Ali Albarghouthi – Being Honest with Allah

AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of honesty in politics, social media, and media. They stress the need for honesty in one's actions and commitment to Islam, as it relates to personal experiences and actions. They also emphasize the importance of avoiding topics like decadeate behavior and bribery in publicity. The speakers emphasize the need for honesty in everything, including speaking truthfully, and encourage people to be honest with their actions. They emphasize the importance of honesty in protecting against diseases and weaknesses, and emphasize the need for acceptance in life. They also emphasize the importance of honesty in building a father's image and being honest with one's tongue.
AI: Summary ©
Inna alhamdulillahi nahmaduhu wa nasta'ainuhu wa nastaghfiruhu
wa na'udhu billahi min shururi anfusina wa
sayyi'ati a'malina may yahdihi allahu fala mudhilla
lah wa may yudhlil fala hadiya lah wa
ash'hadu alla ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika
lah wa ash'hadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa
rasuluh Sallallahu alayhi wa ala alihi wa sahbihi
wa sallam amma ba'du fa inna khayra al
hadith kitabullah ta'ala wa khayra hadi muhammadin
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wa sharra al umuri
muhdathatuha wa kulla muhdathatin bid'ah wa kulla
bid'atin dhalalah wa kulla dhalalatin finnaar amma
ba'd It's indisputable that we are living in
a dishonest world.
There is rampant dishonesty all around us.
There is dishonesty in politics that almost everyone
is witness to, to national relations.
There is dishonesty in business.
There is dishonesty in entertainment.
There is dishonesty in social media that you
witness daily if you're on it or even
become a participant in it because that is
what is dominant.
There is dishonesty in how people present themselves,
how they carry themselves, who they claim they
are to the effect that it is the
dishonest, the liars, are the ones who seem
to prosper.
And in the face of all of this,
it is important not to surrender to all
of this just because it's dominant, it's the
norm.
That's what people do.
But to resurrect the virtue of honesty, of
as-sidq, which is fundamental to Islam and
to your practice of Islam.
That is when the Prophet ﷺ, he was
sent with a message of Islam.
It is called in the Qur'an as
-sidq.
وَالَّذِي جَاءَ بِالصِّدِقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِ Those who brought
the truth and they believe it.
And the one who brought the truth is
Muhammad ﷺ.
It's called as-sidq, what is honest.
And those who believe in it honestly, those
who will prosper and triumph with Muhammad ﷺ.
When the Byzantine emperor asked Abu Sufyan before
Abu Sufyan's Islam, does he ﷺ lie about
people?
Did you experience him lying?
And he said, no, never once did he
lie.
And then he said in reply to that
question and the answer he received, he says,
he would not leave lying about people and
lie about God.
Meaning if his habit is not to lie,
never to lie, then he would not lie
about God when it comes to God.
Honesty, as-sidq, does not simply mean that
when you speak, you're honest with your speech.
It does include that.
It's not limited to it.
As-sidq, honesty is inclusive of all of
us.
Everything that we do, internally and externally, must
yield to honesty.
So there is honesty in your intention.
Sidq, in your ikhlas.
Meaning what do you want from all of
this?
What do you want when you worship Allah?
Do you want Him or someone else?
What do you want when you pray?
What do you want when you fast?
What do you want when you give sadaqah?
Are you honest with Allah عز و جل
that this is for Him?
Without that, it's dishonest.
You look like someone, but in reality you're
someone else.
There has to be honesty in ikhlas.
And there has to be honesty in commitment
to Allah عز و جل.
As-sidq ma'a Allah عز و جل.
Allah عز و جل said in the Qur
'an, وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَوْ لَا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٍ
The believers say, why not a surah be
revealed?
Meaning surah where there is command or at
least permissibility to fight.
Allah continued and He said, فَإِذَا مَا أُنْزِلَتْ
سُورَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالِ رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ فِي
قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَخْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ
الْمَوْتِ فَأَوْلَى لَهُمْ طَاعَةٌ وَقَوْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ فَإِذَا عَزَمَ
الْأَمْرُ فَلَوْ صَدَقُوا اللَّهَ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ He
says, but you see that when a surah,
a clear surah comes down and it mentions
fighting, prescribing it, you will see those who
have disease in their hearts looking at you
as if they're about to die.
It is better for them to obey Allah
and speak righteously.
And when the matter gets serious, if they're
honest with Allah, then that'd be better for
them.
And what does it mean when the matter
gets serious, when it's actually time to fight?
What does that mean that they are honest
with Allah, means that they commit themselves to
Allah's command.
