The Art of Living

Bilal Philips

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Channel: Bilal Philips

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Aloha Alhamdulillah hear a bit I mean, was Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah Karim.

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Allah Allah He was Hobie woman estan bissonnet e la oma Deen

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All praise is due to a law and may loss, peace and blessings beyond the last prophet muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and an all those who follow the path of righteousness until the last day.

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The Art of Living

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refers to the art of living a life pleasing to God,

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living a life pleasing to God.

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How do we achieve that?

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That is what

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I hope to share with you

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this morning.

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From a secular perspective,

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living

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a good life

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is living a stress free life.

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living a good life

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is living

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a life free from stress.

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That is the ideal.

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It's assumed

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that if one lives a life free from stress,

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you will live a happy life.

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So it's really a concept of what constitutes the ideal life,

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a happy life, an enjoyable life etc.

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As it is perceived, in general, it is one free from stress, stress which leads to depression,

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depression, which leads to sadness or is a part of sadness

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on happiness

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an unpleasant life.

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So,

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the goal is a stress free life.

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Is this possible?

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It sounds nice. And books have been written on it.

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People have spoken on it.

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Motivated motivational speakers will assure you you do these things, you will have a stress free life. All these promises are out there. So people flock to the motivational speakers and listen attentively to all of their advice and everything how to have a stress free life.

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But the law said, Well,

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I have created humankind

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in struggle.

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Their life will

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be a life of struggle.

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Kevin

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we struggle from the time we get into this world even getting into this world we're struggling.

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The birth the birthing process is that without stress, of course not coming into this life. We're struggling. From the time we get into this life a cut off from the umbilical cord and you know, getting milk and

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the baby's crying all the time.

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Babies are crying all the time. You know, ever heard of a baby that came in? I was just not they do have some stories. Right? They do have some stories.

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You know about

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cognitive Gilani

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that

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he was born in Ramadan.

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And

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after his birth,

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which took place in the morning hours of Ramadan he didn't drink milk.

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Until

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that first month of his life, he would only drink milk from his mother's rest

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after sunset

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Forget it. Okay, that's a fairy tale

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in order to elevate

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and Gilani, Danny

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and justify

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calling on him

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in times of need.

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These stories were made up.

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So people would be convinced that he's special.

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He's not like other people. Yeah, don't call on, you know, the local

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Chase. But

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that's a whole nother story.

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You're dealing with a whole nother realm.

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So

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that and anything else like it, know that it is nonsense.

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It didn't happen for azula la Salalah.

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And he was the Messenger of Allah, I believe it's not going to happen for any other human being.

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So life

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is, by its very nature, stressful.

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So from the time we come into this world,

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as children, crying for milk,

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starting to crawl,

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starting to walk, falling down, getting back up again.

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Follow your life cycle.

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Was there a time, which was stress free.

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We haven't lived it.

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No one lives it.

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Even Rasulullah sallallahu wasallam

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was faced with stress at different times in his life.

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So this ideal of the stress free life

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is fake.

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That's unachievable. No matter what the motivational speakers tell you, it cannot be achieved.

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So as Muslims,

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we have to look at life

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from the perspective

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of Islam,

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which has clarified for us

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and which agrees with what we all experience, a life of ups and downs.

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Life will have its ups and it's downs.

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Allah has promised us

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that

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when it's down, it will not always remain down.

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In

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with every difficulty when we're down, we're beaten up, struggling,

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you saw is coming.

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So that is the reality of life that we need to look at if we're going to

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live a life pleasing to Allah, pleasing to God,

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pleasing to ourselves.

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Because it was pleasing to God, it will be pleasing to ourselves. If we have done what is pleasing to God.

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Properly sincerely, then it will be pleasing to us. But it doesn't mean

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There is no stress.

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It doesn't mean that.

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So, understanding that,

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in order for us to live a life pleasing to God pleasing to ourselves a good life, we have to live in within the context of the ups and the downs.

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Then

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what is required of us?

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Somehow,

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in the times when things are good, that's the times

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we have to do the right thing.

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And when things are down,

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inevitably, they will come down, we also have to do the right thing, because the idea what are we striving for?

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we're striving for Steven COVID, win win. Right? That's the idea. Now, if we're able to catch that Win Win principle, then that's the ideal

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takes into account the ups and the downs.

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So if we can do the right thing and the time when

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we're up, do the right thing and the time when we're down, we have found and we have struck the right balance.

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That is that is the best that we can achieve. That is the win win situation that inshallah will give us, a life pleasing to a lot of life which will be pleasing to ourselves.

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A life pleasing to ourselves is a life in general, which will be a happy life.

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But it doesn't mean we'll be happy all the time.

