FRIDAY SERMON KHUTBAH, MCC SAN DIEGO AUGUST 2022
Hasib Noor – Fiqh of Contentment
AI: Summary ©
The concept of being content with everything, including everything, is a result of gratitude for everything rather than just pleasure. The historical context of Islam is also discussed, including the importance of understanding the historical context and gratitude for oneself. The importance of being content with one's own happiness and ability to achieve spiritual success is emphasized, along with the need to be thankful and refinate one's heart before worrying too much about the future.
AI: Summary ©
In Alhamdulillah Nationale de who want to start you know who want to start 01 All the way Allah He should Oreo fusina I mean see RTR Marina, Marina de la who Philomel Lila? When mejor de Lille who follow her yella? What should wala Hill Allahu Allahu la sharika Jelani Chevy he will my theory will coffee one allele wash had wonder Muhammad Abdul Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he was like me he was seldom at the Sleeman Kathira Yeah, you're Latina. I'm an otaku. Allahu Akbar to party, Walter Mutanda Illa, one to Muslim on
all places due to Allah subhanaw taala, who knows we will reveal and knows what we conceal, and even knows what the animals feel. We thank him we praise him on on him we have reliance, it is to him we only turn to for true guidance. We asked him to send his peace, his blessings, His mercy on the best of human beings and prophets, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, on whom be praised until the very end of our days. And we asked him for steadfastness, guidance, mercy, and to never lead us astray. And for him to save us on Judgment Day.
There is a very powerful and momentous event that happened that happened and occurred to a person who's very well known and famous. And maybe it's mimicked in our lives as well. This event occurred, and it can happen to anyone in reality, the person was taking a flight from France. And they witnessed on this commercial airline, the left wing or right wing of the plane catch on fire.
And I want you to imagine if you was you in that position, and maybe you have gone through a near death experience, or maybe you've hurt somebody who's gone through a near death experience. The person said, when I felt the plane tilt, saw the wing directly in front of me catch fire, and basically came to grips with my own mortality, I made a deal with myself, I promised myself that if I made it through, that I would no longer try to escape the moments of my life. They said that this single event that happened to them
completely changed their entire perception of life and existence, this person is not Muslim. And I've heard this happen to a number of my friends and acquaintances and family members as well, who went through such a similar experience, that coming to grips with this mortality, this moment, made them change perception of their entire life, everything that was before, as if died with that plane, in terms of their ego, their persona, their personality. And what came after was a new individual, the plane made it safe, and that person lived. But their experience completely changed. The person continues to write and wrote about this occurred. And they said, at the time in my life, and
intrinsic sense of deep self loathing, dictated by insecurity and destructive coping mechanisms, and more trauma than my body or brain knew how to handle is how they lived. They said inform how I saw myself in the world through a lens of resentment for brain brought into life that seemingly attracted so much chaos and the kind of pain tied to grief that fell in inescapable I mean, a person who's going through a lot of difficult to the point that this almost seems like suicidal thought,
if you were to read this, you would say this person is very close to suicide.
