Heartwork – Surah Kahf #06

Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah everybody and welcome home. For the past few years, we've always started our programs with this statement and we mean it. Because community is a place that we all should call home. A place that gives us peace, a place that gives us tranquility, and a place that we know is going to be there. When Allah Spano Tala describes faith in the Quran, he mentioned stability as being a requirement for faith to grow, a slow, healthy habit will follow or half a summit, that its roots are firm, and its branches grow to the sky. If we don't have stability, if we don't have permanence, if we don't know that something is going to be there for us, then our faith

won't be able to grow. This is why when the Prophet SAW Selim came to Medina and made the migration, the Hijra with his companions, at that moment, when they arrived at their new permanent home, he said, the beautiful phrase of Shiv Sena spread peace, why, because peace can be attained now that we have a place that we can call home. For the past five years roots has been able to be a part of so many people's lives and hamdulillah by the Grace of Allah. And we're so honored to have that be a part of our legacy. But we've been doing it in temporary spaces. We've been doing it in hotel banquet halls and measured side rooms, in people's living rooms at home. And then temporary lease

spaces were when we were signing the lease, we knew that this was not going to be there forever. But that can change. By the favor of Allah with our foundational organization column, we've been able to find this beautiful property here in Carrollton, Texas, that will be the permanent location and facility for the roots community space, a place where everybody can feel that tranquility, and have that growth of faith that Allah Tada tells us about, we need your help. To close on this property. We need you to generously donate and contribute whatever you can, adding your name to this list of people that will help build and construct a permanent home. For us to build the model community

following the example the Prophet Muhammad SAW Salman Medina, help us make this dream a reality visit routes dfw.org/home. America was happy. But it was happening. You guys see where this is going? Allah turns out that produces for these individuals, a state of being that they are not aware of is happening. But if Allah said people came upon their cave and saw them, this would have been an added layer of protection for them.

The touch here behind this verse is really powerful, the different professors and they say, look at how a lot takes care of you, even in the most like very specific and nuanced ways. Right? Allah subhanaw taala could have done many different things. But in this manner, he did, he gave these individuals because why? Because they committed to Him, because they stayed committed to Him. Because despite the social pressure of whatever it was that their community was celebrating, and all of the different things that they were being pushed to do to leave their faith to abandon their morals and their virtues, they still make the right choice. And when push came to shove, when things

were getting really bad, they actually left. I mean, this is like the analogy of somebody that's working in the in corporate America and like they can kind of manage for so long that eventually it just gets too toxic for their faith. And they actually end up putting in their two weeks, and then deleting the next day right now. You just put in your two weeks. And why I mean, you know, no one wants to leave a job no one wants to leave stability. No one wants to leave their you know, paychecks, no one wants to leave that. But sometimes when you have to make that decision between your faith and between your prosperity, right, you have to think about what's more important, and

they made that decision. As a result of that Allah subhanaw taala gives them like miracle upon miracle upon miracle of protection for them. And this is one of them. And he mentioned this, he says that if you saw them, you would have just thought that they were awake, even though they were asleep. The next miracle is that he turned them over side by side. Why did he do this?

So they don't rot Very good. If not that set actually didn't have you he was describing why he said so that the Earth didn't consume their body. I mean, we're not talking about I know somebody who has think that your bed will consume you if you not so long, right? This is like hundreds of years right? So at some point, there is an element of just stagnation. Right? So Allah Tada caused the body to flip at regular intervals. Just like when you're cooking something right when you flip it regularly why? To make sure that everything is protected. So they were protected from the earth consuming them. That's the next miracle. Again, completely unaware. So a person has to ask

themselves and then sorry, the third one was that there was a dog. Okay, and I know that many of you are like a stuff that a lot. Why would there be a dog? Well, this dog is very interesting. First of all, Muslims don't believe that dogs themselves are haram right? I want to just clarify this. Like dogs are haram

right even pigs are not haram eating a pig is haram. Okay, using its skin for your for you know, again grotesque but you know, using products of pig is haram. Different elements of animals interactions can be impermissible, okay like praying with the dog saliva on your clothes is impermissible etc. But the actual like animal itself is not haram. Okay, just want to clarify this. The second thing is that dogs actually have very incredible personality. There's a scholar that actually wrote a book, called I believe I forget the name and Arabic was something like Fidelity, the Keylab Isla cathedra dad's or something. He basically said, like the virtues of God's over

people worshippers, and he described how dogs are better to their masters than we are to Allah.

He said, like every time you go help you come home to your dog. The dog is excited whether or not you were gone for two minutes, or two days or two weeks, if you leave, and then come back the dogs at the door, wagging its tail. And then he said, How about the servant? Here's the plan, why isn't he excited? It's time to meet Allah and the servants

are praying and they're gonna be my master again. So he's looking at the dogs better than you, right? And he writes this, the dog is obedient. You tell the dog to go that way. It'll listen to you. The dog doesn't sit there and say, Wait, explain to me logically, why after

you tell them to go and the dog trust you. Right? He says, Where's our trust in Allah? So he wrote this book. So the point I'm trying to make, I'm not trying to everyone's gonna go to a shelter now after this class.

