Ali Albarghouthi – The Disease and the Cure #38- How Can We Develop a Sound Heart
AI: Summary ©
The concept of sh principle is discussed in various ways, including confusion around the meaning of sh principle and potential negative consequences. It is emphasized that pursuing one's true values and finding one's true values is crucial to achieving them. The importance of guidance and finding oneself the right way is also emphasized.
AI: Summary ©
So, let me know inshallah when to start.
So last, when Ibn al-Qayyim, rahimahullah, was
talking about how the true bliss in this
world is the bliss of the heart and
the soul, and the bliss and the joy
of the people of Iman.
And that true misery belongs to the unfaithful,
those who have went astray and are distant
from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
And we talked about how Allah azza wa
jal restores the good life to those who
believe.
And those who disbelieve are deprived of all
of that.
You remember when we talked about that last
week.
So last sentence he mentioned, that we talked
about, he said, is true living except the
living of the heart, the sound heart, al
-qalbu s-sadi.
Is true living, meaning blissful, good living, except
the living of al-qalbu s-sadi.
So Ibn al-Qayyim, rahimahullah, now he's going
to talk about al-qalbu s-sadi.
What is this al-qalbu s-sadi?
So he's going to define it, hopefully in
a way that you're not going to need
any other definition after, if you inshallah pay
close attention to what he's saying.
So, first of all, he said that this
salamatul qalb, the purity, the cleanliness of the
heart, that's why al-qalbu s-sadi is.
It's a heart that is healthy, free from
illness, free from defects.
So you can translate it as the sound,
or the pure, or the clean, or the
healthy, whichever one of them or all of
them, as long as the image that you
have in your health of the heart that
is complete.
So that's the al-qalbu s-sadi.
He says that this is tied to Ibrahim
a.s. in two ayahs.
Allah a.s. describing him as such, when
Allah a.s. said, وَإِنَّ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ لَإِبْرَاهِيمِ
He says, indeed of his kind, or of
the faithful like Nuh is Ibrahim a.s.
When he came to his Rabb, بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
So Ibrahim came to Allah, he possessed this
al-qalbu s-sadi.
So the person most identified with al-qalbu
s-sadi prior to Muhammad a.s. is
whom?
Ibrahim a.s. So he had the best
heart.
That's why he was selected a.s. to
be Khalilullah.
His heart was the best heart.
So he had reached the highest levels of
devotion to Allah a.s. as we will
see what al-qalbu s-sadi is.
And he said also in another ayah, when
Ibrahim a.s. himself is speaking, when he
said, يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالُهُ وَلَا بَنُونَ On
the day when money and children will be
of no help except for the one who
comes to Allah a.s. with a clean,
pure heart.
قَلْبٌ سَلِيمٌ That's the only thing that helps
with Allah a.s. Nothing worldly helps except
that.
So both of these are tied to Ibrahim
a.s. Now he's going to try to
define that for you.
So he says, وَالْقَلْبُ السَّلِيمُ هُوَ الَّذِي سَلِيمَ
مِنْ So the safe heart, the healthy heart,
the one that is healthy, meaning does not
have the following.
Safe from the following.
He says, شِرْكٌ وَغِلٌ وَحِقٌ It doesn't have
shirk in it.
Somebody is listening.
So it does not have shirk, does not
have hatred, meaning the wrong type of hatred,
grudges, wanting to destroy other people, wanting the
worst for them.
There's no ghil, there's no hiq, there's no
envy.
It's not a miser, stingy heart.
There's no arrogance.
And it is free from loving the dunya
and power or fame.
وَحُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَالْرِيَاسَةِ حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا here you must
understand it as what?
It doesn't mean that he hates the dunya.
Because there are things in the dunya that
you do love.
It's just natural.
The spouse, the children, things that are halal.
So he's not saying hate that.
But what does he mean?
As we talked about before, hating from the
dunya what distracts you and takes you away
from Allah Azza wa Jalla.
Hating from the dunya, the haram.
So there is something haram, something that is
harmful, in it, he hates it.
And also the dunya is not his primary
goal and motivation.
He's not living for the dunya.
Living for the akhirah.
So he's able to rid his heart of
that overwhelming love for the dunya, which all
people have by default.
All people by default, inborn in them, is
an overwhelming love for the dunya that takes
over.
So he says he is able to rid
himself of that.
So he doesn't want it.
He loves the akhirah.
At the same time he loves things of
the dunya but they don't dominate.
And he does not love riyasa.
He doesn't want power.
He's not seeking fame.
Does not seek recognition.
Does not want positions.
He's not thinking about that.
خَلَمَ فَسَلِمَ مِنْ كُلِّ آفَةٍ تُبْعِيدُهُ عَنِ اللَّهِ
So he's free from any illness, any disease
that distances him from Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
And from every doubt that contradicts Allah's statements.
And from every desire that contradicts Allah's command.
So here again Ibn Al-Qayyim is laying
out foundations.
So how is this healthy heart gonna be
healthy?
So okay, what does contradict Allah azza wa
jal?
So Allah azza wa jal when He reveals,
He reveals two things.
Two main categories.
One is a khabar, a statement, a fact,
and with that you're supposed to believe.
And a command, and with that you're supposed
to comply.
These are the two things.
Allah tells you about things and then you're
supposed to believe them.
And then tells you to do things and
you're supposed to do them.
So what contradicts those two things?
He says doubt about the veracity, the truthfulness
of Allah azza wa jal.
Allah tells you A, you doubt it.
So a sick heart will doubt Allah and
His statements.
Is there a day of judgment?
Is there a punishment in the grave?
Do the aggressors get punished in the dunya
and in the akhira?
Do you get rewarded?
Is Allah's promise true?
All of these things.
And also facts, facts about the prophets, facts
about what happened in the past, what will
happen in the future.
All of these are khabar.
So with the khabar you're supposed to believe,
utterly believe.
The shubha comes and you doubt.
So that's an illness.
Shubha is an illness.
And you will feel that the heart will
be distraught, the heart will be in agony
if it doubts Allah's statements.
Because you'll say, I don't know if this
is true or not.
So you cannot believe, you cannot worry, you'll
be agonizing over whether the Quran is right
or not, the sunnah is right or not.
And then if anything is true or not.
So the khabar, you have to believe.
The amr, the command, you have to comply.
So if the person has a shahwa, a
desire, that kid contradict Allah's command.
So Allah tells you to pray but you
wanna sleep.
Allah tells you to fast but you wanna
eat.
Allah tells you not to take money that
is haram but you want to be rich.
Allah tells you not to eat and drink
that but you'd wanna try it because you
are curious.
Or you think, what's the big deal?
Everybody is doing it.
I'll be forgiven, etc.
etc.
