Keeping Good, Changing Bad

Farhan Abdul Azeez

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Channel: Farhan Abdul Azeez

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Aim delectable alaminos salatu salam ala rasulillah

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salam aleikum, wa barakato

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salam ala

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rasulillah here filling up the crowd early via less than a blessing you bless your morning Buster evening, bless this weekend and make this a week in a shot love renewal for all of us Aloma. I mean,

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there's a verse in the Quran that we we take great pride in

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as an Ummah and that we've all heard before, or Allah subhanho wa Taala, he says by the

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regime

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in ofori, Jasmine

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de Muro, Nabila, roofie, watton, hona, Ronnie Carrie want to know Nabila? Allah says, You, Omar Muhammad, sallAllahu. wasallam are the best nation to be brought forth for mankind.

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And then Allah goes and lists three reasons why that verse applies to us. He says that,

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you enjoying the good, you forbid the evil, and you believe in Allah subhanho wa Taala. These are the three key qualities that make us the best nation to be brought from mankind. And this is what we find in Divine scripture.

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But if we look at the state of Muslims today,

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whether it be here locally in America or be

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internationally across the world,

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we don't think when we see Muslims, or Muslim communities or Muslim nations, when we see the state, we don't think this is the best nation.

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those thoughts are reserved for others, but not our own selves.

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We look in Muslim lands, and we see poverty.

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We see oppression,

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we see corruption.

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We look at non Muslim lands. And we see Muslims aren't people of influence or power,

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and also are being targeted.

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And so the thought comes up that Muslims actually aren't the best nation. Right? And this narrative begins to develop about us that whether you look in, in Somalia, or you look in Yemen, or you look in Saudi Arabia, or you look in China, are you looking and Europe wherever it is, what's the common denominator between people that have different tongues and different colors, and different clothes and different foods? The one thing that unites them all is their faith.

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So the narrative that begins to develop is that the problem is actually in their faith.

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Islam is a backwards religion. Have you heard that before?

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Islam is a regressive religion, Islam as a religion for past times. We've all heard these things before on our TVs and our radios. And perhaps what begins to happen is we internalize these same thoughts that have become common discourse in society.

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Now, why is that so dangerous?

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Because Malcolm X rahimullah he spoke about this, that when you begin to hate yourself,

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when you begin to look down at your own features and your own qualities and your own attributes, then you're a doomed nation. But here's what's interesting is a statement of a lie is true and eternal to the end of time. You are the best nation brought forth from mankind, because of these qualities. You enjoin good and forbid evil, and you believe in Allah subhanho wa Taala and another verse, and I want to examine this thoughts and kind of dissect it down in the brief time that I have today. Allah subhanho wa Taala. He says, something very interesting that again, if we pause and look at our situation today, it'll make us question.

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Allah subhana wa Tada. He says, and so to noon, verse 55. He says, Why don't love levena man oming Kumamoto saw he had you know your stuff.

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Last

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weekend, Mr. Levine. kabini him. Wanna you met Kenan Deena Humala, the hotel bought a home What are you bad didn't

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buy the whole thing him

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Yeah boonah nila you shikun ibtihaj woman cafa rabada Nika una eco Moodle fassi

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Allah subhanaw taala say something very interesting. He says Allah has promised He is guaranteed that for those who believe amongst you, and do righteous deeds,

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what will be the results, he says he will most definitely establish you in the land just like he did to those before you and He will secure you in your religion that he has been pleased to choose for you and He will replace after your fear

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peace and tranquility.

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He says these people worship Allah and they have the associate know partners with him and whoever disbelieves after that is from the wrongdoers. So it's a cause and effect relationship that Allah has describing in this verse. Allah says that they're a man and good deeds why the law levina Amato mean come. Well, I mean, oh, sorry, had your Eman and your good deeds is the cause? What is the effect that you will be given authority in the land that you will be given security in your religion and practicing your religion freely?

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It's a direct cause and effect relationship. The cause is Islam.

