comes out. And that's why also by the way, you admire the profits. Also the who was every time you prayed doesn't matter. It was good times and bad times. It was 100%.
Rather, it wasn't affected by you know, his situation in the quality did not go down because things were easy. Well, that's the bar that we have to aim for me, so don't allow us to get there. So, unless pantalla brings out the best of us, when he puts us through difficulties we understand that right last month Allah will also give us he will remove our sins right in the profit zone said that whenever a person is struck with a calamity, even a little form that picks them even that takes away their sense.
hat I actually fill out the world Ramallah incomplete until the person is walking around, and they are sinless.
So Allah, Allah is puts us through difficulties to remove our since our last couple of purchases through difficulties
to
to also reward us
And increase our levels of gentleness
in the Quran versus in the manual for savina. Jerome is at a loss of Hello, rewards the people who are patient without any record.
Think about this. If we were praying, right, how long is our prayer?
Two minutes, right in.
Right, but generally you do it. Well, you read some surah. You like not rushing through it? It's probably like, seven minutes. Yeah. So no, like a Muslim Salas like seven minutes. fudger is definitely two minutes, because you have to go back to sleep.
Shows probably like 10 minutes or something. Right? So the amount of pleasure we're getting is like those 10 minutes of sauna, right? Yes or no? After it says that I'm sure you read some aska. But the moment you finish your good deeds stop, right.
And excluding like things, such as walking to the Mazda driving to the monster driving back all that stuff on schooling for a minute, right? The moment you stop a good date, your answer stops. When a person is patient, they are patient.
Like, at every moment, and every second, right? If I'm going through some difficulty, I can be like, okay, I'll be patient now announced, I'm done being patient, I won't be patient now. Right? You are patient, consistently, every minute, every moment. So every minute, every moment, the person is being rewarded, the counter of good deeds is going down.
That's what being in a difficult situation and being patient through it. That's what it does. Every single moment you bear that difficulty, the counter of good deeds keeps rising. So another reason why last month law puts us through difficulties, what is the bring out the best tennis one is to forgive our sins, but one is to maybe elevate us to a point agenda that perhaps you are not getting to. Because we didn't have enough good deeds.
But because of our patience, because of holding back ourselves, every minute, every moment turns into a good deed. And that will elevate us into Jannah to a very high level.
And Otto says about the prophets that have visible visit, shut the nasty Bella. And we are someone
that the people who go through the most difficult trials are the profits, and then the people who are next to them in terms of like the level, and then the ones who are next after that, in terms of how closely they act and resemble the prophets. So this gives us a very complete understanding of what
what what what, what is the purpose behind the difficulties of Allah, that puts us through? It is not to be a it's not a last pompous way of getting us. It's not like a punishment last month is not out to get you. Okay? It is a means of elevating us
to mean, elevating us, sometimes people will say, Oh, well, you know, I was abused when I was a child.
How is this forgiving? myself? I didn't have any sense, right? A person, for example, a girl was abused by some foreign teacher who was abused by some family members. And she was a real, she was a little girl, you'll be shocked at how often this happens. Right? You look at me, like what's he talking about? It's very common.
And that person grows up with a lot of trauma.
She's like, how can this happened to me? I didn't do anything wrong. How can these people how these, these perverts were around me, it's not my fault?
