Friday Jummah 22-03-2024
Date:
Channel: Abdullah Oduro
File Size: 29.37MB
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AI Generated Summary ©
The importance of Islam is discussed, including the need for flexibility and growth in one's life. The speaker emphasizes the importance of fasting, learning to grow collectively, and practicing gratitude to eventually grow as a community. The success of working with couples and thanking the creator is also emphasized. Prayer, visitation, and joint goals are emphasized as important factors for growth.AI Generated Transcript ©
You
You
are
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Come to prayer, come to prayer,
Come to success, come to success.
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.
There is none worthy of worship except Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
There is none worthy of worship except Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
We praise Allah. We seek His aid and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the evil of our shortcomings. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide.
Whosoever Allah allows to be led astray, none can guide or write.
I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is His last messenger and servant.
O you who believe, be mindful of Allah and die not except in a state of submission to Him alone.
O humanity, be mindful of Allah who created you from a single soul and from that created His mate and from that scatters many men and women.
O humanity, be mindful of Allah and do not cut off relations with your relatives, your kin.
Indeed, Allah is the Rak'eeb over you.
O humanity, be mindful of Allah and speak the truth in order for Him to accept their deeds and forgive us of our shortcomings and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed achieved the greatest achievement.
As to what follows, indeed the best speech is the book of Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.
And the best guidance is that of Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
And of the worst affairs in our doctrinal system of Islam are the newly invented ones.
For every newly invented affair in this situation is an innovation and for every innovation is a form of going astray and for every form of going astray is in the fire of hell.
Dad, my knee hurts.
I don't know what it is with my knee.
Every time I try to bend down or I try to go into prostration or get in a jealous position, you know, where I'm sitting in a kneeling position, my right knee is killing me.
This was the statement of a young man telling his father, his knee was killing him in an unbearable pain.
Come to find out that it was what some would call patellar tendonitis or some would even maybe call a slight different pain, ashram slaughters.
It's basically where the tendon of your knee rubs against the patellar or the bone or actually the lower bone of your leg, it rubs against it.
So every time you bend your knee, it hurts.
And some would argue that that pain is because it's lack of stretching or and you're growing and your muscles aren't growing quick enough.
Therefore it's stretching that portion of your knee.
We may call it growing pains.
You see, this is something that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has legislated within his qudra, his ability, his qawa, his strength and his qadr, his predestination.
That he has chosen for this child to grow in this way to where there may be some ta'akhor, there may be some delay in the growth of their muscles.
Or there may be some taqaddum to where the bones are growing rapidly.
In any case, it is a sign if we look at it that way.
And in reality, it is a sign for us from Allah.
How?
Because we know in order to grow, there has to be some pain.
There has to be some failure even from another aspect.
We know that there has to be something that we may not like to see or feel.
And we know also that that is a part of the process.
Now that pain can be something that is nisbi.
It can be something individual to us or something that is collective.
So for example, what is happening with our brothers and sisters in Ghazan,
may Allah yufarra janghum, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,
free them from any pain in agony and save them from any pain particularly in their iman and their belief in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
We are all suffering internally when we watch the videos, when we see the text messages.
It is very painful.
But that pain of being uncertain of what will happen in the future is an opportunity for growth.
Because when you face that pain, do you ask Allah why out of ridicule, out of lack of trust,
or do we ask Allah why?
And that is a means for us to call on Him more.
Do we ask Him why knowing that we need to ultimately turn to Him because we don't have the answers.
That growth brought a level of pain.
And in this particular case, this pain is an opportunity for growth.
Growth in your iman, meaning we grow in our trust in Allah.
We grow in our allegiance to the religion, to the system, the framework, the blueprint that He has brought us.
From that, when you face pain, what do you do?
The Prophet ﷺ says in a beautiful hadith, and we'll continue to mention this hadith,
because the goal of this is to memorize it, especially in these times that come yearly in Ramadan.
The Prophet ﷺ said,
مَلَّمْ يَدَعَ قُولَ زُورِ وَلْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلَيْسْ لِلَّيْحَاجَتُونَ اَيَدَعَ طُعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ
The Prophet ﷺ said, whoever doesn't leave off the statements of ill statements or bad statements, bad speech, and acting upon it,
then Allah is not in need of his or her abstaining from eating and drinking.
From the wisdom of fasting in the month of Sha'ban, not the ultimate Maksad, not the ultimate objective behind it,
from the wisdom of fasting in the month of Sha'ban, the month before Ramadan, the eighth month of the lunar calendar,
Ramadan being in the ninth month, which we are in now, is to prepare oneself for this glorious grand best month of the year, the month of Ramadan.
