Adnan Rajeh – Beyond Ramadan – What we need to do to be well

Adnan Rajeh
AI: Summary ©
The importance of acceptance and learning to support oneself and build a foundation for Islam is emphasized. The speaker emphasizes the need for evidence, praying outside of the Masajid, and providing basic information and choice of fields to achieve their goals. The importance of education, mentorship, and advocacy for individuals and groups within society is also emphasized. The speaker stresses the need for a way to support individuals and build a foundation for Islam, and the importance of working towards a narrative that is not racist or evil.
AI: Transcript ©
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He says, subhanahu wa ta'ala, say, it's

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through the bounty of Allah and the compassion

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and mercy of Allah. Through that, may they

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find joy. It is better than all that

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they possess that they will possess in their

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lives.

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Now if it's meant as a dua, then

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I'm okay with it. If it's meant as

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a statement, then it's false

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because we are not well,

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and that's fine. But if it's meant as

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a statement,

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I don't think it's I don't think it's

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correct if it's a statement because we are

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not well.

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We are very, very unwell as an ummah

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and as a community. We are unwell. We

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have not been well for quite some time.

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And unfortunately, as the years progress, we become

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less and less well.

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Nasal Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

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But the re but the reality is that

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these last 6 months

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have been probably the the least 12 months

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of our of our of our lives at

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least in the last 10 years or or

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so.

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And after Ramadan, it's really worth taking a

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moment

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and reflecting and sometimes I feel that the

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khutbah after Ramadan or the timing after Ramadan

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is probably the most important for us as

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an ummah in general.

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Because we are offered the opportunity

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to reflect and to contemplate and to make

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some decisions.

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Even Masood

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would walk out of his house after Ramadan

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and he would say,

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He will walk on and say, where is

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the one who is accepted so that we

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may congratulate him?

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And where is the one who has been

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deprived and rejected so that we may offer

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our condolences? Oh, the one who is accepted,

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may Allah grant you

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the blessing of the acceptance that you have.

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And, oh, the one who is rejected

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and is deprived, may Allah

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grant you a substitution alternative for the that

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you're in.

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Hassan al Basri, Muhammadullah alaihi, used to say,

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Every day that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is

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not being disobeyed in in your life is

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a Eid. And everyday that you focus on

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Allah

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satisfaction

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on your obedience to Allah

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and fulfilling

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your purpose in the eyes of Allah

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is for you a day of aid, a

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day of celebration.

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And what we do celebrate during these days

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of Eid is Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala's bounty

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upon us that we were able to get

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through this holy month of Ramadan.

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And we celebrate that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

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granted us the strength to fast it and

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to pray within it, and they granted us

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the ability to come to the masajid and

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to recite his his book

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and to draw ourselves closer to him. So

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that's what we celebrate. We celebrate our the

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the ability to do that and what it's

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going to mean for us moving forward afterwards,

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which is what I want this I need

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to discuss with you throughout,

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this hot tuba.

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I brought this up around a year ago

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and I'll bring it up again today.

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I don't see that there is innate value

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in masajid being full. I know that sounds

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really weird but I don't see it.

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I know that Allah

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calls his servants into his homes throughout the

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month of Ramadan and masajid get full.

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But my true belief is that if that

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does not translate

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into acts of worship afterwards, if it does

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not translate into something else, it's almost as

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if it is evidence that those acts of

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worship were not accepted.

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We'll never know for sure until we meet

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Allah whether anything we did was accepted or

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not. And by the way, everything that you

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do has that possibility. May Allah subhanahu wa'ala

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accept our deeds say I'm say I'm in.

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We have no we have no evidence really.

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We have no proof. No. We don't have

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solid proof ever that your deeds are accepted

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or not. None of them. Not one of

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them. There's not one deed that you'll do

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in the entirety of your life where you

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could swear that's that it is accepted or

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not accepted.

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Period.

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And since that's the case, as human beings,

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as Muslims, we continue to strive until the

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last moment because we don't know. Maybe everything

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we did before was just rejected for reasons

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that are valid for lack of sincerity and

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lack of clarity and lack of commitment and

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lack of grit and lack of love and

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lack

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and lack of humbleness and humility, and the

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list goes on and on.

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So we don't know. But the scholars have

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talked about evidence, not proof. Evidence, meaning signs

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that maybe the deeds are accepted. Talk about

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signs and this is not something I'm making

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up because the the scholars, they have almost

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consensus on this issue. Their consensus on the

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signs of acceptance

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is the ability to continue

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afterwards.

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That is this one of the the main

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signs of consensus of acceptance in the eyes

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of scholars is that you're able to take

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what you did and continue it or translate

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it into something that is practical, that is

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pragmatic, that is effective in people's lives, that

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affects people's

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that affects your lifestyle,

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the change in your in your decision making

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process, in your choices, in in in the

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direction of your life.

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So So when I talk about not seeing

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innate value and message at full, meaning I

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wait until see afterwards. If that translates afterwards

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into people actually changing the way they live

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their lives, I mean, they actually have direction

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now.

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They see what is valuable in this world

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and they're moving towards it. They are trying

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to satisfy Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in ways

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that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has commanded them

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to satisfy him.

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They're living for the for for the well-being

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and the best interest of their nation, of

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their Ummah, they're trying to serve Allah subhanahu

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wa ta'ala through serving others, then yes. I

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think that the these these messiah

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being full meant something. But if they didn't

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I mean, if you go back to the

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to exactly the way we we we were

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before,

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then I don't know. I think that maybe

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that's a sign of the opposite.

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Then that is to a certain degree a

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sign of the opposite

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that this didn't do anything. It didn't mean

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anything.

