Mohammed Faqih – Virtue Ethics
AI: Summary ©
The importance of avoiding mistakes and flaws in one's behavior is emphasized, along with the need for individuals to have a sense of morality and value. The speakers stress the importance of learning to fix things and not just giving what one has already learned to yourself. Personal development is also emphasized, and the need for forgiveness and understanding the connection between behavior and personality is emphasized. The speakers emphasize the importance of learning to fix things and not just giving what one has already learned to yourself. They express excitement about sharing a new book and sharing a plan to work on a new book.
AI: Summary ©
Salam ala rasulillah Salam aleykum selam.
woman in
a cappella about
tonight's discussions title is virtue ethics.
And I don't intend to talk about
a particular approach
to ethics, which emphasizes the character
of the moral agent, rather.
So I don't intend to go over
virtue ethics as one of the three leading
approaches or theories in and what they call normative ethics. Although the word or the term itself has a specific definition within the study of ethics, and philosophy, that's not what I'm intending to do. I may just quickly say that virtue ethics basically is a theory that focuses on the virtue or the trait, or the value itself as the cause
of
people's behavioral choices, meaning
that a person does something
good
or charitable,
for the virtue of the deed itself and the action,
right.
So someone helps someone else, not because of the golden rule, no one knows what the golden rule is, What's the good, you know, what the golden rule is?
What's the golden rule?
Exactly. So that is 111 approach. Right, that has to do that's called deontology. You know, basically,
your, you know, your do something for the city, you know, because because what goes around comes around, you know, these kind of principles. There's, of course, another approach that focuses on the consequences of actions, you do something because it brings you benefits, or it prevents,
or it minimizes harm or damage. Right, that's another approach. Now, I'm not minimizing I personally don't see conflict between all three of them, not from the point of view of the study of ethics, but rather from an Islamic point of view, because they complement one another. But what I really want to focus on is the first the issue of virtues,
in and of themselves.
virtues, how important are they? I mean, I believe that most of the issues that we have in the world,
actually even personal issues that people have the cause of that
is
lack
or deficiency in what we call an Arabic Allah, virtues or manners or the understanding of Allah? Because, you know, don't you wonder how is it?
How is it okay for someone to promise his people, right.
And the voters that give him or her their confidence and their their and their voices, and they commissioned that person
to take into consideration the best interests of his subject or his city or his state, or the country. And then once they get to office, they break all these promises.
How unethical how ungrateful
character flaw,
right? How How can you explain
friends or partners between one another for the sake of making little extra money?
I will take everyday examples. How is it How is it
your wife's fault that you got stuck in traffic for two hours?
Why take it out on her or the kids? Right?
How is it your house
For that, that it has that the weather condition do not allow you to go out? And how is he responsible for this gloomy, you know, rainy, cloudy weather? Why take it out on him?
Did you see how you know,
the way people the way we treat one another seriously, it's reflects. It reflects deep and profound flaws and challenges.
And the list goes on and on and on, you know when a crisis happens in his personal life, or even when something as big as like the earthquake in Haiti, right, it's usually brings the best or the worst out of people. It shows what people are really made off. Right? It shows what people are made off shows the real values that people embrace. And Alhamdulillah sometimes we see things that make us proud
of being human beings, you know, it brings the best out of people and you see what people are doing. And it's Al Hamdulillah, we still have some and at the same time, there are people who try to exploit and take advantage of anything. Even even a crisis and a tragedy like that. You find people, organizations, individuals trying to exploit that.
And that's not what I want to focus on. I want to focus on us. Because you know, I see every now and then
I come across a verse or a deed or I in the clarinetist, panela you know, hear the parcel I said and have, he has told us a long time ago, it is a lot of setup. What to avoid, he has told us a long time ago, you know what the causes of these issues are? So for instance,
there's a lady that that pretty much you know, is terrifying. Where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says,
on the authority of even Rama, may Allah be pleased with him and his father. Right, he said, Carla, sorry, there was a lot of sada Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and member fenetre De Soto Rafi faqad. The prophet SAW Selim took his stand on the member on the pulpit, three steps, he took three steps up. And then he said clearly,
it was loud and clear. He said, Yeah, Matt Sherman is limited, he said he will email Illa lb
all the ones who profess faith with their tongues, while it has not got wet while it has not penetrated or entered their hearts,
very, very powerful statement, or you who profess faith or submit with their tongue. While faith has not really settled or penetrated their hearts, led to the Muslim world I
do not harass or abuse the believers do not harass and abuse others
and do not mock them.
Well that's a tribute to him and do not go after their faults or their hidden shortcomings
trying to expose them.
So in the home editor, if he did that,
for anyone who makes
a habit
out of
going after people's shortcomings and mistakes and flaws, to expose them, Allah subhanaw taala will go after him or her woman to tell Bangla who the WHO THE who will have the job.
And whosoever last panel data will go after Allah subhanaw taala will expose him even if he is hidden in the midst of his own household or his his vehicle. Allah subhanaw taala will expose that individual and disgrace that individual. So in this hadith the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam reminds the believers
of a very serious character flaw.
Where somehow most of the scholars said that there are people
who
have
he said I've seen people who have faults and shortcomings.