From that, a byproduct of it is to be accustomed to the pain that may be faced in the middle of the day when one is fasting,
because let's be honest, some of us have not prepared in the month of Sha'ban, it's okay.
It gives you another opportunity to be a better version of yourself, insha'Allah, next year.
And those of us may have fasted the majority of the month of Sha'ban, maybe one day in the month of Sha'ban.
The effort that you made is appreciated by Allah SWT, a Shakir.
But there may be times during the day, maybe right now, especially with our young men and women,
this is their first year, second year, you are feeling the pain of fasting, the physical pain.
This is normal, this is okay, and as a matter of fact, it's a means for me to congratulate you.
When feeling that pain of fasting, it is an opportunity to you to call in Allah,
make me patient for the remainder of the day.
Ya Allah, from your corner I entered the kitchen.
Ya Allah, make me of those that are thankful and realize the reality of this fasting.
When we face that pain, we call on Allah SWT, that is the growth.
That is the growth.
Because you made the choice to use the name of Allah SWT from your tongue as opposed to saying, why?
Or I'm hungry, therefore I'm frustrated.
And I'm frustrated, I may ask, why?
Or I'm frustrated, I may try to find a means to do something that will distract me.
And that means, may not be in the best of my fasting interests.
Therefore, it could turn and transform into being just leaving off eating and drinking.
The Prophet SAW, that's what he said, whoever doesn't leave the ill speech and acting upon it,
then Allah is not in need of your abstaining from eating and drinking.
This is one of the deep meanings of this beautiful hadith to remind us that when you abstain from eating and drinking,
this is just a means to obtain mindfulness of God.
And that's exactly what the verse is mentioning when Allah SWT said,
Ya ayyuhal ladheena aminu, after audhubillahi shaykhana jim,
Ya ayyuhal ladheena aminu, kutiba aleikumu s-siamu, kama kutiba alal ladheena,
Min qablikum la alakum tat takoon.
Oh you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you.
As it has been prescribed upon the people before you, perhaps you may be of the mindful ones.
Takwa, takwa.
And some scholars mention siyam, the difference between siyam and som.
Som is just in saq, withholding something.
As Mariam said, when she was, you know, before she conceived Jesus,
Aleyhi salam, inni nadartil l-rahmani soman, falan ukallim al-yawma, in siya.
She said, verily, I made a promise to Allah SWT that I would not speak,
that I would withhold myself from speaking.
So I will never talk to any man today, any individual.
In any case, siyam is a little more comprehensive.
Meaning that you abstain from all types of illegitimate or immoral actions, sinful practices.
And that is what has been legislated.
And the goal of that is takwa.
So in looking at this brothers and sisters, siyam fasting, abstaining from immoral practices
while being mindful of the moral practices,
is that which will cause the means for you to be more mindful of Allah SWT.
This is what will make you more mindful of Allah SWT.
Which means that when we are fasting in the middle of the day at work,
and everyone is going to lunch, we're thinking well beyond the fact that we're not eating and drinking.
By the first week, masha'Allah, you're more focused.
You're focused on trying to do better.
On trying to add on to something.
You leave work and you come to the masjid to pray to the Lord by yourself.
And you just think about, what did I do last night?
What did I do from fajr to the Lord?
That is the growth.
Because you did something you didn't do before.
And that thing that you did is what Allah SWT loves and is pleased with.
That is what is important.
That's why we ask the question in any action of ibadah.
Even also, or for example, in marriage, in friendships, at work, when reading the Quran,
are you just going through the motions or are you growing through the motions?
Because the motion will take place.
You will grow.
In the next year, you will be one year older.
Do you remember the limelight or certain things that you did the year before?
That is how we grow through our experiences.
We're present.
And that is why the Qur'an is so important for the soul.
Remembering the name of God in times of ease, in times of hardship.
Because when you remember the name of God, you remember his actions upon you.
And remembering his actions upon you, such as provision, a razaq, he provides for you.
This is when one becomes grateful.
And that is the ultimate goal or of the goals of growing, is that one grows to be grateful.
And the fruits of gratefulness, we will discuss, insha'Allah.
Alhamdulillah, ala ihsanihi was shukru lahum wa ala tofiqihi wa min tinani.
I think one of the types of individuals that is well aware of, particularly when we talk about marriage,
because subhanAllah, numerous times, I and many other individuals that take it upon themselves to try to help couples, individuals, collectively or individually,
you find yourself just going through the motions of being a husband, of being a wife, of being a father, of being a mother.
