Mohammed Faqih – Jumuah 03-01-2025

AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of living long periods of acceptance and love for one's parents' lives. They emphasize the need to be mindful of one's thoughts and shaping one's mindset to avoid negative consequences. The importance of trusting Allah's judgment for oneself and being fully present in one's home to enjoy life. They also stress the importance of setting a clear intention and agenda for this year and engaging with one's community.
AI: Summary ©
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu
Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
I bear witness that there is none worthy
of worship except Allah.
I bear witness that there is none worthy
of worship except Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah.
Come to prayer, come to
prayer.
Come to success, come to success.
our years and all of our affairs in
the name and with the name of Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala and by praising him
azza wa jal and we thank Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala for all of his blessings
the ones that we realize and the ones
that we haven't yet been able to realize
the ones that we acknowledge and the ones
that we deny the ones that we are
well aware of and the ones and the
many that we are completely oblivious of we
praise Allah for all of his blessings subhanahu
wa ta'ala and we praise Allah azza
wa jal for coming to this moment and
for yet another day and another perhaps year
may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make all
of our days and weeks and months and
days and years years of blessings victory guidance
and forgiveness ameen today I wanted to share
with you on this first Jumu'ah of
what I hope inshallah ta'ala would be
an extraordinary year I wanted to share with
you the importance of remembering who it is
that we live for and what we live
for few years ago I had the honor
of being the privilege and the opportunity to
attend a session conducted by one of the
greatest scholars of our time in al-masjid
al-nabawi he has or he had a
regular session that he would conduct on a
weekly basis and one of the things that
a lot of people don't know about him
is this is a man this scholar is
someone that dedicated his life to Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala seeking knowledge and teaching other
people his father was a great scholar even
a greater scholar rahimahullah ta'ala he was
one of the heavy weights of our time
but something about his personal life that is
extraordinary and extremely inspiring and it's an example
that I understand that most of us won't
be able to relate to or won't be
able to match most of us at least
as far as I know I don't know
if I was if I would be able
to do something like what he did may
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless him see
this scholar dedicated and devoted his life to
serving his parents learning seeking knowledge and serving
his parents and early on his father passed
away so he took care of his mother
and dedicated his life to taking care of
his mother and his mother lived a long
life may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala bless
her soul and have mercy on her and
he refused to get married and part of
his this is what I gathered from some
of the people who are very very close
to him and you know some of these
people who knew him on a personal level
knew him closely part of what he said
was that if I get married I'm afraid
that I may not be able to really
do my wife justice and do my mother
justice at the same time and he was
someone who was fully devoted to his mother
fully devoted to his mother so much so
they said that if he is on his
way if he's traveling on his way whether
he's driving or he's flying and halfway his
mother says Mohammed come back I miss you
or I need you here he will actually
cancel all of his engagements make a U
-turn or take the first flight back home
to Medina to be at her feet this
is how devoted he was and she passed
away and he was in his probably late
50s by the time she passed away and
after she passed away maybe a year or
two or three he got married now why
am I telling you this I'm telling you
this not necessarily because of this part of
his life but I wanted you to know
that this is someone who did this for
his parents now fast forward to that moment
when the Q&A session started and one
of the questions he received may Allah bless
him was from a young man who was
sharing with him a dilemma that he had
now this is after his parents passed away
after he got married after more than five
decades of serving his parents and devoting his
life and not pursuing anything else that may
may possibly interfere with his care and love
for his parents the question and I remember
it precisely I was sitting right to his
right behind him behind his chair the question
was read to him and then his initial
response to it the first statement he said
brought me to tears I couldn't contain myself
especially knowing some of the background of this
noble and great scholar Hafizahullah the young man
was saying something to the effect that sheikh
I have a dilemma we are three brothers
or siblings he said we are three brothers
I'm the most dutiful of all of them
the other two don't even care about my
parents and I think he was either the
middle brother the middle child or the youngest
child for sure he wasn't the eldest he
said the other two don't even care I
think he was the middle brother the eldest
didn't care he had his own family that
he would take care of and the youngest
sibling gave his parents hard time he said
out of all three I'm the one that
listens to them serves them does everything for
them everything yet my two brothers are the
ones that get all the love and the
acknowledgement and the tolerance and the special treatment
and you know they let them off the
hook whenever and I the religious one that
fears Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala apparently wants
to please Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala I
want the pleasure of my parents I get
very little of that and instead I'm always
not good enough and I feel that they
take advantage of that and I feel so
much of that stress is really getting to
