A Short Trip To Treasure Island

Brothers and sisters do to a well established Hadith insight and clarity from Jabba Radi Allahu Han. Were in the prophets Allah Allahu alayhi wa sallam tells us that he was once approached by two angels and described almost from a distance, but he could hear it by these two angels, that the example of this man Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is like the example of someone who built a house and prepare to feast and sent inviters to it. Allah is the Owner of the house and the feast is paradise and he is that inviter sal Allahu Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

And so whomever obeys Him has obeyed Allah, whoever responds to the inviter and whoever disobeyed him has disobeyed Allah subhanho wa taala. Because of this hadith, the great scholar in the Kodama Rahima, hula, he actually

creates a wonderful scene to talk about the different classes of humanity in terms of how they respond to the invitation of Allah that was extended to them by Muhammad Salla Allahu Allahu alayhi wa sallam. So wonderful allegory, wonderful reflection. He said, It's like the example of people

living their life in a village somewhere on a farm. And all of a sudden, at the shore, there arrives a ship. And the captain of the ship comes to them and says, Listen, I have been sent by a king from a very faraway place from a very distant land, who is inviting you all to come to his palace, and to enjoy a banquet to enjoy a feast with him and to see the palace.

And so the people are very excited and they get on the boat, they can tell this is not a scam. And then as they're heading on this journey, he stops midway at some island and says this is not the location. But we have to stop here. And for this day until sunset, to pick up some treasures that exist on this island that the king loves very much. Okay. And so we're going to collect these treasures and get right back on the boat and continue our journey, because the king loves them, and we can't enter upon him accept this invitation and show up empty handed. He says, but listen, number one, beware, on this island, there is a property with a fence around it, don't come near it. Because

if a king hears that you entered that property, he will be very angry. Don't come near that one. Number two, listen to my instructions carefully as to what to collect. Because not everything that glitters is gold. You gotta you're on a time limit. And this is high stakes. So listen to my instructions very carefully.

And then he lets them all go different classes of people. He says one group of them, the defiant people of mischief, they went straight to the place they're not supposed to go. And they got curious and it got the best of them. And so they became rebellious and they got to the fence. And when they looked inside the fence, and they trespass behind the fence, and they enter this private property, and they ultimately enter that without permission. That was one group. He said the other groups Group Two is a group that ignored the instructions altogether. And they went about grabbing whatever they thought was a treasure. They grabbed the rock, worthless rock, they grabbed some glass, they're

going into diamond, right? They were not aware of what is and what isn't. And so they wasted their time wasted their effort doing nothing. He said the third group were a people that just strolled around the islands soon as they started Okay, we got to go collect we know we need to collect Wait a minute, this place is beautiful. And so they started strolling, casually taking in the sights looking at the views. And they spent the entirety of their day doing this what they collected was like insignificant tidbits they just collected a little bit here a little bit there nothing worth mentioning even though they collected

he said the fourth class of people there five, the fourth class of people

are a people that as soon as they started working said wait a minute, we got to be smart about this. It's getting hot very fast. So let's build some shade. Let's gather some branches. Let's build some shade before it hits high known or else it's gonna get too hot to bear. And also you never know I mean, we're on an island you got to always prepare for a rainy day. It could literally get rainy could get stormy here. So let's just cover our bases make ourselves comfortable, and then we'll resume collecting and of course that took up their day and they never actually got around

to collecting

the fifth group, the blessed bunch, the fifth group said, Wait a minute, the king sends us a ship in the middle of nowhere where we live, and he invites us to a royal banquet. The stakes are too high, we cannot allow ourselves the luxury of getting distracted. We have this is our chance. This is our moment. 15 minutes of fame, we have to win the Kings favor no matter what we have to collect what he loves at any costs, no matter what the sacrifices. So they all went in their directions, these five classes of people, and then sunset, quickly befalls them right. And all of a sudden they're all rushed back onto their ship. Without warning now everybody on no room to look back. So everyone got

back on the ship, and everyone has a bag. Some people's bags are filled with treasures. Some people's bags are filled with scraps. Some people's bags have a little bit of treasure in it, some people's bags are empty entirely. And a fifth group didn't even come back to the ship.

And of course, this allegory or this extended metaphor, is so perfect because Allah azza wa jal speaks about all these different types of people, and this entire dynamic that explains our existence throughout his Quran. You know, in the Quran, Allah azza wa jal says Wallah who yeah drew comida daddy, salaam WIAA, the mania Chateau Elan Serafina Musa team and Allah is inviting you. That's an honor on its own. Allah is inviting you Illa daddy Salam to the home of eternal security, every form of security is there. The home of eternal security, why the mania shadow, you know, Seraphim was stuffed him and he guides whomever he wishes, not random, not favoritism. He knows who

deserves guidance, and He guides those people whom he wishes because of what he knows about them to the straight path subhanho wa Taala

and Dar Salam you know, like your we're gonna talk about treasures.

What Allah promises of treasures to give to us in paradise,

renders what we think are treasures, which are of course our good deeds that we are bringing to Allah azza wa jal for Paradise. It doesn't equate that is why it is by His mercy subhanho wa Taala that people enter Paradise because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, mold had become just the place where one of you steps the place under your feet in Paradise

is worth more than the entire world and all it contains. That's very expensive real estate, right? In paradise, it doesn't equate nothing on this world could ever account for it. And he said sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Allah has said I have personally prepared I that do I have personally prepared they're a bad deal sleight of hand for my servants who work righteous acts in their life malah iron rods with no eye has ever seen or even heard about, or even imagined. Malla I don't know I have ever seen or dawned on or even heard about or dawned on the imagination of any human being. And so he sent us the best invitation card to this banquet. We always get these invitation cards

they used to be nicer. We used to get them physical now they got reduced to sort of being digital. He sent you a Quran that's your invitation card, and then he sent you the best inviter possible in Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam with that invitation card. And he even his enemies testified that this man could never be corrupt. Even his enemies would admit to this. And not just was he trustworthy in the invitation card, he's giving you the Quran, he modelled it himself. Like he's the captain of the ship who actually got on the island and told you guys to pick up the right treasures. He was doing the same thing. He was working harder than anybody picking up those treasures. So Allah

gave you the perfect inviter to give you all the confidence in the world that I should be following him. I shouldn't be listening to him salAllahu alayhi wasallam.

And then there is the sunset. The sunset is not exactly a whistle gets blown and everybody gets rushed onto a ship. Because each and every one of us has a different sunset. And no one's allowed to know when their sunset is. It is confidential. We each have our moments. For the believer that moment will be the greatest gift that they're actually can stop working now. They actually have perpetual, perfect relief, delight and bliss. And for others it will be their moment of greatest regrets. And so this example of being invited to the banquet the Prophet alayhi salatu salam said or the more elaborate illustration of it, they didn't have to

them Rahimullah left for us in his literature, it is saying don't get caught being one of the first four categories. The first category, the people that didn't respect the fence and went into the wrong property, because you know, there are major violations and Allah from his mercy made what could lead to them also a violation, right? Like don't fornication or don't drink alcohol, don't sit at a table, where it's being circulated. Don't just stare at everything, lower your gaze, right. And so this was the first group of people don't be those people who defied Allah in this way and didn't respect those boundaries, that sanctuary that he does not allow anyone to enter.

And don't be the second category that picked up whatever they thought was a treasure. That is those are the people that worship Allah as they wanted, not as he wanted. And the problem with that is that Allah gets no benefit whatsoever from our worship. And so if we want to benefit from our worship our devotion with Allah, then we have to do it on his terms, not on our terms, as Allah azza wa jal said called In Kuntum, to a boon Allah feta beer only you'll be welcome Allah say to them, oh Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, if you love Allah, meaning more than you love yourself, then follow me follow the model follow Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and then Allah who will love

you, because you loved him and you prefer him over your your own self. The third group of people, the people that took in the sights and collected almost nothing at all. These are the people whose life centers around useless topics, vain discussions, cheap thrills, cycles of entertainment, and Allah azza wa jal said about certain people further whom your whole do while Abu had had you laugh, or y'all know whom Allah you are doing. Let them let them speak about useless things, and let them continue to think life is a game to continue to play the game and scroll watching others play the game, right? Until they encounter the day they were promised. That's the third group. And the fourth

group of people were the doubters. They say, Listen, Africa is Africa, the hereafter when we get to it, we'll figure it out.

Let's be a smart investor. A burden hand is better than 10 in the bush, let's invest here and now.

And about them Allah Subhana Allah Allah said, in the Levine Allah or junella, pa Anna, those who are not looking forward to meeting us what I'll do Bill hayati duniya. And they settled for the life of this world Waltham and new Bihar, and they put their guard down towards it, and those who are an 18 Rafiu and those who are heedless of our signs hola Kemet, WA homeowner, those are the ones whose abode is the Fire well as Ebola. May Allah protect us and our loved ones. And so the story is to say don't get caught in these four and make sure you're from category five by recommitting now on this hotspot, right recommit to being the people that refuse to get heedless, refuse to let lower their

drop their sense of urgency.

People that honor the invite that will extend it to them by Allah subhanho wa Taala and those who listen to his instructions carefully as Elijah Akula Kali has stuff for Allah Allah Murray welcome.

Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Milena we have other shadow Allah ilaha illallah wa hola Shetty kala shadow a nun Mohammed and Abu whenever you who are solo

I asked Allah azza wa jal to make us and you among the blessed few that are of that last category.

You see when Allah azza wa jal says Raja at Sakura Tumulty will help that death brought reality to people. Then he came at Quinta mean who to hate. That is what you were avoiding. You didn't want to pay attention to. That means for most people reality will only arrive with death. It brings reality for most. And that's why a few verses later it says law called the Quinta field of Latin mean had you used to be heedless about this *a chef unanchored and now we forced the covers to be lifted. We forced the curtain to be pulled up for bizarro Kelly, OMA Hadid and now your vision is sharp.

Most people only as they're dying their vision sharpens only as they're dying this reality hits before they before hand they would have been useful to prepare for it. And so we ask Allah to make us have the best of those prepared for it.

You know,

I included the football last week speaking about the mixed feelings understandably that everyone is having regarding Ramadan coming and the Ole Miss pains and I reminded myself and you that the Ole Miss pains give us a doubled reason now to increase our capacity, our ability to care and to contribute specially in a world that is increasingly uncaring massacres going on starvation happening in Gaza and elsewhere, right. And we're just caring about the Super Bowls. We are just wondering what how the market is doing in an increasingly uncaring world. Ramadan is your chance to not become that person for our own personal development, but our collective health as an owner as

well.

So how do you do that? How do you make advance to take advantage of Ramadan as a chance of revival as a focus reset?

That focus needs to start getting generated in shall Ben is how the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said there is a month that most people overlook between Rajab and Ramadan. That is the month of Shabbat and it's like okay, Ramadan is not here yet. I'm gonna London, Ontario. Ramadan is not here yet. I'm resting for the Ramadan, right for the marathon to start, but if a person does not prepare Inshallah, then you probably will not get much out of Ramadan. You'll get tidbits, glimpses, flashes of light flashes of virtue, towards the end of Ramadan, maybe.

But the one who actually prepares will get more than tidbits for himself for herself, and they will be able to offer more than tidbits to their ummah.

And the same way, those who prepare for Ramadan are able to benefit from it, they make the best out of it. Those who prepare if you're not going to prepare for Ramadan, you probably will also not prepare for meeting the King who invited you to the banquet meeting Ramadan. Ramadan is it it is the big it's, it requires preparation though. Likewise meeting Allah is the reality and it will also require preparation and that is why the early Muslims they used to say and with that I close Oh Allah make the best of my days. What remain? And the best of my deeds my final deeds, will hire a yummy Yama Alcock and the very best ultimate best of my days the day that I meet you, this is a

project. May Allah help us excel in this project and take advantage of the booster the bonus the recalibration that is a lot it's worse every year in Ramadan and allow us to prepare from it so we can optimize ourselves in it Allahumma Amin