Ibraheem Menk – IntaLIVE #38 Interests & Hobbies

			Salam aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa barakato Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen
wa sallahu wa Sallim wa barik ala nabina Muhammad
		

			Ali he was sacked me he he made we thank Allah Jalla wa ala for having granted us the opportunity
once again, to resume our live sessions in the lab. Today we will be speaking about a rather
interesting topic. And that is to do with people's interests, people's hobbies, what they may be
doing.
		

			Obviously, everybody is different. Everybody has different likes different interests. How does this
fit in as a Muslim as a Muslim is our life all about playing and fun and games? Or is our life only
about a mother and worshiping Allah forever and carrying on the whole time, you know, pushing
ourselves to where we find that there is no human aspect left of our life.
		

			So as we wait for a sheriff for him to come in shallow start, when we look at the topic of interests
and hobbies, and what people want to do on the side as Muslims, as simple as this topic may seem, we
have to realize that the people who follow the people who listen people who are Muslim in in
general, people are different levels. So you find there are those who are more students of
knowledge, they are interested in learning the deen they're interested not only in doing what's
compulsory on them, they want to do much more than there are others who may not be students of
knowledge. However, they may be into business, they may have their own jobs, they may be
		

			accountants, etc, etc. They also are Muslims, they are doing what is compulsory upon them. However,
when we look at their lives, also, we find that there's a human aspect involved. So the first
category those who are students of knowledge, those who may want to learn a lot, we all agree that
there is that human aspect involved. So people cannot read their books the whole way or read the
Quran for 24 hours and carry on and on and on. And that's why when we look at the hadith of
Rasulullah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we find one day that there were three people who came to
the wives of the messengers of the messenger salallahu alayhi wasallam. And they asked about his
		

			acts of worship, after hearing about the acts of worship of the messenger sallallahu alayhi
wasallam. They felt that if this is the messenger, what about us, so one of them said that I will
fast and I will no longer eat. The second one said that he would
		

			not sleep and he would stay up the whole night and the third said he wouldn't marry anybody when the
messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam heard about this, he addressed the people and he became very
upset basically telling them that Islam is not allowed banner Islam is not where a person goes and
locks himself into a certain type of worship for FM FM. If nobody is a human aspect involved. The
messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam then said that he himself, he performed Salah at night and he
also sleeps. He himself he, he fasts and he also eats he himself, he gets married or his married
women. So it's not that he, you know, took himself out of society. No, there was a human aspect
		

			involved. So wherever you may be the very bottom The main thing is you're doing what is compulsory
upon you. So you're performing your compulsory Salawat in soccer is out of the compulsory upon you
you are giving it your cm, you're fasting, you are doing that which is compulsory, more than that is
extra. Yes, it's encouraged. However, there are people who may not be able to do more than that.
That's why we
		

			put it in Sahih Bukhari. He says, After asking rasulillah about some of the acts of worship, the
messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam explains to him that there are five Salawat then he asks Is
there anything more when it comes to salah and Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says, There is
nothing more that is compulsory. However, if you want to do some natural, some voluntary things or
some voluntary Salah you may do that and that's good for you. Same when it comes to soccer, after
telling him what was compulsory. He then told him that if you want to give anything extra, that's up
to you even went to fasting and the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told him what's
		

			compulsory. The man then asked if there's anything extra and he said that only if you want to do
anything voluntary, as he was going, he said at one law he I will not increase or decrease when it
comes to this. I will follow it to the tee. I won't do anything extra, but I won't do anything less.
So the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said Allah hi in sadhak he will be successful if he is
truthful. So as we see, again, people on different you know, places in the spectrum. There are those
who want to do a lot of good deeds, a lot of voluntary good deeds and that is for them and they are
those who just want to do the follow up to something which, you know, they know it's felt and after
		

			that, they don't really have a
		

			Unable to do much more, we encourage them to do more. However, if they don't want to, then it's
their choice. After realizing that and after realizing that every person no matter what level they
on, they have a human aspect to them, we come to the topic of, you know, hobbies and interests and
what people do in their free time.
		

