Ibraheem Menk – Explanation of short chapters – Surah al Kawthar

			Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
		

			smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah Allah Allah, he was happy
he a jamaa in, we praise Allah subhanho wa Taala, we commence in his name, the Most Beneficent, the
Most Merciful.
		

			We praise Allah subhanho wa Taala, the owner and nourish cherishes, sustainer and provider of entire
creation. We send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam his household,
his companions, we ask Allah to bless them to bless every one of us, to grant us every form of
goodness and to open the doors of blessings, to grant us beneficial reign, to improve for us the
condition not only of our nation but of the globe at large. And to have mercy on mankind at large.
We asked them not to protect us from all evil, and to protect humanity at large from all evil, to
keep guiding us to the straight path and to keep us on that path. I mean, my beloved brothers and
		

			sisters, Allah has taught us the ingredient for Israel increase in goodness, if there is anything
you want more of Allah subhanho wa Taala tells you very simply show gratitude. That's all. If you
are grateful, I will give you more It is as simple as that. You want something good, Allah says just
be grateful. If you're grateful, I give you more, more than one place in the Quran, Allah subhanho
wa Taala says
		

			la
		

			Shaka Tula as he
		

			come as part of a longer verse, where in one place, he actually adds to it. While I
		

			can tune in below, Shadi read the meaning of the first part. If you show gratitude, if you are
grateful, I will grant you increase here he is speaking about goodness. And on the other side, he
says and if you are ungrateful, my punishment is very severe, which means he will take away what
he's given you or he will make what he gave you a means of your destruction. Some people have a lot
of money, but they start with all their bad habits, the minute they have money, so that money
instead of coming with blessings, and being a means of increase was actually the root cause of their
own downfall. The same applies to authority and so many other gifts that Allah bestows upon people
		

			when you are ungrateful, Allah says Don't be fooled, it can never, ever be a favor. While you are
ungrateful. It's only a favor when you are grateful. So my brothers and sisters, let's show
gratitude to Allah. First way, showing gratitude to Allah is to acknowledge him. When a person has
done good to you. He's been kind to you, the first thing you do is you acknowledge him you know,
when we pass each other many times people don't greet unless they know you, or they want to know
you. So vanilla nowadays it's become like that. Yes, there are exceptions many of us Alhamdulillah
there is still goodness amongst us. So we do greet to suddenly mala Colima, NAFTA, voluntary, our
		

			teaching, we should be greeting those we know those we don't know, those who are tall, those who are
short, those who are dark, those who are light, those who have money, those who don't. A true
believer should be greeting all of those because he's a believer, Subhana Allah. But that is an
acknowledgment. Imagine if I were to see you walking past no matter who you are. And I want to say
Salaam Alaikum. My brother, how are you? Well, law he I fulfilled the basic rights that is owed to
you. And it would make you feel so good. It would make you really feel part of a community and then
oma one of the blessings of being the oma of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam as a Muslim, is you
		

			are always trained to look at everyone around you as your brothers and sisters. That is a gift. in
Malmo, Mina Hua indeed the belief is our brothers and sisters thicker than blood Subhana Allah, so
what is your duty to one another? For us live obey in our income? What duckula hana lecanto hamo on
your first duty is when two Muslims are fighting, you should try and resolve the matter with fear of
Allah in order for you to achieve mercy. What is the meaning of resolving a matter with fear of
Allah? You should not be unreasonable. You see a big man beating up a small man. And so you say to
the small man, don't worry, let's go away. You are a small man. You shall
		

			be beaten, let's just go that is not justice. That is no fear of Allah subhanho wa Taala Not at all,
whether it's big or small, rich or poor, popular or not, what's right is right, that is called
solving a problem. When something is right, it is right even if the weakest from amongst us that
correctness is with him. May Allah subhanahu wa taala grant us the ability to appreciate his faith
is upon us by standing up for what is right. Basic right. Now we move back to what I was saying
earlier that when you want to increase, you need to show gratitude, I said the first method of
showing gratitude to acknowledge Allah Who is he make, the one who blessed me all the blessings I
		

			have, he asks me to fulfill a prayer let me fulfill it the five times a day, let me dress in the way
he wants. Let me read at least the revelation he sent to me at least a little bit that day, let me
become a better person honest, upright, let me stay away from the sins that he has made the
prohibited and so on, you're acknowledging Allah, that itself is already gratitude. Even if you have
very little in terms of material items, it's a blessing. Allah says we favored you, don't worry, we
favored you. You know, there are people who have millions, but all those millions are used hospital
bills, may Allah grant cure to all those who are sick. We don't mean it in that way. But what we are
		

			saying is sometimes what is your money being spent on, and there are others who have very little but
Allah accepts that money to be used in a good cause. Today, I want to address a very, very important
matter. You see, when Allah created us, every one of us seated here and all those who will listen to
this later, we all have been gifted with different talents. We all have minds that think
differently. Some of it is a little bit similar, but most of it is very different. You would like
something with someone else would not like you probably are comfortable with something I'm not so
comfortable with in terms of a job, someone else might be given a talent of one thing the other is
		

			given the talent of a second and a third, my brothers, my sisters, this is the plan of Allah. No two
human beings are the same. It's the plan of Allah, in my short journey on Earth. I must appreciate
you.
		

			I have to acknowledge you. You meaning every single one of you.
		

			Acknowledge people understand who they are, see their fields. Understand that you need them my
brother we need you in community you are a bonafide a member of our society. We are proud of your
existence amongst us. That is a very important point that people don't speak about sometimes,
because we don't realize everyone from amongst us they are school teachers will lie he we appreciate
them. What do we expect of them? They need to be good upright Muslims, but they are school teachers.
From amongst us, they are doctors, from the doctors. There are different types of doctors, those who
are specialized in different things don't we need them?
		

			We definitely need them. So appreciate the fact that Allah has blessed us with different talents.
Look at the Sahaba the lavorando while they were all trying their best to be the best of muslimeen,
which is something we don't compromise but their specializations were not all the same. Harley
Davidson Harley Davidson movie Robbie Allahumma. His speciality was in the battlefield. And he says
clearly that you know what, I was so busy in the battlefield, that I didn't really have the time to
expand my knowledge when it comes to the Quran, etc. But he served Islam, they appreciated him, he
was known as safer law he the sort of Allah Subhana Allah. Look at for example, the carpenters from
		

			among the Sahaba the Allahu anhu. They serve the communities and societies they will appreciate it.
Look at the businessmen from among the Sahaba of the Allahu anhu they will appreciate it you know
what they earned, they were sharp some of them were became wealthy, so wealthy, that examples used
to be given of their wealth of man of near fun at one stage was actually known as money meaning
wealthy, and look at Abdurahman even though
		

			these were powerful people they were, they were given the blessing by Allah in a unique way but they
used what Allah blessed them with to serve community. That's why community appreciated them with us.
We are going through turbulent times we've been saying this for a long time, we are hoping that
things would begin to improve by the will of Allah and we keep praying, and we will continue to hope
and we will never lose that hope in the mercy of Allah. But my brothers and my sisters, ask
yourselves
		

			while I'm in this rat race, trying to earn trying to make a living, how have I contributed to my
family, my community, my society and my nation and the oma at large, how did I contribute? We need
to do better by the will of Allah. The first thing is you need to be honest and upright, a good
Muslim, a person
		

			Who believes a person who is conscious of his maker. That's the basic like we say, from amongst us,
I gave you an example they are doctors will lie, my beloved doctors who are here today, whether you
are dentists or GPS, or specialized in any way, we appreciate you, we acknowledge you, we make dua
for you, and you are from amongst us. And we definitely need you as members of this oma, the same
applies to the accountants from amongst us the same applies to the businessmen from amongst us, even
the wheelers and dealers, we still need you in our community and society, we look up to you in the
sense that you are at least trying to earn a living.
		

			And what we would require not just from you, but from all of us is to be the best possible Muslim.
That's it. From amongst us, there are some I was thinking moments ago, who are actually in too big
baking, do you know that we need you in society and community you are from amongst us, you are a
member of this nation, Subhana Allah in a way that we are proud of you, my brothers and sisters,
whoever you are, whatever way you are serving, Allah subhanho wa Taala will bless you. All that is
required of you to be the best Muslim you can try to contribute towards society and community in a
greater way on a daily basis. Let's not let it not only be about your own self, let it be about a
		

			collective even though a lot of it will be for yourself and your family and so on. A little bit, a
small portion inshallah, as you can contribute in that way, we will elevate but I want to let you
know from amongst us, there are also those who studied Islam, those who went out to specialize, they
may be small in number, they don't have to be everyone. We need to appreciate them too. I tell you
what happens when you don't appreciate the favors of Allah? What was the verse I read that the
beginning Allah says, Those who are not appreciative, appreciative, are appreciating,
		

