Maryam Lemu – Shine Your Light Brightly – 3

			Billahi min ash shaytani r rajim Bismillah R Rahman Rahim Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi
wabarakatuhu. My name is Miriam Lima, and welcome to the last of the three episodes I promise to
share with you on shining your light brightly. Now in the previous episode, I asked some key
questions that would help us look within. Remember the questions they will? How significant are you
to others? Is your presence felt? And will your absence be noticed? I also asked who will cry when
you die? And what will you be remembered for long after you're gone? I also said that as good as
going to the mosque fasting going for aundre attending Islamic functions are, they are so far from
		

			sufficient if nothing good comes out of us from it. However,
		

			let me ask you a few questions. Are you the one who when people have a problem, they think of you?
		

			Are you the one whom when people want advice? They come to you because of your wisdom? Are you the
one who when people want to settle a dispute, they come to you because of your sense of justice?
When people are hurt, and they need comfort? They come to you maybe they are grieving? Or they've
gone through a divorce?
		

			Are you the one who mobilizes your friends so that you can handle the medical bill of somebody who
cannot afford it?
		

			Are you joining hands with some friends to sponsor someone to get a better education or further
their studies? Now remember this, the deeds loved the most by Allah are those that are done
regularly, even if they are small.
		

			Now we have enough ordinary people out there, I always say this, we have enough ordinary people out
there doing ordinary things, nothing. What we need is ordinary people doing small, extraordinary
things. Now that would make you extraordinary.
		

			Are you the best neighbor in your neighborhood? Do you go and visit your sick neighbors regardless
of their religion? Or where they come from, like the Prophet sallallahu wasallam? Did? do you
encourage peaceful coexistence amongst people amongst your neighbors, and other colleagues and so
on?
		

			Are you gifted with a voice and you use it to bring people closer to Allah through your recitations?
Or songs or poetry? Or do you share your knowledge and wisdom through lectures with people with
humility?
		

			Or do you organize events where people can come and learn and grow? Or do you volunteer to help at
events, functions, Islamic functions and so on? What's your local Moscow community center? Now I was
inspired when I traveled recently to give a lecture by a dynamic lady who had established what's
called a street Kitchen, where she feeds so many people without charging them a dime. And those
people are both Muslims and non Muslims. What I discovered from what she shared with me is that she
had gone through a terrible divorce and he was going through depression. And then she decided to do
this. And the distraction has brought her so much fulfillment. To get away from the hurt, she turned
		

			her hurt into healing. And most importantly, she's been significant. There's no reward for being
useful to others other than peace of mind, and contentment, and the deeds loved the most by Allah.
Are those done regularly, however small? Everything I've mentioned are small, small deeds. And don't
forget we have enough ordinary people out there doing absolutely nothing. We need ordinary people
doing small, significant things.
		

			Do you volunteer to counsel teenagers or be a mentor to them? Do you donate your time to give
someone who doesn't seem to be too strong academically extra lessons? Do you give your time at an
orphanage to read to them? Or just make them feel like part of a family feel loved? Or are you
somebody who goes and share stories of everyday heroes through social media or through the media so
that we celebrate people for what they do? Are you the one who puts a smile on people's face? By
telling them well done? That is being significant? Are you a ray of sunshine for people because of
your positive nature? you're optimistic? Are you the one who silently likes to help help the
		

			underprivileged who don't know that you are a donor or people and bird sit under the shade of a
tree? enjoy the fruits and the shade the coolness and the breeze and they didn't know you were the
one who planted that tree. The deeds love the most by Allah. Those done regularly, even if they are
small. In other communities when people mobilize their local community maybe to clean up litter, or
speak up against some form of injustice or abuse, or assist people in times of crisis or save an
animal like a dog from thirst or a cat that stuck in a tree. They become heroes there on the news,
people celebrate them. We also need
		

			To celebrate our heroes, people who are doing small, extraordinary things, do your part in making
sure that next time you want for the clip, or a video that it's videos that are inspirational videos
that highlight positives in our people. And in general, make sure you don't follow those stupid
videos that unfortunately eat away at the fiber of our character. Now, all these things I've
mentioned, are those deeds that are loved the most by Allah even though they are small. All these
acts are being the most useful. This is Islam in motion, Islam is not as heavy as people make it
seem. Now being a Muslim is a combination of being good and doing good and forbidding wrong, and
		

			making sure we enjoin others to do the right thing. Now, acquiring useful knowledge is not our
problem, acquiring knowledge to make us useful and significant, we have access to all of it. And
that is not our problem. That is not the challenge we face, it is making sure that we put that
knowledge to good use, it is walking the talk making sure that the input produces the right output.
Many have titles before and after they are named. And they add degree upon degree to the
certificates they already have. However, all that is insignificant if they are not put to good use.
If they do not make people benefit from the knowledge and wisdom you have. Let the fertilizer let
		

			the sunlight and the nutrients that go into you produce good fruit. Now, it is a challenge for all
of us to be the best and the most useful, like the Prophet sallallahu wasallam said, the best
amongst you. The best amongst you are those who are the most useful. May Allah give us the strength
to be amongst the best and the most useful. Now all those people we admire all those heroes we've
talked about, they have something in common with us we have the same 24 hours as they do. What
separates ordinary from extra ordinary is what they do with those 24 hours. How useful are you? What
we need is individuals like you and me, doing small small good deeds, significant deeds that are
		

			loved the most By Allah, if you only live to be 3040, or 50 at least be significant. Focus on
Touching Lives and being the most useful, be better than one in a million because there are millions
that are doing absolutely nothing. What we need is ordinary people doing small, extraordinary
things. Now I've come to the end of this first series of my lecture. And I asked you please to
forgive me if I've offended you in any way and for wherever I've heard I asked Allah to forgive me
as well. May our future always be better than our past. May our two days never be equal in
accomplishments, and may whatever we do serve as a witness for us in the life to come. Please watch
		

			out for more videos that I will be putting out there. And I pray they will help you grow and learn
and strengthen you strengthen your relationship with Allah and help you be more significant. If you
enjoyed this and any other episode please pass it forward. Assalamu alaikum