			After a person has done everything that's compulsory upon him, his Salah is in order hisoka is in
order his fasting is in Oh, they've had these compulsory appointments in Odin before all that his
belief in Allah, worshiping one Allah believing in Allah the way he has ordered us to believe in him
after all that is in order and a person may have extra time, there is no harm as a Muslim to do
something that is permissible on the side. So if you're interested in fitness, so if you're
interested in sports, so if you're interested in doing something that's permissible, it's not
encouraged, or it's not Haram, something just permissible, and that is for you to do. And people of
		

			differing people have different interests. So if we ask the people in the comments, for example, if
you ask them, what do they do in their free time, and maybe for those who are following we can
mention it, you will find that people have different interests, they are those who are maybe more
sports inclined, or those who maybe cook a bit more they are more interested into cooking and making
desserts and that type of thing. As we mentioned the first time as long as it's not something that
is heavy and clashing with that which is compulsory, then it is okay. salovaara combined with the
labor market.
		

			I think on Sarah lova rocker too. How are you shifting? How's it going? hamdulillah How are you? The
lovely Sorry, I left you in the in the last day, you know, I was busy trying to get the internet all
going and it was really bad my site? Yeah. No problem at all. I think we were just speaking about
this topic when it comes to people's interests, people's hobbies, people's likes. And we said that
before we get into the topic, we have to agree on a few things. Muslims, every Muslim is different
different in the sense that when it comes to their acts of worship, right, they are those who want
to do that which is compulsory and more. So example you find let's say students of knowledge or
		

			people who are big Mashallah Mashallah, the more into Not only is the founder what is compulsory in
order, they also want to read more, learn more, have pmla do a lot more, they are maybe towards the
higher part of the spectrum, obviously, judging is to Allah subhanho wa Taala, then there are those
who may be a bit less bit less a bit less. But no matter on what part of the spectrum you may be, we
all have to acknowledge that there is a human side to every person, no matter how pious they may be,
as in the Hadith of the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam where a man came to the wives, a few
men came to the wives of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam and asked about his acts of worship.
		

			After hearing about that one of them said that I will eat I will fast and not eat. The other said he
would stay up the whole night and he wouldn't sleep. Another said he wouldn't marry any women. After
the messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam heard about this, he became upset, and he told them that I
am the best from amongst you, the most fearing of Allah subhanho wa Taala it I still sleep at night,
and I also perform Salah at night, I marry women, I also eat and this times I fast so he speaks
about this balance. And if we look at this balance, if the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
himself is telling us about this, we realize that every human being every Muslim, no matter what
		

			level you are on, you have that human element. If you have that human element that you have to
address, otherwise, somebody, they may lose it mentally, they may carry on doing things until they
they suffer completely. So Islam is not all about Ravana about only being Quran only or Salah only,
but at the same time, it's not only fun and games, where do we draw our balance our level, we say
the very bottom is If a person's father it was compulsory upon you is in order, your Salah yosakoi
your fasting, if that's in order, then you got this the top end of the spectrum, people usually fall
in between the after that we can then talk about hobbies and interests etc.
		

			is absolutely you know, having a balance is very, very important in life. So, you have the extreme
where people are involved in a burden worship and they are only interested in that and nothing else.
And at some point, those people actually suffer from what is known as burnout because now they
feeling tired, they've they've, they've done so much in bed and they continue to do so much reward
and worship and engage in you know, the seeking of knowledge.
		

			etc, that they just get tired. And the discard the human side of things where you've got to have a
life, you've got to, you know, be social, you've also got to have some hobbies, etc, will you take
time out to relax and, you know, basically switch off from your life at times. So I think it's
important to have a balance between these several different aspects of life and in this way, you
will become a better and more productive human being. So you find evening, the impact that this has
on your ibadah and your worship and your connection with Allah subhanho wa Taala through not only
through a river that but through your amulet and everything as well, your interactions and
		

			transactions, etc. They tend to become more productive as well, because now you've got a balance of
different things.
		

			Islam ultimately is a balance. We're not saying that those who are doing good deeds, you must leave
them No, what we saying is that everybody has a human aspect to them as human part. That's why the
hadith of Solomon or the Allahu anhu and I would love that were also loss on Allahu alayhi wa sallam
then acknowledges or he agrees to what salmaan will be Allah on hotels, that everything has its
right. So yes, the fact that Allah subhana wa jal has ordered you to carry out certain acts of
worship. Yes, you put time there you do what is compulsory, but also your family has a right to
neffs, your body has a right it needs to rest, it needs time for itself. So putting everything in
		

			its place. Johanna, when it comes to hobbies, when it comes to people's interest, obvious,
obviously, people are different, what I like maybe not the same as what somebody else likes. People
sometimes are more involved into sports, others are more into reading. Others are more into cooking,
maybe I think we can all agree as Muslims. Number one, as long as, as we mentioned, your father is
what's compulsory upon us in order, if that box is ticked, then come to your hobbies, whatever is
permissible. It's as long as it's not harm, when you are allowed to do it. So let's say you're
playing sports, you're not missing any Salah you're not doing anything harm. When that is for you,
		

			you are allowed to do it.
		

