Paths to Peace #24

Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah ala alihi wa salam Wa alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu

hamdulillah for some of the folks that might be visiting us

for the first time, during the month of Ramadan. During salata, tarawih after Eva Gods we usually have a session where we have some reflections from the Quran from the book of Allah. So inshallah that's what we're going to be having now folks that are Inshallah, you know, done with prayer or are looking to inshallah socialize, we request that they inshallah exit out from the prayer area so that we can have this session.

So this entire month we've been covering, we've been going through a series path to peace, where we are talking about the verses of the Quran, that talk about the concept of peace and tranquility. And we reflect on how we can attain some of that tranquility and serenity within our own lives.

Tonight, we're going to talk about a verse of the Quran that is very foundational to this topic.

And that is,

the verse from Surah, to Rod surah. Number 13 is number 28. This is a verse that folks have heard about many times before.

But we're gonna take a few minutes to really appreciate and understand what Allah is teaching us here in this verse.

Allah subhanaw taala says, Alladhina amanu Wautoma in noccalula, whom be decree Allah, Allah, Allah be decree law, he thought about

the translation of which is that those people who have believed

and the people whose hearts find peace, contentment, tranquility, serenity, calmness in the remembrance of God,

indeed know

that it is only and solely through the remembrance of Allah, that the hearts can actually sustainably find peace and tranquility.

So there's a few things here. First and foremost is to understand and appreciate exactly what Allah is saying

that Allah subhanaw taala tells us that obviously, the prerequisite to all of this is faith, belief, Iman, to believe in Allah. But once we have believed in Allah, then we require something more to be able to experience the sweetness of that faith, to be able to reap the fruits and the rewards of that faith and belief. And that Allah subhanaw taala tells us that benefit that reward those fruits that we're trying to reap the that is the peace and tranquility, the peace of mind, the tranquility of the hearts, the serenity of the soul, the calmness of the self,

that the human being is this very frantic creature by nature. Allah tells us in the Quran in Santa Holika hawan, that the human being is a very finicky, nervous, anxious creature.

And Allah tells us about what some of that nervousness and entered that that that nervousness and anxiousness of the human being the restlessness of this creature, what does that look like? Either Messiah who Chateauroux Jezza if something bad happens, then this creature freaks out and needs someone or something to blame. Something bad happened immediately I need to find somebody that I can go and I can pick a fight with

immediately way that Masahito Minoa. If something good happens, something good occurs, then this creature wants to basically hoard all of it as if there's no more good left in the entire universe. This is the only moment where something good will ever happen and ever occur. So I need to hoard it. I need to claim it and I need to take all of it for myself.

And that's just a small preview of what this human beings nature is like this creature if left to his or her own vices. This is what that creature will become. This is what we will become critical in saludar Eva, weak, frail,

Allah tells us we're clinical internal itulah

hasty, impatient, nervous all the time. The lumen Jehovah, ignorant belligerent mean, angry that if this human being is completely left on its own

This is what the human being could become.

But how do we change the course of that? What changes the course of that any MAMARAZZI Rahim Allahu Taala explains this under the deceit of this verse, that this nervous, anxious creature, it needs to connect with something that is calm, that is serene,

that is tranquil and peaceful and merciful and noble and benevolent and kind and generous and stable and consistent. And that is the divine, that is Allah. All those attributes I just listed in English. Those directly translate over to the attributes of Allah that we've learned since we were children. A Rahman Rahim al Karim Allah conine.

Almarai l Mamede. Alhaj. You look at you

that that is who are Rezac will attend Mateen they'll Jalali well it kromm, so this creature needs to attach to something that will feed it, that tranquility and stability. And that's what Allah is telling us here.

That yes, we believed, and that is the greatest blessing to know who Allah is. But now we have to make an effort to actually connect to Allah. And that's what Allah is saying. We'll talk to my in NOPA Lubumbashi decree law, that that will only come through the remembrance of Allah.

And what is the remembrance of Allah? So there's many there's so much commentary, there's so many comments in regards to what is meant here specifically by the remembrance of Allah. Many of the companions of the Prophet sallallahu sallam said, it is the Quran

is the Quran

that the Quran has, it's, it's the kalam of Allah it's a speech of God himself.

That it will feed us that tranquility and serenity.

And that's why we find that you know, no matter what situation we're in life, when you hear the Quran being recited, you can't help but just stop and listen for a moment. No matter what else is going on around you. And the Quran is being recited. It gives it gives you the sense of peace and comfort and tranquility.

If it causes you to stop and slow down for a little bit.

And that's the power of the Quran. That unless and until we connect with the Quran, we read the Quran we listen to the Quran, we reflect on the Quran, we study the Quran, unless and until we do that, we'll never truly be able to find that peace.

And that's why the month of Ramadan is so remarkable. It's not some random coincidence, it's not some accident. Every single person feels more at peace during the month of Ramadan. It's not a coincidence, that's not an accident.

Right? But that's because of the Quran.

But then what we just have to remember, we have to remember what that felt like. We have to remember what that sense was. So that the when the month of Ramadan is over, we don't just disconnect from the Quran. But we stay connected to it. Allah and then Allah emphasizes it been Nikola he only because the first part of the I said, you will find peace and tranquility through the remembrance of Allah. But then when I hear that someone might think, okay, one of the things that gives me peace and tranquility is a remote remembrance of Allah. So then Allah says Allah be decree law he talks about No, no, it's only and solely through the remembrance of Allah do you find peace and

tranquility. And what's also included within the remembrance of Allah here as the Morpho saloon even cathedra hum Allahu Allah and others mentioned, it's also to have the remembrance of Allah subhanaw taala on our tongues and in our lives throughout the day. When we wake up in the morning, the prophets Allah He said the first thing he would say Alhamdulillah Allah Yahia Neva Adama turning, that all praises due to Allah, the One who gave me life after taking my soul away from my body at night,

before he ate or drank anything Bismillah whenever he was done eating or drinking anything Alhamdulillah when he left his home, Bismillah went out with the name of Allah. When he came back into his home, he once again entered with the name of Allah, before going in the restroom, Allah Houma, he would say the DUA the supplication when he exited the restroom who franak he would seek the forgiveness of Allah.

Ghana Rasulullah sallallahu some gets called Allah Allah Kalyani, he, that's why he was always engaged with the remembrance of Allah.

So having the name of Allah on our tongue, and that's why it's a part of our culture. And that's one of the things the remnants of some of the Islamic culture, if you will, the Islamic tradition that we still find, you know, in society, is that you know, dx

Russian something remarkable happens when we say subhanallah

something good Hamdulillah you see something good mashallah a stuff

in Allahu ala Raja La hawla wala Quwata illa Allah, Allahu Akbar.

Right that because that's the remembrance of Allah. And that tells you actually now unfortunately, it's become largely just kind of a cliche and expression, we just say we don't understand the meaning and the purpose behind it. But the meaning and the purpose originally behind it is that no matter what emotion you are feeling, whatever emotion you are expressing, express it through the remembrance of Allah.

Because Allah is always on our mind, and Allah is always in our hearts. And that's where that peace and tranquility comes from.

That the companions of the prophet to love us, and we talked about it earlier this month, they can be in the battlefield, being faced on by an enemy that's trying to kill them and eradicate them and massacred them.

But they remember ALLAH, they make dua to Allah, they save the remembrance of Allah. They recite the verses of the Quran, and they can remain peaceful and tranquil, even in the middle of battle.

And we are nervous and anxious and worried and disturbed and unable to focus even when we're in the in the masjid, in on an odd night in the month of Ramadan in the middle of the night with the lights turned down, and the recitation playing very loudly. And we can be sitting right in the middle of that, and I still am just nervous and anxious. And they could be peaceful and calm and tranquil in the middle of a battlefield.

Because we might be going through the motions, but we're lacking that real remembrance of Allah, our heart isn't connected. That's what we're seeking. That's what we're trying to achieve and accomplish.

And the last thing that I'll mention here is that

a little bit of this is a little bit of a technical nerdy grammar point.

I'll try not to be too nerdy, but stay with me. In the Arabic language, you have past tense verbs and present tense verbs.

The present tense verb has the meaning in the Arabic language of something happening over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, attach D to what Takara. And what's remarkable is in this verse, Allah talks about peace and tranquility twice. And both times Allah uses the present tense verb, because what he's saying is that this peace and tranquility will continue to increase in your life. It's not one station, it's not one place, it's an upward trajectory. And the longer you stay connected to the Quran, the longer you maintain this regimen and practice of keeping the name of Allah on your tongue, and you make time every single day to remember Allah to pray to

Allah, your peace and tranquility, your serenity, will continue to increase and grow. To the point where you become this beacon of peace and tranquility. That's what the prophets, Allah, the sun was the Sahaba, the people of that time would walk into his company and immediately feel the tranquility and the calmness wash over them.

And that's why they gravitated towards him, because they found peace and comfort in his company.

And that's what we can achieve.

And it's very simple, it's very easy. It's just implementing the remembrance of Allah in our daily lives. It's having a little bit of Quran every single day in our lives. And that's why on a practical level, for me, a suggestion is that incorporate something very minimal, but very consistently in your life. This is the time this next week, this is a time to really think it through, think about it, make a commitment, and then have the conviction that I'm going to maintain this after the month of Ramadan. From the very first day, even on the day of Eid, it's all the eating and the partying and all of that, I'm going to have my five minutes or 10 minutes, where I

listen to the recitation of the Quran, where I just open up and read from the translation of the Quran. And I will have my 510 minutes where I sit and I do the remembrance of Allah.

And if we do that, if we can realize that we can achieve that consistently.

We won't recognize ourselves when we look in the mirror.

The peacefulness and the tranquility that we will have achieved through that. It's what made the early Muslims the envy of great civilizations. The greatest civilizations of that time they envied these people,

that they just seem to have some kind of secret.

And this was their secret. May Allah subhanaw taala grant us all peace and tranquility. And may Allah subhanaw taala grant us the ability to remain connected to the remembrance of Allah? May Allah subhanaw taala fill our hearts with the remembrance of Allah and with the Quran, I mean, our blind I mean, there are two very important things I need to just touch base on before everyone can

It gets up and we proceed with the total we number one is very quickly, I won't prolong this because we try not to wear the community out too much. But at the same time and hamdulillah all the work that Kalam is doing many of y'all have benefited from it online in person, you know, of all the different efforts in terms of education and community, and also the investment of resources into creating the Imams and the scholars and the teachers and the leaders of the future at the seminary. So all of this work is going on at alum Al Hamdulillah. We asked you to support our efforts and support our work. So you can go online, go to the websites afford column.com There's a table outside

in the lobby as well stop by there. But we really hope and pray that in sha Allah, you will also contribute and invest your own sadaqa jariya. This is something that will continue to grow long after we are gone. And we will continue to reap the rewards and the benefits from it. And we won't even be able to comprehend the reward that awaits us in the life of the hereafter. So I encourage everyone to donate and support. The second thing is,

you know, there's a little something extra going on here tonight. So, and we're very happy humbler that everyone's here and we want everyone to have a very good time. At the same time that it is possible for us to do both things at once we can have worship we can have prayer, we can have reflection and remembrance of Allah. While at the same time you know, our families and our kids can also have a good time, what we just need to do is we need to kind of respect the space and understand what is going on where so everyone that's here in sha Allah to enjoy the food and enjoy the good company and enjoy the community. We encourage you Inshallah, to please have a good time and

enjoy and all of that awaits you outside Alhamdulillah the whole parking lot area has been set up, so inshallah go out there and have a good time. Meanwhile because it is still the month of Ramadan, we will be having prayer and remembrance of Allah and reflection going on here in sha Allah in the masala area. So we ask that everyone inshallah try to you know, keep it quiet around here so that everyone can also enjoy their prayer and engage in the remembrance of Allah subhanaw taala. And we really appreciate that. The second thing is that we do have a little bit of a larger crowd. What I will ask as much as possible is if folks that are in the overflow area at the back hall, if they are

able to kind of move here into the masala area so that we can utilize some of that space and area at the same time. With the brothers overflow area here on the side. We probably will need the prayer to continue there. So the lobby area we're going to ask everyone to keep it clear to not make too much noise I understand everyone's having a good time. Just we're going to take the good time into the parking lot inshallah. All right does not going to locate on Thank you very much for being here. We're very happy to have you here. So I wanted to come out to LA