That's not what I'm what I'm advocating. What I'm saying is that the animal itself is not evil, right. In fact, there's a lot of virtue to these animals. pedalers you're all creatures of Allah. So this dog in particular is a very interesting, we look at the Tafseer you find some things that were very profound about this dog. The story behind this dog is that if you remember, these guys didn't leave with a dog. They left the city by themselves. They went to go find refuge and Sanctuary by themselves. So they go and they leave. And on the way, there's a dog that shows up just in the desert. I don't know if you guys have ever been to countries where you'll just find stray animals.

So you're walking and there's a dog that just, you know, shows up. Now this dog, you don't adopt it, but it adopts you. Okay, so this is what happened. They're walking in this dog comes and the dog the Tafseer says that the dog basically just took these guys. He's like, on your on your new pet now. So I'm like them.

And the guys were like, no, no, like, we don't want you. Like, we don't want you. Okay, why? Because obviously, what are they in the middle of? What are these young men doing?

They're running away. Like, you don't want to have any baggage, you don't want to have any sort of anything that's going to

get you in trouble. You don't want to have anything that's gonna get you caught. So they're like, go away, shoo, shoo, right to try and get the dog away and the dog doesn't listen, the dog stays with them. Okay? And then eventually, they just kind of acquiesced. Alright, the dogs not listening, let's just go. So dog comes with them, and then had a lot

in the tafsir.

I believe it did not. That's one of the great students from the poverty they described as and they said that the dog actually, Allah caused him to speak to these people, when they were like, sort of like reluctantly taking it in. The dog said that I am. I am a worshipper of God. And I am the one who loves those who are close to God. That's why I'm not leaving you alone. Because you're close to God, like you made a decision for the sake of Allah and I'm staying with you now.

And then they ended up taking this dog obviously, you can't say no to a talking dog.

So they take this dog and they go with and then Allah describes this dog in the Quran. And the scholars say that this dog was also a function of what of their protection. So there's so many layers here. The first layer is when Allah has promised to otter causes their eyes to stay open. And he causes them to be presented in a state that makes them seem to be awake. It protects them and they are unaware. The next is that Allah Allah causes their bodies to turn left and right to protect their bodies as well. So the scholars say, look at your own life, and realize that the SUTA began with what Alhamdulillah all praises for Allah, every single thing that I can think of is for Allah.

But guess what, not just that even the things that I can't think of Therefore Allah, even the things that I don't recognize, because you have to admit there are things that you just simply don't recognize that Allah has taken care of you with. You come to realize them at some point later, right? You come to realize them at some point, some other times how long and only what Allah temporarily

temporarily just suspend that blessing for a millisecond. Do you become aware of its vital existence in your life? You know, it could be some sort of health issue that you've never heard of before. And now you are the patient. And you're like, what? I've never had this problem. I've never had this issue I've never had breathing or this or skin or whatever. And now guess what, you are the one you're Googling every night. Allah takes away one thing from you. And now you're just spending your entire existence is defined by what? By remedying that one thing. So what was it before? It was ALLAH Tada protecting you in the moment you were unaware. So the scholars say just like these

individuals, when they committed to Allah, Allah protected them. When we commit to Allah, we have layers of protection that we can't even recognize layers of protection. I mean, there could be in your life, many different things that are attacking different elements of your life. And you don't even know but there might be somebody that's protecting you and you have no clue but Allah has put that person there, you're talking dog. Right? Maybe there's somebody at work that's just attacking you left and right. But there's like that one supervisor that just won't let it go. They protect you for that, for whatever reason. They have an attachment to you. All right, someone copy? Oh, maybe

Yeah, okay. Okay, I thought you will listen.

Maybe there's, there's some things had a lot, right that you have. And again, it's not the job is not necessarily to become a detective and go and try to discover all these things. Because the reality is we're into your dunya I'm at the LA electro SUTA. The Quran says very clearly, if you try to count even one blessing of Allah, you won't be able to do it. So it's not about trying to go and create an inventory right? Write down a list. Oh, yeah. Wow, look at all these things. What it's about is this number one, trusting that it's there. And realizing that you are not the source of all the good in your life. Very often, we think that you know what, I'm successful because of myself,

but a person who understands this image of these men being taken care of for 300 years, this person very quickly now starts to say, You know what, oh my god, what is Allah doing for me every day? Like, how was ALLAH taking care of me every single day? Number one, number two is that when you do come across it when Allah does give you the blessing of being able to perceive these moments, you have to instantly turn into gratitude with Allah Tronto what is gratitude? Will Allah gratitude as was defined by soft piano 30 and some others, they said, This is the best definition of gratitude is found that I heard I read it today. I thought it was profound. They say gratitude is when you become

so humble in front of Allah. What does that mean? You guys don't want me to become humble for Allah.

