Ammar Alshukry – Reflections on Surat Al-Duha
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the concept of "has" in the context of success and life, emphasizing the importance of showing gratitude and not denying one's success. They also touch on the concept of forgiveness and forgiveness in the context of worship. The speakers stress the importance of showing gratitude and showing gratitude to people for blessings and people who deserve it. They also mention the importance of showing gratitude to others and not denying one's success.
AI: Summary ©
whatever time that is in Houston when it's like one o'clock or 2am, or what have you when the night is darkest, that's such a, they also said of the meanings of sagia is when the night is at its most tranquil. And so when the city sleeps, and everybody is at rest, and that serenity and tranquility is there that is said, yeah. So it is when it is tranquil, when it is deep, and it's darkness. Also, they said, When the night covers either, funnily so when the night covers the day, and so you have this Allah is wearing by his incredible power, you're looking at the globe, it's a magnificent image, you see, literally half of the globe being covered by night, and night is continuously moving
to cover that which was covered by the day, this rotation of time. And that's why some of the scholars mentioned that. Allah only swears by these two things in this chapter, he only swears by the night because between them, you have that rotation of time, day and night. That's all we got.
And so ALLAH SubhanA data says, we'll go out we'll leave it as the night when it is. What meaning do you think people are choosing for sagia? When they're naming their daughters?
deep darkness?
Tranquility, right, serenity.
They're looking at that meeting. Well, lady that said, yeah, so Allah swears by these things. Every time we have an oath in the Quran, what are we looking for?
Testing y'all
know not as they whose will Allah is swearing greatness, not a greatness, we know the greatness is already established. Well, what are we looking for? Anytime a person makes an oath, anybody who says, I swear to God, what are you looking for?
The oath is the promise, but what are you looking for?
What you're swearing about?
Right, you make an oath, all for the sake of saying I swear to God, but you make an oath to dive to to, to direct attention to the truthfulness of what you're about to say. And so throughout just as much as Rama has a lot of oaths that 30 a chapter of the Quran, there's a lot of oats, where you're always looking for, is not just what Allah is swearing, were swearing by, but what Allah is swearing to. And so Allah Subhana Allah died to hear and sort of, what is he swearing to? He's swearing by the day and he's swearing by the night to say Your Lord has not forsaken you Oh, Muhammad, wa Taala and your Lord has not hated you.
Unless was your lawyer does not hate you, and nor has your Lord forsaken you. Okay? What that means to wait until now Arabic speakers what that what does that mean?
To say by right?
So what that means to say by it's to like that to bid farewell. How about that it's to bid farewell. And who do you bid farewell to do bid farewell to your friends today? After the holiday, you're going to bid farewell to them?
Yes, because it's the last one right? But if it was like a random Wednesday, would you bid farewell to your friend who you're gonna see tomorrow? No, you bid farewell to somebody who you're not going to see again. Right? Or it's not expected that you will see them for any period of time. And so Allah Subhana Allah died, he says uses that word, Mao adakah. Your Lord has not forsaken you he hasn't left you. It's the it's the it's the most. It's the strongest form of separation is when is the separation where you bid farewell to somebody and Allah says no matter what doc or bucola, Malka Your Lord has not hated you. Your Lord doesn't hate you. There's Elijah panna data. What's
interesting here is when you ask yourself the question, is it appropriate that Allah Subhana Allah says to the one who he loves the most from his creation, Muhammad Sal Elijah said, Love your Lord doesn't hate you.
You say that to your mom? I don't hate you. Or do you say I love you to your mom? Do you? Do you want your parents to say to you when they sit you down in the living room and say, You know what, dearest daughter? I don't hate you. Like that's not
it's very awkward, actually. So it's not appropriate that Allah Subhana Allah say, Mala doc on a book or malerkotla as an initiated statement, but it's not an initiated statement. What is it? It's a response very good. It's a response to an accusation that's being made to the province. I'm realizing that your Lord hates you. That's why he separated. And so it becomes appropriate that ALLAH SubhanA data responds to that statement saying, No, your Lord does not hate you, nor has he forsaken you and you're going to see what your status is with me.
When I fail to hate on luck, I mean, alula
No, no, in fact, it's quite the opposite. The Hereafter is better for you than this life.
The Hereafter is better for you than this life. The province of Elijah who sent them is being told that what is coming for him as an athlete here could mean the hereafter itself. And it could also mean your future that what is in store for you oh Muhammad over these next 23 years is better for you than the past.
For two years of your life, and we're going to see glimpses of the past 40 years of his life in the SUTA already. And so you have that, that, that foreshadowing that's happening to those who loves us and them or that prophecy that what's what's going to transpire in your life. You're a messenger of God now. And what I have in store for you is way better than everything you've ever experienced, it's a beautiful thing, for a person to feel that their future is going to be better than their past. You have two types of people who graduate, you have the person who's graduating, and they're excited about their future. And you have the person who's graduated, and they're like, Oh, my
goodness, I'm moving back to insert this town here. And I'm moving back to my family's house, and I'm moving back to no jobs. And I'm moving back to, you know, I didn't really take advantage of my college experience, or maybe my college experience is going to be the best years of my life. And I don't have anything more exciting, planned, right, that big man on campus syndrome.
And so the person who's looking forward to
the future, that person can't wait to graduate, they can't wait.
And it's beautiful. And similarly is quick tangent, but similarly, that's the person the believers attitude towards death.
That the person who's invested their life in what's going to come after that person is going to be comfortable with
needing ALLAH SubhanA data, that person is going to be excited to meet Allah. And the person who's didn't invest in their future. They didn't invest in the Hereafter, they only invest in in this world. As one of the scholars was actually actually asked by one of the winophiles He said, The Medaka hood mode, why do we hate that? And he said, No, my motto dunya, corruptible, accurate, because you, you developed and you cultivated the dunya and you destroyed your hereafter as a as an Emir as a princess Khalifa. But the corona the hobby Minister Imran ala HaRav, so you hate to go from that which is established to that which is destroyed.
But if a person has invested in the Hereafter, then they would love to go to that which is established. And so Allah is telling the province of of why they said them, the Hereafter is better for you than this life. And so the province of Elijah said them was the most minimalistic when it came to the dunya.
He was one of the most minimalistic if not, not the, one of the he was the most minimalistic when it came to the dunya. And that's a proof for us. It's one of the proofs for us, of him being a true prophet. He was a true prophet, because what is a false prophet look like?
A false prophet. You know, I was watching a YouTube video yesterday of some pastor, and this guy had, he was actually in court, and he was being asked about the spending of His ministry. And my mind was spending on Louis Vuitton suits. And he had a $2.5 million mansion. And he was right. But that's not just, that's in every tradition that's in every religion, you have people who claim to be men of God. And you even have people who claim to be prophets. And their lifestyle is one where they're actually seeking the dunya. And they're using the word of God or the claims of the Word of God or a religious tradition, to seek wealth here, as opposed to investing in the Hereafter. And so
when we look at the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu, is that in them? And we say, does he look like a real property? Does he look like a false prophet? Well, a false prophet would use the wealth that he has access to of his community of his, the community of believers around him to make himself wealthy. And yet we find that he lived an incredibly austere lifestyle. In fact, I'm gonna I'm gonna hook Robert on the line who has reported by Muslim he came into the house of the Prophet one time, there was an episode that happened. And the aroma comes into the house of the prophets of aliveness. And he said, The Prophet was laying down on a mat. He was laying down on a mat, and the mat was made
of straws. And it left it left marks on his sights, and Omata looks and he sees his poetry doesn't have anything except for a little bit of barley. He's got nothing. And then Roman himself sees like this, and he starts to cry, he starts to weep. And the province of Elijah is and he says to him, why are you crying have no cooktop what's what's the matter? And he says, oh, Messenger of Allah, Caesar, and, and Kisara, the king of the Romans and the king of the Persians. They are in the opulence that they're in there, they got the wealth that they have. And you the Messenger of Allah, you are the favorite of God and you're living like this. You're living this this life of once.
And the province the light is and they've said are you not pleased? Oh my god, that for them is the dunya for them is this world that for us is the next
for us as this world and for them is this world in for us is the next and the province? The lightest cinnamon another Hadith reported by sent me the said malua dunya. He says, what is it? What do I care about this world? What do I care about this world? He said, the example of me in this world is like a person who
He sat down under a tree from some shade on their journey and they continue to walk.
And so because of this promise of Allah, and you know even our best he says about when it failed to hit on the camino de la he says that the province of Allah Diaz has been promised by God 1000 palaces and Paradise, each one with whatever you need in a palace, spouses and servants and all of that reverie and all of that type of stuff.
And then Allah says, when a Sofia oblique book of Allah, Allah makes a promise, and he says, And your Lord is going to give you until you are pleased, and your Lord is going to give you until you are pleased, you know, the scholars they debated which verses are the most fear inducing verses in the Quran, and which verses are the most hope inducing verses in the Quran?
Like what verses the scariest verse in the Quran? And what verse is the most hopeful verse in the Quran? And they debated these verses. As for the most scary verse,
the most fear inducing verse.
They said that it is or a position is that it isn't sort of in Nevada, where Allah subhana Medina says
in the Jahannam, Cosmo sadhana Davina Mahabharata be the UniFi vocal for them as either Allah, Allah describes the hellfire
and then he says taste for we are never going to increase you in anything except for punishments taste because we are never going to increase you in anything except for punishment.
Why is that the scariest verse in the hellfire? I'm asking you why is that the scariest verse about in the Quran? Why would you consider that to be incredibly scary
I'm only asking you because I saw you guys all watching this conversation here became so interested so why
because it only gets
because it only gets worse and worse. Okay, what else y'all got it sir below
Okay, so after a while you get used to the fire just like after the while you get used to the Houston heat and the humidity and after a while you get used to the cold of Edmonton, Canada and after a while you get used to like you get used to things eventually but you're not gonna get used to May Allah protect us all. The person doesn't get used to the Hellfire at all Okay, very good. What else?
What else y'all got?
So
human beings have had the ability to survive the most
the worst
experiences, whether as individuals or whether as societies so we've survived genocides, and we've survived Holocaust and we've survived natural disasters and we've survived plagues and we've survived as as as human beings, and what is that thing that allows us to hold on? What is that thing that allows us to continue?
Right hope spirit, right, that that, that you know, the human will, the human spirit that's in conquerable it gets conquered in the hellfire.