And the answer is you're right. It's not your fault. And you're right, you didn't have any sense when you were that little, because the Prophet said Roofing roofing column or anything left and right, the pen is lifted out of of the three people meaning their sins are not recorded, or their mistakes are recorded. And one of those three days of surgery, you have a child until they become
until they become an adult. See. So clearly that person doesn't have any sense. So what is the reason why a lot puts them through the difficulty? It's clearly not to forgive their sins because they don't have since their child? Well, it is again, it goes back to the idea that life is a test. Right? Number one, a condition is going to be different types. Some of us don't have that test. Some of us do have that test. So whether they use varicella, who the ones who's supposed to love and protect them betrayed them. Some of us don't go through that. Okay, so that's the first thing you have to understand that this is the way this is why a lot put us here. These things are going to
happen, what I'm going through, you maybe are not going through
What you're going to do, I probably won't go, right, and each of us have our own difficult tests that we have to deal with. That's number one. And number two, this person dealing with this test, being patient, going through it, working through it, yeah, that every minute of that is reward for them every minute of the day that is them being elevated to a high level agenda. So it's not, again, we have to understand everything holistically, why does the love put us through tests? Why? What should our reaction be to those tests? Who is it that we look towards, to find some solace? These are some of the pointers that the Quran gives us on how to deal with difficulties, how to deal with
navigate, challenging circumstances. And I'll conclude, right by, by sharing a very beautiful Hadith of the Prophet
who,
who is describing a person who is an absolute role model, and how to deal with difficulties. And it's not a prophet, it's not as a hobby, it says the person, right, and that person is anonymous. They are not named. So it could be anybody, it could be any person in any time.
This person is somebody who just lost a child. I don't think there's a bigger difficulty that you can go through, particularly losing a little child. So he is suffering from and Allah, Allah is talking to the angels, and the Prophet is describing the conversation. So must want to assess the angels that
come up to him.
That Have you taken the soul of, of my own My servants child, thought to one other ID for hold on an arm, they will say, Yes, we have
the most popular apps again, go back to some errata for daddy, have you taken away the apple of his, the apple of his eye, the joy of his life?
For Hulu? If you say yes,
for mother, father of these two, what is my sermon safe? When this tragedy befell him? What did he say? Was the reaction how mediocre was
he praise You old law. And he said in
Panama, and and Allah says about this person over and only on the basis of gender, make for my sleeve when serving the house agenda, and name it the house of priests are some mobile beta account. Why? Because he prays a lot in the most difficult circumstance that any parent can imagine losing their child.
In that moment, this person had the man
to say Alhamdulillah in
that is the example that the provinces gave us, they asked a lot to be of those who can control our tongues in moments of difficulty, they are supposed to be of those who are able to show patience, as difficulty afflicts us. And as we go through the difficult parts of our lives, the downs of our lives. And we asked our sponsor to remind us of the, the model of the Sahaba and the prophets of Salaam, as described in the Quran, and that we find strength through their patience and inspiration in their examples. I mean,
everybody for listening, and being such a good attentive audience, if there are any questions, you can ask them
or comments.
If you want
they can be one of two things, right? Oh, I was gonna say something silly. But you're asking the question. Oh, I was just saying it would means one of two things. If someone's not asking a question. Either everything is clear.
or nothing is clear. If he were like, this is go home.
So what are the people who don't get to difficulty
trials in their life and they just have
one of them
for sister's benefit.
Can the sisters have a micro duel? Right?
Okay.
Fair enough.
Yeah, so that's a very good question. What if a person doesn't have like difficulties?
Well, my answer to that is, brother Do you have kids?
Okay.
So it was like, I don't have difficulties. I'm like, you don't have kids. That's why you don't have any difficulties.
Wait.
So it's different, right? Like it's different for different people. Right? They've lost Papa has given us that situation. But having a little more reasonable time combo, right? That doesn't mean that love doesn't love you. Right? That is a reason for us to be extremely thankful to last. Right?
And the Prophet told us that subtle lawhon Alpha when our alpha asked Allah for good health, and good circumstances, right? So we're supposed to ask Allah, Allah give us good health. Good circumstances don't say Oh, show me some love.
Management, right? So we're not supposed to ask for that. So if if that isn't situation, what happened? It's amazing, right? We're talking about Arjuna, Fidelio, Hassan, Hassan,
he was, give us the best in this life, and the best in the next slide and save us from the fire of hope. So if that is given 100 that's an amazing situation.
But like Allah says, The tests could come at any time. And they will come in different different ways. And allow them I think the biggest has are like just kids, right? People who don't have kids, like they would give anything to have a child.
