Ali Hammuda – Optimism Ep 3 The Dark & Light of The Human Mind
AI: Summary ©
The rise of pessimism and the loss of optimization in the culture of the United States is attributed to Trump's actions, and the importance of laying groundwork for peace in the culture of Yemen is discussed. The potential for increased competition in the future is also discussed. The impact of the pandemic on their business and the potential for growth in the future are highlighted, along with the challenges of the pandemic and the importance of working together to ensure their success.
AI: Summary ©
It's not surprising, considering the climate of fear and pessimism
and anxiety that pervades and reverberates in politics, in social life in modern media, that the likes of Max Roza,
a academic at Oxford University, who carried out a global study. And his findings suggest that pessimism is on the rise globally.
And that some of the most pessimistic nations in the world are the so called developed nations of the world.
He mentioned a statistic that suggests that only 6% of the global community believes that the world is becoming a better place 94% of his sample
of Americans that is, they believe that the world is becoming a worse off place as time continues and elapses.
And the same dismal fingers apply in Australia, and here at home in Europe as well. pessimism, or in Arabic, we may call it a Tasha ohm is on the rise.
And therefore, it is not surprising that Allah subhanaw taala in his art, most Hikmah wisdom when he sent Prophets and Messengers whose primary roles were to convey to hate the Oneness of Allah Almighty to the world.
And we're also required to transform their communities, it was necessary that Allah Almighty would endow them with the certain traits, and the behavioral attributes and the qualities needed for them to lead and to inspire change, and to transform and reform their people. And that's exactly what Allah Almighty gave them.
You will find that with the prophets and the messengers, they were
different in many things. They were different in the countries they were sent to. They were different in the languages they spoke. They were human beings.
But there were common denominators across all of them. There were certain traits that every single prophet and messenger shared with his brother on the other side of the continent, they were identical in certain behavioral traits and qualities. For example, they were all sent by the same God, Allah subhanho data.
A lot of them were given miracles.
All of them taught to heed the Oneness of Allah.
All of them were men of Amana. trustworthiness, they were all men as well.
And one of the common denominators across the board, every prophet shared this quality. Every prophet had to possess this quality at very high dosages as well. It was the quality we've come to speak about this afternoon. It's the quality of tough outward optimism
to think well in Allah subhanaw taala, and to expect the best in him, when every other voice is a voice of pessimism.
Those are the voices the voices of Optimists that we love.
And we gravitate towards, especially when negativity becomes widespread. Those are the voices we admire. Those are the voices we secretly wish to adopt as our own. The voice of the optimistic one is specially when negativity prevails.
So if you were to do a quick scan of the prophets and messengers, you see it, they are identical in their phenomenal optimism when everyone was down in doubting whether you speak about the Prophet of Allah Ibrahim sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who found himself launched into a tower of fire built just for him, and in the middle of the fire as his clothes burnt because he didn't, he said, husband Allah who were now men working Allah Almighty is enough for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs. Now you know, he's optimistic despite being in the middle of flames.
Or you speak about the Prophet of Allah Musa alayhi salaatu wa Salaam and the story is well known,
who escaped from the tyranny of the pharaoh with his community of Bani Israel behind him is a formidable army of the crown that may be the superpower of the era. And ahead of you are the deep waters of the Red Sea.
You and I, we hear the story. It's not so amazing because we know how it ends, empathize with the Prophet of Allah Musa because he didn't know how it was going to end all he knew is that I have a Lord who I think well of He is Allah Subhana Allah, Allah and the Prophet of Allah Musa was optimistic.
Philomena laminata Gemini, Allah said, when the two camps could now see one another, the upcoming army could see that people of Musa and the people of Musa can see the army for alumna Tara algebra.
already they are now within sight of one another Allah us harbor Musa the companions of Musa he said in Allah mudra Khun, they're going to reach us
and Musa Allah. He said, he said color. No. in Nairobi, my Lord is with me. So you had he and he shall guide me. He didn't say My Lord is going to split the see for me because he didn't know what's going to happen. But what he does know is that Allah is Allah is the truth, Allah is within me and he shall guide me. And the rest as they say is history. You know how the story ends. So hanging out you know, Musa until the rebel cycle, we then inspired as a result of this to Musa to strike the sea with his staff fun fell up, so it split for Corona. Kulu Firkin Catalina Lehmann, every one of the two parts of the sea became a firm mass like a mountain. And they crossed La ilaha illallah optimism
or the Prophet of Allah aku alayhi salatu salam, Jacob, the father of user.
Imagine and we touched upon some of this in our depression lecture, he lost his favorite son, Yusuf Alayhi. Salatu was Salam and he grieved over him for many years.
And then maybe a decade and a half or two, without hearing a word from use of now he's a, he's a man.
news comes to him that his other son Binyamin has been detained in Egypt. And the Prophet of Allah Yaqoob, his body is on the verge of buckling. He's going to die because of grief. And I am sure that if a clinician today in the modern world was to assess the health of Prophet Yaku, back then he would have had no doubts that these are the clear signs of depression, extreme depression. I mean, do you know someone who cried so much until he lost his vision? But of course, this is not the depression of despair. This is the depression of hope and optimism, but there is grief. There was sadness, but there is no despair.
And at the heart of the travesty Prophet Yaqoob says to his sons, you have any my sons is humble, go for the hustle. Meet us with our coffee. Go and ask about Yusuf and his brother try to find them one at a Asuna Rohilla and don't despair from the mercy of Allah. In the hula Yasumoto hella Hindalco McAfee rune. It's only the disbelieving people who despair from the mercy of Allah *
you think that it will be the sons who will be consoling the Father.
