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Time is Ticking – May 2015
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Channel: Mufti Menk
Episode Notes
Jumuah Lecture from Masjid Al Falaah in Harare, Zimbabwe
Episode Transcript
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mahananda Haman hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala, mousseline, Nabina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi. We praise Allah subhanho wa Taala we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his entire household and all his companions. May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless them all, and may He bless every single one of us, grant us goodness and ease. My beloved brothers and sisters in Islam, every minute that takes will never ever return. And we know that. But the reality is, many of us become oblivious of it. We think that you know what, I still have time, when we want to do good things when we want to achieve many times we find ourselves
delaying telling ourselves, we'll do it tomorrow, we will do it just now perhaps next month, I'm planning this for next year. The truth is, we need to be real. And we need to understand that if you can do something now, do not leave it for the next moment, get it done. Because no one knows how long you will be alive for so much. So that we are taught that if kiama happens to come up and you have a seed that you need to plant, get it planted, if you can before the hour. This is how an example is given, of utilizing your time in the best possible way. So even if I'm unhealthy, if I'm unwell, and I want to achieve something, I need to do it while I'm unwell you might never get better
from that sickness. Who knows? You might May Allah grant us or cure, but who knows, you may never see a better day, this might be the best possible day. People say you know what, inshallah, in a few years time when I'm okay, I will start reading my Salah, I will start doing this. Who knows if in a few years time you're going to be okay, today is the best day you have. Because tomorrow might be a better day, that term might already tells you there's no guarantee. if something changes in your life today, your entire life can drastically change to the degree that you will lament and regret over the previous days. We think okay, you know, everything is okay tomorrow I will do this. Who
knows if tomorrow you may not have legs, May Allah not do that to us. Who knows if tomorrow someone very close to you dies, and your whole life has suddenly changed, and it will never be the same again. Who knows? If calamity strikes, disaster comes forth. And nothing is the same again. Let's take a look. For example, at the earthquake that occurred last week in Nepal. And that region, the Indian subcontinent, we ask Allah not to do that to us. And we ask Allah to grant them ease and goodness. But if you pause for a moment, from amongst those who lost their lives, several categories of people, there were some who was sinful, very sinful to the degree that they earned the Wrath of
Allah subhanho wa Taala they got the anger of Allah, perhaps that earthquake for that category of people may have just been a means of destruction because of the anger of Allah. But the same earthquake can be a means of Russia and mercy, and the means of entry into gentlemen, for another category of people who are caught up in the same earthquake. And what is that category, those who try to earn the pleasure of Allah. They were people who died while learning the Quran. They were people who died while in Salah. They were people who were taken when their last words were the Shahada, people who went to bed having read all the Koran and all their Salah at peace with Allah,
we can never ever say that that was a punishment for them. So when a natural disaster strikes, what we call natural, obviously, it's from Allah subhanho wa Taala. We should understand that it is wrong for us to say that this disaster only brought about evil because the people were evil. So it was a punishment of Allah No way, it is wrong to utter that alone, we need to say, look, it depends on the individuals who were affected. Let me give you yet another example. Do you realize that more people have actually been affected and displaced who have remained alive than those who passed away those who died. So say for example, the millions of people who are still alive after this entire disaster
happen, what has happened to them, some of them who were perhaps far away from Allah, if this disaster brought them closer to Allah subhanho wa Taala Allah, it was the mercy of Allah. It was a gift of Allah, Allah just tapping them to say, you know what, I am in charge. I'm in control. The most powerful people I was reading specific stories, interesting articles on specific people's lives, and how people who owned businesses whereby they thought they would never ever see such destruction. They have completely gone underground to the degree that unless it's the help of Allah subhanho wa Taala. They've lost
Absolutely everything material, no home remaining no building that you own remaining no nothing. Nobody even knows exactly where your property was so panela and imagined these were wealthy multimillionaires tycoons whose lives have changed instantly, if the people remain alive, and if that has brought them closer to their maker, then indeed they have had the blessing of Allah upon them. It because in Islam and in the eyes of Allah subhanho wa Taala it is far better to have a beautiful link with your maker and have nothing material than to have everything material but you are far from Allah. What's the point? Remember, when you leave this world, ultimately, you are
taking absolutely nothing with you. Nothing, even your clothes you have on will be removed in order to be replaced by a shroud that is common to everyone else. So even if you have you know valuable clothing, people have spent 1000s of dollars designer, non designer, all that nothing. I've never seen a shroud a coffin written Levi's on it. I've never seen a coffin.