But they overlooked because of their shortcomings in their faults. They overlook the faults and the shortcomings of others because they are preoccupied with their own by appointment maintenance, Isla Whom are you presented to us? For cetera Allahu Allah subhana wa ala
overlooks and covers up their shortcomings. Because they are preoccupied with their own shortcomings. They don't have time to, to look down upon someone else and, and go and invest in, they don't have time to really focus on someone else's faults or shortcomings because they are preoccupied with their own. So the so the, the scholar says a lot of what Allah covers have their own shortcomings for them.
And eventually, Allah Subhana Allah frees them from these from these vices and flaws. And he said, and I saw people who don't have faults, people who may have very, you know, flawless,
you know, basically habits or lifestyle or people who are very, very good.
However, they preoccupy themselves with the faults of others, they see themselves as free of faults. Right. So they look at others and they look down upon them and they preoccupy themselves with the faults of others, then they end up having false themselves. They end up becoming faulty themselves.
Right.
So
why is it Why is it that is very hard when we are tested? Why is it that you know that that it's very hard for us sometimes to you know, keep away our our
preserve others from our abuse, as we like? Or
why is it that we're not as protective
when it comes to others? Right as we are when it comes to ourselves? Why is it okay for me to inflict pain
on others while I do not want anyone to come near me or touch me or how come How come we are so sensitive, yet at the same time, inconsiderate and insensitive with others. This is a character flaw. These are serious, deep, you know, behavioral issues.
Then we have an example of beautiful principle by your husband and wife. It says do not is it when it comes when it comes to your relationship with other people, especially people who who
believe in Allah subhana wa Tada. He says, make sure that if you do not benefit that individual, at the least do not harm them.
You can hear this, okay? This is something that to be memorized. He said Leah could have been many minca falletta is a three things with regards to the believer.
If you do not bring him any benefits if you cannot benefit that person is lm confederal falletto Dora as the lease do not hurt that person.
So how many people they don't want it, you know, I personally would not want anything from anyone.
I don't want anything from you. So long you keep your your wrongdoing or your abuse yourself. Don't abuse me. That's the bottom line. That's what everybody's looking for. Right?
He says, then
what is lm to free.
If you cannot make that person happy, if you don't have something to cheer that person up, and to make them happy, then at the least do not sad do not cause them sadness or sorrow.
Don't be the cause of the of that person to get depressed or upset or don't upset that individual. If you can't make them happy, don't make them angry. Don't don't offend them. Then he says,
we then come down to our in depth and depth of elitism. If you don't have anything good to say about that person, if you can't praise that individual, then at the least Do not insult them.
Right? These beautiful three, if you can't benefit that person, don't abuse them.
Leave them alone. And if you don't have anything good to say to that about that person, at the least do not, Do not insult them. And if you cannot make that person happy if you don't have something to share that person up at the least do not offend them. Simple as that. If everyone wants to follow these rules, like the world will see peace forever.
But again, the problem is that there is there is
that we are disconnected from certain principles. And that's why I wanted to talk today about the importance of virtue, virtuous or virtue based value based ethics
and it's not easy. I tell
How,
you know if I was to say if I was to say, what do you think it takes to really be sitting next to the prophets a lot? Listen.
Okay, what does it take to be sitting next to the prophet SAW Senate on the day of judgment?
Do you think it's gonna be something easy? Something that's gonna be something tough?
Is it very hard? What does it take to reserve a very nice first class seat next to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, on the day of judgment.
be helpful to others good manners. Is that easy? Do you think something like that a status like that would be easily achieved?
Oh, CSR? And no, this is a trick question. I don't know, is it
all right, the condition must be something that is not attainable by most people, it must be something very precious. Right? It must be something very precious, because the price is precious.
But the prophet tells us that the most beloved and the closest
of you, to me, on the day of judgment has seen
the best of you in terms of their manners. And unfortunately, many people fail this test, but we don't want to be amongst those who fail this test.
So, it is important that we understand the, the, the weight
of virtues.
Now,
virtues are divided into two types, in terms of whether the person has it or not, natural dispositions that people have or acquired,
right. So either there are certain virtues and certain good good values that Allah subhanaw taala that sometimes people inherit or the loss of habitat gives us as gifts. Right.
You know, some people are by nature, God,
can I say, by nature, or by creation?
You know, what I mean? You know what I mean, by nature, it's a gift from Allah subhanho wa, taala. They're, they're there, they have a level of humility.
You know,
right.
Some people have, they're, they're outgoing or easy, easygoing, they're humble. Some people are cheerful, some people are social, some people are kind, somebody, some people are,
you know, compassionate, they're just compact, they don't really have to struggle and, and go out of their way, it's part of their natural disposition.
In order for a quality
or, or an ethical value, to be something that you receive reward for, it really has to be part of your personality, it has to be part of your making, it has to be a natural disposition, it cannot be it cannot be a technique, it cannot be something that you just adopt for a moment, to win. Or to close on that sale.
It cannot be something that you just do it. Or you basically use it
to pass that test.
Or to to basically pass that interview or to get that job that's not your real job.
If you're if you're only nice on your resume, and during the interview, but that's not you. That's not you.
Right? If you only if you really wish people Good day or a beautiful day, have a nice day and you smile and you really don't mean it that's how you
you pass by so many people have a nice day sir. And they smile right? I mean, like I shot a lot, I mean, this is a very nice person, very pleasant individual, this these are not natural disposition or these are not real, authentic principles or values as a person has embrace. Now, what if someone does not have a particular ethical value as part of their nature, it's really something maybe that they were not exposed to maybe they have you know, temporary issues, they have certain things, maybe they were brought up in the wrong environment.
