Haifaa Younis – Understanding Surah Al Mulk – Part 5
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of gratitude and gratitude in various aspects of life, including the importance of water, death, and the annual Thanksgiving holiday. They emphasize the need to be grateful and grateful for oneself and others, and to work hard and not give things back until they receive them. The importance of gratitude and gratitudeness is emphasized, and the need to be prepared for potential events and challenges. The conversation also touches on topics such as the holy spirit and the importance of shukr in Islam.
AI: Summary ©
Assalamu alaikum.
We're going to do two things today, actually.
We're going to finish Surat al-Mulk, inshallah,
because there are not many left for us.
Then I'm going to take you a little
bit about Thanksgiving.
I'm getting questions, should we do, should we
not, what is it?
So I'm going to share with you what
is Thanksgiving as a holiday, and then I'm
going to talk to you about the shukr,
gratefulness, gratitude for us as Muslims.
So let's finish with Surat al-Mulk.
What do you think I'm going to do
next week?
Let's see if you guess.
Noor needs a lot of time.
I wanted to do something to finish before
the holidays.
Yeah, so what am I going to do?
Let's see.
Okay, last time.
Huh?
No, it's going to be small.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
Yeah, actually, I'm going to do every week.
One week.
One week.
And one week.
Because this is very common.
One hour should be more, well, should be
enough to cover at least what we need
to learn.
And then we'll break for the holidays, and
then inshallah, when we come back, we'll see
what Allah will open.
So again, cap it quickly.
We said Surat al-Mulk, Surah that is
al-Munjiya, the one, the Saber, the one
that is Protector, the one to protect me
from the punishment of the grave.
Rasul alayhissalaatu wasalaam taught us that there is
a Surah chapter in the Quran, 38 verses,
whoever read it will be saved from the,
or protected from the punishment of the grave.
He used to read it every night.
It's not part of the adhkar of before
you go to sleep.
It's not like when you go to sleep,
you have to read Surat al-Mulk.
But try to do it as much as
you can daily, preferably, let's say, if you
pray Isha at home, excuse me, at home,
make it part of your reading.
But don't make it every night, because you
don't want to, never single out something with
an act of worship unless there is a
proof for it, because then people will tell
you this is bid'ah.
So basically, maybe one day you will do
it in maghrib, between the sunnah and the
maghrib, and then you finish it in Isha
or something.
Just try to make it as part of
your day, that's the whole idea, because it
will save, insha'Allah, from the punishment.
So last week, if you remember, we covered
the second page, which basically is Allah is
talking about Himself, subhanAllah.
Right?
So, We talked about how Allah, subhanAllah, made
the, facilitated the earth for us.
Remember, I told you I was traveling, I
was driving, and I was seeing how Allah
made everything easy, soft, smooth for us.
So that's number one.
Then He talks about, so the second page,
mainly Allah talks about Himself.
And the more I know about Allah, subhanAllah,
the students this morning, in the aqeedah class,
because we're teaching the aqeedah tahawiyah, I mean,
aqeedah tahawiyah is actually parts, so the first
thing, is that Imam Taha talks about Allah,
subhanAllah, for a good amount of it.
Then he talks about al-raswari, salat wa
salam, and the rest.
So I was asking the students today, okay,
we finished what we talked about Allah, subhanAllah,
and we started with al-raswari, salat wa
salam.
So I said, what did you learn?
I'm not saying, don't tell me what he
said.
What did you learn as a human being?
It was beautiful answers, and one of them
she said, and beautifully she said, now I
know who's Allah.
It was very, very powerful to me, because
we all think we know who's Allah.
Of course we do.
But the reality of the things, I don't
know if we really know.
All of us.
Meaning, I know if I ask you who's
Allah, you tell me he's the creator, he
is, he is.
Yes, for sure.
But is he really?
I know who is he and who I
am.
The second student, the other student said, you
know what?
I know who I am now.
That's it.
If you know who are you, and you
know who's Allah, then you learned.
Whatever affected your heart and moved you that
direction, that's the whole idea.
This is actually what Surah Al-Mulk does.
Because it keeps reminding me who is he.
So first, that verse number 15, he's the
one who created the earth and made it,
facilitated for us to live.
Move, walk through it, and look what he
created for you.
Then he comes and asks me a question
also about him.
If anything happens to you, who's going to
save you?
And the food you are eating, who gave
it to you?
And I'm not giving the ayah.
I'm giving you the concept, right?
And I always think when I travel, if
there is turbulences, what do we do?
What do we all do?
Even the non-Muslims, oh, God, oh, gosh,
whatever, right?
That's it.
That's what he's saying.
Are you safe?
Do you think you are safe?
If anything happens to you, will you be
able to save yourself?
Which is so true, but we don't think
of it.
And then the food we eat every single
day, whatever you are drinking, whatever dinner you
had, any of what you had, right?
Who gave it?
We don't think of it.
Of course it's food and I'm eating.
We say alhamdulillah.
We say bismillah.
But it's routine.
Alhamdulillah, it's a good routine.
At least we're not complaining.
But it is not the alhamdulillah, which I'm
going to share with you, coming from the
bottom of my heart.