Never with a cadaver written on it. No, but we've seen different types of clothing with people having all different names, because all that is a site. Imagine if that was the case, people would charge you 20 times for the same piece of cloth. Yeah, that would be foolish. May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for us. The point I'm raising is the material items are just for your temporary amusement in this dunya in this world, temporary amusement Mashallah you happy you got a nice Rolex watch, brother when you die, the first thing they're going to take out of you is the Rolex watch. I hope it was genuine, by the way. Now Allah subhanho wa Taala, grant us ease. So this is something we
need to realize this is amusement if you tell time. And that's it. And that same time that you spent so many 1000s of dollars buying a watch that just happened to have a name is actually ticking. Time is ticking. So instead of you looking at it and say look how good nice my watch looks and click everyone get the message louder to say this one here actually keeps more accurate time for me to remember that every second is ticking. It's gone out of my life. It's gone out. So it's pointless. May Allah subhanahu wa taala grant us an understanding to have a watch when you don't realize what is actually ticking is your life.
Literally, the hourglass, you're seeing how the sand goes down, it's going and nothing stops in it carries on. And guess what? When it gets towards the end for me and you It seems like it's going quicker? Have you noticed that? The hourglass going check one out, turn it around and watching at the beginning it seems like it's going so slow, but the same amount of sand is going down. And at the end it seems like it's been so quick but the same amount of sand is going down. And once it's over, it's gone. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us an understanding. So never leave the goodness you want to do for tomorrow. Do it now. Never leave the biggest form of goodness for the next moment
and what is the biggest form of goodness Can I tell it to you?
repentance to Allah turn to Allah, changing your ways your habits, asking Allah forgiveness is the most powerful thing you could ever do. It is more powerful than a million dollar business deal. And the new factory and the new business and the new job and new employment and a great salary and beautiful conditions and a lovely holiday more valuable than all of that is to say Oh ALLAH forgive me. So can Allah Oh ALLAH forgive me, forgive my sins, I will never repeat them again. That is the biggest thing you could ever do to yourself. Turn back to Allah. And this is why the Prophet sallallahu wasallam every day he used to repeat the term Estella federal law Allah forgive me and
we've heard this he did not mean that but it's for us to learn and he did not say it in one sitting that's one thing we need to get clear. He never just sat and said the law 100 times and stopped No. It was spent through the day three times after every salon that he made. So if you count those they already well within depending on how much Salah you have a minimum is the five daily prayers that you would read the father which would make it 15 times but with value with value meaning don't say she will say a Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah The festoon is to say, a stone Pharaoh la Stouffer La, la price. The problem is, even if we adopt the sooner we've adopted it
without thinking, a lot of us, myself included, sometimes we say stuff Rama, Rama to getting over and done with a man sooner is done. But you don't realize what exactly did you say let's be honest, what law he it has to happen even to the best from amongst us, that you've said a lot without really thinking this is why I promote uttering it on top of the Arabic in a language that you understand and you are close to. So if you say stuff we'll
pause for a moment and then say Oh ALLAH forgive me. Oh ALLAH forgive me. Oh ALLAH forgive me. To me, that holds my
Wait, because now you know what you're saying, I am not at all undermining the Arabic Say it, but then repeat it in another language that you understand. And then you get the value of it.
Even if you want to say it 100 times in one sitting, no stress, no sweat, say it. But at least say it some of the times 20 5060 how many other times there's no fixed number in a language you understand because to leave that for the next moment, you could just die of a heart attack. And you know what happens? Imagine if any one of us mela says God has but it has to come, the day has to come when you have to go. And from Allah's mercy is such that he leaves an excuse for you to blame. But in essence, your time was up, he took you away, there's an excuse to blame. Your time was up, you know, every one of us have come with an expiry date. You know, one is a best before that's still
okay. Because after that you become a bit weaker, you realize that you understand, you know, not everything best before is actually expired, you can have it after. But when it says expiring, it's over data, you look at it. And that's it. So I've come with an expiry date, the day I leave could be today, tomorrow, anything I need to realize, and continue telling myself that today might be my last day and you know what will happen? If I get used to that one day, it will be my last day it will and it has to be and this is why we say this moment I have now is the only moment I really actually know I have because the next moment I have no guarantee. Like I said might the word might be there the
mighty means already. There's no guarantee for them. So we ask Allah to grant us forgiveness. Ask us forgiveness, while I'm talking within yourself, say Allah forgive me. Allah helped me to change my habits when I'm talking now. Don't be afraid. Don't be shy. stuff in love stuff. Allah forgive me, to me.
It's about time we turn to Allah, the world is turning towards materialism. It's become such a rat race that women cannot walk out of the house without accessories on that are to the tune of 1000s of dollars. Unless we're fortunate to be living in this country where sometimes somewhere from the east, we've got something that looks something like something from the west, it we've paid one 10th of the price to handle them. It's okay if you understood what I said. But at the same time, what we need to realize it's not all about showing your things, your accessories, you know, we show accessories, we show bags, we show shoes, people are literally worshiping their shoes and their
handbags Have you come across this literally worshipping the colors of clothing in the sense you look at the dressing table 20 different types of perfume but look at the heart, it stinks.