But when one stops to think about Allah providing me with this wife, this wife that is there for inspiration,
this husband that is there for inspiration and education,
my children that are there to remind me of the blessings of God, that he has given me these healthy children,
my grandparents that are still with us, and when I sit down with them, I'm inspired, I'm educated, I'm led,
I'm grateful for that.
Remembering the blessings of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala upon you.
Because everything that I just mentioned, the ultimate repository, the source of all of that, is the creator of that.
It is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
That is why when one remembers Allah, they remember the blessings.
And when they remember the blessings at time, they mention it.
For amma binyat mati rabbika, for haddith.
As for the blessings of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, mention it.
With the condition that you are not arrogant and that you are not belittling people.
When you mention it, it livens the heart.
And insha'Allah those around you, it brings life and sometimes resuscitation to some of the hearts that are dead.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned, the difference between the one that mentions Allah and the one that doesn't mention Allah,
is the difference between a dead heart and a heart that is full of life.
So the fact that we are still breathing and existing on this earth is an opportunity for us to continuously grow in our existence.
To grow our connection with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And with that growth, we are thankful.
And with that thankfulness and gratitude, Allah will increase you without any limits.
One of the names of Allah is Al-Waasir.
He is abundant and he gives in abundance.
It is not for us to domesticate the power and might and love and mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the chapter of Ibrahim, after A'udhu billahi min ash-shaitanir rajim,
one of the most powerful verses in regards to thankfulness and gratitude.
We idh ta'adhana rabbu kum la in shakar tum la azidanna kum.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, and when your Lord proclaims, if you were to be thankful, then I would increase you.
The verse ends there.
Because he says, I would increase you.
One may ask, what does he increase you in?
He leaves it open to show that it is endless.
That it is, and with the fact of it being endless, it is magnificent.
It is up to him that gratitude is something that when one tries their best
by looking at the creation of Allah, thinking of Allah with their tongue or with their actions,
this is where Allah will increase them.
And in the verse in it of itself, Allah uses different forms linguistically of surety.
La azidanna kum, two forms of surety in the Arabic language.
Harfa-lam in tokyi and shaddana nun.
La azidanna kum to show that I will surely, without a doubt, most definitely increase you.
In what?
And this is where dua comes into play.
We ask Allah, we ask God, and we pray to him for something.
And we know subconsciously and hopefully consciously at the time of dua and outside of that,
that he will give us what we need and sometimes what we want based on his knowledge, not our desire.
When he does that, he can increase you in that dua that you made two years ago.
He can increase you in that dua you made before you entered the masjid.
You asked him for a particular thing.
You asked him to alleviate you of a particular disease of the heart, which we all have.
You asked him for it.
So when Allah says la azidanna kum, the way, the amount, the time is up to him.
And it is mubham.
It is something that we do not know.
But Allah, Subhanahu wa ta'ala says, if you were to be thankful.
You know, many times we hear about, nowadays we're hearing about gratitude journals.
And this is fine when we hear individuals that may not understand know who Allah is or openly reject the law, Subhanahu wa ta'ala.
When we hear these things, we hear some meditation apps, for example.
It is important that we as Muslims make the small distinction that our quote unquote meditation,
that our quote unquote quote unquote great grateful journals, gratitude journals.
It should emanate from a connection with God.
The motivation behind it is something that is beyond our existence, beyond our capabilities.
The motivation behind it is God.
It's your knowledge of him.
And with that knowledge, it causes you to think and ponder.
Man, Allah has gotten me here.
I don't know what I would have done without that.
Instead of I'm here and I'm thankful for being here.
The small caveat, which is the most important, is that I'm here because God has brought me here.
How?
He's given me the strength to get here.
I made the right choices, the small window of choice.
And that's from the tofiq of Allah.
It always goes back to Allah.
It does not stop at our characteristics, our abilities.
This is what is so important.
And that is how one grows.
So we see that when one grows, they should have the gratitude or trying their best to have gratitude
with the gratitude that growth will happen exponentially from the one that created us.
As we see now, SubhanAllah, many of you may not know, but this masjid was across the street.
A small masjid, Musalla.
And we have grown exponentially.
As we see our Juma'ahs, Masha'Allah, they're packed.
We have to have more than one.
Eid, have to have more than one.
This is because of your efforts of coming to the masjid, making the effort to grow within yourself,
stopping while driving and saying, you know what, let me stop at the masjid.
Let me stop at the masjid and pray.