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will still be sad. Sometimes, we'll be happy sometimes. But

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overall, it is a life that we

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are

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comfortable with, we feel good.

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That's what is the goal, that we should have in terms of the art of living as a Muslim.

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The key to that life

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is very simple.

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We know Allah has prescribed for us through His Messenger, the five pillars of Islam, the six pillars of he Man, these word to

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put us in the right frame

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of mind.

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Right frame of spirit,

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the right psychological frame,

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physical frame and all aspects put us in the right frame with regards to living that

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godly life

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and the essence when we look at all of the pillars of Islam and he man, the essence of what is there is what the core

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this a law,

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the frosting, the hatch, does that guy

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thought he

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pinners have he mind and such what is the essence of what is going on here?

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What is it that we're being asked to do?

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We're asked to remember a law.

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The law.

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Remember a law

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Allah talks about this a lot. For example, He says a famous Salah Lizzy Cree,

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established the prayer

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for my remembrance

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established the prayer

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for my remembers in order to remember me.

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That is the essential

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principle behind prayer, remembrance of God. And remember

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those people who tell you

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I don't need to pray anymore.

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My name is Pierce

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So and So, che Fulani

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you all need to pray.

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But I don't need to pray anymore.

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Because the essence of prayer is remembrance of Allah.

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Thank you. Same thing I just said.

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He says the same thing.

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He goes on to explain.

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If a doctor takes a stethoscope

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and puts it on your chest where your heart is,

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he will hear boo, boo, boo.

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But if he puts it on my chest, he will hear

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the very beat of my heart is remembrance of Allah. So no need to pray anymore.

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He's a liar

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Prophet Mohammed Salaam Salaam prayed right up until his last moment.

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He's not better than Mohamed Somalia was not better.

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The prophets of Allah,

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the righteous, early generation, Hola, faraci. Don't everybody prayed? And you're gonna come along and say I don't need to pray.

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This is misguidance delusion. And of course people who don't understand the deen they easily get tricked by such tales, such stories sexualize.

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We're talking about the remembrance of a law in the sense of being conscious of the law.

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This salaat this ally just mentioned five times a day.

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A law says they're established the prayer. After masala established the prayer for my remembrance. He didn't say pray for my remembrance. He said establish the prayer. Meaning that we pray on time, five times a day

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organizing our day around the remembrance of Allah.

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What is the purpose of that the purpose is to help us achieve that win win situation.

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Because if we're not conscious of a law, then when we're up, we forget him.

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And we just enjoy life.

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We're happy.

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When we're down, we also forget him.

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And we wallow in our stress and our sadness and our losses and etc We just wallow in it, we can't get out of it.

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And more people die

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from

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the effects of stress in the form of depression etc Then die from all of the other illnesses. Cancer which is a big thing up there people talking about and but more people die from these effects. These which are psychological effects, then actually die from the physical and illnesses. Depression

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is the biggest killer out there.

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So

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that remember in switch a law

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wanted to establish in our lives,

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and the fasting reinforced when a lot of said cookie barlick and we'll see

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that in a minute.

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That fasting was prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you in order that you would be conscious of the law.

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that the law is consciousness of a law

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because that consciousness of the law is what helps us to handle stress and handle success.

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Ultimately, that is the means that we seek and we need

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to achieve that win win situation.

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And

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I'm just stressing because sometimes

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we lose

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sight of the realities of Salah

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that some people think it's okay to pray on occasion.

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So we have amongst us Friday Muslims.

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We have Ramadan Muslims,

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we have the eat Muslims.

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Those who pray occasionally once a day twice

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others who pray all five prayers before going to bed at night. We have all kinds

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out there

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know that that is not the Salah which is acceptable to Allah.

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That is what I call precautionary prayers,

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precautionary prayers of those who are not sure about the law.

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They're not convinced 100% there is a law.

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They think there might be

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not sure. So better we have something in case there is a law. So on the Day of Judgment, we have to stand before we get too hot. Well, I did do a few prayers here. I did do some fasting over here. I did do a little bit of this, a little bit of that. And so that's precautionary, just in case.

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The Justin case Muslim is not a true Muslim. They may have the name. They may dress like a Muslim

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live

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culturally like a Muslim, but this is not truly Islam.

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Now

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we praise Stephen Covey in his

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seven habits, he came up with this win win and the win win is really a wonderful formula.

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It really is a wonderful formula.

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And if we can live a win win life, truly, that would be a successful life.

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But guess what,

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1400 years ago, the Prophet sallallahu Sallam told us

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that the true believer lives a winwin life.

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He didn't call it Win win.

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But when he said

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I genuinely unreal moment.

