Self-Discipline and Grit

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URI read Allah who became will use Alajuela you read will be common also, while you took me to like the he says Subhanahu wa darland the verses that speak of cm indeed Allah what He wills and he wants for you.

When decreeing upon you fasting, he wants for you ease, he does not want for you difficulty and he wants you also to fulfill your role to fulfill the days and to fulfill His commands Subhana wa Tada

as I usually do in Ramadan, my hope was are more designed as reminders.

As I find that everyone in Ramadan is focused or trying to be as focused as possible on their iba, on good deeds and improving their own status.

I don't like starting series and Ramadan because I feel like it's better even for my own self to focus on that same thing. So I'm gonna offer you three reminders to short and one a little bit more of the bulk of the hotbar. The first reminder is the reminder, I offer every single hotbar throughout Ramadan, I've been doing that for eight straight years here at least more you track me back elsewhere

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renew your intentions. This is not just a it's not just because I need something to fill in the material of a hotbar very important throughout Ramadan that you take a moment you step back and you renew your intentions again, intentions get rusty, they get old, we get distracted, we deviate we forget what it was that we set out to achieve to begin with. It's just the nature of who we are. It's how we are we we require reminders. And the best reminder you can offer for yourself and this is basically you installing a internal reminder where you're always you're always using Friday to renew your intentions for whatever you do, but especially in Ramadan. This is when the

ninth day of Ramadan, we're coming close to the first third of the month, this is around when the graph starts to slowly come down.

This is when the numbers start to come down, where you start to having a zoom or something, you have people coming to your house, or maybe you're going to someone else's house. So you give yourself a

a free day card. I'm not I can't go today, because I have people or I can't go today because I was at someone's house, or I'm too tired, or actually I'm, I need a day off. So you start offering yourselves excuse self excuses, and the numbers start to come down. And then one day leads to two leads to three. And then you get into the bad habits and slowly, only you find yourself right at the doorstep to the last 10 Nights barely figuring out how you're going to do those, those last 10 Nights appropriately. This is a very good time to renew your intention. What is it that you want, as long as what you want from Allah subhanho wa Taala has not been granted to you. Or you have no

evidence that Allah subhanaw taala has given you what you're asking for.

Or that what you're asking Allah subhanaw taala for has not changed in value. And there is no good reason under the sun for you to change your approach that you started the month out with.

If what you want from Allah subhanho wa Taala continues to carry the same value that it carried at the beginning of Ramadan. And as long as you have no evidence that Allah subhanaw taala granted it to you then tell me based on what do you start to decrease your energy and your efforts? There's no censinet there's no logic. If what you want to steal what you want, and it's still at the same value, then you continue to commit yourself in the same way. That's well how am I going to do that? Because it's hard, you renew your intention. So So honey, you go back and you and you take a look why, why am I doing this? What do I want? Here's what I want valuable? Here's what I want important?

Do I really, really want it? How much do I want it?

Are some of the things that I want? Others are competing with me? And do I need to maybe push myself a little harder to make sure I get the answers to any of those questions or yes, then you need to

find your way back, I can tell you that this year has been interesting. Imams all over the city. I've talked about increased numbers in comparison to last year. So I believe that there's something happening. And I believe that in the minds of Muslims in the hearts of Muslims, there is a desire. My job is to make sure that you stay on track to stay focused. Make sure your eyes on the end and the end game, the end line the finish line. Don't Don't deviate way too early. Don't deviate, focus on what you want, continue to move forward. Most of my reminders just so that it's clear. Most of my reminders are designed towards those who are my younger brothers and sisters. No offense, you're

older. If you have sisters who are families. Alia income, honestly, may Allah strengthen you as difficult as it is what I'm saying these things, I'm always thinking my mind if you're younger, if you're my age or younger. Look, you have no excuse. If things don't get better moving forward, this is the best is going to be this is when you commit yourself. There's no other time. There's nothing there's no other time to say No, I'll do it next year or the year after. Or once I graduate from high school. And once I get into university or once I get into medical school, once I get into law school, I'm gonna say no, no, no. You see, as you move forward, you only get busier and life only

gets more difficult. There's no better time than right now. Do it now. How old are 1015 2025 3035 Makes no difference? Right now is the time to do it. If you want to build your connection with Allah subhanaw taala you do it now. There's no point honestly, there is no point at all. This is not me just saying it because I want you to this is the truth of the matter that this is the time to do it. But you think you're going to be less busy when you're married? Or when you have killed children? Are we going to live this western idea that you're going to wait until you're until retirement until you actually turn to Allah subhanho? wa taala? Yes, yes.