They said, there is another set of virtues or there are certain virtues that a person can acquire. So good manners are can also be learned and acquired, but the person has to make the effort
and they can be acquired by one of two means either
by
either
by training, you know, the person basically goes through a therapy process and learns like the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught the companions, many of them came from very, you know, from very cruel, very harsh environments and cultural values, right? I mean, look at how he wasn't and how he became, right, this is a man that at one point, buried his daughter alive.
And then later became the one of the most compassionate people, he cries about someone else's baby. So, there's a transformation and that took place. So, this man, right, acquired certain virtues and qualities, by way of training or via process, right, that of course, involves many, many steps that I can show talk about, or sometimes people adopt certain virtues
as a habit, it starts as a habit and then it becomes second nature.
Right. So they develop certain habit because of their like,
work routine, or because of their, of their, whatever school requirement, whatever lifestyle they have, they develop certain habits, these habits basically lead to certain qualities, these qualities become second nature, and it becomes part of your natural disposition.
Which there's nothing wrong with that, as well. For instance, you know, some people because of their work, or because of their, of their studies, or because of their lifestyle, they become punctual.
Right. So it starts with a habit, and then it becomes what part of their personality, so even if they retire, or they're, you know,
they still or they change up, they still maintain that kind of habit, because became part of their personality, how they got used to it. And as human beings, we have that capability, it's a gift from Allah subhanho wa Taala.
Now, however, if we take,
if we take our behavior, and how we treat others, there are three areas that we need to pay attention to. One is
how, when it comes to dealing, how we treat ourselves. And I don't intend to talk about that, right now. You know, the other one is, which is most important.
The second one is how we deal with the loss of Hamadan who created us, when it comes to relationships, we have two types, two categories of relationship, our relationship with our Creator, our maker,
whether we recognize and acknowledge, not recognize, acknowledge his existence, and his presence of hat on with that or not, we have a relationship with Him. And by the way, even those who turn away from a loss of habitat and deny that he's there, or pretend like he's not there, even those people deep in their hearts, they know that he's, he's there, right. And the attitude to the loss of Hannah with Anna says a lot about, about what their manners, it says a lot about their virtues, it says a lot about their personalities.
The other type of relationship or category of relationships is the relationship with the creation of a lot everything else.
Right, including our parents, or spouses or children or siblings or relatives,
fellow human beings, as well as, by the way, even nature, or things that are on this planet, including animals, including, you know, urban selves of homeless, and the beauty of this faith of ours is that it told us and it taught us principles by which we can, we can manage these relationships, all of them, this is a, this is a part of that comprehensive,
holistic approach that Islam has to life. This is the beauty of it, it does not only tell you how to behave with the last panel data, but it tells you how to behave with everything else. Everything else, even by the way, earth, even water, how we should deal or treat, what kind of attitude we should have towards what even rain, what kind of attitude we should have, you know, how many people have you heard cursing, the weather condition? Or complaining about the weather conditions?
Seriously, come on how many? Now some of us may be guilty of that as well. Right? What you know, like when there is no rain, we beg a lottery and we just drop afraid and we should act. You know, we're like very desperate. And when rain comes down after we've been desperate, we're like we're very grateful to him to imagine like being being in the desert and not having any right. Oh, we will be celebrating if it's raised. Right and that can
But now because we have so much water, we have access to water, we no longer appreciate it when it comes, because the rules are fun. We can go out, you know, we're lucky. I mean, the other day I was, when I saw what I saw a video clip, my brother was talking to me about parts of Africa where they have plenty of water, but they cannot access the water. They don't have pumps back in East Africa, this plenty of water.
Like the best water that you can taste comes from that region. And it supplies even the Nile River, right. But they cannot, they have plenty of rain, but they cannot actually they don't have reservoirs, they don't have
you know, it took one sister two years to secure
rubber.
You know, mats that are used to as to as aligning,
they dig holes, and they bring these rubber, big, huge rubber,
whatever you want to call them, they're not containers, they're like, you know, they use them as a lining, so the water does not, it stays there. And that's how they, they basically hold the water. So when it rains, the water stays there.
You know, the you know, I saw clans and villages sending their little girls and, and kids to the reservoir to go and drink water.
Not in some of these, like fancy bottles that we have, where you can take it and flip it upside down. And it has a little little faucet and stuff like that. And you know,
whatever, you know, diesel containers have they cleaned up and then they like have a hole in it. Right? They go and carry it.
Now, if we want water, what do we do, we go to our fancy showers and we go to our fancy, since right and we just turn it on. If it's too cold, we can get warm. And if it's too warm, we can get it a little colder, right. And now we can even put what
all kinds of devices to purify the water. Or we can even condition the water now plus put softener so it doesn't dry up our skin.
And we don't have to worry about contamination or, or the water being we don't have to worry about that. So we don't. So the prophet SAW said and teaches us how to how to behave with water.
So even that is taught to us how to behave with the environment, how to walk on Earth, amongst palletizers men in Medina in Shona, an elderly homeowner.
Allah praises the service of a man who Allah mentions how you how they taste, how they walk.
So this is this is a beautiful set of values that we have in Islam. And it teaches us how to behave, additions to the hip hop with our neighbors, it teaches us to behave, how to behave with our friends, as well as our enemies, those whom we like those whom we don't like
those who do good, and those who do bad,
even criminals, there's a proper way of dealing with them.