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Think about it. How many Masjid are there

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in the Muslim world? Yeah, you do you

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realize that most of these Masjid throughout, Yani,

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the last 10 nights of rahulah, we're we're

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packed.

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It's nothing impressive about that. All messaged will

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fill up. People will come to messaged everywhere.

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But then what? What's the point? So I'm

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a said before, so the imam prayed and

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there was,

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50 lions behind him. And people made dua

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and everyone

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was crying.

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And then what?

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If that's where it ends, then it just

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didn't even it didn't even pick up.

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If that's where it ends, then I'm not

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sure that these deeds have made it to

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the first guy, let alone make it to

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Allah altogether.

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I don't know that these deeds are even

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making it to the first guy to begin

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with. I don't know because Allah

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he doesn't accept people

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who compartmentalize

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the deen.

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And He doesn't accept someone who takes one

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part of the deen, but the other part

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doesn't care about. Yeah. I'll take the rituals.

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I'll pray. But no. When it comes to

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actual actual standing by righteousness or advocating, you

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know, I've got student too much. It's all

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I'll pray throughout I'll I'll fast and pray

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throughout Ramadan. But I was telling Ramadan, no,

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I don't do no. It doesn't work that

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way. The the Islam does not work. It

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doesn't function that way.

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Not for the individual and for sure and

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definitely not for the Ummah and not collectively.

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In order for us to have some hope

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of Allah accepting our

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Ramadan

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to to have value for us, we have

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to make sure that after Ramadan, we are

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able to use that fuel to allow us

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to move forward. That's how salah and Ibad

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has always been seen in Islam. It's been

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seen as the fuel that you use to

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continue to carry this message forward.

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Oh, you were told that at the beginning

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of his dua, pray all night. Half of

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it if you can't do all night, maybe

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a bit more, a bit less, But you

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have to pray. Read the Quran and invocate

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Allah and make dua.

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Why? You're

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gonna be carrying a heavy burden of a

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message.

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At night,

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you have that part of opportunity to stand

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and speak to me.

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Why? Because during the day, it's a long

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swim.

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You have a lot of work to do

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throughout the day, so you need your prayer.

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You need that connection. Ramadan

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serves as our fuel. It connects you to

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Allah, to the almighty subhanahu wa ta'ala. It

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connects you to Allah. When you're connected to

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Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, you're more likely to

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be able to carry his message and do

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the work throughout the day that happens outside

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of the doors of Masajid.

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The work that happens outside of the Masajid

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where the actual work happens. Here I preach

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to the choir. Here I speak to you're

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Muslim, you listen to you accept what I'm

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saying because it's Islam. I'm I'm I'm explaining

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Islam to you and you already know it.

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The real work happens outside.

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That's where Islam is practiced. That's where Islam

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is preached. That's where Islam is advocated. That's

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where people actually carry Islam. Here in the

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Masjid, you're here to This is Masjid, a

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launching pads.

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Ramadan is a launching pad.

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It's where you go and you get yourself

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trained and and and and and you support

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yourself with your community and you feel empowered,

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you feel energized so you can take all

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of that, you can go and you can

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carry Islam outside.

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If it ends there,

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it's it's like you're going for it's it's

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like taking a training course and then

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throwing the surface. Why? Taking a training course

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some in something and never using it ever

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again.

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People do that all the time. It's a

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complete waste of time.

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Ramadan serves as that launching pad. That's what

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we have to see it as. And after

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8, after Ramadan is over, we had to

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take a moment and think about these things.

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Of how are we going to make sure

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that this month is going to be accepted

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for us. Allow this month to do for

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you what it's supposed to do. Allow it

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to influence your decisions and your choices and

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the way you live your life moving forward.

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We are we don't exist in silos in

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this world and we definitely don't exist as

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individuals as in the eyes of Allah Subhanahu

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Wa Ta'ala. We're part of a Jama'ah. Whether

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you like it or not, you're a part

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of an ummah.

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You're a part of ummah till Islam, the

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ummah of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam,

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you're a part of that ummah. You belong

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to this group for better or for worse.

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For better or for worse, you're a part

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of this group. You may like it, you

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may not. It doesn't make a difference. You're

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still a part of the group.

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This group either sails together or it sinks

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together.

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And that has to be the mentality that

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you carry in your head and in your

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heart

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that you will live for it, that this

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is the cause that is worth living for,

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that all that you do is for that.

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And without that concept in your mind, I

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don't know. I don't know what exactly the

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value of of the acts of worship and

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rituals are. I I really don't.

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Last year, I pointed out 5 things

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that I thought were the priorities of of

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of this Muslim community in the West.

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I've actually come more recently to see that

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it's just one thing

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and the rest just serve it.

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There's really just one thing and the rest

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are just there to to help help it

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along. I talked about education.

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I talked about mentorship.

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I talked about outreach. I talked about

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financial centralization. I talked about advocacy. These are

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the 5 things I talked about.

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An uneducated

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will do nothing. A community that's uneducated won't

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go anywhere. It has to be academically and

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Islamically properly educated. They have to know their

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DNA. They have to know what they're doing

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as well. They have to have careers, and

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they have to be able to yeah. They

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have to have good jobs and have good

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careers and have to understand the world and

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and have influence in academics and influence in

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how the world thinks and understands and also

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have to know their deen so that they

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know how to speak in the name of

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their deen.

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And we have to make sure that we

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offer that education to individuals and groups within

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our society, old and young. It doesn't make

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a difference. Man and woman, old and young,

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everyone should be educated. Mentorship, we have to

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make sure that the baton is handed down.

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That if you carry the the the cause

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of your omen the omen in your heart

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that the next generation does as well. It

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doesn't die with you, it doesn't end with

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you. If it ends with you then we

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we there's no point of any of this.