They say, we believe this is from Allah,
and we commit ourselves to it, and we
will do our best to fulfill it, and
we'll ask Allah for help.
And He says, if they do this, it'd
be better for them.
And this is what it's called, as-sidqu
ma'allah, that you'd be honest with Allah,
you'd be honest with His religion.
And then you get to ask yourself, am
I honest with Allah عز و جل in
His religion, in adhering to it?
How many of us say, I wanna be
a better person, I do wanna pray, I
do wanna fast, I wanna put the hijab
on, I do want to avoid these sins,
and we say these things, and maybe we
partially mean them, but we fail.
Why do we fail?
Had we been really honest with Allah عز
و جل in wanting these things, Allah will
aid you, Allah will guide you, Allah will
facilitate these things for you and me.
But because we partially want them, but partially
we do not want them, we don't exert
ourselves, we don't push ourselves, we don't really
wish for it.
Because really, the mark of wanting something is
devoting your whole self to it.
You see those who really want to be
rich, and I mean really want to be
rich, they give their whole life to it.
And maybe they get it or maybe they
don't.
Those who wanna be famous or successful, that's
their preoccupation.
They keep at it until they achieve that
goal, and maybe they get it and maybe
they don't, because this is dunya after all.
Not everybody is gonna get what they want
from it.
But if you want something religiously, ask yourself,
are you honest with Allah?
Are you honest with yourself that you want
this particular thing?
فَلَوْ صَدَقُ اللَّهِ If you truly honest with
Allah Azza wa Jal in wanting this thing,
then you would commit to it and say,
I want it.
And you will ask Allah for it, and
you will do your best to get it.
And if that happens, that will be better
for you.
And if you do that, Allah Azza wa
Jal will give that to you.
There is once an Arabi, a Bedouin, who
came to Muhammad a.s. And he accepted
Islam and he said, I wanna migrate to
where you are.
And he migrated.
And in one of those battles, after they
fought the enemy for some time, and they
got to rest.
When they were resting, the Prophet s.a
.w. was dividing the bounties that they got
from that battle.
And he gave him his share.
So that man came to the Prophet s
.a.w. and he said, Ya Rasulullah, O
Messenger of Allah, what is this?
This is something that Allah Azza wa Jal
has for you as a consequence of your
participation.
He said, O Messenger of Allah, I did
not enlist, I did not fight, I did
not follow you for money.
I followed so that an arrow would fly,
hit me in the neck and kill me.
And I'll be martyred for the sake of
Allah Azza wa Jal.
So Rasulullah s.a.w. said, If you
are honest with Allah, Allah will repay that
honesty.
Meaning if this is really what you want,
and this is really what you're trying to
get, Allah will give it to you.
Then the battle resumed.
And then an arrow flew, and hit him
exactly where he had pointed.
And he fell dead.
They carried him to the Prophet s.a
.w. He said, Is he the same man
who came before and said what he said?
They said, Oh yes, O Messenger of Allah.
He said, He was honest with Allah, and
Allah Azza wa Jal repaid him for that
honesty.
Then the Prophet s.a.w. shrouded him,
wrapped him in his own jubbah, in his
own clothes.
And he prayed janazah for him.
And they said, What we could hear from
what he said, a.s. in the dua,
Allahumma hadha abduka, qad hajara fee sabeelika, wastushhida
fee sabeelika, wa ana shahidun alayhi.
He said, O Allah, he is a servant
of yours who migrated to you, was martyred
for your sake, I'm a witness for him.
If you're honest with Allah Azza wa Jal,
Allah elevates you in ways and to places
you did not think possible.
Allah will be beside you to support you.
But the thing here is, where are we?
Internally and externally.
Intasduqillaha yasduq.
If you really are honest with Allah, Allah
will repay you for that honesty.
You want to stay away from that sin,
from that swamp, from that contamination, from that
lifestyle, you really want it.
He said, Be honest with Allah.
Inside, ask Allah for it.
Allah said, I really want it.
And then externally, do whatever is possible for
you to escape it.
And Allah Azza wa Jal will get you
out of that thing, no matter what that
thing is.
Nothing is greater and more powerful than Allah
Azza wa Jal.
Falaw sadaqullaha, if you're honest with Allah, that
would be best for you.
In another story, Anas ibn Nadr radiyallahu anhu.
He said, for some reason he did not
witness the battle of Badr.
And he said, I've missed the first battle
with the Prophet alayhi salatu wa salam.
Indeed, by Allah, if he were to allow
me another opportunity, Allah will see what I
will do.
Minal mu'mineena rijalun sadaqu ma'ahadullaha alayhi.
Among the believers are men who are truthful
in what they have promised Allah Azza wa
Jal.