Is it the ethical Islamic way, and there's the unethical way to deal with them. Everybody has a heart of some kind, but only if you are committed to the virtues. That's why I call this virtue ethics. Only if we if you are committed to these virtues upon which you base your ethical choices.
And your pattern of behavior only then you can pass that test. And believe it or not, you will be tested, you will be tested. Every day we have is a test.
Every day is a test. So lots of how the data tells us that behavior, the loss of health data properly, have the proper edit that you should have the loss of data, but also behave the others properly. In fact, although the way we behave the loss of habitat it does influence how we behave with people. And that's why I do not believe
that some people have this this dichotomy that they live in, they say
Mashallah, the person is very religious and the person is pious and fears a loss of data data, but they do not feel alone in their treatment of other people.
That person does not hear a lot properly.
Right. So if someone really feels a loss of Hannah Montana, they will feel alone their treatment of others.
They know that I was watching them.
There is no way that someone who will beat will show humility before a lot
and despise people or look down upon people. There is no way that someone knows
For sure that Allah subhanaw taala watches every every action of his and every choice of his, and at the same time, freely and comfortably abused people without the fear of any consequences, knowing. Right, so it's connected. And that's why I use I said, So how old are you now find people telling you, your pattern of behavior is true is a true reflection of what you believe.
Right? Your pattern of behavior, if you really want to know what the person is like, or what the person just watch their pattern of behavior.
That's what they truly believe. It's not what they profess with their time, but rather what they choose to do, how they act and how they react, that's the real them.
So it is very important that we understand the connection, right? That our belief in Allah Subhana Allah, however, there's something that many people miss, that is a loss of Hamlet animate pardon and forgive that is between you and him.
Right.
You can you can you can apologize, Allah, Allah was weak, I get tempted.
Right.
You know, I got caught up with it. In the heat of the moment,
I slipped.
You can you can allow me pardon and forgive you because since don't don't hurt and loss of habitat.
Right? Although Allah Subhana Allah will be maybe offended by the action of the person, but there is a chance that person has a chance of receiving forgiveness from Allah. However, if you offend someone,
if you hurt someone, if you abuse someone, whether it be mentally, physically or verbally,
unless that person forgives you pardon the law somehow not for you.
And they said, even if a person makes stopa and repentance or loss of Hannah with Allah, Allah forgive their offense, because when you hurt someone or offend someone you're actually committing, committing with two offenses, right? One you're violating especially knowingly, if you know that Allah subhanaw taala forbids you from such a behavior or action, and you still do it, then you offend a lot of religion, and you offend that individual. Now, if you make Toba, Allah will forgive the offence between you and him. So you are pardoned, okay.
However, that person that you offended or hurt has to forgive you as well, in order for you not to be held accountable on the Day of Judgment, otherwise, you may have to suffer the consequences, unless they forgive you.
And there is one case that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam smiles or laughs about.
The Prophet finds it to be wonderful. Is this the case
of a person who comes on the Day of Judgment, and his deeds,
his deeds, his good deeds, and bad these are, you know,
pretty much offset each other but they, the person is has has, has no good, no good deeds, no, no surplus of good deeds, and nothing when it comes to bad deeds. However, there's one person left out of all the people that he had funded, there's one person that comes and says, Allah, I need I need my help from him.
So either I will take one of his good deeds,
which we'll walk
through his escape, which will throw his scale off, right, or I will take from one my bad deeds and add to his I want my hug. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says, a lot of the Almighty will say to that person, however, if you do that your brother, this person, who is by the way, a believer, we're not talking here about someone who deserves to be in * no, no, we're talking about someone who could have been an agenda. But because of these offenses, they're held back. And when they are judged, that person after everybody takes whatever he owes them. Right? He's left With what?
With, with nothing, that says even so the Prophet says, so Allah, the Almighty will say to that individual, if you take from his good deeds, then this person will go to *.
Then the person will say, oh, a lot, you are the just, you are just and I want my help. This person offended me, this person hurt me. So Allah Subhana Allah, Allah will bargain with the servant of his and say, What if you forgive him?
Know, Allah subhanaw taala will basically inspire this individual to a cup. And Allah Subhana Allah will reveal
a palace in general, unlike any palace, but this person will be overwhelmed.
With the beauty and the glamour of that palace, and that person will see or he will wonder, you know, he will think to himself, who is this palace belong to
which maybe which profit
you know, what kind of marker will enter this will claim this prize, what kind of of righteous person, what kind of deed will make someone earn this he will see it he knows this part of the gentleman. So, he will see a preview, right, or some kind of he will take a virtual tour.
See the exterior and the interior of this beautiful palace in Jimena. So Allah, as he wonders a lot of parents, Anna will say this is for anyone who would pay the price.
And this person out of curiosity will say Oh Allah, and what would be the price of this have such a price. And he says if the forgiveness of your brother,
if you can manage to forgive the person, you get that.
Then he will say like,
I forget that Allah Subhana Allah the Almighty will say, take the hand of your brother and walk with him into Gemma.
Walk with him into agenda.
So this is this is the one exception other than that than the previous one. So it says be be aware that there will be people or the Day of Judgment who will go bankrupt will come with piles of goodies, pile of goodies. I was listening to one of the shields today. And he was saying
he was talking about how a woman
No offense, but
how a woman may be righteous
Salah sadhaka a bad extra deeds, amazing, amazing treatment to her neighbors and her sisters. And However, she is rude to her husband or ungrateful. He tries his best, but it's never good enough. And even what Dr. Laura tells her is not good enough.
