That Was A Wake Up Call

In Al Hamdulillah

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My dear brothers and sisters,

may Allah Subhana Allah reward you and this community and everyone that contributed

to the funds

to the really, really funds

for our brothers and sisters and faith in our brothers and sisters in humanity

who are affected

by the devastating 7.8

earthquake

that struck the region between

Turkey and Syria

but I'm not here today really to dwell so much on how much we have done because there is more to be expected in sha Allah Allah from all of us.

We can do more Allah Subhana Allah Allah has blessed us may Allah subhanaw taala reward us for the good that we're doing and accepted from us. And may Allah Subhana Allah forgive us our sins and effort continues by the way it doesn't stop even if we don't have an active.

fundraiser if we don't get up after the Salah and talk still the need is there and we're all aware of it. What I wanted to talk about today is share some reflections and perspective

about the aftershocks.

Not necessarily the physical aftershock.

Rather the spiritual aftershock.

as more information comes, and as we see the extent of this very devastating event that took place. People asked a lot of questions. Some of these questions or many of these questions are really, in my opinion, useless and frivolous.

But it exposed a lot of things.

And it reminded us of very important lessons Puranic lessons that are already there, but sometimes

we are preoccupied and distracted

and we lose focus.

You see one of these swords that Allah Subhana Allah, or the Prophet rather sallallahu alayhi wa sallam recommends that we recite every Friday sort of guff.

And we have taken synopses from certain gaps in the past and reflected on them. But one of the verses, if you remember

is a verse that talks about the nature of this life in this dunya and this earth.

This earth, Allah Subhana Allah says,

in

Aldie, Zenit Allah,

we have made that which is on top of the surface of the Earth,

a beautification for it

beautifies it

is it a dormant

for it?

Then Allah azza wa jal reveals to us the purpose of this beautiful planet of ours, that has the potential or that is capable of very destructive that has, you know, in some aspects very destructive behavior. destruct

To the earth is just acting natural, naturally the way Allah Subhana Allah wills for it to be.

Right,

makes a movement like everything moves.

But certain movements are very devastating.

There are a lot of objects that are on this on the surface of this planet that move and we benefit from the movement of these objects. We benefit that from the movement of the clouds, we benefit from the movements of

the winds. But this particular movement is something that we cannot afford,

nor and aspire to of our advancement and capabilities and what are whatever we were able to develop.

Very hard to detect,

or even do much about.

So when it comes it comes.

So Allah Subhana Allah, Allah says, we're in Elijah.

Allah azza wa jal reveals the purpose of this, he says Lena blue Whom are you a tsunami in Niger? Zenit Allah, Allah, Allah.

So no am Allah to test and see who does best, who does best and everything, who does best in terms of their purpose, which is to worship Allah subhanho wa taala. Who does best when it comes to their responsibility, including erecting and building and developing

buildings and institutions and putting establishments for the betterment of human life?

Who does best Laila blue arm to test

and Islam is a religion that teaches us that we have to excel in everything that we do in our worship of Allah Subhana Allah as well as in our workmanship.

And in our professions, and whatever responsibility we have, we have to do our best.

Who are you? Are you my son Ramona. Then Allah azza wa jal says he reveals to us also another fact about this life or about this planet in this dunya

we're in Elijah, you have slightly hidden jewel Rosa, and everything on top of it will eventually be destroyed. It's just the nature of this creation, that it perishes, our nature is also that we will pair everything perishes, except Allah subhanho wa Taala it will be destroyed

eventually.

And Allah azza wa jal in the Quran also, he told us he gave us the heads up.

Beware of this dunya is beautiful and everything. But it's not meant to be a place of comfort.

It's not meant to be a place of

safety and security.

I mean, it's it feels awkward for me to put it this way. But we do develop a false sense of security.

Some of us want Janna on Earth and it doesn't happen that way.

We are vulnerable and there are a lot of risks and there's a lot of that that surrounds us.

And Allah azza wa jal in the Quran warns us to not to forget this.