me and affecting me what do I do
how can I maintain my beautifulness and righteousness
towards my parents because I don't think whatever
I'm doing is enough to begin with but
shaykh is just getting too much you know
what the first response from the shaykh the
first statement he said oh how fortunate you
are he said oh how I wish I
was in your spot he said oh how
I wish I was in your place so
now you see the relevance of that small
portion of his life that I told you
a man who dedicated more than five decades
of his life when someone complained to him
that his parents are abusing him and taking
advantage of him he said oh how I
wish I was in your place oh how
I wish I can have access back I
can have access to my parents and do
more for them than I did oh how
I wish I was the one that listens
to the one who's being abused by his
parents yet still has the ability to be
there for them and then he said your
problem and this is what I wanted to
remind myself and you with he said your
problem is you're not dealing with Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala you're dealing with your parents
but if you change that if you make
that paradigm shift or that mind shift change
your mindset he said deal with Allah don't
devote yourself to your parents don't devote yourself
to your families don't devote yourself to your
spouse or your children or your community or
your tribe or your community or your work
or it's not worth it none of these
things are worth you devoting your life you
only have one life to live and that
life is priceless your studies are not worth
you devoting your life to your career is
not worth devoting your life to no one
in this world deserves your life except the
one that granted you that life the one
to whom belongs that life so if you
are someone of some sort of understanding and
wisdom and hopefully with all the disappointments and
all the hurt and every relationship and all
the failure maybe one day you will come
to the conclusion that no one deserves your
life and your devotion except the one that
you belong to because tomorrow if something happens
to you and you fall your wealth will
be of no benefit Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala says that even his wealth won't be
of any value to him so nothing there
isn't a price that you can put on
a moment on one second of your life
let alone your entire life span life is
priceless so who you devote that life to
must be someone worth it and the only
one who's worth it is Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala and if that's the case because
I want you to remember this because when
someone when we're told someone has passed away
what do we say we say inna lillahi
wa inna ilayhi raji'oon when we're afflicted
with a calamity or a loss we say
to Allah we belong and to Allah we
return inna lillahi we are for Allah we
are to Allah we belong to Allah that
has to manifest itself and translate itself in
our lifestyle and whatever we do and why
we do it and what we do it
for and how we do it it has
to manifest itself because you can't say inna
lillahi to Allah we belong and yet everything
that you have you devote or you do
in the name or for the sake of
someone or something else that is finite that
is temporal that is going to perish you
either going to leave it behind or it
will leave you behind not even our own
parents are going to be there for us
when we stand before Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
and in the Quran Allah challenges the believers
to adopt this mindset Allah Azza wa Jal
in the Quran constantly reminds us that Allah
Azza wa Jal has to be the most
beloved that Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala has to
be the aim and the objective and that
Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala has to be the
reason and that Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala has
to be the one that we have on
our mind for whom we do everything to
whom we belong to whom we will return
subhanahu wa'ta'ala and Allah Azza wa Jal
commands the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam in the
Quran and his followers or inna salati say
and when Allah say it says qul it's
not just something that you repeat with your
tongue Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala is telling us
say it and live it or inna salati
wa nusuki wa mahyaya wa mamati lillahi rabbil
alameen say indeed my prayers my salawat are
not for people they're not to show off
they're not there for Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
I pray for Allah Azza wa Jal and
my rituals and my sacrifices are all for
Allah wa nusuki lillah wa mahya not only
that but my living my entire living is
for Allah wa mamati in my death or
my dying is for Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
in such a person my dear brothers and
sisters whoever does that will live a life
worth living will live a meaningful life a
fulfilling life and that is why the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wasallam tells us that whoever loves
for Allah hates for Allah gives for Allah
withholds for Allah and has indeed accomplished iman
has indeed attained iman so even our emotions
have to be regulated by Allah and for
Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala by the love of
Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala and when we ask
we should ask for Allah and when we
give we give for Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
and if we withhold we withhold for Allah
subhanahu wa'ta'ala in a manner that pleases
Allah Azza wa Jal because I tell you
and I will conclude with this my dear
brothers and sisters the ones that we try
to impress please and appease and appeal to
will not be there for us when we
need them only Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala can
grant us that unconditional love and support and
care and forgiveness that we all desperately need
I ask Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala to forgive
us our sins.
I say that which you have heard, and
Allah will forgive me and you, and He
will forgive him who forgives you.
Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah wa kafa wa salatu wa salamu
ala ibadihi allatheena as-safa wa ba'd.
My dear brothers and sisters, three and three.