You're so grateful that you just become humble. What does that mean?

You become bro, what does that mean?

You've asked for anything. But what if what if, at that moment of realization, you become so humbled? What does that mean?

You guys ever had this moment? Yeah.

Okay, number one is you don't show off. Okay. But even before that, what does it mean to feel that humility?

What's the what's, you know, it's so powerful to follow this statement. When you feel this way, yes.

suddenly feel like your smallness. How just how small, you are a little control you have over anything in your life. Everything is some Gods realize that you don't hold any power at all. Very good. Getting very there's one word I want us all to remember. You're getting so close. She said. Are you from New Jersey? Okay, it's small. So okay.

Sorry. So did you feel small and you realize that you have no power before I love it. And I thought that said, if any of you have trouble making your art, he said, this is actually the key. The key is you have to realize you have no power. And to realize you have no power. The word I want us all to remember is you realize how undeserving you are. Like how absolutely not not in the self deprecating way. Not like you're like, Oh, why me and you just start throwing all your belongings on the street? I'm undeserving, right No, no, because I'm hanging out with you up because Allah says that if you've been given a blessing from Allah than proclaim It's okay. Right? But he that he just said yes. To

Allah, Allah says, and in that way you should celebrate so good things are not bad, right? Good. Things are good. So long as a person never feels like yeah, you know what, I deserve this.

I deserve this because what's the next step? The next step is as soon as that blessing a suspect.

added or changed, you're not exactly how you want it, then you say, what's wrong? Why don't love doing this? And then it turns from I deserve this to questioning. Why isn't he hitting me this

I mean, I'm I'm perfect I'm you know, I do this I do that, then it starts to turn into this che phonic kind of personality. Because what is shaitan? Feel Shavon in that moment when Allah commanded him to bow Shavon was confused spiritually, not intellectually, right? He was confused spiritually. Why? Because he felt as if he had earned his status with a lot. There's a great worshiper, he was with the angels. He wasn't an angel, he was with the angels despite not being one of them. Imagine, right? He's like a human, he's a jinn, he's basically from the realm of human beings, genuine interest. He was so devoted in his worship of Allah, that he elevated to the ranks of the angels.

But then when Allah commands him to do something that went against what he wanted to do, it went from being Yes, Allah to hold on, wait a second.

So you're on a very thin line. So that undeserved kind of feeling that Oh, Allah, you give me so much, and I don't deserve any of it. Like, I sin, and you still give me? Right, there's a story is Pamela that?

That I was I was, I was listening to one of the one of our contemporary scholars, you know, in America, Dr. Ahmad, he was describing, so that when he was a student at his university, so they used to go and like, have meals together in the park and, and whatnot. And he said that there was this woman who was with them, who was a proclaimed atheist. Okay, she was a mother, and she had a child that she would engage in their conversation, because she was like, I don't believe in God. And then she said that he said that in the story that, you know, one day, they're all sitting there, they're talking and

her son who's like if your toddler starts to wander off,

and he starts to wander towards the edge of the park, and eventually he gets to the main road. And this is Chicago. So this is like a big street. And then he starts walking in the road, and there's a car that's coming, and it's going super fast, like speeding throughout the corner. And in that moment, this doctor are saying the story said, in that moment,

everyone in the group realized there was nothing we could do.

Because the kid is, you know, 200 yards away. And we're sitting here like, no one's fast enough. Our voices don't matter. Everything is just helpless. Right? We said that. You just need to realize that you're helpless.

And what did the woman who thought she was atheist screen?

Oh, my God. Which is what? Yeah.

I mean, you translate Oh, my God to Arabic. Yeah, don't be. Oh, my God. And Dr. Omar said of the law, he the minute those words electric tongue, the carpeting screeching to a stop.

And the key was like

not knowing anything. So there's so many layers, right? Number one is that everyone thinks that they don't need a bottle, they need a lot. Everyone thinks that they're fine until they're not. Number two is that kid has no idea. The reward or the fruit of what he benefited from. Right? The prayer of the group at that moment was for a lot to save that child, the child leaves, you know, knowing nothing.

These are the moments that people realize that you know what, if I don't keep myself in check, I can really ruin this good thing that I have with Allah. So number one, Allah take care of them. Number two, Allah to Allah took care of knowing the more nuanced way, turning them over number three, and they don't know. And number three, this dog comes with them. How many times do we repel something from us and push it away and ends up being exactly what we need? It ends up being good for us. We push it away thinking like no no, I don't want this. I don't want this. But it ends up being exactly what they you don't want to go somewhere. And you want to go to this event? No, I don't want to go.

Are you sure? Just come there's food? No, no, it's gonna be Costco pizza.

All right, we're figuring things out. All right, do a little side job. I don't want to I don't want to go and then you go there and you meet someone.

And that person is able to get you an interview. It's like LinkedIn, but real life.