			our punishment is aware. That's what Allah says, which means Allah will probably take away the gift
from you, or like I said, He will make it the means of your downfall. So we should also be
appreciating the other things the Imams, the cleaners, those who are outside the the beggars of
society and community why we appreciate them is because how would we be able to give our charities
if there was no one who was poor, that that having been said Islam does not recommend begging. But
as a last resort, it's one of those things if we are able and capable, we should be ashamed of
ourselves if we were to beg. But sometimes the situation around US forces some when they have no
		

			option. So Allah says, while I'm
		

			in Afghanistan, as for the one who's asking you for something, never rebuke the person. anyone
asking you for anything? I asked you for a favor brother, can you do it? It's either a yes or no,
but respectfully, if you are not going to respond respectfully, you've lost the test. People beg and
they say Watch out, this guy is a crook. That comment was not needed. If you wanted to give, give if
you don't want to give, don't give but in a nice way. But the additional comment you made is against
you. It shows in gratitude, Allah can flip it around in a way that you could be the beggar and the
other person could be the one actually on the other side, may Allah protect us. So we acknowledge we
		

			respect everyone in society and community. Like I said, the scholars from amongst us absolutely
important that we respect them. Why is it that people stress more regarding those who have studied
the deen than others? I can tell you a simple reason. When people have studied the deen, the idea is
they would pass the dean on. They would pass the dean on that Dean is from Allah, I'm talking here
of religion and religious teachings and religious instruction is from Allah. When we hold it in high
value, we will appreciate it and so will our children. But when we hold it in the cheapest way
possible, what will happen, we will lose respect and our children will have no respect for anything
		

			to do with the religion. This is why the way we treat the school teachers in the secular schools,
unfortunately, is different from the way we teach. Those are sorry, the way we treat those who are
teaching religion to our children.
		

			And if you take a careful, look, we are all guilty of being more disciplined when it comes to our
involvement in the secular schools. And I'm not saying it's not important, but at the expense of
being equally or more disciplined with that which has to do with the religion whereas that child
might die at the age of 1415 might never see the end.
		

			Have 21 gone? What did we prepare the child for? For a life they were never going to live? You
understand what I'm saying? Or did we have the equilibrium to say, Look, I'm preparing you for a
life. It's in the hands of Allah. I don't know how long you're going to live, but I want to prepare
you for the hereafter which is definite and eternal. So this is what we are saying, my brothers and
sisters, Allah says when you appreciate him, don't lose focus, focus upon what, upon the fact that
this worldly life is temporary, you know, moments ago I said, in my short life on this earth and let
me continue in my short life on this earth, I need to appreciate you every one of you, I have to
		

			look at you, I have to greet you, you are going to be by the will of Allah. One of the reasons why
we will go into gentlemen collectively because to earn a reward I need to fulfill your rights when I
greet you and getting a reward. That's one tip towards gender when I help you and getting a reward
when you know when people ask for help, think Allah that they are asking for help men Subhana Allah
thank Allah that that help came to you facilitate for them allow will facilitate on the Day of
Judgment, you will be a VIP because you treated the creatures of Allah like VIPs Subhana, Allah
don't embarrass a person. Like I said, if something has come to you, a person is in need, they are
		

			struggling or some issue has been, you know, has come in front of your eyes. Deal with it in a way
that you convert it into a reward, reconverted into a reward. What is the minimum? A person comes to
me and says, sir, I need $200
		

			What can I do? Subhanallah if I tell you I'll take the 200 and give him they'll smile but before I
walk out of the masjid everyone will ask for $200 right? But to be honest with you, the minimum you
can say my brother May Allah help you May Allah increase inshallah you will find it I pray for you.
May Allah subhanahu wa taala, open your doors. If that person is also a believer, they will
understand what I got is more important than the 200. You see, because now this could result within
a month you might have 1000 You don't know how did it come? Well, the angel said are mean to do that
the person who couldn't give you what you wanted has made? What did you do? The one who spoke and
		

			gave the dog converted that meeting into a reward Subhan Allah and guess what is amazing? While
Akemi flu is a dua that is made for you by the angel Subhana Allah. So for example, if I say May
Allah bless you, so I'm automatically getting blessings for myself. May Allah grant you ease and
getting ease for myself, get used to praying for one another. Get used to praying for one another.
Another reason why is many of us, yes, we're going through hardship. I think here, it would be wrong
to say that there's anyone who's not going through hardship. But I can tell you something
interesting. We sometimes tend to only pray for ourselves, we forget one of the ways of earning ease
		

			and increase to think about others who are worse than you when you are in a terrible situation. So
behind Allah here, Abdullah Al amin, can Allahu fionnula de macconnell, Abu dupioni Aki, Allah will
continue to assist a worshiper, for as long as that worshipper is busy assisting another Subhana
Allah, you see this, you want the help of Allah start helping other people see how Allah help comes
towards you. So you might sit and think but I need the money I don't have How am I going to help? I
tell you two things. Number one, you pray for them, like I showed you. Number two is if you have $5,
and you give $1, you've given 20% of your wealth. If a man has $10,000 and gives 100. He's actually
		

			given less than you in percentage. So what was it? At least you could give I remember seeing a
beggar not once a few times,
		

			getting some money and deciding you know what the other biggest I'm going to give so much I'm going
to a small portion give. I was in South Africa recently will la he I saw someone from Zimbabwe
begging without a leg. And so as we stopped our vehicle, I saw a security guard come from the
opposite direction. And he was running towards this lady who was begging and I thought I wonder
what's happening. Maybe she might have done something. You know what? He had a small note, I think
it was a green note means about a 10 round if I'm not mistaken. And he came in he said he spoke in
Shona. He said sister This is for you today I got something she was just looking and saying what she
		

			couldn't believe it and nor could I watching and I'm thinking to myself, that men probably gave
percentage wise more than wealthy people when they've given $1,000 for civilian law. Look at this.
There are people there are good people. I'm mentioning this because I'm inspired. I want us all to
be
		

			Equally inspired, if not more, to become better people, we need you in community. You're a
businessman. You might be a tailor. You might be for example a cobbler. We need you you might be a
farmer. You might be like I said the Wheeler Dealer. We need you in society. We appreciate you are
one of us we are together we are one family. If something happens here we are all one we might not
be able to give you exactly what you want but we will try our best all of us to help each other.
This is the oma This is what we are all about. This is the beauty of the oma when we lose this, we
have lost the oma when we lose this we have lost the oma so my beloved brothers, my sisters, let's
		

			work on appreciating one another. Like I said from amongst us, they are teachers. They are taken for
granted today. The number of people wanting to be teachers has dwindled, because it's so difficult
to look after kids. real parents are finding it hard to look after children. How do you think it's
going to be for teachers who are not even the real parents of those children. So support the
teachers say one word of goodness to them, thank them whoever they are, and so on. We have barbers
you know what's a barber? a barber. Nowadays because of you know, the situation many of us just
shave our heads or for example, we just cut it at home etc. But these are also important people in
		

			society and community Subhanallah it's, it is a halon business. So support the people pray for them
make a do out for them. Many people have what we call these, you know, small tech shops from home
and they are doing this sales from their own houses of whatever they can buy yourself. We appreciate
it we really you are one of us. We make dua for you. May Allah give you Baraka in your in your
wealth in your health, and May Allah grant you sustenance, times are tough. You are thinking of a
halal way of earning something in the interim. You're also helping society and community by
providing a facility there are people who wash cars for a few dollars. You know what those with cars
		

			appreciate them once in a while. Even if you are not used to going once in a while. NET a few
dollars. It's halon income they are not stealing from you. There are people who sell vegetables on
the roads. Sometimes you stop at a traffic light and there are people with a few tomatoes, maybe a
few candidates they want to sell you know what even if you don't in our country, you know it is
quite safe, right? You know these people are struggling they are trying to earn a living sometimes
once in a while. Once in a while. Give them a little bit of business. Do you know why? They are not
stealing from you they are trying to do something permissible. If you don't give them and they
		

			struggle and they suffer and their vegetables go rotten. What will happen? indirectly you did not
care for them but they are your family. They are part of the oma they are in your nation they are in
your suburb in your city in your country. How could you not care for them? This is the oma This is
what we mean when we say appreciate one another Think hard Who are the people around you appreciate
them. It is also showing gratitude to Allah subhanho wa Taala because the prophets Allah seldom says
whoever does not show gratitude to the people is not going to be able to show gratitude or has not
shown true gratitude to Allah subhanho wa Taala who is the maker of entire creation? May Allah
		

			subhanho wa Taala bless every one of us. May He grant us increasing or goodness May he protect us
from all evil. May he help us appreciate every single one of us who are here. Many of us some have
come from other places other countries you are more than welcome. You are one of us. We will
appreciate you we will fulfill your rights as best as we can. And inshallah we want to intergender
to fit those together with that beautiful love and feeling that we should be having in our hearts
akuto Cowley hava masala Allahu wa salam wa barik ala nabina Muhammad