Stories of the Prophets #06

Stay with him the devil salatu salam ala Rasulillah he was early he was having huge rains, Salaam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Just wanted to start by saying, I'm not sure how the Nasir.

And usually it's not good etiquette for students to sit in the chair of their teacher, no matter you know, there's so many students here, mashallah at the seminary.

And we all know the etiquette that when the teachers chair is marked and reserved for their problem, it's not the chair of the student. And I asked them if I could sit in a different way, but they said because of the camera, I didn't. So please forgive the that the Shackleton officer was traveling this evening. And he asked me to try to do my best in sha Allah to fly in with some reflections. And the good news is that the Quran is powerful and so wonderful, that even if somebody like myself is reading it in sha Allah, we can still definitely find fit. So we ask Allah to audit so it was door for us. I mean,

tonight, tonight's topic, in the seems from the lives of the Prophet Salim Assam, is the topic of sacrifice. And this topic is really demonstrated by every prophet, every prophet hadn't given the task of sacrificing to show their devotion, Allah subhanaw taala. And to demonstrate as a role model as a guidance with the message of Islam or from from the revelation of Allah subhanaw taala. That our job is to demonstrate what it means to sacrifice so that those who follow them can follow in their footsteps. But perhaps there is no prophet that has a story that demonstrates time after time after time in the Quran, this sacrifice more than the story of Prophet Ibrahim is

the passage that we're going to be reading tonight in sha Allah shortly is from sorts of soft fat, which is the 37th chapter. And it begins at Iron number 83.

And what I want everyone to think about when they when we talk about some of these verts is, what sacrifices have you gone through? What sacrifice ultimately means to you? And what discoveries about yourself, have those sacrifices opened up for you? Because all too often it becomes the case that when we think about sacrifice, we think of it as being a waste of time, or something worthless or something difficult for the sake of difficulty. But as they say, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. And when we understand that Allah subhanaw taala is the one who ordains and the one who grants and the one who withholds and the one who Dustin's and the one who diverts, then we know

that every single moment that we experience has some meaning and some purpose. Ibrahim alayhi salam has three sections in this story of different sacrifices. And they are each unique, but they also can connect with each one of us. Allah subhanaw taala begins by saying I was a biller him in a shutdown regime, what in them and she it he let Ebrahim that Ibrahim is Salam was one of the individuals who fall away of Allah subhanaw taala. And all prophets, in the beginning, started in solitude alone. And this is something that I think a lot of us can relate to, is the feeling of isolation, or the feeling of being different kind of sticking out. This is from the prophetic traits

and characteristics. And so Allah subhanaw taala, he identifies this. Then he says, the Jehovah who called me and Salim, he came to his Lord with a peaceful heart. And here's the first sacrifice that they brought him I said, I'm had to make whenever somebody is in a state of purity, they don't want to go out and engage with the filth around them. Have you guys ever gotten the carwash before who the carwash yesterday,

or the day before, when you get your car washed, or when you clean your house, or when the last thing you want to do is invite any variable that could make that pure thing dirty. And so the safe response, the cautious response for most of us is that on the day that we finished cleaning our house, we're not cooking dinner, we're not having guests. We're all gonna go to sleep hungry. On the day that we clean our car, I'm not driving, I'm hoovering if it's raining, because I want to maintain the purity of the thing that I just cleaned.

But when it comes to Allah, and when it comes to the effect of Islam on the heart of a person, there is no option for a person to take the purity of their heart and go and run to the mountains in height. Otherwise all of the prophets would have done that. There's no option for people who believe in Allah to take this message and to try to escape into a distilled environment where they don't have to interact with people, you know, many people, they try to create enclaves or situations where they don't have to engage with the world around them, but this is not the methodology of our profits. They always are name is set on

engaged with society, they did not let it affect them. They maintained good company, they maintain their principles. They didn't ever waver on what they knew they had to do. But they never went and hid from the responsibilities that they had. And so he came to appointment to Allah with his pure heart.

And ultimately, he went to his father and his people is called on the OB, he will call me he met that taboo dude. He goes in, he asked his father and the people immediately surrounding his father because his father, according to the narrations was one of the leaders of the tribe. And he says, what is it that you worship, and this is another layer of sacrifice. Whenever Whenever we find the ability to give feedback or criticism, we oftentimes avoid the people that are closest to us. It's a little bit uncomfortable, to have to talk to your siblings, or your children, or your spouse or your parents. And really, it's also uncomfortable for all of those people to talk to us. Dealing with

correcting people, or giving feedback or teaching is always much easier when it's with strangers. I am not nervous at all right now talking in front of you. But if my mom, my dad, my brother, my sister, if I see my wife in the crowd, even my children, and they hear me talking about this perfect message, this perfect ideal, then all of a sudden, my heart rate goes up. Why? Because we are distinctly programmed to struggle when it comes to giving advice to those who are nearest to us. And this is why the prophets of Allah all began with those who were dearest to them. And so to Hatcher, Allah subhanaw taala he says, that, Oh, you who believe Save yourselves and your families from the

fire, he does not say save selves in your nations, save yourselves in your tribe, save yourselves in your society, save yourselves and your family. Why? Because ultimately, the thing that we're responsible for, is not my co workers, my classmates, my colleagues, but my family. Ibrahim, I said I'm instantly first goes to his father, and his people, the people surrounding and says, What do you worship?

And then he says, If can attend doing Elahi to retune? Do you have some desire to

worship instead or desire from these false gods as opposed to Allah subhanaw taala from as unknown bearable? Alameen. Then what then do you expect from Allah subhanho wa Taala This is another layer of sacrifice. Many of us, we expect from Allah, but we don't devote to Allah. We want from Allah but we don't give to Allah. We call upon Allah, but we don't listen to Allah. And that relationship is imbalanced. If a person distinctly and uniquely wants from only one Allah, their Creator, their Lord and sustainer, then they have to first make sure that they've purified all of their devotion, all of their effort, all of their intensity away from other than Allah subhanho wa taala. So he's calling

out now, his family, his close friends, his uncles and aunties, I want you to imagine like this is the the 100 on the Dawa crew that he's sitting down, he's speaking to them

for another, another attend fifth June. And then he looked up at the skies for color in the sub theme. And this is another sign Subhanallah of his purity of his heart, is that when he saw the situation that these people were immersed in, that they used to worship idols and look to the stars and look to the creation that said the Creator, it really bothered him to the point where he proclaims that he feels ill. You know, how many of us have had a lot when we see something, and this is the thing that Ramadan really recalibrates us with madonn Subhan Allah, it's the most generous guest. It brings gifts to the host it recalibrates us Ramadan recalibrates us to make us feel

illness at anything that takes us away from Allah, to the point where eating and drinking is normal. Eating and drinking is halal. But during the month of Ramadan during the daylight hours for those who are qualified, it becomes impermissible. So if you are sitting at home and you have your friends or family, and it's daytime and somebody goes and tries to take a bite of food, you literally feel sick. What's wrong with you, you get upset with them, you slap the food on their hand. Because why not because food is bad, but because Allah set down the parameter, that from this day to this day, from this time to this time, there is no eating or drinking during the time that the sun is out.

This is the sign of a calibration of the heart of a person if Allah can take something that we love, like food and drink, and for a specific time of the year, make eating and drinking which is normal to us which is beneficial, nutritious, if Allah can make that to us feel uncomfortable. Then what does that say about our

ality to calibrate our hearts towards him all the time. That when we see backbiting when we see lying when we see injustice, when we see a modesty when we see these things that are in their essence filthy no matter what time of year, we should respond by feeling this way. Many of us in Ramadan, we feel shy to watch certain things or listen to certain things, or even like certain things. I was walking in the hallway. And there was a I saw a young man on Instagram. And I just looked and I didn't mean to look but I looked and he looked at me. He goes, Oh, sorry.

So why did you apologize to me? I said, it's okay. He goes, No, I know I shouldn't be honest. So I'm Alon. And I thought to myself SubhanAllah. Like, as much as this person feels embarrassed. That is a beautiful display of Taqwa of the wrong person he shouldn't have tuck off of me. He should have talked about a lot but the point and if you're here, I'm just messing with you. But the point being, the point being is that should be that can be I should say that can be our state for things that we know are displeasing to Allah all the time. And so Ibrahim I said I'm when he engages with the belief system that is so off, that leads to such transgression and oppression. He says what in the

summertime, I feel sick, I feel sick. I've heard stories of people Subhanallah that accidentally drank, or they ate some food that was cooked with alcohol or accidentally without knowing from the perspective, if they didn't know they didn't know. Or with pork, they didn't know they didn't know. But they said verbatim that when I ate it, even though I thought that it was totally fine. I asked the waiter waitress, we asked the chef, no problem. They said nothing wrong with it. I felt in my stomach. Why? Because the heart of a believer it transcends everything. And it alerts us when we know that there's something wrong. If we keep the heart healthy May Allah Tala give healthy hearts.

And so to continue, because I don't want to take too much time. Ibrahim now goes to the second layer of his sacrifice, which is referenced by the Prophet sallallahu sallam. The Prophet I spoke to Solon taught us that when a believer sees something wrong, that it's his responsibility or her responsibility, federal a unit will be Eddie. It's their responsibility as much as they can to do what they can with their hand, which means that they have to engage with the wrong as much as they can. And so in this story, Ibrahim I said, I'm he goes to the gods that are being worshipped by his family, and by the people around them. And he goes to them, and he actually engages with them. And

he asks a lot, Kowloon? Why don't you eat because people would set out food in front of their gods, and says, Malcolm, lay on tekun, why don't you speak he's basically now challenging the belief system of these people. And then the story goes, that he went to them and he struck them, and he broke them with his own hands. When his people came back. We know that from the narration, his people came back, they were furious. They asked what happened, he hung the axe around the biggest one that he left there solitary. And he said, Well, what happened? Why don't you ask the one that has the axon, this neck? Maybe it can tell you. And then those people they came in, they internally

went inside and said, There's no way that that thing could have done all of this. We know what the real reality of the matter is. But Abraham, I said, I'm had to take that step. And many of us, we're very comfortable in the land of theory or speculation in verbalizing something, maybe sharing a post here or there. But how many of us are willing to actually take a step to do what's right or to say what's right in a moment, we're demanded to do so how many of us are actually willing to stand up and walk out of a room, when we know that something in that room is not is not is not appropriate for a Muslim to be present? How many of us we watch a movie, and we sit there embarrassed what's on

the screen, instead of getting up and leaving the theater altogether, because we don't want to be there when angels aren't there. Right, or listening to something and knowing that, if I'm here, I'm going to be in the presence of shelfie, not the angels. You know, the believer feels the courage to be able to get up and change the environment that they're in, whether it's by their hands, or whether it's by their feet, ie taking themselves out of the situation. And so Ibrahim is set up, he does this. Now when he does this, he is met with a big test. And that is that his people in Iowa number 97. They say that let's build a massive fire. Let's build a massive Blaze as a punishment as

an as an example. And we're going to launch him into this Blaze. And this story is told a few different times in different places. And the lesson here Subhanallah is this. When you do something for Allah, you're not always gonna get a party. I think sometimes we expect the celebration. You know, it's almost like a child. When a child does something good. It's good. But then sometimes they do something good. And they come to you and they expect a reward. Hey, I clean my room. You're like good job, and they're just hanging around awkwardly.

And you say, what do you need? They're like, I clean my room. And you're like good you're supposed to and they said there's another side to this. Where's my chocolate? Where's my president? Where's

My gift where's my this was my that the expectation shows that the sincerity was not there. And so when we sacrifice for Allah, one of the tests that's embedded in the sacrifice is that at the end of that sacrifice is another situation that demands more sacrifice,

almost to say, Okay, you pass the first round, you did your first set. Now what about the second one? And then after the second one, what about the third one, and eventually, you'll come to a point where you will have cleared off any confusion, any gray space, any sort of possibility, vague opening, that my sacrifice was not sincere, because Allah repeatedly put you in situations where you had to sacrifice over and over again. And so after doing all of this, after standing up to his people, after physically rebuking what they did, after, you know, basically out casting himself from the society he was in, he's now being thrown into ablaze. And the narration tells us and you've been

confused that when this happened, as he's launched into the air, it's a beautiful story. We don't have too much time. But as he's launched into the air, Allah subhanaw taala commands time to sit down. And since Angel Jibreel, he said, I'm to go and speak to him and Angel Jibreel comes and says, Do you have anything that you need, in the middle of the air as he's heading to the fire? Many of you have probably heard this before, but it's so powerful, Ibrahim, it said in response to Gibreel.

And he says, from you know, I'm okay. But from Allah, He is the one that I rely on, and he will always take care of me.

Again, in that moment of sacrifice, there will always be people around you even good intention that will ask you and they'll say, Are you sure? Do you really want to go this far? Do you really want to do this? And in that moment, to show to yourself and to Allah that really, it's not about anybody else. And this is what Ramadan gives us to show that it's not about anybody else. You might actually even have to go the length of what you may have never imagined would be difficult for you, in order to establish that pure claws in the heart of a person. May Allah Allah give us the strength to do so when the time calls upon it. But now, where's the reward? And this is where the story takes us to a

very beautiful place. Ibrahim alayhis salam, Allah Tada. He says that these people they plotted against him but Allah subhanaw taala ultimately made them from a saline that he made them from those people who are inferior, meaning that Ibrahim came out on top as we say in English, then he's as caught up. In Nisa, Hebron, Isla bisa Dini, now he says, I'm gonna go to my Lord, and He will guide me. I don't know how many of you in this room have ever felt like you've been at a fork in the road, and you didn't know which way was the right way? Or you had a decision to make and you were truly unsure. What was the right path to take. Ibrahim is Sam demonstrates to us here a beautiful

principle, which is that you may not know exactly where or exactly how. But you always know the what and the why. You always know the What the What is, I have to get out of the situation. The why? Because Allah Subhan Allah wants me to where will he take me? I don't know. How will he get me there? I don't know. But my trust in him at that moment is more important than the details that I think are going to distract me from this moment.

And Allah subhanaw taala that rewards people and this happened to all of the prophets, how many of them when you read their stories, you find that there was a point where Allah took them to the edge of certainty, all the way to the edge. Think of the prophet Isaiah to Salam afterthought, if what does he say to Allah, Elam into kyllini? He doesn't even know like, at this point, yeah, Allah who's in charge of me? What's going on? Not doubting Allah, but asking, Where do I go from here? But then he says, What? As long as you are not mad with me, in Libya couldn't hold the back Alia and I will Valley Oh Allah, I actually don't need to know where you're going to take me. I don't need to know

how I'm gonna get there. All I need to know is that I'm going to be close to you. And if that's the case, that's all that I care about. May Allah Allah give us the sincerity. And the last panel Tata gives him his reward, and tells us about it. He stands there and he says, Robbie heavily Mina Saudi hain, oh Allah give me the gift of righteous offspring, the best shot and now who be who lemon Haleem Allah to Allah gave him the news of a good son. And this is a understatement. A good son. I don't want others and mothers to look at their children right now. Ismaila is Sudan, the story of Israel, his compassion, his patience, his love of his father, his obedience for lemma Bella ma who

is sorry of Allah. Yeah, Bonilla, in your office in Miami and he is back hookah funboard mother Tara, and then the ultimate test now. You know, I'll probably taller sometimes he will test you in the beginning with things that you don't like it's easy to pass those tests because you don't like them. I don't want to be here. I don't want to do this. You know, there's people that come to me and say, I have to leave my job for Allah. It's good. They're like, yeah, I hated it. Okay, well, that's, you know, at that point, it's, but what about something that you really love? How hard is it? How hard is it to give up the thing that you love?

To leave the person that you love?

to back out of the plan that you

Love to pull your money out of the investment that you love. How hard is it when you actually absolutely love something, he just made dua and has been making dua for Allah to Allah to give him a son. He receives the sun not only is it any sun being, whatever Haleem it's a beautiful forbearing Sun anyone here who has kids, you know, patience is like the most beautiful word. And then Allah to Allah commands him through a dream, where he says, I saw you yet my son, and he has biochar that I have to slaughter you. fumble mother Tara, I always thought this was an interesting line Subhanallah he's a prophet of God. There is no choice when he receives revelation. But he asks his son in that

moment touch you think it's my ill technically here has no choice. There is no, I think this I think that but Ibrahim wants to demonstrate to his son, that no matter what Allah subhanaw taala has ordained for us. I'm going to obey. But part of that obedience is also that I have to be a good father. And being a good father means that I want to know how you feel about this and his son SubhanAllah. He impresses him caught a Yeah, Betty if I took him out. So Ted, you do need in Charlotte Mina sabe. And even though the next sacrifice is coming, and the test is coming, what does Allah gift Ibrahim with think of this, Ibrahim gifts. Allah gifts Ibrahim, with the gift of a son

and a relationship that father that he himself never had. He never had this relationship with his own dad. In fact, his relationship with his father was pretty horrible. And so you can imagine after having to go through that, and after still being upright and principled, and a good dad, what sweeter words could he have heard in that moment, than the words that he even referred to with his father in the Quran? Earlier, he refers to his dad. Ibrahim says, Yeah, Betty. Oh, my dear dad. So now he's in the position of a father and he's looking at his son. And his son says, Yeah, but you don't think that those words echoed in his heart for a moment that he realized that Allah gifted me

with the relationship that I myself could never had? Look at how generous ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada is, he says, You to me in sha Allah who you know saw beauty. Then Allah Tala continues and says that when they submitted to the plan of Allah subhanaw taala. He turned his face away. And then at that moment, Allah subhanaw taala, he was commanded that Ibrahim would be called out that he says, Yeah, but I'll him Oh, Ibrahim, you have completed and fulfilled the vision you have succeeded in this in the test. And because of that, we will reward you as a doer from the Marcin. And then he says that this was the test. This was the ultimate test that revealed about that movie. And this was the test

that revealed really, who Ibrahim is. So as

the story goes on, but I'll wrap up here with one last point, which is that sacrifice is the ultimate means of clarity of the heart of a believer, when Allah Tada wants us to show ourselves and him of our state with him, Allah Tada puts us in situations where we have to make a choice between a and b. And in that moment, it's not a punishment. It's not a consequence. It's not Allah making your life difficult, nor is it a burden. It's an opportunity for us to demonstrate our love for Allah, our devotion to Him and ultimately, our trust in Him. Throughout the entire way, Ibrahim never lost faith that Allah would be there for him. And because of that, because of that moment, when Ibrahim

left his town alone in solitude, he did not know at that moment that he would become the great grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu wasallam and that on the Day of Judgment, even though he left his people alone, he will be greeted by the billions and billions of worshippers that are the followers of the answer to his prayer, who ended up becoming the greatest human being of all time, the last prophet to mankind, Muhammad Sallallahu wasallam. When you sacrifice for Allah, Allah gives you rewards you in ways that outlive your own existence. May Allah to Allah give us the ability to sacrifice for his sake, may Allah Allah give us the ability to hear his words, and to

follow and to change ourselves, especially in this month of Ramadan, the month of sacrifice Subhana Allah humblebee Hamdi Kenisha Isla Atlanta Mr. Furukawa to Lake wa salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.