Khalid Latif – Getting Ready for Ramadan , Abdalla Idris & Imam Yasin Dwyer

Khalid Latif
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Representatives from the Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto are hosting virtual events to celebrate the upcoming month of celebrate Muslim Chaplaincy. The event is a virtual event for graduates of high schools and universities, where participants participate in free counseling sessions. The speakers emphasize the importance of understanding oneself and the physical and mental aspects of one's life to see what is going on within oneself and move forward in a holistic way. They also encourage individuals to be mindful of their emotions and not be afraid of anything, and to plant their hearts and be generous to their religion and community.

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			In the name of Allah, most gracious, most
		
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			merciful, all praise and all thanks belongs to
		
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			Allah. We praise him. We thank him. We
		
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			seek his help and we ask for his
		
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			forgiveness.
		
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			And we ask Allah most glorified and exalted
		
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			to shower his peace, his blessing, his benediction
		
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			upon
		
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			our beloved prophet,
		
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			Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasalam, his family, his companions,
		
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			and the righteous
		
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			everywhere.
		
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			My dear brothers, sisters, friends,
		
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			honored guests, I greet you all with the
		
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			greeting words of peace, the greeting words of
		
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			paradise, the greeting words of Islam.
		
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			Assalamu
		
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			alaykum.
		
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			May God's peace, mercy,
		
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			and blessings be with each and every one
		
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			of
		
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			you. I wish to welcome you all
		
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			to Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto's
		
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			pre Ramadan
		
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			event
		
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			and fundraiser.
		
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			We thank you so much for taking
		
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			your valuable time out of a Thursday
		
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			evening
		
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			to,
		
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			share the moment with us
		
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			and to celebrate
		
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			Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto
		
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			and to celebrate
		
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			the great moment that we are about to
		
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			embark upon
		
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			the moment that we call the month of
		
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			Ramadan.
		
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			Oh, you who believe fasting has been prescribed
		
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			for you as it was prescribed for those
		
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			before you so that you may cultivate
		
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			the mindfulness
		
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			of God. So we indeed
		
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			are embarking upon a very special moment
		
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			in the Muslim calendar, and we're so happy
		
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			that you could join Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto
		
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			on this blessed Thursday evening.
		
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			We have 2 very special
		
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			speakers with us today.
		
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			But before I introduce our speakers, I wanted
		
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			to mention that,
		
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			you know, one of the most important
		
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			objectives
		
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			of Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto is to provide
		
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			faith based counseling
		
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			and positive
		
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			mentorship.
		
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			And within the last year,
		
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			our 3 chaplains here at Muslim Chaplaincy
		
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			of of Toronto have held over
		
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			350
		
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			confidential
		
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			counseling sessions
		
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			ranging from questions of faith
		
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			to ways of dealing with school
		
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			stress.
		
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			And this is a critical service for students
		
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			looking for a safe space
		
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			to ask questions,
		
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			to seek spiritual guidance,
		
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			and to connect with experienced
		
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			spiritual
		
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			counselors.
		
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			And all of these sessions
		
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			are for free
		
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			without charge.
		
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			And indeed, we see this service
		
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			as an extension
		
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			of our
		
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			spiritual and religious
		
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			mission
		
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			as Muslims.
		
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			So we are in need of your support.
		
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			We are in need of your,
		
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			good wishes, and we are in need most
		
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			importantly of your dua.
		
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			So we are here to
		
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			celebrate
		
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			the work of Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto.
		
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			We're here to celebrate all of you, and
		
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			we are here to
		
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			encourage all of you
		
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			to be generous
		
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			and indeed
		
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			to remind you if the work of Muslim
		
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			Chaplaincy of Toronto
		
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			is important to you, is meaningful to you,
		
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			and you feel is a very important part
		
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			to the
		
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			forward momentum of our community, please
		
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			donate
		
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			generously.
		
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			As well, we have now expanded our counseling
		
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			services
		
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			to all
		
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			Ontario
		
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			universities.
		
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			Because our work has moved online
		
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			due to the COVID 19 pandemic,
		
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			our circle has
		
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			expanded.
		
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			Albeit
		
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			we most prefer
		
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			the visible presence
		
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			the visible presence,
		
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			of
		
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			community life. However,
		
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			Allah has
		
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			given us this situation.
		
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			So Alhamdulillah,
		
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			we are now online and we are able
		
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			to expand our circle. So Alhamdulillah, as I
		
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			mentioned before, we have
		
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			some very special guests with us today, both
		
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			supporters of Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto, and we're
		
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			gonna get straight into our program.
		
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			Our first, beloved guest is Imam Khalid
		
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			Latif, and he is a university chaplain
		
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			for New York University and the executive director
		
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			of the Islamic Center,
		
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			at New York University.
		
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			Under his leadership, the Islamic Center at New
		
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			York University became the first ever established
		
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			Muslim student center at a u at an
		
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			institution
		
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			of higher education in the United States.
		
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			Imam Latif's exceptional dedication and ability to cross
		
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			interfaith
		
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			and cultural lines on a daily basis
		
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			brought him recognition throughout the city. So much
		
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			so that in 2007, mayor Michael Bloomberg
		
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			nominated
		
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			Imam Latif to become the youngest
		
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			chaplain in history of the New York City
		
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			Police Department
		
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			at the age of 24.
		
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			What was I doing at the age of
		
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			24? I definitely was not a chaplain
		
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			for not only the New York City Police
		
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			Department, for any
		
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			police department. So
		
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			we're so happy to have Imam Khalid Latif
		
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			with us. He has been,
		
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			a strong supporter of Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto,
		
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			and we feel so blessed,
		
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			to have you present with us.
		
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			Imam Khalid Latif, please,
		
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			address us. Thank you.
		
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			All praise is due to Allah
		
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			We thank him. We praise him. We glorify
		
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			him.
		
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			We beseech him to send his choices salutations
		
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			upon his most beloved
		
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			and upon all those who choose to tread
		
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			in his path until the last day.
		
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			If I were to ask you all
		
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			whether you're having a good day today or
		
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			not,
		
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			And you are to answer that question within
		
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			yourself,
		
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			a simple yes or no that my day
		
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			is going well or my day is not
		
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			going well.
		
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			And then building upon that answer,
		
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			I was to ask you,
		
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			why?
		
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			Why is it good,
		
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			or why is it not good?
		
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			What is it making either of those experiences?
		
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			And after you reflect on that for a
		
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			little bit and try to think for yourself,
		
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			and ideally,
		
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			at a later time, do when you have
		
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			some more time allocated for that reflection.
		
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			I want you to think
		
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			whether you would want to have a good
		
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			day tomorrow.
		
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			And to not confine tomorrow just to the
		
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			day that is after today, but you could
		
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			place tomorrow in terms of a week from
		
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			now or 2 weeks from now.
		
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			And likely, most of us would say that,
		
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			yes, we want to have a good day
		
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			tomorrow.
		
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			May Allah make it so.
		
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			And within the prism of that conversation,
		
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			within yourself,
		
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			I would then ask you to reflect on
		
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			what is it that will make that day
		
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			good?
		
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			What will you need for it to make
		
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			it so?
		
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			Where we find ourselves in a place that
		
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			is most opportune, that many of us likely
		
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			have heard for some time over and over,
		
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			if not over the course of the last
		
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			days, but weeks years.
		
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			The blessing that is Ramadan, may Allah enable
		
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			us to reach it
		
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			and make us from amongst those who benefit
		
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			from it.
		
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			And the idea is we have maturation
		
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			to our physical self, our emotional self, our
		
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			mental self.
		
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			Our spiritual maturation is also something that needs
		
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			to take place.
		
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			At the same way as if when I
		
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			was 5 years age or 5 months old,
		
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			I didn't eat the same foods that I
		
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			eat now or didn't wear the same clothes
		
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			that I wear now. I have organic growth
		
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			to myself.
		
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			My spiritual maturation necessitates me also having evolution
		
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			in how I relate to my religion and
		
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			my faith and to take what it is
		
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			that's been given to me in terms of
		
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			spiritual vehicles and practices
		
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			and to now have them
		
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			be things that I still generate inward growth
		
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			from,
		
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			especially a month of Ramadan.
		
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			And to see it within the moment that
		
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			we find ourselves in
		
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			that goes back to these questions
		
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			of
		
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			what is it that's going to really bring
		
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			us contentment?
		
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			What is it that's going to help us
		
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			to find meaning in the course of our
		
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			day?
		
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			What is it that's going to help me
		
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			to assure
		
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			that the day that I experience tomorrow
		
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			is going to be a good day?
		
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			And that means that our approach to Ramadan
		
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			begins with the same things that it does
		
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			for so many people.
		
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			It's a month that's about Quran. It's a
		
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			month that is for fasting for those who
		
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			are able to if they have the means
		
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			to.
		
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			It's a month of generosity.
		
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			It's a month of so much.
		
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			But, fundamentally, all of it comes back to
		
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			what everything in our tradition comes back to,
		
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			a means of connecting to our creator
		
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			and through a formula that understands that our
		
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			understanding
		
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			and knowing of Allah
		
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			is by knowing of ourselves.
		
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			What our conversation tonight affords for us is
		
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			an opportunity to think about ourselves in a
		
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			more holistic
		
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			capacity
		
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			and to not just see us through the
		
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			physical self, but to also understand that just
		
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			as we have a body, a badin, a
		
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			jesid, a physical,
		
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			so too we have the qalb, the spiritual
		
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			heart. We have the aqr, the intellect. We
		
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			have the nafs, the ego. We have irada,
		
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			sheer will and determination.
		
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			And Ramadan affords us the opportunity to connect
		
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			to so much of what's happening within us
		
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			and to begin now to move forward in
		
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			a way that allows for us to have
		
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			a holistic approach to what it is that
		
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			we have going on.
		
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			And the physicality of it aside, because it's
		
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			never been about empty stomachs,
		
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			and it's always been about full hearts.
		
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			And not hearts that are full that they
		
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			feel like they're gonna burst and break,
		
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			but a fullness
		
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			that gives us empowerment and strength and energy.
		
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			That means that we have to, in our
		
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			own spiritual maturation,
		
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			pay attention to what comes up in the
		
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			course of Ramadan.
		
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			In the prism
		
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			of
		
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			the other spheres that make us a whole
		
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			self,
		
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			our mental,
		
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			emotional,
		
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			spiritual,
		
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			and physical.
		
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			I was in Canada pre COVID and was
		
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			invited to be in a conversation
		
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			at a large masjid
		
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			in the area that was having
		
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			discussions now
		
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			introductory
		
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			on mental wellness and health.
		
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			And after I'd given some remarks, we had
		
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			a panel. And on the panel, there was
		
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			a young woman who was speaking to this
		
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			audience of 500
		
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			that were individuals
		
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			of all backgrounds.
		
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			And as she saw her
		
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			personal narrative and made herself vulnerable,
		
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			She talked about what it was like for
		
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			her as a convert to Islam
		
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			who self identifies
		
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			as black,
		
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			has
		
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			been diagnosed with clinical depression,
		
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			and also is a survivor of abuse
		
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			stemming from an incestuous relationship.
		
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			May Allah make things easy for her and
		
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			all those who are survivors of abuse.
		
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			And she very vividly described what her life
		
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			was like in the prism of mental health.
		
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			That's what the conversation was about that day.
		
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			And when it concluded
		
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			and the audience started to get up and
		
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			have conversations,
		
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			3 women approached me
		
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			who, not stereotyping them in any way,
		
00:13:54 --> 00:13:58
			but wearing abayas and hijab and niqab so
		
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00
			that you can get a picture of them
		
00:14:00 --> 00:14:00
			in your mind.
		
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03
			And they said, can we talk to you
		
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05
			for a moment? And I said, sure.
		
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08
			And they said, we studied this religion
		
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11
			traditionally
		
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13
			in the Indian subcontinent
		
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15
			for 7 years.
		
00:14:16 --> 00:14:19
			We pursued Ferger graduate studies
		
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20
			in the UK.
		
00:14:22 --> 00:14:25
			We're even studying more now
		
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26
			here in Canada.
		
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31
			And they said nothing in the decade plus
		
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34
			of learning that we've engaged
		
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38
			has taught us how it is that we're
		
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39
			supposed to
		
00:14:40 --> 00:14:40
			respond
		
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43
			or answer
		
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44
			this person.
		
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47
			And I said to them with deep love
		
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49
			that maybe that's because
		
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51
			you're not the ones that are supposed to
		
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53
			be answering her,
		
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55
			and that's okay.
		
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59
			That your training is what it is,
		
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01
			and it's an important training.
		
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04
			But there are others who are deeply versed
		
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06
			in the fields
		
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07
			of counseling,
		
00:15:08 --> 00:15:10
			therapy, and so much more
		
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13
			that can help to add nuance
		
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16
			to what it is that she is going
		
00:15:16 --> 00:15:16
			through.
		