That is really, ya Allah, alhamdulillah, put it
in front of you.
So the second thing he's reminding us, that
he's the one who saved you, only one
who saved you, and only one who can
allow things to happen to you.
He is the only one who feeds me
and he is the only one who can
take this away from me.
Then he takes me back, verse number 19,
that look around you.
He keeps telling me in the Quran, this
is a repeated phenomenon in the Quran, look
around you.
And we all look around us, but we
don't see.
How many birds we see, how many ducks,
how many geese, especially here, right?
Sometimes you go to the ocean, sometimes, especially
in the morning, what do you see?
Whales, right?
Yes, you did.
Yes, you see.
Yes, ya Rabbi, I saw.
And why he's saying, don't you see, meaning,
what did it do to you?
Yes, you are seeing it, but what did
it do to you?
Why do I look and I say, yeah,
I say, subhanallah, alhamdulillah, but I'm saying, subhanallah,
and I'm really feeling, subhanallah, and I am
nothing?
So, again, I told you last week, whenever,
because the flight, the airplane is basically a
bird.
It's the same concept, right?
Who's holding it up there?
Yes, whatever, all the physics and everything, but
reality, who's holding it there?
It's actually Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, right?
And then he comes, remind us, and in
case you wonder, look at, and I'm just
summarizing from last week, 23, he comes and
says, he's the one who created you and
gave you hearing and vision.
Why?
Yeah, but why he's telling me this?
Because you're not seeing around you.
That's what he said.
Don't you see?
Don't you see?
And he said, I gave you all this.
What are you doing with it?
Right?
And he said, he's the one who created
you.
Very few of you are grateful.
But we're going to talk about it in
the second part.
And then the question that's repeated in the
Quran is, I think, six or seven times.
This is a mocking question.
And sometimes even you hear it these days,
which is sad to hear.
So when is this going to happen?
That's what they asked the Rasul, alaihi salam,
because he was telling them all this.
They didn't believe, okay, you're going to be
punished.
So normally what you say to your child,
when you are trying to make someone don't
do something, either you're going to tell them,
if you don't do it, I'll give you
something.
Or you're going to get hurt.
Right?
So this is the concept in the Quran.
You don't believe this is judgment.
There is a day of judgment, or the
horror of day of judgment.
So Rasul, alaihi salam, was telling them this.
What did they respond?
When is that?
Oh, let's see.
Of course, not in this word, but in
this concept.
And if you do just a quick search,
there's a beautiful app called Ayah.
Ayah, verse.
You put the Ayah, and it's going to
show you everywhere in the Quran.
So this one is repeatedly.
The disbeliever looked at Rasul, alaihi salam, looked
at the believers, and says, okay, fine.
You believe it?
Tell me when.
And never Allah answered directly.
At all.
They even asked him directly when is the
hour.
The knowledge of it, I mean, with Allah.
I don't know.
So here he says, This is 25.
So after all this, here you are.
He created you.
Bless you.
This is Jannah.
This is now.
Look at around you in the earth.
This is who's Allah.
Keep looking.
Keep looking.
Think.
And then you're mocking.
When is this going to happen?
And look at the response of Allah.
Of course, telling the Rasul, alaihi salam, humility.
There's nothing wrong with saying I don't know.
There is nothing wrong with saying Allah knows.
And you say who I am.
And he said, This is verse number 26.
I am but a clear warner.
Why did he say?
Because that's what Allah told him.
And that's how Allah described him.
He did not brag about himself.
Allah repeatedly say what we send you is
basically a warner.
Or a person who is going to give
glad tidings.
So he responds, what do I learn?
Who I am?
I say it.
Don't brag about yourself.
This and this and this.
And don't put people down.
Who they are, they are.
Right?
Then Allah, subhanallah, he scares us.
Every time.
Like subhanallah, I was reading this.
And I was reviewing surah al-ahqaf.
And then I looked at the sky.
And there was.
It's all.
It was cloudy today.
It was a beautiful day.
And then suddenly it became very cloudy.
So you look up.
And this happened at the time of Rasul.
Every time he looked at the sky.
And he see wind coming.
Or he see clouds.
His face changes.
And normally if you live in desert, when
there is clouds, you need to be very
happy.
Why?
Because it's raining.
And in desert, where is the rain?
Even here.
Like, you know, we don't have a lot
of rainy season.
And his face changed.
And Sayyidah Aisha asked him, why is that?
Right?
He should be very happy.
He said, how do I know this is
not the punishment that destroyed the people of
Ha'id?
Because Allah said this.
When they saw the rain, the wind coming
to them, they were very happy.
This is winds and this is clouds going
to bring rain.
Allah responds.
You know, there is no rain.
This is what you were asking for.
When is the punishment?
This is a wind that's going to bring
severe punishment.
So Rasul, a man who always knows the
Qur'an, lives the Qur'an, that's what
he said.
He always, inshallah, the whole idea of what
I'm trying to do, it's almost going to
be a year.
So at least you know the concepts.
You know what concepts Allah put for us
in this book.
And then when something happens in my life,
something I want, something good, alhamdulillah, something test,
alhamdulillah also.
Then I'm going to bring the concepts from
the Qur'an.
And this is how I live the Qur
'an.
But many of us, the Qur'an is
a foreign concept.
Even those who know Arabic.
Sometimes even those who have it.
We need to move the Qur'an from
being a foreign concept to being my daily
life.
The real daily life.
Not only the verses that serves the purpose.
If I ask the woman, they know three
or four by heart verses from the Qur
'an.
And if I ask them in three or
four, every man knows it.
Because it serves purpose.
That's not how it should be.
It should be the concepts in the Qur
'an.
I need to know it because that's what
he wants me to learn.
So Allah here said, This is verse 27.
When they saw the punishment coming close, their
face changed.
Changed.
The disbeliever.
And said to them, this is what you
were asking for.
And it's repeated in the Qur'an.
Where Allah says, they ask for the punishment
when they see it.
Look at what's going to happen to them.
Now for me, I don't want to be
scared.
But I want to be reminded.
There is a difference between scare and reminder.
Reminder.
Because reminder benefits the believers.
He didn't say benefit the Kafir.
Even me, even you, even us.
Alhamdulillah, we are believers.
When we get distracted, we forget.
How many times something you have done it
so many times, it's still after a week
or two if you didn't do it.
It's like, oh, let me see.
A recipe.
You haven't done it for six months.
Let me pull it out.
I haven't done it in a while.
Reminder is good.
So when someone reminds you, don't get offended.
Alhamdulillah.
Allah is giving you a free reminder.
There is two ways Allah reminds us.
You know that?
One is somebody says something to you.
Many of us don't like it.
Second, huh?
Exactly.
He hits me on the head.
I call it.
He tests me with something I don't like.
Tough, hard, whatever.
And then I thought, oh.
So which one is easier?
Absolutely.
Someone comes to you and says, don't do
that.
It's not pleasing to Allah.
We all get offended.
Majority of us, I shouldn't say.
Majority of us get offended.
Who is she to tell me this?
Who is he to tell me that?
Let him look at himself.
We become defensive and we attack.
Versus, even if it is not true.
I was like, alhamdulillah.
Let me think about it.
So hear what Allah says.
Right?
You mocked the Rasul.
Fine.
When you see the punishment.
When I was reading this.
Again, I don't want to scare you.
It's a holiday season.
We are meant to be happy.
But you always have to remember the moment
of death.
Have you seen people die?
The last breath.
Before the last breath comes out.
It's very scary.
When I was reading this.
What the person who is dying.
And he or she knows they are dying.
And Allah knows what they see.
What do they say?
They didn't say anything.
Allah said, okay, here you go.
That's what you were denying.
And then they mocked the Rasul.
In the verse 28.
Because they mocked him.
They said to him.
Fine.
You think Allah will.
Actually, not only mocked him.
They made dua.
Go, may Allah perish you.
And then he responded.
Allah responded.
What a beautiful answer.
Someone looks at you.
Or someone looks at him.
And says, go, may Allah.
And they made dua against you.
What do we normally do?
May Allah forgive you.
May Allah forgive you in that meaning.
Or in the other meaning.
No, because it has another meaning.
In the culture.
In the culture has another meaning.
If you said, may Allah forgive you.
You are a beautiful heart.
But when he responded.
He never took things personal.
May Allah teach us this.
Never took anything personal.
They said.
Go, may Allah perish you.
He said, okay.
If Allah will take me away.
And the people who believed in me.
Will you be saved from the punishment?
That's the verse.
Did you see the answer?
It's not about me.
It's not personal.
It's the concept.
I'm telling you, believe so you will be
saved.
Fine, I'm going to die.
Is that going to save you?
Why are you doing this?
It's not going to benefit you.
Something I learned.
Something I learned.
When someone attacks me.
How am I going to respond?
It's a lot of learning.
As you go deeper and deeper.
And then he tells them.
This is what we all have to learn.
One point when someone is.
Arguing with you.
You really need to know when to stop.
And you need to stop in a beautiful
way.
Because what he said.
Look at number 29.
I'm going to give.
This is what he said.
I'm going to give you the summary.
Of everything.
Say.
He is the most merciful.
We believe in it.
And we rely on him.
And you will know.
You will know.
Who is the one.
Who is going astray.
Somebody looks at you.
Imagine.
Someone is looking at you.
You do this.
You dress like this.
I don't know what happened to you.
Sometimes we hear this.
Am I correct?
I don't want to share it.
Normally what do we do?
We get upset.
If it's somebody I can't respond.
I will respond.
If it's somebody I can't respond.
What do I do?
I get sad and cry.
And I get weak.
And people are mocking me.
What did he respond?
Even they use the word.
The name of Allah.
He didn't say.
It's also right.
Right?
He is all merciful.
I believe in him.
I rely on him.
And you will know who is going wrong.
You know who is right and wrong.
What is this?
Strength.
Faith.
Manners.
Honor.
Honor.
They go low, you go up.
And the last one comes very to the
point.
And gives you the summary.
Back to Allah.
Every time you drink water, ask yourself this
question.
It's a question.
It's a question.
No answer.
See.
Meaning, I'm telling you.
That's another word.
I'm telling you.
If your water becomes unaccessible, who is going
to bring you water?
Who?
There is no answer.
But the answer is Allah.
Do I believe in this?
Real.
Of course I believe.
Of course.
I ask you, you're all going to tell
me Allah.
But really, when you are in your home,
we lived it.
I was reading and preparing.
The movie of COVID came to me.
Completely the whole.
Remember?
We couldn't leave and we had to somebody
brings us.
Remember how you wash your hands?
Subhanallah.
But who removed it at the end?
Two years, this humanity could not do it.
He did it.
After two years.
He didn't make it ten years.
And his rahma only some few millions died.
It could be billions.
So here I am.
Imagine this is the last thing I'm reading.
I'm going to bed.
I'm sleeping.
What is it going to tell me?
Whatever I'm thinking about.
Makes me worry, anxious, sad, whatever.
Life full of this.
But then he brings me to a simple
question.
Makes everything irrelevant.
And makes everything even smaller.
The water downstairs in your fridge.
If you decide to take it out of
the fridge, who's going to bring it back?
You come down and there's no water in
your house.
No water.
What do we do?
Panic.
Call the company.
Allah knows one day we'll come and do
it.
Meanwhile, no water.
Because he did not allow it.
Did you get the point?
Tabarak.
That's why it's tabarak.
Or in mulik, both.
We need somebody to glorify him.
Know him.
Remind yourself of him from everything around you.
Everything around you.
Everything around me should remind me of Allah.
Now the beautiful weather we are having.
Right?
Last week I was in Washington, D.C.
Suddenly, snow.
The whole memory came back to me.
Right?
And I was like, subhanallah.
What a blessing we are living.
Beautiful.
This should remind me of him.
Should not make me spoil and all.
So tabarak would save me and I kept
looking, why Rasul A.S. said tabarak saves
from adab al-qabla.
Yes, there is the hadith.
What is in it?
You know what's in it?
If I follow every verse of it and
I remember Allah in every moment, what is
the result?
Thank you.
I will not disobey him.
So there will be no punishment in the
grave.
Did you get the point?
Yes.
Because I kept saying there has to be
something deeper than the hadith is based on
something.
So I kept looking, kept looking.
Finally I found that somebody said it.
It is because it's a constant reminder of
why I am here, who is Allah, where
I am going, everything around me needs to
bring me back to him and his majesty.
And then that's it.
I am not going to disobey him either
because he is a Rahman out of shyness,
out of feeling not right and love or
out of fear.
If the water is in my house, if
it's not going to be accessible, nobody will
bring it except him.
I better obey him.
I better know him.
I better put him as a priority.
Again, one of the students this morning beautifully
said it, natural.
She said, what I learned in this aqeedah,
I need to put Allah number one in
my life.
We all say he is number one.
Reality?
Is he number one?
I am asking.
Is he number one?
Yes or no?
I'll try.
Politically correct.
We're trying.
I didn't say are you trying?
I said direct question.
Is he number one or he is not?
He is not.
Right?
I wouldn't say all the time, but I
will say I am honest.
I am talking about myself.
I don't know you.
I don't know you reality at home, on
daily life.
Number one all the time, I will say
I wish.
I will say Ya Rabbi, give it to
me.
Right?
But am I really also trying?
I don't know.
Am I really trying?
What does trying mean?
I'm doing my best.
Meaning I'm analyzing every step and everything I
am doing, I'm looking and say, did I
make this decision because Allah is number one
or I made this decision because I like
it or I love it or I don't
like it or everybody else is doing.
If I do this just for a week,
the answer will come easily.
And when the answer comes inshallah, at least
I'll make dua.
At least I will make dua.
Ya Allah, I ask you for your love.
Make your love for me from my soul
and my family and the cold water in
the desert.
Make, Ya Rabbi, I ask you to love
me.
I ask for your love and I ask
for the love of everyone who loves you.
And I ask that you become and your
love become more important than the cold water
when I am thirsty.
This, Allah is number one.
So may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala teach
us, Ya Rabbi, remind us, Ya Rabbi, each
one of you remind each other as much
as you can.
And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala you know
we walk one step, Allah comes for our
need.
So the second thing, I want to talk
to you, Alhamdulillah, what is Thanksgiving, by the
way?
How many of you were born and raised
in this country?
Ya Allah, Ya Rani.
What is Thanksgiving?
What is Thanksgiving?
Just a second.
Just a second.
So, what is Thanksgiving?
There was definitely a right to what the
sisters said.
But what is Thanksgiving?
It's a national holiday.
Right?
Why?
That's the question.
Why we're off on Thursday?
To spend time with family.
That's not the original plan.
Okay, when did it start to become a
national holiday?
By Allah.
Right?
Don't they teach you in there?
So basically, there's two stories about it.
Right?
You will hear a story, you know when
there's two people see things differently?
And everyone, but this one is, if you
just go to Wikipedia, come on, I mean
just go to Wikipedia and put Thanksgiving.
All they will tell you it is a
holiday.
Right?
In the about 18 century, where it starts
in, some says it starts in Virginia, some
said it starts in Massachusetts and in Boston.
Right?
When the settlers came in, now there's nothing
about the genocide.
Right?
They had harvest and the harvest came out
very well.
So they were thanking Allah.
It's thanks.
It's shukr.
Thanking Allah.
Why do we, why do they eat turkey
and corn?
Billah!
You all, halal turkey, everybody starts making and
then you don't know why it's turkey?
Anybody?
Yes.
Because it was started in Boston, Massachusetts.
That's their, that's what they eat.
That's the common food there.
So if you read, you will hear all
this.
But then you have to dig down and
then the massacre comes in.
And that's in the 1600.
So one day came the settlers, who was
living here?
The Native Americans.
So they had a treaty with them and
then they broke the treaty and 700 people
were killed in one day.
And they were happy and thanking Allah for
the victory.
So there's two sides of it.
Okay?
So there's two sides of it.
Number one, it's not a religious holiday because
this is very common question.
People ask, should we celebrate?
I said, what do you mean by celebrate?
Right?
What do you mean by celebrate?
It's not a religious holiday.
Number one.
Number two, the concept of thanking is part
of our deen.
Right?
But we don't have a day for thanking.
We are?
Should be.
I love how we praise ourselves.
Thanking every day.
Well, okay.
Maybe you.
I'm talking about myself.
Although Allah said it, Allah said it.
Very few of my servants are grateful.
So for me as a Muslim, the concept
of thanking Allah in one day is not
part of me.
This is not.
I should be grateful every day.
Because, and I'm going to share with you
some beautiful things about shukr.
So what do I do on Thursday?
The reason it is in the fourth or
the last Thursday of November?
Of course, related to economy.
So they can kick the holiday seasons of
shopping earlier.
And that's why there's a Black Friday afterward.
Or Cyber Monday or whatever Tuesday.
Fine.
Okay.
Go on by.
It's not haram.
So far, what should I do on Thursday?
For us as Muslims.
Right?
The reason we get together because, but why?
Exactly.
Because everyone is off.
Schools are off.
Colleges are off.
People are traveling.
They come because it's a whole week.
They come and see their family.
So if you take this, there's nothing wrong
with that.
The only thing maybe, I don't have to
do the turkey and whatever and whatever and
whatever.
I'm going to make it a dinner because
my family is here.
But I need to remind myself.
Am I thankful to Allah?
Right?
And I need to remember the injustice.
The word genocide should resonate with us these
days.
So imagine 400 years from now, people will
say 2023, 2024.
Right?
40 plus thousand people were killed.
It was worth 700.
So now for me, as a Muslim, this
is how you, and you don't say everything
is haram or everything is okay.
Analyze it.
Think of it.
If it's, this is how even when you
come to the Tafsir of the Quran, especially
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, there's something called Isra'iliyat
which is stories from then in Isra'iliyat.
What's our position towards them?
If they go parallel, agree with what we
believe in, you take it.
And if it does not, you don't.
Right?
So we don't celebrate Christmas.
That's for sure.
Why?
Because we don't even believe he was born
in December.
He was born in summer because Allah told
her shake shake the palm tree.
When does the dates come?
When does the dates become ripe?
It's not in the winter, right?
It's in the summer.
So for me, I don't celebrate Christmas itself.
And also it is a religious duty.
I mean, religious holiday.
Of course, it's not everything is becoming commercial,
unfortunately.
But for me, Thanksgiving, okay, I need to
remind myself three things.
Number one, the concept of being grateful.
The concept of injustice and genocide.
And then, take care of your family.
So when I'm getting together, because I have
this question and this is actually why, one
of the reasons because somebody reads, she said,
I got invited and they say, it is
Thanksgiving.
That's what the question I got.
And I was like, what is Thanksgiving?
This is how it is.
You analyze what it is.
What is your intention?
I got someone who invited me for dinner.
I'm going to go.
Why it is Thursday?
Because everybody is off.
Right?
All my family is coming.
But I wouldn't specify again, Turkey and whatever
and whatever because this may be related to
the genocide.
Right?
And I stay away from it.
So let me tell you a couple of
things about shukr since we are talking about
Thanksgiving.
What is shukr in Arabic?
The origin of it, when the animal when
you feed the animal and the animal becomes
gain weight and looks healthy.
The Arabs say shukr the animal is grateful
for what you have.
Or him.
Meaning Appreciation.
Close.
It shows.
Pay attention to this.
When I read this, not today, when I
learned it Gratefulness is Allah sees sees, he
sees but he sees it clearly.
You are grateful.
That's what you see.
Even if you have a cat or you
have an animal in the house and you
say, oh, she's well taken care of.
Meaning it shows on her body or his
body.
So shukr for us.
Now let's talk about Islam.
That's what you need to remember on Thursday.
Not because it is big but it's a
reminder.
The name is a reminder.
Thanksgiving.
Am I?
Am I thankful?
And you're going to say, well, maybe maybe
I am, but I just don't know.
And I'm going to say, okay.
Three things.
Three things needs to be used in my
body that I am grateful.
My heart, my tongue and my body itself
or my limbs.
What does that mean?
My heart, the most important one should do
what?
Should be pure always but related to gratefulness.
Related to gratefulness.
I'm speaking French today.
As if this is the first time ever.
It's okay.
My heart should do what?
Feel the blessing.
That's 50%.
This blessing should be connected with Allah.
You are grateful to the one who gave
you the blessing.
So number one, you have to know it's
a blessing.
And number two, I didn't buy it.
Allah gave it to me.
He created it and he can take it
any minute.
This is extremely important so you will never
ever be so grateful to yourself or to
somebody else before Allah.
For example, a patient comes to me and
says, if it wasn't for you, I would
not.
And I was like, don't say that.
First is Allah.
This is a very nice statement here.
I want to read it to you.
They say, you acknowledge the blessings internally.
Especially the youth.
Especially those of you who were born and
raised here.
Because it's extremely, and I said the word
extremely, extremely prosperous in majority of us, kind
of living.
Anything you want, anything you want, is accessible.
And majority of people can buy it.
And this makes me entitled.
Do you know the word entitled?
What is entitlement?
I have the right to have it.
It's not.
It's a blessing Allah gave me.
And this is really all of us have
to remember because he can take it in
a minute.
That's why I keep telling you remind yourself
of COVID.
Keep reminding yourself of COVID because he took
it out in a minute.
Going out became an issue.
Seeing my friend become an issue.
Going to buy shopping became an issue.
He took it, suddenly, all of it.
Yes, it's a virus, whatever, whatever.
But originally, who let it go?
Who let it happen?
Internally, when you see something and it's beautiful.
And especially when you see people disabled.
And that's what what is the dua when
you see someone disabled?
All praise to Allah.
Say this.
I mean, pay attention to what I'm saying.
So I see somebody, let's say, you broke
your leg and you're on a scooter.
Or you're on crutches.
Momentarily.
And then you see someone walking.
Or the other way around.
You are walking and you see somebody on
a wheelchair.
First thing.
All praise to Allah.
He saved me from what he tested the
others.
Right?
And he has favored me upon so many
of his creation or his creation of his
people.
Why me?
You see somebody who has Alzheimer.
Why not me?
Right?
You're driving a new car and the other
person doesn't have a car.
Why me?
Entitlement comes.
That's why I brought the word.
Because you say I worked hard for it.
Yeah, true.
We cannot deny it.
But who put a barakah, the blessings in
your hard work that it brought the fruits.
That's Allah.
Because there's a lot of people who works
hard and nothing comes out.
Right?
How many people read the same, study the
same, they go for the exam, that somebody
comes in top or somebody didn't pass.
They all put hard work.
So number one, and this, if we work
on this, the rest will follow.
When you really believe it is from Allah,
you will never say I did it.
You will never say I worked so hard
to raise my children.
You'll never say that.
The people who their children did not come
out as they were hoping, did not work
hard, did.
Some did.
But Allah for a reason.
So connect the blessing you have with the
source.
Second, which we all do, walillah alhamdulillah.
As we say, alhamdulillah.
The third is the major problem.
Major problem.
When Allah give us something, we use it
to disobey Him.
Then we are not grateful.
He gives you money, you go and buy,
let's say, you go and buy a phone.
A phone is a ni'mah by the way.
Right?
All of us made our life much easier.
A lot of things are much easier, more
convenient.
Right?
Alhamdulillah.
But then, what do I use the phone
for?
Right?
He gives me eyes.
I can see beautiful eyes.
People look at me and say, wow.
Look at her.
That's a ni'mah.
Because some people are blind.
Some people don't see well.
Some people don't have beautiful eyes.
What do I do with my eyes?
I watch all the Haram.
How am I grateful?
Same thing with the mouth.
Same thing with the ears.
Same thing with my body.
Third, most of us, walillah, alhamdulillah, it comes
out.
Alhamdulillah.
And this is good.
But the two others, we need to work
on it.
That always I'm connected with Allah, and I
do my best to use it the way
it pleases Allah.
I give always this example.
Youth, very much eager to get married.
And they should, inshallah, whether a man or
a woman.
Right?
It's part of the sunnah.
It should actually protect them.
They make dua.
They ask everybody.
The parents does that.
All of it.
Then they get married.
What is the first thing they do?
In the wedding, they disobey Allah.
Dress code.
What happens there?
You know, sometimes when I see this, I
say, wallahi, ya Allah, ya Allah, wallahi, you
are raheem.
Wallahi, you are ghafoor.
I'm seeing it.
Because I think me, me, you, right?
I'm begging you to give me something.
I'm begging you.
You know what?
Okay, take it.
Take it, alhamdulillah.
The next thing you do, you take it,
and you purposefully, not accidentally, planned, and you
throw it on the floor.
What will happen?
Me or you?
You will never give it to me again.
What do you say?
You don't deserve it.
Right?
You don't know the value of it.
Don't we all say that?
He gives me what I want.
He gives me the job I want.
He gives me the college I want.
He gives me the husband.
He gives me the house.
Whatever of the dunya.
Alhamdulillah.
Why do I use it to disobey?
Subhanallah.
And that's the most important thing.
And then I'm gonna say a couple of
verses in the Quran which we all have
to know is you want more, be grateful.
وَلَا إِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ It's a statement of
condition.
You do this, you will get this.
You're grateful, Allah will give you more.
وَإِن كَفَرْتُمْ I'm grateful, my punishment is severe.
He didn't say what's gonna happen.
So you want more?
Allah gave you one thing, Allah gave you
whatever.
I mean before the youth gave them the
thing they want.
Whatever they were asking, dying to ask their
parents.
Finally they said yes.
You want more of that?
Then be more grateful.
First thing we should do when Allah give
us something we want.
Small or big.
What is it?
You prostrate to Allah out of gratefulness.
That means you did this first.
You did first.
You felt it from Allah immediately.
You remember?
I mean I'm sure many of you.
How many of you love soccer?
Right?
These days the Muslims are playing and they
score a goal.
What do they do?
They prostrate.
It's beautiful because they have been playing for
90 minutes and this is the last one.
They will win and they didn't say we
were very hard.
Do I go?
Immediately, gratefulness to Allah.
You want more?
Be grateful.
You complain from A to Z and you
don't use it or I don't use it.
The way pleases Allah, I'm telling Allah take
it away.
I'm telling Allah take it away because that's
what He said.
Right?
And I'm gonna just share it because we
only have a few minutes.
I'm gonna just share with you a couple
of sayings from righteous people.
It was beautiful.
Look at this.
A righteous man asked a righteous man.
How did you wake up this morning?
Let me see.
I asked you.
Of course, Allah will say Alhamdulillah.
But really, I asked you.
I said, how are you this morning?
What are you gonna tell me?
Oh, I woke up.
I have a headache.
Oh, I have a long day today.
Right?
Oh, just look at my to-do list.
Oh, I have classes.
Right?
Am I correct?
Look at this.
How are you this morning?
He said, ...
We woke up and we are immersed in
the blessings.
Unable to be grateful.
Look at this one.
Allah come close to us so we love
Him and He doesn't need that.
...
And we do things so He doesn't love
us, though we need Him.
If each one of us just had the
concept of the first thing, we are woke
up, immersed in the blessings of Allah.
Immersed.
Alhamdulillah, we are awake.
The best ni'mah, the biggest ni'mah, you know
what?
We are alive.
The biggest ni'mah we are alive because at
least I still can, can do, can change,
can...
I can serve Allah, I can serve...
But once I'm dead, I'm done.
In this one, which is also saying to
Sayyidina Umar, he said, whenever I am tested
with a test, memorize this one.
And each one of us in this room
is being tested.
Small or big, doesn't matter.
Whenever I'm tested with a test, I remember
three things.
Number one, it's not in my deen.
It is not in my religion.
I did not reject Islam.
I did not stop praying.
I did not do this or that.
And you'll be surprised what you see these
days.
May Allah protect us.
Wallah, the test outside is very hard.
So that's number one.
Number two, I know it could be worse.
Right?
Anything that happens can be worse.
True or false, right?
Third, which is the best one, that's the
connection with Allah.
And I know Allah will reward me.
I know when Allah will reward me for
this.
That's a grateful person for a test.
The last but not the least.
Also, a righteous man asked a righteous man,
how did you wake up this morning?
All of you remember this tomorrow.
كيف أصبحت؟
قال أصبحت بين نعمتين I woke up between
two blessings.
لا أدري أيهما أفضل I don't know which
one is better.
Let's see.
Bismillah.
Two.
And you're going to probably think, oh, he
has this, he has one boy, one girl.
Or he has one wife.
Right?
Look, me and you, think this way.
Not them.
He said, ذنوب ستره الله علي Sins.
Allah concealed it.
And no one can shame me for it.
Because nobody knows.
Each one of you in this room, think
about sins we did today.
Did you delay your Salah?
Did you miss a Salah?
Did you bark about it somewhere?
Did you look at Haram?
We don't know.
Don't say it.
Allah concealed it, covered it, keep it covered.
Right?
So that's one.
طيب وما ودتن قدفه الله في قلوب العباد
ويبلغها عاملين And people loves me although I
didn't do.
Allah put it in their hearts to love
me.
Although what I did does not deserve this.
Right?
When people praise you.
Oh, she's so sweet, she's so nice, she's
so helpful, she's so smart.
Whatever they praise you, if they knew the
reality, they will know.
But he concealed it.
As one of the scholars also said, if
sins had smell, you will not be able
to sit next to him.
SubhanAllah.
If sins had a smell, you will not
be able to sit next to him.
SubhanAllah.
So yes, Alhamdulillah, Thursday is a holiday.
It's called Thanksgiving.
The reason I say Thanksgiving, the reason I
said, come on on Thursday, they say, which
Thursday?
If I tell you Thursday, 27th of November,
oh, what?
But I say, you know what, it's the
Thanksgiving day.
Oh, the holiday.
Done.
So take it as a holiday, but anything
happens in my life is a reminder.
That's why I shared with you the shukr.
Am I grateful?
Am I gonna be with Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala from this field?
Am I one of them?
Am I one of them?
Ya Rabbi, I mean, this one, I wish.
I don't know.
Maybe I am.
But all of us can be?
The answer is, can we all be grateful?
Yes, we can.
Yes, we can.
At least I start.
Start with the first, I think that we
start with the first one.
Everything happens to you, you've been with Him.
Then you're starting.
Even the test.
Even the test is a ni'mah by the
way.
Because the test, many of us comes back
to Allah through tests.
Very few of the human beings go back
to Allah when He gives them.
Right?
And that's why the concept of those who
are extremely rich and extravagant in the Quran
is always in a negative way.
Majority of the human beings, Allah brings them
back by the test.
And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala not
do this to us, Ya Rabbi.
Any
questions?
Yes, please.
Yes.
This is a tough one.
So the question, in case you didn't hear
it, especially the youth in the back.
Do you have the right to ask a
potential spouse about his past?
Will you be okay if he asked you
the same question?
If you are okay with that, then yes.
And number two, the biggest question.
What will you do if you know?
And what is the red lines for you?
Or basically, why do you want to know?
Is Allah ghafoorun rahim?
Yes.
Let's assume he or she made your son,
but she repented or he repented.
Isn't that enough?
Right?
So, very important to tell yourself, what will
you do if he knew about it?
If it's going to ingrain in you, or
it's going to make you suspicious all your
life, don't ask.
Don't ask about things.
When you know the answer, it will harm
you.
So it's a tricky question.
And I will leave it up to everybody.
Right?
Do you really want to know?
And if he knew, what will you do?
Now?
This verse came about another thing.
But some people will say, yes, if I
know, I can't live with it.
That's fine.
That's why I said, what will you do
if a major answer came?
The person in front of you is very
honest.
Right?
He said, I was drug addict.
And I've been sober for the last five
years.
Do you really want to know?
Yes, you want to know.
But what will that do?
That's what I'm saying.
You need to get ready for the answer,
because you're asking about a big thing.
Are you ready for the answer?
If you are ready, absolutely.
Yes, you're right to know everything.
But also, his right is to ask you
everything.
Don't get offended if he asks the same
question.
That's an offensive question.
Some people will take it as an offense.
What do you think of me?
Why are you asking?
Get ready for that also.
So there's no right or wrong answer.
It all depends.
Yes, of course, now she asked about spouse,
we'll be here till 9 o'clock.
Yes.
If the sin is not public, absolutely it
is between, but as a future spouse, again,
she or he, does she have the right
to ask?
Yes.
She has the right, but she has to
be ready for the sequences, or he has
to be ready for the sequences.
I was about to ask, the second is,
why do you want to know?
Why do you want to know?
This is what I said, red lines.
Red lines for you?
Or did you see things that's different.
You saw things, and now you're becoming uncomfortable.
That's a different story.
But just to know, you have to be
very careful.
Yes.
I can't hear you, my friend.
Is it haram to touch the Quran without
wudu?
It's not haram, it's highly recommended.
Some school of thought says you have to,
some says it's highly recommended.
No, not during menstruation, she's saying about wudu.
Yes.
Any other questions related to the subject, please?
Nothing?
Alhamdulillah.
There's nothing online?
Because people always online complain.
I get the complaints, you don't.
Alhamdulillah, there is nothing.
Jazakumullah.
Yes.
What is the signs?
What are the signs someone is outwardly sinful
towards Allah?
It's very clear.
What is the outward signs that somebody is
grateful to Allah truly?
Never praise themselves.
Never say, I did it.
Always, always, if it was not for Allah,
this would not happen.
I don't know why Allah gave me.
I don't deserve it.
Then you are grateful.
And no complaint.
May Allah make us.
Jazakumullah khairan.
There was a question.
It's okay.
It's a holiday, so we're in the holiday
mood.
Bismillah.
Okay, now I told you.
Why did you ask me this publicly?
It's okay.
Bismillah.
So the person responded, I don't have to
answer.
Some people get defensive.
So you have to be really careful.
You're opening the door, you have to be
very careful about it.
I will not ask this question unless it
is becoming very close to say yes.
I wouldn't say it in the beginning.
You pushed him.
Or he pushed her.
But if it is completely, then I'm going
to say, okay, if he said whatever, or
she said whatever, will I change my mind?
Isn't Allah ghafoor or bakheem?
Is it between him and Allah?
Or her and Allah?
I kept saying both.
Because it's not about you ask the man
also.
And you have to get ready for it
if he starts asking you tough ones.
And if you're not going to get offended,
absolutely.
And we really have to be here.
Khair.
Like you want to know, he wants his
right to know, and your rights to know.
He doesn't want to ask, up to you.
You don't want to ask.
And if he said it's between me and
Allah, then if I'm asking this, I said
yes, as long as you repented, you're absolutely
right.
But you have to live with it.
If this is a question, you're going to
live with it all your life.
That's what it is.
Do you really want to know?
Right?
I don't know.
Any other.
Alhamdulillah.
I'm going to say jazaakumullahu khairan.
Okay, good.