Abdulbary Yahya – Ust Tawfique Chowdhury And Semofilm 2012 Closing Discussions Day 1
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AI: Transcript ©
So, here we are on the stage, and we're going to get a
few questions here.
possible for you to tell us a bit about your journey.
In seeking knowledge throughout your life, how it felt. And if there were any turning points, which drove
towards c seeking knowledge. And when when you develop these habits,
believe it or not,
I really, really started really loving to seek knowledge, and loving knowledge. As a result of a non Muslim.
It was a non Muslim, it wasn't my
teacher,
my fifth grade teacher
used to come to me all the time.
And he would ask me questions about Islam. At that time in Seattle, there were not too many, not too many Muslims, and Islam wasn't so, you know, prominent in news and so forth all the time. So he would come to ask me questions all the time. And most of the questions I wouldn't even, I didn't even understand. And so sometimes I would go to the man and so forth. And I said, you know, what? He's asking me all these questions I need to know. So I asked my father, I said, You know, I didn't wear sladek books. And they were signing books. And the problem in those days, the slamming books in English would generally translate. Like, they were so bad, you know, like, you know, that the guy
who was traveling, we translate the book that wrote the book, that he didn't know English himself. I don't know, if you have a question like that. And you're like, this is like, terrible. But that's all you have. Sometimes. That's all you have. It's not like Now there were not too many English books, and so forth. But even if there weren't, we didn't have the internet.
Okay, and so books were very expensive, you couldn't just go on Google for this. And those days, you have to go to books. And so believe it or not, sometimes, you know, you go back to the, to the house, and it's better. When you hold up a book, when you're reading. It's something that's, you know, very, very enjoyable, you keep on going keep on reading, especially when you have when it's very scarce, you value it more, you value it so much more. So anyways, it was because of this person, this teacher of mine, it's all he used that one day, I still remember he asked one of the questions you can ask me, right in the middle of a test, this was a test, an exam that we were
taking, he takes me out of class.
And he asked me
what's the suicide?
Like, he's asking me about suicide bombings in the 80s. Okay.
Anyways, and so he was,
because he always asked me, and my father used to always, you know, he didn't, didn't mind, it was one thing that he did mind. You know, I really wanted the Atari 2600. You know, the game, you guys know, but they charged me 600, right. Believe it or not, I used to make dua to Allah
in my schedule in the hatchery, when I was 10 years old, asking for the Atari 2600.
Like, I would wake up purposely because I knew that you know, when the law would accept my device, although, you know, but you know, what about it, give me the entire toys extended gave me something better. So especially asked for something, and it gives you something better. And the books that I bought was so much more expensive than they tied to a 600 when you put it all together, but my father didn't care.
But when it came to the Atari 2600, he refused to buy from me.
He didn't buy for me, there was a video game system. It was just I don't know if you guys know it or not, it was just one red button. And you know, we'd have to have these
you know, sticks, and the ball goes back and forth. And they call that tennis, hockey, and soccer.
That's the kind of stuff but after the after that, you know, since I was in elementary school, I always wanted to study economics. And so I had an opportunity to you know, do other things also, like you know, play football and things like that I was on a team and so as scholarships for all those things, but I always wanted to go, go play. I always wanted to play and so I said, You know, I was gonna go to either Egypt or or Medina. And the last time made easy for me and that's one of the Mushaf came
to came to visit us in Seattle. And he just took my name.
He took just my name
and
I got accepted.
And they sent me a visa at the center visa, you know, just, and they didn't have even my address, okay, but they sent the visa to the embassy. And for some reason, one of the brothers was he was making over. He wants to make home run, and he wants to get a visa for his ombre. And so he was having problems. So he was calling this person back and forth. And for some reason, somebody mentioned my name, while he was speaking to me. Why he was beside while he was speaking to the person was over somebody at the embassy. He said, they're here, because somebody in the background, he was saying, Who is this guy here? You don't have the body here? Who's this guy that
we're told to give a visa to? We don't even know who he is. We don't know where to send it to? How do we communicate because it was sent to him? And it was the guy who was on the phone is from Seattle? What are the chances of that happening?
I want you to think about it. So when a massive have wants to make it happen, it happens. It doesn't remember. So there's no law. That's then of course, like they say the rest is history.
question is directed to
routines,
which will enable us to stay focused.
So knowledge comes first.
So how do we structure our lives?
Okay.
I just wanted to add something to what
the body said over here. And that is when Allah wants something to happen, it will happen. Yeah. And if you have a good heart, if you have a good relationship with Allah azza wa jal, Allah will make good things happen to
have the body got a fluke, right? We got a visa out of nowhere, no address suparna someone was listening on the phone. To me, it was amazing. It was like, I had an interview with the guy for Medina. And they told me to my face, we're not going to accept you.