There's no sense in any of that. That's my first. My first rule

number two,

I was given permission to actually

share this story without naming the brother but I was given permission by him Yachi me to share this story. A brother of mine here radio brother

had a really severe scare last year where they found a lesion in the lung.

I looked at it with him and I was just as scared as the concert as the physicians were this is what I do for a living so I looked at it look it didn't look good.

So he spoke for a while and sha Allah Al Hamdulillah. Let's go through get get get the results. So see what's what is going to show

hamdulillah it came back that it was just a really, really nasty infection. Really nasty infection, nothing, nothing malignant so far, but very nasty infection. It was told that this infections may be very difficult to deal with you may even have to have a part of your lung removed if not the whole thing is a very it was a very it's a messy situation. This brother had been smoking for orange for over 35 years.

for over 35 years he's been smoking.

So I talked to him. He said maybe just maybe it's finally time. We left it at that he would come and he would share with me later that he had stopped smoking. And yeah, completely quit and now only had he

He quit but one of his sons who was smoking because most fathers who smoke, their sons will smoke

it most fathers who smoke their sons are going to smoke. What do you think is going to happen? If you smoke?

What do you think is going to happen? That miraculously somehow your children won't. Why? If you do it, then they're going to do it. Don't waste your time. If you're smoking, don't even waste your breath. Well, I don't even waste your breath telling him not to. Because the hypocrisy that appears from your mouth is so harmful for you and harmful for your deen and your character, I would say just hold your tongue.

But he stopped smoking, and his son stopped smoking. And his home now is a smoke free area. And he has never felt better. And he asked me to actually share his story today. Because he wants to get it out to some of his brothers and sisters who smoke that is if you still smoke stop, because stopping is better. And you will be happier. And you will find you will find more about aka in your time and about okay in your health and Baraka in your home. So stop smoking. But if you have the problem, if this is something you got caught up with at some point in your life, stop it now. Give me a better time. Go ahead. Offer me a better opportunity than a day where you have to spend 17 hours where you

can't smoke anyways.

A day that's filled with Baraka, where the doors of heaven are open, we can't smell them because of your smoke.

We're not smelling the doors of heaven open because two people too many people are smoking, maybe stop smoking. Do that for your health. Do that for your children. Do that for your OMA do that for your wealth. Imagine how much more money you could put together imagine how much more soda you could be giving without actually feeling it just if you stopped a bad habit. And this is what I want to share with you.

My third and last reminder is the bulk of today's Ramadan teaches us in addition to compassion and empathy, you talked about that last week. In addition to that Ramadan is very good at teaching us grit and self discipline.

And the reason that I'm sharing these topics throughout the month is because I feel like sometimes we go through Ramadan we go through the motion of Ramadan will be fast and we pray. But we don't sometimes notice what the lesson is like what the underlying lesson that Allah subhanaw taala is trying to teach us. And when that happens, we ended up with that when we don't know the curriculum is we don't know what the objective of the of the learning what the learning objective is. We don't learn it. And then we don't know how to continue it later on. And then we just default we just reset right back to how we were before Ramadan waiting for another Ramadan to come. And that's not

helpful. But what you benefit in Ramadan is actually being able to build on what you got. The self discipline and grits is very part of the Prophet alayhi salatu salam This is his code. This to me is one of most beautiful quotes that exists in the world. He says ladyship Lee says should you do it? How do you think with difficulty? Lisa Shadi do the surah in Nimisha. Do you do lithium liquid and if so who and the strong person is not the person who can beat you up physically, will continue down and punch your face into the pavement. That's not the smart, strong person amongst you. The strong person amongst you is the one who's able to control themselves. When they are being triggered when

they are being pushed when their buttons are being pushed. When someone is trying to get them angry, is the person who can completely control themselves. No problem. I'm not letting you do that. To me. That is a *ty that's the strong person.