And then how that becomes maybe a pathway to a career that you never thought or you meet someone and that person becomes somebody that you're proposing to for marriage or you meet someone and that person becomes a friend in a new city that you didn't have friends in before. And it all started with what I don't want to go that's not for me. Right? I'm not on my roof but

I don't want to go so it's not for me. So many things. So many things Allah Tala puts in our

have in our destiny. And we foolishly foolishly act as if we know what's up.

Like very confidently. Right? It's so interesting. It's like when I make a sandwich for Musa and I know he's gonna like it, but there's a new ingredient. So he's skeptical. Like most of you want to try the sandwich, he's like, what is it?

So I asked him, I've been doing this recently with him like, do you think Bob would ever give me something bad?

He's like, No, I'm like, Okay, so just eat it. He's like, Well, what is it?

And we laugh, but again, we have this in us. We have that childish logic enough sometimes when it comes to a lot. Right? And I give it to him. He's like, this is great. I love this. And he gives me like, the thumbs up is if I you know, is if you're gonna eat this, regardless, when it comes down to your body, okay? I'm gonna blend it. We're gonna do whatever got you through a straw. You know, whatever I gotta do. Point being is that that sort of distrust talent. It's if I didn't, if I didn't know he was a five year old, it would hurt.

It would hurt like, it wouldn't be painful. Like you think that I don't care about you. You think that I don't think about what's best for you? Of course I do.

Right? Why would I That's why I asked myself that question. I'm like, You think bombas you know, emontx actually got sick the other day I was giving her medicine. She's screaming No. And I stopped and I said, Do you think Bob was ever going to do something that's gonna hurt you? Or do you think Bob was gonna take care of you?

And she that actually like got through to her Stoneleigh. Right? We have to think about like, that was a lot. Something is going and it's not congruent exactly with how we want to go. We have to pause and say Do I really think that Allah would ever do this to me to cause me pain?

Allah Tala said this is the focus of what to have one lady that such a man when Dhaka bootcamp Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah is not bad in you, nor is he displeased with you, all of it. And what was the Prophet Solomon going through at that time, he was going through the initial stages of the most difficult phase of his life when he was going to be boycotted by his own community. And Allah was reminding him that on the cusp of this difficulty, you need to know that this has nothing to do with me being upset. This is what you need. You're going through this to prepare you most artists around now my son Musa peace be upon him right the Prophet, the one of my sons named after Musa those

through those difficult in his life. Do you guys understand? He was born

as a baby with a death sentence.

I'm sorry for the kids here. My dad. Yeah. He was born for the town had an edict had a proclamation that young boys will be, you know, I don't want to other kids come down. Well, they're not right. Young boys will be taken care of. Okay. put to sleep.

Put down. Yeah, young boys we put down every other year, every other year. His brother had a little was born in which year, the year where you're good. When it was loose. I said, I'm born in the year when you're going to be put down.

It started before he was even his test started before he was even born.

And then he's born and what's the first thing he has to do?

Riding a basket down a river?

Are you serious?

He was in this room can't swim.

You're putting an infant child in a basket. down a river. Okay, you trust Allah? Where does he end up?

At the house of the foot out? Who wants to put them down?

That's where Allah took him.

Right? And then it was just the heart of the wife was like he's really cute.

Can we keep him when you take care of them?

And then they have to find someone to nurse them. So they go into the village and they look which which of the women are nursing? Oh, this one is she looks like she just gave birth. Right. poplars she did to that baby.

And the mother and child are reunited.

Did that really have to happen?

Like do you think about that sometimes like oh, why?

Why the loop? You know? Taking three right turns to demonstrate to you who's in control

to demonstrate who's in control.

Right. Could it happen any which way to demonstrate who's in control? Okay, so this dog the blessing that they were so insistent was so annoying, get away from us, says I'm with you because you are the beloved of Omar. And that's my that's my dog says My life's mission is to be with those who Allah loves. So I'm with you. You know, I'm yours now. Okay, and so

Allah that says the next is that we awaken them. We awaken them so that they might question one another. And one of them said, How long have we been asleep? Right? So the one person says, oh, maybe a day, or like maybe just about a day or more, the best night, Yeoman obado, like maybe one day or maybe like a portion of a day.

Now,

the other one looks at him. And he says, but I'll go out and then we'll be mad at the system. So

February, I flew, I hadn't gone. We went up to him. How did he even begin? I'm sorry that he says.

Yeah, so he just wrote a book from Erina movie, Matt Lindstrom says that Allah knows, I think Allah knows better, how long you've been asleep. Okay, why did he say this? The steps here explains it says that these people there were other signs of aging on them. So I mentioned like they have longer hair, and they have facial hair, etc. Okay, so there were signs that it wasn't a day. The reason why the guy thought it was a day was because they went to sleep during one time they woke up and it was, you know, because they were falling asleep during jetlag. And he went to sleep, he woke up and it was like, the next day and you're like, I just missed a whole day. Right? So this is kind of what

happened to the first guy, the second guy looks at him and he goes, you grew a full beard in one day. Your hair got this long and a part of a day, like kind of what are you talking about? It's so obvious that your opinions incorrect. But he doesn't say that. He doesn't say like, use your brain, man. What just happened was not normal. What does he say to him? He says local animal denialists says Allah knows better how long your state has been?