The people who have kids,
they were like this Take my child for like, one night. But my parents were going away for vacation. Right? So they have no kids. And they're all like, you know, Mashallah very interesting. So they help out a lot my parents, right? So my cousin was like, Oh, you know, you guys need any help? Let us know. I was like, Yeah, come by night and scratch my daughter. She has examined right. That's really good.
So it also had a lot, we all have difficulties to go through, right.
And sometimes, it comes in ways we didn't expect. And so if we are in a situation of having a notice with Angola, we asked her to make it easy when we do the test.
That
she's have
sisters. Mashallah.
Oh, they very nice question.
Can you please clarify what you mean by one only has guidance, if they are patient, during difficulty is being guided different than
different to being a believer? I didn't quite
grasp this point. Okay. So if a person says that, you know, a lot for those who are Muslim, right, they mean it. And then they could be like a terrible person, but they still have their Islam, right. And a person could be praying on and off, whatever, like, everybody has different levels. So that is,
anybody who does Who says that?
Right? That's it. And that's the end of it. That's how you become a believer. But how do you act like a believer? Right, the attaining of the idea of attaining guidance that we are asking a lot again, and again for a sort of outcome? What is that behavior that reflects guidance, that will give me a believer and not act like a believer? Okay, that doesn't disqualify you from you were still asleep, but you're not acting like it, you have to appear you Wait, what is that place where a person can get, and now they are in the realm of I'm acting like a believer needs to act like an acting according to the guidance. That is what the IRS is trying
to do. They are the ones who are guided the way they are preserved the way they hold themselves back in the moments of difficulty, right? That is what I was referring to students who have that's not fair, because you can follow up some some way.
Or you can ask me afterwards, either way, but that's the idea. You can be a believer, not acting like a believer. Right. But the ideal behavior is as described.
Gosh, I have a great question.
Are you talking about reading aloud or even just just the interpretations?
Oh, great. Great. Yeah. So a great question, right. The question is, what sources Do we need to kind of find, you know, solace, you know,
All right.
So I would recommend, right and the Prophet system also has narrations around this that we read a makan era schools, right that are have stories of the prophets, but then also number 12 to the use of surah number 11 Surah
Surah number
14, which is has a story of Abraham but isn't a sort of 15 sort of painter has stories of potential profits. And you know that you can, you can spot it pretty easily right, you can read like all of them, that's great to convalesce. But this part of the Quran, which is filled with stories of prophet SAW number seven sort of era
has a lot of very, very powerful examples of how the prophets went through difficult situations and how they managed to get through it right. And
I will recommend that a person reads that. And you know, a translation is very good, you can just get a lot out of a translation. So a translation will, will help. If you can find some lectures on it, that's even better.
Doing the ultimate course this weekend.
Tell us what you will cover in that course. Because it actually relates to the content. Part of the
benefits. Yeah, absolutely. So one of the things
we talked about in the course, and spent quite a bit of time on is what was the message of the prophet in Moscow, right, and the message of the prophet in Moscow was the one that is really pertinent to us, in our, in the foundations of our religion, in improving our character in getting guidance from the examples of the prophets. So one of the characters, one of the pieces of the puzzle around the one of the the main themes of Malcolm X revelation is stories of the prophets history that the Quran presents, right, to make us understand the present. So that is something that is very important. In the course, we go through like one of the sutras as a case study, not the
entire scope isn't up there for a long time. But, you know, portion of portions of it just to show how a lost partner mentions the stories of the prophets, and how we learned stuff from that. Right. So we talked about that in the force.
Come out and check it out. There's
no more questions.
Oh, great.
Brothers, you can ask, ask away.
Don't be shy.
Is it wrong to feel?
Very deep question.