Remember, you will be tested with another No wonder Kamala has it says you will be tested with different

calamities

and trials.

Part of that, you know, wisdom of that is that it helps reorient us.

It helps. It helps us to reset.

It helps us to reevaluate.

It's meant to remind us of the nature of this life and why we're here because we're not meant to be entertained and taken care of and all of our you know, you know, issues or fears are to be to be taken away. No. As a matter of fact, the Quran warns us not to fall into the state of what

love lies that will bring us to a state where I'm no mean macrophylla to have this false sense of security. Everything is fine. Everything is predictable. We're fully in control. Allah subhanaw taala told us don't don't do that. Because we as human beings, we don't do very well with that, by the way.

Right.

When we, when we develop this sense of like full control, and full sense of security in that we are in charge, we don't do very well.

Right, individually or collectively.

That's when human beings tries to dress that's when

Human beings, wrong others Allah azza wa jal says killer in satellite or a rock star by the nature of man is that when you when we feel self sufficient, and that we don't need anyone and that we don't need Allah Subhana Allah, one of the things that happens by the way people deny the existence of Allah azza wa jal

and they rebel against Allah subhanaw taala and they start after that, abusing one another, exploiting each other, right, abusing the resources,

you know, creating and causing imbalance.

So, ALLAH SubhanA, Allah, Allah every now and then

causes these things to happen to bring us back

collectively

and 90%

of people who are able or people achieve their ability to overcome difficulties and hardships

if they have acceptance,

if they accept the will of Allah subhanaw taala if they accept that they there are limits to everything in this life.

So that's one lesson.

Help bring us back make us remind us of the nature of this life, this dunya and what is happening

and not to take anything for granted.

Cluny our safety that's why the prophets Allah, Allah Allah is telling whom Allah azza wa jal has secured, whom Allah azza wa jal said, your safety and your well being

is Allah is my responsibility. Allah subhanaw taala protected him Salallahu Alaihe Salam, yet there was this the Prophet son was constantly making dua to Allah subhanaw taala. He never took that for granted. So he teaches us to pray and ask Allah subhanaw taala for protection. ask Allah for guidance.

Ask Allah Subhana Allah for safety. Ask Allah subhanaw taala for avea.

The Sahaba said whenever dark clouds approached the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is reminded of what happened to the people of AD when they saw dark clouds a storm approaching they said, Oh, hi that Adam Tirana, oh, we're gonna have some rain today.

Little they knew. That's the level of self deception. And, and that's the level of that false sense of security that I was talking about. Because I had the people have ads reached a point where they thought they were the most powerful civilization in nation, you know, ever.

Allah Subhana Allah says they said

Menasha Domina Cova who's more powerful than us?

A nation is an a civilization that that was able to carve, you know,

rocks

and create amazing columns out of them.

Right and build massive structures

that no wind or anything could actually overcome or that's what they thought.

Until Allah subhanaw taala sent that

storm

that came and took everything

so ALLAH SubhanA Tada warns us of that the process of remembering that and remembering that I in the Quran any time he saw dark clouds approaching, they said he would, he would pray make us so far to make dua and he will say Allahumma Salim Allahu wa salam, O Allah save us or Allah save us, Allah protect us.

He teaches us that when we leave the house we make dua when we come back we make dua, we're constantly in this state of need to Allah subhana wa Taala that's what the Buddha Yeah.

That is being a true servant of Allah subhanaw taala, acknowledging our limitations and our vulnerabilities and turning to Allah subhanaw taala humbly and

number two, my dear brother and sister this point brings me to the second point that I wanted to make today, Islam in and of itself, the religion itself, what does it mean? What do we tell other people when we introduce Islam, Islam in and of itself, it's what

the word is, surrender, surrender,

to submit to Allah Subhana Allah. That's why we're told to pray five times a day to surrender. We surrender to Allah azza wa jal. We surrender through the call of Allah azza wa jal. We leave everything behind. We come here because that's the priority now.