And they said, then this event on that plane, which brought me closer in proximity to death is ironically the event that catapulted me towards running at this lived experience. And they said something very powerful, with radical gratitude,
radical, gratitude, you know, things that are radical, usually extreme. But they by this inference meant that every thing that would happen in their life, or everything that they were blessed with, they looked at it from the perspective of being thankful, and hence why it's called radical. That in reality is not radical gratitude. That's just called gratitude and shocker in Islam, where Allah subhanaw taala says, even for the more so you put in your mouth, you say, Alhamdulillah. So what about if it's the morsel of food, in fact, there's a hadith of the prophets, I send him a says not only do say, Bismillah at the beginning, and Alhamdulillah at the end, for every time you lift your
food to your mouth, you should say Bismillah. And every time you eat it, you say Alhamdulillah, every single morsel, there's a thicket. This is an extra. But the idea being if if Islam teaches us this, quote, unquote, radical gratitude according to the Western materialistic concept of what it means to be gracious, for us, as believers, it's a norm, it's a default. And they continue to say, I'm glad to have proven myself wrong, and to have found ways to transform pain into knowledge. And that's why we say Alhamdulillah for Islam, really, there's nothing like a faith that anchors us in such emotional and psychological stability that non Muslims are still trying
to wade the struggles within their own lives, to find through their experience we have been blessed with to be given by revelation. And this is why I wanted to reflect on a moment about this radical gratitude that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in fact taught us. And that is the idea of being content. And what does it mean to be content because being content is a product of then being gracious and grateful. If your content then you will be grateful. If you don't have contentment, then you will be grateful it's a symbiotic relationship. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa salam a beautifully says that Lisa Lahaina and Katana Tila are in the middle Hina Hina knifes, richness
does not mean having a great amount of property. But richness is self contentment, self contentment, referred to in the Arabic language as Elkana alcanada. And the prophets I spoke about the so much, it is actually one of the objectives of spiritual of spirituality in Islam, for one to reach this level of contentment and pleasure with Allah subhanaw taala and gracious ness to Allah subhanho wa Taala is an objective of Islam. It's an objective our spirituality. But I thought about this level of contentment. And I asked myself a very honest question, a very real question, a very relevant question. Does Islam ask us to be content with everything?
Meaning you will have to be content no matter what happens, someone's coming to you harm, you have to be content with it and say, You know what? It's okay. Take it with stride. Take it out on the jaw, as they say, do you have to be content with every single thing? And the answer, of course, is no. And this is why in this whole thought, we will be discussing the fifth of contentment, the fifth of what it means to be content when how and when not to be content. First and foremost. Karna, or contentment, the scholars say, comes from the roots and Arabic that has two root meanings. The first of them is burl wood Shala shake, which means to move your head towards something that's almost as
this as if you're saying when you're content, you're putting your head out there, you have to put your head out, you can't live a life of trying to live in over extreme security, or teach your children that you know, don't go out, don't ride the car, you might get into a car accident, you know, this kind of behavior. Don't do this, because this might happen. Don't always don't start a business because you will fail. You know what you're teaching them you're teaching the opposite of what Islam teaches us. The problem doesn't says the best wealth and the best investment in the best business is the one you've done with your hands. Meaning if you're your own boss, and if you're
independent, and you're the one who's who's being a entrepreneur, but we're teaching the opposite. We're teaching what toxic failure and this type of fear mongering in our children and we become raised with that. But the idea being asked to put your head out there and to believe and trust in Allah brings a sense of contentment. It's in the root of the of the word itself, the other meaning of the root of the word, or first to almost study or minerale, or what refers to as a listener, Middlebury law, so who Elon Musk is short, which means something that refers to a person reaching out as well or extending themselves for a benefit. So it's not just for any reason, just putting
your head off there taking risks that have no benefit, but rather it refers to even an animal that extends its head for water so that it can drink. And that's why a lot of people asked for honey Rahim Allah He also says that Kana, contentment is directly tied to pleasure. It's directly tied to pleasure. And the opposite is also true because it's a word that has opposite meanings. They say a person who's Canola is someone that asks. So the one who's truly content will only ask Allah first, will only ask Allah subhanaw taala first, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam referred us to a number of beautiful a hadith with regards to contentment in general, and we need to understand them