Is it wrong to feel that we do not deserve to be tested with such a test? Okay. And the sister, right, a couple examples that, for example, a person has one child and then Allah takes that child away. So we feel that that shouldn't happen to us. Right? or daughters or sons in law. We're not treating our children as they should be, as parents can't accept that your children are mistreated. Right? So that's a very difficult test, right? That's a very, very difficult test where you see
losing a child, like you mentioned already just as hard as it gets, right. And then
having seeing your children going through like this
difficult situations where you can't do anything like, I have a daughter, she's five years old. Right? So, you know, sometimes like,
I don't think it was a, some kid was picking on her, right?
So, so Pamela, my wife's telling me about it, right? Like, who's the child?
What are you gonna do to the kid? I'm like, I'm not doing anything with this. There's like a fatherly instinct that comes up. And
of course, I didn't do any of that I do not condone any violence, right.
But you know, that instinct is there, you want to protect your kids, right? Just like your first reaction
to a situation where it's a person that we have married, and they are not treating them very well, is all as bad as more as difficult as it gets. So we shouldn't feel that. We don't deserve that. Right? That's the that.
That way of looking at things,
is saying that Allah or implying that Allah has been unjust to us. Right? If you think about it deeply, I don't deserve this. I don't deserve this to be happening to me. It's something that a lot smarter has put us in, that kind of is saying, the last one that was wrong and putting me in the situation? Isn't that what it's kind of implying? So we shouldn't necessarily feel that way. And we shouldn't, you know, we shouldn't beat up ourselves on Oh, why did we let them marry this person, we could have stopped that from happening that could have put an end to the situation, right, those things like the Prophet said, low the word low, if I had done this, you know, it opens up the door
for the for the shape on to enter. Or you can change the past, it's already done. Right. And just think that this is something I don't deserve this to happen to me. We shouldn't feel though,
that shows a really hurt and that's fine to be hurt. But it's okay to be hurt by situation. What I think we should rather look for is lots of drop, right? There are for our own hearts. And there are for the situation that we find our kids to be in or whatever situation we find ourselves to be in. And then again, understanding that this is, you know, Allah, Allah is doing this, he has a plan behind it. He is, you know, raising our level agenda. He's going to bring us something good from it, that understanding is there. Now, by the way, if there is actual harm or abuse against his son in law is abusing a person's daughter, right? Or vice versa? Or mostly as the, the husband would be
like, you know, harming physically or emotionally the girl, then the parents have all the right to step in and say this marriage should end. Right? Well, this should they don't like that part. We don't just like forgive and overlook, it's okay. Right? If it is abuse or any harm, we do not turn a blind eye to that. Right? If it is annoyances, if it's this annoying habits, right, that's a different, that's a different situation. But any type of harm or hurt, that is not something to just say, inshallah, Allah will forgive Allah testing us, because the Prophet said, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, there is no harm that's lasting, that can be accepted at all. Right, that has situation has
to end at a certain point, and steps have to be taken to ended. Right? So whatever the situation, the specifics, obviously, I don't have, we don't, that's not the scope of the discussion, either. But summarize, we shouldn't feel like we don't deserve this. Other sponsors put us through that. He is doing this with a plan. Okay. And there is something good that will come out of it. He's raising the levels of gender. And number two, there's actual harm involved, there is not just don't just turn a blind eye to that. We will actually try to resolve the situation. But I'll give you an example. That'll just happen. Australia.
Australia, communities pretty good. You guys are like, all like halaal out, everything is highlighted with Allah. Right? So but in Canada, we're not too bad either. But not nowhere near us. So what's interesting is that there was like, there's some attacks at moss, right. So I'm part of this council, the Imams, and they're like discussing this thing. And some of the emails are like, Oh, we should just forgive them.
And then the senior pastor said, No, because we have to, you know, we have to get justice. We have to, you know, press charges. We have to go after the people who attack the most, not because we want to ruin their lives, but because we want to set a precedence for this to stop this from happening again.