Carl Jung says that enlightenment is only achieved through controlled strength and discipline, enlightenment, you want to be enlightened in your life. But you need to control your strength, and you need to pick these dips. There is no hype in this world without discipline, there is no way is it possible. We cannot you can't imagine anyone on Earth. achieving anything, or mounting to anything without discipline is impossible. And you know that because if you have children, you know exactly what I'm talking about this what you worry about. If your child is not disciplined, they're not going anywhere. They're not going to be able to get anything done because they don't have that

self discipline.

A an exercise I give to some of my some of the students. This is something I've been doing for over 20 years.

Is that at Maghrib

Maghrib. Instead of actually having a full meal, which is what we do. You have a few dates. You drink water, some soup, and that's it.

And for years and years, I tell people to do it. And the guys look at each other, they smile, they look at me, they laugh and then we go on with our day. It's as simple as that. Yes, of course he's going to say it again this year. So I said again the next year and they look at each other again, they'll have a good laugh and then they go on and then he keeps on going

every couple of years one person will say I'll give it a try she'll and they'll give it a try. and wallah hate you will be surprised if you drove try this at some point what it does to you there is a little bit of the switch that turns on in your in your inside of you that you didn't know existed. Because you don't realize that for all these years you were just fasting for iodine Milgrim you're the worshipped thing for you was molded by that that's what you're waiting for. That was your beloved you fell in love with a girl McRib and that's what mattered to you. Once you think when you stop eating Maghrib Well, you don't have anything to look to look forward to it Muslim anymore. You

don't need to look for it. You're not gonna have a full meal. If anything you're gonna watch people devoured the all the

food that's hot and good. And you're gonna have to eat leftovers later on. So you just stop looking forward to stuff. And when you stop looking forward to it, you start fasting for a different reason, your whole conceptualization of fasting changes, because you're not looking forward to a specific moment anymore. It's too far after Tarawa is way too far. Now, obviously, you need to, you need to break your fast immediately. By then, immediately, you don't give a moment unless you have your W after water, you have to sue.

But the fact that you're not having a full meal, it does something to your mind. Because you're not we're not used to self discipline. It's a degree and a level of self discipline. That's very difficult. That's not enjoyable at all. Because your nurse is like is putting up with cm your nurses basically putting up with you? Like, fine, we're not going to eat whatever you don't, it just seems not to be something I can argue we argue about with you. Fine, we'll fast. And then you will tell it we're not going to eat on Monday when the food is hot. And that's when the nurses like enough is enough. Enough is enough. No, we're gonna eat a Muslim. And when you actually fight and you don't do

it, and you win. Now, it's almost like if you play video games, you level up, alright? Well, Allah, you just do level up. Because now you have a degree of self discipline that you did not have before. You're You're in control, you're the one who says you're not eating, because your Neff says it can't handle anymore, you're eating because you want to eat and you won't eat because you don't want to eat, it's completely up to you. You You're in control. Now. It's a very, very valuable. And once you start doing, you know, stop doing, I've been doing it for 20 years.

Now, it's not a problem at all. You stop looking forward to food policy, you stop thinking about food, you're hungry, you're thirsty, I'm not thinking about food. I'm not thinking what was being cooked today, I don't care, it doesn't make a difference to me, not because my mom makes great food, I just I don't mind, it doesn't matter, you stop thinking about it that way. It's very important to try and experience some of these things.

And I can see everyone's looking at no one's gonna do it. But that's fine. As long as long as you understood for me what I explained, maybe you can contemplate it. Maybe in a few years, you'll give it a shot. And you'll see that it actually does open up something inside of you.

Another piece that I think Ramadan is very good at teaching us when it comes to self discipline.

Right now you're fully functional, you are fully functional. You're going to work every day, you're actually spending more time outside of the house doing activities that you wouldn't do outside of Ramadan, you're coming to the message you're praying, and you're fully functional on much less food, and definitely much less sleep.

So the question becomes well outside of Ramadan, when you have more food and you have more sleep?

What should your performance level actually look like? Shouldn't it be better, technically, should it not be better. So if it's not, then the problem becomes that means that the more that Allah is giving you, you're not you're using is becoming a barrier for you. Allah is giving you more. And instead of using that more, to achieve more to go farther, it's a barrier. It's holding you back. Because outside of Ramadan, you're not praying for them. So here's more food and more sleep and opium.