in context. And the recent Allahu alayhi wa sallam spoke about first this world and how a human being will never be content with what the material never the prophets of Allah audio cinema said that if you were to give the child of Adam to mountains of gold, one of them called Mount Soledad, and one of them called Mount Carmel mountain, right? You gotta have a mountain of gold so you can understand when you drive on the 15th You know what I'm talking about? You get a mountain of gold, Big Bear Mountain and Yosemite. The child of Adam will ask for a third and nothing will suffice. The stomach of the child of Adam except dirt, meaning once they pass, they will stop seeking the
material and chasing after it and wanting
More and more and more materially, and that's why he married because Allah He said something so beautifully. He says Allah while a mechanic had the hill GB Lurleen add me medulla, what Rozay Ratan Malika Athan Allahu Allah wa rasuluh allel Canara. And because the fact that this description that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave is something that is the human natural characteristic, and we've been created with this want of materialism, but it's also a characteristic that can lead to our destruction. Allah subhanho wa Taala praised contentment and the prophets I seldom appraise contentment in the hadith of fool Allah ibn obey the law, the Allah who said that the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said to burly men who do Islam, what can arratia Who Katha fun what kind of happiness is due to him? Who was guided to Islam, and then possesses provision that suffices them and they are content with it. The prophets of Allah how to set them also set after him and Islam. What was it like how far from walk on that Allah Hobbema Tahoe successful as the one who enters the fold of Islam and is provided with sustenance which is sufficient for their day, and Allah makes them content with what they have bestowed upon them. Now,
this is the question to ask, Are we just supposed to just live to our means and that's it. When many of the Sahaba became multimillionaires, in some essence, multimillionaires even in their time, I'm one of the last law the law on who passed away and he had $22 million worth of property without depreciation and you all know the inflation thing. Without that he had $22 million property that to this day is in Medina, McCann PIF. I'm the commander in chief and others. Many of the Sahaba became wealthy. So does that really mean that they suffice themselves or they misunderstood the prophets of Allah? What does it actually entail? And the prophets I met gave us these principles. He said in the
narration, that he spoke to Hakeem urbanism. He said, One day he came to Allah's Messenger, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and he asked him for money. So the prophets I said him always if there was money in the treasury, he would give or from his own wealth he would give. And later he came in, he asked again, and then he when he was about to give him, he gave him some advice. He says, Hakeem, wealth and money is green and sweet. And when you get some nice, crisp dollars in your hand, well, not more than that. But if you see that bank account number, what does that make you feel makes you feel good, makes you feel content, you all of a sudden, more happier? Why is it so interesting that
finance is actually in marriage does not make a marriage, but it definitely can break a marriage. And how will often people when some finances come into their bank, they all of a sudden have a different demeanor, and maybe it influences even their relationship? It's an amazing thing. The prophets I said, Emma said it's green and sweet, but and it receives the one who receives it with liberal mind will be blessed. But the one who receives it with a with a greedy mind will not be blessed in it, being like the one who eats without being satisfied, and the upper hand is better than the lower hand. And Hakeem told the prophets of Allah hottie Salam, O Messenger of Allah, by
Him who sent you with the truth, I will not accept anyone's
giving or meaning like, donation after this until I leave the world. Meaning he taught him what it means to be content but also not to take if you don't need don't take if you don't need don't ask people if you don't need it. And he taught us to Abubakar all the longtime, who would be the first hadith of Islam as well. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also, one day in the notion of Ambit, even today live he said that Allah's Messenger gave gifts to some people, and he excluded some others. Majan shift safe comes here today, and he starts handing out checks in this Masjid. But he doesn't give Omar right and he doesn't give jasa and he doesn't give some of us what will happen.
People start feeling Why did I get anything? Look at what the prophets I said. And I said, he says the latter people who didn't receive which does seem like they were displeased by the fact that the prophets doesn't didn't give them. Look what also lost I sent him I said, he said I give to some people, less they should deviate from the true faith or lose patience. So when they see some good and had blessing in their hand, what does that make them do? Make have patience with Islam? And he says, and while I defer and I do not give other people so that they can remain content with what Allah put in their hearts. And I'm going to intend to live is among them. He said, I'm going to tell
you I didn't give you because you Allah put contentment in your heart where these people they still need to work on it. And I want you to understand this. Maybe Allah is still giving you blessings in this life because he knows that if you did not receive those blessings, it would turn you to a discontent person.
You ever thought about that?