You may see someone you haven't seen in years.
You may meet a new brother and sister or sister.
This is how a community grows because you made the effort to stop and grow spiritually
by coming to the place of worship to show gratitude to Allah.
Do we see the connection?
The ultimate form of gratitude is practicing the religion that Allah has legislated for us.
When one practices it, you will see there is a spiritual cleansing internally and a spiritual cleansing collectively.
As we come together as a community, that is how we cleanse collectively by getting to know one another,
by looking at the value and appreciating one another.
And that is why Allah created us different.
When we see Allah says, we've made you nations and tribes for you to get to know one another.
The Prophet did not start with the Ansar.
The Prophet started with a small group of people.
And because of their gratitude to Allah, they grew immensely.
Because of their gratitude to Allah, they faced pain.
Because of their gratitude to Allah, they were ordered to migrate to Al-Madinah.
Because of their gratitude to Allah, nine years later they were ordered to come back and try to make a treaty.
Because of the love of Allah and the ninth year, that is when the conquest of Mecca happened.
The sixth year we see that the treaty and the ninth year, the conquest of Mecca happened.
Because of that gratitude to Allah, we can go and make Umrah.
Because of that gratitude to Allah, Hajj is coming here.
We see the process of growing, being attentive during that growth,
and having gratitude through that attention.
And that's the Tawfiq, that's the success that Allah gives us individually and collectively.
So I want us to take the time to sit and appreciate the situation that we are in individually
with our health, with our wealth, with our families, and also collectively as a community.
Coming together as brothers and sisters.
When we see brother you are from Algeria, brother you are from Morocco, brother you are from Malaysia, brother you are from Ghana,
brother you are from Indonesia, brother you are from Pakistan, Kashmir.
These are huge opportunities for us to grow stronger as an Umrah.
As I always remind you, brothers and sisters, I remember the first time and many others,
when I walked into a masjid and I saw people of different nationalities.
That was one of the most I've made. How can these people in different nationalities get along with each other?
That was one of the main questions before I was Muslim. How can people like this get along with each other?
There has to be some problems, because I know the stereotypes and racist thoughts that they have outside the masjid,
but how can they come together? That is a huge opportunity for growth.
All of that is within the legislation, an intention of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala legislating it this way,
i.e. a place of prayer, if you can five times a day.
There's one time during the year that you can come together every day and pray together after Isha to get to know one another.
Optional, but there are times where you come together. Mandatory, Salat al-Aid for example.
All of this is intentional for us to grow as a community.
With that brothers and sisters, one immediate action plan is that tomorrow we will be having a celebration of growth
here at the masjid at 9 p.m. in nila'i ta'ala, where we will come together and we will give a history
and also our goals of this particular masjid, the Islamic center of Qopel, the only masjid in Qopel celebrating that growth.
I invite all of you insha'Allah ta'ala to come here at 9 p.m. in nila'i ta'ala and that is the title, Growth through Gratitude.
As we started out small, many new faces I see every week, that is a sign of growth.
But through that growth, we do not want Shaitan to come through to where we are not grateful for Allah has brought us
because when we look back where we were, it's a huge sign of where we can potentially be.
May Allah SWT make us those who are grateful.
Nasa'Allah yaj'alna milash shakirin az-zakirin Ya Rabbi Al-Alamin.
Allah muqaffilna min dnubina wa kafir anna siyyatina wa tawafina ma alam burar.
Ya ayyuhu al-mu'minoon.
Inna Allah ya'mul bil adli wa al-ihsan wa ita'idil al-kurba wa yanha'i al-fashai wal-munkar.
Allah ma'izal islam wa al-mussemin. Allah ma'izal islam wa al-mussemin.
Allah ma'izal islam wa al-mussemin. Allah ma'izal islam wa al-mussemin.
Wa amidhum bimadadin min ndika ya'al azizu ya'al qawiyu ya'al matinu ya'dal jalali wa al-ikram ya'al mutakabir.
Ya ayyuhu al-mu'minoon.
Inna Allah ya'mur bil adli wa al-ihsan wa ita'idil al-kurba wa yanha'i al-fashai wa al-munkar wa al-baghi.
Ya'idokum la'allakum tadakkarun.
Fa dhkuru Allah yadkurukum wa shkuruhu wa shkuruhu.
And be thankful to Him.
He will increase you.
And the remembrance of Allah is the greatest thing.
Wa dhkuru Allahi akbar.
Wa Allahu ya'al mu'ma tusna'oon.
He is well aware of what you do.
Wa akim us-sala.