That's very scary. That would Allah subhanaw taala gave you the extra gifts that Allah Subhan Allah is bestowing upon you His blessings are being used as obstacles and barriers between you and the and what and who you could be and what you could achieve in your life. And Ramadan is reminding you don't let that be the case. The more the extra that we give you mentioned it's used. Make sure you're more productive after Ramadan, make sure that you're using the fat because we think about it. I know that you think about this, when you're at work, you're like, right now I'm doing everything. If I could eat though, if I could have my coffee or my tea on us, I would totally be like the best

person whatever it is I am doing. But then after Ramadan comes in, that's not the case. That's not the case at all. But why because we're not utilizing Allah's NEMA and this is a scary piece. This is the scary piece when ALLAH SubhanA gives us something and we don't utilize it appropriately. And that's why self discipline is so important.

Allah honey welcome. First of all, we have a Camilla frozen Mustafi installed federal law.

hamdu Lillahi wa wa sallahu wa salam O Allah, Allah may Allah be your bada. While early he was so happy he went Manitoba Anna who were worth the money well how it can be Surah Ramadan Okay, boom, you know Kadima Allah tells Kiera hotels keratin Osceola tin coated keratin Paseo Ratan

Torino enough he went to a new comb and a little teaser maybe Muhammad on Allah Who Subhanahu wa Taala behavior Ramadan but they were you know not only stuffer that he mean had the shahidul Karim karma young ballerina and Mr. Federman bow what any funny well karate just didn't want to come behind the in fact on our team in a shovel yarn Hatfield, who then have to follow Nursey to tarawih oil spill

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is a contract to dokkan Berkeley if you had a shotgun carrying either two liter beer they'll say you either love the Tikka Bill Murghab where he gave me a real curry Tikka Bill Tila if he my bad Viola Dick has a lady atellica PHE V Malik. Well, if you saw heartache earlier and who he heard the show, he'll Kareem you better recollect Allah subhanho wa Taala if he if he or take you by the clock, Allah subhanahu Medina FEMA, we will gladly collect Allah Who SubhanaHu wa Tada if Yeah, like I'm a 30 for the shahidul JANA Allah subhanahu wa Lenna Liwa liminal immovables Liwa liminal elitism, you are limited to hakomi Desert Tez Kia

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or to hokhmah be the D will be Masha ad he will be in theology he won't be able to do it fairly. He will try it but I agree but Bob please and Melody Jana whom into ad melody generator Houma La Ilaha illa Allah Hadeel Kelly Maya Utley to Harry on us to harira communal collude with Arcana tadi Kalama LEM to Hariri coming for you Oh, the neffs isn't here Lem. LEM tuck them higher to her feet bad.

He says to pine on what to Ireland and this is a first I explained a couple of nights ago until we have recited and sorted out off after telling us the stories of all of the women that came before us. All the nations nations have no holidays to them and who didn't saw they can do it and try they're all They're all punished all the people who are punished. He says at the end of them.

The first is almost like

almost like disappointment.

Almost like Allah subhanaw taala is just disappointed. And just expressing his how disappointed he is. And he just says, well, now we're judging the accetti him and we're in we're judging accelero whom the first 18 We didn't find most of them to be able to hold a covenant.

We found most of them quick to deviate. Quick to get distracted quick to lose focus on what path we put them on.

You gave your covenant to Allah subhanaw taala for a lot of things all of us did. When we said La Ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad Rasool Allah, we've offered the covenant that we will stick to this teaching, you will stay with it, we will stay the course till the end, till the end, whatever the end will look like. Whenever the end comes, we're in it for the long haul or till the end, till the bitter end. That's what grit means is that you're there, you're always going to be there, it's easy to say I'm going to commit and you commit for a month and a half, or two or three, and then you fall off the grid, and you come back later. And then you fall off again, you come back there people who

work in massage like myself, we see this all the time, people fluctuate in and out. Very rare, very rare. I just have someone who is who has the grit when he when they when they start, they're there with you till the last moment. It's very rare. It doesn't happen very often. And if you if an imam or someone who worked in MSA finds it, it's very, very it's a gem very valuable. Someone who's willing to put to prioritize Allah subhanaw taala and his teaching regardless of what's happening in their lives, of course, your life is going to be fluctuating. Of course, of course, your life is a bunch of variables. Of course, one day you're happy and the other you're not and one day you're