Right?
He tries his best to pleaser but he's never good enough.
And that might cause her before a lot because it's part of being ungrateful, it's it's a character flaw the closest people to us they deserve the best of our treatment.
And of course the sisters are going to be upset if I don't give an example of how a man may Allah subhanaw taala may punish him if he abuses his wife. Needless to say, you get my point. But I was saying that I was listening to this today. You know, in fact, the prophet SAW Selim gives another example of how this habit and this is a real person. This is not a metaphor or a general you know, the prophet talks about the companions told, told, not the companions, the wives of the Prophet, and some of the women who were there, were sitting and talking. When the Prophet came, they asked him they said, there is a woman who's very righteous, very righteous, she's amazing,
incredible level of a bad Salah go into the masjid, dedication, unlike any any other woman. She's amazing. However, she has this bad habit of, of not being able to control her tongue, as she talks about her neighbors.
She talks a lot about her neighbors, she abuses them verbally.
And no one is good enough she puts down everybody and she's like, she makes the promise that he if he not
promises Indeed, this person is in hellfire.
He said he have enough. What about all these deeds,
nullified.
And he talks about another example,
right, of a person that tortures a kitten, let alone a human being tortures a kitten, little cat.
And that person was right. I mean, had used to pray, used to do everything, right, that anyone that wants gender will do except that she saw that this this, this,
this animal that Allah created this, this innocent creation of a lots of Hamlet and you know deserve, like her worse treatment. So she abused and neglected the kitten. The profitable lot is definitely not that that person entered Hellfire because of that kid.
So this shows how, what what is between a loss of habitat is one thing, but if it's not in alignment, if your behavior your treatment with people is not in alignment with that, then it's just merely a claim. And that's why the Prophet said at one point, when he saw that people, some people could not control these bad habits and vices, he says.
He said young lady Sani with a man who Isla de la to see me when I talk to him well as a tabula rasa to him for in a moment about our Muslim the tabula rasa, tabula rasa
jiofi Beatty,
all you who profess faith with your tongue. Yet, faith does not make its way to your hearts
be aware.
And he says, beware and do not hurt or abuse, the believers do not hurt and abuse other people. So what do we do?
We will be tested, our lab and our manners will be tested, our patients will be tested, our tolerance will be tested, our kindness will be tested. Right. And bear in mind that when it comes to treating people, we have two, two parameters
to the two areas, two levels of three, the bottom line, and I'm just going to start with the bottom line. I'm not going to say number one, number two, or the bottom line, there is nothing below. It's not number two, it's the only other choice is fairness, fairness, justice, fairness, objectivity. fairness is something that everybody demands, even little children, you have to be fair with everyone, even criminals, even people that you hate enemies, you still have to be fair, you cannot compromise fairness at all. And if you do, then that's flown. And unless of Hamlet, Allah says that he has forbidden himself from from wrongdoing. And he made it forbidden amongst us you cannot
write so you cannot that's the bottom line. But by the way, that doesn't make you a nice person.
Just being fair with people doesn't make you someone with great manners or so it does not earn into that status or that seat next to the profit or loss. It doesn't make you like someone who, no, you have to do something else, which is
the second level, which by the way, has no limits. It doesn't have any kindness.
kindness. So if you don't want to be kind, to me, at least be fair, right? However, kindness will be something that that will strengthen our bond, and it will earn you a great reward to the last panel with that. And that's what believers have to think about kindness how to how, how can can i out?
out, perform
out do out
way
other people and kindness.
So they're kind to me, I'm even, first of all, if they're mean to me, I'm still kind to them. And if they are kind to me,
kinder, and if they're kinder to me, I'm kindest.
Kindness
reveals your kind.
Kindness is not fearless by the way that reveals who you are. No, no, no, no. It's kindness that reveals your kind. What kind are you?
What level of kindness do you have? Where does it stop?
Right. And there isn't any limit. So Pamela, and that's why when we sometimes read how, how faith, a connection with the loss of Hannah with Anna trance transformed our pious predecessors, the scholars in Islam, the Sahaba, and how they used to do things sometimes just blows over even blows us away, right? Like, Could someone really be that kind?
So how do we live in a mean cruel world nowadays, that it's very hard for us sometimes to digest or even believe that such kindness exists or existed.
Nowadays, you tell people you tell a person, by the way, just just forgive and forget, but get over it. No, no, no, no. What is this? forgive and forget? What do you mean? forgive, forgive and forget? You think I have bad memory? I remember this for a long time. That was a very bad people don't somehow and then when you hear the story of someone, you're like, Oh, no, no way. No way. If I treat people like that, they will they will take advantage of me. They will step all over me.
And that's why the profits work. That's why I said Jenna cannot be earned easily. Seriously. The Prophet said that Allah Subhana Allah will not. Anytime you pardon someone and you forgive them, for Allah Subhana Allah, Allah subhanaw taala will increase you in glory.
If this was attainable by everybody.
Right. The Prophet one time told his companions
Can you
Imagine that we're sitting here, right? Can you imagine if I come in and say, the person the next person who's gonna walk into these doors is from the people of gentlemen.
Of course, I have no right to make such claims. Because I don't, right. But the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who spoke the truth, a loss of habitat are revealed to him certain,
certain information that we have no access to. So one day the prophets was sitting with his companions in his mouth in his message. When the Prophet said to his companions, something that was revealed to him, he said, a man, a person from the people of Jimena, meaning a person who is guaranteed made it his name is written
amongst the people of the dwellers agenda will come will come in.
