Maryam Lemu – Trust, Belief & Hope – 3

			Also be lacking Ministry of Energy Miss mula Hara man Rahim Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi
wabarakatuh. My name is Miriam lemo. And welcome back to my lecture series on trusts belief and
hope. During the last episode, I took you on my journey to discovering Islam. And I promised that I
would talk about during this final episode, trials and how to handle them, how to survive them. And
also if we feel we've gone off the straight path, tips on how to hopefully bring us back.
		

			Now our test of faith is often challenged when we go through trials. Our Eman is challenged when we
go through difficult times. That is when we question a law. That is when we ask Allah, why me?
		

			When we lose a loved one,
		

			we ask Allah, why are we going through this, we start to question our faith. When we go through a
divorce, and how shattering that is, you may have discovered that your spouse is cheating. These are
trials from Allah. Or you find out that your husband had a child with another woman, or your wife
who just had a baby, that baby isn't yours.
		

			You may also have discovered that your child is on drugs, and how painful and how hard it is to go
through such a trial. You may be going through depression, you may be going through financial hard
times, or going through some form of abuse, where you feel trapped where you feel helpless and
hopeless. The challenges of somebody else the trials of a loved one is also a trial on you. Because
it's so hard to see someone else suffering without feeling that that's a trial on us too. I learned
that Alice trials are not meant to cause us pain, that there are tests of our faith tests of our
patients and tests to see whether we are patient to see the result from the trial. And those tests
		

			are also meant to strengthen us. It's important that we always ask What does Allah want me to learn
from this experience? And how should I react in the best manner that will please Him, try to
remember the Prophet sallallahu wasallam and the other prophets and greeter trials that they went
through, they are meant to be examples for us. Allah has already promised that he is going to try us
in Surah Baqarah chapter two verses 155 to 157, where he says and most certainly, and most certainly
we shall try you by means of danger and hunger and loss of your worldly goods, of lives and of the
fruits of your labor. Allah has promised he will try us. Just as we need a lot of toccoa to develop
		

			a strong spiritual immune system. We also need to install shock absorbers in ourselves to handle the
shock from trials. Just like we install shock absorbers in our car, we need to install spiritual
shock absorbers. It's a mechanism to help us cope, to handle the shock. One of the best ways to
handle shock is to always remember never to take it personal, that Allah is just and don't ever be a
victim. Don't ever ask why me? Don't ever ask why me when he blessed us with children, we never
asked why me. When our business was successful and things were working for us. We didn't ask why me
this earth is not agenda. It was never meant to be. It was never meant to be agenda. But
		

			Alhamdulillah it's not jahannam either. At least there's an end to the trials. The spiritual shock
absorbers are meant to give us comfort knowing that after hardship, inshallah will come ease and
that Allah tests those that he loves most. He tests those that he loves most, and that he will never
give us a burden greater than we can handle. Something my brother told me which I love so much is
that it is during the darkest nights that the stars shine the brightest. And it is during the
darkest periods, the darkest hours that are lies closest to us. So never let go of our Lazarus.
Always remember when you go through these trials, even if you don't want to be optimistic, always
		

			remain hopeful. Because as Allah says in that other part of the verse in Surah Baqarah, but give
glad tidings, which is give good news to those who are patient in adversity, who when calamity
befalls them they say verily to Allah we belong. And verily to him is our return in the lucky winner
Illa hero June, it is the upon whom descend, the blessings, the mercy the Rama of their sustainer
and it is the who on the right path. I love that it's so comforting. Sincerely I appreciate how
powerful these verses are when one really gets to know the meaning of them. Because there are so
many messages for us in them. Be a source of healing be a source of Rama
		

			Others who have been through trials or are going through trials, turn your own hurt into a source of
healing for others because you know, where it hurts the most comfort them if they've been through
abuse if they're going through depression, divorce, if they've lost a loved one, you know, what
words comforted you when you went through a similar experience? The Prophet sallallahu wasallam was
asked, What actions are the most excellent and you know what he said, to gladden the hearts of human
beings to feed the hungry, to lighten the sorrow from the sorrowful and to remove the suffering from
the injured. In my journey to discovering Islam, I learned that being God conscious is also being
		

			afraid to offend Allah. We're often more afraid of offending our parents than we are of displeasing
Allah. It's easy for us to lie, cheat gossip than to be disrespectful to our parents. So we should
try and make sure that we do the right thing always even when we don't feel like it. Even when
nobody's watching. Don't forget the question I asked in Episode One, that if we were a box and
someone was to read the label on the box, what would they discover? This is a good way to ensure
that we have nothing to hide. When we make sure that we do the right thing, always, even when we
don't feel like it. I started to slowly understand the importance of trust, belief and hope. I had
		

			to make sure that it was genuine. It was sincere and now wants us to ask him and then trust that he
has accepted. There's a hadith where the Prophet sallallahu Sallam said, The best part of the art is
the expectation of the response. He also said, whatever you prefer, be certain that it will be
responded to so be optimistic even when you feel you've done wrong. seek forgiveness. Allah is very
forgiving. Like my brother taught me repentance, though, has conditions. But the most important part
of it is the sincerity of the repentance and the optimism that Allah has accepted the optimism.
Allah said, calm me and I will answer. I love that column me and I will answer. Some people commit
		

			sin. Some people will pray and then they fast then they commit sin again. Then they ask for
forgiveness. They even go to Hajj or Umrah. They pay others to pray for them, then they commit sin
again. Who are we fooling? The repentance has to be sincere unless says, Oh, you who believe tend to
allow with a sincere repentance. Many wake up wanting to turn a new leaf to make a positive change
in their life. However they feel they've gone in too deep and that it's too late. They're a lost
cause. But Allah has a message for them. Unless all my servant or my servant imagine instead of
saying, Oh, you sinful people, or you servants of Satan, he says, All my servants who have
		

			transgressed and have sinned against themselves. Those who have been, let's say extravagant in
sinning, do not do not despair in Allah's mercy do not despair from Allah's mercy. And after
painting a picture to his companions of how huge how hot how massive Hellfire is. He then asked his
companions? Do you know what can put that heat out? Do you know what can put that fire out? You know
what he said? One tier,
		

			one tier from a sincere repentance. One sincere a stick fire.
		

			So keep an eye close. Don't be a seasonal Muslim. Be consistent. That's why that decoy is so
important. Let him be your compass. Let him be okay blah. Let him be your guide. Create a brand for
yourself and stick to it. Prepare yourselves also for the trials Always remember to ask how would
the Prophet behave in this kind of situation and like the Prophet sallallahu sallam, when life
squeezes you? Are you the same sweet orange. Many will go through tests, but we pray to Allah that
we pass his tests. It's been a long journey for me. But Alhamdulillah There is nothing more
fulfilling than that deep connection, the comfort that comes from it, and the contentment from
		

			knowing that Allah hears me and sees me and knows what I'm going through. And that that relationship
is between me and Allah and nobody else. And that's what matters most. Just a word of advice to
anybody out there. Be careful judging others. Be careful judging people's dressing, and seeing that
it's fitna Be careful judging people's faith, that they're not good enough Muslims, that's between
them and Allah. I think of my mother how she breathes, embraced Islam. And at first she wasn't
dressing in the manner we are recommended to dress. She wasn't covering her hair and her body was
generally exposed. And this is the same person who over the years
		

			has discovered Islam has written textbooks on Islam and her textbook is the number one textbook
being used in the national curriculum in this country. And she's written so many books, given
lectures around the world on Islam, and now we'll be her judge. However, if someone like that were
condemned or judged early on, they could choose to say this isn't worth it. And they could listen to
what people say. Many have the Sunnah look, but they don't behave this way. If you were to read the
label on their box, you would discover that things are not really the way they seem on the outside.
So be very careful judging others because you don't know where they have reached on their journey
		

			and where they're going to go. It is better to encourage people with beautiful preachings than to
condemn them to shame them or to hate them. If a prostitute can be sent to heaven, just for saving a
dog from first, then let us leave the judging to Allah and focus on judging ourselves before we go
and meet him. One thing I know for sure is that we didn't create ourselves that we are responsible
for our actions and we will be held accountable for them. We shouldn't let our past or our
encounters with others stop us from searching for answers and discovering true Islam. We shouldn't
let anyone or anything derail us from the straight path. If someone didn't do a good enough job
		

			teaching us the Koran or our religion when we were younger. We are responsible now. And so we need
to search and ask. We will be held accountable for our actions and we are going to go back and meet
him insha Allah May Allah increases in our taqwa in our Eman, may we never let go of Allah group,
individually or collectively. And may you always always have trust, belief and hope. May Allah
forgive me for where I may have heard. If I've offended you in any way I asked you to please forgive
me. If you enjoyed this, please share it with others. You can follow me on Facebook and subscribe to
my YouTube channel at Miriam lemo Assalamualaikum