To worship Allah Subhana Allah, why because Allah Subhana Allah is the Lord and we are His servants. We surrender and we submit and we accept. And we acknowledge Allah as the Lord, the Supreme Subhan Allah to Allah,

as the one whose power overcomes and overpowers everything and everyone and we are His servants. We are His slaves. We are his subjects.

handle with Anna. And he does as he wishes and he is not to be questioned.

We cannot object to Allah subhanaw taala

lives.

So this

when these kinds of things happen, sometimes people come and they say why

this would have been better, that would have been better, why didn't what? We can do this?

As I said, some of these questions or most of these questions are worthless, they're useless. So waste of time and effort and worse than that actually is it's a waste of Eman.

And that is why, right we have to remind ourselves that Allah is the Lord we are His creation.

Beautiful quote that someone shared with me today is that Abdullah and Mr. Wood said,

I would write I would rather bite on a burning coal until

until it cools down completely in my mouth, than to ask

or object to something that Allah subhanho wa Taala you know, decreed as to why it happened.

Allah Subhana Allah is not consulting us.

Allah Subhana Allah is not asking for our feedback.

Allah subhanaw taala is not looking for our suggestions.

And as she had mentioned last week, and Allah has said he will come these things happen. Allah is reminding us it's a wake up call. Allah is calling us back.

Last point,

what about the people that perished?

What about

the the ones that lost everything?

Right?

That sometimes we were referred to as victims. And I ask Allah for forgiveness for using that term, especially when it comes to what people classify or refer to as natural disasters, we need to be very careful.

Even the use of the word victims, I feel guilty for doing that. And I ask Allah to forgive me.

Right? There affected casualties, right, wounded

shahada martyrs,

but not this word.

Allah Subhana Allah does not

victimize his creation. So how long

it's been in the law he subhanaw taala. We ask Allah to protect us and preservice.

So we need to be very careful. So that's the first point that I wanted to make regarding this particular section. What about these people?

Is what happened to them something that they deserve? Is what happened to them something that someone is response? No, the answer is no. We don't know.

We don't know who deserves what and who doesn't. That's not our job. That's not even our territory. We shouldn't even be involved in that. We shouldn't even be thinking about that.

When we when it comes to the specific area or region or

what we are told in our tradition, and for everything we turn back to our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he is the source of guidance. And he has answers for all of these questions. We turn back to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam and when I showed all the Allahu Allah she asked a question.

Similar to this, with regards to write, mas death,

when Allah subhanaw taala takes a large group of people, she said amongst them, there may be people who are interested Rasul Allah, what's the fate? So what we are told is that for the believers, right,

this is a transition for them to a better and higher life.

This is just the way Allah Subhana Allah chose for them to exit this world of ours.

For the believers and for the for the good souls and for the wrongdoers. Right. wrongdoers are one of two, either people whom Allah azza wa jal wants to forgive their sins and give them an expiation of their sins. So whatever they suffer in this life will become a source of redemption and a cause for their sins to be forgiven. And they will go to a better place

or people who are doomed and deserve to be in a worse place.

So their transition will be or their exit will be in such

Manna and they will go to hell fire. So yes amongst them there there may be sinners amongst them there may be believers Yes.

Is Rama is a mercy is an act of mercy for the believers

and for the others, it's their fate and their destiny.

Let us take a lesson from those individuals that survived this from that little kid or that little girl whose concern is ALLAH SubhanA wa Taala

who are turning to their faith or to their Eman to find comfort.

When they're asked how you're feeling, they said, I have Allah subhanaw taala I lost everyone except Allah.

May Allah Allah Allah Allah.

Allah azza wa jal through them is teaching us lessons of SABR patience, lessons of Yaqeen certainty, lessons of resilience

and endures.