You'd think that it will be the community that would console the individual.
You'd think that it will be the ones who can see consoling the one who'd lost his vision because of grave. You'd think it'd be the perpetrators. The sons who would console the victim, the father. It's Yaku, who was consoling his sons and saying to them, beware of ever despairing from the Mercy of Allah. That's not the quality of a believer that's the quality of a disbeliever Allahu Akbar.
Or whether you fast forward to the greatest of all optimists that history has ever witnessed. None other than our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Now you'll
count with me he was a man who lost his mother. At the age of six years old, he saw her die in front of him when they were coming back from a visit to his uncle's. Before that he lost his father. He never met a dad so he was an orphan. He was taken into the care of his grandfather whom he loved so much, and by the time he'd grown attached to him, Allah subhanaw taala took his grandfather away from him as well. How much could a man in Juba and then he was put into the care of his uncle Abu Talib and he became very attached to Abu Talib. And in one year, Allah Almighty decreed that he would take away from him Khadija, the most beloved of human beings to him, and his uncle, Abu
tilapias exterior form of defense in one year at a time when he needed them the most. And he grieved
and they called it the year of sorrow, he would see his companions carpeting the battlefield in defense of his honor. And in defense of the religion of Islam, he would lose every one of his children, he would bury them with his own hands. Imagine, and only one of them would survive Fatima. And even she was told by him that you will be the first to pass away after I die. And that happened six months after he passed away, she passed away.
So Allah compensated him with grandchildren al Hassan Al Hussein, and he would kiss them, and he would sniff them, and he would carry them on the pulpit when delivering the code, but he loved them as his own. Yet Gibreel will tell him that both of them will die in a very harrowing depth later on in their lives, and he would tell them just that pain and grief
and stones would be hurled at him when he would come back from this trip of a thought if to invite them to Islam and his ankles would fill his shoes with his blessing blood Allah He Salatu was Salam and he would be accused with respect to his intellect and his mind and his honor and his dollar.
And salal Jesu, the intestines of camels would be placed on his neck and back
because he's frustrated to Allah and Salah by the pagans, a local revenue I'd be more it would suffocate the prophets Allah Allahu Allah was sending him when he was praying to Allah until our prophets almost breathed his last and towards the end of his life.
His blessed feet were no longer able to carry him and he would find the need to pray sat down because of the bashing in that people have given him as another as you said, and despite all of these things combined, what was his motto in life? You are reborn in fact, I love optimism.
This is Mohammed Abdullah Abdullah he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, I love optimism. It's through his behavior that we learned that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
And from his words, we learnt that from the wounds of adversity, prosperity is born. And victory comes with patience, and every difficulty that comes your way is accompanied with two forms of ease La Ilaha illa Allah. No human being was an optimist like the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu. Zina and history will never witness an optimist like him ever again.
So he transformed lives.
Take for example, the Battle of hijab the Battle of the Confederates, the alliance that happened five years after the migration to the city of Medina, an army of 10,000 men strong, besieged the city of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam bearing in mind that 10,000 was probably more than the population of Medina Magnum, with its men and with its women, and with its elderly and with its goats, and with its shape and with his camels 10,000 This had never the Arabian peninsula had never seen a number like this before.
And the Muslims had dug a trench in the entrance of the city of Medina at the top to the northwest of the city to prevent the Alliance's from coming in. And they had dependent upon the Jewish tribe of gunasekara on the south to protect the Muslims from allowing the pagans or rear entrance into the city.
It was harrowing, Allah Almighty describes the terror of the Muslims and the non Muslims during this time.
He said it will go on mewn Philippi COMM When the pagans came from above you were mean daddy come what mean as well, I mean, come and from beneath you what it is you're going to absorb, and your eyes began to grow wild. Well, Bella Gotti localu Will 100 You and your hearts reached your throats in fear watagan New nebula he's gonna and some of you began to harbor ill thoughts about Allah subhanho wa Taala Hoonah Alec that hour between El Nino and the believers were tested was Zelos in Zeilen, Sharia and they were shaken a mighty shaking.
And at that moment the pessimists began to speak. On this occasion, they were the munafo and the hypocrites. They began to doubt Allah Almighty, and they saw their proverbial the proverbial glass as being half empty, not half full.
What is going on Mona Hakuna we're living in a field called OBEY HIM Murad on our island Allah who was who in our hurrah when the hypocrites and those who had an illness in the hearts began to say, look at how they're moving the media machine. When the hypocrites and those who had an illness in the hearts they began to say what Allah Almighty and His Messenger promised. This was just delusional. A stuffing of Allah who it will be like pessimism, this is the end of Islam. There can be no day after this night.
But how did the optimists respond? The companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who drank from the springs of optimism from our messenger, alayhi salatu. Salam and inhaled the edge of optimism from him. How did they respond?
Well, I'm not I mean, as Abdullah said, when the believers saw the Confederates they saw the Alliance's God who had them our ad and Allahu wa rasuluh. They said, this is exactly what Allah and His Messenger promises. Allah and His Messenger promises that life will be filled with tribulation and tests. This is the Promise of Allah. Wa Sadaqa Allahu wa rasuluh and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth. Well knows out there in the email now what is Lima and the event only increase them in Eman and submission to Allah Subhana Allah, Allahu Akbar.
And I want you to imagine now, the prophets Allah Allahu Allahu wa salam during this moment, when people can't even go out to urinate in peace. They are fearing a stray arrow or a spear from the Alliance who are
besieging the city. News is given to him that there is a rock in the trench.
We're unable to break it and we need to overcome it in order to complete the trench.
He said to his companions, show me where it is. So they showed him directions and he picked up his axe and he descended into the trench.
And he said Bismillah in the name of Allah and he
hit it and our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was a strong man. He was no pacifist. He was a man who would exercise he was strong. He was physically fit, he would eat healthy. He was the bravest of men. He was a warrior. Alayhi Salatu was Salam. And we take pride in that. And he hit the rock, and a third of it fell. And he said, Allahu Akbar, listen to his words. Bearing in mind, it is dark. The future is uncertain. He's tying rocks to his stomach because of hunger.
And death is almost certain.
He said, Allahu Akbar, or ugly to Murphy, Matthew Hashem Wallahi in me now obviously rule also Halal haram in Mecca and he had a he said Allahu Akbar, Allah has just given me the keys to Hashem great to Syria, the greatest empire on planet earth at the time, at that moment of vulnerability and weakness, the existential threat in the thick of it the prophets I send them would pluck out opportunities to demonstrate his optimism in Allah agenda Juliano he was a leader and that should be the Muslims today as they see what is happening in the Masjid Al Aqsa, this is when we promote values of optimism and by Allah we have seen it.
He said I have just been given the keys to a sham, Wallah, he I can see the red palaces of a sham from the places where I stand right now, except his axe a second time and he says Bismillah in the name of Allah and he hits it the second time, the second third of the rock breaks off and he said Allahu Akbar are going to nerf it ha ha Chris Walla. He in the LA opposite will know they are in war ops zero Surah Halabi admin McCann he had, he said, I have just been given the keys to Persia.
And my Allah, I can see the MME in the cities of Persia and I can see its grand white Palace from the place where I stand.
And then he picks up his axe a second time and he hits it and the rest of the boulder now is reduced to rubble. And he says what Allahu Akbar, or at least to Nefertiti Hollyanne, and Allah has just given me the keys to Yemen. They weren't Muslims at the time. I have just been given the keys to Yemen, Allah He Nilo zero,
Eduardo Harmons on wala he Nila OPSEU, Abu Abbas on, I mean, I can Yeah, by Allah, I can see the doors to Sudan, the capital of Yemen from the place where I stand at this hour.
Which of these prophecies did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam live to witness and see himself by the way, which ones?
None of them.
He didn't see the conquest of a sham. He didn't see the conquest of Persia. He didn't see the Islam of the people of Yemen, which shows you that as an optimist, and as a leader, and every one of you are leaders. You don't need to see the fruits of your labor.
You need to lay the groundwork. That's what we need to do. And whether that happens in our children's generation or the children children's generation, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you lay the groundwork and you show Allah Almighty good expectations and you think well of him. And that is the behavior of an optimist. You don't rush the outcomes, you don't rush to the results.
That was your what your five after the huge fast forward to hearing aid after the Hijra. You have the Battle of Hoonah in a very difficult moment in the life of the Muslims read about it in chapter nine of the Quran.
A Buddha would narrate in his sunnah and on your authority of Salah Lebanon humbly, he said that we were traveling once with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the day of Hoonah and on the day of the Battle of her name.
For a madness sailor, we traveled for a long time to the we camped in the evening. Well, how about his son at the time for prayer came out of hers, a horseman came rushing to us and he said O Messenger of Allah in the Impala Octoman veiny idea I left earlier. What according to Jabba Luca Okada, and I send it such and such mountain and I saw that on the other side of it, the entire tribe of houses in had have arrived, and they brought with them their animals, their livestock, their sheep, their men and women. How was it was one of the most feared tribes of the Arabian Peninsula, and they have brought out the entire tribe to annihilate the Muslims.
How would you react in such a situation? Well, let me show you how our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam behaved. The narration said fantabulous summer, he's he smiled.
And he said, Kill a runny aneema to Muslim Mina, God and insha Allah He said to him all what you saw will be the booty of the Muslims tomorrow inshallah. Don't worry. All of it will be the booty of the Muslims tomorrow in sha Allah.
And he is on Allahu alayhi wa sallam would say about what the Muslims should say what their war cry should be if they are attacked at night he said in we don't fully consider how you can harm him live in saloon. If you are attacked at night. Make sure
that your war cry is high meme they will not be given victory hammy they will not be given victory Ashoka Annie who says this is a demonstration of optimism in that the enemy will be defeated.
And he would say to his Sahaba, at a time of fear as Muslim narrates in Allah Azzawajal. Allah Almighty has drawn the two ends of the earth for me to see for it Masaryk, Maha Maha Riba and so I saw the east and west parts of the world. Well known Matisse, I have a lumen Kohana as we are leaving her and I saw that the kingdom of my own mobile reach as far as what I was made to see.
Now, you know, in the optimism Allahi Salatu was Salam.
But it wasn't just during times of war, and military confrontation that he was optimistic and I began with these examples because usually this is where people express pessimism the most when fear and anxiety is at a peak. But in other times as well, when he would visit the ill for example, he would ensure to cover up the dark side of the illness and to demonstrate the luminous side to it.
Abdullah him not Abbas. He said that the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam once visited an old Arab Bedouin man who was fever Ng
and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sat next to him and he said to him Lavazza, Lika hold on Insha Allah, He said, Don't worry, you will not be harmed by this illness. It will only purify you from your sins, mashallah optimism is going to purify you from your sins.
But the Arab Bedouin man was a pessimist. And he said, a whole a whole, you're saying is going to purify me from my sins? No, man here Hamada for Allah shaking career 201 COBOL. He said, No, this is a fever. That's going to increase and it's going to boil me and it's going to drive the old man to his grave.