This, a lot of us might read that and just kind of go over and say, Okay, interesting. All right, interesting. But the multiplicity in this circle, this may say, You know what, this is an example of, if you guys ever been having a conversation with somebody, and a person suggests a suggestion in the conversation, that is so wrong, you can't believe it.

You're like, Wait a minute. Are you serious? That's what happened here. Now, what do people like to do in that scenario? You're sitting with a bunch of people, and somebody says, for example, like LeBron is better than Michael Jordan. And you're like, Okay, right. Ignore the fact that kids 11. Right.

What do people like to do when somebody props up that opinion? That is like, so objectively incorrect.

Or they do start roasting? Right? They Sorry, there we go. And then everyone starts going in, you know what I mean? And it gets really, as we say, get super ignorant really fast. Right? People start to or they're just kind of like, maybe there's petty sort of like, you serious people start rolling their eyes. People like, Wait, say it again. Say it again, though. Somebody say it again. Say it again. Right? And the person what happens to the person who said that?

There's a phrase in order to Motoko, you're right. The face is small. Right? The face is small, which means what they start to shrink, like, literally, their face is representative of their soul, they start to shrink into themselves, you start to crumble.

And even if they believe what they said, Now, they regret ever saying it. Right. So what is what is necessary in those moments? Palla is good character. T the thing about Muslims is that good character is never on suspension. Like we never like suspend having good manners.

It's a big Islam is built upon this idea that good manners are as critical to existence as breathing. Because a person without good manners is not improving the quality of life of anybody around them. And so you're better off there's when the Prophet saw Sam said, what? Montana you'll be learning with Yeoman after failure can fail. Oh, yes, man, you're better off being quiet. If you can't say anything nice.

And being quiet is Ted is almost the same as just being invisible. The Prophet says is basically saying if you can't say something nice, just disappear into the wall, sit on this couch.

Over here work. That's what he's saying. Right? If you can't say something nice to sit here and wear something that looks just like this and just sit back and roll your eyes and disappear. Right because good character is what defines you is what defines you. You know, the Prophet SAW said a mecca. There were a lot of people in Mecca who did not believe what he said. They did not believe in Allah. They did not believe in Allah the way that Islam teaches. They did not believe in the Quran. They did not believe that he was a prophet. Is that true? True or False? True False. A lot of people in the early stages do not believe he was a prophet, yes or no?

True. They don't they didn't. He was a prophet. Did they ever criticize his character?

I can't find a single narration. I will juggle being like

what he's saying kind of makes sense as don't like, you can't find it. Can you imagine? Now how many narrations would there be about us? If they interview all our family and friends?

It's true. And may Allah forgive us

about the passive aggressive, he's kind of this he's kind of that judgmental isn't that we all have allegations, may Allah forgive us? May Allah cause people to forgive us to because we need it right all of us. I want you to understand how to walk that even in this moment, when this person, this young, pious guy, they all just ran away together. They're all dedicated to Allah, one of the friends suggests something that's clearly wrong. They could have just slammed dumped on the student in a very high stress situation, what does he say? Instead of saying you are the most unintelligent person I've ever met in my life, and there's only eight of us here in this cave.

He said to him.

Maybe, but I think Allah knows best how long we've been here.

90. It's like when someone says me wrong, and you know what's wrong? And you just say, really?

I've never heard that before. Because you're wrong, right?

But you don't see that part.

That's the first time I heard that. I kind of look into that. Because our faith teaches us that even when a person is incorrect, you still have to take the high road.

Right? What's the Hadith of the Prophet SAW said I promised a mansion in the middle of paradise for the person who gives up disputes argumentation, even when the right you know you're right.

How can you say that this person may not be totally correct without making them feel as if they don't want to be there.

Rob buco

knows best how long we've been here. But it'll maybe come out soon. Okay, and then Subhanallah what happens next? He says so send one of you with the silver coins of yours to the city. Send one of you with these coins. They got some cash. They got coins? You aren't how amazing scholars with OCR. Would you guys think of anything profound from that ever?

Well, what's profound about that that they have coins? Let me show you what tafsir does. Mind blown. You ready for this?

How many of you have ever been to let go of shame before just trusting

you're like trying to make plans make moves and someone just says where's your trust?

You the other rather

than happy going to people

crying and

it happens people use that they will shame you. Like where's your trusted Allah? You're like, I have to feed my family. Oh now Allah feed your family brother like I know that. But I'm in the chain of bat right so like Allah gives me the rest of FIFA. Right? You know what the sorry to see your Savior. What were they doing again? They were what?

They were running away from persecution. The scholar human they circled as Allah mentioned that they have coins.

