Refining the Self – 4

Salam Alaikum Salaam cattle. Welcome to the class of o'clock. Today inshallah we'll talk about the importance of participating gathering for learning. It's important to discipline ourselves once we attend or participate in a gathering of learning. This could happen every day or once a week or once a month. So it is important for us to know how to attend or participate in these gatherings for learning. We mentioned few things last time, and today inshallah we are continuing.

amendment has my hammer law says you should never inquire obstinately or rebut arrogantly as one who wants to win without real knowledge.

It's all about intentions, why you are reverting? Why you are asking? Do you want to tell the people that this person has no knowledge and I have more knowledge than him? Or you're asking, as the man has mentioned, you're asking to know the answer, as the student of knowledge, so you should never inquire

as one who's arrogant?

If you know the answer, do not ask.

Because your purpose, again, is to benefit to learn and teach as well. And this will not happen if you're arrogant, or if you ask about things that you know whether he he doesn't have the answer, or he will answer with the wrong answer, or you don't even need this answer.

So, your purpose if you have a debate, if you have a dispute, you have argument, your purpose always is to reach the right thing, the truth the heck, that should be your purpose. Therefore, Imam Shafi Rahim Allah, he had pure intention, he used to say

manava to a hidden in lavorato, to anugerah, la Cala de, whenever I have a debate with someone, I wish the philosophy panatela made the truth

become clear

on his hands or on his mouth, this is a pure intention. That's how your intention should be your intention should not be or Subhanallah, he had the correct answer, and I did not have it. And you will work hard just to prove that he's wrong. Because what will happen now, you and your friend, you had two different opinions. And later on, you found out that he had the correct opinion. People you don't like people to say he was right and you were wrong. So now what you will do, you will try to find any proof to support what you said. While you know you know that it was not correct. So now instead of working to find the truth, your work to support your own opinion, your work for your own

desires, which is wrong. So therefore it's really important. It's really important the intention before you post any question

before you start any argument or debate why you are doing this is it to please Allah subhanaw taala or to please your own self, your own neffs

he says Rahim Allah This is a wicked character. And it indicates that one has too little religious conviction. Of course, if you have pure heart pure intention, you will not do that. People who do that, you will know that they don't have strong conviction in their religion. Too much meddling, they moodiness and great foolishness, again, you're wasting your time and you're losing her Senate by doing this. your intention always should be reaching the correct thing. The truth, that's your purpose. That's your intention.

For us, God suffices and here's the best Disposer of affairs was going along in Amman. Okay. So that's the chapter about

participating in gatherings for learning. Now, this is additional chapter for the previous section. He says if you encounter a speech, or read the passage in a book, then you must not deal with them with anger that gives rise to flourishes rebuttal before you clearly establish their foolish

their false hood by irrefutable argument.

Okay, this is again, very important point.

You have a book

and once you see the name, Allah Subhana Allah I don't like it. Why you don't like it, you did not even read it. It doesn't look good. Or on the other hand, you like someone so whatever he says, You agree with it. Your mom has Rahim Allah is telling you do not do that. If you encounter a speech or read the passage in a book, then you must not deal with them with anger.

You don't deal with them with anger just because you don't like the person.

Because many times, many times even the people we hate, they tell things which are correct.

The prophets I send them gave that lesson to Abu huraira de la Juan Abu huraira was the God for the soccer for the charities. And the Chapin came three times. He was stealing dates from the charity. First time he let him go because the shaitaan lied. He told him I have children and I want to feed them. The second time he also

felt sorry for him. But the third time he said No, I will not leave you. You came three times. So the shutdown told him, I will teach you something.

If you let me go, and he'll let him go. He told him, if you read ayatul kursi. Before you sleep, there will be a god protecting you.

So Abu huraira came to the messenger assassin and the prophet SAW Selim knew even before a Beretta tells them knew that there was a shaytan coming to Abu huraira That's why he was to ask him before even above 1000 prophets are seldom used to ask him, What did your companion do, means the one who came in the night. So moraira the third time he told him our messenger of Allah, He taught me something. If I read it could see, the prophet SAW Selim did not tell him all his JSON, so he's a liar. He told him, he told you the truth, while he is a liar, although he is a liar, but he said the truth in that particular thing. So, you should not deal with anything with anger. Be objective,

judge the writings, not the writer, judge the words, not the ones, the one who said them.