Have you ever thought about how so many people, so many Muslims in this world, they don't have a single fraction of the wealth that we have, but they're much happier. They're much more content. In fact, they're living on occupied land, and they're being oppressed. And if you go talk to the people, like I have when I went to Palestine, or when you go to Pakistan, when you go to Yemen, when you go to Ethiopia, when you go to any of the countries that we and our friends are from, and you ask them, they're like, we're happy. We're content. And you might wonder why. Maybe Allah subhanaw taala is giving us until we find contentment in our heart, and he's reserved it from them because
they've already reached that level. What a powerful way of a cognitive shift and understanding contentment. I'm what I've been talking about. He said, When I heard that from the prophets like Selim, that oh, I'm gonna You're among the people that are contented with the goodness of Allah. He said, the statement of Allah's Messenger is more dear to me than red camels, meaning Ferraris and Lamborghinis and McLarens if you were to give me all of these is better than that. What the prophets I send them a set about said about me. Among the ways the prophets of Allah, Allah, He said, I'm also taught the feeling of contentment is he started with himself. He said, My Lord presented to me
that he would make the Valley of Mecca into gold for me. And I said, No, yeah, Rob, but being filled for a day and hungry for a day. He said that three times No, Yara, allow me to be hungry some days and full another days. Why would the prophets awesome? Ask something like that? Because he wanted to experience what his OMA would experience as well.
And he said ally, salatu salam. So when I am hungry, I would ask Allah and remember you.
And when I am full, I will be grateful to you, and I will praise you. So Allah wise, Sung Allahu Allah Islam.
This is what a leader is a man who would go hungry to teach us what it means to be thankful, not because he couldn't fulfill his needs, but he wanted to feel the OMAS needs as well. I think it's all
about what are they allowed to add on who reported the message. So I sedima then told him and the Companions, rich, this does not lie in the abundance of worldly goods. But richness is the richness of the heart, and the soul, and the love of Thailand who said he taught me this by holding my hand and he said, count five things, and he counted them on my fingers. He says, number one, be cautious, and you will be the most devoted to worship of people, to Allah, Be content. And you will be the most grateful of people to Allah, love for people, what you love for yourself, and you will be a true believer, be a good neighbor to your neighbors, and you will be a true Muslim. And laugh little
for laughing a lot deadens the heart narrowed and it really matter. And I will hold on the a lot of time who also mentioned that the prophets I said in my talk them, look at those who are lower than you financially, or in materially in this world, but do not look at those who are higher than you lest you belittle the favours of Allah that were given to you in particularly narrated in Bukhari Muslim, my brothers and my sisters, this goes to us now, the conversation of then what should be we be content for and what we shouldn't be content in? First and foremost content in the blessings of Allah, all of them, what Allah blessed you with be content with it. I know so many young men and
women, they spend their time crying alone and lonely at night, right? making dua saying Oh, Allah allow me to have a spouse, when they have a spouse. They're discontent, because they don't know how to deal with the spouse. And then they complain about the spouse. So I said, subhanAllah, you've been praying for three years, and now for another three years you're complaining.
And it's not the fact that they may not have a complaint, maybe it's a valid complaint. But the idea is, let us assess what our complaints are about, be content with the blessings of Allah subhanaw taala, be content with wealth, be content with children be content with these things, unless those things have something that needs to be changed in. But contentment should be the awesome, because there are people that don't have a spouse, there are people who don't have children. There are people who don't have any of the things that we are sometimes complaining about. I know Subhanallah so many people that are complaining about the job market today. And there are people who don't even
have jobs.
There are people who have nothing, they don't even have the opportunity. So that element of contentment does not mean and here's the here's the point. That element of contentment does not mean that you see grim betterment.
Being content means not complaining and taking the means to rise above and to seek better not be content with your job and not seek a promotion. That's not contentment. If you deserve a promotion, go ask. Go ask. And if they don't value you quit, go seek another job. value yourself value and honor your skills. You know how many people in this country do not ask for promotions thinking that they're not
worth it. There's one person, this is a true story. They said I want to apply to a job. And I was so happy that they said yes. I didn't even tell them how much I wanted. I suffice with what they told me. He said,
later on, I found out that HR had actually written for me a six figure salary, and I was okay with 80,000. They could have received 30 $40,000 Extra.