May Allah Subhana Allah have mercy on them and their loved ones who perished in this

tragic incident. And may Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us our sins, and may Allah empower you and I to do that which is pleasing to Him subhanaw taala and accept our deeds and forgive our sins according to the Kohler software Allah Allah Allah confessor ferrovia for look him in the Hall of hurrah Rahim.

hamdu Lillahi wa salatu salam ala evading living in a Sapo but

this morning I was sharing with our brothers who showed up for salted Fajr

how this

group of

Imams Turkish Imams were talking about. And whatever they were saying was, there was subtitles. So it was translated. So according to the translation, what I understood from it, is that they were talking about a specific experience. And I've heard about numerous cases, including one that that, you know, this is like firsthand, someone that I that knows the person themselves directly from them.

They were talking about how they recovered this, this body of a

brother, a Syrian men

who,

whose body was still fresh,

in spite of the fact that he sustained a head trauma and appeared to have died several days ago.

But his body was still fresh.

Right.

And there was a pleasant scent, that was you know that they were able when they opened the bag that was coming out.

And one of them is swears by Allah subhanho wa taala.

Right, that he was smiling

and that his face was

was bright and and had had light.

So they were wondering as to who this person is.

So they spoke to people that knew him, the people who are waiting for his body to be to be processed and to be washed and to be handed to them

about him. Because somehow Allah Imam Muhammad Rahim Allah used to say to his opponents into the vein and Albania, chromium will Jana is

says on the day of our death, when our janazah is brought, that's when, when the reality of, of what whatever we lived for, or our cause is going to be to be apparent.

The person see or the person's lifestyle, the person's legacy comes out around that time.

So they were asking what was special about this man? So they mentioned two things.

One, one was, he has so much love for the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wasallam that his favorite hobby was to write poetry about praising the province of Allah listen.

That was his his thing. He loves so much the province has sent them. So he's always remembering the Prophet doing Salawat when the Prophet says he has so much love for the Prophet, he was a righteous man prayed and everything, like any righteous person, but

he has so much love for the Prophet SAW Eliza. And then the second one was

that he was a very generous giving person

He gives sadaqa he shares with people.

Right?

He practiced the Prophet sallallahu Allah, what are the prophets Allah Allahu alayhi wa sallam greatest qualities.

The first one was a very giving person.

He was the most generous of people. And he always shared sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and he, he saw Allah why they said that was the master of altruism.

Right? Preferring other people over himself. Why you don't want Allah and for similar kind of being Francois, they said this man was giving was a very giving person. So Allah Subhan perhaps Allah azza wa jal wanted to reveal that to us so that we can learn this from someone that we don't even know we don't even know his name and what what he looked like

to highlight and remind us of what matters the most.

The state of our heart, the love that He has for Allah and His Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and the quality of his actions, the act of giving

charity and sharing with other people, his fortunes.

So I urge you my dear brothers and sisters.

This is a test for us as it was for them.

And as it is for the survivors,

what are we going to do? Allah azza wa jal says, we test you with misfortune and fortune.

Right? When a blue can be Sherry will hire a fitna it's a trial.

And Allah Subhana Allah says, Hi, I'm Laura caverta Am I doing Allah azza wa jal puts you through different situations to see how you're going to act? What is that going to bring out of you?

Which part of you is going to come the best or the worse.

So the call for action continues. And one of the things that we can do is share right, give,

turn back to Allah subhanaw taala. Advocate for for them. And speaking of which, I want you to think about few things in sha Allah Allah and I will conclude with that number one, my dear brothers and sisters, we definitely have to turn back to Allah subhana wa Tada and beg Allah azza wa jal for safety and security. In fact, Allah says, Be grateful for whatever Allah azza wa jal has given us, right? Every day, we should be thankful to Allah subhana wa taala. Right.

Number two,

we need to really

consider making some

lifestyle changes.

We need to consider that. Right? This is a this is a very powerful reminder, one of the most powerful reminders and events of my lifetime.

It brought back memories from how I felt around when the earthquake that caused the tsunami in 2004 happened

which, right, but 20 years ago, almost 20 years ago, 19 years ago, it was one of the most one of the most powerful events in my life.

I'm trying to be very careful not use the wrong word. Here.

It's impacted me deeply,

deeply.