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It has to be handed down. That requires

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personal relationship building capacity.

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That requires you actually taking time and investing

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in people who are younger than you.

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Investing in the younger generation and putting up

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with with everything that comes with that because

00:12:54 --> 00:12:57

that is never easy. It's never been easy.

00:12:57 --> 00:12:59

It never will be easy. It's always difficult.

00:12:59 --> 00:13:00

It's always a headache. It always takes time,

00:13:00 --> 00:13:02

but it's it's it's required and it's obligatory

00:13:03 --> 00:13:04

upon us to do that. We have to

00:13:04 --> 00:13:07

perform proper outreach. Outreach means not just out

00:13:08 --> 00:13:10

reaching out to non Muslims to to bring

00:13:10 --> 00:13:11

Dawah to them, but also to our own

00:13:11 --> 00:13:13

society counterparts.

00:13:13 --> 00:13:15

Muslims who don't find their place in the

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Masjid. Muslim aren't comfortable coming here for whatever

00:13:18 --> 00:13:21

reason. Muslim didn't grow up in Masjid. It

00:13:21 --> 00:13:22

wasn't a part of their upbringing. It wasn't

00:13:22 --> 00:13:24

a part of their culture. But they're Muslim

00:13:24 --> 00:13:25

all the same. We need to out we

00:13:25 --> 00:13:26

need to reach out to them to see

00:13:26 --> 00:13:28

how it is we're going to serve them

00:13:28 --> 00:13:29

and serve their children.

00:13:30 --> 00:13:31

Wealth has to be centralized.

00:13:32 --> 00:13:34

We have to to when we make big

00:13:34 --> 00:13:36

decisions regarding money, it has to be something

00:13:36 --> 00:13:38

that is in the best interest of the

00:13:38 --> 00:13:40

collective, not the best interest of 1 group

00:13:41 --> 00:13:42

or a few a few elitists to have

00:13:42 --> 00:13:44

ideas that they want to move through. No.

00:13:44 --> 00:13:45

It has to be the the interest of

00:13:45 --> 00:13:47

the of the whole group because we only

00:13:47 --> 00:13:49

have the resource of wealth is something that

00:13:49 --> 00:13:52

is not again, infinite. It's finite. You have

00:13:52 --> 00:13:54

to make sure that you operate it properly.

00:13:54 --> 00:13:56

There has to be for the any community,

00:13:56 --> 00:13:57

and we have to have a way to

00:13:57 --> 00:13:59

actually support those who want to get married

00:13:59 --> 00:14:01

and buy homes and start businesses or else

00:14:01 --> 00:14:02

how is it that we're going to empower

00:14:02 --> 00:14:04

our own community? And finally advocacy.

00:14:27 --> 00:14:29

And if your brothers and sisters asked you

00:14:29 --> 00:14:30

for nusra, for an advocacy,

00:14:31 --> 00:14:33

then you offer it unless they're asking it

00:14:33 --> 00:14:35

against people whom you have a covenant with.

00:14:35 --> 00:14:37

In that case Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sees

00:14:37 --> 00:14:37

all.

00:14:38 --> 00:14:40

The disbelievers, your enemies will continue to advocate

00:14:40 --> 00:14:42

for one another and they will stand by

00:14:42 --> 00:14:44

one another and they will have alliances within

00:14:44 --> 00:14:45

each other. If you do not,

00:14:46 --> 00:14:47

This is regarding

00:14:48 --> 00:14:50

If you do not offer them the advocacy

00:14:50 --> 00:14:52

that they are requesting and that they deserve

00:14:52 --> 00:14:56

from you, then will occur and great corruption

00:14:56 --> 00:14:57

on earth will occur.

00:14:58 --> 00:14:59

If you are a if you are requested

00:14:59 --> 00:15:01

to offer your advocacy and your nusla to

00:15:01 --> 00:15:03

those who deserve it from you and you

00:15:03 --> 00:15:05

refuse to do it, then fitna tul falard.

00:15:06 --> 00:15:08

That on earth, there will be a fitna.

00:15:08 --> 00:15:10

Wafasadun kabiran, great corruption.

00:15:10 --> 00:15:12

This is the end of Surah Al Anfal.

00:15:12 --> 00:15:14

I talked about this verse specifically a number

00:15:14 --> 00:15:14

of months ago.

00:15:15 --> 00:15:17

But this is what he's teaching us Those

00:15:17 --> 00:15:19

are the 5 these are the 5

00:15:21 --> 00:15:24

fields that I think our community here in

00:15:24 --> 00:15:25

the west should be prioritizing. Now I could

00:15:25 --> 00:15:27

be wrong, but I talked about this a

00:15:27 --> 00:15:30

year ago, and I only became more convinced

00:15:30 --> 00:15:32

of these 5 because I I reviewed them.

00:15:32 --> 00:15:34

I reassessed. I met with people. I talked

00:15:34 --> 00:15:35

about what could be changed. What can we

00:15:35 --> 00:15:37

remove? What should we add to these?

00:15:38 --> 00:15:40

I really didn't find anything else outside of

00:15:40 --> 00:15:41

them that is required from us as Muslims

00:15:41 --> 00:15:42

living here in the West.