They say this was revealed about that.
So in the battle of Uhud, when Muslims
or some Muslims withdrew and flee, Anas ibn
Nadr, he said, I am innocent of what
they are doing.
And he head towards the enemy.
Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, he said, where are
you going?
He said, I can smell Jannah closer to
me than the mountain of Uhud.
I can smell like physically, I can smell
Jannah closer than the mountain of Uhud.
And I want you here to process all
of this because all of this happens because
of honesty with Allah Azza wa Jal.
I'm giving my life, I made a promise,
I'm fulfilling this promise.
Jannah, I can smell it closer than Uhud.
Qala Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, famastata'tu an a'mala
ma'amila ya Rasool Allah.
He says, O Messenger of Allah, I could
not match what he has done.
When he was killed, they counted how many
injuries he had in him.
And it was 80 plus.
He had been struck with swords, spears and
arrows.
And he was mutilated.
And his sister could only identify him with
his fingers.
He was honest with Allah Azza wa Jal.
And Allah was honest with him.
And so, as you are practicing Islam, as
you're obeying Allah Azza wa Jal, think to
yourself about the bounty that awaits you when
you say, I believe that this is the
truth.
And I will commit myself to it.
I have no doubts about it.
I will commit myself to it.
And when I do this, Allah Azza wa
Jal will open the doors that you need
for you to reach it.
أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم فاستغفروه
الحمد لله رب العالمين حمدا كثيرا طيبا مباركا
فيه ملء السماوات وملء الأرض وملء ما شئت
من شيء بعد أما بعد Of honesty or
the branches of honesty is for the inside
to match the outside and the outside to
match the inside.
For the devotion that is exhibited externally, the
khushu' for it not to simply be something
that gets performed by the limbs, by the
body, but the heart is absent and the
heart is distracted and the heart is rebellious.
So you have to ask yourself because the
discrepancy, the difference between the outside and the
inside that is the mark of hypocrisy.
هذي سيمة المنافق The essence, the leg upon
which hypocrisy stands is lying.
الكذب Where the inside is different than the
outside, the public is different than the private.
So you have to ask yourself, What am
I?
Who am I?
Among people versus alone.
Among family versus friends.
Externally when people see me or in the
masjid versus privately and secretly when no one
can watch.
My heart versus my body and if there
is a mismatch between all of these things,
you have to bring it back into harmony
and never be content with, I'm outside righteous
but inside unrighteous.
I'm publicly good but internally I'm not.
I wish for the worst but no one
knows about it but I keep hiding it.
And you live this type of life.
You have to bring both into harmony.
So you say, If people think I am
the best, I should be the best.
If people think I'm righteous, my heart should
be righteous as well.
Otherwise something is missing and it will catch
up with you when Allah Azawajal tests you.
Because under the pressure of that test, you
will not be able to maintain that facade.
You will collapse.
And the inside will come outside.
And the weakness and the disease will come
outside.
And people lose their faith, and people lose
their iman, or lose their taqwa, or lose
their practice.
Where did this come from?
Whereas we could see you before and you
could see me before, a righteous person.
It's because the inside was dishonest.
أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ
لَا يُفْتَنُونَ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ
اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ It says, do
people think that they will be left alone
to say we believe and they are not
gonna be tested?
Indeed we tested those who came before them.
And Allah will know and differentiate between those
who are honest and those who are not,
those who are lying.
Those who say, but they don't truly believe.
So you're living in a world today where
you are going to be tested day and
night, year after year.
Tested physically, tested mentally, tested with your money,
tested with your family, tested religiously.
And if there is no honesty on the
inside to match what you're doing on the
outside, you will collapse.
Honesty protects you in the dunya, and honesty
protects you in the akhirah.
قال الله هذا يوم ينفع الصادقين صدقهم Allah
said, this is the day when the truthful,
the honest will prevail because of their honesty.
How did they become honest?
It didn't just simply begin or end with
their tongue being honest when they speak.
They're honest in everything that they do, in
the claims of iman, in their practice, in
their commitment, in their lifestyle.
This is why a siddiq is called a
siddiq.
This is if you ever imagine or hope
to be a siddiq.
How do you become a siddiq like Abu
Bakr r.a?
It's because everything that he had done is
honest.
What he says, what he commits to, his
life, his promises, his speech, all of it
is honest.
And you can begin with honesty on the
tongue.
You can begin there, but you should not
just stop there.
And Rasulullah a.s. said, إِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي
إِلَى الْبِرَّ وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَلَا
يَجَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ صُدِّيقًا
He says, honesty leads to righteousness.
And righteousness leads, where does it take you?
Takes you to Jannah.