That's a shahwa.
So if a person has a strong shahwa,
that undermines Allah's commands.
If he has a strong shubha, it undermines
Allah's statements.
The facts that Allah Azza wa Jalla tells
us to believe in.
قَلِمَ وَسَلِيمَ مِنْ كُلِّ إِرَادَةٍ تُزَحِّمُ مُرَادَةٍ وَقَاطِعٍ
يَقْطَعُ عَنَ اللَّهِ And he is safe also
from any intent that contradicts Allah's intent.
Allah wants something and you want something else.
You work on yourself.
You keep working on yourself.
You keep working on yourself until you erase
any intent that contradicts Allah's intent.
Or at least you subjugate.
So all of us, again, by nature, you
will have things, you want things, you have
intentions that contradict Allah's intentions.
Allah wants something, you want another.
Have you faced that?
Absolutely.
You want something, Allah wants another.
So then you have to choose, either you
follow what you want or you follow what
Allah wants.
He says, As-Saleem was able to do
what?
And it's not a process that is going
to end in a day or two or
maybe a year or two.
But it's a struggle where you continue to
subjugate that desire to what Allah wants.
You say, No, I'll follow what Allah wants
even though it's hard.
No, I'm gonna do what Allah loves even
though it's hard.
I'll wake up for salah.
I will not eat this.
I will not drink that.
I will not look at this.
I will not take this job.
I will not travel to this land.
I'll sacrifice.
So you'll sacrifice and it's hard.
But when you do this, the self is
dominated.
The self is subjugated.
The self is led.
It's not leading you.
And so eventually, when the love of Allah
Azza wa Jal increases, then any other desire,
any other intent diminishes.
May not completely disappear but it's very weak.
So he says, That is Al-Qalbu As
-Saleem.
He says, This clean heart, he says, is
living in Jannah, in this dunya, and in
the grave, in the barzakh, and in the
hereafter.
He says, It's not gonna be truly clean
and truly pure until it is safe from
five.
Safe from five things.
He says shirk, that contradicts tawheed.
And a bid'ah, that contradicts a sunnah.
And a shahwa, a desire that contradicts Allah's
command.
And a ghafla, heedlessness, unawareness, distance from Allah
that contradicts remembering Allah.
Wahawa, and a desire that contradicts sincerity.
Compliance.
So he says, These five, you must be
safe from them.
Then you have a clean heart.
And what does he begin with?
Shirk.
To understand that no one can have a
serene, comfortable heart while disbelieving in Allah Azza
wa Jalla.
And that is a revelation by the way.
Because for those who do not focus on
religion or they don't take it into account
as they are trying to address people's hearts
or people's mental health conditions.
He says, If you're gonna try to treat
the heart without focusing on Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala, you'll never be able to achieve
your objective.
You'll partially be able to do something.
Someone has anxiety, you'll be able to help
them with it.
Maybe.
Somebody has a case of depression or a
case of this or a case...
Maybe you'll be able to treat it here
and there.
But to truly treat a heart, you cannot
achieve that without focusing on Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
Because that is the most important component in
getting or achieving the serenity, the comfort of
the heart.
Allah Azza wa Jalla is the center.
And Allah is the center of the medication
that treats the heart and the soul.
So you cannot run away from Him subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
Without Him, you'll be able to try to
rely on tricks.
Try to do this, try to do that,
try to think about this, try to go
here, not to go there, not to think
about this.
But you have no anchor, you have no
middle.
But when you have Allah Azza wa Jalla,
then you can treat everything with His help.
But you can treat everything because you can
always go back to Allah Azza wa Jalla.
And it is from Him that medication, that
healing comes forth.
As the Prophet ﷺ said, وَشْفِي أَنْتَ الشَّافِي
لَا شِفَاء إِلَّا شِفَاءُكَ And heal.
You are the healer.
There is no healing but you're healing.
Right?
اللهم أذهب الباس رب الناس واشفِي أنت الشافِي
لَا شِفَاء إِلَّا شِفَاءُكَ شِفَاءً لَا يُغَادِرُوا سَقَمًا
So heal.
You are the healer.
That's one of the names of Allah Azza
wa Jalla is what?
The healer.
الشافي لَا شِفَاء إِلَّا شِفَاءُكَ There is no
healing but yours.
So if Allah Azza wa Jalla is absent,
the heart cannot heal.
In even worldly matters, the heart cannot heal.
You'll be able to treat temporarily in a
minor fashion, some of its problems.
But not really.
Not fully.
And not in a way that gives it
that complete comfort that Ibn Qayyim is talking
about.
That Jannah.
That serenity.
That contentment.
You cannot have that.
So Allah Azza wa Jalla is the center
of it.
So whenever you are distressed internally, you have
to go back to Allah Azza wa Jalla.
Just like a horse goes back.
Right?
Or any animal goes back to the barn
where he sleeps and where he eats.
Where is your center?
It's important to always recognize your center.
Whenever there is a problem.
I have a problem with my wife.
I have a problem with my husband.
I have a problem with my children.
I have a problem with my neighbor.
Where is your center?
It's like you have a rope and you're
tied to it.
Where is your center?
You come back to your center.
Because when you go back to the center,
you'll be able to strengthen your relationship with
Allah and then trace back your steps to
understand what led you into the trouble that
you're in.
And then fix it.
But you always have a center.
You always come back to Allah and ask
Him.
You always go back to the Quran and
read it.
It's always a center.
People without Allah have no center.
And that makes it chaotic and confusing.
So he says the first is shirk.
The second is bid'ah, deviation from the
sunnah.
So the second pillar.
So is it enough to just say I
believe in Allah Azza wa Jal?
You have to worship Him.
So how do you worship Him?
You make it up?
It was revealed.
So that's what he's talking about.
You don't innovate.
You don't deviate from the sunnah.
So you submit by following the sunnah And
subhanAllah, he says that is a condition for
having a good heart.
You won't be able to have a good
heart unless you have the sunnah with you.
And if you deviate, then you deviate from
your own comfort.
If you take in a bid'ah, it's
gonna distress you.
The third he says, وَشَهْوَةُ خَالِفُ الْأَمْرِ He
says this is a desire that contradicts Allah's
command.
We talked about this, right?
Just now.
غَفْلَةُ نَاقِدُ الذِّكْرِ He says the heart cannot
be pure, cannot be clean if it is
distant from Allah.
So you must not have ghafla.
You must remember Allah Azza wa Jal all
the time.
So dhikr is important.
Every ibadah is dhikr.
Quran is dhikr.
And the general dhikr that we all are
aware of is dhikr of Allah Azza wa
Jal.
Anything that keeps you connected to Allah is
dhikr of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So he says must not have ghafla otherwise
your heart will not be well.
You may know, but you're not acting.
And he says وَهَوَىٰ يُنَاقِدُ التَّجْرِيدَ وَالإِخْلَاصِ He
says and a desire that contradicts sincerity to
Allah Azza wa Jal.
So you must also be free from that.
So what is the difference between a shahwa
and hawwa?
Because both of them get translated as desire,
right?
Shahwa is desiring the physical.
So desiring women, food, right?
That's shahwa.
Hawwa is to want something that contradicts Allah's
command.
So Allah Azza wa Jal commands you to
be just, you're unjust.
That's you followed your hawwa.
Allah tells you to worship this way, you
worship otherwise.
You followed your hawwa.
So they are connected in the sense that
hawwa is a result of you following your
shahwat.
So when you follow your shahwa, so if
you wanna understand, why do people, you know,
if Allah Azza wa Jal says to Dawood,
وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ Do
not follow hawwa or it will distract you
and divert you from the path of Allah
Azza wa Jal.
So judge by what Allah has revealed.
And don't follow hawwa.
So why do people follow hawwa instead of
what Allah Azza wa Jal want?
What is it that they get from following
the hawwa?
They get dunya.
They get power.
They get money.
They get favors.
So following hawwa is based on following shahwa.
Because of these desires, because you love them,
now you wanna start to follow your own
thinking.
Not what Allah wants, but your own thinking
of what is right and what is wrong.
That's hawwa.
And Allah Azza wa Jal says, أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ
اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ Have you not seen the
one who has taken his hawwa as his
ilah?
Meaning, whatever he wants, he does.
Because that position is supposed to be or
to belong to whom only?
Allah Azza wa Jal.
So you see how the contradiction is?
Allah Azza wa Jal is supposed to be
the one whom whatever he said, you do.
Whatever he said, you do.
There are people who will give that to
their selves.
Whatever I want, I'll do.
So the Muslim, the believer, is supposed to
dethrone himself and put Allah Azza wa Jal
on the throne.
Allah is the king, not he.
Or not she.
Not the I.
Allah Azza wa Jal is.
To remove the self and put Allah Azza
wa Jal.
Allah Azza wa Jal said, Ya Allah, what
do you want me to do?
Not what I want to do.
What do you feel like doing?
No.
Ya Allah, what do you want me to
do?
And then you say yes.
Even if it is disagreeable to you.
Then you do it.
So he says, if you have these things
and you submit to Allah Azza wa Jal,
this is Al-Qalb al-Saleem.
So the five things again.
There is no shirk.
There is no bid'ah.
There is no shahwa.
There is no ghafla.
And there is no hawwa.
He says, all of these are veils that
keep you away from Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
And under each one of these main categories
are a lot of examples and instances that
are beyond count.
Meaning you could take everything that Allah Azza
wa Jal hates, that distance you from Him
subhanahu wa ta'ala, and it could be
under one or two of these categories.
You could say, oh this, that's shahwa.
This, that's hawwa.
This, that's ghafla.
That's shirk.
That's bid'ah.
Everything.
So these are the main categories.
So it's a good way to think about
everything that Allah Azza wa Jal wants and
does not want from you.
And also to think about how that you
could keep your heart clean.
Stay away from one, two, three, four, five.
Right?
Qala wa li thalika.
Now he's gonna talk about the need for
as-sirat al-mustaqeem.
He says, okay, this is who we are.
This is what we need, which is the
pure clean heart.
This is what stands between us and that.
Then he says, this is why, and now
you'll understand why we need as-sirat al
-mustaqeem.
He says, that's why it's important that, or
necessary, that a person should ask Allah Azza
wa Jal to guide him to the straight
path, as-sirat al-mustaqeem.
Because a person does not need anything more
than that.
And there is nothing more beneficial than that.
And this is why, wallahu a'lam, that
is, in terms of obligation, that is the
dua that you repeat the most.
Right?
When you say, ihdina as-sirat al-mustaqeem.
You may have other dua that you say
more than that, but that is voluntary.
The most obligatory dua that you say every
day is ihdina as-sirat al-mustaqeem.
And he is saying that, this is the
most beneficial dua.
He'll explain why.
Qala fa-inna as-sirat al-mustaqeem.
What does it contain?
Because he talked about the clean heart.
What is it?
He defined it.
What does it contain?
How you can get it?
Now with as-sirat al-mustaqeem, we always
hear about as-sirat al-mustaqeem.
What does it contain?
And this will answer the question of what?
Our people who may say, well, I'm already
on the straight path.
Then why I keep asking Allah Azza wa
Jalla to guide me to it.
So he says, yatadhammanu ulooman wa iradaat.
He says, it includes knowledge and intentions or
desires.
So what you know and what you want
to do.
wa a'malan wa turukan zahira wa baatina tajri
alayhu kulla waqt.
And then actions, our commands and prohibitions that
are internal and external, that are an obligation
on him throughout the day.
So he's saying, what is it then that
does it contain?
Sirat al-mustaqeem, knowledge.
You must know.
That's part of as-sirat.
You must wanna know.
And then there are things that you're supposed
to do and things that you're not supposed
to do.
And these are divided into internal things and
external things.
With me?
Is that confusing?
No.
qala fatafasilo al-sirat al-mustaqeem qad ya
'lamuha al-abdu wa qad la ya'lamuha
He says, the details of the straight path,
you may or may not know it.
And what you know may be a lot
less than what you do not know.
And what you know, you may be able
to do or not.
So he's kind of progressing into what is
missing.
So he's saying now, begin with knowledge.
There are a lot of details about as
-sirat al-mustaqeem.
You say, like what?
You say, okay, after salat al-dhuhr, should
I go A or B?
Should I accept this or reject it?
You meet a person, how do I react
to them?
Be nice or cruel?
You have an opportunity, accept it or reject
it?
You go back home, there's a problem, how
do you fix it?
You're met with a challenge, met with a
temptation, small or big?
How do you handle it?
All that is knowledge, right?
So there's a lot to know, he's saying.
So he says, you may know or not
know.
And even the things that you know may
be a lot less than the things that
you do not know.
So there's a lot of things that you
need to know.
And maybe what you know at this moment
is enough for you today.
Tomorrow you need to know a lot more
because new things are going to happen.
So you're asking Allah, O Allah, teach me
what I will need to know for tomorrow.
I don't know it today.
Teach me what I need to know when
I have a child, when I get married,
when I get older, when I get in
trouble, when, when, when.
So who is going to teach you this
except Allah عز و جل?
That's part of as-salat al-mustaqeem.
Then he says, even the things that you
know, I know this is right, I know
this is wrong.
You may be able to do it or
not.
And he says, and it is part of
as-salat al-mustaqeem even if you're unable
to do it.
So by asking for as-salat al-mustaqeem,
you're asking for ability also.
I know this is right, but how many
of us know but don't follow?
So as if you're asking Allah عز و
جل, Allah عز و جل move me from
inability to ability.
And from wanting it, not wanting it to
wanting it.
He says, even if you're able, you may
not always want to do it.
So move me from not wanting it to
wanting it.
Like cleanse me of laziness, or neglect, or
any other obstacle.
And even what you want, you may not
do for whatever reason, for whatever obstacle.
And even when you do it, he continues,
even when you do it, you may be
sincere in it or not.
And even if you're sincere, you may follow
the sunnah or not.
And even if you follow the sunnah, you
may be continuous or not.
He says, look at the obstacles.
So how are you gonna reach the end
where you know what you're supposed to do,
you want what you're supposed to do, you're
able to do it, you're actually doing it,
you have ikhlas, you have following the sunnah,
and you're continuous.
How will you be able to do this
if Allah does not guide you to that
straight path?
So there is no guarantee that you're gonna
pray the next salah.
Not because you're gonna die, because the hearts
are with Allah عز و جل and you
don't know.
There's no guarantee that if there's gonna be
a problem tomorrow, you'll know how to fix
it.
Or you'll be able to count, or you'll
be able to be patient.
Or if there's any doubt, or if there's
any shahwa, any desire, that either of these
things could overwhelm you.
Or the shaitan could attack you.
So the possibilities are almost limitless, and you
need Allah's protection and Allah's guidance.
So that's as-sirat al-mustaqeem.
So the next time you're asking Allah عز
و جل, اهدنا الصراط المستقيم, you understand what
you're asking for.
Teach me, and let me love the truth,
and want to do it, and remove any
obstacle between me and it, and give me
ikhlas, and let me follow the sunnah, and
don't let it be an interrupted practice, but
a continuous one.
And he said, and you could see this
among creation, how they have all of this,
some of this, or none of it.
And he says, وَلَيْسَ فِي طِبَاعِ الْعَبْدِ الْهِدَايَةُ
إِلَىٰ ذَٰلِكِ بَلْ مَتَوُكِلَ إِلَىٰ طِبَاعِهِ حِيلَ بَيْنَهُ
وَبَيْنَ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ He says, that a person
as a human being, it's not if you're
left to your own devices, left to yourself,
you're not gonna be guided to this.
You don't have in it, or in yourself,
the ability to guide yourself to this.
But if Allah Azza wa Jal lets you
to your own devices, lets you to your
own self, there'll be an obstacle between you
and all of that.
And this is the irkas, this is the
regression, that Allah Azza wa Jal had talked
about, when He talked about the hypocrites, that
He had made them regress because of their
sins.
So they regressed to their own habits, to
their own nature, and what they have been
created with, which is ignorance and injustice.
So He's referring here to the ayah, where
Allah Azza wa Jal is talking to the
believers.
And He said, subhanahu wa ta'ala, فَمَا
لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي أَتَيْنِي وَاللَّهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ بِمَا
كَسَبُوا أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَهَدُوا مَنْ أَضَلَّ اللَّهِ He
says, why have you split into two groups
about the hypocrites, and Allah had made them
regress because of their, what they have earned.
Do you want to guide those whom Allah
had misguided?
So Ibn al-Qayyim is focusing here on
that word, وَاللَّهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ He made them regress,
go back to their own nature, because of
their sins.
He says, what is then their own nature?
As a human nature, it is both ignorance
and injustice.
And there are a couple of things here
that we can say about this ayah, about
this regression, and then we can go back
to the straight path.
First of all, what you take from this
is that, people without Allah عز و جل
regress, they don't progress.
This is actually, again, a major point.
And to you, it may seem minor, but
you're familiar with that narrative of progression, progress,
progress, progress, right?
And that is a western narrative, progression.
Because we're always moving forward.
Why are we always moving forward?
Because of technology and because of science.
So the idea there is that, we'll always
be better and better and better, better than
the past, always better than the past.
That's progress.
But Ibn al-Qayyim here is saying, based
on what Allah عز و جل is saying
is that, without Allah عز و جل, is
there any progress?
No, the opposite.
It's regression, not progression.
That is because human nature by itself, as
we talk on the one hand about the
fitrah, and the fitrah knows Allah عز و
جل, right?
There's purity to the fitrah.
But also the human being also mixed with
this, has also inclinations, that make him unjust,
an aggressor.
And because also, he lacks knowledge, he's ignorant.
So these two things, ignorance and arrogance, or
aggression, or injustice, couple those two together, and
you understand that humanity, as humanity without Allah
عز و جل, is destined to destroy itself,
not save itself.
So any effort by a civilization, by a
culture, by a group, or by a human
being, that takes Allah عز و جل out,
is destined to fail.
You with me?
It has to fail, no matter how glamorous
it looks.
Because you go back to what?
That this person, or this group, or this
nation, or this civilization, are building whatever they
are building with two main components, which is
what?
Ignorance and injustice.
We're not talking here about technological ignorance.
Because they have that.
Any nation can have that.
But because they don't know how to use
it, and how to apply it, and it's
always mixed with injustice, they tend to destroy
whatever they're building.
It cannot stand.
You build, and then you destroy.
You build, and you destroy.
And while you're doing it, you think that
what you're doing is right.
You're reforming, you're fixing, you're uplifting.
You think what you're doing is right, but
you're blind to it all.
So he's saying here, subhanAllah, and that's a
really important thing.
That any civilization, any country, if you are
gonna take Allah عز و جل out, what
you are regressing into a jahiliyyah.
But it's a more sophisticated jahiliyyah.
But it's absolutely a jahiliyyah.
As Allah عز و جل says, تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ
Their hearts are alike.
How are the disbelievers from the people of
the book and the polytheists, how are they
both saying the same thing?
He says, تَشَابَهَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ Their hearts are alike.
So if you look at modern jahiliyyah, you
could really trace it to back jahiliyyah.
In fact, they actually take and import from
it.
They go back to what ancient civilizations have
done, have said, that are disbelieving, polytheistic.
And they import that into the modern and
they consider that to be sophistication and advancement.
And they are reviving jahiliyyah again.
And look how they dress, look how they
talk, right?
How they degenerate, that's all regression.
So that's really important.
اللَّهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ So this is ricks.
Another thing about the ayah, though unrelated to
what we're talking about, but it's kind of
related to Muslims in general.
As Allah Azzawajal said, فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ
فِي آتَيْنِ وَاللَّهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ Why are you disagreeing
over the hypocrites or contradicting each other or
splitting because of the hypocrites?
And Allah Azzawajal had made them to regress
because of their sins.
This is in reference, Allah A'lam, to
a group of hypocrites that either were in
Mecca or were in Medina.
Allah A'lam, it could be one or
two or both of them.
And some Muslims were of the opinion, no,
they are good.
And some Muslims were of the opinion, no,
they are not good.
They should be killed.
They should be fought.
No, we shouldn't fight them.
So Allah Azzawajal is saying, why have you
disagreed over them?
And their position should be very clear.
The judgment over them should be very clear.
What I wanted from this is first to
understand that as Muslims disagree today, they've disagreed
in the past, right?
There are things that they looked at.
One group of Muslims looked at and they
say A.
Another Muslim looked at the same thing and
they said B.
So disagreement is always gonna be there, right?
But Allah Azzawajal is saying two things here.
One, you shouldn't disagree over this if it's
clear.
But also, why do you divide because of
it?
So suppose that I disagree with you over
this.
Assessment, especially if the thing is not very
clear.
Like a lot of the political things going
around today, right?
A lot of political things going around today.
And I see this and you see that.
And people get very agitated and very emotional
over this.
Isn't it possible for poor people, good people,
well-intentioned people, knowledgeable people to disagree over
these things?
The Sahaba did, right?
Isn't it possible for people today to disagree?
So what do you do with this disagreement
after you find out that you actually disagreed?
Are you gonna make this a reason, a
cause for friction?
Or will you be able to go beyond
it?
And understand that there's a reason for them.
To see matters as they see it.
And for me to see matters as we
see it.
And then I ask Allah Azawajal to bring
the truth to light.
But I'm not gonna hate him or oppose
him or criticize him because of it or
vice versa.
I'm talking here about what?
Matters that are not clear cut.
Matters that are ambiguous.
Matters that are sometimes political in nature.
So it's not clear who's right and who's
wrong and who's fully clear and who's fully
wrong.
And maybe they are partially right, maybe they
are partially wrong.
So I want us here to kind of
be humble and modest about our positions.
Especially in volatile times.
Like if I have an opinion, I don't
always have to express that opinion.
I could be wrong.
So you could be quiet for some time
and think and listen and develop and maybe
talk if there is benefit in talking.
So that's what I wanted.
That's kind of a thing that brought or
that came to my mind as I was
reading this ayah because it's relevant for us
today.
Anyway, going back to what he was saying.
Ar-Rahimahullah.
He said, If Allah Azawajal were to leave
people to themselves, they will regress and they
will not be guided.
So a person as a person without Allah
Azawajal, is he guided?
No.
You have no guidance.
There's darkness.
Then Allah Azawajal, if He shines a light,
then you're guided.
And that's relevant.
That image of shining the light is relevant.
Because that's the light of the shari'ah.
And see what Ibn Al-Qayyim will say
about it.
He says, وَالرَّبُّ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
فِي قَضَائِهِ وَقَدَرِهِ وَنَهِيهِ وَأَمْرِهِ Allah Azawajal is
upon a straight path in His decrees and
commands and prohibitions.
Upon a straight path meaning that Allah Azawajal
commands what guides to the straight path.
Allah Azawajal is at the end of that
straight path.
If you follow this path, at the end
you'll find whom?
Allah Azawajal.
إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ Allah Azawajal is
on that straight path.
Meaning that whatever He commands is right.
What He says is wrong is wrong and
harmful.
His decrees are just.
Nothing is better.
So when you believe that, and Allah Azawajal
is right there at the end of that
straight path, you'll follow that path and you
will not swerve left or right.
There's no reason.
You believe this is the best.
Allah's command is the best.
Allah's prohibitions are, He's prohibiting the worst.
And Allah Azawajal is wise in whatever He
commands.
There's no reason to go anywhere else.
So He says Allah Azawajal who has the
straight path will guide to whomever He wants
to it with His virtue, with His mercy.
And Allah Azawajal will distance anyone He wishes
from it with His justice and His wisdom
because He's not suitable for it.
So if a person is suitable to receive
Allah's rahmah, Allah's guidance, he will get it.
And if a person is unsuitable, he's not
gonna get it.
So you are supposed to work on that
suitability.
Am I fit or not?
And if I'm fit, then I'll receive Allah's
rahmah and Allah's guidance.
And if not, you'll be deprived of it.
And it's you who have deprived yourself of
this.
So if it's on the day of judgment,
Allah Azawajal will put a physical path, physical
sirat, physical bridge that will lead people to
heaven, lead people to Allah Subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
So He says in the dunya, Allah Azawajal
put a straight path.
That straight path is metaphorical in the sense
of what?
His commands, His sharia, what He hates, these
are the limits, how you're supposed to behave.
So there is this straight path.
And He guided some to it and others
are not guided.
But when you meet Allah Azawajal, there is
that physical bridge that takes you to this
jannah.
And He, Allah Azawajal, will take away from
that bridge those who took themselves away from
this sirat in the dunya.
So those who are misled and taken themselves
away from this sirat in the dunya, when
they receive the sirat or reach the sirat
in the akhirah, they're not gonna be guided
to it.
And those who walk the straight path in
the dunya will walk the straight path in
the akhirah.
And He says, and He made, this is
the light, He made the light of the
believers who believe in Allah and in the
messenger and what was revealed.
He gave them light in their hearts.
And because of it, and that is because
they believed in Allah Azawajal.
That on the day of judgment becomes physical
light for them, by which they'll be guided
when they're walking.
So He's saying here, the metaphorical turns into
physical and real.
There's a metaphorical figurative sirat here.
On the day of judgment, it becomes a
real one.
Right?
So a person was walking that sirat, he'll
walk this sirat, he'll walk that sirat.
If you abandon this sirat, you'll not be
able to reach that sirat.
And He says here, as long as you
believe you have light in your heart, Allah
gave to you.
On the day of judgment, you'll have physical
light because there's no light then.
The hypocrites, their light will be extinguished.
They'll be in complete darkness.
What light will you have?
Only the light of iman, which will be
physical light and will be in proportion to
your iman in the dunya.
So if your iman was weak, you'll have
a little bit of light.
If your iman was really strong, it was
shining, it will shine then.
Right?
And He says also, and He will protect
that light from ever being interrupted like they
protected their iman in the dunya and He
protected that from them.
So they saved their iman, right?
Think of it like a generator.
You're working on this generator and you have
enough charge.
Then when you wanna use it, you'll have
light.
So this is the generator in the dunya.
You work on it, then when you go
to the hereafter, you'll have light.
So if you did not work on your
generator, you'll have a little bit of light
and then it'll stop.
Or very faint light.
But if you really worked on it, you'll
have abundant light in the next life.
That's the example that He wants to give.
Okay?
Now, He talks about the hypocrites and He
says, and as for the sinners, He put
at the sides of the straight path, as
-sirat, hooks and thorns that are equivalent to
the sins that snatched them in the dunya
from Allah Azza wa Jalla.
So you're walking the straight path, you're supposed
to be focused, you're supposed to be quick
and strong.
Comes a sin that takes you away to
the right, or takes you away to the
left.
Slows you down, weakens you, injures you figuratively.
Right?
He says, in the hereafter, that materializes into
actual hooks on the sides of the sirat.
Actual thorns on the side of the sirat.
So when you wanna walk, if sins in
the dunya slowed you down, the hooks there
will slow you down.
Sins in the dunya injured you, the hooks
will injure you.
If you were weak walking to Allah Azza
wa Jalla, in the dunya you'll be weak
walking to Allah Azza wa Jalla on the
sirat.
But if you were strong and quick here,
you'll be strong and quick over there.
So he's saying here, and also, he also
had given them the pool of the Prophet
ﷺ.
Al-Hawd.
That you drink from it in the akhirah,
like you drank from his shari'ah in
the dunya.
So in the shari'ah, what kind of
quenches your thirst?
He says, the Qur'an and the sunnah,
you drink from it, and it makes you
whole.
Now on the day of judgment, you're thirsty
like never before.
What is the thing that's gonna make you,
quench your thirst and make you full?
He says, you drink from it, like you
drank from it here.
But if you did not drink from it
here, you'll be denied that over there.
That's the correspondence.
He says, now look using this, look at
the hereafter as if you can see it
right now.
Meaning he's saying, you know the image of
the akhirah?
And he says, I've given you an image
of the dunya, bring them both together now.
And you could see the akhirah in the
dunya.
You can see the akhirah in the dunya.
You could see the faithful walking to Allah
عز و جل with light.
And he says, these are the people who
will cross as-sirat.
And you will see people who are running
away from Allah عز و جل.
You'll see these are the people who are
gonna be denied as-sirat.
You'll see the people who are drinking from
the shariah.
You'll see those will be drinking from the
hawd of Rasulullah عليه الصلاة والسلام.
You'll see the people who are being debilitated
by sin.
You'll see those are the people who will
be debilitated by sin.
Not asking you to judge every single individual
that you see.
I'm talking about totality.
That's what he's talking about, totality.
He says, this is the image of the
akhirah, right here in the dunya.
قَالَ وَتَأَمَّلْ حِكْمَةً اللَّهِ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ تَعْلَمُ حِينَئِذٍ
عِلْمًا يَقِينًا لَا شَكَّ فِيهِ أَنَّ الدُّنْيَا مَزْرَعَةَ
الْآخِرَةَ Observe Allah's wisdom in the dunya as
we expressed it in terms of the akhirah.
You'll know for sure then, then the dunya
is the form of the akhirah.
Meaning whatever you do here and harvest, you're
gonna see over there.
You plant, you harvest them.
As you do, you will face them.
So if you're a good Muslim, healthy Muslim
here, you'll be right that person over there.
And if not, you'll be suffering then.
وَعِنْوَانُهَا وَأُنْمُذَجُهَا He says, so the dunya is
the form of the hereafter.
And it is the example, it's the model
of what is going to come later.
And that people's places in terms of happiness
or misery in the akhirah is in accordance
with how joyful and miserable in relation to
iman they are in this dunya.
So where they will be in the next
life is where they are in this dunya.
قَالَ فِي مِنْ عَظَمِ عُقُوبَاتِ الذُّنُوبِ الْخُرُوجُ عَنِ
السَّلَاطِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ So he says,
of the greatest punishment of sins is to
exit the straight path in the dunya and
in the akhirah.
The next that he'll be talking about is
sins.
And we probably will not have time to
finish that.
So let me leave that insha'Allah till
next week.
And maybe we can insha'Allah fill whatever
has remained of time insha'Allah with questions
if you have questions.
Either from this time insha'Allah or from
previous weeks insha'Allah.
وَعَلَيْكُمْ السَّلَاوَةِ Okay.
So, first of all, can a believer ask
for a good death?
And yes, a believer can ask for a
good death.
And seek Allah's protection from evil death.
Evil death that could be dying upon things
that displease Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala or
dying in ways that displease a person.
So you don't want to die in a
particular way.
So you ask Allah azza wa jal to
protect you from it.
This is mitatu su' seeking Allah's protection from
a kind of terrible death and asking for
husnul khatima asking for a good end and
a good death.
So you could ask Allah azza wa jal
for this and ask Allah azza wa jal
to protect you from that.
The difference between iman and taqwa.
So, if you separate them they could be
synonymous.
So taqwa on its own involves doing what
Allah azza wa jal wants and avoiding what
Allah azza wa jal hates.
So that's all of religion, right?
Iman if you take it on its own,
right?
Iman would be everything that Allah azza wa
jal wants from you.
So believing in everything that Allah azza wa
jal wants staying away from whatever Allah azza
wa jal hates.
If you start putting them together so iman
could be about belief and taqwa could be
about action.
Similarly if you put iman and islam together
iman could be about belief islam could be
about action.
So it depends on how you couple them
or now uncouple them and where you put
them.
So this is the essence of taqwa is
to put between you and Allah azza wa
jal between you and Allah azza wa jal's
anger a barrier.
And that includes the things that we talked
about.
Doing what Allah wants, staying away from what
Allah azza wa jal hates.
And under all of that is everything.
Even belief.
And iman on its own includes everything.
Belief and action as well.
Go ahead.
Yes.
Jazakallah khair.
So he's asking about that last statement from
Ibn Khayyam rahimahullah where he said, Of the
greatest punishment of sins is exiting from the
straight path in the dunya and in the
akhirah.
So the brother is asking, Is there other
than shirk anything else that will take you
away from as-sirat al-mustaqim?
So if you go back to the definition
of as-sirat al-mustaqim.
Right?
Remember the definition of as-sirat al-mustaqim
of everything?
So we talked about knowledges, knowledge and about
wanting to do the right thing and about
doing the right thing and then having ikhlas
and having mutaba'ah meaning following the sunnah
and then being continuous.
All of that is the completion of as
-sirat al-mustaqim.
So anyone of them will take you out
of as-sirat al-mustaqim in proportion to
how severe that thing is.
So the greatest thing that will kind of
kick you out of as-sirat is what?
Shirk.
Shirk and kufr.
That takes you out.
Completely.
You are on a very different path.
But then what about bid'ah?
Yes.
Bid'ah will take you out.
So you will be diverted away from as
-sirat al-mustaqim.
Maybe not 100% but you are not
at a...
Maybe you are at a 95%.
Maybe you are at a 90%.
Maybe you are at a 85%.
So you are not on the clear straight
path.
So a person doesn't have ikhlas.
Is he on as-sirat al-mustaqim?
No.
Because the deed is not accepted.
So the salah is not accepted or the
fasting is not or the sadaqah is not.
So that's not a straight path.
So you will be diverted from it.
Partially.
This day more than that day.
With this action more with that action.
With this sets of beliefs more than with
these sets of beliefs.
This person more than that person.
Even though all of them are Muslim.
Everybody is Muslim.
But now who has the straight full path?
All of it.
The one who has fulfilled all of these
conditions.
So that's why you are asking Allah azza
wa jalla guide me to the straight path.
So whatever I'm missing, I'm not missing anymore.
So if I'm doing some bid'ahs and
I love them and I don't know that
they are bid'ahs or I've stubbornly clung
to them.
I recognize, I change and I go back
to the sunnah.
If I'm doing things to please people not
to please Allah azza wa jalla to show
off so that they would hear.
So that they would be happy with me.
No.
That Allah azza wa jalla would take that
away from my heart.
If I'm pleasing people, if what I want
is to please people, that's why I ignore
Allah's commands.
To make his love greater than the love
that I have for them.
That's also a diversion from the straight path.
So that's the totality of it and you
could be off that path in smaller percentages
or really big percentages.
Let me just see if someone else or
go ahead.
Shahwaya.
Any special, any example you have?
Like for food let's say?
So the question is can I ask Allah
azza wa jalla to decrease my shahwa for
something so I could kind of abandon it,
leave it or can I have it under
control?
So if the thing is haram, right?
If the thing is haram, definitely.
Ask Allah azza wa jalla to kind of
replace your desire for this haram thing with
a desire for a halal thing.
To give you a substitute.
So take Allah the love that I have
for this, take it away.
And give me something else instead.
Give me an alternative.
Make me hate this thing since you hate
it.
Make me see the harm that is in
it.
So ask Allah azza wa jalla for it.
So eliminate the shahwa that I have for
this and replace it with something else.
If it is something that is halal, ask
Allah azza wa jalla to first, give you
the halal.
So that you're not missing anything.
To give you the halal.
And second, if it is excessive, if you
feel that it's excessive, ask Allah azza wa
jalla to moderate it.
So if you love food way too much,
ask Allah azza wa jalla to decrease my
attachment, reliance on food.
Not to eliminate it, because that is not
possible.
And you don't want to ask Allah azza
wa jalla things that would be a transgression
in dua.
But you ask Allah azza wa jalla, help
me regulate and put this thing under control
by minimizing my reliance or attraction to A,
B, and C.
And give me the alternative that be sufficient
for me.
And by the way, one of the things
inshaAllah that could help in addition to dua
is increasing your iman.
So when it comes to food for instance,
if a person's iman is strengthened and they
think about the hereafter, then their desire for
food will decrease somewhat.
It will not be eliminated.
They may still need that dua.
But the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he
did say that, المؤمن يأكل في معا واحد
والكافر يأكل في سبعة أمعاء He says the
believer eats for one stomach and the disbeliever
for seven.
Like seven stomachs versus the believer.
So why does that happen?
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam doesn't mention
why it happens.
But some scholars speculate.
And they say maybe because of his iman.
The focus is different.
And you could see this, if your focus
is on something all the time, you're just
going to devour it.
But if you divert that focus into something
higher and more sublime, you're not going to
take much of it.
So if you're thinking about food or you're
living for food, you want to be eating
all the time.
But if not, then you just eat what
you need and then move on.
Bida'a is what?
Okay.
So brother is saying, like in his view,
it's harder to avoid bida'a than shirk
because shirk is visible or we're aware of
it.
Whereas bida'a is tiny and small and
there are very, very small things that are
bida'a that not everybody knows about it.
Bida'a can be delicate, but shirk could
be delicate as well.
There are very, very small things that yeah,
you may know that they are shirk, but
a lot of people don't know that they
are shirk.
Very small.
So horoscopes, let's say, reading about what the
stars predict about your personality in the future.
A lot of people do that and they
don't know that it is shirk in Allah
Azza wa Jalla.
Or just simply riya' showing off.
That's shirk.
So that's more prevalent than a lot of
bida'as, isn't it?
That's more prevalent and that's more hidden and
invisible than a lot of bida'as.
Yes, some bida'as are hard because they
are, as you said, tiny, but not all
bida'as are of the same level.
So shirk remains kind of the most serious
of the sins and maybe even more hidden
than bida'a.
You mean
whether it happens through time or is this
something...
No.
So the brother is asking about kind of
what seems to be contradictory.
Which one on the one hand...
I think we kind of...
I referenced this when I was talking.
So the question here is how you reconcile
people being born with a fitrah and that
fitrah that recognizes Allah Azza wa Jalla and
has a general recognition of the truth and
falsehood kind of appeal of the truth and
the repulsion of falsehood.
So that's in it.
At the same time, right, we said that
the soul is also or the self or
the human is ignorant and unjust.
So how can you reconcile both?
Say on the one hand, there is that
basic recognition that Allah Azza wa Jalla had
talked about which is that if you were
to leave a person, right, without corruption, without
outside influence and they are to be objective
and free of bias, free of all these
impediments that we talked about, they will worship
Allah Azza wa Jalla.
At least they will recognize that there is
one God.
They'd wanna worship Allah Azza wa Jalla.
And they will recognize that certain things in
life are good and certain things in life
are wrong.
So if you were to ask non-Muslims
free of bias, alcohol, good or bad?
Drugs, good or bad?
Fornication, good or bad?
If they're just to answer based on objective,
rational and even emotional analysis, you'll understand that
they'll say, absolutely, these things are bad.
They're horrible.
Whereas you could say for instance, you talk
about honesty, charity, kindness.
This is absolutely, this is universally accepted that
they are good.
So on one level, Allah Azza wa Jalla
has endowed every human being with this.
At the same time, you have another side
to that human being.
The side that is able to commit horrible
things.
And that horrible thing is also in him.
Like you could go here or there.
So that horrible thing is also in him.
So if he's not taught, he is ignorant.
Done, right?
The other thing is that he is selfish
by nature.
He looks for his own benefit, own advantage
by nature.
So you have a fitrah that could work
towards Allah Azza wa Jalla but you also
have another side to you that could destroy
you.
So which of the two will overwhelm a
human being?
It's the second one, not the first.
And that's why you find that most people
are not those who believe in Allah Azza
wa Jalla but disbelieve.
And not those who listen to the prophets
but those who oppose them.
Even though Allah had given that fitrah to
everybody.
So you're supposed to be able to recognize.
But they overwhelm, they cover up that fitrah
with that ignorance and with that injustice.
So you are born with those two.
You have this and you have that.
Which you choose to cultivate, which is the
one that takes charge of your life, depends
on you.
So you have those two.
And you find it in yourself sometimes when
you fight with yourself over something.
This is wrong, this is right, I shouldn't
be doing this, I should be doing this.
Even without revelation.
You find human beings, right?
Their conscience doesn't allow them to do this
because there is something in them that doesn't
want this but another thing that wants it.
So that's how you can understand that you
are, you know, it's compounded, it's coupled, right?
It's this and it's that.
And you could use this and you could
use that.
Is that good?
No.
That's true.
So your question, follow up question, is that
linked to what you just said?
Is that linked to the angels prediction of
Adam and his progeny that they will corrupt
on this earth and shed blood and what
have you?
Now we said first of all we don't
know really why they said that.
And it could be based on observation, it
could be based on Allah Azawajal telling them
this.
Could be possible an understanding of human nature
itself that as they do have the capacity
to do good, at the same time when
looking at Adam, they understand that there is
also the capacity to fall apart.
The capacity not to control yourself and that
being will be more likely to commit wrong
than good.
It's possible that the angel may have been
able to deduce that.
Allahu a'lam.
Allah knows.
Good.
So a person who has Al-Qalb al
-Saleem, can he get depression?
Or?
Or only people who have diseased heart.
So a person who has this Al-Qalb
al-Saleem and that really is a good
question.
They get sad.
Right?
And they get attacked by the shaytan.
And they can get anxious.
And they can get worried.
But what happens is that when they have
this, their heart is so pure and clean
and close to Allah Azawajal that it could
erase this.
Right?
It could erase this.
So it doesn't mean that they don't get
sad.
They get sad.
They lose children.
They lose family.
They lose money.
The shaytan whispers to them.
The shaytan tries to play with them.
They worry about things.
They get sad about things just like anybody
else.
But that is not as intense.
Right?
That's not as intense.
If you could see the Prophet ﷺ, he
lost children.
Made him sad.
Lost his uncle.
Made him sad.
Lost his wife.
Made him sad.
Right?
But you see how he dealt with that
sadness.
Other people, it could destroy them.
But he dealt with that.
So the strength of his heart or anybody
with that who has a similar heart or
at least al-Qalb al-Saleem could medicate
those attacks.
Right?
Or vulnerabilities.
It can fill that space.
A person can have Iman and they can
get depressed.
Right?
For whatever reasons.
But if they work on their Iman they
could treat that depression.
Right?
Now sometimes they are too weak to be
able to do that.
They need somebody's help.
Right?
Just like sometimes you are physically too ill
to treat yourself.
You need somebody else to help you.
It's the same thing.
So a person can have Iman.
That's why people fall into kind of two
extremes here.
On the one hand they say, if you
were a believer you wouldn't be depressed.
If you were a believer you wouldn't be
anxious.
If you were a believer if your Iman
was better you wouldn't have these things.
So you blame them which eventually doesn't really
help.
At the same time, right?
People seem to dismiss the impact of Iman
in treating these things.
Oh no, no.
It's not Iman.
He has Iman.
He reads the Qur'an.
He goes to the Masjid and still he's
depressed.
As if these things don't help.
No.
You don't need to see anybody else if
you really have full access to the Qur
'an and to the Sunnah and to people
around you.
Then you don't need a lot of people
to help you.
You could read the Qur'an and understand
it.
You could read the Sunnah.
You could practice it.
It could help you with this.
But sometimes if you find yourself too weak
to be able to do this then you
need somebody's help.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
Just to say, listen I can't do this
on my own.
It's really hard.
I need someone to advise me.
I need someone to guide me.
I need someone to explain things to me.
I need someone to assist me or to
motivate me.
So again, just kind of to summarize it.
A believer can get all of these things
but they can medicate all of that.
They could heal inshallah with Iman.
And that's why if somebody has these things,
one of the things, first thing that you
tell them is what?
Read more of the Qur'an.
Do more dua.
Do more dhikr Allah azawajal.
Pray on time.
Do dhikr.
Do night prayer.
All of these things strengthen your Iman and
connection to Allah azawajal.
So when you ask for healing even if
you're going to a therapist or a counselor.
But if you ask for healing, Allah azawajal
will heal.
So these people will help and Allah's healing
will accelerate the what is it?
The shifa'a.
Anybody else who did not ask?
That's complicated.
I mean we're going to talk about insurance
right now.
We'll give you general inshallah, general answer.
So insurance generally is problematic.
Any insurance.
There's a problem with it.
So that's one.
If they force you to have an insurance
then you have no option.
You must kind of buy it.
You must participate in it.
That's because they forced you so you're not
sinful because of it.
If you have an option to opt out
of an insurance you opt out.
For instance you highlighted life insurance.
So if they force it on you and
I don't know if they force it on
you but if they force it on you
then they have no option.
But if it's a choice you don't take
it.
There will be some minor exceptions to types
of insurance based on need.
Based on need and how much people need
it or not like health insurance.
And their ability to get access to healthcare
or not and what type of healthcare they
need.
So that's what I can say inshallah about
health insurance but if you have something specific
ask me inshallah.
Last question inshallah.
I just want to make sure that everybody
got the chance to ask.
I'm sorry repeat that.
Can we what?
Yeah.
Who is them again?
And you're trying to give them advice.
That's what he's saying.
So you're just generally saying if you're kind
and giving people advice and they reply with
arrogance or replying with abuse and insults should
I reply with similar fashion or should I
not?
Right?
I mean if the best course and the
best advice I can give you is if
your intent is to give advice you give
advice and if they reject it you walk
away.
That's the best advice.
Right?
So say the truth, share the truth with
them and if they reject that and they
don't want to accept it from you rather
than engage in a fight or verbal assault
back and forth if you can just walk
away.
If you feel that you've delivered the truth
leave the truth untainted, uncorrupted because once you
start to throw insults at them because they've
insulted you now they're less likely to follow
the advice that you've given them.
Right?
So you think about it is it personal
or is it for Allah az-Zawjal?
So if you say it's for Allah az
-Zawjal you want to do what is best
for them for the sake of Allah az
-Zawjal.
Not the best for you because you feel
hurt and you want retribution.
So I would say say the truth explain
it.
They insult back they ridicule, they what have
you you walk away.
Now you could if you can keep your
composure you could keep your calm, you could
engage in a discussion with them where even
if they raise their voice you keep it
at a calm normal tone.
Even if they insult, you return that insult
with forbearance and with kindness and with patience
at least so that you could deliver the
truth.
And once you feel that your job is
done and you cannot maintain that anymore, just
walk away.
That's my recommendation.