00:16:18 --> 00:16:20

In attempt to try and bring that

00:16:20 --> 00:16:21

to full circle,

00:16:23 --> 00:16:24

I have put up a QR code. Within

00:16:24 --> 00:16:26

this QR code, you'll be able to put

00:16:26 --> 00:16:29

in some basic information and a choice of

00:16:29 --> 00:16:30

1 or 2 of these fields that you're

00:16:30 --> 00:16:32

interested in. I think it's time we put,

00:16:32 --> 00:16:33

you know,

00:16:35 --> 00:16:37

put ourselves to the challenge. If you truly

00:16:37 --> 00:16:39

believe in what I've been talking about, if

00:16:39 --> 00:16:40

this is make if this makes sense to

00:16:40 --> 00:16:42

you, if you believe that Islam is beyond

00:16:42 --> 00:16:42

just rituals,

00:16:43 --> 00:16:45

Islam is not just salaam, siyam, and zakah,

00:16:45 --> 00:16:47

as important as those things are in Islam

00:16:47 --> 00:16:49

for sure. No one Aqdil would say otherwise.

00:16:49 --> 00:16:51

But if you believe Islam is beyond that,

00:16:51 --> 00:16:53

that there's more to Islam than that, that

00:16:53 --> 00:16:55

as Muslims we are required to offer more

00:16:55 --> 00:16:57

than that, then let's see what it is

00:16:57 --> 00:16:58

that people can do.

00:16:58 --> 00:17:00

You get to quickly put in information and

00:17:00 --> 00:17:02

then choose something and then we have a

00:17:02 --> 00:17:03

list. Within that list, once we have a

00:17:03 --> 00:17:05

list of people who are interested in a

00:17:05 --> 00:17:07

certain field, we will start organizing meetings. In

00:17:07 --> 00:17:09

those meetings, we will talk about this specific

00:17:09 --> 00:17:10

field, and how you would like to be

00:17:10 --> 00:17:12

involved, and how to organize the efforts so

00:17:12 --> 00:17:14

we actually get something done in a way

00:17:14 --> 00:17:16

that is beneficial to the community at large,

00:17:16 --> 00:17:18

not to the peep not just to the

00:17:18 --> 00:17:19

people who are congregants and dismissed it or

00:17:19 --> 00:17:21

within this area of the city.

00:17:22 --> 00:17:24

I have come to the conclusion

00:17:24 --> 00:17:27

that the one goal of our existence

00:17:27 --> 00:17:28

is is advocacy.

00:17:29 --> 00:17:32

Everything is here for advocacy. We carry Farbul

00:17:32 --> 00:17:34

Kifaya on behalf of the Ummah. We carry

00:17:34 --> 00:17:36

this communal obligation on behalf of Ummah Muhammad

00:17:36 --> 00:17:39

alayhi salatu wa sallam to speak on behalf

00:17:39 --> 00:17:41

of those who cannot speak, to be the

00:17:41 --> 00:17:42

voice of the ones who have no voice.

00:17:43 --> 00:17:44

Because if you grew up somewhere in the

00:17:44 --> 00:17:45

Middle East, you know

00:17:46 --> 00:17:48

that certain things can you can't there there's

00:17:48 --> 00:17:49

limits to how what you can do. There

00:17:49 --> 00:17:52

are limits and the governments there are making

00:17:52 --> 00:17:54

sure that slowly, the

00:17:54 --> 00:17:56

the the the feeling, the identity of being

00:17:56 --> 00:17:58

Muslim is being pulled out just with time.

00:17:58 --> 00:18:00

Just slowly being removed until almost nothing is

00:18:00 --> 00:18:02

left of it. And the Muslims in the

00:18:02 --> 00:18:04

Middle East don't want them. Most human beings

00:18:04 --> 00:18:07

don't accept. Most Muslims in their hearts, even

00:18:07 --> 00:18:09

if they're lacking basic practice, even if they're

00:18:09 --> 00:18:11

struggling with the basics, they still deep inside

00:18:11 --> 00:18:13

would love to see Islam be in a

00:18:13 --> 00:18:14

better situation. They would don't want to see

00:18:14 --> 00:18:16

Islam. They wanna see oppression. They would love

00:18:16 --> 00:18:18

Islam to be practiced properly and for ethics

00:18:18 --> 00:18:21

to to resurface again. We know this because

00:18:21 --> 00:18:22

we know the people.

00:18:22 --> 00:18:24

But they don't have a voice, and they

00:18:24 --> 00:18:27

don't have anyone to advocate for them. And

00:18:27 --> 00:18:28

you and I exist here, and we have

00:18:28 --> 00:18:31

that right. We have that And because we

00:18:31 --> 00:18:32

have that right, we have that responsibility.

00:18:33 --> 00:18:35

And we carry this as a communal obligation,

00:18:35 --> 00:18:36

as a fardqifaya.

00:18:37 --> 00:18:39

To advocate on behalf of those who have

00:18:39 --> 00:18:41

no one to advocate for them, to be

00:18:41 --> 00:18:42

the voice of those who have no who

00:18:42 --> 00:18:44

who cannot say what they want to say,

00:18:45 --> 00:18:46

That you you and I have to do

00:18:46 --> 00:18:47

that for them. This is our I don't

00:18:47 --> 00:18:49

see any other purpose of us existing here,

00:18:49 --> 00:18:51

and I've been taught them lately this for

00:18:51 --> 00:18:51

10 years.

00:18:52 --> 00:18:54

For 10 years. I never left Syria, by

00:18:54 --> 00:18:56

the way. I was born in Richmond Hill.

00:18:56 --> 00:18:57

I was born in Toronto. I never had

00:18:57 --> 00:18:59

I I left I I lived in Syria

00:18:59 --> 00:19:01

per I mean, by by choice.

00:19:02 --> 00:19:03

I studied there by choice. I stayed in

00:19:03 --> 00:19:05

the university there by choice. I got married

00:19:05 --> 00:19:07

and stayed there by choice. I did not

00:19:07 --> 00:19:07

have to.