I mean, if they were really that pious don't they just believe that Allah would provide for them? And that they wouldn't have to take any why would they take money with them? What's the point? Really, you're gonna take money you're running away. Your currency may not even be good anymore.

The Scholars say this shows that Allah allows and appreciates when people trust in him but they still take the means use it to retire Campbell and men trust in Allah right a lot of people try to flex spiritually by not tying their candle that will happen and then came the rest of the profits also love to stand alongside profits also so did you tire panelist who I trust

I trust candlelit walking away

sweating

profits clean

Okay, that's fine offices don't not trust our love it either and Metro

tire Tamil and Metro follow the two things don't contradict. So these guys taking some money with them when they were leaving.

A person might end their extremism say like, what kind of were they really that devoted to a lot of things believe that fancy caps? Yeah, because they were tying their candle. Right? We all have to take the means at some point. So he says go and find which food is purest. Let them go and find which food is purest, and then bring permissions from it. The pure food thing is a very powerful moment. We don't have a lot of time for it, but we're gonna dive in for a little bit. Okay.

Allah here mentions that in this

Conversation, despite the fact that they had no idea how long they've been there, they had no idea what the situation was on the outside. They had no clue that in their search for what they needed, there was one condition and that was it was pure as catatonic that it was probably the purest form of food. Why do you guys think that's important?

Does it even matter? What do you think it means? There was no food back then. So what

are they gonna do?

Even when they were in, like such a unknown situation, they like stick to their core

sign of true principle is that even when you don't know exactly what the outcome is going to be, you don't start shedding your principles. Right? So as Muslims, we have a very interesting principle and that is that we only eat certain things. We have dietary restrictions. We have dietary restrictions, right? Yes or no? Okay. Are we all together? We have restrictions, okay. We cannot eat certain things. Right? Those things are concerning to us. And a lot of times people say, Well, you know, a little bit too much and just, you know, no, there are certain elements of being a Muslim that definitely are small in terms of just like the size of it, but are massive in terms of the

implications that even the Prophet SAW son, he says that there is a man that will come and he will be dusty and disheveled and he will have all the signs of neediness on him. Some scholars even say that this person was a he was a pilgrim, to Allah's House says that His clothes are dirty, his hair is dusty, just other need. If you look at it, you're like you need you need help. And this person calls out to Allah and is begging.

And then the Prophet says to them, talk to us, he says, but this person is food is haram. His clothes are haram. His provisions in livelihood are haram. So then the Prophet SAW said upset, how does he expect to be answered? See, we don't believe that like the whole food thing. To stop that food. We believe that there are certain barriers to the blessings that we desperately need, that can be blocked by certain choices that we make. Right? We believe that we believe that there are certain actions that by doing them blessings come down, right?

For example, not food related. We believe that getting charity does what

purifies your wealth and does what increases your wealth we believe that the prophets hold on promises us manifest something that

your your charity will never decrease your bank account. Ever. This is a promise of the prophets.

Okay, we believe that praying Fetchit does certain things for us. It protects us in gymnastic protects us during that day. We believe that reading Quran brings baraka to our day blessings to our time, we believe that all of these things have real life implications. So when I disobey Allah and I eat something, and I consume something, and by the way, this isn't just I don't want us all to think about like bacon and pepperoni right now. Right? Email Zadie also said that part of consuming something which is haram is using money which was not lawful to buy your dinner

using money which was not lawful to buy your dinner I saw an article today about there's a glitch on DoorDash you guys these are

long guys like oh, yeah, I did like there's many routes tonight. Right? There's a glitch so what do they do? I just saw the headline I didn't read it but my assumption is there's some sort of thing where they can order and get the food for free or something right. Now everyone's like, people are sharing this. I saw on Twitter the tweet had like 11,000 shares I want to celebrate. Right but as a Muslim we see that we're like wait a minute. That's not permissible for me that's stolen.

And you could say well you owe the company and like you know we got front the man like

you can justify your you know, bad behavior anywhere you want. Right? I had a friend that did that actually had a friend that used to walk into a progress.

He's walking to a Kroger, the first thing you do is go and grab a doughnut to start eating.

I'm like, why 11 cents. Buy it for you and no, it's I'm making the point.

what point are you making these large companies make so much money one don't it's not going to matter. And that can

I have that kind of mental gymnastics to justify something is exactly the problem. Right?

Muslims are called to be people of high ethical standard.

You know, so much so that when you do business in certain parts of the Muslim world, after weighing your transaction, like you're buying a drive thru Avenue in Turkey last week, my wife to buy dried figs, or dried apricots, and she put up the guy put on the scale. And it was one of those old school scales, you know, like the, the Lady Liberty justice scale, whereas balancing,

he puts everything there, he weighs out what the price will be. And then he does what reaches in grabs another apricot and puts it on her side.

That one is now that was on the house. So why does he do that? He does this because it's part of the Muslim ethic to let the buyer know, I'm not messing with you.