That's not contentment, contentment is to seek your right and to seek and betterment. That is what's contentment as well. And that's why Mushaf you got to him Allah Tada in terms of what it means to be content. Listen to this. He explained that beautifully in these lines of poetry. He says that he will Karna Selena foreseer to be at the early Hamilton MSSQL Falada Juran Jada Barbie, what are they you're on TV, Mohammed Khan, for sure to honey and Bella dyrham. In a more rather nasty ship hull Maliki, he said I saw that contentment was the head of wealth. So I held on to its tails tight. So neither this one see me out there door meaning begging, nor did the others see me absorbed in spite,
I wish I had what they did. But I became wealthy without wealth, not even a silver coin. Because I walked amongst people, like a king.
You understand? It's a mentality. It's what's in your heart. It's seeking and being thankful for the blessings that Allah subhanaw taala gave you. And that's what the prophets of Allah cinema said that indeed Allah has obligated for the poor, some of the wealth of the rich, as much as they're able. So if they deny them until they starve, or go naked or struggle, Allah will hold them severely to account and will hold them to consequences grievously, because they did not give the right of their wealth to those who are in need. And the Prophet sallallahu selama further told us about the beauty of having risk provision given to you every every time you have a child or if you marry Allah
subhanaw taala will give you the risk that is written based upon you, your your, your wife, or your husband, and your children. So denying or trying to stop yourself from that thinking I'm not I'm not ready for it as an excuse, or not having children because you're in fear of poverty is haram in Islam. Not having children out of the fear of poverty is how long planning children are saying we want to have this money or etc. There's nothing wrong with but out of the fear of poverty. Just this intention is how long and the people are held in contempt. And I know people listen to me carefully, that who had this intention that oh, we will not be able to provide as if Allah subhanaw taala is
not going to descend upon them and give them and bless them in their wealth and put them in situations where they will provide he withheld from them children for 10 to 15 years and I've seen this myself with people because why they questioned the ability of ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada.
So being thankful and content with the blessings of Allah subhanaw taala requires us to know one thing and that is, Do not abuse the blessings of Allah. Do not abuse the blessings of Allah. Rather, be thankful to Allah by giving the blessings of Allah it's due right now Coca Cola stuff a lot of stuff Hulu and Hulu for
some level from the Los Altos salam ala Rasulillah Where are you Sofia Jemaine? So we spoke about what we should be content with. And most often this is what many Muslims that hamdulillah realize and some essence, what should we not be content with? Number one, complacency. I'm good where I am. I don't want to go anywhere. And this kind of attitude of not wanting to grow is against our faith. And that's not contentment, improving yourself and wanting to do so is part of contentment. And that's why when people refuse to change in their personality and their ego and their behaviors and their habits, it's not because it's out of contentment, it's actually the opposite. So one should be
discontent constantly with their behavior, discontent with the level of their o'clock discontent with being stagnant. We should also be discontent with ignorance, we should always want to seek knowledge. And people who say, you know, I know enough, I don't need to learn. I know I've studied this when we were kids. And you know, and a person has never studied anything and it's no, I know the Quran and I've read it before I did not him once when I was five years old, this kind of behavior against our faith. And that's why the Prophet sallallahu sallam said that seeking knowledge is an obligation on every single believer. So we should be discontent with ignorance, and we should
always seek knowledge. We should be discontent with oppression. We should be discontent with people taking others rights. We should be discontent with us taking other people's rights. We should be discontent with being taken advantage of and we should be discontent with injustices.