So you do not deal with them with anger.

You have something you believe it's wrong, try to refute it.

Try to put aside your feelings.

Also, you should not treat them with belief and acceptance before you establish their truth by irrefutable argument. The same thing

Do not the the bottom line here

and this statement of the man Rahim Allah is do not overreact. Do not overreact. Control yourself. Again, even if you love someone, and Masha Allah, He has lots of knowledge on human beings, as the messenger Selim said khulumani, Adam hapa all of them, they make mistakes, they air all of them, no exceptions. So since we all make mistakes, maybe there was a mistake, but when you take everything for granted just because you love him, you may accepting something which is wrong. So you do not overreact. Be objective and judge the writing, not the writer.

Do not be extreme, whether extremely angry or extremely happy. And why? Again, as I told you, many people, they use wrong judgments, just because it looks good. Or even the speaker Mashallah he has nice voice. But what about the words if they were wrong?

Or he looks nice, Mashallah. You judge the speech itself, the words, the letter, the book.

Otherwise, what will happen? That's what the man is saying. Otherwise, either way, you would be unfair to yourself and drive it away from the truth. That's what will happen.

Because you overreacted,

you judged according to your feelings. Not according to the writings.

But you should deal with them with neutral mind that is not inclined against or for them.

Even if, you know he said 10 things and all of them correct. Maybe the 11th would be wrong. So you judge it the same way.

Yes, Mashallah. You could say that he is good. But that does not mean everything is correct automatically.

Or you hated someone that means everything he has is wrong.

Learn from the story for water or the wrong even the shape on himself. He was right one time.

The shaytan himself, the prophet SAW Selim told that war era he told you the truth.

What are you writing? You have all this. This is the text I'm not. I did not write anything extra. You have this text. So I don't know what you're writing, which just takes the form and hasn't the book.

Here he says you should deal with them with the mind of someone who wants to learn from what he hears and reads.

That's how your intention should be. Again, it's important The intention is really important. If your intention is to learn, then whatever you found, which is correct.

You will take what whatever you found which is wrong, he will leave it.

Because you want to learn

this way you will increase your knowledge.

That's the way you will increase your knowledge

to accept what you hear and read if it's correct or to reject if it's wrong, guarantees for you, ample reward,

plentiful praise and great benefit. So again, what you will get if you became objective,

plentiful praise, great benefit, ample reward, you will get lots of things. So, most importantly in this life, you will get the knowledge and in thereafter, the pleasure of Allah subhanho wa Taala because your intention was correct, your intention was to learn. your intention was not to judge people to credit this one and this credit that one, your intention was to learn.

Now, we are moving to the second chapter,

which is the beginning of the book, with our two new force was laughing laughs luck healing the souls and improving the morals.

A man has mohalla says the pleasure of the rational in his comprehension, the pleasure of the learned in his knowledge, the pleasure of the wise in his wisdom and the pleasure of the devout in his devotion to Allah are greater than the pleasure of the eater in his foot of the drinker and his drink, and of the gainer in his pocket.

It's as if he's telling you, if you pray

for two hours, it's better than to play for two hours.

If you read the Quran for two hours, it's better than you trade and make money for two hours. It doesn't seem right. But that's what he says. That's what he believes. And I actually agree with him.

If you spend time in learning, it's better than spending time in plain.

Why?

He gave and he provided the answer. He said, The proof of this is that the wise, the rational and the learned are aware of the other pleasure and capable of feeling them as the one who seeks them. But they abandoned and forsook them, and prefer to seek the virtuous. Now the one who prays is praying to Allah subhanho wa Taala he was able to be outside and play.

You came here, you wanted to seek knowledge, while you were able to be somewhere else. What brought you here?

You wanted to seek knowledge. But do you feel that this is better than being there outside? Do you feel that you're more happy here? And while you are outside? You may say no, I don't feel I'm happy just like the one who takes the medicine. While it's awful. It tastes awful, but he has to I will tell you not even the taste is better.

Why? Again, he provided the answer. The one who can judge between two things or two matters is the one who knows both of them.

And not the one who knows one matter and does not know the other.

That's why the one who was spending time in prayer he already experienced

and he already played, but he chose to pray.

