Hamza Tzortzis – The Shepherd’s Way #07 – The Inner Me is The Enemy

			Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim Al hamdu lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah Assalamu alaykum
Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh brothers and sisters and friends and welcome to the seventh episode about
bull Hijra series, the shepherds way. And the seven timeless leadership lesson is the enemy is the
enemy. Now what does this really mean? It means we must be as egoless as possible. Obviously,
there's no such thing as an egoless human being, but we must try and become as egoless as possible.
For us to understand this, we have to understand what is the ego. Now the ego brothers and sisters
basically tells us, I want to be right, I never want to be wrong, I want to look good. I never want
		

			to look bad. I want to impose, I don't want to be imposed upon to the extent brothers and sisters,
that we end up rejecting the truth and rejecting what is right.
		

			This is extremely, extremely problematic. It is the greatest barrier to establishing positive
relationships, it is the greatest barrier to establishing a relationship with Allah subhanho wa
taala. And it is one of the greatest barriers to our own success in the Tao brothers and sisters.
And in the context of the ego shape on is our teacher not in a positive sense, in a negative sense,
he teaches us had not to be. And shaytan was the kind of character that wanted to impose he didn't
want to be imposed upon. He wanted to look good, he didn't want to look bad. He wanted to be right.
He never wanted to be wrong, to the degree that he gave up the truth, to the degree that he rejected
		

			the truth to the degree that he gave up the right way of being the right way of doing.
		

			Allah says in the Quran in chapter 38, verses 75 and 76. Allah said, Oh, he believes what prevented
you from prostrating to that which I created with my hands. Well, you arrogant then, over, you're
already among the hottie. He said, I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him
from clay. So you know the story very well. Shaitan was asked to bow down to Adam Le he Salam. But
he refused. He didn't want to be imposed upon he wanted to impose. He said, I am better. He wants to
look good not to look bad. He said, I'm made from fire he's made from clay. And he was rejecting
Allah.
		

			He wanted to be right. He didn't want Allah to be right. So this is the nature of the ego because
shaytans disbelief is what it's arrogance is ego. And we have to be aware brothers and sisters.
		

			And we have to be aware of brothers and sisters. The ego prevents unity. It prevents achieving the
best results. It prevents us doing what is right. It prevents us achieving our vision. It diminishes
trust, it removes any sense of integrity.
		

			And when we look at the prophets of Allah, who it who were some brothers and sisters, when we look
at our beloved prophet, we see that it wasn't about him and his ego. It was about Allah subhana wa
Tada. And in the sheffey, our bigs book, Leadership Lessons from the life of the sword of loss on
Allahu Allahu wa salam, he mentioned something quite profound. I'm going to read it out to you in
the context of being egoless.
		

			For the leader, it is essential to always keep the goal in sight and be willing to make everything
especially his own ego subservient to the accomplishment of the goal. If the leader insists on his
own esteem needs, often, the long term needs of the mission are compromised. The leader must always
remember that his success, fame, value, and legacy all depend on one thing alone, and that is the
success of his mission. If it is necessary for the leader to take a step back temporarily, so that
the doors for the propagation of his mission are opened, that he must be prepared to take that step.
It is like drawing your hand back to draw the arrow, the further you are able to pull back, the
		

			greater the distance of the arrow will travel leaders who don't understand this sacrifice the
ultimate success at the altar of the ego and are remembered for this rather than for any good that
they may have done Rasulullah sallallahu it who was selling proved for all time, his own ability to
be so confident and secure in his own identity and self worth that he was able to put everything
aside for the success of his mission. The trust of his followers was demonstrated by the fact that
he was able to sign a treaty that they did not approve of, and they trusted him stood by him and
supported him. victory comes not only by having good leaders, but even more by having good for
		