Okay, they told me to my face, they said, You know what, you're not white enough. Or you're not
trying to bleach my skin, but it's just not working.
Fair and Lovely, etc. doesn't work anymore. So.
So, yeah, so those adverts have to change. But anyway, coming back to the story, they actually told me to my face that you won't get accepted. You know, and it was a, it's I don't know, but it's like driving a knife through your, through your heart, you know, and what they say that to you, because you've got so much hope, when you go in for an interview.
But then, you know, I told the person who was a professor from the university, I said, you know,
if Allah wills, I will go to the university and you'll be kicked out. So I told him very, very straight out because he was being very racist and arrogant. So
I don't take any rubbish for anybody. So I never ever allow anyone to disrespect you in that manner. Okay? Because apparently they are disrespecting color just because of that, etc. That person is not worthy of you your time. So anyway, and have the lead so happened that I don't accept that he got kicked out alone. So I wish I'd asked for gender at that time, but you never know.
Yeah.
Okay, habit is called a habit. Because when the age goals, you still have a bit of a goals, you still have the bit and want to be goals, you still still have it. Right? And that's the problem with the habit habits going to happen because all these sticks, yeah, it's just there just doesn't go. And that's true. And that's true psychologically, physiologically, every way you want to, you want to look at it. habits are difficult to break. That means good habits are difficult to break. And also bad habits are difficult to break. How many times we fall into the same scene again, again, everyone knows that.
Every one of us has perhaps one last thing that we do, or two bad things or three bathrooms that we do, perhaps something a secret, perhaps is the way that we reply to our parents. Perhaps it's the it's the way that we speak to our kids. Perhaps it's you know, the way that we speak to our business, during business or whatever it is, or perhaps it's *, perhaps it's some evil or the other way Allah subhanho wa Taala protect us all from the spirit. But that's the problem with habit is that it sticks and stays there and then you constantly defeated defeat you you tried to break it but it still stays there. You try again again. And you think Allah Allah doesn't care, or
you think unless Mercy is not the other you think that you know what Allah is?
Just to destroy you one day, that's what happened does it destroys me, that's the strongest way the shutdown has an effect on our on our bodies on our minds. So how do you concrete? It's actually very easy.
And the answer is that habits are very difficult to break. So I advise you not to try to break the habit. But to create a good habit that replaces the pattern.
You see, habits are difficult to break. But good habits are easy to make. Okay, that's a that's a very interesting phenomenon. Okay. It's very easy to start a new habit. Or we do that hamdulillah. Everyone, we're going to start fasting right in Shaolin a few months
of the few weeks in Java, and then is it an after the after the fourth fifth day? Hey, fasting is easy, isn't it just becomes a habit. And then by the 30th day you like, on the eighth day is like, I should be fasting, I feel like plastic, while eating, it's like it's very unnatural to eat. isn't the right of eat? Do you feel like what am I eating? There's too much food, right? That always becomes a habit for us. That only becomes a habit, right? You feel like on that night, that it's going to be the last night, we should put that away, isn't like it becomes a habit. And that's the whole point about habits Is that a good habit is easy to make. If you persist in it, it's easy to
make. So the strategy therefore, to overcome bad habits, it's very easy is not to attack the bad habit directly at all. But to start a good habit that takes over the bad habit. So if you notice that you do bad deeds at the middle of the night, okay? then guess what, never be alone. Always be in the middle of the night you sleep with it, you know, in, in a place where there are other people around. Or for example, you know that it's the internet at the middle of the night that causes you harm. So you start doing tahajjud prayer, always at 12 o'clock. 12 o'clock, you put an alarm on that says as soon as the 12 o'clock alarm goes off, I'm gonna pray that it doesn't matter. Whatever I do.
And believe me, this will slowly slowly start eating away at your bad habit. Or if for example, swearing is your problem. Okay, swearing is your problem. The once you start doing it, start saying a good word. Like for example, swearing at your kids is a problem, right? If it's if that's a problem, what do you do? Start making serious law for your children whenever you think about your children, make a doorframe and in fact, this is one this is what the mother of two days used to do. We asked her this once when I was sitting with him and she How did you become the man? I mean, not in that way meaning there's so many other people but not in that manner. But like what made you the
man? How did Allah choose you to be the man is there something special You did? Is there a course is there you know, I mean, that particular gene pool and what is it that made you the man so he goes will lay nothing except with the wife of a mom. I used to be a very very very naughty boy.
Okay, extremely naughty. And every time my mom was so righteous, right used to make the war instead of swearing at me all she would say your mom make you the mom your mommy could
be saying so and so and so and so that's it.
I said guess what happened?
That's true. And guess what? Do you know that the other day I was praying at the masjid and actually shares the basis brother is also a feeling he now
shares this his brother who sounds like two days as well is actually the fill in demand whenever some days and some other events are not there. Oh, so therefore the mom has been making work for him to
the point of the matter is if you want to start reducing your bad habits, start a good habit that replaces the bad habit inshallah Okay, and be in Villa with Alice help in Sharma inshallah. So the sorry, the bad habit will completely go away. Yeah, slowly, slowly, inshallah, the bad habit will go away.
This is what I tell a lot of people to do. First of all, it stands for contemplation. So, first step is contemplation of the evil of the bad habit. Next step, is a firm resolve to actually have in your heart to replace it. Number three, the third step is to discover a habit that you could do, which will insha Allah eventually replace it. Number four is to actually implement it is to actually do that good habit. Yeah. And number five is persistence. And that means that you develop a system that will make sure that you keep on doing it, like that alarm clock that makes that that wakes you wakes you up, right? Or the alarm that goes off at midnight, just to remind you that hey, it's time for
you to get a 400 prayer does that make sense everybody and inshallah Valley will seat and this way, you will slowly slowly eat away the bad habits. And I think you know,
When you think about the concept of Sharia, when you think about the goals and purpose of Sharia, it really is this reason why there is a whole month of fasting. When you think about the word Allah azza wa jal say a whole month, one month out of the whole calendar too fast, instead of, you know, five days every month, right? Unless you could have done that five days of every month, he could have made it as a we should be fasting, right, on three days and every month make it bigger tree. But no, he intended the whole month Why? So that we develop good habits, and because good habits will then carry on for the rest of the year, inshallah God.
The next questions ready to
this is about
improving the state of Alabama.
We know Well, now, we have lots of discussions about differences or arguments about differences of opinion or differences between different groups.
Differences being the key word.
And we know that more often than not, these discussions don't actually need any way, if they're not very constructive. They just need to conflict and hatred and this country. So how do we how do we turn the focus switch the focus to more beneficial discussion? What should we be talking about
in the society, suddenly, we can genuinely bring about change, good change. So how to avoid the negative arguments.
routine basis.
You mentioned First of all, in the beginning, we have a lot of differences, of course, there's always going to be differences of opinion. And what we have to realize is there are certain differences that are acceptable, acceptable differences. And when there are differences. When these acceptable differences do occur, we have to realize that sometimes,
you know, we need to look past some of those differences and accept some of those differences when it comes to especially, especially, you know, faith matters and things like that, when there are proofs for those particular issues. Some people they spend a lot of times on just
instead of really having to study and focusing on building foundations, but sometimes they just focus on surface matters or specific matters. And when somebody sees those types of things, they just focus on that only, and they start to judge people based upon just these little things it might be when we say of course, little, it's just not that we belittle anything, any part of Islam or whatever it is, but if there's if there's a acceptable difference on that matter, we should, we should try to learn also the past some of those things. And the best thing also also to help each other when we have, I mentioned earlier that when we have different organizations and so forth, we
should complement each other to help each other. And instead of, you know, just focusing on just
calling to our share for our email or our organization, and so forth, if the other organizations are also calling to a loss of data, and they're also helping us I'm in the Muslims, we should also help you know, help them in as much as possible. We try to work together try to help each other because you know, the successful as I mentioned, the success of any organization that's working for Islam in the Muslims is your success as a Muslim, no matter where that organization or that Islamic school or that or that particular
must it is and so forth. And so that's why we should you know, really focus on some of the things at the same time also, when we do have differences, you can you know, it's okay to discuss some of the matters but at the same time, some of them have some of the etiquettes of differences they are they are going to be different. But we have to learn that you know, some do not
base your will and robot off especially most Muslims based on those particular differences will not
okay.
Can I ask you
to sum up today's posts
puka.
Watch, they have one bulevar to standard.
When,
first of all, when it comes to seeking knowledge, we're speaking about knowledge and so forth.
Implementing applying and helping each other to seek knowledge is something that helps strengthen everyone's strengths.
The bonds amongst ourselves. And so this is one of the things that we have to really revive in this oma is the,
the seeking knowledge together because the scholars that
have been seeking knowledge is about him is a bond that enjoins that connects us together. And I'm gonna give you an example near the top of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu, alayhi wasallam, when the companions were very after the Battle of over 70 companions were murdered that day, and the message of a loss of lots of what sometimes but three people in one grain, and every time the companion that the prophet SAW him would ask,
who memorize more of the poor and who memorize which parts of the program to compare it with no to the exact sort of, they would know how much this particular companion memorize. And you might ask, Well, how did they know the reason why they knew is because they used to teach each other and learn from each other all the time, the master, and this is something that we have to revive when we look at ourselves right now. We go to the masjid sometimes every single day. And we see people all the time. But if I were to ask you how many there were to ask you how much Swami Soros or what school is he on how much of the boy has he memorized, and you see him every day, he wouldn't know, a lot of us
we don't know how much the other person memorizes because we're not sitting down and learning from each other. And you know, and coming together to learn, seek knowledge with each other. So that's something that inshallah hopefully we can revive starting from paradise
for
and it is
and this
caused me
to build an education which aims to raise students with Community
College
the vision
environment
as understood
to provide a high quality
study of language, science and technology to gather public knowledge similar to the original
writing Let's follow something to establish a professional education system that is focused on qualified
to become the center of
the
world of
choice all in school parents who wish to send their children follow the
world.
So outside or to connection bosses, with the label,
please
see it.
They need
to
have wish they still have a raise
and they still need to raise one.
Also directly the Western Union and the
boss.
Okay, brothers and sisters,
cinnamon bufalin, that stinks. That can also reply somebody and send them a message or kind of
a apology. for you that is very, very important. Some of you have probably heard this happening but haven't really thought about its implication to us all here as students of knowledge are trying to embark upon study of knowledge. Headed states the prophets of Salaam was the most giving of people was the most charitable of people. And he was even more charitable when it used to be Ramadan. Why doesn't he know you're pathologically when you please to come to him for lunch. And then he would then revise for other things. Meaning one, the reason why the office of a solo was charitable as he will
It wasn't during the reason why Rasulullah Salah was charitable was not because of how we say these days Oh, in Ramadan, each row each good deed is like 70 times with deeds and every duffle deed is lack of liquidity. That's not true. The idea is that if it's if anything is fabricated, okay, that is not true at all. Don't just wait for Amazon to give the charity thinking I'll get 70 times award. That's not going to happen. It's going to happen with us last year with your top one with the intention. But coming back to the heady wide emotional system, love to be more charitable, because he was gaining knowledge, meaning, the meaning is that if you want to gain knowledge, then you must
give charity. Yeah, and giving charity is one of the means by which you gain knowledge in what means that you give charity and then you make a sincere dua to Allah Allah. Rob isn't the end all not giving knowledge? So our chairman Allah Mercy on us to tell us chef I'm with Russia used to tell us our chef, which is from TT. Allah used to say never ever ever come to my class, except that you've given charity before. And then you make an earnest what are the two things? What is it number one Oh, Allah Teach me knowledge. Number two, oh, Allah hide the mistakes of my teacher from me. So my brothers and sisters, Islam, if you want to get serious knowledge, you must give charity. Yeah, it
comes hand in hand.
It comes hand in hand. So I urge you all my friends because we're all talking about knowledge and about gaining knowledge to give you the cause of Masada. Verily a person will be the shape of charity of the Day of Judgment. Those people will give and have mercy on the brothers and sisters in Islam. That is the person who is the standard on the truthful one. That's why so the first quote sort of, because comes from the word sin, which means truthfulness. Why? Because by giving charity, you're actually attesting to two things. You're truthful about two things. First thing is that you truly love the alpha more than dystonia. So you're keeping your word for the alpha. So that's your
super simple Eman. And secondly is simple is the truthfulness of your love for your brother. Because your brothers and me and all they want to do some Islamic work. So when you're giving that in charity, you're actually interesting to the truthfulness of your love for your Muslim brother. And also remember that the prophets of Allah center have set a mark of within the sort of the young a person is on the shame of his charity, on the day of judgment. The prophets are seven also used to tell me that you have been unfaithful abduction will actually get Kannada overland, who was he was a slave. He had no money, but he used to tell the love of your yard without give in the cause of Allah
and do not be afraid of the possession of the throne. Allah subhanho wa Taala the lash economy, don't think that you will ever withhold from us at all, you will never withhold from you. And if anything, a charity would only increase your wealth and the charity would only increase your wealth and only make you from the merciful people. merciful people so May Allah subhanho wa Taala Allah subhanho wa Taala help our brothers and sisters to build this initiative inshallah. Mashallah, I've actually been speaking to our membership committee here. And they told me about how much I love the this machine. There are so many services and the revenue that's required for this all comes from
you. And it's amazing to hear that how this small community is so given so May Allah subhanho wa Taala keep this up in in you and continue to give you the cause of Azerbaijan and continue to extinguish the anger of Gaza. The prophets are set up sympathetically to Torah, he said charity extinguishes the anger of Allah, just like water extinguishes the fire. So there's no one amongst us except that we have made Allah angry somehow the other today yesterday or another time in our life, the worst thing would be to meet Allah angry with us on the Day of Judgment. So extinguish, alas, anger by giving charity in his cause, jungle ahead, and I hope to see you all tomorrow.
So we've come to the end of the proceedings all the time.