That means

he loves prayer more than playing. Otherwise he would be there. But the one who always plays he never prayed. He cannot judge. The one who can judge is the one who examined the two things. That's why many times non Muslims come and ask do you drink? No. Do you smoke? No. Do you date? You have boyfriend girlfriend? And you say no and they say what what are you doing? Your life is miserable. That's what they think. And

poor poor people they are because they did not experience they did not taste the life of straightforwardness. They did not taste the life of belief. That's all what they focus on. Because if they tried

to spend time with Allah subhanaw taala they will never leave it. That's why one of the pious predecessors he said via alamelu Nah, man Allah La Jolla do not receive if the kings and the sons of the kings they knew what what happiness we are in. They would fight us just to take this from us. They were more happier than the kings.

When you fast you enjoy fasting.

You are enjoying

because you're able not too fast. Yes for this delicious Mashallah and you like to eat but when you're away willingly

You You are your artistic this a bad? So the same thing the one who seeks knowledge. He's happy knowledge because he already

examined the other thing.

Imam Shafi Rahim Allah He said, it's more lovely here to me to spend the night

finding the answer for one issue seeking knowledge, then having a

bright,

brought for me, then marrying.

The same thing Khalid nanoliter, the alarm said, has been read through the law has said, to stay awake in the night in a cold night, on the borders, protecting the Muslim land is more lovely or to me than spending the night on a warm, nice bed with my wife.

Now he tested that thing, and he tested this thing as well. So the one who's able to judge is the one who examined the two matters, not the one who was in one month, how can you judge something you don't know. And that's why those people, those poor people, they are deprived, they think that they are happy, and we are deprived, but actually they are miserable. Because they did not examine they did not taste

the life of a man. All what they care about is their desires, drinking, smoking, listening to music, wasting their time,

having unlawful relationships. But once they try to be straightforward, once they try to be on this on the correct path, they will not leave it. That's why many non Muslims are becoming Muslims. How many Muslims do we have, they are living Islam.

While we have many non Muslims,

are becoming Muslims.

So that's the reality of the matter.

But many people, they don't think about it this way.

If you seek all things, now, this is another thing the member Himalayas telling you, if you seek all things, they will elude you. And the end result will be the loss of the affairs of this world.

The truth is in working for the hereafter on Now many people, they want to do everything. They want to do everything. If someone this is the thing, what if someone enrolled himself in five schools at one time, he said, you know, to become a doctor is very good.

And to become an engineer is also excellent. And to become a pilot and to join the military and he enrolled in all these things, what will happen to him?

What do you think he will fail in all of them?

Right? Because you cannot do everything.

So unfortunately, some people that's what they are trying to do here and there. Eventually, they will do nothing. So, do not try to do everything, focus on one thing. And what what is that thing man has Ramallah told you to work for the hereafter

to work for the hereafter. Now do not understand from this that working for the hereafter means you live all schools and you You are 24 hours in the masjid. Having a major This is working for the hereafter studying this is working for the hereafter. But that should be your main goal.

your highest ambition is to please Allah subhanho wa Taala

because every worldly gain now why why don't you spend more time

with your life and things that are in this world?

He provided the answer. Because every worldly gain you make will be followed by sorrow, every worldly gain. People spend years just to pay off the mortgage. People save money for five, six years just to purchase a nice car. But the man is telling you

eventually what you will have is sorrow. That's weird, but he gave the answer.

He told you why. Either by its removal from you or you removal from it. When you die, there is no escape.

There is no escape from one of these things. Save laboring for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala

you work 30 years just to pay off your mortgage

and you may not

what happens you will die. So he left. You worked 30 years for something that you loved it

or it was taken from you sold it

or your children took it from you or whatever one thing will happen whether you leave it or it will leave you when you die.

However, when you work for the sake of Allah one prayer, it will be in your record and it will be waiting for

For you, in the Day of Judgment, that's why you should focus on working for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala. Because that's what will count. That's what will remain every other thing. Even those who spend years saving their money just to purchase a car, what will happen, they will use it for a couple of years, and then what

they are bought, now they want something else, something new.

You save $200 to purchase this phone, this nice cell phone, and then another cell phone came. And now you want to purchase another one. That's how people are running in this life. While when you work for the, for the sake of Allah subhanaw taala this will be saved for you, it will be kept for you.

The consequences of such labor is joy in the short and long term in the short and long term. Now, you could understand that the joy for the long term, which is happiness thereafter and the Senate, but what about the short term, what about this life, we think people are miserable if they don't have a nice phone or a nice car. mm is telling you know, even in this life, you're happy how he said in the short term, it's to worry less about what occupies people. Now look at the people who

follow everything coming in the news, magazines, TV,

they like cell phones. And that's all they care about every two months, they want to change their cell phone, while the one who does not care he wants only to make phone call. So he's not worried. He doesn't spend much time, the one who spends all his time on cars. The same thing, this make these are the features, this is the model, these are the changes, then another thing came and he's spending more time on that he spent more time on that Why? The one who doesn't care, he just want

some method of transportation to take him from this point to that point. He did not spend that he has something else to work on. So he is less worried. He is less worried. While people are consuming the consumer is always

he's always willing to have something new. I had it then few days, few months, few years later, you want something else. So who's really happy, the one who did not care about

because he did not spend much time.

So it's

in the short term, it's to worry less about what occupies people. And in the long term. It's Paradise is telling you it'll lead you to paradise. Unfortunately, some people will tell you yes, to be dedicated and practicing Muslim is good, but only for the hereafter. You will live miserable. Actually, no, you will live very, very happy. Many people, they don't have lots of money, but they are happy. Because happiness is not only money, money could bring you some happiness. Many people who have millions of dollars, they are living a miserable life. And they end up committing suicide. Why? What's happened to the money?

It's not about money. What do you have in your heart? How you are spending your time. If you spend it in the pleasure of Allah subhanaw taala then you will have the joy in this life force.

The rational does not see a price for his soul other than paradise.

That's the rational. If you have a sane mind.

You don't waste your soul for something less than paradise. You don't accept something less than paradise. paradise should be the price for your soul.

So when your life ends,

Where will your soul go? Is it going to paradise or to Hellfire or if it's going to paradise then you are rational?

Actually, there is a man one of the pious predecessors.

The soldiers of the halifa

with with an inmate came and passed by him, so he stood up.

And his students looked at him.

They were surprised why you stood up for that convicted person. You showed respect to him. He said, Well, he spent his life he's paying his life for his desire.

I have to respect him. Because Allah commanded us to spend our life to please Him. And many times we don't do it. He spent his life paying his life as a price for his own.

desirous so why don't you want me to respect

he was so dedicated, but unfortunately, he was dedicated the other way. But at least he had the courage to do that. He knew that this is the punishment yet he did it. While we know the reward. Unfortunately, sometimes we don't do it. So imagine has to have a law is telling you the true rational rational is the one who sees Paradise

is the only price for his soul. You should not settle for less than paradise.

Satan profits by frightening people from being accused of obstruction of stations of stay *ness

means showing off of station sness. In fact, Satan profits by frightening people from being accused of, of spaciousness for a person might avoid doing that, which is good for fear of being considered abstentions.

He's telling you here, many times, you want to do something good. But Satan comes to you and he tells you don't do it. Why people will say that you are showing off.

This happens many times. So you end up not doing the good deed who won Eventually, the shaitaan because they stopped you from doing the right thing. So what's the solution? to show off? No, that's not what the man is telling you. He's telling you purify your intention. And afterwards as long as the intention is to please Allah subhanaw taala. You don't care about what people say. Whatever they say they may accuse you is showing off is doing this. You know your intention, do it. Don't be the victim of the shape one. Because eventually he will win if you listen to him. If he came and said, Oh, don't do it. People will will think that you are showing us you wanted to give money in charity.

And they came to you and He will tell you look everybody's watching you. They will say that you're showing off. So what do you do? Oh, yeah, you're right. So you don't pay eventually did not do the charity. She found one. So you have

to be smart. purify your intention, and then you don't get whatever the shaitaan would say. You wanted to please Allah subhanaw taala

you know that your that's your intention? Whatever people say you don't care. Don't let the shaitaan stop you from doing the good deed by giving you false whispering that you are showing off. Or you are hypocrite.

Another section now rationality and peace of mind alcl varaha.

Whoever believes that he can totally avoid people's scorn and criticism is mad.

This is very nice statement by the mama. Hi, mom. If you think that no one will criticize you. You're crazy. That's what he's telling you are crazy.

So why people become so offended or they get very, very upset. If they were criticized. Mama Mama sending you that's the nature. That's that will happen.

Are you better than the prophet SAW Selim? Are you better than him? Was he criticized or he wasn't.

He was criticized he was accused of many things. So who you are to be to feel that you're offended or

to be angry when someone criticizes you?

If you think you will be protected from criticism from people scorn. You're crazy. You're mad.

A loss of time subhanaw taala the creator people criticize him. People disbelieve in Allah subhanaw taala. And he's the Creator. So who you are. So he's telling you do not think that you will not be criticized.

Some people their job is only to criticize people.

And the Arabic folklore. There is a funny personality you have

they say this man haha. He was once with his son.

And they had a donkey with them.

And they passed by people. So I was riding the donkey. And his son was

walking. What did people say?

Look at this ruthless father.

He's riding the donkey and he left his son walking.

He doesn't plug his son.

So Joe has said next time he came and he put his son on the donkey and he was walking.

What did people say? Okay, this unmuted.

Son,

he disrespected his father. He's on the donkey and his father, he left his father walking.

Next time jack came, and he was riding the donkey

with his son.

So the people said, Look at those people, they don't have mercy. Two people on one donkey.

What are these people? So you have did not know what to do. Last time you had on the left and his son on the right, and the donkey was without any, right. So people said, Look at those crazy people they have don't care, no one is writing.

So whatever you do, people will criticize you. Whatever you do, people will criticize you.

So if you want to listen to them, believe me, you will never please them.

So it's better to seek the pleasure of Allah subhanho wa Taala.

Once you please Allah subhanaw taala people will be pleased with you. Do not think for one second that you will be protected from criticism. You prepared it and you did it very well. Yet you have someone who was nitpicking who said this is wrong.

That's fine. This is the nature of life. There will be people who will criticize you.

Whoever examines matters carefully, and disciplines himself to rely on the facts would enjoy people criticism.

He will enjoy people criticizing him more than praising him.

He's telling you, if you if you investigate, and if you examine the matters carefully, you will be happy with their criticism.

Unlike the nature of human being. You look here and you say what he's saying.

We like people to acknowledge our efforts. When someone praises me, Mashallah, you're a good speaker, you, you get very nice speech, I will feel happy about if someone came and said, that was a bad speech. I will be offended. He's telling you, if you were criticized, you should be more happier than if you were praised.

And he will provide the reason.

This is because if they praise you justly, if they praise Him justly, and he becomes aware of their praise, it might make him

vainglorious, and this would devalue his virtues.

You will become arrogant. Now, you will prepare your speech. How many people will praise me today? How many people will tell me Mashallah, that was good speech. So now, your intention is the people? Why if you prepare your speech, regardless of what people will say,

yes, and how do we learn if they praise you, that's fine. But if you're only waiting for them to praise you, and you will grow arrogant, Time after time,

then this is wrong. So in this case, actually, criticism is better, at least it will keep your intention,

you will lose the virtue because you changed your intention now, when they praise you. Now, this is one thing.

And the other thing if they praise Him unjustly, now let's say they were wrong.

You gave really a nice speech, but someone he misunderstood you or he did not.

He did not listen carefully, or his is picking on.

So if they praise Him unjustly, and he becomes aware of their praise, he would attain happiness from that which is false. And this would be a grave fault. Now if someone praise you, and you deserve this praise,

this is the first case someone praise you. And you deserve this praise. Even this is telling you that's wrong. Because you will become arrogant.

You will feel so handler Mashallah, that's good. Next time, how many people will praise me next time how many people were present? The other case you you delivered very bad speech. Yet someone came and he praised you. He said Mashallah, today, you mentioned a diet, while you only mentioned three iron. And also you became happy with this praise while it's unjust. He's telling me this is wrong. How you become happy with something you did not do.

This is a grave fault.

Look at the leaders of

third world countries

every day, day and night newspapers. They say they did this they did that they are the most just people and they are happy with this. While actually they did not do anything good.

Now why would you improve yourself if people are praising you?

unjustly

so this is a grave fault. That's why praise is is not good. So you should not be happy with the praise. If they praise you justly. This will cause you to become arrogant. If they praise you unjustly, this will cause you

to become happy with something you didn't know. Imagine if someone came and said Mashallah, every night you do the MLA and you say you nod your head while you never pray MLA is this good or bad?

You did not do it. So you should not be happy with

so shala we will end with this. This is the end of our session how There will still allow salon Milan Ambien modality