			Lewis, what a beautiful passage brothers and sisters and friends. So how do we subdue the ego? How
do we become as egoless as possible? There's a few things we have to put in place. Number one, we
have to realize the consequence of arrogance and ego. Number two, we have to understand our own
reality. Number three, we have to engage in aesthetic fog, repentance and Tobor. Turning back to
Allah. Number four, we must know Allah. Number five, we must engage in vicar in the remembrance of
Allah subhanho wa Taala number six, we must do tip number of the Quran, ponder over the book of
Allah subhanho wa taala. And number seven, we must engage in the night prayer. So let's unpack this
		

			a little bit. The first one is we must understand the consequences of arrogance and having an ego.
Remember, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, no one who has an atom's way of arrogance in
his heart will enter paradise brothers and sisters. Your vision is connected to Allah's pleasure,
and that is connected to entering into Jannah paradise. If you're arrogant, if you have an ego, if
you have an atom's way,
		

			you will not enter paradise. Understand the severe consequences of being an arrogant and ego led
leader. This is the first step to help you diminish your ego as much as possible. The second point
is understand your reality. Remember brothers and sisters, remember that you're not going to live
forever. Every soul is going to taste death. These are the words of the Quran of Allah subhanho wa
Taala he's reminding us you're not this powerful, eternal being you're limited and contingent you
will face death Monday you're going to taste death. And as a result, you'll be questioned by Allah
subhanho wa Taala you will be held to account.
		

			The other thing to realize in order to understand our reality is understanding Allah's greatness and
our dependency on him. Remember, we are utterly dependent on Allah subhana wa Tada. We are utterly
dependent on Allah. He is Eleni the absolutely free he is of Samad. He is the absolutely
independent. Everything other than Allah derives the existence from Allah is ultimately an utterly
dependent on Allah subhana wa taala. We are solely dependent on Allah. How can you have an ego? How
can you be arrogant you realize that you own very existence, the ability to breathe and to think and
to act and even lead is because of ALLAH SubhanA wa ATOD.
		

			Another point to understand is understand your limitations. You have limited cognitive faculties,
limited strength, limited time, limited abilities, understanding these limitations and also
understanding the previous point that any of your abilities or your abilities come from Allah, this
will hopefully diminish your ego as much as possible. The other thing to understand and to implement
with regard to diminishing your ego is to know Allah Subhana Allah to add. This is very important
brothers and sisters because the more you know Allah, the more you reflect on his names and
attributes, the more you worship Allah Subhana Allah to Allah the more you understand why Allah is
		

			worthy of our utmost adoration, and utmost submission and unconditional obedience, the more you
understand this, the less likely you're going to have an ego. And Allah refers to this. In chapter
35, verse 28, Allah says, Only those who have God consciousness those who fear Allah, from among his
servants, who have knowledge, indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and forgiving. So there is a
connection between knowing Allah and having God consciousness. You can't have God consciousness if
you have an ego and you're arrogant. So this is why it's very important to have true knowledge of
Allah subhanho wa Taala which means knowing who Allah is, knowing what worship is, knowing why Allah
		

			is worthy of worship worthy of our utmost adoration, and our unconditional obedience. The next point
brothers and sisters in trying to diminish the ego is being a person of remembrance, remembrance of
Allah subhanho wa taala, engaging in the Dhikr of Allah Subhana Allah to Allah. The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, for everything there is a Polish and the polish for the heart is
the dhikr is the remembrance of Allah there is nothing more potent in saving a person from the
punishment of Allah, then the vicar of Allah Subhana Allah to Allah. So vicar is extremely important
brothers and sisters. It polishes the heart and a polished heart doesn't have arrogance and ego. The
		

			14th century theologian had been a pioneer of Josina he made a really
		

			A beautiful point of sending vicar. He said, Whoever neglects remembering Allah Most of the time,
then his heart will become rusty in accordance with how neglectful the person is and when this
filthy rust accumulates on the heart, then it no longer recognizes things as they really are. Thus
abuse falsehood, as if it is the truth and truth as if it is falsehood. This is because the ROS
darkens and confuses the hearts perception, and so it is unable to truly recognize things for what
they really are. So as the rust accumulates, the heart gets blackened, and as this happens, the
heart become stained with filthy rust. And when this occurs, it corrupts the hearts perception and
		

			recognition of things. The heart then does not accept the truth, nor does it reject falsehood. And
this is the greatest calamity that can strike the heart, being neglectful of vicar and following of
whims and desires is a direct consequence of such a heart, which further extinguished the hearts
light and blames us vision. Allah the Most High said, and do not obey him whose heart we have made
to be neglectful of our remembrance one who follows his own whims and desires and whose affairs have
gone beyond the bounds and whose deeds have been lost. This is in Quran Chapter 18 Verse 28, and
it's important to encourage ourselves to engage in the vicar of Allah subhanho wa Taala because this
		

			helps us diminish the ego brothers and sisters, and what better inspiration is there than the Quran
and the Sunnah Allah says in chapter two verse one, five to remember me remember Allah and I will
remember you Allah will remember us.
		

			Also, Allah says in the Quran in chapter three, verse 41, and remember your Lord much and glorify
Him in the evening. And in the early morning.
		

			Allah also says in chapter 13, verse 28, those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the
remembrance of Allah, for verily the remembrance of Allah hearts do find the rest. Also, when we
look at the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we have some beautiful Hadith to
encourage us to engage in dhikr. As narrated by Bukhari, the prophets of Allah Allahu alayhi wa
sallam said, the difference between the one who makes the cut, in other words, the one who remembers
Allah, and the one who doesn't make vicar is like the difference between the living and the dead.
		

			Also, as an Iraqi Bukhari and Muslim we have the Hadith curtsy, where Allah subhanho wa Taala says,
		

			as my servant thinks about me, so will I be for him. In other words, I am as my servant thinks that
I am in the Arabic allows the understanding of who I am, as my servant expects me to be, I am with
him, if he will remember me, if he calls on me in himself, I will call him in myself. And if he
calls me in a group of people, I mentioned him in a better group in my presence. If he approaches me
one hand span, I will approach him one arm's length if he approaches me one arm's length, I will
approach him by a cubed. If he comes to me walking, I will come to him, running
		

			Subhanallah This is the profundity in the depth of the vicar of ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada. It brings us
closer to Allah subhanho wa Taala and therefore, it diminishes our ego. Also brothers and sisters,
you must engage in the debate of the Quran. In pondering over the Quran, what does Allah say in
chapter 47? Verse 24, then do they not reflect upon the Quran or the looks upon their hearts? Now
this is interesting, you can mirror the meaning and that the more to double you do. The more
pondering you do of the Quran, the more you have becomes unlocked to receive Allah's guidance and
mercy. And then unlocked heart is not a heart full of arrogance or ego. So engage in the pondering
		

			in the taboo of the Quran. Finally, in order to clean our heart in order to remove ego from our
heart, we need to engage in the night prayer. Abu Huraira radula Juan reported that Allah's
Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, and this is narrated in Sahih Muslim, our Lord descends
to lowest heaven in the last sort of every night and he says, Who is calling upon me, that I may
answer Him who is asking for me that I may give him who is seeking my forgiveness, that I may
forgive him. When we ask Allah to help our hearts to clean our hearts to remove our hearts from
arrogance and ego. We should use the last third of the night brothers and sisters to engage in a bad
		

			day to engage in worship in the night prayer and to ask Allah to remove ego from our hearts to
purify our souls and our hearts to ensure that we're close to Allah subhanho wa Taala to have a
diminished ego as much as humanly possible. Use this amazing opportunity
		

			Remember Allah is saying that his mercy is much closer to us in this last third of the night, Allah
is asking us so he could respond to us. So ask Allah that you are a good leader sincerely that a
humble leader and leader that is not driven by haughtiness or ego.
		

			So brothers and sisters, this is the end of the seventh episode, which is the enemy is the enemy, we
must diminish our ego and arrogance as much as possible. And the way to subdue the ego brothers and
sisters is to realize the consequence of arrogance and ego to understand our own reality to engage
in is different Toba to repent to Allah to do Toba to Allah subhana wa to Allah to know Allah, to
engage in the vicar of ALLAH SubhanA wa to Allah to do to number of the Quran to ponder over the
Quran and to engage in the night prayer. And we unpacked some of these many of these and there's
much more to talk about, but this is a good starting point. traverse a spiritual path that's in line
		

			with the Quran and the Sunnah. Focus on your heart to remove these ailments to remove the evil of
arrogance and haughtiness and ego because this is a barrier to effective leadership. This is a
barrier to leading a group of people this is a barrier to positive relationships and fundamentally,
this is a barrier to your relationship with Allah subhanho wa taala. And this is a barrier to
achieving your vision. Brothers and sisters. Remember, the enemy is the enemy. Try and diminish your
ego and arrogance as much as possible brothers and sisters, So brothers and sisters, as you know,
we're in the blessed days of duel hedger we're performing good deeds during these days is far more
		

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