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The fear of the believer is amazing.

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It is simply amazing.

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In the ombre hula hoop. All of his affair or her affair is good.

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That's amazing.

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And this is only for the true believer.

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It's only in the case of the true believer.

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So for the true believer,

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his or her affair all of it

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is good.

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It's Win win. That is the ideal Win win.

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And he went on to explain how does the win win work

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out he said

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it ah Samba who

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got raw, sorry. Saba who saw raw sugar.

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If good comes to him, he is thankful or she is thankful to Allah and it is good for them.

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That's winning.

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When we're up.

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Then he went on to say what he saw but who the raw

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and if evil strikes him

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subpar work.

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He or she is patient, and it is good for them.

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The Umbrella Movement, he repeated it again.

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The affair of the believer is simply amazing.

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All of his or her affair is good.

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And that is only in the case of the true believer.

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So there is a formula, very simple. If we are to live godly lives, lives which are pleasing to God pleasing to ourselves, lives in which we feel complete,

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that we are living

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an ideal, a good life.

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We have achieved the winwin principle, the formula is there,

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the ups and the downs,

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good times and the bad times.

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How do we handle it?

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In the good times, we are thankful we have remembered the law.

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We remember where the good came from.

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And this is actually the most difficult

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because remembering a law when we're in bad times, everybody does.

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Is that special for the moment?

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Everybody does. Even the person who says I don't believe in God.

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When he or she finds himself or herself in a situation where there's no way out.

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It's all over

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the earthquake game.

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You're on the 30th story of the building. The building is crumbling under your feet. You know, this is it. There's no way you're getting out of this. What does that person do? Does he say? My Tough luck?

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What else to do?

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My bad luck.

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Because that does become is God right? Good luck and bad luck? No, he won't say that. He or she will raise their hands and scream even louder than the believers. Oh god, oh, god, oh, God.

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They will be calling out.

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They can't help it. There's nothing else left.

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So

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in times of difficulty, remembering God is much easier than in times of good.

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Because in times of good, and it's easy to forget God, you have succeeded. You won the lottery, you and that's haram lottery, okay, whatever, you know, people who get what they have striven for, and they're so happy at that time. They don't stop and say, Okay, thank you, Allah. No, they're just on this. I did it. We did it. We've done it. You know, they're ecstatic. And they forget God.

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Easy.

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That's why the promise was Solomon said that the poor will enter Paradise 500 years before the rich. The rich are the ones who got it. They added

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why 500 years ahead, because they forget that much more difficult for them to remember God, and to do what's required of them much more difficult.

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It doesn't mean that Islam preaches poverty, that we should be poor. It doesn't.

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But know the responsibility which is on those who

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succeed.

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As a law said, in Chicago,

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if you are grateful,

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I will increase whatever you are grateful for what is it that made you grateful? You showed that gratitude, a lot promises to increase it

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while in cafaro tune in the lecture did but if you have denied

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you have this believed

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in the

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blessing which I've given you because that's what it is. Whatever was good which came to us is a blessing from Allah subhanaw taala.

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If we deny that it is from a law by forgetting a law, then no. My punishment will be seen

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Fear

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punishment will be severe.

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So,

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we can see here

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that the focus

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for us to achieve

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that godly life, that good life

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not a stress free life, but a life in which we're able to handle the ups and the downs, that when when life begins with

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gratitude,

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gratitude,

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in the field of psychology,

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where they talked about, you know, the emotions and

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mindsets

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that

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are the most important characteristics that human beings should have to have a good and a complete life, they left out gratitude

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is not listed among them. In more recent times, 21st century some psychologists started to address this

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gratitude and the impact of gratitude

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and it's become bigger and bigger and bigger

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reality is that having gratitude in one's life

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is critical

00:31:47--> 00:31:49

to finding that balance

00:31:53--> 00:32:02

that gratitude attitude is something which a lot of Allah tala, put before us in the Fatiha,

00:32:03--> 00:32:05

the first chapter of the Quran,

00:32:06--> 00:32:11

the first word of that first chapter Alhamdulillah.

00:32:14--> 00:32:16

Know that Allah made

00:32:17--> 00:32:19

the first word for a reason.

00:32:23--> 00:32:25

It is the most important

00:32:26--> 00:32:27

concept

00:32:28--> 00:32:32

that we need to achieve.

00:32:33--> 00:32:36

Having gratitude to Allah.

00:32:38--> 00:32:43

This, we need to teach our children very important.

00:32:44--> 00:32:52

Having that sense of gratitude is something a primary principle that we need to teach our children.

00:32:54--> 00:32:59

Because children who grow up without it

00:33:00--> 00:33:01

later on,

00:33:03--> 00:33:06

can easily leave Islam.

