Maryam Amir – Allah chose you to be a witness
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
Today, Inshallah, we're going to look at a set of verses, because I
think that many of us, as we are fasting this Ramadan, and we are
feeling the hunger pains and the thirst, and we are looking at our
brothers and sisters in the Hudson and in different parts of the
world, and we are thinking, how are they? How are they, how are
they going through this massacre after massacre? I mean, how many
Ya Allah, Ya Allah, the images that we are witnessing at Reza and
the injustice that we are seeing in Sudan, in the Congo, in so many
parts of this world, in Ramadan, especially, of course, in general,
anyone with humanity, feels sadness for it, but in Ramadan,
especially where we are also fasting, and we can feel that
physical pain, we can experience that empathy in a bit of a
different way. And for those of you who are not fasting this month
because you can't, and you wish you could, that loneliness of
seeing the Ummah the way that it is, and realizing that you can't
even participate in a month, which, Inshallah, we pray we find
healing in. But at the same time this, this, this kind of this,
this not participating in what seems to be the biggest part of
the month can feel very isolating. And so in addition to your sadness
and guilt and frustration and hurt and anger at what you're seeing in
Raza and in different parts of this ummah, or parts of the world
where the vulnerable are hurt that on top of that, there is so much
loneliness that can be exacerbated. And so Inshallah,
today we're going to look at a set of verses that are speaking to us
in this time and at all times. So Inshallah, if you can, please
bring up the set of verses from social hajj on the to the screen.
So Allah Spano Tala begins,
um Masha, Allah, this is a yes, yes, yes, yes. Thank you. Um. So
Allah Spano Tala begins by saying, Allah selects messengers from both
angels and people. For Allah is truly all hearing, all seeing. So
the very first part is that Allah chooses from the angels and
people. Now we know that Allah has chosen certain angels to have
certain roles and certain people as messengers of Allah's Panama,
taala. Now a concept that the scholars teach their students is
that the students of the scholars are the messengers of the
messengers, and the students of those scholars are the messengers
of the messengers of the messengers. And all of us, as we
study, as we learn, all of you, you are messengers of the
messenger. Allah has chosen you to be a witness to the people. And
this is a concept we're going to talk about inshallah in the second
portion of our discussion today. But Allah ends this ayah by saying
in Allah has semi Abu Asmaa Taala is all hearing and all seeing.
Hold on to that Mote part of this verse. So Inshallah, we can
discuss it in more detail in the next section. But let's move on to
the next ayah. When the set of ayahs that he knows what is ahead
of them and what is behind them, until Allah, all matters are
returned for judgment. Now, when Allah mentions this one. Allah
knows everything that is before, that is coming, that's past what a
person brings that Allah to him is all the return of all judgment,
which we've mentioned already many times, even just in this past
week. And celebrate mercy lectures I've heard multiple times that we
know many people who've had questions about the hereafter have
an affirmation of the hereafter. Now, I had so many people ask me
questions about hellfire. Why does * have to exist? Why can't,
like evil people just die, and then the people who do
righteousness and try get rewarded? You know, wouldn't death
be enough that there's no war, no one else who can be harmed from
the consequences of an oppressors actions they're done. But the
reality is, look at the Belfort declaration. Look at Henry
Kissinger. Look at all of these people who there are so there's so
much that someone in a state or in a position of power and privilege
and authority can create decisions based upon and those, those
decisions continue to last generations. They impact millions
upon millions upon millions of people is really simply passing
away enough. There has to be a day of judgment for Allah to have all
matters return to Him, Subhan Hua taala, and the other part of this,
or Allah, says that he knows what is ahead of them, what is behind
them. Allah has a different verse where he talks about the angels.
And he mentions that the angels protect us, that the angels
protect us, for in surah.
It from different areas that they're protect. They're they.