00:19:08 --> 00:19:10

But I chose because I could not, in

00:19:10 --> 00:19:11

my mind, figure out why would I come

00:19:11 --> 00:19:13

here. Why would I leave my country and

00:19:13 --> 00:19:15

come here? No offense to anyone here. I

00:19:15 --> 00:19:16

didn't know why I would come here though.

00:19:16 --> 00:19:18

Why would I leave and come to this

00:19:18 --> 00:19:19

country? I didn't see what what purpose could

00:19:19 --> 00:19:23

that serve. My people are there. The ummah

00:19:23 --> 00:19:25

is there. The need for service is there.

00:19:25 --> 00:19:27

So why would you get up and leave?

00:19:28 --> 00:19:29

I was kicked out. I had no choice.

00:19:29 --> 00:19:31

I had to leave or die. So I

00:19:31 --> 00:19:32

left. So now that I'm here, like, why

00:19:32 --> 00:19:34

what am I gonna stay here to do?

00:19:34 --> 00:19:36

What's the purpose? Just to live. Just to

00:19:36 --> 00:19:38

eat and drink. I don't think that's a

00:19:38 --> 00:19:39

very that's

00:19:39 --> 00:19:40

not a high function.

00:19:40 --> 00:19:42

Sian makes you rethink all that. Sian's here.

00:19:42 --> 00:19:44

We'll hold back your food and drink. If

00:19:44 --> 00:19:45

that's all you're living for us, hold it

00:19:45 --> 00:19:47

back in a bit. Maybe take away that

00:19:47 --> 00:19:48

distraction for you for a minute. See if

00:19:48 --> 00:19:50

you can think something bigger. See if you

00:19:50 --> 00:19:52

can zoom out and take a step back

00:19:52 --> 00:19:53

and think again.

00:19:53 --> 00:19:55

There has to be a purpose for our

00:19:55 --> 00:19:57

existence here. I know that's hard to accept,

00:19:57 --> 00:19:59

especially if you're born here. I was born

00:19:59 --> 00:20:01

here too. So you lose that argument.

00:20:02 --> 00:20:03

Being born in a place does not mean

00:20:03 --> 00:20:05

that you don't need a purpose to live

00:20:05 --> 00:20:06

there. No. You need a purpose. Living in

00:20:06 --> 00:20:07

the Middle East, you needed a purpose to

00:20:07 --> 00:20:09

live there. If you I was if you

00:20:09 --> 00:20:10

were born in the Middle East, you lived

00:20:10 --> 00:20:11

there, you had to have a you had

00:20:11 --> 00:20:13

to have a purpose wherever you are. This

00:20:13 --> 00:20:14

is not just for people who are born

00:20:14 --> 00:20:16

here. But when you're here, I find that

00:20:16 --> 00:20:18

people don't take the time to think about

00:20:18 --> 00:20:20

what purpose they serve. They don't.

00:20:20 --> 00:20:21

But you all at the loose end, you

00:20:21 --> 00:20:23

always think, where's my purpose?

00:20:23 --> 00:20:25

Like, well, how do I achieve this idea

00:20:25 --> 00:20:27

that I'm a Khalifa, that I'm a Abd,

00:20:27 --> 00:20:28

that I'm here to serve Allah subhanahu wa'ala.

00:20:28 --> 00:20:30

How do I achieve that? And people living

00:20:30 --> 00:20:33

here, advocacy is what we have to do.

00:20:33 --> 00:20:35

We have to be that voice. And that's

00:20:35 --> 00:20:36

why we have to focus on education

00:20:37 --> 00:20:39

because advocates have to be well informed.

00:20:40 --> 00:20:42

Because advocates have to be well informed. They've

00:20:42 --> 00:20:43

had to be confident in who they are.

00:20:43 --> 00:20:45

And we have to have mentorship because people

00:20:45 --> 00:20:47

do not advocacy is an art. It takes

00:20:47 --> 00:20:49

time. You have to teach it. It has

00:20:49 --> 00:20:51

to be learned through observation. You have to

00:20:51 --> 00:20:53

strengthen people and and and walk them down

00:20:53 --> 00:20:55

this path of learning how to do it.

00:20:55 --> 00:20:57

So you need mentorship. And you need to

00:20:57 --> 00:20:59

outreach because the more people advocate, the more

00:20:59 --> 00:21:01

likely it is that we get what we

00:21:01 --> 00:21:01

want.

00:21:02 --> 00:21:04

More people enter Islam, more Muslims from far

00:21:04 --> 00:21:06

away find their way back to Allah, the

00:21:06 --> 00:21:07

more people who will advocate.

00:21:07 --> 00:21:10

And the more wealth you have to use

00:21:10 --> 00:21:10

for advocacy

00:21:11 --> 00:21:13

as we all know at this point clearly.

00:21:13 --> 00:21:15

We know this all all along, but now

00:21:15 --> 00:21:18

it's it is it is shamefully clear that

00:21:18 --> 00:21:20

money is what speaks. It's not rights.

00:21:20 --> 00:21:22

It's not human rights. It's not blood. It's

00:21:22 --> 00:21:25

there's nothing. It's money. You have money. Everyone

00:21:25 --> 00:21:26

will listen to you and your narrative becomes

00:21:26 --> 00:21:29

meaningful. Your narrative Everyone feels sorry for you.

00:21:29 --> 00:21:32

All of the crocodile tears fall upon the

00:21:32 --> 00:21:34

faces of the lying politicians, the corrupt politicians

00:21:34 --> 00:21:36

of the world, if you have money to

00:21:36 --> 00:21:38

put in their pockets. Otherwise, your blood means

00:21:38 --> 00:21:41

nothing. There's no problem. 30, 30, 33, 35,000.

