Lessons from Gaza

hamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah Smilla Rahmanir Rahim

are brothers sisters today I want to make a short lecture but Insha Allah, it's powerful. And then I'm going to leave some time for questions and answers from the audience. And we also have a lovely brother of ours who's going to say the Shahada. So I'm going to give him time a little bit before the shirt. And after the shirt, please excuse me, I also have another sister upstairs will be waiting, I promised her that will meet with her friends also to say the Shahada. So whoever does want to see me straight off today shirt, please excuse me just for a few minutes. And I'll be back in sha Allah

Smilla Rahmanir Rahim today or tonight, I've called that lessons from Gaza.

And the lessons that I want to talk to you about are not political, I'm not going to go into politics, and my views about world politics and leaders. That's not my area. And many people who are greater experts than me, and more articulate have already spoken about it tremendously.

But I want to talk about what directly benefits us, you and me living

away from the whole turmoil over there.

And nothing happens in this world without our wisdom.

And Allah has created on this earth laws of nature, which doesn't change.

And Allah subhanaw taala gives promise of victory all the time for those who stand by him. However, the problem is that people don't understand what that means.

They want immediate results.

And a lot of us didn't even know the name.

Before October.

Some of us didn't even know what it was. And we want to change the world in a few months, suddenly,

it requires preparation.

And there is justice and injustice everywhere. And there has always been injustice throughout this world.

When we look at it as follows lean.

It's not the only place that we see these atrocities happen, although it is the greatest right now and the most immediate.

We see it happening without other brothers and sisters, the hoarders who are still in concentration camps, the Auspex we see it happening Sudan. It's happened before.

And before I talk about the lessons from the people of Gaza, let's first of all, look at something very important. If you look throughout history of this world, you will find from an Islamic history

that people, innocent people have been treated unjustly, and many killings and deaths have happened before.

We can go all the way back

to the time of the children of Israel.

The children of Israel

are the children of property. Aku alayhis, Salam.

They were believers. There were Muslims. Muslim means submitters and surrenders to Allah and the prophets that came to them with the message.

Among them are prophets, Yusuf alayhi salam, that would say, Man, are you Salah is Salam, Musa Harun alayhi wa sallam,

all of them.

And they entered and had a kingdom in Jerusalem and the entire area. There were true believers.

And the Persians and Romans came in when they corrupted, they started following some of them aspects of idolatry, compromising their own religion and the Torah and the message that came to them.

And so Allah says in the Quran bafna la comunidad Alana Ali Batson studied for Jessel, Isla de waka, Nevada for Allah, we sent upon you servants of Ours,

who was strong empower and overpowered you and destroyed what you had built. And the promise of your Lord is always going to be fulfilled.

When a people corrupt it's not long before Allah sins and other people over them.

So they were destroyed and lost. And then we find in a time of Muhammad Sallallahu wasallam in the Battle of

the Muslims were told to stay on the mountain of the arches.

And he said to them Do not come down off the hill.

But they forgot the worldly material took over

and they came off the hill to get their spoils of war.

That was still new to Islam. They made a mistake. And a great massacre happened to the believers in Ohio among

them as Muhammad was Muhammad sallahu wa salam, we all know Hamza, the Allahu anhu, was killed and cut to pieces.

And Allah subhanaw taala spoke about this, in many passages in the Quran when the Muslims themselves started to ask the same questions we ask, right now, what happened? The victory of Allah, we're on the truth, the Messenger of Allah is with us. The disbelievers are all corrupt and wrong and evil.

And we had been less of an amount in battles before that. Yet, the battles before that we weren't losers, we were victorious. And now we were double the amount we have more artillery, yet, we lost terribly.

And Allah Subhana Allah replies by saying well who I mean and the emphases say, it was from yourselves. Many there are laws of nature that I have created, and that laws of not just nature, but laws of victory. Where you are equal to the enemy, then whoever is stronger will win. But if your taqwa and your piety is with Allah subhana wa taala, eventually the victory will come. And Allah gives us examples of people before he says,

And when they look at those

who were before them, Allah says specifically in the Quran, I'm happy with them and that halogen Netta, did you assume that you will enter paradise. And when the people the stories, the people before you come to you, they went through hardships and afflictions, until they got to the point to say when is the victory of Allah, even the messengers among them, were asking, and Allah says, Behold, the victory is near. It doesn't mean that we have to go through afflictions to win victory, and doesn't mean we are belittling the hardships of anybody. But I'm getting to a point here of how a Muslim learns about this life and why we're here and when we're going, and what's what we're going

to go through, and how we're supposed to be patient, and go through trials and tests what we can learn. We find in the time of the Mongols, if you know the story of the Mongols that Qatar in the 12th century, when the great photos the commander in Barcelona victory if you know these names, they were called Mamluks. They were initially slaves. And then they, over time the slaves became scholars and they became pious people. And

it was just on paper slaves and the headmaster's and the believing nation. The Muslims throughout the world even though they left or they wouldn't be left for the strongest part was in Baghdad in Iraq. We all know about the great library, and it was called the Golden Ages among the Westerners. of the Muslims, yet the Mongols came from nowhere, people who are completely away from civilization and almost wiped out the entire Muslim Ummah, all of them until only Egypt was left and this great commander Kratos, and Baybars they had rivalry between each other they made, they made a pact and they came together and fought together by the will of Allah with great and immense righteousness,

and they defeated the enemy in Alaska. First there was a small group, they defeated them in the Gaza and then they defeated behind loot, I enjoy loot is where they would Alayhis Salam defeated Goliath. It is in a place today on the borders of occupied Palestine in the cupboards somewhere around there that was arranged with was around that area.

And the Muslims are last pantile Again that they were building them. 10s of millions of muscles are massacred. In fact, there were skulls that were made into mountains and hills

from the slaughter and massacre. But the Muslims persevered and kept going. And then came the time of Salahuddin at a UB where the Crusaders saw a weakness in Muslims. And they entered at the time after Murata but entered into Jerusalem and welcomed the Christians and Jews. Then after time the Crusades made

a conquest or an attack, not a conquest and attack we call it on the Muslims inside of Jerusalem, just before Salahuddin up when the Sultan's of the Muslims in the Muslim world were engaged in corruption, the Sultan's were drinking alcohol, they were allowing their people to indulge in this corruption, adultery and fornication was spread. And wealth was being distributed in justly. And there was injustice and imbalance while the Khalifa was there. And a man by the name of Notre Dame zanghi, a commander a great righteous commander tried to stop all this and he gathered an army and the Muslims actually donated 10 folds of what they used to give to the Khilafah to the Muslim

society, the community and they gathered military and arms and still they lost

couldn't enter Jerusalem and take it over from the crusades in the 11th of the 12th century in 1099. Sorry

until Salah had been a UB came along and made a big big change within the Muslim community. And truly He abolished the corruption it Nila abolished the selling of alcohol in the drinking of wine, and adultery, fornication and injustice with the wealth and distribution until the Muslims return. He gathered that Armani enter beard Nila by the will of Allah with righteousness and Allah Samantha gave him victory after nearly 100 years, do you know in that 100 years, not only were there no Muslims inside of Jerusalem and Palestine, they weren't even any Jews because the Crusaders killed the massacre and massacred more Muslims than ever before and more Jews than ever before. And they

put the cross on top of the dome of the rock. Can you imagine the big massive cross on top of the dome of the rock that gold one and they turned muster? The locks are the one in front into a livestock place where they lift pigs and feces inside of mustard Alloxan no solid no other than no Quran in entire place. Do you want it worse than that? Yet? The Muslims didn't give up and it was about their righteousness until they came back. And then finally at the end of the Ottoman Empire when it fell, and the British Mandate came in. And these people came in and took over by force and forged their way in and stole the lands and homes of its indigenous people. What happened? Again, we

are back where we started. And to Allah subhanaw taala is all decree and commend. Here's the thing brothers and sisters, you look at the history and you see to Allah Subhana Allah de is only numbered. And how do we look at this entire world and Muslim learns from the people of 100 of the following. Number one, we find that unlike us, they don't lose hope in Allah subhanahu wata ad and Insha Allah we don't either. And I am extremely proud of the generation that has come up some religious, some not some believers, some not even Muslim, some following different ideologies, but at least there is a sense of justice in the world that has woken up and an awareness that didn't

exist before. Allah works in mysterious ways. But we find that there were people who questioned where is God what is this religion Islam of yours? It didn't do you any good because they thinking in the temporary in the temporary site. And Allah says in the Quran always about people who don't believe in the hereafter though he says, in

your boon Allah, Jayla Dawa. Whoa all Mia woman sampleno

Allah says these people, the disbelievers and the enemies and the oppressors, those who reject Allah's words and Quran hereafter, they love this immediate life, all the effort, and all their work, all their ambitions, and all their goals, and all their measuring, of success and failure, of superiority or inferiority, of strength or weakness. All of that is based on just this immediate, temporary world. That's as far as it goes. Allah then says, and they leave behind them, they ignore a grave day that is coming,

a grave day that is coming.

As believers and Muslims and Hamdulillah, this is the secret. This is the secret.

Had we looked at this world as the beginning and end and that's it, and we die and turn into soil and there is no resurrection and nothing after here,

then we will also be dead in our hearts, and the same as everyone else who has no other purpose, who has no other belief. And that's just haphazard accidents, just like the animals but we have just a slightly better brain living on this earth for no purpose and no reason and no and

yet we find that the Muslims and even some of the Christians who live in Gaza because Christians practicing Christians, they do have faith in God and they do have similarities of the hereafter. So there is some similarity but the Muslims are even beyond even higher Bismillah because we have a Quran with us that is unchanged. And we have a messenger of Allah Muhammad wa sallam who came to confirm the scriptures that were before and we as Muslims are more firm on our and our belief and truth because we follow Mohammed Salah Salem, we follow Jesus Christ we follow Moses we follow Abraham, follow them all until Noah and Prophet Adam all of them called for the same thing. And all

of them came from the same God and each one came with a scripture from God. They the people altered it until finally the

Quran was the final to confirm the scriptures that came before my brothers and sisters, these Muslims and Rosa

to them, they feel that they are equal. Or they feel a connection not equal sorry. They feel a connection to the Prophets and Messengers.

The prophets and messengers, every single one of them went through hardships.

For example, the hunger that they went through for days and weeks

cannot be described. And when we look at Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam they know, we find Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam

honorable hotdog describes him one time he says, I saw him walking with a bent back and sitting under the shade, out of exhaustion. While I saw that on his stomach, it looked like it was stuck to his back at one time and he had rocks tied to it out of hunger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam the best man to walk the earth.

And these people, they find themselves hungry, and associated with the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam and all the prophets. Hunger is not a loss to them.

They have hope in Allah subhanaw taala. And they are able to face calamities, because of that hope, because that belief in the hereafter.

Listen to this journalist, which you all have heard of by now. And anyone who doesn't know him should really go and research and know he is a hero among journalists that Allah Subhana Allah preserve him, reward him for his patients, our brother, his name is wetted door, if you've heard of him,

and you will see an interview of his in which caught my attention. And the interviewer asks him, describe the hardship. How was it? And how, what is the secret with you people being able to persevere and stand in the face of such atrocities and hardships? And he replies by saying, Yes, we went through extremely, extremely painful times, very, very hard times, we're still going through it. And it is forbidden for anyone to minimize our pain and struggles. And to think that it is nothing or to think of it in a light manner. He says some people were strong enough, and some people were not able to withhold this terrible and terrible hardship, some turned and some kept going each

to the level of strength they could endure. Then he said,

but the secret, the ultimate secret to any hardships and calamities that befalls you is nothing but two things. Number one, to accept it,

to accept it and have something called an Islam, radar, radar. Colors, I accept that. And I am wholeheartedly at peace with what has happened. It's painful, but I'm at peace with it. And number two, he said

and to anticipate its reward with Allah subhanho wa taala. You see, he believes in the hereafter. He believes that this world is temporary and will end there's only a short time left. But Allah does not let any pain grievance, any hardship, any loss anything in this world except that he compensates you says because any other choice will be a choice which kills destroys, excruciatingly painful, terribly difficult and severely bitter and know that Allah's plan and decree will happen and nothing can stop it. No. He says, Be patient, persevere, anticipated to reward from Allah and give up all matters to Allah, the day to Allah Subhana Allah, our Lord and say, Our Lord, we only ask you

acceptance of our patients and struggles, anything other than that is going to destroy you. What else can you do? And deserve and Allah, you accept that and you wait anticipate the reward with a lost planet with that My dear brothers and sisters, once upon a time the Prophet peace be upon him, grabbed one of his companions, I think it was my earth or another one by his shoulder. He shook it and said to him, couldn't fit dunya and nickel rib, a wire below Seville. Wow, the NAFSA come in a little COBOL. He said, live in this world. As if you are a stranger

or a Wayfarer, someone passing by. And always count yourself already from among the people of the graves that is around the corner. It's not to despair us. But what does it do? It calls us It calls us to act in righteousness and to not waste our time and to better our worship before the time comes. No matter the Allah Juan says

either unsaved the fella down to the to Sabah once the evening comes, don't just sit there waiting for the morning. And if the morning comes, then sit there waiting for the evening.

And take from your health so that you can use it.

Take from your health, before the time of sickness arrives and from your life before your death arrives. What is he saying? He is saying, Don't say I will procrastinate and leave the work of the morning till the evening. No, you really utilize your morning for righteousness. And don't say when the evening comes in the morning I'll do it no utilize the night because Allah had given it to you. And he says to you, don't worry, I'm still healthy. I've got a long life to live no one day you are going to be sick and ill so use your health before your illness. And he said don't say I've got a long life use your life that you are living before your death comes. So I'm Muslim continues like

that. This is the secret for these believers.

A man came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said the Rasul Allah.

Show me an action, that if I do it, ALLAH SubhanA wa Allah will love me. And also people will love me

and act which Allah will love me and people will love me because we always get the idea that if Allah loves you, you're going to lose people on if you make people love you. Allah may not love you no, no, there is a way to make Allah love you to earn Allah's love and to earn people's love. The Prophet sallallahu sallam said

his head for dunya your head book Allah

be an ascetic to this world. Then look at this world as everything for you put it secondary and behind your back. Allah will love you once had female in the nurse, you hit book a nurse,

you hit back a nurse, and also don't look at people's belongings and what they have done, look at it as anything that you are groveling over, and the people will love you. They're like a humble person.

And so also our Salam is telling us how to look at this life and what kind of a life will live and what we are anticipating the hereafter when it comes it is eternal. And on that day, there will be people who will look at others who suffer tremendously in this world. And they will say we wish that we could have come back to this world and be cut up with a scissors bit by bit from what they see of glory, and rewards. An amazing, tremendous honor. These people who went through suffering are given in the hereafter.

You see brothers and sisters, many of these people they see themselves like what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went through. And you see these believers, they don't they look at this world as a place of worship and righteous deeds. And they harvest and reap the rewards in the hereafter not here. They're not looking for it here. They don't expect much from this world. And their hearts are attached to the Hereafter.