When there is harm, we have to stop that harm from happening. Because if it happens again,
we're doubling didn't do anything the first time it happened. So
when it comes to actual harm, they will just turn a blind eye and be like, May Allah forgive that person. May Allah guide them. No, no, we take that steps to stop that. But we all want anything in our heart, like, that person is totally blocked from their guidance, but justice has to be served, the harm has to stop. so important that those two things are not like confused below one.
obvious
that means
is how you sharing it
lays the tone. Right? So like, there's no there's no problem and sharing.
Oh, sisters, his sisters, the question was, what does it mean to be rich? How if I tell people what I'm going through? Is that me being non patient as an example? And the answer is it depends on the way a person is talking about it. Right? So as an example to legal my personal situation, I have kids that haven't seen metal, Viet when they have, but a child has bellisima and they're young. They're up the whole night, basically, right? They're just scratching and crying and, you know, tossing and turning. So what ends up happening is
me and my wife, we're just overwhelmed by the situation, right? We're just like, the psycho pressure cooker is like, you know, someone's like, pressing down on us dominance robot to like, just like burst. But sharing that experience with others, right, like we talked about to our friends about it.
That, like just it was this calming influence.
That really helps. And this jacobellis, I would say in the school bus he was in a lot, I complained to a lot about my sorrows. Right, so Darius well, and complaining endora to a lot, this is the Sisters of jacobellis, and I'm sharing with the people as well, in terms where you're not complaining, you're not saying this shouldn't have happened to me. But in nicer ways, that definitely is a big help. Right? So it's the lead. That's more important than what
a lot of places
a lot of places delivers through a trial and calamity to cleanse them and elevate their rank agenda. So what is the purpose of placing a non believer to the theme if their fate is known results? Okay, so
Well, yeah.
So firstly, and their fate is not known.
Nobody's nobody knows their fate. Nobody knows where they will be. Don't think brothers that you are going to be like, your ticket agenda to the agenda is booked and you just, you don't like waiting to get there. Right? sisters do likewise. Nobody is
nobody's placed in gender is field for us. Like in the knowledgeable everything's done. In the knowledgeable but all done. That's always the, you know, that's an understood fact. But in for us, from our point of view, from our vantage point, no one's paid to seal, we could end up one way or the other. So we have to be very careful. And we have to continue to ask Allah, Allah, again and again, for guidance, and for our hearts to be
for our hearts to not deviate the prophets. Also, one of the top glories of the Prophet right was Yahoo kalibo kulu COVID calvia dealing oh you Turner of hearts strengthen my heart on your religion. And and as an sanella, who narrated the hadith of Erica Dora, they were shocked at the level of times the Prophet is making this door and others said to the profit that we have believed in you, we have you know, like we're believers We're your Sahaba at the half war and either you're afraid for our even though of course, I'm afraid for you. That's that's what being a believer is like you're afraid for where a person will end up to constantly asking a lot for protection and and
steadfastness and also not you know, the idea of the opposite for the person who's not a believer, you don't know what what their end is going to be. You never know that. That is something that the last one only, that's point number one. Okay, now point number two is what about a disbeliever? Why is Allah testing them? Why is Allah sparkler putting them through difficulties well
The answer is an
answer number 32 surah.
Al says that
one of the unknown michelada
doodle activity
that for sure we will make them taste the smaller punishment or the lesser punishment before the greater punishment.
Not Alone your own. Hopefully they will turn back to all right, what's the smaller punishment? The smaller punishment is stuff that happens to us in our lives, the greater punishment is the author of, right. So the idea of these things happening to a person, it's meant to be a time for them to work to kind of wake up, right? And
take, take, take heed of the lines, how many people go through a situation where they're almost died, right. And that reminder of their mortality forces them to examine their life and their priorities and they come to the religion right how many people Muslims or non Muslims alike go through this. So that is what the purpose of it so that
perhaps they would return back and also all of us as well anybody who is kind of like drifting away from the religion, the tests of Allah, our mental reminders us and bring us give us opportunities and bring us back to the faithful long Why
is it time okay?
So over
the long how many countries