Now, everybody, if I was to say this, what would you do? You will turn around waiting, okay, who's gonna walk through this door, right? And as soon as someone walks in, who all stand up and go on to that, for instance, congratulations. Right? Right.
That person is single may some of the single sincerity or something, I will personally maybe talk to him about my cousin or something like that.
And if it's a sister, then Allahu Allah with a single brothers will do.
Right? That person will be very special. So let's have our anticipating as to who this person is, and then this man from the answer, the answer are the indigenous citizens of Medina, and Muslim.
So this man walks in. And everybody's like, Mashallah, Mashallah he walks in, he had his beard was wet, or His hair was wet, obviously, he just made a lot. And he he offered to Africa, nobody said anything to him the next day, the very next day, or in another day, the prophet made the same remark.
And some of those who reported this incident, were present there again, for the second time.
He made the same remark now everybody's waiting as to who that person but maybe, who's who's number two, who's this other person, I will work on Omar, who is it? The same man works again, for the second time, and everybody's like a wallet. But it's a problem. For the second time the Prophet confirms this man's reservation engine,
his reservation engine is confirmed.
The third day, the prophet makes the same remark, the same man walks in again.
Now, by the way, the prophet could have said it once, it would have been enough. But this shows how much emphasis there was, in every time the Prophet a confirmation comes to him from heaven from gibreel, that this man is the same man comes again. And by the way, this shows the truthfulness of the Prophet sallallahu sallam, because the Prophet kept saying a man from the people of genma comes in, and three times the same man walked in.
And it was not like the Prophet said, okay, you look at your watch, as soon as I say this, you walk him, it was not pre-state. Now, the prophet is sitting, he doesn't know who's gonna walk in next. But a lot of us assume that the person the next person to walk in, into the masjid is from the people of gentlemen. And it turns out to be the same person three times three different days.
This, this just one of the companions of the love novel as a teenager with a young man. He's like, Oh, my God.
Has curiosity what I have to find that with the secret of this madness, what did he do? Maybe he feeds 10 families every night. Maybe he prays all night long, and fast everything single day, what is it that this man does, that earned him such a static rank in gender? Not only that, but Allah revealed to the Prophet. And we were told about it in his lifetime, the man is not even dead. He's to live alone, and how many years? And he's not that known. He's an average person in the community. So Abdullah, goes to the man he says, Uncle, I really have, you know, I,
I got in a little, you know, kind of, you know, some disagreements where, you know, I have some Family Feud, my dad and I have some kind of misunderstanding. And I need a place to say, Can I crash in with you for three days? And he says, yes. Now don't ask me how come he makes up this? You know, that's not the point here. So he goes, of course, it's not right for him, you know, but he wanted to find out. He didn't want to tell him anything.
The Prophet demanded in here where the Prophet said nobody told him right.
So a lot of nominal goes and shadows, this man stays with him. And at night, he's up all night long, trying to figure out this man's secret. This man was an average ordinary Muslim. of that type. Of course, probably the average of that time is like the best one. But anyways, he's average. And he prays he makes us
nothing out of the ordinary, nothing sensitive
Nothing
available to him. He does much more than that. So it's like he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. So he went to him and said, Uncle, I have a confession to make after these. I've been with you for three days, over 72 hours.
And the reason and you know, I have to complete there was nothing wrong between me and my dad. But the process of I made this remark, I wanted to find out what your secret was. And
by a law, I did not see anything out of the ordinary.
So what is it? What What is it? What is your hidden agenda? Or your your, your your secret? What is he said, Who am I right? It is whatever you saw, I don't have anything else. This is my life.
Um, it was a phenomenal was disappointed. I would love nominally house of the law and Homer was disappointed. I thought maybe. So he started walking away when this man called and he said, My nephew, he come back.
And like you said, I'm welcome back. I'm back here. Let me tell you, if there is anything, when it's the fact that every night I go to bed, and this is something between him and Allah, even his wife doesn't know about it.
This is his secret. Is it every night when I go to bed? And before I fall asleep, right? I pardon every one that may have offended me during that day, let alone 10 years ago, no, no, no. Every, every day, he makes sure that he has no grudge, no grudges no ill feelings. Nothing in his heart, this man reached a level of control a level of purity, a level of virtue, that he was able to close his heart. He all he has to do just examine who offended me today, if anyone? Oh, okay, so I forgive that part of them for the sake of a lot.
That's when I realized he said, this is the tough one.
This is a tough one.
This is not easy.
It's not easy. You know, it's a lot easier, by the way to pray every single night for two hours. Then to do this. There are people who pray maybe every single night for two hours, while their hearts, their hearts are full of grudges against those who offended them. Right? Because it's not easy to control, to control what is in the heart and to cleanse the heart. That's how this man earned his place in Genoa. You know, it had to be something
that was that was authentic. It could have not been a habit that the man would would stop. It should it could not be except something that is that is deeply rooted into his heart. That even after knowing what the prophet said, This man did not stop doing it. Now, he didn't say well, I have the lead. Now I have my place in general reserve the prophets of Salaam cannot go back on his word, Allah subhanaw taala promised regenda Now I can just get rid of this burden. And I can just hold in my heart grudges and feelings. No, there is no way this man will do that. Because he knows the beauty of freeing your heart and your mind and your soul from these graduates. By the way, it's
liberating. Forgiveness is liberating good manners. They're liberating.