Three things that we need to do to
live with Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala and by
Allah Azza wa Jal and they all revolve
or they all are founded upon increasing our
awareness of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala's presence and
the nature of the relationship that we have
with Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala such as really
coming to terms with the fact that we
belong to Allah Azza wa Jal.
We belong to nothing else.
Everything else is given to us.
We belong to Allah.
We ultimately belong to Allah.
Not only that, but everything that we possess,
everything that we possess belongs to Allah subhanahu
wa'ta'ala.
And the worst choice for us to make
is to give up the one that we
belong to for the sake of the things
that He gave us.
To be preoccupied with what Allah Azza wa
Jal created for us and gave us from
the one that gave it to us and
created us.
To be distracted by what we own symbolically.
What we own from our duties to the
one that owns us.
It doesn't make sense at all.
So our awareness of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala's
presence and the nature of this relationship and
the reality of everything that we possess that
is really finite and that we belong to
something bigger and greater and that is Allah
subhanahu wa'ta'ala.
It is very important and that should lead
to three things at least.
Number one, full trust in Allah Azza wa
Jal.
Full trust in Allah Azza wa Jal.
I'll give you an example of an area
where a lot of people say, I trust
Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala but they're they're not
willing to, I don't want to say even
try it, because if you trust Allah you're
not gonna try.
You're just going to believe and you're going
to practice and you're going to do it.
You have full trust in Allah Azza wa
Jal.
How many times have we been told that
give up something for Allah Azza wa Jal.
If you give up whatever interferes with your
relationship with Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala, whatever can
actually compromise or jeopardize your relationship with Allah
subhanahu wa'ta'ala, you give it up for
the sake of Allah Azza wa Jal and
Allah guarantees that he will give you something
better.
Yet most of us were like, I don't
know if I'm ready.
No, we want to keep everything that we
have and have more and we want Allah
to give us that which doesn't belong to
us.
This greed of ours and no matter how
much we have it's not going to be
enough and it's not going to make us
happy.
So times will come where you have to
make a sacrifice knowing full-heartedly that Allah
subhanahu wa'ta'ala promised you something better, either
in this life or in the hereafter.
As a matter of fact, people in the
past, those who fully trusted Allah subhanahu wa'ta
'ala and devoted themselves to Allah Azza wa
Jal, they were asking Allah Azza wa Jal
to give it to them later when they
needed the most.
They didn't care because they knew that whatever
Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala, if you give something
for Allah and Allah gives you something else,
replenishes it, gives you something else in this
life, it will go.
You will use it, you will wear it
out, you'll find yourself in a situation where
you may have to give it up again.
It's really worthless.
But if Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala saves it
for you, that's better.
So part of being trusting Allah subhanahu wa'ta
'ala, having full trust in Allah is trusting
Allah's judgment for you and Allah's choices for
you.
Whatever Allah chooses for you, if Allah chooses
to give it to you in this life
and give you a relief in this life
and give you a victory in this life,
alhamdulillah, biha wa ni'mat.
Alhamdulillah, we praise Allah.
If Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala wants to save
it for you, alhamdulillah.
If Allah wants to give you children, bless
you with children, alhamdulillah.
If Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala decrees that maybe
that's not the best thing for you, alhamdulillah,
you're content with Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala, which
leads me to the second point.
So trusting Allah azawajal, full trust and tawakkul
in Allah.
Number two, gratitude and contentment with Allah subhanahu
wa'ta'ala.
Be content with Allah azawajal.
And number three, my dear brothers and sisters,
be fully present and be aware of His
presence subhanahu wa'ta'ala.
Now if we do this, my dear brothers
and sisters, it will be very easy for
us to start living a life that is
devoted to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala, that is
for Allah, by Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala.
And I will conclude with three more practical
steps inshallah wa'ta'ala that you could consider,
bi'lillahi azawajal, implementing, starting today, this year.
Number one, strengthen the home as a place
of worship.
Many of us want home to be a
place where we can just have fun and
relax and be distracted and just and sleep
and be idle and not produce.
You know, in some cases, our homes turn
into into tombs.
And the Prophet ﷺ precisely warned us, don't
don't turn your homes into maqabir.
Make it a place where Allah subhanahu wa'ta
'ala is worshipped, where Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
is praised, where Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala is
remembered, where Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala is obeyed.
Many homes are plagued with the fact that
they become places where sins and sinful lifestyle
and events and conversations and habits take place.
So much so that a person is completely
different at home from what they are in
public, especially in the masajid.