committed one day you're healthy the other day you're not and one day you have time and then the other day you're not and one day

this is life, what did you expect? But that doesn't change those who have grit, it doesn't change them. Ramadan proves to you. Ramadan proves to us. Oh, you totally can do it. Here's 30 days and 30 Nights, you will not miss one. You won't miss one, you will fast them all, and you'll pray them all and you'll be fine. It won't put a dent into who you are at all. It won't hold you back. Yeah, a little bit more tired. You're a little bit more hungry, but that's okay. That's okay. You survived. And you're actually a little bit more productive than you were before. It's a beautiful feeling to have. That concept of grit is so meaningful. It really is. And, and Ramadan is designed to teach us

that. Take that in absorb it allow it to be a part of who you are. Remind yourself that we are here for the long run for the long haul till the end. We're not part time Muslims. Don't be like that. Don't don't look at it like that. I'm here I'm here for them I've been and then I've no no, no, no, no. This is an issue. You commit to this. You commit to that with the Prophet Allah you thought Do you offer your covenant

To Allah subhanaw taala you don't deviate, you stay the course until the end. And to me that's the most valuable thing that Ramadan can teach you. Because it can it can teach you that if you can learn that from Madonna, if you allow Ramallah to teach you that, then you're set in sha Allah for life. And Madonna has already showed you that you can. The question is,

will you

the question after Ramadan isn't Can you that's already been established.

It's the ninth day, you've already established that you've established that you can. The question is, will you That's all it's an issue of willpower, which is if you take if you if you break it down and take a few steps back is just self discipline and grid. That's all it is. And Allah subhanaw taala the Day of Judgment asks you not Could you do it? Why didn't you do it? You can't argue and say No, I couldn't Of course you could. You I gave you Ramadan as an example. You were able to do more with less for 30 straight days, definitely could have done it. But then desire of doing it is a whole different. It's a whole different story. I'll end with that. And Chautala while Mo and Allahu

ml on the Emmeline Aleem and for calling in Allah Who am Allah you gotta who you saw Luna Alain de yeah you are living in manual Salah Ali he was suddenly moved as Lima Allahumma Salli ala Muhammad meanwhile early Mohammed can also lead to Allah Ibrahim Isla early Ibrahim barbaric Mohammed in wider early Mohamed Kamau Bell, McDonough Ibrahim and Lila Ibrahim good I mean in Mecca hamidou Majeed, what are the Allahu Akbar it Lula for that? I'll be back on model man. Well I leave what are the Allahu Manzo jaati he meaning one early hippo giving apart herein one Sahaba T hill or in Maya Nene Juanita in element Tabea whom BSN in Isla Yomi Dean one ma whom bureau of Motyka hammer raw he

mean Allahu Melba Vierling Muslim in a Muslim match well meaning me not Allah here even whom well I'm what Allah whom my parentage whom Allah Muhammad Amin when I finished school Reuben microbeam what vile Emanuel mu mean what if I bully man in love blue mean, Dima and what do you mostly mean? Allah Who Montessori one and animal Rob you're playing in FET MSG de la cosa what would

it be? I mean, what do you mean eco Isla de Nicola done Jamila Allahumma barik lana fuchsia hurry Ramadan Alohomora filter now if he you know see what you know pm what you know what, billable sorry What if we listen what the cop Berman I am hola Anna in Nikka and destiny Eileen what hola La Quwata illa de la vie de la in La Jolla mobile bill ideally when he even when one in fascia you will carry well data you're able to Kamala Khan to the karoun There are three fundraisers coming up in the community one is on Sunday for the lmm the second of April over at the LLM. And they have been offering free of bars all month long. And I thought it was worth kind of pointing that out and

Hamdulillah that this year they offered them for free for everyone. And then after that on Thursday, the Islamic Relief also has an Iftar somewhere downtown. It's on Thursday, April 6 And then on Saturday, Mike has a thought as well. The see what you're able to to actually attend and see who you can support to keep our organizations afloat and show it to Allah