And you'll continue to be honest until you
will be with Allah a siddiq.
So if you want the first path to
the level of righteousness, al-bir, is to
be honest with your tongue.
Don't lie.
Never lie.
Never lie.
Because lying leads, as he said, عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ
وَالسَّلَامُ, to sinfulness, الفجور.
And that leads to hellfire.
And you'll continue to lie until you are
with Allah a liar.
Written with Allah, known with Allah as a
liar.
So you wanna begin, and say, I will
only speak the truth with my tongue.
I will not lie.
Not embellish, not exaggerate, not hide the truth.
I will always be truthful.
Because after all, this is the character of
the Prophet عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ.
And Aisha رضي الله عنها, she said, مَا
كَانَ خُلُقٌ أَبْغَضَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ
وَإِن كَانَ الرَّجُلُ لَيَكْذِبُ عِنْدَهُ الْكِذْبَةِ فَيَجِدُ عَلَيْهِ
بِهَا حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ أَنَّهُ أَحْدَثَ مِنْهَا تَوْبَةً He
said, there is no character that the Prophet
عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ hated more than lying.
And a person would lie in front of
him.
And the Prophet عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ would continue
to be uncomfortable with this person.
Upset with him.
Until he knows that he had repented from
this particular sin.
There is a discomfort that the Prophet عَلَيْهِ
الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ had with liars.
And so if you want the path of
righteousness, do not lie.
And then when it begins as not lying
with your tongue, extends into not lying in
your lifestyle, with your deeds, with how you
present yourself, who you claim you are.
It will include how you live, what you
claim to believe.
It will include you on the inside and
you on the outside.
And when that happens, then you are righteous
enough to fight the falsehood that is around
you.
And never submit to it.
And never surrender to it.
So I want you here to ask yourself,
بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَىٰ What is it that
you believe in?
And do you believe it?
And are you willing to commit yourself to
it?
If it is the truth, and you believe
it's gonna take you to Jannah, what is
stopping you from following what's gonna take you
to Jannah?
Rationally, what is stopping you from following what
is gonna take you to Jannah?
If Allah said one thing and your nafs,
your hawa is saying something else, and you
know and you believe what Allah said is
better, what is stopping you from embracing what
Allah has said?
And being honest with Allah and what He
said about your belief, what is stopping you
from following it?
And you know that it's gonna bring you
the best results in the dunya and in
the akhirah.
Not the least of it is what?
Serenity.
He said, عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ أَلْصِدْقُ طُمَأْنِينَهُ وَالْكَذِبُ
رِيبًا He said, honesty is serenity, comfort.
Whereas dishonesty is agitation and discomfort.
You'll find the liars, whatever lie they partake
in, and they bring into their life, always
uncomfortable, always dissatisfied.
And you'll find the honest, always happy, always
serene, pleased with whatever Allah Azawajal had given
them.
So they ask yourself, if this is true,
you should be truthful in following it, and
committing yourself to it, and asking Allah Azawajal
for it.
And nothing again is greater than the power
of Allah Azawajal.
So we ask Allah, أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ to make
us of the truthful and with the truthful.
We ask Him, رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ to give us
truthful tongues, and truthful hearts, and truthful bodies.
We ask Him, رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ to make us
of those who are devoted to His religion,
and to the sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ
internally and externally.
We ask Him, رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ to cleanse our
hearts.
O Allah, we ask You, we plead with
You, we know that our hearts have hardened,
we know that our hearts are rebellious, and
they are filled with sin.
We know our hearts have strayed away.
We ask Him, رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ to soften our
hearts.
We ask Him, رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ to purify our
hearts.
We ask Him, رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ to bring our
hearts to You.
We ask Him, رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ to fill our
hearts with iman, with taqwa, with Your love,
and love of Your Prophet ﷺ.
We ask Him, رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ to make Jannah
an easier path for us, and Hellfire a
more difficult path for us.
We ask You to bless us and our
spouses, our children, our parents, our families, our
communities.
We ask You to bless the Ummah of
Muhammad ﷺ.
We ask You, رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ to send Your
mercy upon all Muslims, the afflicted, those who
are in hardship, wherever they may be, in
particular in Palestine, in Sudan, and any other
place where a Muslim may be suffering.
اللهم آتنا في الدنيا حسنة وفي الآخرة حسنة
وقنا عذاب النار اللهم يا مقلب القلوب يثبت
قلوبنا على دينك اللهم يا مصرف القلوب صرف
قلوبنا على طاعتك اللهم أعنا على ذكرك وشكرك
وحسن عبارتك ولا تجعلنا من الغافلين