I'm not messing with you. The Prophet saw someone was walking in the market one day, and he saw this person selling grain, and he stuck his hand into the grain. He just kind of like felt it. And then he put a finger into the grain and he felt that it was it was soggy. The top was dried, the bottom was soggy. And for those of you who are looking to like

cereal, no soggy grain is gonna go bad very soon.

The top of the barrel drive, you buy the whole barrel, you get home 90% of what you bought is already wrong. You only have a little bit left. So the profits awesome goes to the man and he says to him.

What are you doing? Do you know about this? And the guy looks a little ashamed. It's down to about 100.

And I'm not trying to if I gotta lose my product, and someone's gonna pay it, you know, I got to feed my family too. You know, we all got these justifications. Right? The prompt is awesome and responds with a phrase that gives me goosebumps. Manila, Shanna, at least.

Who ever deceive deceived us?

Did not. He's not from us.

Our people don't act like this. You're trying to see people.

You're not one of us. Now, he didn't say you're Catholic.

He said, This isn't how we act. This isn't how you behave. You know, sometimes your people in life will get upset with you and they'll yell or scream. And sometimes they'll just tell you, I'm disappointed. And the disappointment is way heavier than any anger. The Prophet saw some years saying like, I can't believe you're trying to pull this.

And that is so heavy SubhanAllah. So we become a people of honor and integrity in everything that we do. So obviously, ingredients matter who matters, all that matters. But when you're working, and you're at your job, and there's some there's some flexing about well, you know, I'm supposed to be working for a few hours about this device anytime I want to move across my screen so that my Microsoft Teams chat never goes on away mode. Right? I have this algorithm that I wrote, grab this script that I wrote that like makes me respond to messages but I'm napping. Look, all jokes aside, I know that COVID was rough. And people have to figure out how to fish map and know the day. Look.

It's Sunday. I understand, right? But you don't rob a bank and build the Masjid. Right.

I gotta go. No,

we don't do things that are impermissible for the sake of some other thing that's even recommended, right? Where people high ethical fiber, we really really care about the things that we do. And the dollars that we earn every last penny.

It's not worth it. I'm gonna do judgment. We're gonna be standard before I log in and say you really ate an 89 cent donor from Kroger.

And Mel, forgive us like if that's me. If that's me, and Lord knows as a kid, man. There was more than one of the few Snickers bars that did not pay for it right? Just as a kid, don't judge me.

Okay?

It's not worth it. It's not worth it. So Allah Tada. He tells us go and find the purest food and bring provisions from it. And he says, but be very cautious. Be very cautious. We know it's interesting the translation for cautious it's unfortunate because in Arabic

the Arabic word is what do you sign up for?

And looks in Arabic means gentleness doesn't mean cautiousness caution and everyday Fiat. Okay. It was

like he could have said those words. But he says will you?

Be gentle? Be gentle. Why is being gentle in the marketplace and advice that he's giving

you

has ever been in the marketplace before?

Anyone here anyone here take pride in being a really, really good hustler? And Barbara?

Yeah, you're like, I can make sales people cry.

Right? You just sit there, you buy a car, you just start tapping on the number.

Just tap over, like torture.

This is something's power law again, there's a certain element of culture of, you know, bargain, bargain, bargain, squeeze every penny, this and that.

But then there's the Islamic ethic.

You know, especially now, I want you all to think about this, especially now, when gas prices are crazy. Inflation is all time people are struggling. Is it really worth it? to bargain with the person who like, cut your lawn? For $5 it's actually happening to me today, I have a guy who's cutting our grass. And my friend was one of my friends, different friends was like, Macedonia, Frank.

Like how much and I was like this much. And he's like, Oh, you just you just accepted his first offer. And in my head, I was like, yeah,

it's five bucks.

I can, I don't go to Starbucks bad anyways, right? Like, I can skip something. I don't have to like squeezed and wring. Like, like a cloth, like squeeze every last penny out of this dude.

That's when you're falling off.

He's saying go to the market. Take your coins, buy something awesome. And don't be a jerk. Don't be a jerk.

Have good characters see how like, they're all reminding each other? And then he says, what? Well, you have a laptop. And he finishes. What are you sure you don't, that'd be cool I had. Because having good manners is the best way for you. Not to go unnoticed. To just kind of like cruise by no one's gonna suspect anything about you. Because remember, these guys are scared. They think that the towel is still what? out to get them. So he says go and get us food and come back. Don't make a scene. This is not the time to bargain. If you start bargaining, they're gonna start asking about you. If you start showing bad character, they're gonna remember you you never met him. You never

really remember people have good character, right? You always remember the people who like had outbursts. No one ever like is like, you know what I remember this one guy just boarded the plane and smiled and said thank you. We always remember the one person that screaming at the poor flight attendant or something, or the the person checking people into it. But you remember that person you don't have 150 other people interested thank you and walked in.