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And here's, I'm going to take a step here, but you need to work with me, the cause is a snom. And the result the effect is advancement for society. Where do I get best statement from? Well, Allah subhanho wa Taala it's the sin of Allah.

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That you can have a nation that's living in the stone age's and still be given power in the land in this day and age. It's impossible. You can't see a backwards person, yet still, as a nation being given power and authority and security.

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Right so Allah manzanas, equating something here, but what happened is we've lost our tradition. We've lost our tradition, Allah subhana wa Tada. He says in another verse in verse 77, he says, Weber del v Thema, de la,

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Pharaoh,

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and what Allah has given you in this world, use it to establish to seek your home in the hereafter. But then Allah says, One Santos Lee Baca, Amina, dunya, WA,

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comma Santa Allahu LA, Allah says, but don't forget your portion of this world. So Allah has given you all of us something of this dunya but then he says, What? Use that to establish your home in the hereafter. But don't forget taking care of what you need to take care of in this world. But what does that mean? When I 10 cent asleep kameena dunya. First, that means a lack of sleep Amina dunya, that you do have a portion of this world that you and I have a portion of this world. But then when we're being taught the idea of what

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we use it to try and invest in our home in the hereafter by doing good in this world. So Islam doesn't have this idea. This ideology that's final revelation to mankind alone did not include in it. This idea of monasticism that we leave society that we just live in the massages, and we have no impact on the community around us that we go into mountains or faraway lands and just cut ourselves off. That's not from the philosophy of a believer. You know, in a very interesting, authentic narration, the Sahaba cabin and iserlohn who he narrates, he sees a man passed by the Messenger of Allah so by sending them photo us hobbled, or Sunni lies on us and mentality when a sharpie, this

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man, he was earning a living for his family.

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But in doing so, the Sahaba saw that he was energetic, he was strong, and he was very skilled at what he was doing. But he's earning a living for his family. And they said no kind of have a feasibility law. If only this this energy and this strength and this skill was used in the path of a law.

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It was only using the path of Allah. Have you ever seen someone then you thought, Man, this guy has so much talent, this sister has so much talent, if she just put it in the service of the messenger service of the religion or the service of the seven organizations, how much good would come from you? Right? So they're saying this person has so much talents. And you know what the Messenger of Allah has sent him said in the response, he says in Canada JSR Allah, one of the Ceylon, for who ifisa beat Allah. If this man

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came out, he's earning his living but he's doing so with the intention of supporting his children. Then he is actually in the path of Allah. And he says when Cana Hanukkah, yes, Allah Abba waney Shea Haney Kevin Murphy, Sabina LA. And if he comes out, earning a living to support his two elderly parents, he is also in the path of a law when Canada holiday Yes, ah, yeah nafsa

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law and if he came out, if for no other reason, but just to make himself self sufficient.

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So he's not on the street. He doesn't have family, he doesn't have kids, but just to support himself, then he is also in the path of Allah.

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What is in the path of Allah mean? When the Messenger of Allah when I send them a saying he is in the path of Allah? What does that mean brothers and sisters?

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It means a lack of agile,

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you're being rewarded for that.

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Every moment of earning a living, if your intention is pure, is actually a bother to Allah is actually worship to Allah subhanho wa Taala. Because why do people work? Why do you and I work, it's either to support our families or support ourselves. That's why people work. And the Messenger of Allah is teaching us something here that in your work, it is worship for the sake of Allah, meaning you're being rewarded for every moment. So you have a brother who's a mechanic, and he's sitting under the car and it's cold outside and his hands are cold, he's feeling the pains and his fingers, and he's struggling to get a rusted bolt off the bottom of the car, every moment of that. every

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second of that action

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is actually a bad day

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is actually a bad day.

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Now, why is this what does this have to do with Islam being backwards or not being backwards in Islam's advancement for society? Well, you have to understand a few things.

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Number one, we have to understand this concept of a bada Tamia shuffle Islam Rahim Allah He described he defines it by the for us. He says la vida is mon Jamia

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this concept of worship in Islam. It's a very comprehensive idea. He says what it encompasses and he couldn't be my you Hippo Hola, hola, yo, la mina, Aqua and he will file a VA hero will Ballina. It includes everything that will please Allah subhanho wa Taala from both speech and action, both hidden and open. So let's say on the way you're leaving this session now going to your next session, and you stopped by the bazaar, and you see a beautiful hijab that you want to buy for your daughter or for your mother or you see a beautiful toy you want to buy for your son, and you take it to the hotel, and you pack it ready. And tonight when they come back from their sessions. You give them

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this gift. And you see the smile light up on your daughter's face as she gets this toy. And she gives you a big hug. And she says Bob, I love you. Thank you so much. I've always wanted this.

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every second of that from the moment you were walking in the bazaar and looking for the item and the moment you purchased it in the moment you went to the hotel and you wrapped it up and the moment you gave it to her Allah subhanho wa Taala for every second of that is giving you reward.

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What a beautiful religion.

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Somebody says I don't want this dunya I want a hero only I want gender only. Islam tells you if you want Jenna, your vehicle for that gender is this world and you get rewarded for every moment as long as you have the right intention.

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So that's the first thing we have to understand. Number two, we have to understand a guiding philosophy and principle in the life of a Muslim and that is what then Allah subhana wa tada has decreed for all of us that we have a responsibility to Allah Bella Ellen ferryboats, when Allah called a Muslim to seek knowledge is incumbent upon every believer, every Muslim, you and I have a lifelong journey to seek knowledge. When I was in Egypt, studying Arabic my neighbor across the hall from me in the apartment complex was 83 years old. And when he came to Egypt, he didn't even know the Arabic letters 83 and he came to study Arabic it's a lifelong journey. But what happens as you

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increase your knowledge, you advance in society. You learn new things, you know new learn things about agriculture, about chemistry, but biology, about engineering about astrology and geology and and all of these fields allow. The first revelation was what if this Mirabella the Halak, recite in the name of your Lord who has created the scholars say this command for reciting

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Learning and reading is about the knowledge of the religion, because a lot coupled to this smear of big in the name of your Lord. But then a few verses later and the same first revelation to all of mankind the final revelation, Allah says ikara bukan ekra Molavi Allah mobile column,

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read, recite, learn.

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And your Lord is most generous Allah via Allah bill column, the one who taught with the pen, and what does the pen right brothers and sisters, the pen writes the knowledge of men. And so the scholars say this command is for learning and expanding our knowledge in all fields of this world.

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All political science and agriculture and engineering and medicine. We as Muslims are commanded to seek knowledge in these fields just as much as we are about the religion. The religion you and I aren't asked to be scholars a lot, never asked us to be scholars, but he does require of us to know the basics of our religion so we can practice appropriately.

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The second, the third idea that you have to understand before we bring it all together, is that in anything that you do, if you're an engineer, you're a teacher, you're a, you're you're you're a plumber, you're a mechanic, you're a physician, you're a lawyer, whatever it is, in your field, Allah wants something from you and what and that is the messenger of a loss and I sent him He says, In Allaha, cuttable, senada, Konishi.

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Allah has asked you and I, that and anything that we do, we do it with excellence. Now you can't be an excellent doctor. Unless you're a master of your your specialty, you can be an excellent teacher, unless you're a master of the topic that you are teaching. You can't be an excellent farmer. Unless if you're, you're a master in agriculture. And so Allah wants you and every field that you pursue, don't just stop at the basics alone wants you to Excel to research to test to experiment, until you come and expand your knowledge and you become a master of that. And whatever field it is that you're doing. The Messenger of Allah went on to say, even in something so simple as slaughtering an animal

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to so you can eat. He says, if you're going to do it, then make sure you sharpen the blade and you don't cause any harm to the animal. That's the mercy of Allah. But that's also the philosophy of the believer. So now we understand, number one, that as snom as Muslims, we understand that if we worship we earn a living we are actually getting rewarded by Allah. And we understand that we have to be masters in our field, and that we have to continuously seek knowledge and by necessity, when you do that, society advances, by necessity by you brothers and sisters, living the life of a Muslim.

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living the life Allah asked you to live by the principles Allah has outlined in the beautiful religion he has given to mankind, you will by necessity advance society.

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Now someone might say, brother, you're going too much.

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You're going too far. Let me share with you a very interesting Hadith. The Messenger of Allah sent me essays in Abu Dhabi wouldn't say your authentic hadith he says, Yeah, Jebel Arab Bookman, la Ivana min Allah is impressed is delighted by a shepherd.

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fearlessly shoving it in little Jabba. He is in the head of a mountain on top of a mountain with his flock. He's grazing his sheep. And what happens? The time for the hood comes in.

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The alarm goes off, it's solid time. And so what does he do? He sees you as the new best seller for you. Why you suddenly so he stops watching the sheep and he makes a van and then he praises Allah.

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Allah subhanho wa Taala says to the angels on guru Isla Abdi hada, you have been way up masala ha ha for me. Look, all angels look at my slave.

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He makes the call to prayer and he prays he fears me.

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And then what does he say?

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Call to her father, Tony, have the word held to hold Jenna. I forgiven my slave and I've admitted him into paradise.

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But let me ask you a question.

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Is there something strange about someone taking time off from work to pray

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on Friday? Yes.

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When you left to work, and went to Jamaica, or asked at a time when you took a couple of minutes, and you went to the site and you prayed, is there anything strange about that? Let me ask you a step further, who has it more difficult, the shepherd in the field, who's doesn't have anybody around him in the mountain, nobody to look at him, nobody to catch him with his foot in the sink at work, nobody to criticize him. He doesn't maybe have a boss who hates Muslims. He's not under that pressure. Who has a more difficult you when you leave your work for prayer, or the shepherd when he prays? I think the argument can be made that you have it more difficult, but Allah subhanho wa Taala

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has given this Shepherd for praying, while doing his job in this world, while earning his living, he's forgiven him all lives on his sins, and granted him paradise. So what would be the reward for you? What would be the reward for you?

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So you see, Alo wants you to take care of your dunya affairs, but in doing so you don't sacrifice what he has required of you of your from your religion. Right? So brothers and sisters, Islam is unlike any other society or any other philosophy and that it merges both Deen and dunya in a way that nobody else has. Right? And so when we look in our history, what do we see, we see in, in,

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in Muslim society, when Islam when religion when religious teachings were flourishing, so were the secular sciences as well. We were the top in medicine, the first Hospital in the world and Damascus was built 700 years before the first in Italy, kotoba Muslim Spain and we say West versus east, but Spain is part of Europe, but it was a Muslim land, had 50 hospitals before the first was built, and what we refer to as Europe.

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So the Muslims were excellent in the secular sciences, and the religious sciences. That's what Islam asks of us. Whereas we see in the dark ages, when we were in the one mankind and the part of the world was in the dark ages, one to the Dark Ages get relieved or removed after the Reformation. And what happened in the reformation, when they push religion aside, and the Renaissance took place, but they weren't coupled together. But Allah has given us a beautiful religion, Allah subhanho wa Taala. He says, and I'll end with this,

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he says, and one of the final verses revealed to mankind. He says, le oma at command tuna comb, Deena calm, what adds meme to Allah eco near Mati watervliet, una como Islam, Medina, Allah says, today, I have perfected your religion for you, and complete in my favor upon you, and I am pleased to have for you Islam as your religion.

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Brothers and sisters hold your heads high.

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You are a blessed people to be from the nation of Mohammed Salah Salem, and you have so much from our religion to take to offer to society by the name just spoke about how much society is hurting. Islam has given us the solutions we have to learn and apply. May Allah give us Sophia, who not only have that which is not going to play around with Santa Monica lights our level barakato