Allah has
ordered angels to protect us from all sides. So the fact that Allah
mentioned angels in the verse before, and that Allah had chosen
angels, and then on top of that, thinking you're so good with the
slides, Michelle, I just like located. And then on top of that,
looking at another verse, where Allah talks about the fact that
these there are angels that are chosen to do nothing but protect
from your from behind you, from ahead of you, and that the actions
that we're putting forth are all going to be returned for judgment
to him. And then let's go to the next verse, because then what does
he say? Yeah, you haladina amanu and then Allah is telling us, us,
who are the believers, every single one of you who believes,
who's here and who believes, bow down, Prostrate yourselves.
Worship your Lord and do what is good so that you may be
successful. Now, what is interesting about this set of
passages is that it's very similar to another verse, another two
verses that someone is chosen in who? Who can guess? She is told
that she should make rukura and sujood. Many of you might have
read it this week while you were reading Surah Ali, Iran, because
of the Masha Allah, first week of Ramadan. It being in the
beginning, who has, who has a guess, put it in the chat for me,
Allah, Spano Tada is telling us to do what, to bow down, to
prostrate. So make rukur and make sujood and to worship Allah. And
that's not only it. Many times we see worship as rukur and sujood.
Many times we we see worship as fasting in Quran. Many times we
see worship as going to the masjid and praying, giving charity,
making Hajj, going for Amana. Yes, this is all ritual worship. But
Allah leaves wafalu. Allah come to the Hun open
open. Allah doesn't specify here. Only do this as worship, and then
you're going to be successful. Allah could have chosen not to
include and do what is good. He could have chosen only to stay, to
say, Prostrate yourselves. Bow down. Prostrate yourselves.
Worship your Lord. Instead, Allah left it open, which means what?
Right now in Ramadan, few days have passed, almost a week. How
many of you feel like you have not reached your Ramadan goals? How
many of you are already having self talk where you're telling
yourself, okay, I'm I've already wasted this day of Ramadan. I
wasn't able to pray that day of Ramadan. I didn't concentrate that
day of Ramadan. And at this point, we are still kind of in the
beginning where you're like, it's okay, Inshallah, I will fix it.
Inshallah, I will make it up. I will do better. Inshallah.
Inshallah. We all will. But the reality is that many of us see
worship in a very specific lens. We are not looking at worship as
when you're taking care of your children, when you are changing
diapers, when you are driving them back and forth from school, when
you are making a flaw for yourself and your family, when you are
going to work despite your sleep deprivation, when you are not
going to work because you have to take care of a loved one when you
are sitting in a hospital because you are staying with a parent or
or an aunt or someone whom you love and who you are keeping,
keeping physical presence with, and may Allah cure all of them in
this blessed month. I mean, you may be feeling like you haven't
gotten a chance to feel Ramadan yet, because your your Ramadan has
been life. Ramadan doesn't change life. Life continues through
Ramadan. So what makes it more spiritual when last week, on
Friday, it wasn't Ramadan, and you still have the same
responsibilities, versus a week later in those same
responsibilities, and yet you're not feeling Ramadan. Ramadan is a
blessed time. Anyway, Allah has made this time blessed. So last
week, the same things you were doing, whether or not you were
weeping from Iman, you are being rewarded in the exact for the
exact same things, but the reward is so much greater than it was a
week ago, simply because you're doing in the month of blessing
this month is not about you feeling like you are doing enough
worship. This month is about the fact that Allah al Kareem, anyway,
he is the one who is going to reward you over and over and over
and multiply and multiply, simply because he's the generous and it's
the month of generosity. So whether or not you feel like you
are doing what you wish you could do. Yes, we should all have goals
and try to achieve them. And we should sit for a moment, and if we
realize that maybe we're not going to hit those goals, that it's a
weekend, what do I need to do to change those so that, Inshallah, I
can hit them? But do you know that if you made the intention that you
wanted to get to them, Allah is already rewarding you, as if you
did it, Allah will.
Ready write you down as if you did it because you have the intention,
but then your child got sick and you were not able to work the
first week. You've lost the week. And you know, you're not going to
be able to catch up. Allah is going to reward you as if you did
it anyway when you had the intention. And so when we see
that, Allah says, Do good so that you may be successful. What is
Allah telling us? He is saying all things in the yet that indeed your
actions are by intention, that anything that is good that you
make, the intention to do for the sake of Allah is one that will
lead you to success when it's partnered with all these other
aspects of worship. For the sake of Allah, some of you mentioned
Mariam alaiha Salam. Yes, Mariam alayha Salam is the one who Allah
mentioned in Ron and also, I understand why this was a
confusing question, because earlier in the chapter, it also
mentions that Allah had chosen the family of ibrahi of
in
Allah, mean, so Allah mentions that these great people are
chosen, yes, but there is another part where Allah talks about
Mariam, alaiha salam, that she with Allah till Mala ike to yamu
in Allah has spoken. He said. What is she being told to do? She is
being told she has been chosen and she's being told to do ROK and
sudude. What did we just talk about people who were chosen by
Allah's panawata Allah two verses ago, Allah chose, and then what
does he say about the people that he chooses? He ties that to us.
You mean you the believers. And what are we supposed to do make
rukur and suju just like Mariam alaihi salam was told when she was
chosen. And what is the next part of this set of verses? Then we go
strive for the cause of Allah in the way he deserves for it is he
who has chosen you and laid upon you no hardship in the religion
the way of your forefather, Abraham. It is Allah Who named
you, the ones who submit in the earlier scriptures and in this
Quran, so that the messenger may be a witness over you, Allah,
and that you may be witnesses over humanity.
So Allah is telling us strive and the sake of Allah, now we know the
concept of
the word jehidu here. It entails so much striving. Can be
literally, like a million different types. It can be
physically. It can be in an expedition. It can be in your own
self, striving against your own soul. Allah didn't specify his
Panama to Allah which specific way, although if you read
different tafesir, you're going to read different reasons for the for
the revelation, different reasons that are mentioned, different
narrations it's connected to. But for us as readers, as someone
who's reading it just on a on a surface level, Allah is telling us
to strive in His way. Now, one thing that we should notice is
that Allah says in the way he deserves okay. For it is he who
has chosen you, okay? We, we who watch tobacco, okay? That's the
second part, and laid upon you no hardship in the religion this.
This is a three I want us to focus on right now. Strive for the cause
of Allah in the way he deserves. He has chosen you. Yes, you. Let
me see your names. Najla, Maria Rita. Rita. Mariam, Sophia,
yabuza, wanderer. SK kiddos, Sarah Sophia, every single one of you,
Allah subhanahu wa has chosen you to be a part of this ummah. And in
this concept of of chosenness, Allah uses a different word in
this part of the verse when He says, Whom is different from when
Allah begins and he says that he has chosen some from amongst the
people messengers. You are chosen in this verse because of a quality
that you have, that Allah knows that you have for this ummah. And
you may be sitting there thinking, Oh, it's Ramadan, and I, I'm
nowhere near in Allah's panawata. Maybe he's mad at me. Maybe a SAT
for Allah. I've done things, you know, maybe he's upset I'm wasting
my Ramadan. Allah chose you. Allah chose you to be a part of this
ummah, to witness this Ramadan and return back to him.
In this moment of time Allah's panawata, Allah says, Worship Him
the way He deserves. And what's the next part? What is that next
part? No, sorry, not that part, same verse
that he doesn't and laid upon you no hardship in the religion. Now I
want you to look at these two parts of this verse, because there
is an ayah that talks about Ramadan and Surat Al Baqarah,
shahru, ramadana, Quran, Al Quran for con seven women can am a real
one suffering
a Yamin, you read allahubikumal, use Wala. You read UBI
kumara or Allah is starting the month of Ramadan, shahru Ramadan
with what connection with the Quran Allah doesn't say shahru
Ramadan and then talk about fasting immediately. Fasting is
mentioned in this verse. Fasting is prescribed in the verse before
it,
but the Quran is what is connected with Ramadan.
So that means that you and me when we can't fast, or when we're
struggling, or when we feel like we can't pray with the community
and we're not a part of the community because of our
circumstances. Allah begins Shahrukh Ramadan, Quran. He begins
the verse with Quran, which is accessible to all of us at all
times, no matter what, there is no one who cannot access the Quran.
Everyone can access the Quran and the month of the Quran is the
month in which this ayah in which Allah says you read allahubikumal,
he wants ease for you, not hardship. And here Allah is
telling us what that he laid no hardship upon, no hardship in the
religion.
So when he's telling us to worship Him the way the Allah is deserving
of, which is impossible, who have are we
who is possibly going to be able to worship Allah the way to strive
in Allah's sake, in the way that he is deserving of, it's literally
impossible. So what does he do? He is telling us to strive as best as
we can. He has chosen us for this role, and that he doesn't want any
hardship. There's no hardship in the religion, which means what?
That just like the verse of shahru Ramadan mentions he wants ease for
you and not hardship. And then it describes this verse describes
circumstances. This verse describes circumstances. If you
are sick, if you are traveling, Allah knows your reality. He knows
your reality. He knows it in this verse, He knows it. In the verse
on Shah ru Ramadan, he knows you, Allah, knows you better than you
know you. So when you call to him in the middle of the night and
you're saying, Ya, Allah, I know that I am not taking advantage of
Ramadan, I feel so guilty because people in Alessa have been
massacred in the 10s of 1000s, and they're not even here to witness
it. And I have the opportunity. And Inshallah, they're all
shohada. Of course, they don't. They they already have the reward.
Inshallah, I'm the one who needs I'm the one who needs it, right?
And then you're calling out to Allah, and you are begging him to
forgive you. And yet you can't fully focus even in that, because
your heart is everywhere. What is he telling you he knows?
He knows what else you're struggling with. And when you are
in front of the Kiara in the month of Ramadan and and you are there
on an emotional level, connecting to every part of being in in in
the Haram, your emotions are going to be on a very different level
than when you are in the middle of in the middle of life.
So when you are trying to navigate that focus in the middle of life,
you are doing and strive for the cause of Allah.
You are striving for the cause of Allah,
acknowledging that it is a gift that Allah has chosen you to be a
part of this striving.
And what does Allah connect this with afterwards, that way of your
forefather, Abraham, this part we're going to cover inshallah in
the next section. So we're not going to go into it in detail
right now. But then Allah says so that the messenger may be a
witness over you, and that you may be witnesses over humanity also.
Inshallah, we're going to cover this in the next section. So let's
go to the last one.
Inshallah. So establish prayer, pay ALMS tax, holds fast to Allah,
He alone is your guardian. What an.
Excellent Guardian, and what an excellent helper.
Now here Allah says, well, a to zakat Awa tell swim.
Where else in the Quran does Allah say, hold on to hold on to, it's
very famous hold on to the rope of
WoW, tell Sri Mubi habilila, hold on to the rope of Allah. Here
Allah is telling you, hope Hold on, just like wanderer said, and
may Allah bless all of you. I missed I missed you. And then
Khadija and I knew I saw someone new or TIA Upshaw, nice to see you
again. Masha, Allah, um, all of you who said I'm here too, I'm
here too, you're counted too. Inshallah, but Allah here mentions
and
the scholars say that's the Quran. Some of the scholars say it's the
Quran. So establish prayer, give zakat, give charity, give to
people, and hold on to the Quran. And the Quran is how you are going
to know mawlakum. That's how you're going to know your
guardian. And your guardian is the most excellent guardian. He's the
most excellent helper, and then he's all that you need to
pranamata inshallah. We will talk more about him in the next
sections.