			Yes, absolutely. And you know, when it comes to hobbies, what you've got to do is try and look for a
hobby that is beneficial as well. So it will, you know, it will benefit you in some way. Either your
dean or your dunya it's going to benefit you in some way whatsoever. Because if you are doing
something that brings no benefit at all whatsoever, then that will actually be of harm to you. And
yes, I know a lot of people have seen that I'm involved in beekeeping. And it's something that I was
thrown into. So it's very interesting. It's something that I really have learned to enjoy. I was
just thrown into the deep end, so to speak, because I was gifted this hive. And I didn't really
		

			expect it to come at the time to Panama I was very interested in it from the time I had seen it but
I never expected to actually receive it and begin and yeah, it was very interesting to be honest
with you. You know, if you have as you mentioned, you do something try to do something that's of
benefit to you, and those around you and it can be something of benefit that benefits you in this
world and the next so I give you an example of somebody who's keeping bees looking after them etc.
The honey you get, you can go and give so many people and with the correct intention even a lot you
know you are rewarded for that you The main thing is your intention and you can have more than one
		

			intention. So your intention for example, when it comes to keeping peace, firstly, as we know this
pollution, etc. your intention Remember, a Muslim who even froze a seed that's why it's mentioned
that if the hour had to come and you have some seeds in your hand, throw it in other hotties. Why?
Because if you throw it in the thing can grow at least you're trying to do a good deed. In other
Hadith the person who grows something is no animal that benefits from it to a person who benefits
from the shade etc. Except that this benefit is a sadaqa for this person. So you look after animals,
whatever honey you get, you give it to the people, you're doing something that keeps you occupied a
		

			person who also does something which is permissible with the intention of staying away from how long
you've been in law, he will be rewarded. Remember that the virtue of our last panel what is worse is
very wide. Somebody who is used to for example going for, I don't know let's say going to the clubs
or going somewhere. Maybe if you substituted it to the gym at night with the intention of staying
away from that club and during the evening. You can be rewarded also.
		

			Yes, well I think that's important. We you're trying to get rid of a habit and you replace it with
another
		

			That, that habit should be productive, and you should replace it with another because, you know,
having no alternative just leaving it open, you will find yourself thinking about your bad habits
and going back to them engaging in them. But if you've got some productive behavior that you've
basically replaced that bad habit with, then you're more likely to give it up and start engaging in
that, you know, I was just talking with the
		

			brother, what he did was very interesting discussion the other day, we how, how we were talking
about giving up on addiction, and when someone's addicted to something, it can be *, it
can be heroin, cocaine, whatever it is. And he was saying that, you know, when you replace it, and
you begin to work towards it, and you feel the reward system, within your mind, it's rewarding you
now you're actually getting that dopamine so to speak, the injection of dopamine in your mind, that
pleasure, sensory feelings that you feel of happiness, because now it's been replaced, it's in a
much smaller dosage and quantity but at least you've replaced it with something whereas if you've
		

			left it open, completely self browsing, browsing through your phone, or you in the same area where
drug dealers are, you're going to more likely you know, fall back into that habit. So I think even
in that we can see that hobbies and interests can actually benefit a person in this way where you
use your interests and hobbies to do some find an alternative to the bad habits that you engaging in
you know, I was once reading a book a few years back I think it was called the habit loop or
something I didn't finish reading it. But there's a few interesting things he mentions in that book
one of them he's he speaks about how habits form and he says sometimes when you've developed a habit
		

			as far as I remember, if anybody's read the book, you can correct me but he says that if you see
something that's usually your trigger to do something, so you've you've got into this habit way you
look at something that's your trigger, you then see it and then you start doing it. So for you to
change your habit you need to get away from that trigger and you have to, as you mentioned, put
something else in do something else with that time you you you are spending on doing something
better, that habit you're trying to get rid of also stay away from that trigger point. So if you are
used to smoking you want to give up smoking number one stay away from the company who was allowing
		

			you to smoke How does always turn to hobbies when you leave something when you leave something you
were used to embedded into you are going to full fill that time with something else if it's not
going to be good deeds if it's not going to be something that is Salah or on at least make it
something permissible go horse riding go to gym start cooking do something else, but you'd rather be
doing something permissible than something haha she's not tell us some of your hobbies. What what
are you engaged in? What do you do?
		

			Think if somebody had to see me,
		

			I don't know what type of hobbies they would think I have. But
		

			before that, I'll get to before that because a lot of different people are following in the stream.
You know, I'm of the opinion I know a lot of people will disagree with me here but anything that's
permissible as long as it's not harmed go and do it. I'm I support somebody who wants to become a
professional gamer. As long as the games you're not playing, there's something wrong with them. And
as long as you're not missing your Salah, your whatever is compulsory upon you not disobeying your
parents. Because what happens we find the world we live in today, you may have a talent to a hobby,
and you're able to build your whole lifestyle on top of it. You no longer have to go to school, you
		

			no longer have to become an accountant. You no longer have to become a doctor, your parents who once
told you we're not saying disobeyed me try and listen to everything they say. But you don't have to
go that route. So sometimes your hobby, your hobby of cooking, of making cakes, your hobby of doing
something may become the business or the livelihood you then live off and why we mentioned this is
yes, Islam is worshipped Islam is a bad, but you also have to live in this world. And if you can
live in this world without being a burden on somebody else. That's you know, hey, we're Baraka,
that's something good. If it's through professional gaming, as long as it's not Haram, so be it. If
		

			it's through cooking, or if it's through product reviews, whatever it may be, you know, go and do
it. There's a lot of opportunity out there. Don't sit at home as somebody who's you know, feel it
feels like the whole world has come close or the whole world has closed upon you and there's nothing
for you to do now. There's a lot that you can do.
		

			Well, I love I love the fact that you're saying that whatever is halaal engage in it, do it you know
it's not a problem because
		

			there's a lot of money
		

			Are you out there that make you feel as though you Islam is very restrictive to the point where you
can't do anything and then there's some that make it seem like anything and everything is allowed.
So we need to strike that balance where you say, Okay, look, whatever is halal, do it and whatever
is harder, then leave it out. So what is halal and you like it and you enjoy and do it, like, like,
we see the provinces and I'm telling this person that you know, for everything, this is right time.
So even the Sahaba who came and he said that, you know, we feel like as if we are very spiritual
with you. And then when we leave you, we feel our you know, we feel a bit of a down. So Rasulullah
		

			saw Selim tells him Sarah, huzzah, you know, an hour and an hour, of course, he wasn't telling him
to engage in Haram, but he's telling him that look for your dunya you also need time, you need to
take our time to engage in the dunya do what you've got to do to, to live and survive. And I think
this is part of it, you know, a normal human existence where you're living, you've got homies,
you've got interest, you engaging them at times, you also don't become too excessive with them, you
do that which is productive. And like you said, you know, when you've got something that you're
interested in, say it's professional gaming, it's hands on, there's nothing wrong with it, and you
		

			earning money out of it out of that particular hobby, then you're most likely going to be very
successful at it since you already like it anyway, so why not do it? You know, why not engage in it,
you like it, you enjoy it, it's hallel. There's nothing wrong with the gaming process, so to speak.
As long as this it's not a haram video game, you're enjoying it, you're benefiting from it
Alhamdulillah, someone who's got another hobby that they're interested in good for them, you know,
if they do well with it, and hamdulillah and as we mentioned at the beginning, these people are
different levels of the spectrum. So as we saw once a hobby, we're told the messenger sallallahu
		

			alayhi wa sallam, he's not going to increase on anything that's more than compulsory, Salah he would
not do anything more than his soccer, not anything was asked. The messenger sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said after having said that he will be successful if it's truthful. So there's people that
yes, there's people who may not want to, and rightly so, what we're trying to say is, even if you're
at that level of the spectrum, you have your piano laid, and your Salah is a human aspect to your
life. Sometimes, as you mentioned that, when you you know, see there's a difference between seeing a
chef or listening to a chef. And then there's a difference between being around the chef, any chef
		

			you accompany, you'll find that human aspect to them. You might listen to all the lectures, sit with
them for a little while when they're not teaching, listen to the speech, listen to when they smile,
when they laugh, when they talk, you find it. So I think sometimes especially those who are more
into knowledge and that you think that you can only be a good student of knowledge if you're from
with everybody or you cross with everybody. And that's that's not the way they there's there's a
balance and the best example is the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
		

			Some people were speaking about other hobbies, maybe those who are following you could you can
mention what interests you? What do you do in your spare time, your free time? Some people asking a
few questions.
		

			somebody saying team sports? Yes, you will, you'll actually learn a lot from sports. When we were
young, we used to play a lot of golf. And on the golf course, we learned in fact, from my father, my
father is a businessman. I've learned things from my father that I've not learned from any shift and
give you an example. When playing golf, if we used to hit a bad shot, you know, when you hit a shot
that's going completely out. He would always tell us that, put your head down and you can hit it and
you say, you know what, I can't I can't I can't get it to whatever it is. You say no, you can. And
we learned how to think positively how to think that everything is possible. And to be honest, I
		

			haven't learned that from any shape. Where did I learn it? I learned it on the golf course to say
that anything in life is possible.
		

			People are asking about hobbies as we mentioned that we did play a lot of sports growing up. I mean,
I've still got friends from school still,
		

			you know in touch with them and we played a lot of sport we in athletics and golf and that type of
thing. And I always thought that I would either go into Dino I would go into professional sports,
nothing else. Even though at school I can't say fortunately or unfortunately we were good at school,
but I didn't find a liking right. I didn't see myself working as an accountant to working something.
Yes, it's important to know these things to have a gist of it. So as we mentioned before, sometimes
a hobby can eventually become your whole life.
		

			Do you find people who went on to play professional sports or went on to do other things? Right now
I think I'm more interested. I try, I can't claim to do it. But I try to have a bit of a balance in
the sense that in the morning, you try to do your pull on and what you need to do in terms of your,
your Islamic work. After that, I'll read about growth. I've read about business, how few people I
follow. And I'll tell you something funny that I followed quite quite a few people and learned so
much more from them. And what I think my new hobby is actually just learning from everybody else.
Just seeing what this person is doing and learning from them and seeing what this person is doing
		

			and learning from them. And try to implement it in my own life. I think I think that currently is my
hobby.
		

			I think chef Ibrahim is not with us, so maybe we can't hear him. Nonetheless, it's an interesting
topic. If Yeah, if there's any any questions we could answer we could see maybe if anybody's got
something else to say, What business are you in your interests? I'll tell you something interesting
is that
		

			I after learning in German semi I'm still in Medina University, learning the Arabic language. And
then I learned one year in the center, we are with a high school. After that in Korea to Sharia, I
learnt four years. In my third year, I got more interested in the Islamic business side of things
because I saw that Islam also has rulings when it comes to these things. However, my real business
interest only started when I went last year, I went to China with my father. And I saw how many you
know how big and how vast The world is and how much you can do. And also on that trip, we stopped in
a few countries and I met Muslim businessmen. So there's one of them who follows in the stream.
		

			Usually I met him I saw the good work they do I met others. You know, China is an interesting place
to go to, especially those who are in business. So I just saw something open and for me what I feel
is yes. is a lot of people teaching about Islam teaching about, you know, video, Salah radios, okay,
yes, those are Pillars of Islam. Nobody's denying that. But I find that there is a disconnect when
it comes to the worldly side of it. A lot of people they think this is not part of Islam. So I feel
that I'm more interested in supporting people who I'm not when I say more interested, but I'm
interested in wanting to hear from these business people because if you look at it, study the seal
		

			of the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam study the whole idea of actually doing you will find a
lot of a lot of decisions where business decisions that I wouldn't say purely business, there was
the Islamic aspect, but there was also a business aspect of it or There was also an economical
aspect of it. Look at them aha look at when the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam paid them well
How's it going? And I'm sorry, is it was good to bring the Muslims together. It was good to help
those to get on their feet but it's also an economical decision or we could say that not a decision
but there was economic benefit from it. You've got people who no longer are looking for houses,
		

			you've got people they've got a place to stay. they've they've been put on their feet. Look at your
model the Allahu anhu when he brought the D one and he got two people to record everybody who was
getting money. There's a lot of business and a lot of economics and a lot of management involved in
this and that interests me a lot.
		

			It was nice to
		

			inshallah inshallah barnacle avec
		

			la la consola murottal