00:21:41 --> 00:21:43

No. It doesn't matter. Like, it doesn't matter

00:21:43 --> 00:21:45

how many children are burnt and killed and

00:21:45 --> 00:21:46

buried on the rubble and died and lose

00:21:46 --> 00:21:48

their parents. No. Because you don't have money.

00:21:48 --> 00:21:50

But if you had money, suddenly suddenly it

00:21:50 --> 00:21:52

matters. Oh, you have money. Then, well, of

00:21:52 --> 00:21:54

course, your your narrative means a lot, and

00:21:54 --> 00:21:55

you'll stand up in front of people and

00:21:55 --> 00:21:58

they'll be and and imagine, Wallahi, imagine if

00:21:58 --> 00:22:00

Muslims were doing a fraction

00:22:00 --> 00:22:02

of of what the state is doing. A

00:22:02 --> 00:22:04

fraction of what they were doing. Wallahi, a

00:22:04 --> 00:22:06

fraction, not even one thing. Well, only one

00:22:06 --> 00:22:08

thing was enough for for for people to

00:22:08 --> 00:22:09

start talking about everyone

00:22:10 --> 00:22:10

That

00:22:11 --> 00:22:13

double standard unfortunately has nothing to do with

00:22:13 --> 00:22:15

concepts, has nothing to do with with with

00:22:15 --> 00:22:17

the principle, has everything to do with with

00:22:18 --> 00:22:18

money.

00:22:19 --> 00:22:20

We are not the poor community.

00:22:21 --> 00:22:24

We're not poor in anything. We have numbers,

00:22:24 --> 00:22:25

and we have youth, and we have expertise,

00:22:26 --> 00:22:28

and experience, and skill sets. We lack a

00:22:28 --> 00:22:30

little bit of willpower in organization.

00:22:31 --> 00:22:33

A little bit okay. We lack a lot

00:22:33 --> 00:22:36

of it of willpower on organization and leadership.

00:22:36 --> 00:22:37

I'll I'll take that back and we lack

00:22:37 --> 00:22:39

a lot of it. We lack a lot

00:22:39 --> 00:22:42

of organization and willpower. Unfortunately unfortunately

00:22:42 --> 00:22:45

unfortunately, we're still stuck with small

00:22:45 --> 00:22:46

agenda driven

00:22:47 --> 00:22:49

goals. We're still living in our own little

00:22:49 --> 00:22:51

silos. It's still we we're still tunnel visioned

00:22:51 --> 00:22:52

when we're trying to do things. We're not

00:22:52 --> 00:22:54

seeing the bigger picture of what this Ummah

00:22:54 --> 00:22:55

actually needs. Unfortunately,

00:22:57 --> 00:22:58

I don't know until when that's going to

00:22:58 --> 00:22:59

continue to be the case, but it has

00:22:59 --> 00:23:02

to change. All of these things, in my

00:23:02 --> 00:23:02

opinion,

00:23:02 --> 00:23:05

education and mentorship and outreach and wealth will

00:23:05 --> 00:23:06

serve advocacy.

00:23:20 --> 00:23:22

He does not fail to advocate for his

00:23:22 --> 00:23:22

right.

00:23:47 --> 00:23:49

No person will advocate for the rights of

00:23:49 --> 00:23:51

someone else who is being oppressed,

00:23:51 --> 00:23:53

whose wealth and integrity and rights are being

00:23:53 --> 00:23:55

taken away except Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala will

00:23:55 --> 00:23:56

make sure that in the moment where you

00:23:56 --> 00:23:58

want Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala's advocacy and strength

00:23:58 --> 00:24:00

and power, he will offer it to you.

00:24:00 --> 00:24:02

And no one will fail to offer someone

00:24:02 --> 00:24:03

who is being oppressed

00:24:04 --> 00:24:06

advocacy and strength and power and alliance when

00:24:06 --> 00:24:07

they need it except Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

00:24:07 --> 00:24:09

will wait until you're in a position where

00:24:09 --> 00:24:11

you need someone to stand by you and

00:24:11 --> 00:24:12

then he will let you down.

00:24:13 --> 00:24:14

As you let others down.

00:24:15 --> 00:24:16

And his back will be turned on you

00:24:16 --> 00:24:17

and he'll forget you just like you turned

00:24:17 --> 00:24:18

your back

00:24:23 --> 00:24:23

and forgot.

00:24:25 --> 00:24:27

As you were given your our signs, we

00:24:27 --> 00:24:29

sent our signs. What's happening right now is

00:24:29 --> 00:24:32

one of the most glaring signs that we've

00:24:32 --> 00:24:32

ever seen.

00:24:33 --> 00:24:35

One of the most glaring signs of God

00:24:35 --> 00:24:37

you've ever seen what's happening in Gaza today.

00:24:38 --> 00:24:40

And what's been happening in the Muslim world

00:24:40 --> 00:24:41

for the last 3 decades.

00:24:42 --> 00:24:44

It's a sign that is so glaring and

00:24:44 --> 00:24:45

so it's it's blinding.

00:24:45 --> 00:24:47

It's blind it's worse than eclipse.

00:24:49 --> 00:24:49

Everyone got

00:24:50 --> 00:24:51

excited to stare at,

00:24:52 --> 00:24:52

2,

00:24:54 --> 00:24:54

objects

00:24:54 --> 00:24:56

in the terrestrial coming in front of each

00:24:56 --> 00:24:57

other.

00:24:57 --> 00:24:59

What what about what's been staring us in

00:24:59 --> 00:25:01

the been blindingly staring us in the face

00:25:01 --> 00:25:03

for the last 30 years? All of this

00:25:03 --> 00:25:05

zwolim that's been occurring, and the lack of

00:25:05 --> 00:25:05

care,

00:25:06 --> 00:25:08

and the lack of of of commitment and

00:25:08 --> 00:25:10

lack of grit for it all. What about

00:25:10 --> 00:25:10

that?