Oftentimes what we see even in families, when families have internal struggles and problems, you see somebody saying, Be content with what you have, this is wrong. If somebody is being harmed, verbally abused, emotionally abused, they should not be content with that. But they should deal with it with wisdom. And they should have either the spouse or the person involved. Seek the means of solving those problems, because continuing upon that oppression is what's going to create not only resentment, but a whole decades or years worth of harm and oppression upon people and this is not allowed, you cannot be discontent, you cannot be content with that kind of situation, but rather
seek solutions. So what should we do? And I end with this, my brothers and sisters. Number one, is do not cry over spilled milk, as they say, right? Whenever you miss an opportunity that you really wanted, remember that this was not written for you. This was not written for you. Allah did not want this for you. Not only that, Allah has better prepared and in store for you. One young man who was mashallah, in a good position, he wanted to get married, he found a young woman, and she was perfect in every way, et cetera. He went to propose to her and that family who were Jahad basically rejected this guy, because he's not from their country
that was upset, he was upset. What should we do? She was the one who said, You know what, I have to go with my family? And the answer is no, you don't. But anyway, she wanted to go along with that. And she gave up the opportunity with this young man and he was very upset and cost him a lot of trauma. And he said, What should I do is that the content that Allah took away from your life, a woman who was not deserving of you, and Allah will give you a woman who deserves you.
And subhanAllah two months later, he found that woman and he got married and they're having him to a blessed marriage, because he became content. Number two, refine your heart. Refine your heart, know that if you think you don't take care of this issue, it will creep up and project a lack of discontentment in your life. You will be discontent with your spouse, you will be discontent with your children, you will be discontent even with your car, you will be discontent with your job, you will be discontented everything you look at because lack of contentment is a lens you put on and having contentment is based on refining your heart to that and the way you do it is with Quran with
the care with prayer with raising your hands asking Allah for contentment, asking Allah to make you thankful. That's what the prophets I sent him you know what used to do every single prayer. After every single prayer, he would make this dua Allahumma and Jana electrica was Shukria, osteopathic, Allah aid me and helped me in your remembrance, aid me and helped me in being grateful to you and aid me and helped me in doing the best worship that I can. Number three, think of the rewards waiting you in the hereafter. Number four, think always of the present day and do not worry about the future, except in strategizing and planning for it not in what the outcomes are, you leave the
outcomes in the hands of Allah subhanaw taala. Number six, look at the positives of each calamity. And number seven, the key to happiness is in this sentence, Allah willed what will happen and whatever he wants, will come to pass, not a single leaf falls acceptance by the will of Allah subhanaw taala. And that's the greatest anchor to human psychology in existence. The greatest anchor in cognitive behavioral psychology is that we know there is a cause and there's a means in the hands of Allah. And if a person has a calf and a non believer, and who does not have this belief, they are among the most motivating in the world. They're the among the most confused the monk lack this
anchor, and we should be thankful for having that in our lives. And we should impart that to others in their lives. My brothers and sisters I leave you off with a DUA, the prophets of Allah Hadees cinema taught, and this dua is what we seek and hope to achieve. The prophets of Allah Hi cinema taught this to have toyboy he said, say, Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from having an evil neighbor, a spouse that makes me age before I reach old age, from a child that becomes like a master over me from wealth that becomes a punishment on me, and from a close companion whose eyes deceive me in whose heart harbors against me. When they see good they bury it and when they see bad they
spread it in all of these are forms of contentment. We ask Allah subhanaw taala is it Islam and Muslim along with the requirements of Athena frequent makan, Alomar Kanata Philokalia Ramadan along Allah Marzano, Sitka for Nia Well, I'm gonna be here of the enemy, all our allow us to be content with what you've given us by showing thankfulness that is deserving of your blessings all make us of those that are shackled in thankful with our actions before our statements, or Allah if anytime we lose being content, allow us to remember the prophets of Allah audio Salam, and now he taught us what it means to be thankful when he lost children. When he lost family when he didn't have food
when he had no place to stay. He is the one that gave us an example allow us to follow him out of the enemy. All make us discont
tent with sin with Khufu with sexual sins with Hmong Cassatt all I'll make the thankful our leaders and make us of those who are never content with tyrants ruling Muslims or caffeine committing occupation and injustice against their lands wealth and family all our lust to be discontent with the injustice is in the world yada yada enemy all I'll never allows to be complacent with that happening out of it I mean allow allow us to never be content until you are content with us and we reach agenda with your contentment yeah Ramadan me with some a little sentimental How do you No no, you know how much what out he will suck me a Jemaine will have to masala
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