So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to him Phenom II then yes, it will be as such. In other words, if this is your poor expectations of Allah subhanaw taala then let it be as you expect of Allah. Ananda Vanya ibdv Allah said, I will be just as you think of me, I will be just as my worshiper assumes me to be fully of wouldn't be Marcia. So let him assume whatever he wants, think when of Allah subhanho wa taala, you are sure that you're going to die, and you have no expectation that Allah Allah can or will cure you, then let it be as you wish.
Maybe you remember, it will actually I don't think anybody will remember, maybe some of our elders, Arab elders, or Egyptian Arab elders will remember Anwar work the data for and what about God? Because he's an Egyptian director. He was an Egyptian director, an actor.
And a script writer, died in the 50s. And they were once interviewing him about the comparison between illness and wealth and wellbeing and which one is better? And he said something that would cost him his life. He said, I'm scared to even repeat these words, just in case Allah answers that. But Allah I'm not intending this as I do. I'm just conveying the news. He said, era me Alpha engineer, Busara, Busan.
He said, Oh Allah give me 100,000 Egyptian Jeanette, and I don't mind if you give my body cancer as well. No, no, Allah de la Vela. So he the moment he actually reached 100,000, Egyptian Jinair, Mark cancer began to eat at him and he ended up dying in Stockholm, Sweden. What is your expectation of Allah? Is it not such that he can give you well and make you a multi billionaire as well without the need cancer to eat you? What is your expectation of Allah Allah will be as you expect him to be think well of him and be optimistic.
And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has Jabir ibn Abdullah he said, as Muslim writes in his Sahara, he visited a woman by the name of Amasa or omole. Musa Yep, the narrator has a doubt which of the two it is almost setup or omole Most Hayyim
she was trembling, she was in pain. He said to her Maliki una ser EB twos FZ Fein Oh mother of a Saudi, why is it that I see you trembling? Are you okay? She said, I am la Baraka who I am I am favoring, May Allah curse it. May Allah cast the fever she said, he said to her laughter should be Rahama don't cast the fever.
For in the house to the Hebrew coppia Benny Adam can use the Hebrew alcune capital Hadith. He said because the fever XP aids people since it removes you from your sins the same way that a furnace purifies iron from its or Allahu Akbar, what an optimist he was ALLAH he's about to say, Don't insult it. There is good in the illness you're going through. Allah will raise your rank and he will forgive your sins and He will purify your soul and he will give ease to you
dieting moments and eating your grave and is your monkey Amma SubhanAllah. Our religion is an optimistic one.
In fact, our prophets Allah Allahu alayhi wa sallam was so keen to elicit optimism and demonstrate his good expectations of Allah that He would even change the names of countries the names of cities, the names of valleys, the names of children and men and women, from downtrodden meanings, to meanings of positivity and activity.
Because names can affect personalities, as if not by you by my whole mindset. So when our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam migrated to the city of what we call today, Medina it used to be called Yathrib. In the past, yes rip from the word attack three letter three bit means to blame. to reprimand, it has a negative meaning he said this will be called the city of taba or the city of Tiber, this is the good city, the pure city, Medina two pi era
are good omen. And therefore he will change the name.
And he once came across a valley he asked about the name of the valley as he traveled with the companions. They said this is called Shabbat by Allah Allah. This is the value of misguidance the value of straying, he said we will call it shearable hedaya. And this is the value of guidance, positive and optimistic.
And he came across the name of a land that was called alpha, alpha alpha. It's in description to the color of that alpha. He said we'll call it a kalila This is the green land inshallah we hope Allah will turn it green is called the green land.
And he came across a tribe by the name of Ben omocha. We're the tribal misguidance and deviation. He said you are called Ben wish that the tribe of reason. You are the tribe of reason.
Girl, a young girl. Her name was honestly Yeah, what does honestly I mean? Not See, either. If I asked you what does that mean?
Disobedient one, the sinning one. He said your name is Jamila. You're the beautiful one. So he didn't almost say yep, that RBI he said that my grandfather spoke with the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. And my grandfather's name was hasn which means roughness coarseness. So the Prophet said to him, your name is Sal meaning ease, ease. He said, I will never change a name that my my father gave me not all the Euro spend some money, maybe I can change the name that my grandpa that my parents gave me. So the prophets that I send them of course, they didn't force him. So recommendation. So sorry, the bill Musa, who is the grandson he said for him as a little house
owner to feed and as a result of this decision on my grandfather, harshness and difficulty has been passed down from generation to generation Subhan Allah.
And there was a man by the name of who rob meaning crow. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said your name is Muslim, that one submitting to Allah. Once a hobby by the name of herb, meaning war, he said your name is Selma peace.
Another Sahabi by the name of Nick era, meaning the unknown one. He said your name is Mauro you are the known one. Another one His name is
laughing, meaning the heedless one. He said your name is active. You are the intelligent one. Another one His name is Elmo Paja, meaning the one laying down.
He said your name is Armand by the one who is filled with activity and the one who is moving and doing things you are alone vive la ilaha illallah positive
even in the names of cities, and in fact he would take optimism from the names of people when he hears it.
So you remember when the Muslims were standing at the gates of Mecca trying to go in to do their ombre and the pagans didn't allow them? And there were now negotiations between the Muslims and the pagans to discuss a treaty called the Treaty of how they via and it wasn't getting very far in mysteries were being sent from both camps and they were struggling to agree on the terms and conditions till finally a man by the name of Sohail SON OF A hammer approached the Muslims from the pagan side and the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sorcerer halen what the Sohail mean is so hey, it means ease. So when he's also Hey, Lebanon are coming from the pagan side he said, how
those who hate him know Allah that is so high in the sun of Morocco in the Sahel or Morocco. I believe that matters are about to become easy now inshallah.
And that's exactly what happened. So Haley Mohammed came, the negotiations were agreed, the terms were agreed, and the Treaty of how they BIA was signed.
So this is our religion.
The Sahaba of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam learned their optimism from him.
And that was why when a mutual mummy Norma became a Khalifa years after the death of the poor
prophets Allah Allahu alayhi wa sallam. Some of the Muslims from the city of Kufa, Iraq, sent a letter to Omar consulting him about the idea of making a military campaign to Persia. Remember the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad Salah sent him all those years ago, it's now being discussed.
So Omar wants to know is this a good idea or not? So he said to the messenger, who brought the letter from Iraq, what is your name by the way, he said, quote, I boom golfer per bone son of Jafar, Cora, his first name which means nearness, lover, his family name, which means victory,
nearness, and victory. Alma took a good omen from there, and he said, the Caribbean Insha Allah, this means that victory is near in sha Allah, just from his name, plucked out an opportunity of optimism, La Ilaha, Illa Allah and that led up to the great battle of qadisiya, one of the great battles of Islam, perhaps the most pivotal battle after the Battle of better, which opened up the entire land of the Persians to the Muslims.
And what is interesting is that before the Battle of Goddess iya, took place Subhan Allah had Muslim historians they say that there were a mysteries being sent between the cosmos, the emperor of Tunisia, and the Muslim generals, and the army was led by Saudi b2b workers, Robbie Allahu taala. I know, cause rose at the time was yes, the job differed.
So he has the job, he called a group of Muslims to negotiate with them, what brings you to our land?
He said, Who is the most honorable of you?
And so ask them him. No, I'm gonna tell me he came forward. He said, I am the most honorable of them. Of course, his understanding was that he's going to be killed. So he puts his life on the line. He says, I have the most honorable of the Muslims here in this delegation.
And so the emperor, he took a basket of that soil and he placed it on the head of Aslam to embarrass him to humiliate him it carry this Are you now the most honorable? Are you now the most honorable to mock him and ask him said yes, I'm still the most honorable even with the basket on my head. He said to him, you know, the Emperor, I said, if it wasn't for the fact that messengers are not executed, I would have slain you right now. Leave my lad, I have nothing for you. And so the Muslims ran out of the court of cause rose. And they were ecstatic. They were optimistic. Why?
What do you think?
Why do you think they saw this as a good omen? As a sign of optimism that Allah will give them victory? How can
anything thought? Yes.
They might find you. They might find new land. Okay. What else? Think about it as him
is running out of the quarter, of course rows with a basket of Persian soil on his end
because of the soil, so what's the good omen that
means that the soil have
shifted? Yeah, exactly. Precisely. SubhanAllah. Well done, forgetting that I wouldn't have thought about it unless I knew the end of the narration.
They run out of the court of cultural celebrating, and they went two sided who cast and they said they have just given us the land of Persia.
They have just given us the land of Persia, and how did they pluck out this understanding of optimism, the soil of Persia that he's carrying on his head?
If that was me, I would have cried he's embarrassed me. He's humiliated me become a personal vendetta. I couldn't sleep at night, maybe I need an antidepressant or I I'd be so upset and feeling insecure. The companions are thinking in different ways. These are the this is the behavior of an optimist. And this led to our seven or so grueling days of battle and the Battle of qadisiya and the land of Persia became a land of Islam.
Fast forwarding to around 900 years ago from today, you had no Dina zenki Rahim Allah, the teacher, the mentor of Salah who Deen Allah you will be Ramallah one of his many.
At the time Palestine. This is very relevant to mention today was under the occupation of the Christian crusades and noted Dean Zinke he was optimistic and he fought many battles with the Christian crusades, but Allah decreed that it wouldn't be liberated until after him. Nevertheless, nurudeen constructed a huge pulpit in Aleppo, Halab, Syria.
And he said, we will give the very first quote by Friday sermon on this pulpit in a Masjid Al Aqsa, when it is liberated in sha Allah, this is the optimism they have. As if the future is something that has already happened. We're just working towards it. That's the optimist of the believer. But of course, as we said, you don't need to see the fruits of your labor. Palestine was not conquered during the time of Notre Dame.
It was conquered during the time of Salahuddin Allah UB. And so when it was cleansed from the Crusaders, Salahuddin he said, we are going to bring that we are to bring that pulpit from Aleppo, here to Palestine, in Jerusalem in Al Aqsa and that's what happened and they gave the very first Friday sermon on top of that pulpit
And that pulpit existed it was in our possession in our most evil Aqsa all the way until 1969. Not too long ago when Jewish extremists came into MSU Luxor and they set it ablaze and they killed people. They damage the masjid. And one of the damaged items was the pulpit. It fell into disrepair unfortunately, and it was dismantled.
optimism, thinking one of Allah didn't Nigella ago. Then when you turn to the book of Allah and how he treats the difficult topic, say divorce, for example. It's a surah, the chapter of divorce that is filled with optimism for hearts that are grieving with the pain of separation and unfamiliar circumstances, you're now going to be separated from your husband and wife. It is a traumatic experience, but look at how sort of two tilaka deals with it. I share with you a few of the verse endings, Allah Almighty said number one, letter three Lulla your attitude rather than a camera. You don't know Maybe Allah will bring about a new circumstance after this.
Your number two
women you're talking to hire Janda, who? Maharajah Whoever fears Allah Almighty unconscious of him. Allah will provide a way out for him for her while your resume in high school and will provide for you from places where you least expect
were made yet our Cal Allah Allah He for Hua Haspel and whoever relies upon Allah, Allah will be enough for you in Allah Allah Allah Who Emery He, Allah Almighty will fulfill his command Khadija Allah Allah Who equally che in Kedah Allah has made for everything and extend a proportion. Allah Almighty said Romania Kinder higher under home in Emery he use Whoever fears Allah he will bring about ease in his or her situation. While many are talking about how you can feel and who say you are to hear while you articulate who. Whoever fears Allah, Allah will purify them from sins and will amplify their reward. Allah Almighty said say Ajala who bow down Sydney usara Allah will bring about
ease after your difficulty. All of that in one short surah. The Quran is laden with examples of optimism, even in the most difficult experiences manually go through divorce being one of them.
And in Surah Nisa, chapter four, we're in Yatta raka Yoni, Allahu Kula means it if husband and wife take their separate ways, Allah will enrich both from His bounty. Don't worry, life can continue. There are always opportunities for healing and growth in the book of Allah an optimistic way of seeing things when you are a Muslim. Therefore, our religion is an optimistic one. There is no negative colors in their religion. There's no unlucky numbers even if that number is 13. The Muslim is the one who looks at the sun and doesn't dwell on it scorching heat, but he thinks about the many people who have benefited from its light. We look at the oceans, we don't think about the many who
drowned in its waters, we think about the many who have sailed on its back and benefited by sea. This is the optimist. We are people who remember that the belly that Eunice Alehissalaam found himself in didn't consume him. The neck that was the knife that was passed over the neck of prophet is not you didn't harm him. The fire which Prophet Ibrahim was thrown into didn't burn him. The prison which perfect use of Alehissalaam was locked in, it didn't break him, it only helped him grow.
So the Muslim is optimistic. The Muslim thinks well of Allah subhanaw taala.
Now there are signs to pessimism.
We'll be going to the latter and practical side of our talk. There are certain people who are filled with pessimism in our lives. And it is key to cut them out completely, or at least minimize their influence on us if we can't cut them out because say they are family, or they are very close friends or their co workers. What are the signs of a pessimist? People that you don't need in your life, people who will continually bring you down and move you away from the spirit of your religion.
I share with you maybe 10 or so signs, look out for them. The first of them is that they are always very quick to criticize people. You can count on the pessimist to be the very first person to call out a problem.
They will be the first no one will beat them to it. The quickest to criticize if something bad happens in their life or somebody else's life. Number two, they criticize everyone and everything. No one is spared from their finger of blame. Not the farm, not the knee or not the deer, not the one on TV, the politicians, the scholars, the students of knowledge the activists, the Imams, the committee members, the weather, health, finance economy, everything is up for criticism. They don't spare anyone from their blame.
So they are quick to criticize. Also, they are wholesome in their criticism. They criticize everything. Even the optimist, they criticize. They see the optimist as being annoying, right? They criticize everything. Number three.
They are always complaining. There's always something to complain about. The pessimist is problems oriented. The optimist is solutions oriented. There's always something to complain about health or finance or weather or
politics or Islam or masjid, always complaining, complaining, never presenting a solution.
Number four, they're usually in a bad mood.
Because they carry so much negativity inside of them. They harbor so much illness and a grudge against life. You rarely see them smiling. You rarely see them cracking a joke. They're usually grouchy and slouchy and genuinely unfriendly to be around.
That's number one. Yeah, that's number four. Number five.
They hold life long grudges.
They never let go. They never allow the pains of the past to wash away. If they fallen out with someone, there is no such thing as forgiven forget, they will hold on to that for the rest of their lives. They will backstab and they will be filled with resentment, and they will use opportunities to exact the same pain that they that they once experienced, the hold lifelong grudges. Another one of their signs is that they are stuck in a rut. What does it mean to be stuck in a rut?
Meaning because they have a non progressive view on life.
If they have bad habits, they will keep the bad habits. If there are using boring activities, or useless activities to fill their boring hours. Next year you see them they will be doing the exact same thing. They don't take any steps to remove themselves from their status into a better one, to learn a new craft to learn a new trade, learn a new skill to network to meet people to go out of their comfort zone. They're stuck in the same place. You meet them today and you meet them after 10 years. They are the same people intellectually, physically, spiritually, they are the same people they are stuck in a rut and that is a sign of pessimism that the status quo cannot be changed.
Another one of their signs is that they have a self depreciating value.
They see themselves as unworthy. Whenever the people say that we see greatness in you there is an opportunity you have a skill put it in this course for their religion, for example, they say what use what uses it? How is it going to benefit anyone I can add value to anyone's lives. A self depreciating value. And one of the most salient signs of an optimist of a pessimist is that they are always drawn to negativity, they are always thinking of the worst of a circumstance. There's always a reason why they can't do something or they shouldn't do something or they couldn't or they wouldn't. There's always a reason why somebody else has to do it not themselves, they will only
focus on the threats of an opportunity, they will not see its opportunity. They're always thinking about what the worst of the situation can be dwelling on the threats, not thinking about the opportunities, they are not risk takers. That is another sign of a pessimist. Again, we are mentioning the signs not to be judgmental, but just for you to be aware of what they look like so that you can minimize their influence on you. Because at this moment in time in your life, you don't need that.
Finally, how do we foster optimism in our lives? I mentioned to you eight quick strategies in the few minutes that we have left. The first of them, surround yourself with optimistic people. These qualities that we are speaking about are very contagious, is not just bad qualities that are contagious. Good ones are as well. So the optimist in your life, identify them, spend time with them mixed with them, observe them, hear how they speak, observe how they react to events and you will notice patterns. Then adopt those patterns as your own.
And in the same breath, identify the negative people in your life and cut them out or at least minimize their influence on you one way or another. That's number one, surround yourself with people of optimism. Where did the Sahaba learn their optimism? It's their companionship with the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam.
Number two, remove the negative influences from your life. This point here is not just about cutting off negative people pessimistic people cut out also the pessimistic things in your life.
For example, excessive browsing through social media, how much more sewage and toxicity are we going to allow to be poured into our brains and our souls by this horrible media machine? All of it or most of it, at least is negativity.
Cut down on that. Or, for example, cut down on the hours you spend watching the news. Yes, I understand. You want to be informed but you don't want to be overwhelmed. And as it stands, you and I will be overwhelmed by the negativity of news. Open up any news broadcast today. What will you find the first story is always going to be a disaster a catastrophe. Someone died, something plummeted. Someone was hurt. Why? Because man by his nature, he is drawn to sudden disaster. And we're not drawn to gradual improvement, slow improvement that doesn't sell. It has to begin with a disaster. That's why the media adage says What if it bleeds, it leads, if it bleeds, it leads you
put it in the beginning. And then if you put on top of that our negativity bias
switches psychologists they speak about, we have according to their studies and negativity bias, which means that we are far more drawn to negative events and we remember them better than positive ones. So if you sit in a crowd like this, I will remember and I will notice an angry face much more than much more than a face that smiles. That is our negativity bias. So if you put that all together, and you're constantly consuming excessive amounts of news, with time you will develop a skewed and in Balanced View of the world and you will become a pessimist but it's not true. That doesn't represent world they're journalists they give you their stories by design, because this is
what sells
but then what happens you think this is life bombs here and killing here and, and devastation here and poverty here? What type of world am I living in? What type of law that my worshipping someone may start to even doubt his Lord, but you realize that life is also filled with prayer and goodness and charity, and just causes that people are fighting and pursuing all around the world conscious souls responsible souls accountable souls, but these things they don't sell. So remove the negative influences from your life. That's number two. Number three, isolate the event. This is a very important skill, my brother, my sister, any tragedy, hardship that comes your way or failure,
whether in study or business or religion, isolate the event. And that's one of the key differences between the pessimist and optimist.
The optimist when he or she goes through a hard time, they will isolate it, meaning they will see it as an individual setback that is disconnected from other aspects of their life. So they say we find a solution, we take consultation, we pray to Allah and we live and we move on and we find action.
Whereas the pessimist will not do this, the pessimist will universalized that problem and he will see it as part of a much longer laundry list of failures in his or her life. And he will see it as part of many other problems in his or her life that are all connected and they are all overlapping. Isolate the event that you experience
and see that it is disconnected from others and remember the many other successes that Allah Almighty has given you in your life. And that's why our prophets Allah Allahu alayhi wa sallam, he did not like those who universalize their problems. He said, either color Raju Hala can nurse the hula hula hoop. If a person says everyone is ruined, everyone is ruined. He said he is the most ruined of them all.
A person who says everyone is ruined. He said that man who said those words, He is the most ruined of them all. Don't catastrophize don't universalize your problems, isolate the event. That's number what? Three. Number four be a person of show called gratitude to Allah subhanaw taala a potent antidote for those who want to become optimists.
Thank him.
It's now empirical study after study has compounded have compounded the fact that those who are grateful.
They live longer. They have less illnesses, they make fewer visits to the doctor, they exercise more, they are less prone to depression, they are happier and they are far more optimistic as well.
They speak about cheesy things like a gratitude journal, you may not want to do that. But there are proven studies to show that people who do keep a gratitude journal and they write three to four things that they are grateful in our case to Allah Almighty for every morning, they live happier days and they live happier lives.
To show gratitude, our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam his first words when he would wake up in the morning what were they
Alhamdulillah Allah the authority if you just said the Praise be to Allah, who has given me wellness was giving me well being in my body. What are the Ilia rupee and has given me back my soul? What are the levy decree and has given me permission to remember him again? Allahu Akbar. That's your gratitude journal right there. He opens up his blessing eyes to life and he thanks Allah Almighty straightaway for three things he was given. In the wake of that morning.
gratitude to Allah cultivates optimism. That's number one.
Number four, number five. doubt your doubts.
When you doubt something, an event or a circumstance in your life and you feel down ask yourself the question is this based upon evidence?
What evidence do I have that supports how I am feeling now as a pessimist?
What is the evidence for it? And here's an exercise for you my brother and my sister.
Think about the last tragedy that you experienced or someone who you love experienced in their lives. Take note of it in your mind now.
Then, think about a second thing How long did it take for that tragedy to pass?
quantify it put a number months
yours.
And then what you realize is that it eventually did pass. And all of the mess was cleared up by Allah subhanaw taala. And things became a writing. And then number three, think about the voices of pessimism that you heard during that tragedy. Think about how family we're talking. Think about what your friends said to you. Think about how the pessimist advised you. And you will realize that much of what they said never actually materialized. Didn't happen.
So if you are going through a negative experience in your life, and you're feeling pessimistic, and you're about to despair, ask yourself is this founded upon any evidence?
That's number one.
Number five. Number six, control your reactions and responses.
You may not have control over the events that come your way in life, but you know what you can do control you and I control our responses and our reactions that we can control.
And here you have a psychologist by the name of Betty Phillips. And she says that people think that happy people
are just blessed and lucky and fortunate and that the grass is always somehow Greener for them. She said, That's incorrect. She said, science has shown that for both happy and unhappy people, they experienced the exact same number of adverse conditions in their life. The only difference between a happy and unhappy person is the way they interpret those events. The optimist sees that hardship as an opportunity for growth to push him out of his comfort zone and to see it as new opportunities in life. And so they create an action plan. Whereas the pessimists, the way they react to the negative experience is that they do nothing. And they continue to spiral down in negativity, lethargy,
laziness, and even depression, she said.
So the grass is not necessarily Greener for the happy people. It's all about how they interpret the events. And that's why the Prophet sallallahu Sallam told us to control our reactions and responses. We were never told to control events. He said, When we
were in ASA cache on Fela, taco Neva al Tucana. Cada cada Allah can call under Allahu wa Moshe, in a lot of Dawa Mala Shavon. He said, If you are touched by any hardship in your life, don't say, Oh, I wish that I did such and such. Instead, you should say, this is the decree of Allah and whatever He decrees, he is free to do it. He said, because when you say if only that will open up the gateways for shaytaan. The statement of if only opens up the gateway for the whisperings of shaytan. So you may not be able to control the events in your life, but you know what you can control you are able to control your responses, your reactions, number seven before I leave you with the eight is don't
ask the question of why this is happening to me. Ask yourself the question why is this happening for me?
As a believer in Allah, you know that any hardship that comes your way is for your health and benefit and growth. I don't see why this is happening to me against me see why this is happening for me in sha Allah. And you remember the story of the believer from Surah Yaseen, when his community wanted to kill him for supporting the messengers. What did he say to them? Ie you read in your ramen Obrador? If the Most Merciful once hardship for me, none of your idols can save me? What did he say? It seems oxymoronic it seems like a
contradictory in one sentence you say if the Most Merciful, once hardship for me can be the most Merciful One hardship for you? Yes, because sometimes the most merciful will give you mercy through hardship.
hardship comes your way. Purification of sins, the raising of rank, the purifying of soul opening up of opportunities.
So ask yourself the question, reframe it reworded why this is happening to me know why this is happening for me and for optimism will grow in your life. Number eight,
to cultivate optimism is to be a realist,
to be worked out to be practical.
As Muslims, our understanding of optimism is not everything is going to be just fine and Okay, no, being an optimist as a Muslim is not about putting on rosy colored glasses. And seeing everything as colorful when it's not being an optimist is to expect sometimes that there can be hardships along the way
so that you're not taken by surprise when they do come. And I believe that this is the cause for a lot of the setback that Muslims experienced, especially the DUA, those who are active.
They were not educated about the nature of the path.
That it's difficult. It's carpeted with blood, corpses, death, persecution, jail name calling, that's the nature of the tower. So if you come into this Islamic work, only thinking about fame and money and followers and monetization, and thanks and gratitude and invitations without realizing that a lot of this is also persecution and fame and this fame or name calling. Then you will go into
Thus when these things come your way and part of being optimistic is to understand the nature of dunya that we live in.
And that's why the very first words of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Muhammad when he became a prophet, and they were not even from a classical Muslim, we can say, from what we know now for a Christian, who was a Christian at the time, the relative of Khadija I am seeing things, I think it's an angel, and he realized that was Angel Jibreel. And then what I said to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, I wish I was a young man to support you when your people will kick you out of your city. He said, our Mukherjee your home, they're going to kick me out. He said, Yes. Any prophet who came with what you came with, was shown enmity by his people. Do you see how
expectations were managed right from the outset for him, this is the nature of the path. This is the nature of dunya hardship and difficulty in gender, you will rest. Part of being an optimist is to be a realist.
Conclusion. Brothers and sisters,
optimism
is your companion in the beginning of your life, and all throughout your life. jabot he said, I came into the room of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam three days before he died.
And I heard him say some of his last words.
And he said Leia Moulton. Hello, Camilla. Who are you? As you know, fundable? None of you should die, except in a state where you are thinking well of Allah subhanho Medina, ask yourself the question, what has hopelessness and despair and pessimism ever done for you or anyone else? Has it ever helped you fill out the job application? Has he ever helped you find a job promotion? Has he ever had cured you from an illness? Has it ever helped you recover from any pain? Has it helped you solve a marital discord between you and your spouse? What has hopelessness and despair ever done for you or anyone else? It's brought you and I nothing but misery and loss and suffering. And by our
nature as intelligent human beings we make the decision to cut out the miserable things and the miserable concepts and the miserable ideas from our lives and pessimism has to be the first of those things. Think well of Allah subhanaw taala think when of Allah be optimistic that the family member in your life who is not practicing their religion will come round in sha Allah and your sister, your auntie your daughter, who is not wearing the correct Islamic hijab she will find her way around and be easily lucky to Allah sooner or later think well that Allah Almighty will protect LMSW evil Aqsa think well, that your business in sha Allah will pick up with time and perseverance and patience and
reliance upon Allah subhanaw taala I think one of him and realize that those who insulted the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will meet the retribution in the life of this world before the hereafter think well of Allah Almighty that the pain that the Muslims are going through today, worldwide will be a cause to purify the ranks from the hypocrites and expose the weak ones and push back to the lions, those who are money hungry and fame hungry and it will expose them and it will push to the forefront. The true scholars the true sincere ones, and we'll put them to the front as well think well of Allah subhanho wa taala. And instead of saying, Oh Allah i i have a burden that
is great. Why don't we say oh burden? I have a Lord who is great think well of Allah be optimistic. My very dear brothers and sisters, the future is bright with the many challenges and the difficulties that await but ultimately marking the outcome will always be for the pious We ask Allah subhanaw taala to forgive us, to pardon us and to allow us to inculcate this quality of data or optimism in our lives and in our family's lives and our students are suddenly low on energy. Now, Mohamed, what have you