Make a conscious effort to turn your place
into a place of worship.
And then carry that with you to the
masjid, to the place of worship.
And take the place of worship with you
back home.
We are even told that that it's recommended
that we designate certain areas for salah and
ibadah.
So turn your place into a place of
worship.
Number two, set a clear intention and agenda
for this year.
If you haven't already done it, have a
very clear plan for this year.
And alhamdulillah in two months or less than
two months actually, the month of Ramadan is
coming.
So between now and Ramadan, have a clear
plan for yourself, a spiritual plan as to
how you're going to grow spiritually and get
closer to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala.
Because for sure this year is going to
bring you closer to Allah azza wa jal,
whether you like it or not.
It's going to bring that day or that
year where you're going to meet Allah subhanahu
wa'ta'ala closer.
So this journey is just bringing us closer.
So get closer to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
on your own before you brought to Allah
azza wa jal against your own will.
Number three, engage with your community and engage
in your community.
Participate in the masjid events, support neighbors and
offer your time and your effort and your
expertise for causes that uplift you spiritually and
that uplift other people.
Get involved, get involved for the sake of
Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala.
For we know that the best and the
most beloved of deeds to Allah azza wa
jal are deeds that benefit other people.
And one of the greatest and most beloved
deeds to Allah azza wa jal is to
cheer a believer, someone who's broken, someone who's
hurt, someone who's sad, someone that need help
and assistance or needs attention.
That's surur.
Someone that needs forgiveness, someone that needs a
second chance, someone that needs an understanding.
You'll be that person, you'll be that agent
of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala that brings that
to that believer.
And cheering someone for the sake of Allah
subhanahu wa'ta'ala might earn you Allah subhanahu
wa'ta'ala's pleasure.
Remember that Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala was pleased
with a man who tried to cheer a
dog.
In another narration it says it was a
woman, a prostitute.
Who tried to cheer a dog and show
an act of courtesy.
تصور ما لك عند الله سبحانه و تعالى
إذا جبرت خاطرًا أو قلبًا مكسورًا So
my dear brothers and sisters, I ask Allah
subhanahu wa'ta'ala once again to make this
year a year of blessings and victory and
breakthrough for our community and for our ummah.
And may Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala grant decisive,
glorious, and swift victory to our dear brothers
and sisters in Gaza.
May Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala allow our brothers
and sisters in Syria to prosper.
May Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala grant our brothers
and sisters in Bangladesh to set a great
example for the rest of the ummah.
And may Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala liberate all
Muslims everywhere from treachery and from injustice.
May Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala strengthen us and
empower us.
May Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala make us of
those who listen and follow the best of
what they listen to.
Make sure that you fill in the gaps
and you move forward.
I think we still have plenty of room
inside the main prayer hall.
And whoever is sent as a messenger to
Allah, he has certainly attained a great success.
Indeed, We have set up the heavens and
the earth and the heavens and the earth
and the heavens
and the earth and the heavens and the
earth and the heavens and the earth and
the
heavens
and the earth and the heavens and the
earth and the heavens and the earth and
the heavens and the earth and the heavens
and the earth and the heavens and the
heavens and the earth and the heavens and
the earth and the heavens and the earth
and the heavens and the earth and the
heavens and the earth and the heavens and
the earth and
the heavens and the earth and the heavens
and the earth and the heavens and the
earth Salaamualiekm Salaamualaikm
4 announcements, 3-4 announcements inshAllah tonight after
IHASHA Chefacee will be doing a program called
sustain a commitment your future this will be
happening right after as ISHASHA in the prayers
hall inshALLAH uh....next friday we'll be launching a
program the family fund my program with activities
for ages 12 and under.
So these activities include Legos, arts and crafts,
movies, childcare.
So when we have these nights, inshallah, all
kids 12 and under must be checked in
to these rooms when families enter.
There'll be a check-in desk, inshallah, where
you can check in your kids for the
program.
And it'll be running from 6 p.m.
to 9.30 p.m. So this will
be starting next Friday, January 10th, inshallah.
And also sometime next week, we will also
be releasing our latest policies, guidelines, and security
protocols.
So be looking out for that as well.
Lastly, Human Development Fund will be coming with
Sheikh Yasser Bidjas and Imam Khaled Latif for
a fundraiser, Gaza and Beyond Rebuilding the Ummah.
That'll be Sunday, January 26th, inshallah.
And if you exit out, you'll see some
tables with flyers there and some volunteers, inshallah,
with the link to register.
Jazakallah khair.