00:25:11 --> 00:25:12

You think that

00:25:15 --> 00:25:17

think a star and a and a moon

00:25:17 --> 00:25:19

sitting in front of each other just

00:25:19 --> 00:25:21

is more impressive to you than than a

00:25:21 --> 00:25:24

child that's eating grass or a mother who's

00:25:24 --> 00:25:26

mourning her baby or a father who's lost

00:25:26 --> 00:25:27

everything.

00:25:28 --> 00:25:29

There's no there's no comparison.

00:25:30 --> 00:25:32

That is God screaming at you. That is

00:25:32 --> 00:25:32

Allah

00:25:33 --> 00:25:34

yelling at you saying wake up.

00:25:35 --> 00:25:37

You need to wake up. You have to

00:25:37 --> 00:25:38

get up.

00:25:38 --> 00:25:39

You have to start living differently. You can't

00:25:39 --> 00:25:41

afford to live like this. You can't. We

00:25:41 --> 00:25:42

can't. We can't afford to live like this

00:25:42 --> 00:25:43

anymore.

00:25:43 --> 00:25:45

Ramadan has to be a point where we

00:25:45 --> 00:25:46

we make a decision

00:25:47 --> 00:25:49

and we turn our lives around. Let Ramadan

00:25:49 --> 00:25:51

do that for you. So that insha'Allah your

00:25:51 --> 00:25:53

your Ibad, all the time you spent will

00:25:53 --> 00:25:53

be accepted.

00:25:54 --> 00:25:56

So it'll be accepted insha'Allah ta'ala because you

00:25:56 --> 00:25:57

want you want to be accepted. Don't don't

00:25:57 --> 00:25:58

we want acceptance?

00:25:59 --> 00:26:00

Anyone here that is is sure and and

00:26:00 --> 00:26:02

and confident about their acceptance?

00:26:02 --> 00:26:04

You're confident that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala accepted.

00:26:04 --> 00:26:05

How do you know?

00:26:05 --> 00:26:08

That confidence on its own is arrogance because

00:26:08 --> 00:26:10

you have no you're you're stating something you

00:26:10 --> 00:26:11

have no knowledge of. I want to be

00:26:11 --> 00:26:13

accepted. I know you do too. And if

00:26:13 --> 00:26:14

you want that to be the case, then

00:26:14 --> 00:26:16

we have to start making some decisions here.

00:26:16 --> 00:26:18

And it's not just about feeling masayed. It's

00:26:18 --> 00:26:20

about actually doing the work. The work happens

00:26:20 --> 00:26:22

actually outside of Masayed. This is where you

00:26:22 --> 00:26:23

come when you're tired.

00:26:23 --> 00:26:25

When you're out there fighting and you're working,

00:26:25 --> 00:26:27

you're speaking and and you're defeated

00:26:27 --> 00:26:29

and and you've been let down and you're

00:26:29 --> 00:26:31

tired, you come here. You come here and

00:26:31 --> 00:26:32

your heart finds the solace that it's looking

00:26:32 --> 00:26:35

for. It finds that serenity, finds that peace.

00:26:35 --> 00:26:37

When you're out there, you're trying, you're pushing,

00:26:37 --> 00:26:39

and it's frustrating, and there's one challenge after

00:26:39 --> 00:26:41

the other, and you've fallen down, and you've

00:26:41 --> 00:26:43

slammed your face on the concrete meat a

00:26:43 --> 00:26:44

100 times, and you feel broken, you come

00:26:44 --> 00:26:46

to the masjid, and you find your heart

00:26:46 --> 00:26:48

in the Masjid, you find those who stand

00:26:48 --> 00:26:49

by you and support you and aid you

00:26:49 --> 00:26:50

and strengthen you. That's what these places are

00:26:50 --> 00:26:51

for.

00:26:51 --> 00:26:53

That's what these places are for. That's what

00:26:53 --> 00:26:55

he used them for Alayhi Salatu Wa Salam.

00:26:56 --> 00:26:57

The Ali when he built the message that

00:26:57 --> 00:27:00

you always come here, we come, we regroup,

00:27:00 --> 00:27:01

we regroup here,

00:27:02 --> 00:27:04

we debrief here, we become the member, we

00:27:04 --> 00:27:06

remind ourselves of why we're doing it. We

00:27:06 --> 00:27:06

say,

00:27:09 --> 00:27:10

For you, we will live for you, we'll

00:27:10 --> 00:27:12

die for you. Everything we have is from

00:27:12 --> 00:27:14

you. You take what you want, you leave

00:27:14 --> 00:27:15

what you want, then we're happy with it.

00:27:15 --> 00:27:16

Just allow us to do something that is

00:27:16 --> 00:27:18

in service of you that will make you

00:27:18 --> 00:27:18

satisfied.

00:27:18 --> 00:27:20

That's all we do. And we come back

00:27:20 --> 00:27:22

and then we go and work outside.

00:27:22 --> 00:27:25

Take a moment. Scan it. Put your name.

00:27:25 --> 00:27:26

Let's see if we can do something. I

00:27:26 --> 00:27:28

know this has been tried before probably many

00:27:28 --> 00:27:30

times. Maybe it didn't work out for whatever

00:27:30 --> 00:27:33

reason. This now but it's still worth trying.

