Akhlaaq of the Ummati #48

Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa sallahu wa sallam ryla shadowfell MBA well mursaleen Muhammad Rasul Allah is Allah Allah Allah He while he was happy will seldom does leave on Virunga Sierra Nevada. Might even sisters, we are in the grip of a heatwave here in Massachusetts. And the temperature is 31 degrees Celsius. I can see why everybody friends laughing their heads off because a heatwave in Hyderabad means 46 degrees Celsius. But you know, you are in whichever place you are. So I am sort of smiling to myself and saying that well, this is a heat wave that

the that's good news.

Having said that, when you walk when you step outside, the sun is extremely, extremely sharp. So you get very quickly sunburned. And if you're not wearing a nice large hat with a wide brim, then you end up getting a horrible headache. And you know, it can be from

mild to severe sunstroke, even though the temperature is much less than in Hyderabad. And this is the other side of a pure atmosphere, an atmosphere that is not polluted, because when you when the sun is coming at you through a thick blanket of smog, then it is less sharp. But here it comes straight at you. So the ultraviolet radiation are very high. And also the chances of sunstroke I almost had one the other day. But I was I was watering my garden, and

I ended up almost having a stroke. But that didn't have a

reason I'm telling all of this is because of what I'm going to say now it's not it's not to tell you the my life story here.

And that is in our session on Akala. T.

What we talk about becomes real to us. And what we do not talk about becomes unreal, no matter how real or unreal, either of these situations might be in reality.

And the reason I mentioned to you this issue of the sun and whatnot, he is because global warming is a classic case in point.

May Allah protect all of you, the chances of us

suffering from and May Allah protect us perishing from

global warming, the chances of,

of facing severe difficulties in life and lifestyle and so on from global warming are much, much higher than perhaps the chances of us contracting this or that ailment or illness, including this COVID. The that's the actual statistically valid reality, the chances of this happening, meaning perishing, as a result of global warming for our children and grandchildren, is exponentially higher, exponentially. But if I asked you

how aware Are you of that? What is the answer?

Another big crisis that is looming on the horizon, one of the most, I would say reliable signs of that is that water is being traded on the stock exchange in California.

It's a commodity, it's been treated as a commodity, and it's being traded along with gold and other commodities.

And this is a it's a sign of what is coming which is a huge global crisis in water. plain simple, pure drinking water, as somebody said many years ago, that the Wars of the future will be fought on because of an on water rather than for on oil.

May Allah protect us we seem to be seem to be a people who can only think in terms of wars. You can think in terms of sharing regarding in terms of conservation, and we call ourselves civilized and how incredibly ridiculous is that?

But that is our reality.

Now, having said all that, if I ask you this question and say how many of us have installed water saving taps

in our homes and public buildings under our control, what is the answer

if I asked you how many

Others have stopped using air conditioning unnecessarily.

How many of us turn off lights?

How many of us do not use cars unnecessarily and instead use public transport or work, I'm happy to tell you that I do not have air conditioning in my house. I do not own a car. And I am notorious for turning out lights. And I use Uber or I walk. And I don't go out I mean unnecessarily when I am severely allergic to shopping and malls, and so on anyway. So the point I'm making is that it is possible to live a very

happy and comfortable life without these things, and contributing to a more positive world.

Even if you are the only one doing that. I'm not the only one doing that there are people today we're waking up. But the point is, that if I ask all of you who are listening to this is attending the session and listening to this.

Due to this.

What is the answer? Now the reason I'm saying that is now I could go on, but we know the answers. The

we Why do we do this? Even though I'm sure every one of you will accept what I'm saying, which is that we are facing a crisis of global warming, we are facing a water crisis. I don't think you will argue with that. And if you do argue that there is enough data inshallah, to convince you to accept this reality. But if we ask this question and say, how is this reality reflected in our lives? How is it reflected in how we in the decisions we take

in how we choose to live our lives in what we give priority to in our lives? This question is asked, then what is the answer? And the reason my contention is that the reason why this happens, the reason why we do not

find in our lives, actions that support our alleged commitment to

reversing global warming, and to alleviating the water crisis. Why is that not happening? Because we don't talk about it, we don't talk about him because it is not real for us.

Now, we don't talk about it, we do not try to

understand it. And so it is not a priority. And we ignore it. imagining that by doing so it won't happen.

But we know this is not true.

It's not real. For us, Allah knows it is very real. And it's the biggest danger that hangs over our collective heads, yet we ignore it. Now the reason again, as I'm saying all this Jews, of course, to try to instill in you and to awaken a new a concern for the environment, a concern for our lives a concern for the future of ourselves and our children. But also Most importantly, to draw your attention to another amazing thing which looms over us, which is completely and totally real, which are all the data in the world that we you and I as a as believers need to convince us that it is real, yet, it seems that we also ignore that most of the time. And that is the ACA. And the ACA is

not again real to us. Because it is something we do not talk about normally.

Most of the time, it's we have restricted it to mention in religious gatherings, where we sit in a posture of respect. And that will also depend on the culture of the place because in America, it's perfectly common to see people sitting with both legs extended towards the Qibla extended towards the face of the speaker

so that the speaker understand this actual position, la hora de La Villa de la when the biggest lacuna the biggest gap, the biggest thing which is missing in our lives, is either is respect.

Anyway,

and we listen to the speaker, with our mind wandering elsewhere.

And when all is said and done, we go home to our usual occupations and our usual lives.

How many of us come out or

come out to a lecture which talks about which has spoken about the ACA And believe me, this is standard, every single lecture on speaker

Share female or star, whatever you want to call the name right?

We'll only speak about this He will speak about the greatest was held that I will speak about as well as a solemn and the importance of following the sooner all of which leads to a good ending in the accident.

So, how many of us listen to such a lecture, and we come out of the, with a clear intention, and then to make changes and then we actually make changes in our schedules in our priorities

in the use of our time in our spending patterns,

changes in our ethics and values changes in our life goals, how many of us do that changes in behavior for example, we might hear or these were also seldom said that a smile is sadaqa how many of us come out or such a lecture actually smiling and make it a point and an effort to smile at each other more? How many of us listen to this Hadees which says that? I'm sorry, it's such a such an such a, you know, within course, dangerous Hades. Now, listen, listen, observe that you are a man is not complete. What is the meaning of you is not complete? If you if you revise incomplete, then what? Where are we headed? Right? Think about that. Let me just say this, he said that your demand

is not complete until you want for your brother, what you want for yourself.

Right? Now, how many of us come out of a lecture where you are disobeys? And then actually look at yourself and look at your own decisions in life? Look at how you treat people and say, am I treating my brother the way I would like to be treated? Am I treating my brother in the same way that I want others to treat me?

Are we doing that? If you are not doing that, and believe me, that is what you heard, has become a hedge against you on the Day of Judgment, because I lost my hurt as well.

And you cannot say I didn't know.

In any case, ignorance is not a defense in law. So I don't know is not a valid point. But even if it was even if you want to give that as an excuse to say, I did not know, in this case, you cannot say I did not know because you knew.

Think about that. I think about that we go out from we be here's how this your brother,

your email is not complete until you want for your brother, what do you want for yourself? But we come out of there.

And then we file a suit

in the courts, against our own brothers against our own sisters. I know a case where a son filed a suit against his mother

to get

a share in his father's property.

Right now,

big question, why was he not getting a shot in the first place? And secondly, if he wasn't getting a share is he's going to sue his brothers whose mother Sue his sister to get a share in the property.

You just heard

what Mr. Salim said with regard to wanting for your brother, what do you want for yourself.

But the suits and kartra suits continue.

How many people come out of these gatherings and these cars and call the aggregate call their lawyer and say cancel the suit? What Allah has written for me, nobody can take. I am happy with what Allah subhana wa tada has given me. And I'm willing to, I want to cancel the suit. I do not want to sue my brother. I don't want to sue my, my sister or my mother, or my father?

How many do that?

And if you don't do that, what does that tell us about the seriousness with which we take our religion?

I'm about a case of any

people come to me for advice. And

I tell people don't ask me for advice. Because

what a lot of people do, you won't like the advice I give you.

So anyway, one person

called me for advice. And he said, I'm very stressed out I'm not able to sleep properly. And I'm really, you know, seem to be in a bad way. I said, What happened? Why is all that he said, You know, there is this. I assumed my brother, my brothers who me about my father's property and all of this is going on and so on. And I lost my peace of mind. My relationship with my brothers families destroyed his children don't respect me, my children in this way and that when our long story

So what should I do?

So I told him usually I said, Don't ask me because if I tell you, you won't like it, and more than likely you won't do it. So it's a waste of your time and my time. He's an older Japanese telling me I will, I will, you know, I promise you that I will follow it. So

I said, then very simple. I said, pick up the phone, call your advocate, call your lawyer, and tell him to withdraw the case. That's it.

He said, Oh, but then I will lose by sharing my father's property. So yeah, sure.

You would.

I told him, I asked him, I said, Tell me, are you on the street? I mean, this father's property? If you don't get it, will you be without a roof? over your head? It's a no, no, no, I'm alive. I have my own house, I live in my own house. Very nice. I said, if you don't get that for this property, I wouldn't be without a meal, I would be standing on a street corner with your hat in your hand asking for money is enough.

A business I've got what sizes and castles the case.

We draw the case, this is what is yours. What is your father will come to you. What is not your father cannot come to you case or no case, to withdraw the case.

He didn't tell me whether he will do it or not. He said thank you. And that was it.

But very surprisingly, I was absolutely astonished.

a month or two later, he called me. And he said,

I just want you know, I took your advice.

And I would do the case. And he said I hamdulillah I have been sleeping so peacefully.

I've got my peace of mind back, I'm happy.

And hamdulillah my relationship, my brother and his family is also improved.

Now if the case was something where the brother was being unjust, that is something for the brother to think about. But the point being that this is the reality,

which is that the akhirah is something which is so important. The point I wanted to make was that when we listen to lectures, and so on so forth, how often and how easily does that translate into human interaction?

The truth of the matter is belief without action is a lie.

If I say I believe, but my actions do not support my belief, then I don't believe as simple as that. Whatever it is, if I believe, for example, that a particular stock is willing to do extremely well, on the stock exchange, and I'm in the end, if I'm trading in stocks, and I don't buy that stock, then it means that I really don't believe that that stock was going to do well.

Because if I really believed that this stock was going to shoot through the through the ceilings or the roof, and it's going to multiply and you know, give me exponential results, then why am I not investing in the stock?

same logic applies as far as the action is concerned. My brother sisters,

the fact of the matter is that it is action, and only action that counts.

And only action is results.

Everything else is hot.

Do a test. Do this test yourself. Keep a pad handy. And write down what you talk about. Right through the day. Right? don't change anything. If you're writing something and you don't like what you have written don't change it just right. You're just noting it. And this is for yourself only you're not going to show it to anybody. So nothing to worry about. So don't change anything, no praise, no blame, just record what happens in your life

and then analyze it to see what you mentioned most often. And what occupies your attention, your energy and your time.

What is it that occupies this most of the time? Then ask yourself, What is your view about the effect of that in your life?

Right. So what you mentioned most of the time, are you talking politics most of the time, this is what is happening in this country, that country? This is what is happening in this into these people that we will What is it you talking about? Is it politics? Is it more ado talk more about business for example, you know, what the how the stock exchange is doing? What business opportunities are there and so on and so forth. Do you talk about other people, for example, right.

backbiting people, slandering people is that what you do? We hope you don't

But we know this happens is most of our social lives comprise of that

do talk about disputes. When you approach knowledge, when you approach aim, I will focus more on gathering more and more information, more and more data, or the AMA on that, the application of that data, the application of that information in your life, which one is more in your approach to the into really,

when you are talking about religion, you're talking about hobbies, we're talking about data. And so what

I will focus on being

on again, on the on the, you know, the

the way to

approach it in this way and that way, if it's as with a Corolla, we're focused on reciting or ruler recitation, are you more focused on applying what the earth is teaching us? Again, I have to keep on making these justifications. What May Allah protect me from myself? It doesn't mean that you should recite wrong, you know,

the point, which is the which do you give more importance to and not give equal importance? There's no such thing as equal importance. There's when you're giving important something, automatically, you are putting something else aside.

Right?

Many people come to me, you know, asking questions about this or that massage. But hardly anyone ever comes and says, I am not able to get

my Salah. What must I do?

The tears don't come into my eyes. When I think about the greatness and glory of Allah, what must I do?

I can literally count on the fingers of one hand, the people who asked me these questions, there are people there hamdulillah. But literally two or three people in my whole life.

For Focus, is everything. And that comes from

what we

give most attention to, to take this to this test, keep this bad handy, right now. And at the end of the day, read it and see, what was it that you were most concerned about on that day?

And then think about NSA, what is the effect of this on my life? If I were to be watching COVID numbers all day? How will it affect my life? If I'm going to be watching what's happening in in policy? Or what's happening elsewhere? In terms of the oppression of Muslims? How is that going to affect me? If I'm going to be watching,

you know, CNBC or something all day television,

chat shows or merging, you know, games or whatnot? What is the effect of that on my life?

My brother and sisters, this life can be very short, or it can be very long. Right? And surely sip speaking, if you think about it. This live is actually very long, even though in an operatic terms, we say it's very short, but we're talking about In short, in the context of time, let me say, Oh, one hour Oh, by the way, oh, how long do you stay? come live with them? How long did you stay? I stayed for a day or less than a day, or part of the day? This is the question and answer with a melodica.

That's in the context over on time. But if you think about that a person has a lifespan of, say 70 years, 75 years. That's a long time, right? 75 years. Now it's too long to be spent living in a stupid way.

It's something that that is enough to ensure that if we live it intelligently and thoughtfully, no matter what time you start, even if you start in the 74th year of a 75 year lifespan, that one year can make a huge, huge difference because hamdulillah we are talking about the mercy and forgiveness of Allah subhanho wa Taala and that is a matter of minutes of an instant, in an instant Allah subhanaw taala can convert 70 years of disobedience into 70 years of Agile

70 years worth of reward. Because we make sincere, sincere is the part of our heritage and we turn towards

Allah subhanaw taala I mentioned this all the time, Allah said he will change the evil deed into a good deed. So something that you or I would have been punished for normally speaking will become something that we will be rewarded for. It doesn't mean

The evil was good. It just means that not only will Allah valterra wipe out the evil but Allah subhanaw taala will give us a reward

which will compensate or which will substitute the punishment that we would otherwise have got.

How long did that How long did that take?

How long does it take to say sorry?

rollers were handled?

How long do they say take to say sorry to whoever you wronged? Because remember, there are two aspects to this. One is a kohala handle data over law, which we have to make is the follow up and apologize for those who have data for and make double and turn towards injury.

And the other one is overly bad, which is the rights of the people.

And if we violated those rights, if you were rude to somebody, if you hurt somebody, if you attacked the honor of somebody, if you took away somebody's property,

depending on what it was.

Then as soon as as Adam said Allah will not forgive until that person forgives.

So what must we do? Go and apologize. We're about your ego, your ego will take into Jana.

The ego is knifes and wondering why did Allah say in an upset matambi Sufi Lama Imam. So this is what Islam says. Verily, my enough's will take me only towards it

in the knifes that Lamar,

Lamar imrb except for the one one who Allah has mercy, we ask Allah for his mercy, forget the ego, go apologize, go sorry. Make amends, compensate,

restitution

do all that

if after you have done all that the other person still does not accept the other person still says I'm sorry I'm not going to forgive you then that is on them.

But inshallah you are free from blame. And that person must forgive for the sake of one swatter.

If they don't and that's between them and others rantala you are free from that equation. But if you do not make the if you don't take the initiative if you don't go and apologize and apologizing don't make the apology sound like you are doing an accent on that person. No, we genuinely contract we genuinely apologetic be genuinely sorry, because you are sorry, if you don't do that, then Allah subhanho wa Taala will not forgive you on the Day of Judgment We ask Allah for is for is for protection from this engine, right.

Changing life is very, very important. Our ancestors

seriously you know, how you can tell what is really important for us in your life. See what you are most stressed about?

See what you are most stressed about? Then ask yourself if those things are worth stressing about.

somebody the other day made a

jokingly a comment.

And dessert is a bird a collar with a pencil to dog a hot button.

He said when the bigs when the when the powerful people, the big people, the senior people

stand up.

Meaning when they take charge

then the others the so called Small people, less powerful people burn

their hands and feet become quote meaning that they figure they become powerless.

So always question that I came to my mind.

And many of you would have heard the for the reminder on that is who is begin who's one

that will begin who's one? What is the criterion of judging that?

What is the criterion of judging this bigness as wireless?

But it's okay to say when big people stand up and so on. But who is who's the person?

Is it somebody who has wealth and power and authority and so on and is dirty? Or is it somebody who is connected with Allah subhanho wa Taala loves somebody was aware of Allah May Allah make us among these encounters. Oh, he's already a German. Somebody who's someone who raises his hand and does not refuse his drug who is big, right? Which one? Now, I know the standard you know, Sunday school answer and are interested in there Am I am saying

is this what we really believe? And if it is something we really believe then we have to ask ourselves how come I

I'm not working to become one of the within quotes bigs.

Right, I left the door open for everybody

else right I left the door open for everyone

with regard to the earlier of Allah with regard to the favorite slaves of Allah subhanho data.

This is one of the words which is mistranslated everywhere. Alia is translated as friends, friends of Allah, Allah has no friends Allah Subhana Allah is

Bella and Bharata

the other law hola

Allah subhanho wa Taala is over and above

greater and more magnificent

than anything in his creation. And the last round Donna does not resemble anything in his gration. Allah said that himself, laser camisa de shavon. He's unlike anything in his creation. And unlike anything does not mean only in terms of shape it means in every form in every aspect.

Friendship equal friendship implies a

implies equity and equality between two individuals.

So Allah subhanaw taala is not equal to anything.

So what is the meaning of holly Wali in the context of alarms again, the word is a is a Arabic word, it has its own linguistic meaning.

And then it has a theological,

religious meaning.

The word for example, Salah has a linguistic meaning meaning,

but it has a theological meaning, meaning the formal way in which we worship Allah subhanaw taala. So if somebody says I was rather made Salah for so I'm making dua, I don't have to play dance one is obviously the person is completely ignorant and is missing the point.

So similarly, the word Wali, the linguistic meaning is a very, very close and dear friend, protect somebody who's will be with you, behind you, who's got your back, so to speak. And somebody who is your confidant, somebody who is aware of and

knows your deepest secrets, and those secrets are safe with us.

But when the same word used for us rantala Willie, and I like it himself, in the corner.

There it doesn't mean all of this, it just means a value of Allah is the one who Allah loves, is Allah's favorite slave, who Allah will protect was do Allah will accept

Allah Subhana Allah honored the human beings and honored the believers especially by saying that he is there Wali, Allah who will he will levina.

Allah,

Wali of the believers,

you already own Mina, Zulu Mattila? No. And he extracts them from darkness into light.

From his guidance into guidance, from janome to German.

And he's the only Allah Who will you let

in another praise Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah when Allah, Allah,

Allah said truly and surely, the earlier of Allah.

Allah is the ruler of

the OD of Allah, the favorite slaves of Allah are those

for whom there is no sadness, and there is no fear. That whole one I aimed for them while I was alone, and they have no sadness, there's nothing that they need to be concerned about in the future. And the past also has been forgiven. So there's nothing for them to be sad about in their past. And then I lost a parent and described Who are these Odia

alladhina amanu, waka and who the whole

lower Bush era Phil had dunia of Alaska, Alaska, these are the people who are the man and worked upon and for them there is Bashara there is good news for dunya bofill accident in this dunya in this life of this world and in the year after in Dhaka.

So what is the definition

of a Wali, somebody who was a man and somebody who was stuck,

somebody who believes in Allah subhanho wa Taala and doe he believes and also relies on Allah. As the last and final messenger after him. There are no messengers and someone who

has stuck meaning somebody whose primary concern is, is Allah please with me, somebody for whom the single point of decision making the single criteria of decision making is, does this action or does this speech or does the decision of mine is likely to please Allah or not? And if it is likely to please Allah hamdulillah I do it if it is not likely to please Allah, then I do not do it. This is the definition of taqwa.

So, always only the one who has the man and the one who has stuck, the one who believes and the one who is concerned about the law about the pleasure of Allah meaning, the one who believes and then the one who more than changes and, and does every speech and action visit in a way where he knows this will please Allah Subhana, Allah insha Allah

to it is your belief and it is your life.

Right.

So the question is that, what are we concerned about? are we concerned about this is am I worried?

If I'm only avala?

What must my earning be? Like?

Can I be involved in interest based banking? And be aware of Allah?

Can I be buying and selling things? Which are haram?

Can I be selling for example, you know, lottery tickets in an alcohol and pork products? And

I don't know all the

all the fifth, that Muslims insist on selling their shops.

And they believe shut down, because everyone tells them that your business will sink unless you sell this this stuff.

The whole a whole other level.

Where, where is the question of development, we haven't even decided in our lives going by right by our actions, it looks like we haven't even decided who we want to believe what we believe. We want to believe Allah.

If that itself is something we have not decided, then what's the word of document or anything else?

No, think about that.

What does it tell us? So if I want to be a one year follow, what must I do? I must clean up my act.

I must on holiday, I must eat?

I must fulfill the variety.

I must have believed in toy.

Right.

This is what we need to look at. So ask yourself, What if?

What am I stressed about?

And ask then yourself, Are you stressed about the right things?

Maybe it's just what the right things?

Are those things worth stressing about?

And the way to think to judge that is

to do it in the way where we decide in the corporate world.

This is how we decide on

the amount of corporate of compensation for senior officers in the company

is dropped by admin salaries are decided on this basis. That is, what is the cost of a mistake.

If that top manager

something that people feel, you know, why is it that a truck driver works so hard and the labor works so hard, and but the CEO gets so much more money? It's not because of working hard. It's not a cost of sweat. It's the cost of making a wrong decision.

If a laborer makes the wrong decision, what happens one brick less or more? Right? It has its importance, no doubt but

but when the CEO of a company makes a wrong decision, what happens is billions of dollars down the drain,

and maybe many other kinds of losses.

So that is why the CEO is paid more than the laborer because the cost of mistake of a CEO is much more than the costume is day of a frontline worker.

So do this test for your stress points.

And ask yourself, What if the thing that I worry about actually happens?

What will happen? What will what is likely to be the result of that? What if I actually lose my job? What if someone close to me dies? What if the government of my companies come country changes and a government that is hostile to me and my kind comes to power?

What if my fear my career if I fail my carrier exams? What if I fall sick with something incurable? like cancer or something? Maybe maybe call recording it?

But

do this as a test.

Right?

And ask yourself this question. We'll talk about this in more detail

in the next session, but just now, do this thing as a test and see what is the result of and what is the cost of all of this? If it happens,

right.

What are your stress points? What are you stressing about? And is it really worth stressing about those things? Ask us rather be pleased with you and never to be displeased. Ask us for our data to enable us to do that which is pleasing to Him and to live our lives in a way where he repeated with us or some other Hana bill curry while he was having remember him it was illogical