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20
			And so where you and I can understand
		
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23
			the conversation that we have today
		
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			and the critical role that a chaplaincy provides
		
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			as we go through Ramadan now and we
		
00:15:29 --> 00:15:32
			understand the legality of it. We understand the
		
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35
			fiqh aspects of it. We know what invalidates
		
00:15:35 --> 00:15:38
			our fast and what validates our fast. We
		
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40
			know what is prohibited and what is recommended.
		
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43
			We know the start times and the end
		
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44
			times.
		
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			What we want to know now is how
		
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50
			do we deal with the things that come
		
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51
			up for us?
		
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54
			The stresses, the exhaustion,
		
00:15:55 --> 00:15:57
			the anguish, the anxieties.
		
00:15:59 --> 00:16:02
			How do we start to approach the realities
		
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04
			that come to us day to day that
		
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06
			suddenly don't stop when the month starts?
		
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09
			And who is it that we go to
		
00:16:09 --> 00:16:12
			to now start to engage in conversations
		
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16
			that are not always just giving us direct
		
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17
			answers
		
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19
			because everything is not always so black and
		
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20
			white,
		
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23
			but to help to create within us the
		
00:16:23 --> 00:16:26
			sense of self esteem and self worth, empowerment
		
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28
			to our tradition, and give us a sense
		
00:16:28 --> 00:16:28
			of accountability
		
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32
			rooted in confidence that we can make choices
		
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33
			and decisions.
		
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37
			And even when we
		
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38
			have struggles,
		
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40
			that we don't have to go through it
		
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40
			alone
		
00:16:41 --> 00:16:43
			because there is an empathetic ear that is
		
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44
			listening
		
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46
			to affirm what it is that we feel
		
00:16:46 --> 00:16:49
			and to help us learn how to replenish
		
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51
			ourselves through what we go through.
		
00:16:52 --> 00:16:55
			Many of you likely have heard of the
		
00:16:55 --> 00:16:58
			attacks that took place in Dallas, Texas
		
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01
			earlier this week. And may Allah make things
		
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02
			easy
		
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05
			for all those whose lives were lost
		
00:17:07 --> 00:17:09
			and the ones that they have left behind
		
00:17:09 --> 00:17:11
			who yearned to be with them.
		
00:17:12 --> 00:17:15
			The young woman who was killed
		
00:17:16 --> 00:17:18
			in that violent attack
		
00:17:19 --> 00:17:21
			was a student of mine at New York
		
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22
			University.
		
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26
			May Allah grant her peace and entrance into
		
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27
			Jannah without any judgment,
		
00:17:28 --> 00:17:30
			a beautiful young woman by the name of
		
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31
			Farben Dohid.
		
00:17:34 --> 00:17:36
			And over the course of the last few
		
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			days
		
00:17:37 --> 00:17:37
			where
		
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40
			so many of her friends and classmates,
		
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42
			faculty, professors,
		
00:17:43 --> 00:17:46
			administrators who knew her as a student in
		
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47
			our school of the arts,
		
00:17:48 --> 00:17:51
			A young girl whose energy was so profound
		
00:17:51 --> 00:17:54
			that no one could say anything other than
		
00:17:54 --> 00:17:56
			when she walked into a room, she would
		
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57
			just illuminate the room
		
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00
			dedicated to her
		
00:18:01 --> 00:18:04
			art which spoke such volumes of who she
		
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06
			was and what her character was.
		
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09
			There's so many people
		
00:18:10 --> 00:18:12
			who are looking now for understanding,
		
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14
			looking for healing,
		
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16
			looking for hope,
		
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20
			and continue to
		
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22
			in these days
		
00:18:23 --> 00:18:25
			that are still so raw
		
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26
			after
		
00:18:28 --> 00:18:28
			that violent
		
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30
			tragic attack
		
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32
			that took her life and that of her
		
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33
			immediate family.
		
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39
			And for all of those young people, we
		
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40
			were able to create
		
00:18:40 --> 00:18:43
			healing spaces and spaces for processing.
		
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47
			My staff and I at our chaplaincy
		
00:18:48 --> 00:18:48
			last night
		
00:18:49 --> 00:18:52
			hosted a khatam and a service that had
		
00:18:52 --> 00:18:55
			100 from across our university,
		
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57
			whether they were of our faith or not,
		
00:18:58 --> 00:19:01
			listen to her friends reflect on her, hear
		
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03
			us recite Quran,
		
00:19:03 --> 00:19:06
			complete 5 khatms on behalf of her and
		
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07
			her family,
		
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09
			and make du'a for their magfirah.
		
00:19:12 --> 00:19:14
			And then we had a smaller space
		
00:19:14 --> 00:19:17
			where there was about 60 or 70 who
		
00:19:17 --> 00:19:17
			gathered
		
00:19:18 --> 00:19:20
			to now have more open discussion
		
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21
			on what it feels like.
		
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27
			I want you to think
		
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29
			because in that moment,
		
00:19:30 --> 00:19:32
			amongst the people who showed up
		
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33
			were also
		
00:19:33 --> 00:19:35
			members of her family,
		
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38
			who said that in the midst of all
		
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39
			of this,
		
00:19:40 --> 00:19:42
			this is the first base that we feel
		
00:19:42 --> 00:19:42
			like
		
00:19:43 --> 00:19:45
			we're actually starting to heal.
		
00:19:48 --> 00:19:50
			That's what a chaplaincy does,
		
00:19:52 --> 00:19:54
			and that's how you have to use yours
		
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55
			and cultivate it
		
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57
			and engage it as a resource through your
		
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58
			Ramadan
		
00:19:58 --> 00:20:00
			after a year in a pandemic
		
00:20:00 --> 00:20:03
			where there's so much stress and so much
		
00:20:03 --> 00:20:06
			difficulty, and it's okay to acknowledge that. That's
		
00:20:06 --> 00:20:08
			not a sign of anything problematic.
		
00:20:11 --> 00:20:13
			And I want you to think where would
		
00:20:13 --> 00:20:16
			those hundreds of people be? Where would those
		
00:20:16 --> 00:20:19
			dozens of students be who are her close
		
00:20:19 --> 00:20:22
			friends in a short amount of time as
		
00:20:22 --> 00:20:24
			a 1st year student that she built a
		
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25
			relationship with?
		
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28
			Where would they be
		
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			if our office, our center, our chaplaincy was
		
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34
			not there to provide support
		
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35
			to them?
		
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			That's the unfortunate reality that many Muslim students
		
00:20:42 --> 00:20:42
			experience.
		
00:20:43 --> 00:20:46
			In Canada, the United States, the UK, and
		
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47
			much of the world.
		
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			A space that is so critical within one's
		
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53
			formative period of
		
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01
			with a complimentary
		
00:21:02 --> 00:21:04
			understanding of the ethical and moral framework
		
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07
			that equips them now with the opportunity
		
00:21:07 --> 00:21:09
			to move forward, to find strength through our
		
00:21:09 --> 00:21:12
			tradition, to find meaning in failure, and to
		
00:21:12 --> 00:21:14
			know that you don't have to just go
		
00:21:14 --> 00:21:17
			through things alone or that your expression of
		
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18
			emotions is not a problem.
		
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23
			In this coming Ramadan,
		
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25
			try to understand that there are so many
		
00:21:26 --> 00:21:28
			who would long for someone to just call
		
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30
			them and check-in on them. So be the
		
00:21:30 --> 00:21:32
			ones who check-in on them.
		
00:21:33 --> 00:21:36
			There are so many who are going through
		
00:21:36 --> 00:21:38
			difficulty and strife. May Allah make things easy
		
00:21:38 --> 00:21:40
			for them. Be the reason they have hope
		
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41
			in this world.
		
00:21:42 --> 00:21:44
			Live your faith in such a way that
		
00:21:44 --> 00:21:46
			it is not simply one that is nefsy
		
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47
			or egocentric,
		
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49
			but serves the common good.
		
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53
			And then make sure that you become the
		
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54
			biggest advocates
		
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59
			of stabilizing
		
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01
			in people's minds
		
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05
			why the chaplaincy
		
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08
			at the University of Toronto is so important
		
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11
			for the students there,
		
00:22:12 --> 00:22:14
			the entire community there,
		
00:22:15 --> 00:22:17
			but also for the city of Toronto
		
00:22:17 --> 00:22:19
			and people who
		
00:22:20 --> 00:22:20
			live
		
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22
			all around it and in other parts of
		
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23
			the world.
		
00:22:26 --> 00:22:29
			Because the success and support of that vibrant
		
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30
			institution
		
00:22:30 --> 00:22:33
			will then yield individuals such as yourself to
		
00:22:33 --> 00:22:36
			go out with a different sense of self,
		
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40
			then you now become the catalyst
		
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42
			of real change
		
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44
			for so many.
		
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47
			A source of light and illumination.
		
00:22:50 --> 00:22:52
			A source of healing and a source of
		
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53
			benefit.
		
00:22:57 --> 00:22:59
			That's why we have to do our part
		
00:22:59 --> 00:23:02
			to ensure that no one feels alone.
		
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05
			No one feels they have to struggle by
		
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05
			themselves.
		
00:23:07 --> 00:23:09
			The Quran, it prohibits alcohol, and the prophet
		
00:23:09 --> 00:23:13
			sallallahu alaihi wasallam demonstrates to us pastoral care
		
00:23:13 --> 00:23:16
			and how he shows compassion to the companion
		
00:23:16 --> 00:23:19
			of his that in hadith he is laughing
		
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20
			with.
		
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22
			And in other narrations,
		
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24
			he is standing with
		
00:23:25 --> 00:23:28
			as he struggles with his drinking and comes
		
00:23:28 --> 00:23:30
			to take the Hyde punishment for it.
		
00:23:32 --> 00:23:34
			And when other people mock him and say,
		
00:23:34 --> 00:23:37
			oh, so and so, he's coming again in
		
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38
			a way that looks down at him,
		
00:23:40 --> 00:23:42
			Our prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam says to
		
00:23:42 --> 00:23:45
			those people that do not assist shaitan in
		
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46
			victory over your brother,
		
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47
			then indeed
		
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50
			he loves Allah and his messenger.
		
00:23:52 --> 00:23:54
			If those people heard it and we know
		
00:23:54 --> 00:23:57
			it, then assuredly, the prophet's companion
		
00:23:57 --> 00:23:59
			heard it and find strength to it. That's
		
00:23:59 --> 00:24:02
			what a chaplain does. That's what pastoral
		
00:24:02 --> 00:24:05
			care is. It works with a person in
		
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06
			their given reality.
		
00:24:06 --> 00:24:09
			It allows for Ramadan to not just be
		
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10
			about the absence
		
00:24:14 --> 00:24:16
			absence of water, but it's about embracing now
		
00:24:16 --> 00:24:19
			a nourishment of the whole vessel. And I
		
00:24:19 --> 00:24:21
			don't know about you, but I could say
		
00:24:21 --> 00:24:23
			for myself that after the last year and
		
00:24:23 --> 00:24:25
			a half, I'm ready for replenishment.
		
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27
			I'm ready for rejuvenation,
		
00:24:28 --> 00:24:30
			and I'm ready to turn to people who
		
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31
			make sense
		
00:24:31 --> 00:24:33
			to help me get to where it is
		
00:24:33 --> 00:24:35
			that I want to be and my soul
		
00:24:35 --> 00:24:37
			is in need of me returning to.
		
00:24:39 --> 00:24:41
			And so support your chaplaincy
		
00:24:41 --> 00:24:43
			and encourage others to as well,
		
00:24:44 --> 00:24:47
			and make sure you avail yourself of the
		
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48
			resources that you have.
		
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50
			Just think and reflect
		
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52
			as our teacher,
		
00:24:53 --> 00:24:55
			Ma'am Yassin, is telling us.
		
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57
			350
		
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58
			cases.
		
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59
			Can you imagine that?
		
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02
			Anxiety,
		
00:25:03 --> 00:25:03
			depression,
		
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04
			grief,
		
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06
			suicidal ideation,
		
00:25:06 --> 00:25:10
			physical abuse, mental abuse, financial abuse,
		
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11
			spiritual abuse,
		
00:25:11 --> 00:25:14
			relationship issues, family issues.
		
00:25:16 --> 00:25:16
			Worry
		
00:25:17 --> 00:25:19
			about the future, bad grades,
		
00:25:20 --> 00:25:23
			marital problems, things across the gamut, These are
		
00:25:23 --> 00:25:26
			entire people with names and narratives.
		
00:25:26 --> 00:25:28
			Where would they have gone
		
00:25:28 --> 00:25:31
			if not to the 3 chaplains that are
		
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32
			there at your chaplaincy?
		
00:25:34 --> 00:25:36
			And would the alternatives
		
00:25:36 --> 00:25:38
			actually have yielded for them
		
00:25:38 --> 00:25:40
			what it is that they needed?
		
00:25:43 --> 00:25:45
			Or would it be like the young woman
		
00:25:45 --> 00:25:47
			who I spoke to you before about?
		
00:25:49 --> 00:25:51
			When these 3 scholars,
		
00:25:51 --> 00:25:54
			who are scholars in their own right,
		
00:25:55 --> 00:25:57
			said we don't know how it is that
		
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58
			we can engage someone like this.
		
00:25:59 --> 00:26:01
			Would they have met somebody who did not
		
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02
			have the training,
		
00:26:03 --> 00:26:04
			but still nonetheless
		
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05
			pretended like they did?
		
00:26:07 --> 00:26:09
			And so with that, I wanted to ask
		
00:26:09 --> 00:26:11
			you all to join me in a short
		
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12
			dua
		
00:26:13 --> 00:26:15
			that is about our
		
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16
			coming Ramadan
		
00:26:21 --> 00:26:24
			as a way for us to be centered
		
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25
			together in the space
		
00:26:27 --> 00:26:30
			and to benefit from each other's presence that
		
00:26:30 --> 00:26:32
			even where buildings are closed, that hearts remain
		
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33
			open,
		
00:26:33 --> 00:26:36
			and our physical separation does not necessitate that
		
00:26:36 --> 00:26:38
			we have to be spiritually disconnected.
		
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40
			And so I would ask you all to
		
00:26:40 --> 00:26:43
			recenter yourself and join me in making a
		
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44
			dua
		
00:26:46 --> 00:26:48
			to remove yourselves from any distractions,
		
00:26:51 --> 00:26:53
			to let us be in a place where
		
00:26:53 --> 00:26:55
			we understand that before anything
		
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57
			came into existence,
		
00:26:57 --> 00:26:59
			Allah wrote that all of us would be
		
00:26:59 --> 00:27:01
			sharing this moment together.
		
00:27:02 --> 00:27:04
			And so your heart is the most precious
		
00:27:04 --> 00:27:06
			heart in the elevation of our dua.
		
00:27:07 --> 00:27:09
			May Allah accept it from us
		
00:27:09 --> 00:27:12
			and grant us better than what it is
		
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13
			that we are asking of him.
		
00:27:47 --> 00:27:50
			We begin this supplication in your name, You
		
00:27:50 --> 00:27:52
			Allah, and beseech you to send your choices
		
00:27:52 --> 00:27:54
			salutations upon your most beloved
		
00:27:56 --> 00:27:59
			We ask that you shower your infinite mercy
		
00:27:59 --> 00:28:00
			upon this gathering,
		
00:28:00 --> 00:28:02
			granting each and everyone who is present here
		
00:28:02 --> 00:28:04
			in and our loved ones, only the best
		
00:28:04 --> 00:28:06
			in this world and the best in the
		
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06
			next.
		
00:28:07 --> 00:28:09
			We ask you, Allah, that if all of
		
00:28:09 --> 00:28:10
			us are meant to be together only at
		
00:28:10 --> 00:28:12
			this time, at this place,
		
00:28:12 --> 00:28:15
			whether we are young or old, male or
		
00:28:15 --> 00:28:18
			female, regardless of our race, our ethnicity, our
		
00:28:18 --> 00:28:21
			social class, our country of origin, our cultural
		
00:28:21 --> 00:28:21
			heritage,
		
00:28:21 --> 00:28:23
			whether we are Muslim or come from a
		
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24
			different walk of life,
		
00:28:25 --> 00:28:27
			If our individual hearts are meant to be
		
00:28:27 --> 00:28:29
			in the presence of all of our hearts
		
00:28:29 --> 00:28:31
			that are gathered here only at this time
		
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32
			at this place,
		
00:28:33 --> 00:28:35
			and gather us all together again in the
		
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36
			best of places in the world beyond this
		
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37
			one.
		
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39
			You Allah, You 'alim,
		
00:28:39 --> 00:28:41
			knower of all things,
		
00:28:41 --> 00:28:43
			you who has known each of us before
		
00:28:43 --> 00:28:45
			we even knew ourselves,
		
00:28:45 --> 00:28:48
			help us through this coming month of Ramadan
		
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49
			to know ourselves better.
		
00:28:50 --> 00:28:52
			Help us through this blessed month to know
		
00:28:52 --> 00:28:54
			our strengths and to live by them, to
		
00:28:54 --> 00:28:56
			know our character and how to increase it,
		
00:28:56 --> 00:28:58
			to know our pains and how to heal
		
00:28:58 --> 00:29:00
			them, to know our value and how to
		
00:29:00 --> 00:29:03
			share it, to know our blessings and how
		
00:29:03 --> 00:29:05
			to be grateful for them, to know our
		
00:29:05 --> 00:29:07
			wants and to see where they conflict with
		
00:29:07 --> 00:29:10
			our needs, to know our shortcomings and to
		
00:29:10 --> 00:29:12
			how to confront and defeat them, to know
		
00:29:12 --> 00:29:14
			how to really forgive all those who have
		
00:29:14 --> 00:29:17
			wronged us and to actually forgive them, to
		
00:29:17 --> 00:29:19
			know how to seek forgiveness from those that
		
00:29:19 --> 00:29:21
			we have wronged and to then go out
		
00:29:21 --> 00:29:23
			and seek it, to know what charity is
		
00:29:23 --> 00:29:25
			by being generous with our wealth and our
		
00:29:25 --> 00:29:27
			time, to know what
		
00:29:31 --> 00:29:33
			goodness is by extending our hands without qualification
		
00:29:34 --> 00:29:36
			to all those who are in need.
		
00:29:37 --> 00:29:39
			Help us through the coming month of Ramadan
		
00:29:39 --> 00:29:41
			to know who it is that we are
		
00:29:41 --> 00:29:43
			and not let the people we are today
		
00:29:43 --> 00:29:45
			be afraid any longer to meet the people
		
00:29:45 --> 00:29:46
			we can be tomorrow.
		
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48
			And through it, you
		
00:29:49 --> 00:29:50
			Rabbi, help us to know you and your
		
00:29:50 --> 00:29:52
			mercy, to know you and your love.
		
00:29:53 --> 00:29:55
			Make us from amongst those who live with
		
00:29:55 --> 00:29:58
			true contentment every day of our lives and
		
00:29:58 --> 00:30:00
			grant us an abode in the place of
		
00:30:00 --> 00:30:03
			ultimate contentment in the world beyond this one.
		
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05
			Allow for our beings to be filled with
		
00:30:05 --> 00:30:07
			self love that we can go out and
		
00:30:07 --> 00:30:08
			share with others
		
00:30:09 --> 00:30:11
			rather than a love of ourselves that keeps
		
00:30:11 --> 00:30:13
			us from being everything that we are able
		
00:30:14 --> 00:30:16
			to be. When our hearts are heavy and
		
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17
			we are filled with darkness,
		
00:30:17 --> 00:30:20
			bring people to us who illuminate us through
		
00:30:20 --> 00:30:21
			kindness, compassion, and love.
		
00:30:22 --> 00:30:25
			Make us always the reason that people have
		
00:30:25 --> 00:30:26
			hope in this world
		
00:30:26 --> 00:30:28
			and never the reason that people might dread
		
00:30:28 --> 00:30:29
			it.
		
00:30:30 --> 00:30:32
			Help us to know the realities of those
		
00:30:32 --> 00:30:34
			that are around us by overcoming whatever it
		
00:30:34 --> 00:30:36
			is that exists within us that keeps us
		
00:30:36 --> 00:30:37
			away from one another.
		
00:30:38 --> 00:30:40
			Through the coming month of Ramadan,
		
00:30:40 --> 00:30:42
			perfect us inwardly so that we are victorious
		
00:30:43 --> 00:30:45
			in the battle that is taking place every
		
00:30:45 --> 00:30:47
			day for control of our hearts.
		
00:30:48 --> 00:30:51
			Give us victory over selfishness and remove from
		
00:30:51 --> 00:30:53
			within us any feeling of arrogance or racism.
		
00:30:54 --> 00:30:57
			Increase us in brotherhood and sisterhood so that
		
00:30:57 --> 00:30:59
			we might together take on every challenge that
		
00:30:59 --> 00:31:00
			we individually face,
		
00:31:01 --> 00:31:04
			and together celebrate every success and achievement.
		
00:31:05 --> 00:31:07
			Give us hearts that feel anger whenever one
		
00:31:07 --> 00:31:09
			of our sisters are abused
		
00:31:09 --> 00:31:12
			and the confidence and compassion needed to build
		
00:31:12 --> 00:31:14
			for her the services and shelters that she
		
00:31:14 --> 00:31:15
			is in need of.
		
00:31:16 --> 00:31:18
			Give us hearts that feel sadness when any
		
00:31:18 --> 00:31:20
			one of us loses a loved one
		
00:31:20 --> 00:31:22
			and the gentleness and mercy needed to be
		
00:31:22 --> 00:31:24
			there for them fully.
		
00:31:24 --> 00:31:26
			Give us hearts that feel joy whenever any
		
00:31:26 --> 00:31:28
			one of us succeeds
		
00:31:28 --> 00:31:30
			and the love and hope needed to celebrate
		
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31
			that achievement.
		
00:31:32 --> 00:31:34
			Give us hearts that are not lost in
		
00:31:34 --> 00:31:35
			the pursuit of this world,
		
00:31:36 --> 00:31:38
			but hearts that are bold enough to be
		
00:31:38 --> 00:31:40
			drawn to the world beyond this one.
		
00:31:40 --> 00:31:43
			Let our rage be only at the injustice,
		
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44
			oppression, and exploitation
		
00:31:45 --> 00:31:45
			of people
		
00:31:46 --> 00:31:48
			so that we will work for justice, equality,
		
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49
			and peace.
		
00:31:50 --> 00:31:52
			Let our tears shed only for those who
		
00:31:52 --> 00:31:54
			suffer from pain, rejection,
		
00:31:54 --> 00:31:56
			starvation, and conflict
		
00:31:57 --> 00:31:58
			so that we will reach out our hands
		
00:31:58 --> 00:32:01
			to comfort them and change their pain into
		
00:32:01 --> 00:32:01
			joy.
		
00:32:02 --> 00:32:04
			And let our successes be many as we
		
00:32:04 --> 00:32:06
			make a difference in this world by doing
		
00:32:06 --> 00:32:09
			the things which others say cannot be done.
		
00:32:10 --> 00:32:13
			Help us to see this world always through
		
00:32:13 --> 00:32:15
			hearts that have benefited from Ramadan,
		
00:32:15 --> 00:32:17
			to see the goodness in all those who
		
00:32:17 --> 00:32:18
			are around us,
		
00:32:19 --> 00:32:21
			and to never be those who elevate ourselves
		
00:32:21 --> 00:32:23
			by denigrating others,
		
00:32:23 --> 00:32:26
			to see the benefit in any challenge that
		
00:32:26 --> 00:32:26
			comes our way,
		
00:32:27 --> 00:32:29
			and to not pass on a gift that
		
00:32:29 --> 00:32:31
			can only be acquired through patience
		
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32
			and perseverance.
		
00:32:34 --> 00:32:37
			Help us to silence fear and abolish anxiety,
		
00:32:38 --> 00:32:41
			to overpower indifference and break away from greed,
		
00:32:41 --> 00:32:44
			to eliminate arrogance and defeat racism,
		
00:32:45 --> 00:32:46
			to be bold enough to ask of you
		
00:32:46 --> 00:32:48
			to make us those who only do that
		
00:32:48 --> 00:32:49
			which is good.
		
00:32:50 --> 00:32:53
			Make us those who find real peace and
		
00:32:53 --> 00:32:53
			real love
		
00:32:54 --> 00:32:56
			and not just the semblance of it.
		
00:32:57 --> 00:32:59
			Those who give real peace and real love
		
00:33:00 --> 00:33:02
			and not just the facade of it.
		
00:33:04 --> 00:33:05
			Make our motivation
		
00:33:05 --> 00:33:06
			always selflessness,
		
00:33:07 --> 00:33:08
			not selfishness,
		
00:33:09 --> 00:33:11
			sincerity, and never self centeredness.
		
00:33:14 --> 00:33:16
			For any pain and torment that we might
		
00:33:16 --> 00:33:16
			have faced
		
00:33:17 --> 00:33:20
			through it, give us ease, understanding, and facility.
		
00:33:21 --> 00:33:23
			For any suffering that we have sustained, bring
		
00:33:23 --> 00:33:26
			to us understanding and strength of healing.
		
00:33:26 --> 00:33:28
			Grant us always a life that is filled
		
00:33:28 --> 00:33:30
			with the wellness of our minds, our bodies,
		
00:33:30 --> 00:33:32
			our spirits, and our hearts.
		
00:33:33 --> 00:33:34
			Make this month of Ramadan
		
00:33:34 --> 00:33:35
			a month of rejuvenation
		
00:33:36 --> 00:33:39
			for us, a month of renewal for us,
		
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40
			a month of replenishment.
		
00:33:42 --> 00:33:43
			That it is not our stomachs that will
		
00:33:43 --> 00:33:44
			be hungry,
		
00:33:45 --> 00:33:47
			nor that our thirst will come from our
		
00:33:47 --> 00:33:47
			throats,
		
00:33:48 --> 00:33:50
			but it is our hearts, You Rabbi, that
		
00:33:50 --> 00:33:52
			are parched and long to be revitalized.
		
00:33:53 --> 00:33:55
			Grant us both in and through the coming
		
00:33:55 --> 00:33:57
			weeks a much needed peace that we long
		
00:33:57 --> 00:33:58
			for
		
00:33:58 --> 00:34:00
			even if we don't realize it.
		
00:34:01 --> 00:34:03
			And throughout that blessed month,
		
00:34:03 --> 00:34:05
			help us to make decisions through our hearts
		
00:34:05 --> 00:34:07
			and not ever at their expenses.
		
00:34:09 --> 00:34:11
			Put into our hearts a desire for nothing
		
00:34:11 --> 00:34:13
			less but to take from the coming Ramadan
		
00:34:13 --> 00:34:15
			all that it is that we can
		
00:34:16 --> 00:34:18
			and remove from our hearts anything that distracts
		
00:34:18 --> 00:34:19
			us from it.
		
00:34:20 --> 00:34:22
			Make us those who seek out witness and
		
00:34:22 --> 00:34:24
			benefit from Leilat al Qadr.
		
00:34:24 --> 00:34:26
			And in our standing in the nights, help
		
00:34:26 --> 00:34:29
			us to remember all those who are forgotten,
		
00:34:29 --> 00:34:31
			whether by us alone or the world around
		
00:34:31 --> 00:34:32
			us.
		
00:34:33 --> 00:34:35
			Give us the energy to stand into the
		
00:34:35 --> 00:34:37
			night and the sincerity to make du'a for
		
00:34:37 --> 00:34:39
			all who are special to us.
		
00:34:40 --> 00:34:41
			Through the coming Ramadan,
		
00:34:41 --> 00:34:43
			increase us in our Islam.
		
00:34:43 --> 00:34:44
			Through the coming Ramadan,
		
00:34:45 --> 00:34:47
			increase us in our iman. Through the coming
		
00:34:47 --> 00:34:48
			Ramadan,
		
00:34:48 --> 00:34:50
			increase us in our ihsan.
		
00:34:51 --> 00:34:53
			Make the Quran our guide and grant us
		
00:34:53 --> 00:34:55
			a deep understanding of it.
		
00:34:55 --> 00:34:57
			Make the sunnah our goal both inward and
		
00:34:57 --> 00:34:59
			outward aspects of it.
		
00:35:00 --> 00:35:01
			Make our prayer our anchor,
		
00:35:01 --> 00:35:03
			granting us the true sweetness
		
00:35:04 --> 00:35:06
			that salah and dua only can.
		
00:35:06 --> 00:35:08
			Make the best of our deeds the last
		
00:35:08 --> 00:35:09
			of our deeds,
		
00:35:09 --> 00:35:11
			and let not any one of us leave
		
00:35:11 --> 00:35:13
			this world other than in a state that
		
00:35:13 --> 00:35:15
			is most pleasing to you.
		
00:35:16 --> 00:35:18
			Thank you for the good work that is
		
00:35:18 --> 00:35:19
			coming
		
00:35:19 --> 00:35:20
			from the chaplaincy
		
00:35:22 --> 00:35:23
			at the University
		
00:35:23 --> 00:35:24
			of Toronto.
		
00:35:25 --> 00:35:28
			Bless all those who have established it, all
		
00:35:28 --> 00:35:30
			those who continue to work for it,
		
00:35:32 --> 00:35:35
			and make it a continued source of benefit,
		
00:35:35 --> 00:35:36
			illumination,
		
00:35:37 --> 00:35:39
			and light for all of your creation.
		
00:35:40 --> 00:35:41
			Make us
		
00:35:42 --> 00:35:43
			from the best of supporters
		
00:35:44 --> 00:35:46
			of the good work that is being done
		
00:35:46 --> 00:35:46
			there,
		
00:35:48 --> 00:35:49
			and increase
		
00:35:49 --> 00:35:51
			all those who are there
		
00:35:52 --> 00:35:53
			in all that is good
		
00:35:53 --> 00:35:55
			so that they might be a continued source
		
00:35:55 --> 00:35:57
			of benefit for your creation.
		
00:35:58 --> 00:35:59
			You Allah
		
00:35:59 --> 00:36:01
			bless us through the coming month of Ramadan
		
00:36:02 --> 00:36:03
			and help us to gain from it.
		
00:36:04 --> 00:36:06
			Protect us always from hearts that are not
		
00:36:06 --> 00:36:09
			humble, tongues that are not wise, and eyes
		
00:36:09 --> 00:36:11
			that have forgotten how to cry.
		
00:36:11 --> 00:36:13
			Forgive us for our shortcomings and guide and
		
00:36:13 --> 00:36:14
			bless us all.
		
00:36:35 --> 00:36:37
			Thank you all so much for the opportunity
		
00:36:37 --> 00:36:40
			to be with you, and thank you for
		
00:36:40 --> 00:36:42
			the great work that you all are doing.
		
00:36:42 --> 00:36:44
			May Allah make you a continued source of
		
00:36:44 --> 00:36:46
			blessing for his creation
		
00:36:46 --> 00:36:48
			and give to you only the best in
		
00:36:48 --> 00:36:49
			this world and the best in the next.
		
00:36:59 --> 00:37:01
			Thank you so much,
		
00:37:01 --> 00:37:03
			Imam Khaled Latif,
		
00:37:04 --> 00:37:04
			for
		
00:37:04 --> 00:37:05
			your support,
		
00:37:06 --> 00:37:08
			for your prayers, your supplications,
		
00:37:10 --> 00:37:11
			and for your presence.
		
00:37:19 --> 00:37:21
			We we are thankful for,
		
00:37:21 --> 00:37:23
			your presence, for your work,
		
00:37:23 --> 00:37:25
			and we look forward
		
00:37:26 --> 00:37:28
			to the time where we can,
		
00:37:29 --> 00:37:32
			be physically and visibly present with you once
		
00:37:32 --> 00:37:33
			again here in Toronto.
		
00:37:34 --> 00:37:34
			May
		
00:37:35 --> 00:37:37
			Allah bless you. May he guide you and
		
00:37:37 --> 00:37:38
			keep you
		
00:37:38 --> 00:37:41
			and your blessed family always
		
00:37:41 --> 00:37:42
			in his care.
		
00:37:43 --> 00:37:44
			May he,
		
00:37:45 --> 00:37:46
			help us
		
00:37:46 --> 00:37:49
			and facilitate goodness for us, and may he
		
00:37:49 --> 00:37:50
			plant
		
00:37:50 --> 00:37:52
			the seed of
		
00:37:52 --> 00:37:53
			righteousness
		
00:37:54 --> 00:37:55
			within the hearts
		
00:37:56 --> 00:37:57
			of you, your family,
		
00:37:58 --> 00:38:00
			and your children and may Allah
		
00:38:01 --> 00:38:02
			bless your children
		
00:38:02 --> 00:38:04
			and make them pleasing
		
00:38:04 --> 00:38:06
			to their Lord and pleasing
		
00:38:06 --> 00:38:08
			to their parents. May
		
00:38:08 --> 00:38:11
			Allah bless you and we look forward to
		
00:38:11 --> 00:38:13
			seeing you again very soon inshallah.
		
00:38:13 --> 00:38:15
			Thank you so much, imam Khaled.
		
00:38:17 --> 00:38:18
			Khaira. Alhamdulillah.
		
00:38:19 --> 00:38:22
			Imam Khaled has mentioned a lot of very
		
00:38:22 --> 00:38:22
			important
		
00:38:24 --> 00:38:24
			and
		
00:38:25 --> 00:38:25
			unfortunately
		
00:38:26 --> 00:38:26
			very
		
00:38:27 --> 00:38:27
			difficult
		
00:38:27 --> 00:38:28
			matters that
		
00:38:29 --> 00:38:31
			we as chaplaincy organizations
		
00:38:31 --> 00:38:32
			are dealing with.
		
00:38:33 --> 00:38:34
			And one of the main
		
00:38:34 --> 00:38:36
			features of a chaplaincy organization
		
00:38:36 --> 00:38:38
			is to provide
		
00:38:38 --> 00:38:40
			a spiritual home
		
00:38:40 --> 00:38:43
			for those who may feel
		
00:38:43 --> 00:38:44
			alienated
		
00:38:45 --> 00:38:48
			from those traditional spaces that we call religious
		
00:38:49 --> 00:38:49
			spaces.
		
00:38:52 --> 00:38:53
			And home
		
00:38:54 --> 00:38:55
			is not necessarily
		
00:38:55 --> 00:38:58
			where you were born, but home is where
		
00:38:58 --> 00:38:59
			all attempts
		
00:39:00 --> 00:39:01
			to escape
		
00:39:01 --> 00:39:02
			cease,
		
00:39:03 --> 00:39:05
			where you don't have to run anymore.
		
00:39:06 --> 00:39:09
			That in fact is where home is found,
		
00:39:10 --> 00:39:12
			And we at Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto are
		
00:39:12 --> 00:39:13
			looking to create
		
00:39:14 --> 00:39:15
			a space
		
00:39:15 --> 00:39:16
			that
		
00:39:16 --> 00:39:19
			all of us can call a spiritual home,
		
00:39:20 --> 00:39:21
			especially for
		
00:39:21 --> 00:39:23
			the students whom we serve.
		
00:39:24 --> 00:39:25
			And it has been
		
00:39:26 --> 00:39:27
			over a year
		
00:39:28 --> 00:39:31
			since the COVID 19 pandemic has started, and
		
00:39:31 --> 00:39:32
			the Muslim chaplaincy
		
00:39:34 --> 00:39:35
			has seen a significant
		
00:39:36 --> 00:39:37
			rise in demand
		
00:39:37 --> 00:39:40
			for our mental health counseling services.
		
00:39:42 --> 00:39:44
			We have hired additional chaplains and staff to
		
00:39:44 --> 00:39:47
			handle the increased demand while also
		
00:39:47 --> 00:39:51
			expanding, as I mentioned earlier, services across all
		
00:39:51 --> 00:39:52
			Ontario universities.
		
00:39:54 --> 00:39:55
			And since our foundation,
		
00:39:56 --> 00:39:58
			the Muslim Chaplaincy has always kept our counseling
		
00:39:59 --> 00:39:59
			sessions
		
00:40:00 --> 00:40:00
			free
		
00:40:01 --> 00:40:01
			for students
		
00:40:02 --> 00:40:03
			to make it easily
		
00:40:04 --> 00:40:04
			accessible.
		
00:40:06 --> 00:40:09
			And while demand for our services are growing,
		
00:40:09 --> 00:40:11
			we have seen a huge drop in donations
		
00:40:12 --> 00:40:13
			for the past year,
		
00:40:14 --> 00:40:15
			putting
		
00:40:15 --> 00:40:18
			the financial sustainability of our organization at great
		
00:40:18 --> 00:40:19
			risk.
		
00:40:20 --> 00:40:22
			And we ask that you find it in
		
00:40:22 --> 00:40:24
			your heart to contribute whatever amounts you can
		
00:40:24 --> 00:40:27
			and share a word about our services with
		
00:40:27 --> 00:40:27
			others.
		
00:40:28 --> 00:40:29
			And we ask
		
00:40:29 --> 00:40:29
			Allah
		
00:40:30 --> 00:40:33
			to grant us all success. And, again, if
		
00:40:33 --> 00:40:34
			you believe in the work
		
00:40:35 --> 00:40:37
			of Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto, we ask that
		
00:40:37 --> 00:40:38
			you give
		
00:40:38 --> 00:40:39
			generously.
		
00:40:40 --> 00:40:42
			We have with us as well
		
00:40:43 --> 00:40:43
			our
		
00:40:44 --> 00:40:44
			teacher,
		
00:40:45 --> 00:40:47
			our sheikh,
		
00:40:48 --> 00:40:48
			our
		
00:40:50 --> 00:40:51
			mentor.
		
00:40:52 --> 00:40:53
			One of the primary rules
		
00:40:53 --> 00:40:55
			of any religious organization,
		
00:40:56 --> 00:40:58
			any spiritual organization is to provide
		
00:40:59 --> 00:41:02
			mentorship because the tradition of Islam is not
		
00:41:02 --> 00:41:03
			necessarily
		
00:41:03 --> 00:41:05
			inherited through books,
		
00:41:05 --> 00:41:07
			rather it's inherited
		
00:41:07 --> 00:41:08
			through people.
		
00:41:09 --> 00:41:12
			And among those people is our beloved sheikh,
		
00:41:12 --> 00:41:14
			Abdullah Idris Ali,
		
00:41:15 --> 00:41:17
			and he has served as imam and director
		
00:41:18 --> 00:41:20
			and founded the 1st full time Islamic school
		
00:41:20 --> 00:41:21
			in Toronto.
		
00:41:22 --> 00:41:24
			He has served as the principal of ISNA
		
00:41:24 --> 00:41:27
			Islamic Community School for 17
		
00:41:27 --> 00:41:27
			years.
		
00:41:28 --> 00:41:31
			He also served on ISNA's executive council, the
		
00:41:31 --> 00:41:32
			Majlis Ashura
		
00:41:33 --> 00:41:36
			Youth and Education Committee and as the president
		
00:41:36 --> 00:41:37
			of ISNA
		
00:41:38 --> 00:41:39
			for two terms.
		
00:41:40 --> 00:41:41
			He is the chair of the Islamic Media
		
00:41:41 --> 00:41:42
			Foundation,
		
00:41:44 --> 00:41:45
			and he is
		
00:41:47 --> 00:41:48
			an all around
		
00:41:49 --> 00:41:50
			magnificent
		
00:41:51 --> 00:41:53
			and perhaps one of the most important
		
00:41:54 --> 00:41:57
			sources of guidance for the Muslim community, not
		
00:41:57 --> 00:41:58
			only in Canada,
		
00:41:58 --> 00:41:59
			but throughout
		
00:42:00 --> 00:42:00
			North
		
00:42:01 --> 00:42:01
			America.
		
00:42:01 --> 00:42:04
			And he is currently working as the executive
		
00:42:04 --> 00:42:05
			director of ISNA
		
00:42:06 --> 00:42:06
			Canada.
		
00:42:07 --> 00:42:09
			I can't tell you how pleased I am,
		
00:42:10 --> 00:42:11
			to introduce
		
00:42:12 --> 00:42:13
			my teacher
		
00:42:14 --> 00:42:14
			and
		
00:42:15 --> 00:42:15
			my mentor
		
00:42:16 --> 00:42:17
			and
		
00:42:17 --> 00:42:18
			perhaps
		
00:42:19 --> 00:42:21
			a teacher and mentor of all of you
		
00:42:21 --> 00:42:23
			who are present today. I'd like to invite
		
00:42:23 --> 00:42:25
			our beloved Sheikh Abdallah Idris
		
00:42:25 --> 00:42:27
			to address us and
		
00:42:28 --> 00:42:29
			to encourage us
		
00:42:30 --> 00:42:34
			to give generously to Muslim chaplaincy of Toronto.
		
00:42:34 --> 00:42:34
			Sheikh Abdallah,
		
00:42:35 --> 00:42:37
			I believe you're on mute.
		
00:42:40 --> 00:42:41
			I'm unmuted?
		
00:42:42 --> 00:42:43
			We got you now, Sheikh.
		
00:42:44 --> 00:42:44
			Okay.
		
00:42:46 --> 00:42:46
			It's for the
		
00:42:48 --> 00:42:51
			stay muted. Stay unmute. Doesn't want to disappear.
		
00:42:51 --> 00:42:51
			Okay.
		
00:42:52 --> 00:42:54
			Now I wanna, let me say this.
		
00:42:57 --> 00:42:59
			That's in the name, by the name, with
		
00:42:59 --> 00:43:01
			the name of Allah that declares Allah
		
00:43:02 --> 00:43:04
			We send our peace and blessings upon prophet
		
00:43:04 --> 00:43:05
			Muhammad
		
00:43:07 --> 00:43:08
			and may the peace and blessings of Allah
		
00:43:08 --> 00:43:09
			be upon him.
		
00:43:10 --> 00:43:12
			Let me begin by saying 2 things. 1,
		
00:43:16 --> 00:43:17
			All of this together
		
00:43:18 --> 00:43:19
			for me,
		
00:43:19 --> 00:43:21
			for giving me at least this opportunity
		
00:43:22 --> 00:43:23
			again to talk to the chaplaincy.
		
00:43:24 --> 00:43:26
			I did actually talk a couple of times.
		
00:43:26 --> 00:43:28
			I don't know 2, 3 times before.
		
00:43:28 --> 00:43:31
			And may Allah give you all the reward.
		
00:43:33 --> 00:43:35
			Number 2, I always keep the this now
		
00:43:35 --> 00:43:38
			to collect some information that's not proper because,
		
00:43:38 --> 00:43:41
			I'm no longer the executive director now. Our
		
00:43:41 --> 00:43:42
			brother Fuzan
		
00:43:42 --> 00:43:44
			Khan is the one who's going to be
		
00:43:44 --> 00:43:45
			is now the executive
		
00:43:46 --> 00:43:47
			director.
		
00:43:47 --> 00:43:50
			There are organizations that were before, but are
		
00:43:50 --> 00:43:52
			not not there. So you just add past
		
00:43:52 --> 00:43:55
			this, past that, past that, and you keep
		
00:43:55 --> 00:43:55
			it.
		
00:43:57 --> 00:43:59
			Again and again. Now,
		
00:44:00 --> 00:44:03
			talking to you actually and talking about Toronto
		
00:44:03 --> 00:44:04
			brings me back my
		
00:44:05 --> 00:44:07
			young age memories when I was about 44
		
00:44:07 --> 00:44:10
			years ago. Came to U of T, and
		
00:44:10 --> 00:44:11
			I was in the campus
		
00:44:11 --> 00:44:14
			where the students are very small number. I
		
00:44:14 --> 00:44:17
			remember the first experience I had is on
		
00:44:17 --> 00:44:19
			Jummah. The first Jummah I prayed,
		
00:44:20 --> 00:44:21
			I counted the number of the people there.
		
00:44:21 --> 00:44:23
			There are only 17 people in half house.
		
00:44:24 --> 00:44:27
			And in those days, my was very low.
		
00:44:27 --> 00:44:29
			I come from a Maliki background where we
		
00:44:29 --> 00:44:32
			were being taught, we don't know from where,
		
00:44:32 --> 00:44:34
			that you have to have minimum forty people
		
00:44:34 --> 00:44:37
			for a prayer. So I was in doubt
		
00:44:37 --> 00:44:37
			with it.
		
00:44:38 --> 00:44:40
			And I asked people around me.
		
00:44:41 --> 00:44:43
			So, ultimately, I mean, I said, okay. I'll
		
00:44:43 --> 00:44:44
			pray with them, but I'm going to pray
		
00:44:44 --> 00:44:47
			my as well just beyond the comfort zone.
		
00:44:47 --> 00:44:48
			Later on, that changes,
		
00:44:50 --> 00:44:50
			Allah
		
00:44:51 --> 00:44:54
			opened all doors of, mercy for us, to
		
00:44:54 --> 00:44:55
			know about Islam. And this is what I
		
00:44:55 --> 00:44:57
			advise all people to do,
		
00:44:58 --> 00:45:00
			especially when we come from any country overseas
		
00:45:00 --> 00:45:02
			and so on. We come with a lot
		
00:45:02 --> 00:45:04
			of, I call it, culture of religion rather
		
00:45:04 --> 00:45:06
			than religion as such. And this is why
		
00:45:06 --> 00:45:08
			people get here to be amazed when so
		
00:45:08 --> 00:45:10
			many fools are there. Now,
		
00:45:11 --> 00:45:14
			for Ramadan. 1st, the Zakkul Maqir, I said
		
00:45:14 --> 00:45:15
			to imam
		
00:45:16 --> 00:45:16
			Khalid Al Latif,
		
00:45:17 --> 00:45:19
			and I'm telling you this. I I was
		
00:45:20 --> 00:45:22
			saying I mean, after every word he said,
		
00:45:22 --> 00:45:24
			and I think if this is answered, we
		
00:45:24 --> 00:45:27
			are all in paradise. I can assure you
		
00:45:27 --> 00:45:29
			the joy he made, if Allah accepted,
		
00:45:30 --> 00:45:33
			we are in paradise even pre Ramadan. However,
		
00:45:33 --> 00:45:35
			Ramadan is an opportunity for us,
		
00:45:35 --> 00:45:38
			to reset our relationship with Allah
		
00:45:40 --> 00:45:40
			says,
		
00:45:41 --> 00:45:43
			Quran is the rest of the Quran. I
		
00:45:43 --> 00:45:45
			will tell brothers and sisters, especially younger people,
		
00:45:46 --> 00:45:48
			if you never read the Quran in your
		
00:45:48 --> 00:45:48
			life once,
		
00:45:49 --> 00:45:51
			please take this at least Ramadan
		
00:45:51 --> 00:45:53
			to make sure that you make an intention
		
00:45:53 --> 00:45:55
			that you finish the Quran by the end
		
00:45:55 --> 00:45:57
			of the month. One user of the Quran
		
00:45:57 --> 00:46:00
			takes between half an hour, maximum 45 minutes.
		
00:46:00 --> 00:46:03
			An hour, we will have difficult reading. So
		
00:46:03 --> 00:46:05
			we are talking 1 hour a day, and
		
00:46:05 --> 00:46:07
			on average, they call it, 45 minutes. I
		
00:46:07 --> 00:46:09
			personally read it in 5 minutes
		
00:46:10 --> 00:46:13
			every single day. So at least this Ramadan
		
00:46:13 --> 00:46:14
			make it a case because
		
00:46:16 --> 00:46:17
			assured us that Ramadan
		
00:46:18 --> 00:46:19
			and the Quran,
		
00:46:19 --> 00:46:22
			like the 2 months I mean, the 2,
		
00:46:22 --> 00:46:23
			twins that Allah
		
00:46:24 --> 00:46:26
			will bring them for us on the day
		
00:46:26 --> 00:46:28
			of judgment that they become like our lawyers.
		
00:46:28 --> 00:46:29
			We'll appeal to Allah
		
00:46:30 --> 00:46:31
			on behalf.
		
00:46:31 --> 00:46:33
			So the first thing you keep in mind,
		
00:46:33 --> 00:46:34
			you read the Quran.
		
00:46:34 --> 00:46:36
			As I said to you, at least once,
		
00:46:36 --> 00:46:39
			if you cannot read it more than that.
		
00:46:39 --> 00:46:41
			On average, you can do that if you
		
00:46:41 --> 00:46:43
			read 1 user a day. By the end
		
00:46:43 --> 00:46:45
			of the Ramadan, you'll finish the Ramadan. And,
		
00:46:45 --> 00:46:48
			also, coupled with this, I want you all,
		
00:46:48 --> 00:46:50
			Sam, to pick up maybe 5, 10 verses
		
00:46:50 --> 00:46:53
			a day. Go through any translation of the
		
00:46:53 --> 00:46:55
			Quran so that you understand exactly what you
		
00:46:55 --> 00:46:58
			are reading, and gradually you build your net
		
00:46:58 --> 00:47:00
			knowledge and then make it a habit so
		
00:47:00 --> 00:47:03
			that every single day, you come in contact
		
00:47:03 --> 00:47:05
			and you talk to the Quran. Because Allah
		
00:47:06 --> 00:47:07
			told us that the prophet
		
00:47:09 --> 00:47:12
			actually will file a complaint to Allah by
		
00:47:12 --> 00:47:13
			people who desest the Quran.
		
00:47:14 --> 00:47:15
			And he will say to Allah
		
00:47:19 --> 00:47:21
			Like my people and some of my unfortunate
		
00:47:21 --> 00:47:24
			did that they deserved the Quran, and that's
		
00:47:24 --> 00:47:26
			not what the Quran is for. The second
		
00:47:26 --> 00:47:28
			thing, of course, is the fasting itself.
		
00:47:29 --> 00:47:31
			Make sure that Ramadan should be the time
		
00:47:31 --> 00:47:32
			because
		
00:47:32 --> 00:47:34
			told us, and I think this is what
		
00:47:34 --> 00:47:34
			should understand.
		
00:47:39 --> 00:47:41
			That no matter how much you sinned, how
		
00:47:41 --> 00:47:44
			much you're wrong, how much you fell short
		
00:47:44 --> 00:47:47
			of fulfilling the of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala,
		
00:47:47 --> 00:47:49
			Ramadan will be your chance, actually, to cleanse
		
00:47:49 --> 00:47:51
			all of that and allow it right for
		
00:47:51 --> 00:47:53
			your sins. The prophet also won.
		
00:47:54 --> 00:47:56
			In a very famous hadith, they said the
		
00:47:56 --> 00:47:56
			prophet,
		
00:47:58 --> 00:47:59
			said
		
00:47:59 --> 00:48:00
			the is
		
00:48:00 --> 00:48:04
			a a phrase that's being used to humiliate
		
00:48:04 --> 00:48:04
			people.
		
00:48:05 --> 00:48:07
			It literally means let them wipe their nose
		
00:48:07 --> 00:48:09
			with the floor of the dead. For those
		
00:48:10 --> 00:48:12
			and he mentioned 3 people. Among them was
		
00:48:12 --> 00:48:14
			the person who actually had the chance to
		
00:48:14 --> 00:48:16
			be in the mosque of Ramadan, and he
		
00:48:16 --> 00:48:19
			did not have the privilege of Allah for
		
00:48:19 --> 00:48:19
			giving it.
		
00:48:20 --> 00:48:21
			The hadith is famous, the 3 things he
		
00:48:21 --> 00:48:22
			said.
		
00:48:22 --> 00:48:23
			First, the person,
		
00:48:24 --> 00:48:27
			and other Quran is said to ever
		
00:48:27 --> 00:48:28
			Allah
		
00:48:28 --> 00:48:30
			even the opportunity in the Muslim Ramadan and
		
00:48:30 --> 00:48:33
			didn't didn't take that as a chance for
		
00:48:33 --> 00:48:35
			him to cleanse himself from his sins.
		
00:48:36 --> 00:48:37
			Second person, of course, is the one who
		
00:48:37 --> 00:48:40
			does not. He says that he has parents,
		
00:48:41 --> 00:48:42
			and he did not do good to them.
		
00:48:42 --> 00:48:43
			And blessed
		
00:48:44 --> 00:48:46
			him with these parents, and they were
		
00:48:46 --> 00:48:49
			not, like, he was not able to make
		
00:48:49 --> 00:48:51
			sure that with helping their parents, being kind
		
00:48:51 --> 00:48:53
			to them, that would be his message to
		
00:48:53 --> 00:48:56
			paradise. The third, of course, the prophet said
		
00:48:56 --> 00:49:00
			that whoever hears my name, like Muhammad and
		
00:49:00 --> 00:49:00
			didn't say
		
00:49:02 --> 00:49:04
			or in a format, Allah
		
00:49:04 --> 00:49:05
			mentioned these reasons.
		
00:49:06 --> 00:49:08
			The prophet mentioned them specifically,
		
00:49:08 --> 00:49:10
			to remind us that Ramadan would be that
		
00:49:10 --> 00:49:11
			opportunity.
		
00:49:11 --> 00:49:13
			Now the the first thing that we do
		
00:49:13 --> 00:49:15
			in the mosque of Ramadan, of course, of
		
00:49:15 --> 00:49:16
			the,
		
00:49:17 --> 00:49:19
			the, the, I mean, the cycle of the
		
00:49:19 --> 00:49:21
			Quran is actually charity.
		
00:49:21 --> 00:49:22
			Now
		
00:49:22 --> 00:49:24
			we are being told by the prophet
		
00:49:26 --> 00:49:27
			that any
		
00:49:27 --> 00:49:29
			even form, any deed you do in the
		
00:49:29 --> 00:49:30
			month of Ramadan
		
00:49:30 --> 00:49:32
			will earn you multiples of rewards. This is
		
00:49:32 --> 00:49:34
			why many of the people keep their zakat
		
00:49:34 --> 00:49:36
			until the month of Ramadan so that they
		
00:49:36 --> 00:49:39
			can multiply the reward just by being paying
		
00:49:39 --> 00:49:40
			it during the month of Ramadan. And the
		
00:49:40 --> 00:49:42
			measure of that is the charity, of course.
		
00:49:43 --> 00:49:43
			Now as,
		
00:49:44 --> 00:49:47
			Imam Al Hussein said, now the chaplaincy is
		
00:49:47 --> 00:49:48
			very much affected by,
		
00:49:49 --> 00:49:51
			the way you provide funds for it. We
		
00:49:51 --> 00:49:53
			need more. By the way, I just I
		
00:49:53 --> 00:49:56
			don't know because, Imam Khalid,
		
00:49:56 --> 00:49:59
			talked about this tragic incident that happened in
		
00:50:00 --> 00:50:01
			in Texas,
		
00:50:01 --> 00:50:03
			but he didn't he might not have I
		
00:50:03 --> 00:50:05
			don't know whether everyone knew about it or
		
00:50:05 --> 00:50:07
			not. But according to the report of El
		
00:50:07 --> 00:50:10
			Gezira, it's a very sad film, and it
		
00:50:10 --> 00:50:12
			reflects not only the need for the temple
		
00:50:12 --> 00:50:13
			and see. As much as the need for
		
00:50:13 --> 00:50:15
			the community to be together because this this
		
00:50:15 --> 00:50:17
			is a family. There are 2 young boys.
		
00:50:17 --> 00:50:20
			They have a daughter. They're mother. Actually, their
		
00:50:20 --> 00:50:22
			grandmother was visiting them also. They are from
		
00:50:22 --> 00:50:25
			Bangladesh, and their father was there. And the
		
00:50:25 --> 00:50:27
			thing that was really, really, really disturbing to
		
00:50:27 --> 00:50:29
			me is that these kids,
		
00:50:29 --> 00:50:30
			suffered from loneliness,
		
00:50:31 --> 00:50:33
			suffered from all these mental problems,
		
00:50:33 --> 00:50:36
			but it seems nobody looked after them. And
		
00:50:36 --> 00:50:38
			then both of them decided to commit suicide,
		
00:50:38 --> 00:50:39
			the 2 brothers.
		
00:50:39 --> 00:50:41
			And the strange thing in this specific case,
		
00:50:41 --> 00:50:43
			which is really
		
00:50:43 --> 00:50:46
			something that's amazing. They said that when they
		
00:50:46 --> 00:50:48
			decided they went and brought a gun, they
		
00:50:48 --> 00:50:50
			want to shoot themselves when they commit suicide.
		
00:50:50 --> 00:50:52
			But before they do this, one of them,
		
00:50:52 --> 00:50:55
			they didn't mention exactly who said it, but
		
00:50:55 --> 00:50:57
			said to his brother, you know what? If
		
00:50:57 --> 00:51:00
			we kill ourselves and commit suicide, we are
		
00:51:00 --> 00:51:03
			going to keep our parents, our sisters, our
		
00:51:03 --> 00:51:03
			father,
		
00:51:04 --> 00:51:06
			like, in a miserable situation
		
00:51:06 --> 00:51:08
			all the rest of their life. So the
		
00:51:08 --> 00:51:10
			best thing to do is to get rid
		
00:51:10 --> 00:51:11
			of them before us, and this is what
		
00:51:11 --> 00:51:13
			they did. Can you imagine this is why
		
00:51:13 --> 00:51:15
			I'm kind of thinking? People can be dragged
		
00:51:15 --> 00:51:17
			into this. These boys went, killed every one
		
00:51:17 --> 00:51:19
			of them thinking that this is a mess
		
00:51:19 --> 00:51:21
			for them so that they don't suffer behind.
		
00:51:21 --> 00:51:23
			And this is a very strange way of
		
00:51:23 --> 00:51:25
			looking at what people and then they shot
		
00:51:25 --> 00:51:27
			themselves. So all of them were founded,
		
00:51:28 --> 00:51:30
			in in in it's really disappointing by the
		
00:51:30 --> 00:51:31
			support
		
00:51:31 --> 00:51:32
			that the report.
		
00:51:32 --> 00:51:34
			It's very sad. It's very disturbing.
		
00:51:35 --> 00:51:36
			It actually received urgency
		
00:51:36 --> 00:51:39
			of doing as much as we can to
		
00:51:39 --> 00:51:41
			keep the chaplaincy, to keep it going inshallah
		
00:51:41 --> 00:51:44
			for that. Now Ramadan actually is the most
		
00:51:44 --> 00:51:47
			of the Quran. Right? And when strictly tell
		
00:51:47 --> 00:51:48
			you about the Quran,
		
00:51:49 --> 00:51:51
			about this giving, but and and when it
		
00:51:51 --> 00:51:53
			speaks strictly, because even the thing that the
		
00:51:53 --> 00:51:54
			prophet
		
00:51:55 --> 00:51:56
			explained about Ramadan,
		
00:51:57 --> 00:52:00
			actually is, about anything is actually what he
		
00:52:00 --> 00:52:02
			understood from the Quran and what he actually
		
00:52:02 --> 00:52:05
			knew about the Quran, what Allah meant for
		
00:52:05 --> 00:52:07
			us. Now, I'll give you these 2 invitations
		
00:52:07 --> 00:52:10
			I give, and 2 invitations from Allah Subhanahu
		
00:52:10 --> 00:52:12
			Wa Ta'ala. One invitation, actually, invitation
		
00:52:13 --> 00:52:16
			of Ramadan. Yes. Invitation from Allah. Allah says
		
00:52:16 --> 00:52:17
			in the Quran, quote,
		
00:52:19 --> 00:52:21
			Allah invites you people
		
00:52:21 --> 00:52:24
			to Darul Salaam. Darul Salaam is paradise.
		
00:52:27 --> 00:52:29
			And he guides whoever wants to stay past
		
00:52:29 --> 00:52:31
			that these people to paradise.
		
00:52:31 --> 00:52:34
			Why Allah is inviting us? Because Ramadan is
		
00:52:34 --> 00:52:36
			our opportunity actually to make it for paradise.
		
00:52:36 --> 00:52:38
			And the prophet said it that if you
		
00:52:38 --> 00:52:40
			fast Ramadan, then you are in the place
		
00:52:40 --> 00:52:43
			that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala assigned for you
		
00:52:43 --> 00:52:45
			in paradise. Now this is the first invitation
		
00:52:45 --> 00:52:48
			just to be and make it to paradise
		
00:52:48 --> 00:52:49
			to Shaba. The second invitation
		
00:52:50 --> 00:52:51
			is the invitation that Allah
		
00:52:52 --> 00:52:52
			says
		
00:52:53 --> 00:52:56
			and actually addresses us directly. I'm going to
		
00:52:56 --> 00:52:58
			say it to you as it is. And
		
00:52:58 --> 00:52:58
			Allah
		
00:52:59 --> 00:53:01
			says, here you are.
		
00:53:01 --> 00:53:04
			Here you are. Literally says, you are. The
		
00:53:04 --> 00:53:04
			word in Arabic
		
00:53:06 --> 00:53:09
			is. Where you are. You are being invited
		
00:53:09 --> 00:53:11
			to what? Allah says, here you are. You
		
00:53:11 --> 00:53:12
			are being invited.
		
00:53:14 --> 00:53:15
			To do what?
		
00:53:17 --> 00:53:19
			So that you can give in charity for
		
00:53:19 --> 00:53:19
			Allah
		
00:53:20 --> 00:53:23
			say. Now Allah poses us by saying, He
		
00:53:23 --> 00:53:23
			says,
		
00:53:27 --> 00:53:28
			He said,
		
00:53:29 --> 00:53:30
			from among you,
		
00:53:31 --> 00:53:34
			Some of you will, like, hold. They hold
		
00:53:34 --> 00:53:36
			because they don't want to give. He said,
		
00:53:38 --> 00:53:41
			that if you hold, you'll be holding against
		
00:53:41 --> 00:53:43
			yourself, not against the project. I mean, all
		
00:53:43 --> 00:53:46
			these projects, Allah will provide people for them,
		
00:53:46 --> 00:53:47
			It's
		
00:53:50 --> 00:53:51
			is Allah is
		
00:53:51 --> 00:53:52
			abundant village.
		
00:53:54 --> 00:53:56
			And you are the one who disrespect me
		
00:53:56 --> 00:53:58
			with Allah. Me and you need Allah
		
00:53:59 --> 00:54:00
			We need a lot to live. We need
		
00:54:00 --> 00:54:02
			a lot to breathe. We have a lot
		
00:54:02 --> 00:54:03
			to earn. We have a lot to do.
		
00:54:03 --> 00:54:05
			All what we do. He
		
00:54:06 --> 00:54:06
			says,
		
00:54:07 --> 00:54:09
			and if you turn your back, Allah may
		
00:54:09 --> 00:54:09
			keep you.
		
00:54:10 --> 00:54:12
			Says this. He says,
		
00:54:16 --> 00:54:18
			So the invitation here for you is to
		
00:54:18 --> 00:54:19
			respond to Allah for
		
00:54:20 --> 00:54:22
			what he says. As I said in the
		
00:54:22 --> 00:54:23
			beginning, Ramadan
		
00:54:25 --> 00:54:27
			And Allah did not, as we said, assign
		
00:54:27 --> 00:54:30
			us to everything in the Quran. Actually, Allah
		
00:54:30 --> 00:54:30
			is so merciful.
		
00:54:31 --> 00:54:33
			He says that you can read on the
		
00:54:33 --> 00:54:35
			Quran, but at least read as much as
		
00:54:35 --> 00:54:36
			you can from the Quran.
		
00:54:37 --> 00:54:38
			There is one verse in the Quran in
		
00:54:38 --> 00:54:40
			Surat al Muzammil where Allah
		
00:54:41 --> 00:54:42
			says,
		
00:54:44 --> 00:54:47
			Allah measures the days and the nights. Our
		
00:54:47 --> 00:54:48
			life is a day to come and a
		
00:54:48 --> 00:54:49
			day to go. Yeah. And the life is
		
00:54:49 --> 00:54:52
			this. You measure your life by days, a
		
00:54:52 --> 00:54:53
			day and night. He said
		
00:54:57 --> 00:54:59
			Allah knows no one can measure up to
		
00:54:59 --> 00:55:01
			what Allah speaks of. Now what do you
		
00:55:01 --> 00:55:03
			mean by that? He said
		
00:55:05 --> 00:55:06
			Allah is so forgiving
		
00:55:07 --> 00:55:08
			that he let go.
		
00:55:08 --> 00:55:10
			Then he said why? He said
		
00:55:12 --> 00:55:15
			Some of people might be, like, not well,
		
00:55:15 --> 00:55:17
			like, health sick, well, with all kinds of
		
00:55:17 --> 00:55:19
			things that you go through. Now
		
00:55:22 --> 00:55:24
			there are some people who are struggling, and
		
00:55:24 --> 00:55:26
			they say to make the ends meet. They're
		
00:55:26 --> 00:55:29
			struggling with everything. They're days to bring this.
		
00:55:31 --> 00:55:33
			And there are so many people now. If
		
00:55:33 --> 00:55:35
			you are in Iraq or Syria or Palestine
		
00:55:35 --> 00:55:38
			for for years years years for this place,
		
00:55:38 --> 00:55:40
			and you see the bomb falling on people.
		
00:55:40 --> 00:55:43
			Just name it. It's Kashmir, Bahrain. Name it.
		
00:55:43 --> 00:55:45
			Every place. If you are on those war
		
00:55:45 --> 00:55:47
			zone, you could understand exactly why we're locked
		
00:55:47 --> 00:55:50
			down by. Now having said that Allah
		
00:55:50 --> 00:55:51
			says,
		
00:55:51 --> 00:55:53
			then Allah made this a sign for me.
		
00:55:55 --> 00:55:57
			You. He said, Just read as much as
		
00:55:57 --> 00:55:58
			you can from the Quran.
		
00:56:00 --> 00:56:01
			And keep your prayers.
		
00:56:01 --> 00:56:03
			Keep your prayers. Keep your prayers. Allah
		
00:56:04 --> 00:56:04
			answers.
		
00:56:05 --> 00:56:08
			Of course, if you have the amount of
		
00:56:08 --> 00:56:10
			money that's supposed to be paid for zakah,
		
00:56:10 --> 00:56:12
			a year term money to have to pay.
		
00:56:12 --> 00:56:13
			Then he says,
		
00:56:14 --> 00:56:15
			Then Allah added,
		
00:56:17 --> 00:56:18
			And then advance
		
00:56:19 --> 00:56:21
			a soft loan to Allah. Soft loan. I
		
00:56:22 --> 00:56:24
			mean to advance loan to Allah. Yes, Allah
		
00:56:24 --> 00:56:26
			says, when I want something done, I want
		
00:56:26 --> 00:56:28
			you to advance loan for me. Me.
		
00:56:31 --> 00:56:34
			Rest assured, whatever you advance, Allah said not
		
00:56:34 --> 00:56:36
			for Allah for your son, because anything you
		
00:56:36 --> 00:56:38
			do is actually for yourself. He says,
		
00:56:43 --> 00:56:45
			We'll definitely find it with Allah Subhanahu Wa
		
00:56:45 --> 00:56:48
			Ta'ala. Not as is Allah said
		
00:56:50 --> 00:56:52
			It will be much more better than that,
		
00:56:52 --> 00:56:54
			and it's greater in the world. And we
		
00:56:54 --> 00:56:55
			know all these verses we read in the
		
00:56:55 --> 00:56:57
			Quran where Allah
		
00:56:57 --> 00:56:59
			give us these parables and similitudes.
		
00:57:03 --> 00:57:03
			Like,
		
00:57:04 --> 00:57:06
			the famous verse that most of us know
		
00:57:06 --> 00:57:08
			that Allah says, when you're spending challenges, like
		
00:57:08 --> 00:57:10
			putting a seed, and the seed will have,
		
00:57:10 --> 00:57:13
			like, years years have every hand a hundred
		
00:57:13 --> 00:57:13
			plus,
		
00:57:14 --> 00:57:16
			what you call grains, and the grains multiply
		
00:57:16 --> 00:57:18
			and so on. And Allah will keep multiplying.
		
00:57:18 --> 00:57:20
			So anything you do and by the way,
		
00:57:20 --> 00:57:22
			sometimes, I'm telling you, anyone of us can
		
00:57:22 --> 00:57:25
			do something. Anyone else. You, me, everyone.
		
00:57:25 --> 00:57:26
			And don't underestimate
		
00:57:26 --> 00:57:29
			what you do because in giving check, the
		
00:57:29 --> 00:57:31
			smaller things will build to be big. Even
		
00:57:31 --> 00:57:32
			students.
		
00:57:32 --> 00:57:34
			I know people here are struggling that even
		
00:57:34 --> 00:57:36
			if you can spare,
		
00:57:37 --> 00:57:37
			for restaurants,
		
00:57:38 --> 00:57:40
			a price you want to pay for a
		
00:57:40 --> 00:57:41
			cup of coffee or tea or whatever it
		
00:57:41 --> 00:57:43
			is and so and donate it because that
		
00:57:43 --> 00:57:45
			would be the thing that you have, then
		
00:57:45 --> 00:57:47
			it builds up insha'allah for you. So we
		
00:57:47 --> 00:57:48
			pray Allah
		
00:57:49 --> 00:57:51
			thanking everyone of you insha'allah,
		
00:57:51 --> 00:57:52
			give it to you and so on. Let
		
00:57:52 --> 00:57:55
			me conclude by putting this shuri for you.
		
00:57:55 --> 00:57:57
			You. 1, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa sallam
		
00:57:57 --> 00:58:00
			rarely used to swear by Allah, real.
		
00:58:00 --> 00:58:03
			But when He does it, He means to
		
00:58:03 --> 00:58:05
			really bring our attention to something that's much
		
00:58:05 --> 00:58:08
			more greater than what you think. In this
		
00:58:08 --> 00:58:09
			particular instance,
		
00:58:10 --> 00:58:10
			the prophet
		
00:58:11 --> 00:58:13
			says, salaf.
		
00:58:13 --> 00:58:14
			Three things.
		
00:58:15 --> 00:58:17
			I swear by Allah.
		
00:58:17 --> 00:58:19
			What are these? He says, maanaqasamalu
		
00:58:20 --> 00:58:22
			al salakah. No matter how much you give
		
00:58:23 --> 00:58:25
			in charity, it will not decrease or diminish
		
00:58:25 --> 00:58:28
			your wealth. Allah will always compensate you for
		
00:58:28 --> 00:58:28
			it.
		
00:58:30 --> 00:58:31
			And then he added
		
00:58:35 --> 00:58:37
			And the more you give, Allah will the
		
00:58:37 --> 00:58:39
			more honor you follow. And the third is
		
00:58:39 --> 00:58:40
			warning. He said,
		
00:58:46 --> 00:58:49
			which means that if you act as if
		
00:58:49 --> 00:58:51
			you don't have and you have, act as
		
00:58:51 --> 00:58:53
			if you cannot do zinda. And then Allah
		
00:58:54 --> 00:58:57
			will actually say this to you that Allah
		
00:58:57 --> 00:58:59
			might open a door that will take everything
		
00:58:59 --> 00:59:01
			from you. So keep in mind that giving
		
00:59:01 --> 00:59:03
			to Allah is actually,
		
00:59:04 --> 00:59:06
			giving to Allah you get for yourself more
		
00:59:06 --> 00:59:08
			than actually what you do for Allah
		
00:59:09 --> 00:59:11
			So we want you to support the charity,
		
00:59:11 --> 00:59:12
			support your chaplaincy
		
00:59:13 --> 00:59:14
			as much as you can. And those of
		
00:59:14 --> 00:59:16
			us who are with us on this line,
		
00:59:16 --> 00:59:17
			whom Allah
		
00:59:17 --> 00:59:19
			bless you as well. Please don't hesitate
		
00:59:20 --> 00:59:22
			to extend yourself to do it insha'allah.
		
00:59:22 --> 00:59:24
			You can do it as individuals. You can
		
00:59:24 --> 00:59:26
			do it as families. You can even talk
		
00:59:26 --> 00:59:28
			to your family because this is what the
		
00:59:28 --> 00:59:29
			students do.
		
00:59:29 --> 00:59:31
			One of the things that I can't forget
		
00:59:31 --> 00:59:33
			at all, if you watch European Urban Institute
		
00:59:33 --> 00:59:35
			University, how domestic you are built. I remember
		
00:59:35 --> 00:59:37
			it to this day, and this is a
		
00:59:37 --> 00:59:39
			long time ago. I mean, the students got,
		
00:59:40 --> 00:59:42
			a commitment from the university with them, a
		
00:59:42 --> 00:59:44
			piece of land that they can build,
		
00:59:44 --> 00:59:46
			a mascot in it. And there's growth of
		
00:59:46 --> 00:59:49
			students, small university. So I went hitting every
		
00:59:49 --> 00:59:52
			parent of children. Ask all the children. One
		
00:59:52 --> 00:59:54
			of the boys, I cannot forget him. I
		
00:59:54 --> 00:59:55
			asked him, what does your father do? He's
		
00:59:55 --> 00:59:57
			he's a physician. I said, okay. This would
		
00:59:57 --> 00:59:59
			be our catch. Go to your father and
		
00:59:59 --> 01:00:00
			talk to him that you need this x
		
01:00:00 --> 01:00:03
			number of money. Students. So he went
		
01:00:03 --> 01:00:04
			to him and said, okay. I'll give you
		
01:00:04 --> 01:00:04
			$10,000.
		
01:00:05 --> 01:00:06
			I said to him, okay. Don't give it
		
01:00:06 --> 01:00:08
			to us. We'll invite all the rest of
		
01:00:08 --> 01:00:09
			the doctor. You know?
		
01:00:09 --> 01:00:10
			Pay for them and bring me
		
01:00:11 --> 01:00:12
			We raised
		
01:00:13 --> 01:00:15
			$190,000 in that that night. And the reward
		
01:00:15 --> 01:00:16
			you go for this man will take I
		
01:00:16 --> 01:00:18
			mean, it's 10,000 paid that. So talk to
		
01:00:18 --> 01:00:20
			your parents. Talk to the people you know.
		
01:00:20 --> 01:00:23
			Don't hesitate to ask people. And actually asking
		
01:00:23 --> 01:00:24
			for charity for Allah
		
01:00:25 --> 01:00:28
			is among the best deeds that Allah mentioned
		
01:00:28 --> 01:00:28
			in the Quran.
		
01:00:29 --> 01:00:31
			Quran. For the sisters in particular, I always
		
01:00:31 --> 01:00:32
			mention Surah Al Nisa.
		
01:00:33 --> 01:00:35
			I always say in Surah Al Nisa, Allah
		
01:00:35 --> 01:00:37
			subhanahu wa ta'ala mentioned something. I'm going to
		
01:00:37 --> 01:00:39
			conclude this. Surah Nissah is chapter 4 in
		
01:00:39 --> 01:00:42
			the Quran. The verse I'm talking about is
		
01:00:42 --> 01:00:44
			very simple to remember. It's verse 114.
		
01:00:45 --> 01:00:47
			That's the number of the chapters in the
		
01:00:47 --> 01:00:49
			Quran. You know, we have 100 and 13,
		
01:00:50 --> 01:00:50
			sorry,
		
01:00:51 --> 01:00:52
			chap sorry.
		
01:00:52 --> 01:00:53
			100 and
		
01:00:54 --> 01:00:55
			14 Surahs in
		
01:00:55 --> 01:00:57
			the Quran. I mean, the the number is
		
01:00:57 --> 01:00:59
			this. What Allah says, he says
		
01:01:01 --> 01:01:03
			We know we are very talkative. We chat.
		
01:01:03 --> 01:01:05
			We do this. Said there is no good
		
01:01:05 --> 01:01:07
			in most of what you talk about except
		
01:01:07 --> 01:01:08
			in 3.
		
01:01:09 --> 01:01:12
			Take them 3. He said 1, he says
		
01:01:16 --> 01:01:19
			except the one who actually commands and urge
		
01:01:19 --> 01:01:21
			these people to do charity. So take it
		
01:01:21 --> 01:01:23
			to your home, take it to your parents,
		
01:01:23 --> 01:01:24
			take it to your friends, take it to
		
01:01:24 --> 01:01:26
			anyone, and don't hesitate to ask people. Give
		
01:01:26 --> 01:01:28
			it to the chaplaincy, and tell them that
		
01:01:28 --> 01:01:30
			you have offered any purpose for that. He
		
01:01:30 --> 01:01:31
			said 1,
		
01:01:33 --> 01:01:35
			to do it in general.
		
01:01:35 --> 01:01:38
			Like, you volunteer, you do this and so.
		
01:01:38 --> 01:01:39
			And the 3rd, he says,
		
01:01:41 --> 01:01:44
			between people. So if you do these three
		
01:01:44 --> 01:01:46
			things, you got what the reward comes. Allah
		
01:01:47 --> 01:01:47
			says,
		
01:01:50 --> 01:01:51
			And if you do this for the sake
		
01:01:51 --> 01:01:54
			of Allah, Allah will say to give you
		
01:01:54 --> 01:01:55
			a great reward.
		
01:01:57 --> 01:01:58
			So I pray Allah
		
01:01:58 --> 01:02:00
			as you are approaching Ramadan and make your
		
01:02:00 --> 01:02:03
			intentions from now to the most of Ramadan.
		
01:02:03 --> 01:02:05
			Make your intention, then to read the Quran,
		
01:02:05 --> 01:02:07
			to keep the prayers, to keep yourself in
		
01:02:07 --> 01:02:09
			Ramadan, to restrict your things to Ramadan
		
01:02:11 --> 01:02:12
			You say because
		
01:02:12 --> 01:02:14
			you are less than a week from Ramadan,
		
01:02:14 --> 01:02:16
			but you never know who's going to be
		
01:02:16 --> 01:02:17
			here in the past months of Ramadan. And
		
01:02:17 --> 01:02:19
			it's an opportunity that we don't want to
		
01:02:19 --> 01:02:20
			waste, inshallah.
		
01:02:20 --> 01:02:23
			So ban your efforts and increase your rewards
		
01:02:23 --> 01:02:25
			by actually coming closer to
		
01:02:26 --> 01:02:27
			Allah Again,
		
01:02:27 --> 01:02:28
			I
		
01:02:28 --> 01:02:29
			say
		
01:02:43 --> 01:02:47
			Sheikh Abdullah, thank you so much for being
		
01:02:47 --> 01:02:48
			with us this evening.
		
01:02:49 --> 01:02:51
			Thank you so much for your presence,
		
01:02:51 --> 01:02:52
			and we ask
		
01:02:53 --> 01:02:54
			Allah to grant you the best of this
		
01:02:54 --> 01:02:56
			life, the best of the hereafter.
		
01:02:56 --> 01:02:57
			And we ask Allah
		
01:02:58 --> 01:02:59
			to
		
01:03:00 --> 01:03:02
			guide you and keep you and your loved
		
01:03:02 --> 01:03:04
			ones always in his care. And we look
		
01:03:04 --> 01:03:05
			forward to,
		
01:03:05 --> 01:03:07
			having you join us,
		
01:03:07 --> 01:03:10
			once again. Wazhazakman al Khayran. Thank you. Sheikh
		
01:03:10 --> 01:03:12
			Abdullah. Barakallahu Akkum.
		
01:03:12 --> 01:03:13
			And alhamdulillah,
		
01:03:14 --> 01:03:16
			my dear brothers and sisters,
		
01:03:16 --> 01:03:18
			who have joined us.
		
01:03:18 --> 01:03:21
			Again, this is a pre Ramadan program
		
01:03:21 --> 01:03:24
			sponsored by Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto.
		
01:03:24 --> 01:03:27
			We thank you all for joining us. And
		
01:03:28 --> 01:03:28
			as I've
		
01:03:29 --> 01:03:29
			mentioned earlier,
		
01:03:30 --> 01:03:32
			if you believe in the work of Muslim
		
01:03:32 --> 01:03:34
			Chaplaincy of Toronto,
		
01:03:34 --> 01:03:36
			we ask that you give
		
01:03:36 --> 01:03:37
			generously.
		
01:03:37 --> 01:03:38
			And whenever
		
01:03:39 --> 01:03:41
			I'm directly involved in fundraisers,
		
01:03:42 --> 01:03:43
			I have a go to story,
		
01:03:44 --> 01:03:46
			and I'm gonna go back to it today.
		
01:03:46 --> 01:03:49
			You know, I have some good news,
		
01:03:49 --> 01:03:51
			and I have some not so good news.
		
01:03:51 --> 01:03:54
			The good news is Muslim chaplaincy of Toronto
		
01:03:54 --> 01:03:55
			has a lot of money.
		
01:03:57 --> 01:03:59
			Did you hear me? Muslim chaplaincy of Toronto
		
01:03:59 --> 01:04:00
			has a lot of money,
		
01:04:01 --> 01:04:04
			but perhaps the not so good news is
		
01:04:04 --> 01:04:06
			that money is in your pocket.
		
01:04:08 --> 01:04:08
			So alhamdulillah,
		
01:04:09 --> 01:04:10
			by Allah's permission,
		
01:04:11 --> 01:04:13
			we have the funds. We have the money.
		
01:04:13 --> 01:04:14
			However,
		
01:04:15 --> 01:04:16
			it is
		
01:04:16 --> 01:04:18
			filtered through all of you.
		
01:04:19 --> 01:04:21
			So we ask all of you to be
		
01:04:21 --> 01:04:21
			generous.
		
01:04:22 --> 01:04:25
			We ask our community members to be generous,
		
01:04:26 --> 01:04:28
			And if you are interested in donating to
		
01:04:28 --> 01:04:31
			Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto, please visit mcuoft.com.
		
01:04:36 --> 01:04:36
			Mcuoft.com.
		
01:04:39 --> 01:04:41
			And as well, during the month of Ramadan,
		
01:04:42 --> 01:04:44
			we at Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto will be
		
01:04:44 --> 01:04:46
			sponsoring programming throughout the month.
		
01:04:47 --> 01:04:48
			On
		
01:04:48 --> 01:04:50
			Mondays, we will be having
		
01:04:51 --> 01:04:52
			a community iftar.
		
01:04:53 --> 01:04:56
			On Tuesdays, we'll be having our evening
		
01:04:57 --> 01:04:59
			Ramadan reminder just before we break fast,
		
01:05:00 --> 01:05:03
			And the good life study circle, the good
		
01:05:03 --> 01:05:04
			life halakha
		
01:05:04 --> 01:05:06
			that I have been hosting over
		
01:05:07 --> 01:05:10
			the past 2 semesters will continue. However, the
		
01:05:10 --> 01:05:11
			timing may
		
01:05:12 --> 01:05:14
			be changed so that we can make sure
		
01:05:14 --> 01:05:15
			that we are all
		
01:05:16 --> 01:05:16
			prepared
		
01:05:17 --> 01:05:18
			to break our fast.
		
01:05:18 --> 01:05:20
			And as well, we will be having other
		
01:05:20 --> 01:05:21
			programming.
		
01:05:21 --> 01:05:25
			Last year, we had a very exciting cooking
		
01:05:25 --> 01:05:25
			show.
		
01:05:26 --> 01:05:29
			We're hoping to reproduce that, this year once
		
01:05:29 --> 01:05:29
			again.
		
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			Please keep in touch,
		
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			with us through our social media, our Facebook,
		
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			our Instagram,
		
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			and as well
		
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			as we are
		
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			still in a very awkward situation regarding the
		
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			COVID 19 situation,
		
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			we ask that if you are in need
		
01:05:48 --> 01:05:51
			of anyone to speak to, anyone to connect
		
01:05:51 --> 01:05:54
			with, you're looking for a safe space to,
		
01:05:55 --> 01:05:56
			express yourself
		
01:05:56 --> 01:05:59
			and to speak about your fears, your hopes,
		
01:05:59 --> 01:05:59
			your aspirations,
		
01:06:00 --> 01:06:03
			and to unpack the uncertainty of the future
		
01:06:03 --> 01:06:05
			that we're all experiencing,
		
01:06:05 --> 01:06:06
			please,
		
01:06:06 --> 01:06:07
			again, visit
		
01:06:08 --> 01:06:09
			mcuoft.com
		
01:06:10 --> 01:06:10
			to book
		
01:06:11 --> 01:06:12
			a confidential
		
01:06:13 --> 01:06:16
			appointment. Again, our appointments are for free and
		
01:06:16 --> 01:06:18
			we hope that will continue.
		
01:06:19 --> 01:06:21
			Indeed, if you want to summarize the religion
		
01:06:21 --> 01:06:23
			of Islam, keep your heart busy with Allah,
		
01:06:23 --> 01:06:25
			and keep your hands busy
		
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			with the people.
		
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			Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto is here
		
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			to facilitate
		
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			the remembrance of Allah
		
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			but also to serve you,
		
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			to serve you and to be present for
		
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			all
		
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			of you.
		
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			So we ask
		
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			Allah to guide us all on the straight
		
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			path, the path of those whom he has
		
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			blessed and not the path of those who
		
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			earn his displeasure nor those who go astray.
		
01:06:50 --> 01:06:51
			We ask Allah
		
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			to forgive us for all of our shortcomings,
		
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			our
		
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			mistakes, our deficiencies, and to transform those shortcomings,
		
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			those mistakes, those deficiencies,
		
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			those sins
		
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			into opportunities
		
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			for us to return to him in Tawbah.
		
01:07:06 --> 01:07:08
			And we ask Allah
		
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			to bless
		
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			all of us
		
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			and to guide all of us
		
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			and to increase us in knowledge, knowledge that
		
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			will benefit us in this life
		
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			and the hereafter,
		
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			and to bless our teachers, to bless our
		
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			mentors
		
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			like Imam Khalid Latif, like Sheikh Abdallah Idris,
		
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			and all of those who have helped us
		
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			to understand
		
01:07:32 --> 01:07:35
			Islam and to help us to connect with
		
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			our religion, especially
		
01:07:36 --> 01:07:39
			during very difficult and trying times. And we
		
01:07:39 --> 01:07:40
			ask Allah
		
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			to plant
		
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			our hearts and our feet deep in the
		
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			soil of Islam,
		
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			deep in the soil of iman, and deep
		
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			in the soil of ihsan.
		
01:07:49 --> 01:07:50
			And we ask Allah
		
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			ultimately
		
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			to shower his peace and his blessings upon
		
01:07:55 --> 01:07:57
			our beloved Prophet Muhammad
		
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			his family, his companions, and the righteous everywhere,
		
01:08:02 --> 01:08:04
			and help us to follow his way of
		
01:08:04 --> 01:08:07
			Rahma as he is called Rahma 10 lilaalameen.
		
01:08:07 --> 01:08:09
			A mercy to all of the worlds. Oh,
		
01:08:09 --> 01:08:11
			Allah, we ask you to plant our feet
		
01:08:11 --> 01:08:12
			and our hearts firm
		
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			in the soil of mercy
		
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			until we visit the grave. And, again, my
		
01:08:17 --> 01:08:19
			dear brothers and sisters, thank you so much
		
01:08:19 --> 01:08:21
			for joining us. Again, please visit www.mcuoft.com
		
01:08:24 --> 01:08:25
			to make a donation,
		
01:08:26 --> 01:08:27
			to book a confidential
		
01:08:28 --> 01:08:28
			appointment,
		
01:08:29 --> 01:08:30
			and we look forward
		
01:08:30 --> 01:08:33
			to you joining us during the blessed month
		
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			of Ramadan
		
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			where we are
		
01:08:36 --> 01:08:38
			doing our best to cultivate
		
01:08:38 --> 01:08:40
			taqwa. May Allah
		
01:08:41 --> 01:08:41
			help us
		
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			to visit Ramadan once again. May he accept
		
01:08:44 --> 01:08:46
			our prayers, our fasting,
		
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			and allow us to exit the month of
		
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			Ramadan better from which we entered.
		
01:08:51 --> 01:08:53
			Allahumma Ameen. Subhanakallahuma.
		
01:09:09 --> 01:09:09
			May Allah
		
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			bless you all. I leave you
		
01:09:12 --> 01:09:13
			with peace.
		
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			May God's peace, mercy, and blessings be with
		
01:09:20 --> 01:09:23
			each and every one of you.