And when a believer reflects on the temporary nature of this world and the lowly nature of this worldly life, and that everything comes to an end and parishes, it will lead them to straight to foot to straightness, a straight path and diligence in doing their righteous work. My brothers and sisters, the people of Gaza have given up on this world and given up on anyone to come to their aid except Allah subhanahu wa ala and that is why you hear them saying this strange statement, husband, Allah when Yamawaki ALLAH is sufficient for us, and He is the best to rely upon. What does that mean? A lot of us misunderstand that we think Allah is sufficient for us, meaning that he's going to

give a victory against those who are oppressing us. That by relying on him soon, we're going to overpower No, no, no, no, no, no, that's not what he means. That's not what they mean. They mean, we're not really looking for this world anymore. You and I are going to die anyway. In fact, from 100, and in 100 years from now, probably every single person on this earth who was living right now will be dead.

So what's the point of, you know, feeling so sorry that this world went from you? They look forward to the hereafter. That's why they're happy. That's why the smiling Yes, they do cry. Yes, they are in agony, but then they smile again, like the palm tree that's also our cell and describes the believer like the palm tree. He said, Be like the palm tree. The strongest wind comes to blow it, but it bends with the wind. And then it comes back straight. And it grows in very harsh deserts. Yet its roots are very strong. It produces sweetness out of ruggedness, and it only gives goodness to everyone that passes and it's evergreen. Resilience, no matter what we learn in our luxury life that

we

We are living here, that if they could do it, we have no excuses.

But it's also Allahu alayhi wa sallam, he reminds us and says, Yes, take your Nasim take your provision from this world, well attend Santa Ceiba Camino dunya don't forget your provision from this world enjoy. But don't let it into your heart. Don't let it overcome you to the point where you compete for it. You hate for it, you love for it. It is the only compass which makes you happy or sad. It's the thing which makes you feel success or failure, that it's the only thing that makes you choose who your friends are and who is not based on worldly and material gain. No, no, no, don't do that, that will destroy you. Make it secondary make it a pathway.

The people of Gaza also we learned from them, my brothers and sisters,

that they do not see their losses as eternal losses. They see the children who have died after the pain and agony they went through that there is still a hope. From what Allah had told them. This Quran says, And the Prophet sallallahu Sallam says that your children who you lost will be your intercessors on the Day of Judgment. You could have done the worst of things in this world. But Allah subhanho wa Taala will make your children just because he took them from your the oppressors killed them and Allah subhanaw taala took them back temporarily that there will be your intercessors there'll be waiting for you at the doors of paradise one man who used to enter the masjid of the

Prophet sallallahu sallam, and here his lectures is DeRosa and his preaching and his teachings. And he had a young boy with him was his son was about nine or 10 years old and used to walk around and the Companions loved his presence. He was so pleasant and used to smile and in one day the man stopped coming to the masjid

for a few days. So the prophets Allah Selim asked about him. And I said the Rasul Allah, did you not hear his son died, his son passed away.

Plus also outsell them was very sad for his loss. And he went looking for him and found him. I think he was at the grave. And he put his arm around him and said to him, what would you choose out of the following two options,

that if I told you your son lives,

the whole life that you expect until he grows up and you die and you enjoy a temporary few years with him, or if I told you that from here on when you die,

and you go to Paradise, every door that you arrive, you will find your son waiting for you, refusing to enter without you.

He said they are also the law the second one, he said then that is yours for here look

and that is why the Prophet peace be upon him also said in Sahih Muslim this hadith he said Mallya that Allah subhanaw taala says mallei Badil min

min Jezza in Oza and

either a kebab to Sofia who Mina Khalid dunya Mata Saba who Illa Jana, it says there isn't anything that I will give as a minimum reward for my believing servant. And when I have taken back his beloved, close, beloved, anyone who is close to you could be your child, could be your spouse, could be your parent could be your friend could be your brother or your sister, anyone who is truly beloved to you in this world and close to you. And Allah says I take them back. And then they anticipate the reward that I have installed for them and this is true belief. Because you are believing in the unseen but through the Quran and his messengers, that's all this is true belief in

Allah and trust in Him. And then you await for the reward from Allah you know that he will not let you go without compensating you and rewarding you eternally. Allah says the minimum I will give him his paradise. And Allah says in the Quran, or this is why my brothers sisters we learn from the lessons of the people of us and others. These great lessons what is making them go on because they are anticipating and looking forward to an eternal abode Allahu Akbar. What else are you going to look for? Once you don't you will going to die. What else can you look for other than either that or Hellfire Willa Davila

and Allah subhanaw taala tells us in Medina, meanwhile, I mean are slowly taken too long, Jen. Don't fear them when we see no Zola Holly Dena fee Hannah Yeah, Bill. Oh, now anyone?

Allah says Indeed, those who believed and did righteous deeds, they will be welcomed. They will be welcomed all of them. They'll go to Paradise to Jana, Jana the gardens, but the place they will be welcomed as guests will start in the highest place of paradise called Fritos. Ferdowsi Newsela their

hospitality and they will be guests entering into photos first. They'll be given everything they

And then taken to the beautiful abodes that will live in it forever and ever and ever and ever.

And they will never be taken out or moved away from it. And in the Quran, Allah Subhana Allah says when they enter it, the angels will enter from all those a paradise. And I will say to them what the entrance is like this brothers and sisters, may Allah make us among them, they enter

and they hear singing music to the ears by who the hadith is the same Muslim by the angel is Rafi Lala who salah the one who glows in the trumpet, ironically, and you will enter with this beautiful sound and amazing entrance. And then you see angels entering from all the doors of Paradise. Do you know how many angels there are brothers and sisters?

Do you know how much sand how many sand grains there are on earth? Imagine can't count him. Did you know that the stars in the universe are more than the grains of sand on Earth.

More than the grains of sand on Earth. And there are more angels than the stars in the universe. And that is why it was also Asalaam was walking one time and he heard the sky crackle and his companions held at crackle. So I set him as a messenger of God. There was some miracles that happened in his time. And he said about this summer over Hakala and

the sky has crackled and it is justifiable to accept that it would crackle there isn't a palm span anywhere in the heavens and there are seven heavens except that there is an angel standing bowing will prostrating these angels brothers sisters will enter into paradise as Allah mentions in the Quran. Wait hold on I lay him in Cooley bed and they will enter upon them from every door from every gate what will they be doing? They'll be smiling and greeting them and cheering with the following words Salah and when i Lee come be Moussa salatu salam, peace be upon you. Everlasting Peace, no more turmoil, no more hardship, no more fear, no more pain, no more sadness, no more grief, no more

loss. nothing any more. Salam or aleikum, peace encompasses you forever. Be mal Sabato, because of your patients which you enjoy it.

Because of what the patients which you enjoyed.

And in this entire world is patients. Yes, this entire world this patient's entire world is perseverance. My brothers and sisters, this entire world is nothing. It is built on hardship. It is built to break your heart. But there are those whose hearts they find the paradise in, and those who live on the outside and on the inside in misery whether you're the biller. And so these people who are living in paradise here, and they're anticipating and waiting for their paradise in the hereafter. We learn from the people of Gaza, in that going after this world. And whether you are successful in gaining your land or not having your land or whether you are militarily stronger or

not militarily stronger, or whether you have the power or don't have the power, you have the aid or don't have the aid, all of that to them is only temporary, and they say let them have it all. For us. We will endure it's either victory on earth while we're living or martyrdom, martyrdom and victory in the hereafter. Either way, we are have been Hamdulillah. And when you watch them now show a recent footage of aid coming into to Alaska from Jordan and from other places. And the Muslims of us is that what they're doing they're they're jumping onto the sand, laughing, joking, rolling around making fun of each other bantering, and you think Subhanallah everything they went through,

what is it that brings a smile to their face, my brothers and sisters, and now as Ramadan is coming,

we have the opportunity to share and to feel a fraction of the hunger which they are going through and went through, and the hunger of other oppressed people around the world. Just a little portion. And in that hunger brothers and sisters, the point of that is to awaken the spirit, the soul and the hearts. For when a human being is experiences a time of weakness and then incapacitation or an inability. They humble themselves and their hearts become humbled from arrogance, from arrogance from superiority complex from distractions, and they will focus on the essentials. And they remember that they are just normal human beings like everyone else, whether you're rich or poor, powerful or

weak whether you're in Brazil or in Australia or in America or in Morocco, or in China or in wherever you are in Africa or anywhere in the world. Allah Subhana Allah has made everybody equal. We're all human beings and your piety and Taqwa is the only thing that is that makes you superior or better in the eyes of Allah subhanho wa Taala

So in this Ramadan brothers and sisters, our lessons from these lovely brothers and sisters, and lastly their perseverance and their resistance and their bravery and their courage all comes from their true Eman that can never be matched whatsoever. And Al Hamdulillah we continue this way. My brothers and sisters this Ramadan that is coming Alhamdulillah we know that the Doha is stronger. So we must make dua for our brothers and sisters. Number two, our sadaqa is more rewarding. The Prophet peace be upon him used to give sadaqa in Ramadan more than any other month of the year.

The Prophet peace be upon him used to increase in his good deeds in Ramadan more than any other time during the year.

The lesson in Ramadan insha Allah for all of us to practice if there is only one lesson that I can mention brothers, sisters, from our brothers and sisters in it as is our togetherness, my brothers and sisters and to remember that we are brothers and sisters, stop, stop attacking one another if you are stopped dividing from one another if you are, stop using little insignificant worldly things that easily break you apart from your families, from your parents, from your brothers and sisters, from the people who deserve that your ties be connected. Stop making little if you're a person who is sarcastic and throws criticism and puts other people down all the time stop that Allah subhanaw

taala called us believers and brothers and sisters of one another. Let us now think about others before ourselves. Yes, I know that we should be breathing that's also SLM said, make him first spend on yourself before your family even because if you're not breathing, they can't breathe. But what I mean by putting others before ourselves, it means that when others are in need not to be stingy and selfish and think No no, no, I can't get I can't spare this extra because my future may be poverty or I may need it in the future. No, no. Say to yourself tomorrow is known to Allah subhanho wa Taala it's easy for us to donate it's easy for us to make dua it's easy for us to talk among each other

about righteousness and piety and whatever and sisters are suffering and so on.

My brothers and sisters in this Ramadan insha Allah Allah Allah, don't just focus on the rituals and the outside practices. focus also on the spirit of why you are praying, why you are reading Quran, why you are giving sadaqa why you're making dua, why you are forgiving, why you have mercy, why you are humbling yourself. All of these brothers and sisters for hunger. Someone asked me they said, How does hunger and fasting, take care of your anger. I said it doesn't. Hunger doesn't make you less angry makes you more angry. But what it does is that you yourself while you're hungry, you need to work on restraining yourself as much as you can. And if you are able to pass and minimize that, even

with hunger, then afterwards your strength will be felt in sha Allah Allah. It's like resistance exercise, you go to the gym, you do heavy weights, you don't feel it now we feel the pain now but later you feel the results. Same with fasting and sha Allah, Allah Allah. But of course when you first you do for the sake of Allah, there is nothing nobody can enjoy worshiping Allah Subhana Allah without being from the stem of the heart. Any if you think about the food and you think about the struggles you're not going to get anyway. But if you think about why, and you think about anticipating the reward, you think about what you're going to get out of it. Then in sha Allah, you

were able to hit really far goals in here to Allah by the will of Allah subhana wa Tada. So my brothers and sisters, I asked Allah subhanaw taala

to make this Shaban this month, a month of acceptance for us, a month in which our hearts

guided and our deeds are accepted and our sins are forgiven, and our unity is better and ask ALLAH SubhanA wa Taala to make this Ramadan, yet another success for us in our hearts and souls and to change the state of our brothers and sisters from the terrible oppressive state they are in to peace and security, victory and unity May Allah subhanaw taala relieve the pain and struggles of our brothers and sisters everywhere around the world from what they are enduring and not let the pain go in vain. met last month I did not let your pain go in vain. My brother and sisters for each and every one of us here in the masjid around the world. Each one has a story. I just came from a

retreat in Sydney's Pamela speaking one on one with a lot of our young brothers and sisters And subhanAllah everyone has a story. Everyone has something that Allah subhanaw taala is, I won't say making you suffer I will say that Allah subhanaw taala is reinventing you, helping you to know yourself better, helping you to get stronger and learn

From it, and you know, what is it either you get rewarded for it, or you get sins forgiven because of your patience, or that Allah subhanaw taala has a plan for you, or that it's a test for your hereafter, or that it's a mistake that you made what you are learning from, for a believer, everything is good. And nothing evil comes from Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah does not bring you any kind of harm if it's from him, except if through that harm, there is a blessing for you. So never look at suffering in a completely evil way. Yes, it's ugly, yes, it's painful, but always know that suffering is temporary. And from it Insha Allah, Allah, Allah by how you react to it, and how you

think of Allah, good, and blessings will come from it. Without a doubt the hidden here to Allah, my brothers sisters, I end with this, there is something to share with you. And that is a lot about brothers and sisters, they struggle.

And I will tell you Subhanallah is one little piece of advice I gave to a friend. And I heard this from Jacob and I say mean that if you do four things, then you are sure to have your provision and your wealth, and your security in life taken care of. Number one is

to not ignore the laws of cause and effect. So it's called ASVAB. To do what you can, to strive for what you can to do what is necessary, but don't cling your heart to these laws, just do what you can. That's number one. Number two, it is hard to connect the ties of your family which has been severed

because Allah subhanaw taala says

similar to Rahim, Scylla means to connect, and you don't connect something unless it's unless it's severed.

And obviously to continue it. So if it's severed because of a worldly reason, there's no real harm and it can be resolved and you must resolve it. Your provision will increase especially with your parents. So looking dutiful to your parents, your provision is increased. So that was the third one you're connecting your family ties and being dutiful to your parents props are sallam said Whoever wants their life to increase and to be filled with provision goodness and security, then be dutiful to your parents. Number four is to not decide, don't decide the khadar on yourself.

Don't say to yourself

I think Allah has written for me to always fail.

Don't say my life Allah has created it to just be filled with bad luck.

Don't say I'm jinxed forever. I'm the type which God has sentenced me to failure all my life. Allah must hate me. Hello so I'm a bad person.

This is you bringing Allah's Qatar upon yourself in a way that you think it is. You've done this to yourself. But Allah didn't tell you that just keep going. And do not say if and if and this and that poor This is from the Shaitan continue. Don't sentence yourself to misery and failure. And keep looking forward with Anita on my brother and sisters. Praying the night share your food, spread your Salem and greetings.

Do whatever you can within your skills and resources for goodness which pleases Allah for life and death is in the hands of Allah and you and I don't know when we'll be here. And when will we be gone?

Barak Allahu Allah walakum wa sallahu Nabina Muhammad while early he was happy

so insha Allah.

As I promised, we have about 20 minutes I'll take any questions from the audience and then inshallah we have as we promised our brother who want to shout Allah say the shahada before they shut.

So is Does anybody have anything they would like to share or ask on their mind? Doesn't have to be relevant to what we said and if I do know the answer, I will try if not, Inshallah, we'll research it. And if I don't know say, I don't know.

I don't want it right. How do I encourage someone to pray

Habibi, there is no one way. You got to use your creativity. Everybody has different moods and mindsets. So for me to tell you to this way you might try it might not work with that person. Before you encourage someone to pray. You need to first of all build a connection with them.

You need to build a niceness and goodness and kindness with them. And when you are able, then insha Allah Allah the best way is to avoid telling them in public. These are things you can

Avoid and skim your principles. And secondly, just smile to them and share something with them and say, you know, subhanAllah, one of the best things that I've ever done in my I'll talk about yourself is my salad. You know what I feel with it, I feel like this. And I feel like that. And I feel like that. I think sometimes when you talk about yourself, and talk about the things that you've gained from something that you've done, usually people get a little bit interested and want to ask you, because they don't feel like they're being put on the spot. I'm the type that doesn't like to put people on the spot, like to be passive and let them sort of come in and ask questions.

And then if you find that they are getting closer, then you say to them, you know what Wallah, it would be amazing. If you even tried at Wallahi. You know, try it. And even if you can't pray five times a day, start with your with one thing, go to two, then go to three, and I promise you there is a sweetness you feel that will never go away. I used to be like this, and Hamdulillah, Allah assisted me. So these are the types of things that you do to encourage them with sweet talk with good talk with truthful talk with non invasive,

imposing talk, you follow that method, insha, Allah, Allah, and ask Allah to guide you and to help you in doing so. We had.

I saw, for example, some non Muslims who were listening to a lot of the wonderful, wonderful dyes and speakers online. And I saw one person who said, I am Catholic, but this person truly has guided me, and I'm really interested in Islam and so on. And then someone replied, This is what not to do. Some Muslim replied, says, Keep listening to him, Well done, and stop being ignorant. And may God guide you with a love heart. I mean, that's passive aggressive. And so the guy replied by saying,

no, no, no, actually, I'm a practicing Catholic, and I'm happy where I am thinking, I don't want to go any further. So we moved him away, rather than bring him closer. So use your words that would be applied to you, if you can be will be able to accept them, and Insha Allah, then

you'll encourage them, if it doesn't work, and hamdulillah someone else will be encouraged and you keep trying and sha Allah doll. At the end of the day, we focus on ourselves, even if we can't guide everyone and guidance is in the hands of Allah. There's a question, and I put it on.

Okay, so we have a question.

I come from a Christian background, but would love to say the shahada and revert back to Islam? What should I do to stop fearing my parents, so as my sister would love to revert to Islam, Mashallah.

There's a lot of people who naturally fear changing because of their parents and family, especially the younger ones. And that's understandable. However, I always say to them,

it requires a bit of bravery and courage. That's all it takes.

And when you have this bravery and courage,

channels of your brain open up and allow you to speak well. And success will be given to you in sha Allah.

Sit down and ask Allah, even if you're still a Christian, call upon God with sincerity and say, Oh, Allah, assist me. And help me. Give me the courage and the bravery, support me, and help me

and allow me

to have a way of my parents to love me and me love them.

And then sit down with your parents, once you've made that decision. And you've made the shahada and kiss your parents hug them

and say to them, how much you love them, and insure them about how much she would never leave them and always support them.

Tell them everything that needs to be said of goodness, that your parents love to hear from their child.

And say

that you have been looking into Islam. And one of the things that you'd have to tell him became Muslim say I things that I loved about it is how much it emphasizes the bond of family and tells us to love our parents regardless of their religion. This will open up a door for you and them to talk and leave the fact that you converted or reverted to Islam a bit later. If you see it's not the right time and slowly, slowly presented to them. I don't guarantee that you will not find some difficulty hardship II

In words that you might not like to hear.

If you think that you're going to be in great danger, then obviously don't tell them now until you are in a safe place.

And you can continue the way you are. If you are in danger, that is where you fear this danger, real danger, and need to tell them.

And you can continue to act the way you are as if you're a Christian. But inside of you, you're a Muslim, and you continue to do your solid wherever you can, until you're safe enough. But the majority of people who revert to Islam and hamdulillah do find a way with their parents. And I've seen parents even revert with them. And I've seen people where even if they don't over time, their parents do appreciate them and they say to them, you know, you've you're worse before and now you're better we can see a beautiful change in you we were afraid that you might be or this or that or that Islam will make you become this crazy frenetic person but we're seeing a difference in you used to

drink the now you don't drink you used to go out alone, we never see you now we see you more we feel a closeness, and so on. So bit by bit step by step with courage, bravery, and seeking Allah's support, you will get there, just take that first step. And we are here to assist you and help you as your community. You know where we are here in the mosque, or any other mosque that is near you. Go to them. If you're a sister, then you will have sisters over there who will support you, you'll find people who are like you who were of a different faith and they converted or reverted and you can share with them their journey and get ideas and advices from them. Don't do it alone. And if

you're a brother, also go to your community you will find other brothers who also reverted and they'll give you great ideas. I have many friends who reverted to Islam. Some of them went through tough times others of them went through ease, but all of them in the end found serenity and peace and got everything went along

at least to a workable

to workable situation. Hamdulillah

you know brothers sisters, I ask Allah Subhana Allah, to protect and to guide all of our brothers and sisters and all those who are thinking about Islam. Those who want to return from their last tour done their sinful life. Ask Allah to give you the strength and to protect you give you security and bravery. May Allah subhanaw taala pave your way to all that is goodness for you say I mean.

Any other questions? Yes.

And ask someone

and encourage especially author and whatnot to continue on that. Because

when that does come, everyone's writing

Brother is asking so how do you keep that that motivation going and what you started in Ramadan because everybody starts praying and doing the best and Ramadan but when they go they get cold weather. First and foremost. This is the nature of humans, humans, they get motivated and then they get demotivated at times they get inspired other times they don't. I mean, it's understand that we come into Ramadan, you've got an entire committee all coming and doing something that you don't see all year. We're all together. How can you not feel your your Eman inspired. But everyone who goes through Ramadan walks away from Ramadan with one or two things that they walk away with, there's

always a benefit. Some go with more others go with less. And the way to reap as much as you can from it is the way you enter it and the way you intend. So that usually the people who walk away with less from it other people who from the beginning, in the back of their mind subconscious mind. They're only really prepared for that month. And so they've really made the decision that after that month, they're going to let their hair down. So that was a decision they made. The idea about Ramadan is really just the course. It's not something that's going to bring some miraculous divine intervention that comes into your heart. It's really up to you. But it helps you to feel and to go

through it and practice. That is why Roscoe Salah Salem when he told us to fast Ramadan in the hope that you may fear Allah and hope that you may be righteous and pious. Even after that he said fast another six days of shall well, for example, and then of every month fast three days 1314 and 15. For example, if you've started something, make the intention that I'm going to continue this one or two thing and inshallah next week I'm going to talk about Ramadan, and all of what you said. But just in a nutshell, the companions for example, when the Ramadan arrived about six months earlier, they were preparing. So they will start to fast certain days and they would increase in some of the

things they do. So Ramadan itself by itself is good for the moment. But if you don't have that intention, that zeal and that plan that you are going to continue and you're going to take away one or two things from there to continue them and you're going to be determined with it. You're not going to find it really it was up to you and I and it's very natural for the man to rise and fall. Honorable Hatami Alana gives us a nice beautiful formula. He says when you feel your Eman is

Hi. Usually it's because of some actions that you've changed around in your life or some sins which you've taken away or you've repented from, or because of some good company that's been around you when this happens to your Eman rises, something subtly hits you. And he said increase in your good deeds when your Eman is high utilize it utilize the law because it has an effect on your heart because the Prophet peace be upon him. He said each sin is like a dot that has been

that has been carved or pricked into your heart.by.by.by.so There is always a little dot that is it every sin and when you do a good deed the dot gets taken away. So the more we do good deeds in the times where a man our high the cleaner we feel our hearts and when we are on a low Eman, he said at least be determined not to abandon your compulsory act. This is the absolute minimum make that determination. So there is a determination from us. It's I'll give you an example. Think about anything in life that we are determined to do. And we want results from let's say, I gave the example for the gym for example. Or let's say you want to go on a diet. Or let's say you want to

insha Allah you say to yourself this year, I am going to build my skills I'm going to study and and I'm going to apply to this job and that job, or I'm going to build a business or I'm going to plan for this or for that whatever it is, we manage to get through it when we put our mind to it. And same with Ramadan. If we put our mind to it and make determination. I'll give you an example about myself. This is actually on a podcast. I did probably find it on social media as well. But I'll share it with you that on when I was about 1213 years old, I used to cut my prayers on and off, on and off Ramadan would come everything was amazing. And then cut them off because I wasn't determined

after Ramadan to do it. And it's called procrastination, right? Procrastination means you only act on urgency. So long as there's no urgency, you don't do anything. And that's the majority of people these days, unfortunately, to say a lot of Muslims do that too reactionary, and act on urgency that is never going to make you improve. What you got to do is take a step back and start way earlier. So I used to say to myself, insha Allah tomorrow, I'll start my five daily prayers. So I'd get up. I pray the future. For example, I'd miss the Lord.

That's not good. I gotta get it all nicely in a good pattern. I'll start on Monday to the weekend. Anyway, have fun Monday, start fresh Monday, Tuesday, and I start of the week. And then I Monday with come or go to choose that admin surprised so I ruined the week I intended for the week. So the week is all gone. I better start the next week fresh. All of this is just procrastination and thoughts that go through our heads for everything really, the day that I said to myself

to just stop fiddling around and stop mucking around and stop playing games with my with my head in my own thoughts. I said to myself, right now you're going to do it. You are going to do it right now. Otherwise you're a loser. So right there and then I said Now, the next prayer now third prayer now the determination helped me. So Ron says I hope you've got a brief point about what I'm saying inshallah.