00:33:08--> 00:33:13

Physically, they may still be appearing to be Muslim than doing what the Muslims are doing. But internally,

00:33:14--> 00:33:15

they can leave.

00:33:17--> 00:33:18

Internally, there's a vacuum.

00:33:20--> 00:33:22

They don't feel Islam.

00:33:23--> 00:33:25

It's not there internally.

00:33:26--> 00:33:28

Because of this missing factor.

00:33:30--> 00:33:34

gratitude to Allah. And this is especially important.

00:33:36--> 00:33:45

And families that are islamically conscious for everybody, but in families that are islamically conscious have some consciousness, they're praying in the home.

00:33:46--> 00:33:50

What happens when our children reach the age of two? Or three?

00:33:52--> 00:34:06

When we stand up to pray, all of a sudden, our little daughter or son stands up besides us, and does what we do. And of course, when we see them do that we say so behind the law.

00:34:08--> 00:34:11

We are so happy, it touches us.

00:34:13--> 00:34:16

You know it moves us here is our child praying.

00:34:19--> 00:34:26

And of course, out of our happiness for their prayer. What do we do? We give them some sweets.

00:34:29--> 00:34:32

We hug them. We smile we kiss them.

00:34:34--> 00:34:36

And the children learn.

00:34:38--> 00:34:45

They learn that mom and dad. They get very happy when we do this.

00:34:46--> 00:34:51

And they give us sweets and other good things.

00:34:52--> 00:34:54

So they will do it more and more.

00:34:56--> 00:34:58

The more you get up the more they get up

00:35:00--> 00:35:06

The more you're happy, the more they become happy. You know, it's one feeding on the other

00:35:08--> 00:35:23

to the point where you will have your family friends over, you're having a chat, whatever social visit, and little man or little Fatima will stand up in front of everybody and start to pray.

00:35:25--> 00:35:40

And of course, all of your friends they say, Oh, look at that, Mashallah. They're amazed. This is something so beautiful. Look at that little child not even there. They're imitating they're doing it right in

00:35:41--> 00:35:53

motion. So everybody's happy they shower gifts and hugs and kisses and oh, man, that laughs man, little Fatima their agenda.

00:35:55--> 00:36:00

Really, really good times now. Right? So they continue to do that.

00:36:02--> 00:36:02

And

00:36:04--> 00:36:06

they will grow up that way.

00:36:08--> 00:36:11

Praying to please mom and dad.

00:36:14--> 00:36:19

Until there comes a time when pleasing mum and dad is not that important anymore.

00:36:21--> 00:36:23

So then no need to pray.

00:36:26--> 00:36:28

And they will start missing prayers.

00:36:30--> 00:36:32

Maybe without mom and dad realizing it.

00:36:33--> 00:36:37

Till they reach a point they don't break finish, no story.

00:36:39--> 00:36:42

We have to be careful of this.

00:36:43--> 00:36:53

We have to be very careful of this. Yes, that little two year old or three year old may be difficult for you to explain to them.

00:36:55--> 00:36:57

Being grateful to Allah,

00:36:58--> 00:37:11

and how important it is. But as they get older, and you are explaining to them about Allah, Allah created the heavens, he created the earth He created, you know the stars, he created all these different things.

00:37:12--> 00:37:18

Even a lot created the car, he created the whole our home, he created our secret.

00:37:19--> 00:37:23

And as we are explaining this process of a law creating everything

00:37:24--> 00:37:31

and giving it to us, then it is natural, that we should thank him.

00:37:32--> 00:37:37

Just as we teach them, when somebody gives you something, say thank you.

00:37:39--> 00:37:49

That's good manners. You know, as we teach good manners, we teach the children this sense of gratitude to a lot because it is the foundation of faith.

00:37:51--> 00:37:54

It is if you don't have it, you don't have faith.

00:37:56--> 00:37:57

It's not important.

00:37:59--> 00:37:59

So

00:38:01--> 00:38:16

it is important for us to raise that child with that consciousness of a law, which is one, understanding that the relationship between us and a law is one of gratitude.

00:38:17--> 00:38:28

He has given his bounties though we don't necessarily deserve it, we didn't earn it, etc, he gave it to us, we should be grateful to him.

00:38:30--> 00:38:40

If that understanding is developed, then we have the foundation of a godly life.

00:38:41--> 00:38:46

God, please life one in which we please God and what we do.

00:38:48--> 00:38:51

One in which when the good comes, we will be thankful.

00:38:53--> 00:38:57

We will not be so happy. We forget a lot. We'll remember a lot.

00:38:59--> 00:39:02

We'll protect that. And as he said,

00:39:05--> 00:39:12

if we remember him, and thank him, then he will increase and we will see it in our lives.

00:39:14--> 00:39:20

We will see it in our lives. And being thankful is not necessarily

00:39:21--> 00:39:25

thankfulness, just saying Alhamdulillah

00:39:27--> 00:39:31

you know, because it's easy for us to just say Alhamdulillah

00:39:33--> 00:39:45

everybody around us is saying Alhamdulillah do we really mean Alhamdulillah? Or it's just now a reflex. So Alhamdulillah How are you? Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah

00:39:46--> 00:39:48

becomes Yes.

00:39:50--> 00:39:59

Word to replace. Yes. as Muslims we use Alhamdulillah it just means yes. It doesn't really mean a lot.

00:40:00--> 00:40:00

hamdulillah

00:40:02--> 00:40:13

so even when, after the Salah the prophet SAW Selim advised us to say Subhana Allah, Al hamdu Lillah Allahu Akbar,

00:40:14--> 00:40:15

what do we do?

00:40:17--> 00:40:20

Alhamdulillah becomes Hamlet

00:40:22--> 00:40:23

Hamlet

00:40:26--> 00:40:33

not Alhamdulillah. But Hamlet. Why? Because we want to finish it as quickly as possible. So we say,

00:40:36--> 00:40:37

Mama llama blah, blah, blah, blah.

00:40:39--> 00:40:39

It's all finished.

00:40:41--> 00:40:43

In a split second we have completed

00:40:47--> 00:40:51

3333 34 or 33. Done.

00:40:53--> 00:40:54

So it's the ritual.

00:40:56--> 00:40:56

ritual

00:40:58--> 00:41:08

is not really glorifying a law, being grateful to a law and recognizing his greatness. It's not that.

00:41:09--> 00:41:11

So this is what has happened to us.

00:41:14--> 00:41:17

We have lost track of

00:41:19--> 00:41:20

Alhamdulillah

00:41:22--> 00:41:23

we have lost track of it.

00:41:24--> 00:41:38

We're not really grateful to Allah. Part of that gratitude is sharing the good that we have with others. Charity, gratitude should drive us to charity.

00:41:42--> 00:41:45

There is a case in Malaysia. I just came from Malaysia

00:41:47--> 00:41:48

where

00:41:52--> 00:41:55

a Muslim brother whose origin is from Yemen,

00:41:56--> 00:41:57

related

00:41:59--> 00:42:01

incidents from his life

00:42:03--> 00:42:05

when he came with his

00:42:06--> 00:42:07

parents from Yemen,

00:42:09--> 00:42:11

his mother, some other relatives,

00:42:14--> 00:42:21

he only brought with him The only thing possession he brought with him was a new pair of shoes.

00:42:25--> 00:42:27

When they arrived in Malaysia,

00:42:28--> 00:42:30

he went to the marketplace

00:42:33--> 00:42:36

and sold the shoes to get some money.

00:42:40--> 00:42:44

He sold the shoes for five ringgit,

00:42:45--> 00:42:47

he bought something else.

00:42:48--> 00:42:51

And he sold it and became 10 ringgits.

00:42:54--> 00:42:55

And then he came home to his mother.

00:42:57--> 00:43:04

And he told her look, Mom, we got 10 blankets. Now tendering It doesn't mean very much, but back then, it was big money,

00:43:06--> 00:43:14

tender ingots and that brief exchange. Allah bless him, you know, as a businessman

00:43:16--> 00:43:18

as young as he was blessed him

00:43:19--> 00:43:26

to be able to judge get the right things and earn a profit.

00:43:28--> 00:43:30

tripling doubling, quadrupling

00:43:32--> 00:43:35

his initial investment.

00:43:38--> 00:43:43

So his mother told him give five ringgits in charity.

00:43:44--> 00:43:58

He said yeah, okay mom, yeah, I want to give I will give, but let me take this 10 back tomorrow and earn some more and then you know, when we have more out, give, of course.

00:44:02--> 00:44:07

The mom says, Give, five ring gets now.

00:44:10--> 00:44:11

She insisted.

00:44:13--> 00:44:15

He went over it his mom.

00:44:16--> 00:44:18

And he gave the five ringgits and saw

00:44:20--> 00:44:22

that young man

00:44:24--> 00:44:25

became

00:44:27--> 00:44:32

the biggest trader, millionaire, in the rice in Malaysia.

00:44:35--> 00:44:36

So behind Allah,

00:44:39--> 00:44:46

giving that charity some of this was the gratitude showing gratitude.

00:44:48--> 00:44:49

He did it

00:44:50--> 00:44:51

on a law increased

00:44:54--> 00:44:54

what he had

00:44:57--> 00:45:00

and this can happen in

00:45:00--> 00:45:01

any of our lives.

00:45:02--> 00:45:04

This is the promise of Allah subhanaw taala.

00:45:06--> 00:45:08

This is not an individual's

00:45:09--> 00:45:15

motivational speech. This is what a loss avanos Allah Himself said.

00:45:18--> 00:45:22

And the other side of the coin because we said life

00:45:24--> 00:45:27

has its ups and it's downs.

00:45:29--> 00:45:32

The goal of a stress free life,

00:45:33--> 00:45:39

which motivational speakers call people to time and time again.

00:45:40--> 00:45:48

And people flocked to their lectures, how to achieve a stress free life

00:45:49--> 00:45:50

is a lie.

00:45:52--> 00:46:03

We cannot achieve a stress free life. Why? Because a loss avanos Allah himself told us what

00:46:04--> 00:46:06

is he covered?

00:46:08--> 00:46:13

I have created humankind, in struggle,

00:46:15--> 00:46:20

striving, struggling, difficulty overcoming that difficulty.

00:46:23--> 00:46:32

But he did promise us in my last three, Yusra, that with every difficulty will come easy ease.

00:46:33--> 00:46:38

How many times did we fall down before we finally learned to walk on two feet?

00:46:41--> 00:46:47

Did anybody escaped that? Do you know anybody who went from crawling straight to squat standing up and walking?

00:46:50--> 00:46:51

No.

00:46:52--> 00:46:56

We all went through that struggle. This is the nature of our lives.

00:46:58--> 00:47:13

So recognizing the ups and the downs, we said, being able to handle the ups and the downs, this is the win win situation that we're seeking. We just talked about

00:47:15--> 00:47:16

the ups

00:47:18--> 00:47:20

the other side of the coin,

00:47:22--> 00:47:23

the downtime.

00:47:28--> 00:47:34

The prophet SAW, Selim described the true believer, as having an amazing life.

00:47:36--> 00:47:38

Because for the true believer

00:47:39--> 00:47:43

who has put his trust or her trust in the law,

00:47:45--> 00:47:48

when the good times came to them,

00:47:49--> 00:47:55

they were thankful to Allah. And as such a law gave them greater good.

00:47:57--> 00:48:05

And they went on to say but when bad times came, or when bad times come,

00:48:07--> 00:48:13

be patient, their patient, the true believers because of the trust in the law,

00:48:14--> 00:48:15

their belief in the law,

00:48:17--> 00:48:27

the other the good, and the evil of it. They accept it. They know it's from Allah, that even the evil of the other

00:48:29--> 00:48:32

appears evil to us, but it may be good.

00:48:35--> 00:48:35

So

00:48:38--> 00:48:39

when bad times come,

00:48:41--> 00:48:44

they are patient, somber.

00:48:46--> 00:48:47

And it's good for them.

00:48:50--> 00:48:58

So that is the way to deal with the bad times. patient, be patient.

00:49:01--> 00:49:02

How can you be patient

00:49:04--> 00:49:11

if you are thankful in the good times, being patient in the bad times is easier.

00:49:12--> 00:49:15

I'm not saying it's easy, but it's easier.

00:49:18--> 00:49:26

Because you can remember all those good times you are thankful for blessing from Allah. So when you have the difficult time

00:49:28--> 00:49:34

you don't just focus on the difficult time to think back of the good times. Okay. I need to be patient with this.

00:49:35--> 00:49:38

A law has promised me in the model

00:49:39--> 00:49:43

that whizzes bad times, good times will come.

00:49:45--> 00:49:54

I may not be able to see it. It may appear to be so bad, so devastating, but he has promised

00:49:55--> 00:49:57

and a loss promise is true.

00:50:00--> 00:50:01

So we are patient.

00:50:04--> 00:50:10

For some people, Allah created them with a patient nature.

00:50:11--> 00:50:17

I don't know the process I'm said whoever Allah has given patients he has given them.

00:50:22--> 00:50:23

Great good.

00:50:28--> 00:50:29

But there are a few.

00:50:31--> 00:50:35

The vast majority of us are impatient.

00:50:37--> 00:50:40

Okay, in Santa Ana joola.

00:50:43--> 00:50:47

Human beings are impatient.

00:50:49--> 00:50:52

In general, that's the general situation, we're impatient.

00:50:53--> 00:50:55

So it's something we have to struggle with.

00:50:57--> 00:51:05

If we are to achieve that balanced life, the win win situation, we have to be patient.

00:51:09--> 00:51:15

No one would say, okay, we're not born with patience, how do we achieve it? How do we get it? What is the way

00:51:17--> 00:51:19

the prophets Allah said,

00:51:21--> 00:51:21

Well, my

00:51:23--> 00:51:33

use of bureau law, whoever pretends to be patient, a law will give them patience.

00:51:34--> 00:51:51

who pretends to be patient, meaning externally, they show the actions, the expressions, the words that indicate that they are patient, but internally, they are not.

00:51:52--> 00:52:00

Because that's their reality. Their reality is that they're not they want this thing, but they've held themselves back. And externally, people say oh, that's a patient person.

00:52:02--> 00:52:06

Mashallah you're patient with it. Internally, they're ready to explode.

00:52:07--> 00:52:23

But externally, they have this facade of patience, that eventually, if you keep doing it, time, and time and time again, eventually it will become a reality.

00:52:24--> 00:52:38

That is the solution, which the Prophet sallallahu Sallam gave, and it is basically for all of the various higher characteristics that we may strive for that if we

00:52:39--> 00:52:41

pretend to do them,

00:52:44--> 00:52:58

eventually, they will become a habit. Because how do we develop habits, we repeatedly do something until it becomes a habit becomes now part of us. So it's following that principle.

00:52:59--> 00:53:10

The habit forming principle positive habit forming principles. That was the advice of the Prophet sallallahu, wasallam, 1400 years ago.

00:53:13--> 00:53:13

So

00:53:15--> 00:53:22

anger, we all know, anger management, big issues now. People specialize in teaching anger management.

00:53:23--> 00:53:31

Companies will invite in specialists to advise their employees how to manage anger.

00:53:35--> 00:53:37

In the past, they used to say,

00:53:39--> 00:53:41

if you have something you're angry about,

00:53:43--> 00:53:43

let it out.

00:53:46--> 00:53:48

Don't keep it inside yourself.

00:53:50--> 00:53:54

Because it will damage you psychologically.

00:53:55--> 00:54:06

express it, shout, scream, break something, throw something, whatever, just let it out. And then you can feel so much better afterwards.

00:54:07--> 00:54:13

later on. neurologists said, actually,

00:54:14--> 00:54:16

letting it out isn't good.

00:54:18--> 00:54:24

Because when you scream, that angry person who's screaming Do you can see the veins in their neck

00:54:26--> 00:54:31

blood vessels, capillaries are bursting in their brain.

00:54:32--> 00:54:36

So it's actually not good for you at all. Better you don't let it out.

00:54:38--> 00:54:43

That's what they told us. If you're angry, sit down.

00:54:46--> 00:54:53

Jump up and down and scream and shut down. If you're standing Sit down. If you're sitting lay down.

00:54:57--> 00:54:58

Shift your position

00:55:00--> 00:55:11

Maybe later on we'll find some scientific discoveries about shifting your position. But we don't need to wait until we find them. We know that the advice of the province or sanlam, was good advice.

00:55:14--> 00:55:15

control it,

00:55:16--> 00:55:17

suppress it.

00:55:19--> 00:55:26

And if you develop the habit of suppressing your anger, eventually you will get over it, you'll be able to overcome

00:55:27--> 00:55:29

this is the way

00:55:30--> 00:55:31

So,

00:55:33--> 00:55:36

the formula which Prophet Muhammad wa sallam gave us

00:55:37--> 00:55:38

is clear,

00:55:40--> 00:55:45

to achieve that ideal life

00:55:47--> 00:55:56

living a Muslim life, a true Muslim life that requires both of these principles

00:55:59--> 00:56:02

to handle the ups and the downs of life,

00:56:04--> 00:56:05

gratitude

00:56:06--> 00:56:07

and patience,

00:56:09--> 00:56:18

patience and gratitude. These are the two most key principles that we need.

00:56:21--> 00:56:27

Now, to understand the various ways of being grateful,

00:56:30--> 00:56:33

the various ways of being patient.

00:56:36--> 00:56:43

We need to know the advice of Rasulullah sallallahu wasallam. We need to know

00:56:44--> 00:56:45

the Orion

00:56:48--> 00:57:01

the Orion gives us many guidelines for gratitude and patience. And the Prophet sallallahu Sallam lived them, demonstrated them in his life.

00:57:03--> 00:57:08

So it is important for us in order to strengthen our understanding,

00:57:10--> 00:57:19

to be able to handle these situations. To learn from the Quran and the Sunnah of the prophet SAW Selim had promised us

00:57:21--> 00:57:34

that he left behind two things if we hold on firmly to them, we will not never go astray, we will remain on the straight path holding on firmly to the Quran and the Sunnah.

00:57:36--> 00:57:37

So

00:57:38--> 00:57:41

this is our resource bank,

00:57:43--> 00:57:50

from which we take guidance in order to achieve this balance.

00:57:52--> 00:57:54

And that resource bank

00:57:55--> 00:57:57

will only benefit us

00:57:58--> 00:58:03

if we seek that knowledge. Genuinely.

00:58:05--> 00:58:09

We seek the knowledge of Islam, the Quran and the Sunnah, genuinely.

00:58:11--> 00:58:20

We are able, through seeking and genuinely to distinguish between cultural Islam

00:58:22--> 00:58:24

and authentic Islam

00:58:25--> 00:58:27

because cultural Islam

00:58:28--> 00:58:31

offers solutions.

00:58:33--> 00:58:38

But many of the solutions are not the correct solutions.

00:58:39--> 00:58:45

They become standards of cultural behavior in certain parts of the world.

00:58:47--> 00:58:53

But in others, they are not apply they have no relevance.

00:58:56--> 00:59:02

And oftentimes, they become a repository of

00:59:03--> 00:59:11

mal practices, which ended up becoming attributed to Islam by those who are ignorant.

00:59:14--> 00:59:18

Our Islam is practiced this way in our country,

00:59:21--> 00:59:37

which may involve many practices which go against the teachings of Islam, but that's how we practice Islam. We need to get away from that type of understanding and get back to the understanding

00:59:39--> 00:59:59

that it was taught by Rasulullah sallallahu wasallam because that is the correct understanding which will make a difference in our personal lives or community lives, our national lives, our global lives, that correct understanding which is based on

01:00:00--> 01:00:04

The Quranic verse, I leiomyoma Kemal Tula, comb Dena.

01:00:06--> 01:00:11

Today, I have completed for you, your religion.

01:00:13--> 01:00:24

So, as Mr. Malik had said, whatever was not a part of the religion when that verse was revealed, can never be a part of the religion

01:00:26--> 01:00:36

can never be, we have to understand that it can never be white. Because if we say that this is now a part of the religion,

01:00:38--> 01:00:51

when a law already said that he completed the religion 1400 years ago, then you're saying that a law did not tell us the truth. I was

01:00:53--> 01:00:55

a law was wrong.

01:00:56--> 01:01:02

That verse of the Quran is misguidance, that Islam is not complete.

01:01:03--> 01:01:14

We need to do this today. We need to do that today. We need to add this we need to take away that and create our own Islam, liberal Islam, you know, we have a liberal Islam.

01:01:17--> 01:01:19

That's misguidance

01:01:20--> 01:01:27

true guidance is following the Quran and the Sunnah. As it was revealed,

01:01:30--> 01:01:31

not as we feel

01:01:33--> 01:01:43

where we pick and choose from Islam, what pleases us and leave what doesn't believe us. That's not Islam anymore. That's our lamb.

01:01:46--> 01:02:09

Islam is what Allah revealed. Each and every one of us we have her lamb and Islam. You know, we have all kinds of lambs out there. But the real true Islam is the one which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu wasallam, which he practiced, and which his followers that first generation of Sahaba practice.

01:02:10--> 01:02:12

And because of that,

01:02:13--> 01:02:25

he described them as being the best of generations, right or Nazi, pardon me, the best of generations is my generation.

01:02:26--> 01:02:26

So

01:02:28--> 01:02:29

in summing up

01:02:30--> 01:02:32

our topic,

01:02:33--> 01:02:46

which is the art of living, and we said that meant the art of living a true Muslim life, or the art of living a life which is pleasing to God.

01:02:48--> 01:03:03

However, we interpret it, that life, which should be the ideal life, that we have set for ourselves. To do that. It involves

01:03:04--> 01:03:07

finding the balance in our lives.

01:03:09--> 01:03:11

The balance between

01:03:12--> 01:03:14

the ups and the downs.

01:03:16--> 01:03:21

The balance between the dean and the dounia.

01:03:24--> 01:03:28

The balance between success and failure,

01:03:31--> 01:03:33

the balance between

01:03:35--> 01:03:38

a good family and a bad family,

01:03:39--> 01:03:43

handling the problems that exist

01:03:45--> 01:03:51

in such a way, that regardless of what circumstance we find ourselves in,

01:03:52--> 01:04:10

it becomes a win win circumstance for us. That is what we're striving for. And that is what the prophet SAW, Selim said, for the ideal believer, the ideal Muslim is the one who has found that balance.

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Good times, and bad times. May Allah subhanaw taala, grant us that understanding.

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Help us

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to achieve those goals.

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Forgive us for our failures of the past and the present,

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and give us success

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to die believers and earn

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through the mercy of along

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the paradise for which we were created.

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barakallahu

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alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh