Ramadan Reminder #26

Salam ala Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa salatu salam ala COVID mursaleen Hamza Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sahbihi seldom at the Sleeman kathira ammirato.

Just as we are talking about the issue of Riba and the issue of Namibia,

and the issue of Baton,

backbiting, incinerating,

and

slander.

I'm spending so much of time on this because this is truly one of the biggest

evils that exists in our society. And I see this in all my travels around the world.

I see that very sadly. We seem to be joined through evil things, much more than we are joined through good things. If you want to look for good things in our people today. I know this sounds bad, but this is the sad, sad reality. If I want to see good things in the oma today, say for example, people who are charitable people who are coming out of their homes and volunteering in times of stress and

different difficulties and so on and so forth. If I want to look at the importance of the focus on scholarship,

on studying on getting qualified in different sciences, different bodies of knowledge, if I want to look for all of these kinds of things, I find them but I find them in pockets. The Muslim oma as an oma is not known for these things very sadly. On the other hand, if I want to if I look at the Sikhs

immediate thought in the mind comes as people who are the fourth in the forefront as far as service is concerned, is truly when they consider not for nothing. They are in the forefront. As far as service is concerned. Any place of conflict, any place of national disaster. Any place for example, the Rohingya genocide that is happening in Myanmar, if we go to the refugee camps in in Syria, you find six you go to the refugee

refugee camps in Bangladesh, you find six, what are they doing, they're giving aid to people, they're feeding people, they're you know, helping them medical medically and so on and so forth, it seems to be the the signature of the community

right it seems to be a signature of their community. And that is why globally today the impression opinion about Sikhs is so positive. And if somebody were to

want to criticize them, if somebody wanted to back backtrack the Sikhs, they would have a very difficult time because the counter narrative in the in the environment is directly opposite of that. Take for example, the Jewish community if you know what else is happening, but if you want to look at excellence in in learning and teaching

in in research and technology,

today, the community which stands out are the Jewish people, right you will learn maximum number of attorneys who take doctors you take you know engineers, you take research scientists, you see really bad breaking research, where does it come from? It comes out from Jewish universities it comes out the Jews are the people who are in the forefront of that and so on and so forth. Now, the point is that

if you look at the Muslim Ummah, where do we seem to

be most talked about in ostentation, in luxury, in you know, wasteful spending or things like this, you will not find them in these positive

in this was positive seeing the positive matters, it does give you an example the the at the annual global Motor Show

in Sweden in I forget the exact years now, but

the example is therefore, to illustrate not not so much as a historical documentation, but the global show in Sweden.

If a Swedish person took that, that took his son or daughter to this global show the the absolute

remarkable thing in that in that Motor Show the pictures and stars in the in the thing was a carburetor design was a very very special carburetor design, which reduced fuel consumption which gave much more power to the engine, and so on and so forth. So the focus was on this

Advanced piece of engineering, the same order. So in the UAE in Dubai, the focus was gold plated wheel rims.

We did not think about therefore, what does it tell you about our societies what is the focus of the society in one place is the focus of the society is on advanced engineering on the others. In the other case, the focus of society is on that just showing off. Now, this is the problem as far as we are concerned and that's why I'm thinking he was really focused on our character and the building of character and that's why we these all these series of lectures that we are doing on the flock of God, on leaving Islam and so on and so on.

To stay with the topic of of Riba backbiting it is narrated by hafeez almondbury. He said that the oma is unanimously agreed that nama which is insinuating which is innuendo is forbidden and it is one of the greatest sins in the sight of Allah subhanaw taala. There are many texts which condemned MMR and spying, this is another very major problem as far as we are concerned, we are so concerned about

the negative things of somebody else's life. We are not spying to see how good somebody is, we are looking to see what faults we can find in that person. And believe me, you can always find faults, isn't there is nobody in the world. Who's perfect, right? You would except for the last answer, there is no one there was nobody. So file files if you want to find for a blank plenty, plenty of ones. So but what does it say about the person who is searching for those forms? What kind of mentality is that? That all you can do is to go and you can come and go and you look for things in somebody's weaknesses for which then you spend your time

backbiting and criticizing those people.

The Rasul Salam in in one Hadees, he said no person who spreads Mima will enter.

As I mentioned, to, you know, Eva is insinuating his innuendo. You did not even say anything. So if somebody mentions a person say somebody mentioned me says, in some gathering, somebody says, you know, do you know, you're big? and someone says, Ah, ha, yeah, tell me tell me.

Now, what what is that? What kind of an impression does that give you? Is that person going to say something complimentary about me? Or is that person trying to do assassinate my character? Having said nothing? So when I say to the person, well, what happened? Why are you you know, what have you got against the man? He said, No, I didn't say anything.

I didn't say anything. But without saying anything. You said everything.

You know, I was listening to a lecture by Jamar Ah, hmm.

Now, he just made some noise here. Ah, huh. But he said everything that he said everything is the purpose of Mima, the purpose of innuendo purpose of,

of insinuating is to

literally character assassinate somebody without actually saying any words. And it's unfortunately very effective. And the reason why it's effective is because most of us have this tendency of

the willingness to believe the worst about somebody before we believe the before instead of believing the best about somebody right? Now we expect the best from your brother, forgive your brother 70 times every day, right? hosting isn't expect the best from from your, from your brother and sister. But we have the we do the opposite. We are we expect the worst. We believe the worst is to believe the best and not expect believe the best. And but but we believe that we believe the worst, we believe the worst, most readily. And on top of that, even if somebody comes to us with evidence to the contrary, we are unwilling to change our minds. We will still we will still keep

insisting that what we believed about that person is the actual fact and that this evidence is faulty. So that is why our souls are upset.

In this Hadith, in Bukhari Muslim, no person who spreads Nabila will enter gender. Another one, he said, No eavesdropper, which is the word use this cup that will enter gender akata is someone who spreads nominate somebody who, you know, spread these kinds of insinuations. And it was said that the one who spreads in the Mima is the person who is with a group who is

When he's speaking or she's speaking, they spread gossip about them and the cutout is the one who listens to them without realized without them realizing and then he spreads gossip about them. So there's two kinds of people one who slips and backdrops and the other one who over over hears his drops. And then he goes on, you know what I heard the other day. I was like, you know, what I

think about these numbers is this.

You know, is this, the headings of the three? The sutras were sort of said three people will be will be

presented on a swatara the one will be the scholar on the island. The second one will be a generous person, philanthropist, and the third one will be Mujahid who fought in the Battle, all three of them because they said they will come with

no, no, this is a different edition. I'm sorry. I got confused. The headings of the what nosers are called the heydays of the destitute he asked the Sahaba he said you know who are the destitute of this oma

rasa Salah Arsalan asked the Sahaba he said, Do you know who are the destitute of this woman? The cybercity line is no they know best. And then they said Dr. sola is somebody who has no DRAM or dinner, somebody who has no wealth.

The destitute of the Zuma is not somebody who does not have with material wealth, he said, the destitute of Zuma is somebody who will come before Allah subhanaw taala on the Day of Judgment, with good deeds, the size of the mountain of what,

but when there is there and they are standing before Allah subhanaw taala having done all this enormous amount of good,

they will find that there is a long line of people who they have wronged

and he said these are people somebody may have hurt physically somebody they may have maligned somebody who's really bad they did do that, who the back bit, somebody who they slandered somebody who about whom they spread nama, people, they spied upon people, they abused people that cause people that beat people who's who's, you know, whose rights, the virus and so on. So, that said, there will be a long line of people waiting before Allah subhanho. And then what Allah will do is, he will recompense those people, by taking from the deeds, the good deeds that this person that did, and

that will continue until this mountain of

size of good deeds will be reduced to zero. All the deeds will be finished, but the line of paper will still be there.

And then there isn't as observed that Allah subhanho wa Taala, of course Allah Allah, Allah subhanaw taala will ask those people and say, how, what do you want me to do? Now? What do you want me to do? Because this man has or This woman has nothing left.

Those people will say, yeah, Allah, then give our evil deeds give our sins to that person.

And this will be done.

And that person who came before Allah subhanho data with a

with the hog mountain size of good deeds, will go into the Hellfire with carrying the evil deeds of somebody else.

Now, even when I first read this, I remember I thought to myself, and I said, How is it possible that

somebody who has so much of the How does it even accumulate so many, you know, people who have to be compensated by giving the good be giving your own good deeds? I mean, this is like, you know, was difficult to understand, until I discovered internet. Right? What I mean by that is, remember, even one WhatsApp message, one email. Now one thing that you write and use spread about somebody, that thing has the equivalent of eternal life.

It just circulates and goes round and round and round and round and round and long after you're dead, that thing is still circulating, and collecting evil for you. That is, how bad it is. and sad to say, technology makes it easier for us to lose our good deeds, we need to be very, very careful. Think about very important, therefore to monitor our conversations.

But think about how we speak what we speak. I remember, I mean, as I told you, I travel all over the world. And one of the things that I find and this is I see in in, in people from my country from Indian people, by which I mean you know, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, but maybe this is true with others.

Also,

almost invariably, you have somebody living in Malaysia.

You ask them and they haven't. The reason they went to Malaysia is because the Malaysian lifestyle and the religion conditions were better than their own country, right Otherwise, why did they go to they went,

but when you talk to them and say well, how are things? So you know, these Malaysians, they are so bad people, they are this they are that they are that and they are

not one good thing to say about Malaysia or Malaysian people. So I always asked them, I said, Why are you here? Why don't you go back to India? because this place is so bad. You know what the

locals know answer to them. Then ask them Do you know any Malaysians? Do you have any Malaysian friends? No, they're so unfriendly, then

how will anybody invite you and this is your opinion about them.

And I see the same thing. Middle East, you go you go to the way you go to Saudi Arabia, you go to Qatar, you go to Oman, you go to quit. almost invariably you ask them about local people. You ask them about the country and you only get a negative response.

Now, I live in Saudi Arabia in 2003 for a whole year agenda. I had the option of living in a compound which would which would I expect him so it would be mostly Indians and so on it would have some white people. I chose not to live in a compound. I chose to live in a regular Saudi look at it. And I live in Jeddah in a regular Saudi locality right across the street from

the whole building. I was in an apartment the whole building I was the only Indian in that building. Everybody else was

my knowledge of Arabic was pathetic. practically nothing I could speak those people opposite there is equal to our English. But we got along famously we were we would meet in the masjid we would come they would invite me home. And you know, give me a vote we they would send food down we'll have there for half of the year and my wife was not with me so I was alone. And they realized that I'm not cooking so they would send food to me.

One of them every time we went to MCI would come back with four or five jerry cans of zum zum for me, it would bring he brings up some items like whatever I would have been.

I have to refuse. I'd say you know last time what you brought me still with me. And those people were 2003 We are now in 2020 I still have contact with them. I am still friends with them and those people I am still you know we love each other.

You have

we have you know people there who one of them. Manda our mahadi melas May Allah bless him mark is a

very very dear friend close friend of mine. Babu Arab. He took me to Medina once he you know, I stayed in his house. He I told him book me or tell he takes me to his house. And we have dinner and everything else. And then I said okay, let me go to my core resting, you know, to the hotel room. He said this is the door over the road. There's a bedroom I said what? He said how can you stay in a hotel when my house is here?

How can you say man? He was one of my students. He said You are my teacher? How can you stay in a hotel when my house is here? This is not our culture.

And then when I'm leaving the next day, his mother and his wife both of them are standing at the door behind the door. They seem to be there is any mistake we made Please forgive us if you didn't like the food and this was absolutely beautiful super food

is a another friend of mine in Makkah agua de Bella blossom. I go to Makkah, immediately. It's like It's like I'm going home, you know, invites me cooks beautiful food and so on. So, honey and soldati another beautiful friend of mine. He knows I like horseradish. Honey also, Ryder take notes at

the young man, a chef with a very, very beautiful recitation. He used to correct my touch with I would sit with him and take the lessons he was at my age, but who cares? As far as learning is concerned, learning is learning. I would sit with him. Chevallier Mahachi, again, a rider he had horses himself. And that was a time and I wrote Beautiful, beautiful Arabian horses. And they were very happy to see you right. So well I should have done like this.

And be right. My point is, if you make no effort to low people, to be good to people to be open with people, how will you How will you ever you know, make friends and how will you have a positive opinion about people in our people who are positive about you? And instead of that we continuously do that. My point is, I'm not saying to that there is no fault in Malaysian people or in Saudi people on an Indian people.

Your efforts. But if you only look at those faults, and you only constantly keep talking about No, this is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong. All you're doing is spreading hatred. All you're doing is completely and totally, you know, worthless behavior. My brother sisters, monitor your conversation, monitor your conversation, when you are speaking or other people are speaking in your circle and songs over monetary accommodation, if you find that conversation is critical, if you find that people are finding fault, then immediately get out of that place or tell people Please don't do that. If you are truly critical about something, and that is a genuine problem, go and talk to the

person concerned, go and talk to the person concerned go and try to find a solution for that, instead of

just back talking to each other, that serves absolutely no purpose. And this is the whole, you know, issue about that's what that's what Islam promotes, not to do any of this kind of thing, it is extremely harmful. And it is

of course, it is also totally hot that we that we do like this, you know, in

in the

the whole the whole point of this is that it is it is something that that destroys the oma

and it is, as I told you, I keep giving the example of, of, of termites, and I think that's a good example because you don't see the action of termites until it is too late. Because they go inside, and then they're eating the wood from inside until it becomes and then the whole thing collapses. It's I have a friend or I had a friend, he died, he died.

He was sitting on his he sat on a chair on the first floor of his house in Sri Lanka. And in Colombo, and the rafters collapsed the floor fell too, because the rafters had all been eaten by termites. And there was a bit heavy. And he sat in his chair and the whole thing came down he came down with it on the stone floor below. And he never recovered from his injuries he died. The point I'm saying is that this is how serious it is. Really think about that, that there is so much of division in this Omar so many.

You know how divided we are there? We have hardly anything good to say about anybody else? And how does it help us? Tell me? How does it help us? It does absolutely help us. So I think it really seriously now that we are sitting at home, thanks to COVID-19 sank because of Ramadan again, oh, that is coming. We are in Nevada.

Let us spend some time to think about, sit with your family. Talk to your family. Monitor your conversations, monitor your social life and remind you know many people live live women is a women only gospel Believe me that's not true. I wish it was true. I could also join that gang. It's not women gossip, men gossip. It's just that men when they get together, sometimes they have a little more to talk about because you know they have some shared interest in businesses business and this and that. But otherwise, our time goes in gossip, and gossip will always about somebody else. This is an utterly, totally shameful thing. on this subject, also, let me tell you, we tend to talk a

whole lot in our politics and so on. Again, it is a waste of time. So apart from being you know, bad and

something which is reprehensible from a religious angle is also a complete and total waste of time, at the end of one of these gossiping sessions. If one of the thing maybe you should do is tell people at the end of the session say, you know, what did we get from this?

What did we get from this? Seriously? Again, remember, one more thing is in this gossip business, the one who is gossiping, loses his or her good deeds to the one who's being gossiped about, and the one who's listening is an equal partner in that. So if if you are not gossiping, but you are listening to somebody who's gossiping, both of you are together in that evil. So if somebody starts saying something critical about another person, what must you do? immediately stop them and tell them so excuse me, please don't tell me that. Do not tell me about that person. I don't want to know.

If you think if you think that that critical thing which you want to say is important. Go talk to that person, go and tell them. Don't tell me I'm not interested. I don't want to know if they don't listen to you. And if they continue, then get up and walk away. Please understand my brothers and sisters. It's not about politeness, there is no politeness in disobeying Allah Subhana.

If you want to be polite there on the day of gentlemen, you will find what I mentioned to you in the Hadees which is you will be standing there with your good deeds and there is a whole long line of people who want them from you. Please understand this. This is a very very critical element that we are

Get forwarded as received is a noose around your neck. Please understand, it does not absolve you from the responsibility even legally doesn't mean if you look at it, if what you are forwarding is something which is against the law, if it is something which is

recommending or which is promoting something which is against the law, believe me, you are as guilty as the person doing it and you will actually be in problems. Even legally, you might actually you might end up having getting pulled up or getting arrested for committing a crime because you're promoting something which is negative. So even in this world, just saying forward, just putting something on a group and saying you know, this is a good thing. No, it doesn't work even in this world. It is something that can land you in trouble and with Allah subhanaw taala definitely doesn't work. It is something which will land you in trouble we don't need that my brothers sisters remember

when we stand before most manager we have little enough as it is do not allow that to be destroyed to revert to an amoeba so baton to spying to possesses. All of these things are prohibited in Islam. Let us ensure that we live our lives in a way which pleases Allah subhanho

wa Taala Alana Bukhari while he was happy is made with

Amina Mohammed reliability Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.