00:27:33 --> 00:27:34

Getting people's

00:27:34 --> 00:27:35

energy

00:27:35 --> 00:27:37

and whatever it is that they're interested in

00:27:37 --> 00:27:39

doing in the service of their ummah. So

00:27:39 --> 00:27:40

that when you meet Allah, they said I

00:27:40 --> 00:27:42

tried. I was good at, I can't do

00:27:42 --> 00:27:44

a I have education, mentorship. That's all I

00:27:44 --> 00:27:45

can do. I don't understand money.

00:27:46 --> 00:27:48

Outreach is outside of the Masjid. I'm I'm

00:27:48 --> 00:27:50

stuck inside here. And advocacy, I don't have

00:27:50 --> 00:27:51

that.

00:27:51 --> 00:27:53

I I don't have the skill set for

00:27:53 --> 00:27:54

that. You need someone who is much more

00:27:54 --> 00:27:56

cool headed to speak and and do these

00:27:56 --> 00:27:58

things. Figure out what you're good at. Wait.

00:27:58 --> 00:27:59

What can you do? What what are you

00:27:59 --> 00:28:02

interested in? Sign up, do something. Work with

00:28:02 --> 00:28:05

your group, work with your community, work in

00:28:05 --> 00:28:06

to strengthen it. That was that's my message

00:28:06 --> 00:28:08

for you this week inshaAllah ta'ala, to try

00:28:08 --> 00:28:10

and and and move this forward so that

00:28:10 --> 00:28:12

we actually have something to to to share

00:28:12 --> 00:28:13

and talk about. Maybe we could you'll be

00:28:13 --> 00:28:15

well, I a little bit of of, just

00:28:15 --> 00:28:17

a few accomplishments for a for a community

00:28:17 --> 00:28:18

can can go a long way in terms

00:28:18 --> 00:28:21

of morale. I feel like our problem as

00:28:21 --> 00:28:22

Muslims is that we haven't really accomplished anything

00:28:22 --> 00:28:23

that we can be proud of.

00:28:24 --> 00:28:26

Right? So we have all the masjid. No

00:28:26 --> 00:28:28

one's no one's see, no one's very,

00:28:28 --> 00:28:30

Yani, proud of masjid.

00:28:30 --> 00:28:32

And and for good reason, because people like,

00:28:32 --> 00:28:33

yeah, so what? So the new masjid.

00:28:34 --> 00:28:35

Deep inside, we all know there's nothing we

00:28:35 --> 00:28:37

can't be proud of that. There's nothing there.

00:28:37 --> 00:28:38

It's just a new space. You spot a

00:28:38 --> 00:28:39

space, you put a sujid, and you have

00:28:39 --> 00:28:40

a guy standing up front yelling at people.

00:28:40 --> 00:28:42

It's it's it doesn't mean anything. What you

00:28:42 --> 00:28:44

want where show me some actual work. Yeah.

00:28:44 --> 00:28:46

You're in a Quran program. They were in

00:28:46 --> 00:28:48

Quran programs everywhere. They were in Quran programs

00:28:48 --> 00:28:49

as we speak in Gaza. As they're being

00:28:49 --> 00:28:52

bombed. They they they everyone does that. Show

00:28:52 --> 00:28:54

me something else. And now that we see

00:28:54 --> 00:28:55

all of what's happening in the world, we

00:28:55 --> 00:28:56

know that that's something else has to be

00:28:56 --> 00:28:58

in the field of advocacy, has to be

00:28:58 --> 00:29:00

in the field in getting our rights

00:29:00 --> 00:29:03

and and and raising our voice and pushing

00:29:03 --> 00:29:05

back against a narrative that is evil, that

00:29:05 --> 00:29:06

is racist, that is disrespectful,

00:29:07 --> 00:29:08

that is double standard.

00:29:09 --> 00:29:11

That is that's what that's what will bring

00:29:11 --> 00:29:12

back some morale for us. You want to

00:29:12 --> 00:29:14

feel that you want something for your children

00:29:14 --> 00:29:16

to look up for look look forward to

00:29:16 --> 00:29:17

look back at and feel good about, then

00:29:17 --> 00:29:19

let's just do some work. Let's actually achieve

00:29:19 --> 00:29:21

something for this nation. Let's achieve something for

00:29:21 --> 00:29:23

our community. Let's say that we have strength.

00:29:23 --> 00:29:25

We have unity. We have some work. We're

00:29:25 --> 00:29:27

we're accomplishing these. We're pushing a narrative forward,

00:29:28 --> 00:29:30

and then people start feeling feeling better about

00:29:30 --> 00:29:32

it all. And once people start feeling better

00:29:32 --> 00:29:33

about it, they'll they'll work harder.

00:29:34 --> 00:29:35

And that's where I think we should, you

00:29:35 --> 00:29:36

know, spend our time.

00:32:01 --> 00:32:03

Think every day about the millions of people

00:32:03 --> 00:32:04

who made du'a this Ramadan.

00:32:05 --> 00:32:07

And remember, Allah subhanahu wa'ala only accepts du'a

00:32:07 --> 00:32:09

from those who are sincere and focused. He

00:32:09 --> 00:32:09

only accepts du'a from those who are sincere

00:32:09 --> 00:32:09

and focused.

00:32:10 --> 00:32:10

He

00:32:11 --> 00:32:13

He only accepts dua from those who are

00:32:13 --> 00:32:14

focused and sincere. He doesn't accept the dua

00:32:14 --> 00:32:16

from a heart that is distracted and far

00:32:16 --> 00:32:18

away. No, no. You have to be living

00:32:18 --> 00:32:20

the life. You have to live a life

00:32:20 --> 00:32:21

that reflects that which you are asking for

00:32:21 --> 00:32:23

and that which you want from him, subhanahu

00:32:23 --> 00:32:24

wa ta'ala. I hope that was a benefit

00:32:29 --> 00:32:30

to you.

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