That's, that's, that's why virtue is its own reward. And that's what virtue ethics is all about. Being able, like a person who does whatever he does, for the sake of the law. So again, they already get the reward in this life. They don't have to wait for the hereafter.
Because they live free of grudges, and ill feelings, and hatred, and anger.
They're free of all of that. They can move on. They are not imprisoned by their own. You know, there's people who have disputes that are 1020 years old. And someone was telling me the other day that two sisters did not speak to each other for like, a couple of decades. And then the husband of one of them dies suddenly. So one caused the other.
To say no to give her condolences. The two cannot talk to each other. All they do is just cry. Because this is the first time this is what it took for this is the first time they're speaking or hearing each other's voices in 20 or 30 years.
Over trivial issues,
over trivial issues and everything somehow only when you look at debt, everything looks trivial, right? No matter how big the issue is.
So they are living with this grudge and this feeling this cancerous
feeling for all these years, and that's why it's a Pamela. That's why virtue
is liberating.
And that's what I wanted to basically bring to your attention asked a lot. So just to make us of those who realize that those who identify the bureau
virtues that our last panel with an equip them with, and enhance these virtues. Right and dedicate them for the last panel data, do it for Allah. And those who at the same time, are able to identify vices and shortcomings that that that they might have, and be able to read it themselves from them. It's not easy and easy process. But it can be achieved, right to work. Each one of us has virtues, good qualities, and some bad qualities, some nasty qualities. When we see other people acting upon these qualities, we get disgusted, but we might have it. And sometimes we don't know how, how nasty it is until you see someone else doing what you do. Right? So. So the the, the the task here is for
us to identify these ill or nasty vices and just get rid of them, gradually free ourselves from them. And so as you free yourself from these biases, you automatically start adopting the replacement, the alternative, and that is a virtue that comes in takes that place. So May Allah help you and I do that in Chicago, if you have any questions or comments, or he's saying that sometimes some people may have to struggle with certain virtues. It's not part of their innate nature, it's not part of their of their natural disposition. They have to struggle they have to endure, they have to show more patience is they're not they're impatient, right? But they have to go out of their way
to do that. Right. Some people sometimes might have certain vices that they have to overcome.
And I said, and I said that it is true that people have to do that. And we're required to do that. And guess what, the person has more reward than a person who acts upon their natural disposition. So that's why I said certain qualities can be also acquired. Right? You basically, that's why the Prophet said, we're mainly at the suburbs of LA. Right? It takes it takes a struggle, but a person who struggles to acquire a particular quality, for example, a person who struggles to forgive,
right, it may be very difficult.
But they basically break their own ego, and they go out of their way and do it for the sake of Allah, they get more reward. And by the way, part of the reward they receive in this life,
you might ask me, what how?
Allah subhanaw taala gives them the capacity or the ability or the comfort, that peace, the peace that they gain afterwards, from doing whatever they do, after they struggle in itself is a reward from a loss of habitat.
And many people, there are many stories where many people basically attest to this, they say, finally, a loss of habitat basically
gave me the ability or the strength and I was able to liberate or free myself from that feeling. And I'm at peace right now. I have a lot of peace in my life because of that.
It's not easy, but it's hard, but the person can actually achieve it.
Yes.
Can you exchange exchange goodies?
Yeah.
No.
Can you give that prison? No, you can't.
Yeah, not even your own son,
or wife or parents.
And I'm short of one there.
Because of your forgiveness, you will get that you will get a plus. And that's why we're saying, Okay, what if a person is short, but they forgive, their forgiveness will come in
and save them on that day. In fact, I will give you an example. The Prophet talked about a man who stood before Allah, and he had no good deeds. He was preoccupied with his businesses and his money and his.
So he didn't he didn't do enough to earn good deeds. So kind of the under the heading of his very famous, authentic hadith the man dies, the soul is taken to heaven. Do you have any good deeds,
you know, to determine which way you're going to go. So the man said, had nothing except and he was a wealthy man, businessman, except that whenever I you, whenever I sent my aides, and my, you know, employees with my agents to collect debts from other businesses or other individuals that owed me money, I used to instruct them and tell them that anyone that is capable of paying back receive take from them and anyone who's not capable of paying back.
Let go. Forgive, pardon the stimulus package.
That is stimulus package, or policy that he had came to help him on in the hereafter.
So lots of hammer data set will relieve you from your deaths to us.
Just like he used to to lead people from their deaths. A lot of leaves him from his his death to Allah subhanaw taala. And since taken to Gemma, he's pardoned.
Because every day we are indebted to a loss of habitat, we have to realize that we have to pray we have to fast we have to do these things. So when he fell short, but he had this beautiful quality about him,
right?
He says Yes, definitely. Beautiful. This is beautiful. This is saying okay, what if I see something wrong? We are required to correct wrong, right? If we see, to enjoin good and forbid evil, and correct people, if we see if we see them doing something wrong. So how do I distinguish between that? Or how do you reconcile that with being nicer kind to people in because sometimes when you come in correct people, they will be offended? So how do you reconcile that? Is that is that the question? Okay. I'll give you an answer from from a novel man.
Omar Abdulaziz.
Right, someone advised a moment of disease. And he said to him, with regards to other people, his fellow Muslim, you know, he said his AlkaViva Muslim, Nina. And that
was a little evident.
What else autohome
for au una echo to Hebrew and to see LA.