So when a person has an absence of good character, it sticks out. So they're saying to the one who's going

don't have a lapse. Why? Because if you do, you're gonna blow our cover some important good characters, right? For these guys, it was literally a matter of life and death. says what? In the home and your total Alikum you want to move on? Oh, your Eagle calm female, lead becomes paralyzed. If you get found out, they're going to stone you to death. Or worse. They're going to make you join their religion.

You know how like when we when we list out the punishments we wait for the worst one last. Were like they're gonna do this, this or even worse this. They said what you want to do moocow your YHOO con female letting him

What have you who you then

you will never be successful that

we're going to go ahead and pause here in sha Allah because we have not broken just a few minutes in sha Allah, I believe, a 38. So we're going to pause here I thought we were going to finish with the with this passage today. But we have a couple more points that we're going to go over in sha Allah. And next week we asked the last province audit to give us the beautiful character that we found in these verses tonight, basketball us from father to a lot of us to be able to have that gentleness and that kindness and that nuance that was discussed beautifully in his words. And then we asked electronics either to allow us to have that trust in Him to allow us to recognize that we are always

being cared for always being taken care of by him, even if we don't realize it that we know about hola todos. Always handling our affairs for us, we ask God to give us that certainty. And that European in our hearts that he is always there with us and me know. Any questions before we break? Yeah, we're talking about tying the camel. Yeah. So

it's an a situation where somebody really does not want to tie them like

you're in a car

to drive until they found their seatbelt. So like, just like yeah, so how do you deal if somebody really doesn't want to tie their camel? I think again, like

you know, all of these things have to be sort of assessed case by case but whether it's like a serious

concern to them and to you and other people, or whether it's a more negligible concern, right? If it's something like, you know, they don't want to like,

they don't want to put a, you know, a lid on their lemonade.

And you're like, I'm not gonna be friends with you anymore. Like, that's, you know, that though, you have to decide like, is it something very serious? So again, if it's something that's like, you know, carries significant weight as far as impact on the people that Yeah, absolutely, you need to, you know, assess whether or not you want to spend time with that person. And this message is, like most things, which is probably just, you know, the person who's basically tying, you know, leaving their shoelaces untied and tripping every day, then that's kind of is what it is. But if it's something more serious than absolutely, you have the right to decide how much time and at what

venues you want to spend with somebody, for sure. You know, but you you make those decisions. After having conversation.

Yeah, yes.

Yeah, so So one of those kinds of things, he said that this is the exact middle word of the Quran. And so obviously, when you look at something as a, when you look at it as like a structure from above, and some things in the middle, like the Keystone. So some scholars say that gentleness is the keystone of Islam,

like gentleness, because it's in the middle of the exact middle.

So yeah, there is significant. I mean, there's no Hadith necessarily, that's like highlighting it, of course. But the scholars do point that out. They said, this is

just

the beginning. You mentioned feeling.

Yeah,

you've got a job promotion that you're working in the marketing isn't that you recognize you're good. Okay. This is good. So the the question about feeling that you don't deserve something? And then like, What happens though, if you work really hard for something? And then you get it? Is it wrong to like, feel like, you know, what, I worked really hard for this. The answer is no, it's not wrong. However, the Muslim always understands that every opportunity would not be possible without Allah. That's what I mean by undeserving, deserving here, I needed the most literal sense, which is, I definitively absolutely deserve this.

The reality is, despite any hard work that you did, every resource you had to even do the work was given to you. Right? So in a way, you know, we all laugh at the millionaire that says that I'm like, self made. My general opinion, million dollars, you know, like, we all have this sort of like, the trust fund person that's like, you know, but in a way, we're kind of all that person when it comes to blessings from a lot. So some of us walked around the world saying, you know, what, I really am successful because of me.

And the others walk around saying, if Allah didn't give me eyes, and ears and health, and my family and my friends, and this, this, this isn't like the list goes on,

then there's no way that I would be in a position. And yes, I use those things to achieve by Allah's Father, what I have today. But the truth is still very blessed that if Allah even removed one thing from this massive thing of a blessing that I have, I may not be here today. So I'm grateful to Allah that He allowed me to achieve this. That's sort of the balance of it. The answer is you're absolutely allowed to feel a sense of accomplishment. But you can never forget about the pathway to get there. And who basically carved that out

your question?

Yeah. Anyone else? Last question? Yeah, sure.

Yeah, recognizing it was for that situation.

Situation is different. Yeah, you do that you get.

Oh, yeah, you're too nice. Yeah.

situation, if you are in a situation

what

can you mean to not be noticed?

So that was one of the reasons as to why they mentioned it. Another reason the scholars mentioned is that they said that you need to you need to maintain your character, no matter how stressed out you are. So one of the tips here said like, I know you're stressed, I know going out back into the city is scary. You think that the people are going to kill you. They're off to the draft to get you where you're at. Don't lose who you are. Right. So one of the Tafseer said yes, it was so that they don't get noticed because that's what the nurse follows with. But the other tips here says it was so

so that these people are reminded like don't lose who you were. Even if the moment is overwhelming. So love on the best. Okay

everybody as soon as