He comes to die in the hellfire.
That idea that as if I can hold on just one more night. Eventually
it'll turn into dawn. If I can if I can just hold on this too shall pass.
They're told in the Hellfire local Fernandez either Camila dabba tastes we're never going to increase the acceptance punishments. No matter how much patience you show perseverance you show endurance you show whether you panic or you don't whether you cry or whether you don't whether you
it doesn't matter. Their tomorrow will always be worse than their today and their day after will always be worse than their tomorrow. Lupo for them is either Camila dabba that Hellfire is what you and I have a window called this life to escape.
And Allah says woman's obviously I mean natty Well, Tina Ginetta for both of us. And whoever is shifted away from the hellfire and enters into paradise. They are the ones who are successful. They're the ones who are successful. So then we have the most fear inducing verse, but what is the most hope inducing verse in the Quran? The scholar is different with regards to that. Some said that the most open deeds inducing verse actually let me ask you, what do you think is the most hope inducing verse? What is a verse that you find to be hope inducing?
Or hopeful? What do you got?
You actually got one yes.
The birth of Mary okay. How was it helpful to you though
Okay, so you don't know what's good for you. So that's that's beautiful. The mother of marriage she says in the world like to have links that will allow alimony
about all the places that coworkers so the mother of marriage she gives birth to Mary and she says My Lord I gave birth to a girl
and she was expecting a boy right? Yes.
Okay, so when Musa when Moses is being chased by Pharaoh and they see death in front of them because they see the water in front of them and they see the army of Pharaoh behind and the children of Israel says in neither mudra Cohen they said they caught up to us and Musa says, Moses says Kela in Iraq sad my Lord will guide me Yes
Okay, so the story of follow up and how ALLAH SubhanA Dias has gotten into as in Kadena how many small bands of people destroyed or not destroyed but defeated large hosts large armies how by the permission of Allah, okay.
What else y'all got?
Okay, so verily with difficulty there is ease. So the scholars when they look Yes, sir.
Well, Sophia to take on a book of a TATA smart guy. He looked at the verse that we're talking about, and he's like, what a Sofia Tico book of Atharva. Mashallah, very good? Yes, sir.
Okay,
okay.
Okay, so that people who have bad deeds or even those who have good deeds, that they're going to be successful with ALLAH SubhanA Thaddaeus.
Okay, so you guys, he says, we have created mankind and we know what whispers in themselves. Okay, so the scholars, the list that I have is none of these verses that you guys mentioned. So let's go over some of them.
But these are all good because everybody has their own verses that induce hope in them. But they said number one, in a lie that evolution can be us through my dunya Daddy can even be shot. ALLAH does not forgive that other than Him be worshipped. And he forgives whatever is less than that to whomever he wishes. Allah doesn't forgive on the Day of Judgment, he's not going to forgive that someone worships other than him. But he worships everything else. I'm sorry, but he forgives. He may forgive everything other than that, how is that hope inducing.
So I've got one job that I need to worry about. And that that's not worshiping other than Allah. That's my one job, everything else, whatever other sins that I commit, whatever other sins that I commit, as long as I show up on the Day of Judgment, not having worship other than him. I'm in the game.
Allah's forgiveness is overwhelming. Allah's mercy, mercy is overwhelming as long as I don't worship other than him. So I just need to make sure that I'm 100% not worshiping other than Allah. Which means that the thing that I care about the most in this world is to heat. And anything that that plays around with this idea of worshiping God alone and having love of Him alone, and having fear of Him alone and having reliance on him alone, anything like that. I make sure that I stay super clear of it.
super clear. Yes. I'm talking about zodiac signs. Yes, I'm talking about Horoscopes. Right, the idea that these things have a effect on my future, that affects my worship of Allah that affects my ether heat. So these types of things I care so much about worshipping other than God, praying to other than God, going to a grave and worshiping there, right, that I care really, really seriously I take these things to be very, very serious that I don't mean a lot with an ounce of worship to other than Him, then everything else the basic stuff, your average since insha, Allah Allah will forgive.
I still avoid them. Obviously, I still care about avoiding them, but it's very hope inducing. Number two, they said, the second thing they said is
Allah Subhana Allah that Allah says, holy are a bad year livina sort of wider and fusi mulata to middle Amity La Ilaha de novo Jamia, tell my Sir My servants so my creatures tell my tell humanity who have wronged themselves and everybody's wrong themselves. Every person has wronged themselves, let alone the Rahmatullah. Do not despair from the mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah forgives all sins.
And so Allah is telling us to never ever despair, a person should never feel as long as they are alive that they are beyond the last forgiveness. And it's always amazing to me how people, when I interact with people who feel like what they have done in their life up until this point, has put them in a position where they're ashamed to talk to a lot where they're, they're embarrassed to even pray because of what they
You've done. And the only person who would feel like that is someone who doesn't know who Allah is in the first place. Right? That's a big problem. When people don't know who Allah is, they don't look at how Allah describes himself. They haven't read the Quran. And instead, they only rely on the description of Allah that they receive from their mom, or the description of Allah that they received from their Sunday School teacher are the description of a lot that they received from that really judgmental uncle in the messages. Right? That's who they receive, who they allow to describe God to them. Instead of looking at how Allah describes himself, he says, Do not despair from the
mercy of God. Verily, Allah forgives all sins. So this is a really hopeful verse. I mean, everything can be forgiven by Allah.