So, we need to really recalibrate, re evaluate, right? And remember, and make some serious life changes. Right. So one of the things is we need to declutter, we need to you know, watch our spending, we need to you know, really you know,

consider consider you know, not living life like this was what what matters the most or that this is it

right, because we are accurate focused

right, this life could end any second

right, some of these people went to sleep on their beds and inshallah they will come in Jana in better places.

Right.

So, just keep that in mind. Life changes, lifestyle changes. Number Number three, my dear brothers and sisters, if there is any, any issue between you and a relative and a parent or a spouse, or children or siblings or cousins, revisit that.

Right, revisit that.

Number four, learn if there is any loan any wrongdoing on your part

regarding inheritance regarding your business regarding whatever it is Wallah, he's not worth it. We're gonna leave it behind.

reconsider that. Lauren Wayna Rebecca Duma purity Lee Nasir Allah wouldn't meet him Allah Subhana Allah says,

I was quite shocked yesterday

as my wife was showing me a clip of a person whose second wife doesn't want the the only surviving child from the first wife to come home.

And then we wonder why these things are happening.

waka Fabula, Big Daddy hobby rhombus era, Allah Subhana Allah knows, we're not that innocent.

We're not, we're sinful and we have all kinds of offenses that we're committing.

And all kinds of, you know, things that we're doing, to get back at someone or hurt someone. And in many cases, we transgress, we cross our boundaries, that has to stop Aluna mobile, Loma Linda has to stop if you're wronging. Anyone, if you think there's a potential that you may be consuming, or the heck of someone the right of someone, you're better off being on the other side.

Come on the Day of Judgment, as someone who was wronged be the oppressor Do not be the oppressor.

So let's let's make sure that we do that. Go back. Right, look into anything I need to I need to really, you know, redeem myself, I need to hear clear this, I need to settle this and take care of it.

Last but not least, let's take of our brothers and let's let's take care of our brothers and sisters and continue one of the most needed, right.

Items I'm told is shelter, shelter, shelter, people are losing their homes, there are buildings that sustained serious structural damage, that they're uninhabitable.

So more buildings are going to collapse, or they're going to be demolished.

About 10.4, an estimated number of 10 point 4 million people are expected to lose their homes

or be homeless, they need shelter, they need temporary shelter. They're in the cold. Some people are sending clothing and they're sending things that will lie, they're not used regimen, we need to stop this you send something sent something that is useful.

Not things that we want to get rid of.

Right? They're using them, they're burning them

for warmth, because they're useless. And they're not good quality. They're not good. They're not good for their health. They're not it's not good for the environment. So we need to do to stop doing that and listen to the people on the ground. What they're saying what we need, focus on three things send money and they will take care of it. Three things sleeping bags, heaters for now, in shelters, temporary shelters or long term shelters, that's what is needed.

Imagine 500 dogs can can take care of a family of four

provide them with a nice tent.

They can spend the next few weeks in

so let's consider doing something like this inshallah to Allah again, cut down on unnecessary spending. Let's let's put it let's put it towards that. Right. May Allah subhanaw taala accept and may Allah subhanaw taala bless May Allah Subhana Allah preserve all in each and every single one of you and your loved ones. Robin attackable Mina in Atlanta Samuel Eileen, whatever Elena in Atlanta to level Rahim Allah who minister Lokomotiva robotic wiser mmm theoretic way was salam alaikum Equalists well when you with him equally, but what Pozible Jana wonders yeah termina now, yeah, how your medical history. Helena shenana kula well as Akina in amphitheater for Tyne la Mohammed fa

nicotinell Rahim Allah to active never in the Kalyan Acharya. Allahu manana oh the becoming of Kobe Lakeisha I mean, I neglected my dirty low so job Hola.

Hola. Hola in the very low coming stuff Arctic where we want to come in Oh, cool. vertic. When are we coming? Kelowna. Proceed Hannah and alikhan to come out to Anita LLF CIC wa salam ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salam to Sleeman Kathira welcome salah.