So he said, consider the elders amongst the believers amongst your fellow, you know, consider them like your parents, like your dad, your father, if it's a man, like your mother, if it's a woman,
and the young ones, consider them like your own children.
And the ones who are of your generation or you know, equal consider them like your brother in your own blood brothers and sisters. How would you treat them?
Of course, when you see someone that you care about, and you love doing a mistake making a mistake? you would you would have to correct them, you would want to correct them because you care about them. But how would you go about it? Same thing, you just have to be wise, right? So how am I one time I remember.
It was me and my friend, we were like, me and my high school friends were walking. And then we saw a Muslim brother harassing a Muslim sister.
He's like,
is, what are they? What do they call that?
hitting on her hitting on her. He's like, hitting on her driving his car. He's like, you know, flirting, right? And she's trying to avoid him. And he's like, coming with his harassing. And my friend got upset, he got mad.
He wanted to just rip him apart. And I was so upset and angry. We were gonna get in trouble that he actually did actually pull him out. I don't know, I looked away and I looked back within a second. I saw that that boy out of his car, Ibrahim, my friend pulled him out of the window. And he was about to really get this. Beat him up. Right? So I stopped writing.
And then I stopped a cap, like a taxi for the sister and, and let her go. And we were very upset. How dare you know, would you do this? Would you allow anyone to do this to your sister, and we were very upset. So the next day I saw one of our wives, friends, and a brother who's older, very wise, man. So I said to him, this is you know, I wanted to kill that kid. Who did that? How could he? How dare he I talked to him. He said yeah, he said, next time.
Next time you see something like this, anytime you see a believe a believer, hurting another believer. Think treat him I was asking how should I have treated him Is it treat him like your own brother and treat her like your own sister at the same time. So in other words, provide protection and care for her and be protective of her as you would be protective of your ancestor.
But at the same time, treat him as if he was your own blood brother, if you see your own blood brother doing something, what would you do? Would you kill him? What do you show them? Or would you go and advise them nicely?
Right. So that's it. So that resolvable issue for me? Well, the prophet teaches us, actually, almost most of not all, but most of the application in the praise of the Prophet that he used to make every day and every morning and occasionally have to do with a loss of Hamlet to Allah, helping us becoming better individuals. It has to do with us with a mosque with with with us being in action laws of Canada Allah to help us attain virtue and stay away from vices or sense, right. So
learning the certification of the prophet SAW Selim is the best recommendation that I can give you. For instance, the Prophet says to us look, you know, this has to do with with you know, how
When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you do? But when you look at the mirror and then you realize that that is a reflection of you, what do you do?
So, so you try to fix whatever right? Okay? Sometimes Sometimes what do you say sometimes he will say, oh, Marshall, I have beautiful eyes. People like admire themselves, right? And sometimes people like to cheer themselves up. Right? Right.
Or good or beautiful. Feels like they have something to do with it. Like it's their own earning. Right. But what does a prophet teach us to do? I'm not saying be ashamed. Of course, there are some people who also have issues. They're like, Oh, my God, I need a nose job badly. Right?
I need to I need to do something about my eyebrows. There are people who are obsessed like it who are not satisfied with themselves. That's a that's also another horrible way of relating to oneself. What does the Prophet teaches?
Yeah, you say that, but what is the mindset before that be that upon which the drive is based, admire or appreciate a loss gift. So recognize that a loss of habitat amaze you beautiful, by the way, that reflection that you see in the mirror, that is very unique. You remember that since Allah created heaven and earth, and until the day of judgment, there's only one of you, you would want to die. So appreciate that. Don't allow anyone to come and make you feel bad about yourself. And at the same time, do not allow a thought or vanity or ego to get to your head and think that you're better than everyone else. Every single one, by the way shares that quality with you, every single one is
unique.
There's only one of you. So appreciate that. Don't be fooled by that. Don't look down upon that. Don't be ashamed of it. Don't be proud of it, but appreciate it, and embrace it right and fix whatever you have to fix. There's nothing wrong with it. But the prophet teaches us to say
aloha McKenna has said the Hopi Allah as you beautified my features, for Hassan collopy, purifying what matters the most my whole Look, my character, beautified and purified, because that's what matters. You know why? Because Allah does not judge us based on our looks, because he created that we're all beautiful BB before a loss of habitat, we are all equally beautiful before Allah, what really makes us stand out before a lot is the beauty of our actions in our deeds. That's why the Prophet said in the law, they don't worry that's what he called a semi from Allah does not examine or look or judge you on the basis of your looks, or your bodies or your physiques when lacking a
little enough to become an American, but rather he examines and looks at the state of your hearts and the quality of your deeds. So, the properties is this at that moment to say a lot as you beautified my looks, you made me 100 into who I am and this unique person beautified by efnep helped me purify my Allah right. So this is one grab of the popsicle a lot of a sudden teaches us and depending on how many times you look at yourself in the mirror, you can see this all day long, all right, some people will be there standing for a long time. So this is just one you know there are many other drivers in the process have taught us I asked Eliza to make you an eye of those who
beautify their their their actions
or their deeds with sincerity and adore their personalities with truthfulness and make us of those who identify their shortcomings and weaknesses and give us the courage to overcome these shortcomings and weaknesses mask a lot to make us of those who listen and follow the best of what they listen to mask Allah azza wa jal to make us internally as beautiful and more beautiful than we are externally. I mean, me or someone like Mohammed wa aalihi wa sahbihi wa seldom at the Sleeman kathira salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah.