Divinely Sheltered – Reflections on Surat Al-Hujurat 09

Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah ala alihi wa sahbihi Marine,

we begin the name of Allah All Praise and Glory be to Allah and may its finest peace and blessings be upon His messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his family and his companions and all those who tried his path

so we need all our youngsters to come forward

and all are very youngsters to be apprehended and straight jacketed in his gentle way as possible, it's like a low Hydra

you can let them roam I'm joking you can let them roam if they're being quiet inshallah.

So we begin the name of Allah subhanho wa Taala All Praise and Glory be to Him and may his finest peace and blessings be upon His messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his family and his companions and all those who tread his path.

This in sha Allah who will be our final session and sort of that who gerat covering so that her gerat and some of the Divine protections and sheltering Allah subhanho wa Taala set for us as individuals and communities through sort of that huge rot.

But before I proceed into the final three eighths of the surah

in the coming weeks in sha Allah to close out the calendar year, instead of starting a new series with the breaks coming up and traveling otherwise and interrupting it midway, we wanted to actually ask of everyone here on site or those who will be watching this online. If there were any particular topics that you felt were of interest to you, or of use of practical use to yourselves and your family in the community. Please suggest approach us write them in the comments if you're online or whatever you want the child law, there are a few topics already lined up for the next week or two. But we want to fill the remaining Friday nights of the year with one and done topics isolated

topics, each one. So the next week in sha Allah azza wa jal, for example, will be speaking about the complexities of a dual identity. That sounds so complicated, basically, what it means to be an American Muslim at the same time. Is that an oxymoron? You know? No, it's not.

Spoiler, it's not and other subjects as well.

So don't hold back on the suggestions. Let's just proceed with me later on.

So in these final three ayat and Susan Who gerat Allah subhanho wa Taala is still speaking to and about the Arab, the Arab, the Bedouin Arabs who I said, came forward with that sense of over confidence, you know, unjustified reassurance, sense of entitlement. They said, We believe we're good we do enough on Allah Subhana Allah to Allah, call them out on their faith and the weakness, the fragility of their faith and what it actually means to believe in Allah through millennia or taboo and then not doubt thereafter, when the events of life continue to come your way and evaluate your claim to faith.

That first idea that we're recovering the last three out of the surah today in sha Allah, the first of them Allah azza wa jal continues to say to the Arab at to the moon Allah heavy Dini come wala Who ya allah mu Murphy semi Allah to fill out of the wala who equally che in Allium. Say to them, oh Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Are you going to inform Allah about your deen? And Allah knows all things in the heavens and all things in the earth. And Allah is over all things acquainted knowing without exception.

So in other words, Allah subhana was Allah saying, are you actually going to define to Allah what kind of believer you are?

People do this all the time. We want to highlight that but first what does it mean to the moon Allah hubby Dini come are you going to tell Allah or teach Allah your Dean? Dean here does not mean religion. Deen does not mean religion. You see the word Deen in Arabic has multiple usages in the Quran.

of them is the deen as you know the most common usage means the religion my deen is Islam his deen is Christianity their religion. You know the the set of beliefs that you adhere to you identify as the religion. Another meaning of the word Dean is repayment, repayment like Forex.

sample when Allah azza wa jal says Maliki Elmy Deen, Owner of the Day of deen is not the day of religion. It is the day of reconnaissance the day of repayment. You see a debts when you owe someone something in Arabic is called Dane, Dane as a debt. The longest eye on the Quran is Aya today in the verse on debts. So Dean and Dean are derived from the same place. Your Dean, your dean, your religion is what you are committed to what you are liable for what you see yourself liable for. You're bound to this set of beliefs and teachings, but also

your actions you are Medina, you are indebted in light of your actions, right? You have to answer for every single one of them. Okay? Neither of these is intended in this area. What's intended by Dean is the third meaning of Dean and that is your acting upon the teachings of the dean, your devotion, Your Worship, the acts of worship, the acts of devotion are called Dean.

So for example, elsewhere in the Quran, Allah subhanho wa Taala says

yeah, halal Kitabi, Latin for Luffy de Unicam. Oh, People of the Scripture, the Jews and the Christians do not go into excess in your deen, what is meant here? Do not go into excess in your worship. I mean, you worship Allah they do. And you also worship your your trends, you're trespassing. Now beyond that, you're also worshiping this person who you claim to be the Son of God, or otherwise, do not transgress in your worship in your devotion. So that's what this is referring to with the word dean called to the moon Allah Javi Dini, come say to them, are you actually going to tell Allah, how devoted you are? Do you actually think Allah needs you? Or doesn't know how

little or more devotion you actually have at heart?

There are people like this throughout time. This is a sign of conceit, that you think you're upon great Dean. But it is also that urge, but it's also a sign of Guru. Guru is self deceit, when you deceive yourself, okay? When you continue to argue that you're such a good person, or continue to surround yourself with people that tell you you're a great person only, that's all they do. And so you begin to become absolutely sure that you're a great person. You're flawless.

You know, and so that Bukhara Allah subhanho wa Taala

says that among humanity are those that when you tell them you're not perfect when you tell them fear Allah, what do they do with a paella? Who tequila HA, HA HA that when there is a he is overtaken by pride, belief, and it leads him into sin. Why is overtaken by pride? How could I have a mistake? How could you tell me fear Allah, right? What do you mean? He's not used to hearing this? It never crossed his mind. It never crosses his social circles. So when it said to him, it's so offensive to him. Were either predella who tequila ha ha That is to believe for his boo Johanna. What are they selling me had?

The idea before Allah Subhana Allah Allah says, and among humanity are those that

you shade Allah, Allah mafia kalbi, he will who are led to Assam. He cites Allah regarding what is in his heart. You know what that means? Let me simplify it for you. Allah knows what's in my heart. Allah knows I'm sincere. Allah knows I fear him more than you do. Right? Mind your business. I'm I got it taken care of. There is even a hadith. So you should Allah Allah mafia kalbi, he cites Allah as if Allah he's claiming Allah is on his side about this, you should Allah He calls Allah's testimony regarding what his heart contains is very deceitful. This is self deceit, to assume that what you think about yourself, Allah sees you in the same way.

Well, who I let do his arm and he is

abstinent, an easier word, just very fiercely argumentative. I let down his arm he's always disputing.

This is rude. And this is self deceit. People deceive themselves like this all the time. And of the signs of it is that he cites that Allah

testifies to the purity of his heart, and also the next INR or either Fetullah who tequila when he's told

You're Allah. He's dismissive of that.

And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the same concept the same meaning. He said of the Pete the most detested words to Allah one of the statements Allah hates most. And yeah Paula Raju Lulu Rajawali tequila for Kulu alayka Bihar Sati enough sick is when a man tells another man meaning a person tells another person, fear Allah and that person responds with worry about yourself. Meaning there's nothing for me to worry about. You know the Sahaba of the Allahu Anhu they feared hypocrisy very much of the ramen of NaVi Laila Rahim Allah He said, I met I got to meet 30 of the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Kulu, whom yet he munificent, who Winnefeld

every single one of them accuses or suspects in himself hypocrisy.

Like I'm not exactly sure what Allah knows about me I could be deceived about myself. That is actually what keeps you pure. That's what keeps you from paper ah cracy your vigilance your fear that you could be a hypocrite on some level right.

Abdullah and Miss Ruth and others who have you know, the Allah Who an A man came to him and said to him, Afshar and nee Munna fear I fear that I'm gonna if I'm a hypocrite, so he said to him, in koonta Munna Farrakhan lemtrack shoddily shambolic, if you were actually a hypocrite, you would not be afraid of that. Because that is what purifies your hypocrisy, the constant fear and concern that you're in the mud of hypocrisy. That's what keeps you from falling into that, that quicksand.

And as the Prophet alayhi salatu salam said

that I swear by the one in whose hand is my soul, or leadin fcbd, one of you will do the actions of the people of paradise hat, my Hakuna Vina who are being a healer, there are a female Yep, duty pneus.

Until there is nothing between him and Paradise, but an arm span, in what appears to the people, it appears to the people that you're so close to Jana,

first before Allah Hill Kitab, and then what is written happens that his true colors have to come out. And so he does the actions of the people of the fire and he answers the fire. And so this is essentially boils down to be very critical of your opinion of yourself. You have to always be checking, introspective, check inspecting inside of yourself. And also also be very careful of people's opinions of you. Because you will start to believe them.

If they're too praising to celebrating of you, you will become diluted. And if they also if you're just surrounded with negative people that are always criticizing you, that's another subject, right? It'll become your self image, you'll just live up to it.

But, and if I can draw a quick parallel, this is by the way, the true danger of social media, social media, you hang up your entire self image on the validation of others, right? I'm a great scholar because I have 200,000 followers, right? I'm a great person because someone wrote a comment that you're you know, you're this that and the third right? I've got this amount of likes, it is vanity metrics, they call it in that space right? Vanity, meaning it is like hollow and it is empty and it is deceitful. These measuring sticks when you subject yourself to them Allah it is a disease.

Even under the laws are his son forgive me, I believe no, I'm Radi Allahu Anhu. I used to say the cruel nasty that was the Corolla he there were that the mention of people or remembering people too much is a disease the same way that remembering Allah, how much is a cure? And so when you're constantly looking for people thinking about what is their opinion of me and this that in the third, or you lock yourself in a place where only good opinions come your way and it could be destructive? You begin to believe it and then you begin to claim that Allah believes the same thing about you. That is what this is talking about. Go to the moon Allah be Dini, come say to them, Do you? Are you

going to teach Allah inform Allah just how devoted you are your level of devotion your deen wala Ahuja Allah Matthew Semilla to imfl rd Allah Who equally che in Alim and Allah who knows everything in the skies and on the earth, and he's aware of all things subhanho wa taala.

In other words, are you claiming there's an exception? Like do you believe Allah knows what's on other planets and inside mountains? Do you think he doesn't know what's inside of you? He doesn't just see you he sees right through you, everyone else including

yourself could be deceived, but he cannot be deceived about you subhanaw taala

and so give that due regard. The second is Allah subhanho wa Taala then says to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam about them again the subject is still them. Yeah Munna alayka and assalamu koe. Let me know Allah Islam welcome belly Allah Who Yamuna? Allah caminhada komlin IMANI in quantum Saudi Fein they

claim some favor over you. Oh Muhammad, that they became Muslim like we did you a huge favor. We accepted your leadership. We became one of your followers. We claimed that your faith is true. They they perform men over you about the fact that they became Muslim.

Go let me know Allah Islam or come say to them Oh Mohamed, I'm telling you say to them, some Allah Hatha Yoga love go tell them don't mention any favor to me. You have not done me any favor by becoming Muslim. Belly LA who mo no la caminhada calmly man, rather it is Allah who truly has done you a favor by having guided you to faith in quantum saw the thing if you are truthful in your faith, if you are truthful, so a few stops here number one, what is men? I keep translating it roughly as confer a favor or mentioned a favor. What is men? You guys describe it or give me examples of men.

I bet God

what is men? Men whose two ends

elmen nobleman Nan

Hamza go

type of what?

Fruit? Oh man. No salah. No, not that men. Yes, that's a good catch. But that's not what it means here. elmen No Salah

what ALLAH given to Israel manual Salah that was a favor that he gave them. It was called a favor. But what does it mean men? Anyone know? The evil act of men?

Sisters, older sisters. What is men? Can you give me an example of men?

I didn't hear fully but I think she got it. Well, you said when he there you give someone something? And then what?

Yeah, you talk about it. Allah azza wa jal says about us with each other led to the loss of Ducati Campbell many will ever don't invalidate your charities with men and with abuse. I didn't translate men on purpose men is by reminding others that you did it that you did them a favor. Right?

So I you may have heard this from me prior a really good example to clarify men, though we all know it once we've identified it. You all know many examples of it is that a man buys another man a pair of shoes. And every time he sees them in public, he tells them Hey, take care of those shoes. Man, I bought you those shoes. Like don't step there. And

it's extremely humiliating, isn't it? Like you just keep making sure everyone knows you bought him those pair of shoes. They say so another guy came and said, Listen, you don't have to tolerate this, give him his shoes back. Here, here's a pair of shoes and a pair of shoes, like give me a pair of shoes. You don't have to put up with this. And so He returns the shoes and takes the second pair of shoes from the second donor. And then when he comes into the masjid, or wherever the market or whatever it was, the second donor says, Hey, listen, walk wherever you want with those Jews.

You haven't really done much you've done the exact same thing. Any form of calling attention, right? Or provoking or like offending a person by reminding them of your favors, is men. And it is the same exact thing as showing off when you do that favor.

That I do not forfeit your charities with men. And with abuse abuses, like you're not reminding you're hurting someone because you think you can just because you help them at some point in time, right? There close. Don't forfeit your charities, with men with reminders and with abuse. Just like the person who spends his money to show off to people. So there's a way to ruin your deeds. This example is charity.

Pre and Post pre is by doing it for the wrong reasons, right? And post is by abusing the person or reminding the person because you did it for them. They're equal. It's just like showing off. It just happens after the deed, not before the deed. Got it. So this is men.

Why can't they say to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? We did you a great favor by accepting your Islam

I mean, technically Islam did get stronger with more tribes becoming Muslim, right? Technically the numbers grew the state, you know, fortified there is some, you know, benefit worldly benefit in them becoming Muslim. But you cannot it is illogical. Like if you want to do men, you want to be smart about it too. Like, It's haram but like, don't be a fool. You cannot say to someone, I've done you a favor when it's a duty on you. That's why the discussion of men the example in the Quran is charity, like a voluntary charity is where men is imagined. But when it's a duty on you, right, then there's there's no grounds for use. I did you a favor? No, you did yourself a favor by living up to your

duties. Like you can't, like, you know, when you see a traffic cop in the street, as you know, one of my shields, one of the shields said,

he said, you can't just stop on, you know, at traffic cop signal and say, Listen, see, we do your government people a favor, you owe us. You can't do that. Why?

Because you're going to jail if you don't stop, right. You're doing yourself a favor by stopping at the red light. You're not doing the government the favor, even though ultimately the government will benefit everyone will benefit from, you know, people abiding by the traffic laws. Yes, I bet.

It's everybody's duty who meets the Prophet alayhi salatu salam to accept Islam.

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Absolutely. They knew.

And so that concept of you're not doing Allah any favors. This is your duty. You know, the famous hadith of a Buddha, you know, the Imam Muhammad and others. They say this is the most noble Hadith that ever came from Hashem because Abu Dhabi was in a sham Radi Allahu Anhu and the Hadith spread through him. And you know, the self, the early Muslims, they were so humbled by this hadith that they used to narrate this hadith only on their knees, they would refuse to narrate this hadith standing or even sitting. Some of them would be on their knees. I'll narrate this from my knees only. It's the Hadith where Allah subhanho wa Taala says Hadith footsie

yeah a bad the Oh my servants in the haram to whom Allah and FC which are allowed to Hubei in a coma haram and fell out of Allah.

Oh, my servants I have prohibited injustice on myself and made it prohibited on you with each other. So don't wronged each other.

Yeah, a baddie could look on ball loon a lemon Herdade do any of the comb Oh my servants all of you are lost except the one that I guide so ask of me guidance and I will guide you. Yeah, a bad the Oh, my servants could look them either in a lemon castle to Fasttech Sunil ZICO? Oh, my servants, all of you are naked. Look how humbling all of you are naked except the one I closed. So ask of me clothing and I will clothe you. Yeah, a baddie could look them Jack Lemmon album to who first up for Emoni. Otter income. Oh, my servants, all of you are starving, hungry, except those I feed. So ask of me food and I'll feed you. Yeah, a baddie could look oh my servants

all of you are thirsty except those who might give drink too. So seek drink from me. And then he says and then he says

yeah, a birdie This is the part now about guidance also, about not doing Allah Azza did any favors low Anna Wella como FIRA como encircle Magina calm can who Allah Tala will be F God Allah Julie Minco mana cassava Alikum animal Keisha if the first of you and the last of you and the human of you and the Jinn of you had the heart of the single worst of you, the heart of the bliss if we all had the heart of the bliss of shaitan that would not take anything away from me. Oh my servants of the first of you and the last of you and the human of you and the jinn Have you had the heart of the single best one out of you all if we all had the heart of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Mazza

Delica femal Keisha, that will not increase anything in my kingdom.

The yeah a bad day. Oh, my servants of the first have you in the last have you and the human have you in the gin? Have you carajo Isla saw Aiden were heading for a loony for Updata Kula hidden Miss Elata who mana casada Alec me Marin the CHE if all of you came out to a wide open plane, all human beings beginning of time till the end of time, humans a jinn as well. And each of you asked of me their biggest wishes and I gave each of you their wish it would not take away anything from what I have from my treasures

and then he says yeah, a bad the Oh, my servants in NEMA here I'm like Malcolm, they're your deeds. These deeds you do they're your duty. They're your deeds, or see hell

I come I collect them for you, Phil Murphy Komiya and then I deliver them back to you i recompense you for them. So whoever finds good deeds for Leanna dilla let him praise Allah. Praise Allah that He gave you the opportunity, Allah's favor, not our favor on Allah. Allah has favor that he gave you the opportunity to do good. And whoever finds anything else the Hadith ends by saying fella alumina Illa NAFSA Who let him Let him only blame himself. Okay, so that's men. Basically they perform this men, they exhibit this men. You know this high hoarseness we did you a favor by becoming Muslim say to them, you're not doing anyone any favors. Don't mention that to me. Allah did you a great favor

by guiding you to to Eman? He said Eman. By the way. The scholar stopped here. He didn't say Islam. What does it mean he guided you to Iman?

It either means he guided you to the doorway of Eman. You have the bare minimum you're barely Muslim, and so get to work.

Or it means I showed you Iman, the Prophet SAW Selim guides to the entirety of the faith. Right now. It's your job to act on it. That's what's meant, like I guided you, meaning I put in your heart a little bit of Amen. Because the Prophet alayhi salatu salam can't do that he can guide anyone's heart. He can show us guidance entirely, but he cannot get us to commit to guidance whatsoever. Two very different kinds of guidance, right.

So he says he has done you a favor by guiding you to Eman meaning putting you in the faith. Or it could mean by showing you

the guidance of faith the faith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam if you are truthful, now do something with it if you are truthful, the last idea ends by saying in Hola Hola. Hola. Mileva somehow it will auto Allah who will see it will be my time alone. Certainly Allah knows all hidden things in this universe. And Allah certainly knows everything that you're doing.

So I guess to summarize the surah Now, why does it end with that?

Throughout the surah Allah's knowledge is central. Allah's knowledge is paramount. Allah's knowledge is constantly being reminded about isn't it? In the first I have the surah

send me on Ali, and then Ali Moon Hakeem. And then Ali mon Kabir into Hana Allahu Kaluga, huzzah. All of this, Allah knows this, Allah hears this Allah tested their hearts. And here it's ending now again, by saying, Allah knows the hidden vibe, the vibe, the hidden, our hearts are hidden. All right. And this surah we said, the recurrent theme in it is relationships. Also, nothing will fix our relationships with Allah or with you know each other, except focusing on the hidden crevices, insight, without taking too deep of a dive in like, you know, moral philosophy. But, you know, for 1000s of years, philosophers have always been stuck on how to make good people good, basically, not

to make people good. It's called moral philosophy. Right?

Some of them, you know, they speak about I said, this you in the past, like one camp or one madhhab speaks about categorical imperatives, whatever that means, right? Just stick to a category honest equals honest, even if the world is going to burn down, just be honest, right?

Another group of them said, No, but you have to be also pragmatic. They call it utilitarianism, there has to be some utility, meaning, if my little lie is going to save the planet from world war three, then it's not unethical to lie, right? And of course, without ALLAH SubhanA, wa taala, you can't strike the balance. You can't figure it out when this one when it's this one. That's why our Dean came to get us that, but that's not the only thing you need to be a moral person to be a good person. It's not that's just to define what is good, right? In every situation, where do you get the motivation? You know, that is why there is a new form of or like, a new discussion in moral

philosophy, especially recently, in the past, you know, century Some call it

ought to ethics, like, Okay, this is ethical, but why should i You're saying I should go this way, should go that way. I ought to, why should I? Write? Like, let's assume this is right, but there's no God. Then why should I? Why don't I just leave it up to the max, right? So to be good, to be moral to have hired in you, you have to have like an internal motivation.

So we don't just need Allah Subhana Allah Allah to define for us good. We need Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to motivate us. In Allah Allah Allah Allah says, Allah knows the hidden grant

SS, Allah knows deep down inside, you know, think about it when it's human to human transaction, financial transactions. You guys see financial contracts, you know them better than me business dealings, they just get longer and longer, don't they?

five pages becomes 15 pages becomes 45 pages, right? I think I must have signed. When I closed on my house a few years ago, I think I put my signature like 85 times or something. You know, I almost said I don't want the house.

Why is this? Because when it's men to men, men, certain men and women will always try to look for loopholes, because it's only wrong if I get caught. Right? So that that is why there's more and more qualifiers more and more clauses in these contracts. Right? Rather than it being can you support me on this one? You're my reference point on this one.

So but when you insert a another factor here, which is the last day of the surah in Allah Allah movie was similar to a lot of then I will get caught I will get caught. You guys hear this right? It's only wrong if you get caught. Some people say this many people believe this right? They they basically consider like, How bad is it if I get caught and what is the likelihood if I get caught, they factor these in that is part of their ethical math. But when you know that Allah sets the rule, the motivation is completely different. The deterrence is completely different. And that is why it makes it so wise that after this long discussion, Allah ends it by saying in Allah Allah Allah Maha

Eva similar to a lot of Allah knows the hidden of the heavens and the earth. There is no escaping him. Well Allah who will see you don't be my time alone. And Allah is observant, he sees with full visibility, every single one of your actions

will stop there. Subhanak Elohim they can shadow Hola, hola, hola. Esta for looking into the lake. I pray that Allah benefited you with these sessions and me and allows for our share of it not to be limited to just hearing and listening. Allow some of it to be inculcated in our lives and in our club and in our communities. Allahumma Amin SallAllahu wasallam Eduardo kinda b&m Muhammad Ali he was on the edge many any questions