Well, how do we relate? How do we reconcile between these two verses? Elijah said, Allah doesn't forgive that should be done with him that partners be associated with him. And here in this verse, Allah says He forgives all since
he was awake.
Um, everybody here Yes.
So he can still forgive shit, he can still forgive that a person worship other than him out.
It's got to be while you're alive. It's got to be while you're alive, you have to repent while you're alive. But on the Day of Judgment, when when the doors are closed, and the books are sealed, if a person comes having committed ship, so it just needed partners with Allah, Allah says he's not going to forgive that one. But while a person is alive, they have the opportunity to repent from everything and Allah will forgive everything, including worshiping other than Him. So Allah says, Now, there is a third position, and that is that the most hope inducing verse in the Quran is this verse, whereas over here, I'll take on Abu Khattala and your Lord is going to continue to give you
who is you here Muhammad Sallallahu isn't until you are pleased Muhammad
How is this a hope inducing verse
that Allah promises Mohamed Salah lot is that your Lord is going to continue to give you until you're pleased
Yes,
he's from
he wept for our nation. Okay, so he wept for his people, his community, us. Okay, what else? Yes.
So the prophets of Elijah said them will not be pleased until one every last one of us enters into paradise. What else?
Is is that it?
Are we out?
Is that hope inducing for you though?
No.
Okay, let me get let me show you. I got a trick to show y'all. Already. This means yes.
This means no. You guys are just staring at me really hard.
Is that hoping to say
so exaggerated Thank you, man. I appreciate it.
Is your hope inducing, though you don't even know pay him. He argues against this idea a lot. And he says this is actually a very ignorant position. So very Aner position. Why? Because he says, the profit on the Day of Judgment is going to bloom. He's going to be pleased with what? whatever pleases Allah.
The prophet is not more merciful than God. Solo light is Allah. He's not more merciful than Allah. And Allah is pleased with people being punished in the hellfire. So the Prophet is going to be pleased with whatever Allah is pleased with. Like looking at the example of the conversation that happens at the end of salted match either between Jesus Christ and Allah.
When Allah says to Jesus,
He says, Yeah, Isa, and uncle, Teddy Nassif. Camila hate him and do nila,
when Allah will ask Jesus Christ on the day of judgment, and he says to him, Oh, Jesus, did you tell the people? Did you tell the people to take me and my mom as gods besides Allah, did you tell the people to worship me? And what would he say?
He will say Subhana Exalted are you?
Exalted are you it would not be befitting for me to say what I had
no right to say
in tune to Bucha, who forgot the Alamo mafia, Mafia. Nuff said.
If I had said it, you would have known it, you know what is in myself and I do not know what is in yourself. You are the Knower of the unseen. And I only told them where you had commanded me to worship God alone. And I was a witness over them while I lived amongst them. But when you cause me to die, then you became the watcher over that. And then he says, this is this statement here. This is the point that I'm making. Jesus Christ says, on the day of judgment to Allah into the womb for inner harmony. We're interested in looking into
what is it
I live in Florida. Ha ha, okay, let's break this down hold on a second.
He says, If you punish them, if you punish them, then they are your service. And if you forgive them, then you are what? What would naturally roll off your tongue?
You are the forgiving and merciful, right? That's what it is saying.
We're going to point out you said in particular, but it's not the forgiving and demersal. But what does he say? He says, You are the
you guys are messing me up now.
Why don't we love and like enterprises are happy, you are the mighty and you are the wise, you are the mighty and you are the wise. So it would naturally roll off your tongue to say that you are the forgiving and merciful, your forgiving and merciful, merciful.
But on the day of judgment, every prophet, every prophet is going to be on God's side against whoever Allah is angry with, then you have absolutely every right to be angry with and whoever you are pleased with that you have every right to be pleased with. It's like when you're a kid, or when you were a kid, and your mom is really angry at your sibling.
And she's letting them have it.
Is that the moment for you to be the the peacemaker
you come in between and you're like, Mom, hold on a second, I think you need to calm down.
Right? What happens to you.
So the idea here, and this example, even playing matches is an example of incredible manners with Allah. Like that statement of Issa of Jesus is an example of incredible manners with Allah, that in that moment, he does not become an intercessor between him and those who worship other than Him.
In any case, ALLAH SubhanA diatas says we're so for you, I'll take on a book of love. But so the point here is that this was a a verse that some of the scholars consider to be the greatest hope inducing verse, but at the same time, it's challenged by other scholars because Allah or the prophet is pleased with whatever Allah is pleased with. And then Allah then mentions a sequence of blessings that He bestowed upon the Prophet. He said at me, he did get your team and for our, did he not find you as at once a a team,
an orphan? Did he not find you as an orphan for our and so he protected you?
He protected you.
Out of all of the family structures that the Prophet Muhammad could have came into this world with?
He was divinely designed to come into this world as an orphan.
What does that communicate to you about orphans?
What's
the importance of orphans? What else does it communicate to you?
What's that?
I can hear you.
Okay, so an orphan can be, can be for sure. Yes.
Did anybody else have something?
Okay, so the importance of taking care of those who do not have any supports. So
I don't think you'll ever appreciate this until you have children. And I didn't appreciate it. And so I had a daughter. But it's like when you got this baby.
And Allah subhana data has placed in your heart this out of nowhere, out of nowhere, this incredible protective mechanism. And the things that are there, you know, the reason why I don't like
I don't believe in in sharing a lot of like, baby pictures and things like that kid pictures, because I realized that the thing that a lot placed in your heart is not shared by other people. You just happen to think your kid is the cutest in the world.
Other people will lie to you. And you know, pretend like your kid is cute, but they don't really feel it. I mean, they might, they might you might actually have the cutest kid in the world.
But you just, it's amazing. Like, my daughter is being the absolute most annoying kid in the world. And I just happen to think it's adorable. I do it's and I realized that it's illogical and it's because of that I don't go around trying to share you know everything like be one of those people that over shares.
But imagine, like a child who comes into this world and you see how absolutely defenseless they are. They've got they have no ability to survive. If Allah did not place a mother and a father there who happened to have this incredible reverence, love adoration for this child, where they will sacrifice their health, their ability and their sleep and their energy for this child to be nourished and to grow. And it's never any
think that you'll ever be able to appreciate it until you actually have your own child. When I was a,
you know, before I had children, my parents said the same thing. Our aunts and uncles said the same thing. They all said that and then you experienced it. And then you turn around and you say to the next generation, they're going to understand it, but they're not going to understand it until they actually go through it. It's just the way that it goes. But
this reminds us the fact that the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him came into this world as an orphan indicates to us that this sector of society this group, is deserving of so much repair is deserving of so much protection, like the Muslim community should be a community that cares so deeply about orphans because our Prophet was the greatest endorser of orphans.
He's the greatest symbol of orphans. Not only that indicates to us the the limitless potential of orphans. When we believe that the greatest human being who ever lived was an orphan. What does that tell you about the potential orphans?
What else y'all got?
That orphans have the ability to endure. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean, coming into this world as an orphan is very challenging. It's very difficult.
The prophets of Allah today said and he says, I am the one who takes care of an orphan or like this in paradise, much discussion there is about taking care of orphans. And then Allah subhana diocese and immediately came to him and for our What did the Cabal and for her and he found you misguided and so he guided you. Bond bond means to be lost. And every sort of the fat how you pray, and you say later, Moldova, boggling I don't want to be of those who are misguided. And so the question I have for you was was the prophet muhammad sallallahu has set it up ever misguided, and be careful in your answer. Was he ever misguided?
I mean, doesn't Allah say, Would you like a wildland fire that he found you misguided and guided you? So was the prophet ever misguided?
Rosa, yes.
Okay, very good.
One of the things that fury me the most is when a person gets the answer on the first try.
No, man, it's done.
I gotta think of harder questions.
Absolutely.
The promise of a lot is
he was never misguided in the sense that he worship titles. He never worshipped idols. He never believed in deities other than a lot other than God. But he didn't know how to worship him. He didn't have a path laid out for him. He didn't know the details of Islam. He didn't know. And so Allah then guided him. Allah guided him. Why did the wildland fire Heather? Well, why did that guy eat and for Elena, and he found you to be poor, and he enriched you?
He made you self sufficient. You're coming into this world as an orphan, you've got nothing. And here you are 40 years later, and you're married and you have children and you're, you're you're taking care of you, you made it.
You're surviving in society.
That's, that's you've come a long way.
And so, Allah mentions these three things, found you an orphan, took care of you, we found you not knowing. And we taught you and we found you,
impoverished or poor, and we enriched you these three things. Now I have a question for you. Allah is listing out. Allah is listing out favors that he did for the Prophet favors that he did for the prophets level lies in though
we see another place in the hold on where favors are listed. Pharaoh is sitting across from Moses, Moses has come with a message he's saying, I'd say my Benny is slightly saying send with me, the children of Israel, we're leaving. Not only that, but he's coming. I'm a messenger of God to you. So I'm a messenger of God to throw out but at the same time, Moses, his mission is to take money and some aid from Egypt, the children of Israel from Egypt and to take them to the Holy Land, take them to philosophy.
What does fit on say? I love big Athena. When he then when I miss the field, I mean Rome America, CNN says you didn't we raised you as a as a as a baby. Since the time you were a baby, we raised you he was raised in the house of Pharaoh when a bit stuffy, and I mean, how many Cassini in and you lived for years amongst us. So Pharaoh now is recounting blessings to Musa is he's recounting blessings to Moses.
The way that Pharaoh is recounting blessing
Is that blameworthy or praiseworthy?
You guys are seeing that. Okay, so it's blameworthy. How is that different from Allah's recounting of his blessings to Mohammed Salah Leia. Pharaoh right here is saying, didn't we raise you as a kid? As a baby and you lived amongst us for many years, then we take care of you, right? He's saying all of that. And Allah is saying to Muhammad, weren't you an orphan and we took care of you and weren't you published and we and we provide it for you and weren't you misguide us so we guided you
if you understand this you under you can understand when is it appropriate for you to recount blessings to people? And when are you not supposed to recount blessings to people? What am I supposed to be able to tell people about the favors that I did for them Don't you remember I did this and this and this and this for you? Yes mighty
he what
Okay, so it's after Musa went against him. So what does that mean?
Below Yes?
Okay, so you're talking about the, the objective
of the recounting of those blessings, right? What's the objective? So he's saying Pharaoh, when he was recounting those favors that he did to Musa he was doing it out of
out of what? belittling Musa, like who are you?
Then we raise you, like, be quiet? You have no right to say anything. We're the ones who took care of you were the ones who raised you. But when Allah is recounting blessings to Mohammed, what is he doing it for? What's the purpose?
To reassure him? Like didn't I take care of you yesterday? I'll take care of you tomorrow.
So now I know when is it good for me? to recount favors to people? And when is it bad for me to recount favorites to people? Allah says lots of people saw the cost to complete manual other, Allah says do not cancel out your charity, by men with his men mean?
Men is when you're telling people
don't you remember? I lent you $5.03 weeks ago, don't you remember, I gave you $30 A month ago, right? Sibling stuff. That is your your your hanging a favor that you did for somebody over their head. You're beating them over the head of that with that. Allah says, Don't do that do not cancel out your charity, the money will ever is harm. Nobody wants to hear that. You might have heard you get frustrated, be like I'm gonna give you the money back to shut up. Like, just stop.
If you're gonna give it to me, so you can hold it over my head that I don't even want it anymore. I'll give it back. That is harm. Allah says do not cancel out your charity by doing that, if you give a person charity, then it Hamdulillah you did it for the sake of Allah, You gave it to Allah before you gave it to this person. And so expect it back from Allah. That's it. Don't Don't harm people, however. So that's that's the way that we shouldn't do it. But if I'm recounting something to somebody to reassure them, then that's different.
So you have a husband who's telling his wife, he's like, don't you remember that summer, right? Because she's like, money is tight, and this and that. And he's like, don't you remember that? You know, three summers ago, and when money was tight, and I worked this job, and I worked that job, and I work this job, and I took care of you, right? So don't worry about it. I'll take care of you again. No problem.
Like, I'm gonna handle it. Right. an MSA president says to their team, like, don't you?
Like what do y'all worried about?
What are y'all worried about? Like, don't you see how the law we're able to make things happen? And the dinner last year was supposed to be this and this and Hamdulillah we took care of it. Right? Like we're gonna do it again, like that idea of reassurance.
A lot that says, so Allah sequences, those blessings that He gave the Prophet Muhammad Salah Salem, and then he tells him three instructions. And these are the three instructions, he says familia Timo for that.
As for the orphan, and the sequence again follows, Allah first tells him You were an orphan, and we raised you and then Allah says, so the orphan Do not oppress just like you were an orphan and we raised you Allah that says, Do not oppress the orphan, look after the orphan, take care of the orphan, dignify the orphan, the most noble house is a house in which an orphan is honored. And the worst house is a house in which an orphan is humiliated. So Allah subhanaw taala says, As for the orphan, then Do not oppress them well, unless that in Fela then help that it literally means what
the asker What do you ask for? Normally? What do people ask for? Oh,
okay, so they ask for help. They asked for money. What else?
Huh? That's for food. Okay, what else?
Forgiveness, okay.
There's a big one.
There's a big one.
They asked for.
Close.
It's similar to that they asked for what?
Huh?
Yeah asked for knowledge
at a university called Houston.
That's for knowledge. It's called asking a question.
So generally, people asked for
wealth, money assistance, all that Episode Are they asked for knowledge, those are the two. And Allah says well enough.
Just like there was a time where you did not know. And we taught you
a person who comes to you not knowing do not repel them.
Answer their questions, teach them, instruct them. But it could also mean the other thing, which is a person coming and asking you for
assistance, financial assistance, that Allah says do not repel them. pethub then had is to literally like yell at a person. Don't do that.
If you're gonna reject them, reject them, kindly reject them with mercy, reject them with gentleness, reject them with manners. So you don't repel the beggar.
But you simply say to them, you know, I'm sorry, I don't have anything. Or you can say I mean, there are phrases that I think every every different culture in the Muslim world has.
What do you guys say in Pakistan?
A beggar someone comes in ask you what do you tell them?
You don't have a phrase, you don't have a go to phrase.
You guys just yell at them.
So for example, without a person will say allocating, or a person will say a lady know, right? They'll say like, Allah is generous, or they'll say, May Allah give, provide for us and provide for you? What do you all say?
I'll lift it.
But it's a hint, like, okay, so may Allah make things easy for you? Right? Like different cultures all have like some different go to phrase. Okay. So in any case, I then Allah says, the last one, he says, Well, I'm mapping to a beggar for headpiece, and as for the bounties of your Lord. Now, you were impoverished, and we enriched you. So then the last verse is, and ask for the bounties of your Lord declare, declare the bounties of your Lord.
Declare the bounties of your Lord. So what does that mean? Does that mean that if I pray the omelette last night, fire, gave like $1,000 in charity, I should tweet about it hamdulillah felt really good to give $1,000 to charity.
Is that what you should do? What does that mean? So what does professing the favours of God upon you mean? What does that mean?
Okay, so to do it out of 10, you understand?
Allah's commanding, he says, he says, proclaim the bounties of your Lord. So how do I proclaim the bounties of my Lord? What does that mean?
How through my actions
Okay, so the way you lead your life, very good. So you proclaim the bounties of your Lord through the way you leave your life. So if God gave me wealth that I spent that's me proclaiming the bounties on my lord, you go to any messages in the country, and they'll tell you about who the donors are, right, even though I'm Private, I don't need to create some sort of LLC and shadow company and all that type stuff because I don't want anybody to know what I donated know, like, let me I can let the message know I'm keeping it private, but the message knows that I donated this amount, right? And that's part of me, declaring the bounty of my Lord is that I spend in the ways
that Allah loves what else
Excellent. So when someone praises me for a quality that I have, I refer it back to Allah. I don't say this is me. I say it humbly Allah, Allah is the One who gave me this Alhamdulillah God gives me everything. Right? hamdulillah right. This is the bounty of Allah Subhana Allah Allah, Allah is the One who gave me this knowledge. Allah is the One who gave me this job. Allah is the One who gave me this whatever it is,
that you refer back to Allah. What else?
Yes, more men.
The way you dress and carry yourself. The Prophet sallallahu sallam said If Allah bestows blessing on a person, he loves to see that blessing on that person.
He loves to see that blessing on that person.
What does that mean?
A man came to the province of Elijah seldom
Can you guys hear me so a man came to the province, the Lola, they set it up and he was incredibly disheveled guy did not look taken care of at all. And so the province is on the line and suddenly he told me he said, Do you have wealth? And he said, Yes, I got a lot of wealth. So the province I said I said to him, if Allah gives you bounty, he loves to see that bounty on you.
Allah loves to see you dress nice if Allah has given you that Allah loves for you to live within your means. Allah loves for all of that to be reflected on you. So then I have a question for you. Have we been prohibited from extravagance is an extravagance bet yes or no? Yes. So then if I'm wearing a $20,000 watch, isn't that extravagance?
Depends on what? Hold on. Who says yes. $20,000 watches extravagant
Why do you say it's extravagant $20,000 Watch.
That could feed
could feed a lot of people. What about my $100? Watch? Could that feed a lot of people?
So I shouldn't have a watch? Right? Why should I wear a watch? Could it my iPhone feed a lot of people? Oh, people are getting comfortable.
Okay, so yes, go ahead.
So I've got $100,000 Watch, but I'm wearing it with modesty. Right?
Yes.
So if it adds something to my life, then it is not extravagant. But if it doesn't add something to my life, then it is extravagant.
So then, I shouldn't have a Lamborghini, according to you.
But couldn't you make that same argument about the watch? There's always a cheap, there's always a cheaper option. I could have a Casio watch with the little calculator on it. And that's for $50 Right? Yes.
Excellent, so she's saying it's based on your money.
So for example, is $100,000 wedding extravagant.
Now, if Prince William and Katie that royal wedding, if they spent $100,000 would not have been an extravagant wedding. Why?
Because they're the they're the whatever they are of England.
Right. So they're the royal family or the from the royal family. So there are levels to this for them. If they spent $100,000. It would be the cheapest wedding everybody would be like these are the cheapest people ever. Right?
Because it for them in his pocket change. So it all depends on your level. For a person who's a multimillionaire to spend $20,000 on a watch, they might be considered to be the most minimalist of minimalism. They might be considered to be a person who doesn't care about the dunya at all. Right? Everybody in their family might be and they're there because it's echelons right? They might that person who's driving $100,000 car, they could be what is Islamic minimalism. Islamic minimalism, is that the dunya be in your head and not in your heart.
That's what it is, is that this world be in your head and not in your heart. Now what is considered to be extravagant, extravagant. If I have a $20,000 watch with a $20,000 job
that's extravagant because that is way beyond your budget, is I've got a really nice car, and I'm making payments on it. And I made that and and and, and and that's it. scribing it's you're living beyond your means.
But as for I mean, we're not we're not socialists, you don't believe like, your money is your money, the only right? That is do on your money. Islamically Zeca. That's it.
If you pay 2.5% of your wealth, if you are in that threshold, then your money is your money you do with it whatever you want. And as long as it's hot out, obviously spent and headed, what extravagance has to do with your access and your resources and it doesn't have to do with actual amounts. Does that make sense? Okay.
Now there
is another aspect to this statement, who am I being admitted on? Because I had this and declare the favorites of your Lord, the prophets that Elijah said that he says, Whoever does not show gratitude to people does not show gratitude to God.
If you don't show gratitude to people, you don't show gratitude to God. You get an A on your exam. And people come to you and be like, Yo, how did you do that? That's amazing. And you're like, hamdulillah man, I don't know. I just gotta like that. And meanwhile, meanwhile, poor reverse has been studying with you in the library for the past week.
Like all night, he's been teaching you and tutoring you and blah, blah, blah. And then when you get on the exam, you don't mention it at all.
That's, that's not thankfulness. That's not gratitude. Gratitude, is that you refer graciousness, and gratitude to the people who deserve it. And so if somebody helps me along the way, that I don't turn around and pretend like I did it all on my own. If someone bestows a favor upon me, then I communicate that and I share that with people so and so it really helped me get a job hamdulillah so and so is a really great person, they were really kind to me, they were really generous to me that one time they really, you know, helped me out.
You're praising people along the way the prophets of Allah, they said them, he says In another Hadith, and by the way, thanking them personally as well. thanking them personally as well. I really want to, you know, take the time to appreciate you appreciate the people who are going out and volunteering and bringing the food and distributing the food. You know, I've learned a lesson
I've learned a lesson in my life. Okay. I'm giving you guys a superpower right now. I'm telling you, this is a superpower if you can master this.
Allah says in the Quran, if you show gratitude, I will do what
I will increase you.
The way to show gratitude to Allah.
Or the way to secure an increase in any blessing is to show gratitude to Allah for that blessing.
We're in Ramadan, people are able to do things that they might have never been able to do outside of Ramadan. You might be able to pray piano late every night. You might be able to read Quran every day, you might have been able to give in charity, you might have been able to do things spiritually that you aren't able to do the rest of the year. You know, the way to secure those blessings is to show gratitude to Allah for those blessings. How do you show gratitude to Allah for those blesses?
You show gratitude to Allah for spiritual blessings, by not acting like you didn't receive those blessings. Meaning if you just went through an incredible Ramadan, you got better in Ramadan. On day one of eat. You don't wile out like you didn't just experience it on my bus.
You don't relapse like you didn't just receive Ramadan.
It's back to Netflix. It's back to Hulu. It's back to whatever it is that a person is back to. And they go back to everything because they missed out for a month. No, you didn't miss out for a month. You got better for a month.
I had a friend once we were 18 years old.
And he got a car for the first time.
And he was so thankful that he was able to pray in the masjid for the first time. He had never paid for it in his life in the masjid before but now that he got a car, he prayed for him in the masjid. So we were sitting in a youth halacha that night that Friday night. And I remember him telling us about all of the effects that praying Fagin had had on his day. So he said, praying 5g, it is the pre dawn prayer.
Pre dawn prayer. It's after dawn prayer before it pre sunrise care.
And he prayed it in the messages. And so he said, you know that day, I I got into my car. And I started listening to music and it was like, and then I said to myself, Man, I can't be listening to you, I prefer you to the mission. So he turned it off. And then he said I was talking to a friend of mine and I started cursing. And then I said to myself, I can't be cursing I prefer to be in the masjid. And so he stopped cursing. But what he was showing was he was showing gratitude. Like you get a spiritual gift. Don't carry yourself like you didn't like you didn't receive it. You show gratitude to Allah for your strength. By using it in support of other people, protecting other
people you show gratitude to Allah for your beauty. By showcasing it to those who it's hard for you to showcase that beauty too. And protecting it from those who you're not supposed to show it to you show gratitude to Allah for your wealth by spending it in the ways that Allah Allah has for you spend it, and if you show gratitude, I will increase you, but that's part of the superpower. The second part of the superpower is when I learned that people do the exact same thing.
If you show gratitude to people,
you compliment people for good qualities that they have. They will only increase in that quality for you. I went to go rent a car. I walk up to the the agents
And the guy's got amazing people skills. He's just great. He's friendly. He's He's jovial, he's, he's very easy to talk to. And so I can do two things, I can just thank him and go on with my day. Or I can take a moment. And I can say to him, You know what?
I just want to tell you that whatever industry, you go into whatever job you ever have in your life, it should be in. It should be in the hospitality industry, because you are amazing. at customer service. I just want to let you know that. What does that take from my time? 20 seconds, right.
But this guy was so happy to hear that from me.
And I just praise his hospitality. So what is he now going to do for me, he's going to show me even more of the quality that I just praised him for. And so my man was walking me to my car, they don't do that. Normally, they normally just hand you the key. But my guy was walking me to the car, and he even grabbed my luggage and he was dragging it for me. I didn't ask him to do that. But it is a natural instinct that when you praise somebody for a quality, they don't want to let you down. In fact, they only want to show you more of it. And so you you know in managerial in management, they call that catching people doing things right. All right. So if you find and the Prophet sallallahu
Sallam did so much of that,
like the reason why we know the virtues of the companions, is because the prophets that Elijah said them tells them even if they thought and saw you crossing walking down the road shaytaan would cross the street.
The one who is the most, who whose wealth benefited me the most from my companions, aboubaker
Earth mine is someone who the angels are shy from it, they thought it was someone who Allah loves and Allah and His Messenger loved him. Or he loves Allah, His Messenger, and I share the virtue of outrage over all women is like the virtue of city overall food, like the prophet is constantly praising his companions. And he always notices the unique qualities that they have, and He praises them for those qualities. And then later on those people become masters of those qualities. So is that a superpower? Absolutely. And now you have it. And come I call Uncle Ben with great power comes great responsibility. So use it wisely. You are now jet ice
Well, I'm I've been adding material because I had this and asked for the favorites of your Lord declare.
Allah Subhana Allah knows best.
I don't think we have time for a little bit in July unfortunately Rosa, but with that inshallah I'll close. It's been an honor and a privilege to be with you all. I just want to look at it for another semester. And Allah Subhana Allah accepts from you all and make your finals easy for you. And for those who are graduating, may Allah subhanaw taala make your tomorrow better than your today and make the best of your days the day that you meet Allah Subhana Allah to Allah Subhana Allah Muhammad Rasul Allah elantas Clinical today Salah license