It's a reality. So which is more important to work on. Now Cesar Rodriguez and what Chanel and whatever else have the sense you have of the dunya and at the same time, your heart, people look at you from a distance and time away because they don't want to look in your direction because your character stinks.
Which is more important. I'd rather be a person whom my sweat is my design in the sense that no one else has its unique. So Pamela, but at least people greet me they talk to me I talk to someone I have respect I have a link with Allah and the day I die Subhana Allah the same to me the scent of musk by the will of Allah
This is something this is why we say we have materialism that is overtaking us to the degree that it makes us forgetful of the only reality what is that?
It's the only thing that we know for certain that nothing else is actually certain what's gonna happen next. I don't know what's gonna happen but did I know it's coming when I don't know. But it's something said it's the only certainty This is why in the Quran, Allah speaks about it and calls it eliakim why Buddha Baca had to pee ting
Allah is addressing Mohamed Salah Salah, the lesson is for all of us, he says worship your rump until death comes to you. And we appeal it means that which is certain The only thing certain is death. So there is no other translation to that besides difficulty Suppan Allah. May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us. May He make us from those who turn my brothers and sisters these little doses that we have every Friday. They are not enough. Yes, they will help us they will motivate us they will want to make us work for the next week but they are not enough. Do something listen to the Koran read it, understand it. Take participate in the lessons that might be taking place in the
masjid or the madrasa or anywhere else. Listen to some clips today we have the internet on our fingertips. Many people are using it for pornography. Many people are using it for something immoral. Many people are wasting time chatting on it. It might not be typically haraam but you on WhatsApp whole morning and you on BBM whole afternoon and you are just free chatting entire day now that WhatsApp has free calls you call anyone and everyone across the globe. I wish and I hope they're charged $50 per second. So none of us did that. Why? We talk with each other we forget to talk with Allah. That's the reality. Allah said from the beginning it's free. Talk to me. The
closest you can ever come to me is in such them
Get to such them speak to me. But No, I'd rather WhatsApp someone talk to someone else because now it's free. Did you see that? May Allah forgive us really. So while speaking with one another is very important we cannot override communication with our own maker Come on, to speak to Allah, what is the best way of speaking to Allah through Deacon and he still far what is the deacon? I say Subhana Allah Praise be to you Oh Allah, like I said Sage in the Arabic language, repeat it in another language you know, Praise be to Allah Glory be to You. Oh my maker. I love you. Oh, my maker. Forgive me, oh, my maker. And repeat this. A lot of times, see how you feel one law it has to change
your life. It has to, it will make you feel different. It will help you abstain from prohibition, it will help you stay away from immorality, because you are calling out to Allah, you've got a link with him. Now suddenly, every day you talk to him. And you tell him all I love you all thank you for giving me this. Thank you for that. You say it in the Arabic as well but repeated in a language you know, it's the third time I'm saying this because it's important. Say it again and say it again. Glory be to You, you are the highest, you are the maker, you are the one we're going to return to have mercy on me Have mercy on my family members, Grant me goodness, speak to him. It's one of the
best ways of communication, the best you can invest your time in is with your own rump. And then remember one thing, in order to be able to get even closer to Allah, you need to fulfill the rights of fellow human beings. So the closer I am to Allah subhanho wa Taala the more it will show in the way I treat other human beings. When I treat you with respect, you look at me you have a sense of love for the sake of Allah, I look at you and I'm happy to see you today and to see you anytime it shows that we have a link with Allah. What is the connection between me and you? The real connection is you're a worshipper of Allah and so am I. You might be different from me in 100 ways, but one way
we are similar is La ilaha illAllah Muhammad Rasulullah savasana and that overrides absolutely everything. And if you feel that it overrides everything, then you love someone in Allah for the sake of Allah. And Allah says in the in the hadith of Rasulullah Salim we are taught that Allah subhanho wa Taala as a special shade on the Day of Judgment for those who love each other for the sake of Allah, Allah, what does that mean? You are in the masjid, I'm in the masjid, you are trying to worship Allah, I'm worshiping Allah. You know, for example, amongst the sisters, if you know they are trying to worship Allah people are, some are stronger, some are weaker, but they have this
respect, because they are mutually trying to assist each other in trying to earn gender and hamdulillah. They feel the goodness, but the minute I look at you, I feel that hatred, I look away and someone else with another hatred, you look away, you must know there's something wrong with your link with Allah, something is wrong. If you cannot respect the other creatures of Allah, then definitely you haven't understood your relationship with the maker of the other person. And not only the person but even the other creatures of Allah. And for this reason, you take a look at the incidence of the dogs and the cats that were filled by people. And later on, they were told you know
what this person was from Jenna, what was their deed? Oh, they had a lot of evil deeds. So how did they get to paradise because they had concern for either a dog or a cat. So imagine if you have concern for another Muslim, another human being. If a dog and a cat and concern for dog and cat can get you to heaven and gentlemen, what about another human being was not a Muslim?
Subhana Allah? And then what about someone who's a Muslim? And then what about a member of your own family, it becomes more and more difficult. And remember something we tend to give up so quickly. So we have a misunderstanding. We give up. We say this person is bad and we walk away. But we don't know the closer the circle, the greater the challenge and the greater the challenge, the more the reward, the bigger the test. So it's my test to ensure that amongst my own brothers and sisters, I sorted the matters and had a big heart. I might have to apologize where I'm not even wrong sometimes. Just in order to make the peace. I want Allah to forgive me. You know, to analyze
forgiveness meant to forgive others Allah will forgive you Subhana Allah, He says in the Quran, Allah to his bone, I am fear Allah Allah. Allah for Rahim, learn to forgive others. Wouldn't you want Allah to forgive you allies indeed most forgiving, most most.
To have a hard work on your heart, go against your desires at times.
In fact, I said at times, but what I mean is that which is bad, go against fight your nerves, your nerves is telling you this person is evil, but you need to fight it, to greet them and to be able to try and sort the matter out. You need to be able to have a good feeling. Don't just think bad of everyone. You see, this person is like that this person is evil. Let me say I do know that the world has become much more evil than it was before. But that doesn't mean we must become evil with the rest of the world. Be a good person, you make the difference. And by the will of Allah subhanho wa Taala you will see what happens.
This is Allah and this is the gift that Allah has bestowed upon all of us. It's the gift of life. This life is a test.
evidence that it's a test is that all of us just come here for a little while. And then we go away. People have been before me have gone. They've been stronger than me more powerful than me more wealthy than me more good looking than I am. And the same applies to every one of you. They've gone. People we've known have gone, people we haven't known have gone, we've buried how many people? If I were to tell you, how many of us have never
buried someone, I'm talking here of the men, you've never been to the graveyard. You've never read a janazah on someone. I don't think a single head would come up because all of us have. But what lesson did we learn from it? That's the question. What's the point of burying 100 people and you haven't ever thought you're going to die. So you still continue in your ways and habits?
So May Allah make us use every moment for that moment without wasting it no matter what you want to do. Like I told you today, the most important thing is the far turn to Allah ask Allah forgiveness. Imagine if I become in the habit of asking Allah forgiveness 100 times a day, 200 times a day, 500 times a day and I'm being serious here. If I become into that habit,
today's either my last day or another day will be my last day where I will have asked the last forgiveness on my pages on the Day of Judgment. There will be a lot of people who do not have fun and guess what the prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam says Booba lemonwood Nafisa effetti is still foreign Katia give good news of Paradise
to he or she on whose page a lot of is still far is from what is his divorce seeking forgiveness. So through the day I scattered so much you know like when you put salt and pepper into your egg early in the morning and Mashallah you see some people like even more pepper more salt so on. So Pamela you scattering it through your page, the white sheet and here you have so much of it's still fun when you get to the other side and there's a lot of Allah forgive me, Oh ALLAH forgive me. You might have committed five, six sins through the day, maybe a few more, a few less. But you said Oh ALLAH forgive me 100 200 500 times. Do you think it's going to be wasted by someone who calls himself a
fool Rahim? most forgiving, Most Merciful, Rahmani Raheem Most Beneficent, Most Merciful. Do you think he's going to waste the statement? Unless you were lying? May Allah not make us from the hypocrites so let's be genuine. Tell Allah Allah helped me to change helped me to be a better person helped me to quit my bad ways helped me to respect everyone helped me to talk to everyone in a respectful manner helped me to have a good thoughts of others when something occurs.
You know, a man from just giving you a typical example walks in late for Salah to Juma it's bad isn't it? But who knows what his circumstances were so while waiting salah and we see a this man walked in shape and comes in and spoils your Salah by making you think Look at this guy. If we week his late brother you're supposed to be saying is the nasty rotten Mr. Team in your Salah and you're busy worrying about somebody else. He might have had such a valid excuse they could have been treating someone who might have been dying and here you are bad thoughts. So what a man does he suppose your moment that moment could have been your last Salah the Hadees is Sal de sala de Mola de
when you fulfill your prayer read it is no it's the last prayer you ever going to get a chance to fulfill? Because it is and if not one day it will be upon Allah.
So this is why don't bother have a good thought. Don't even worry. That's their link with Allah. Maybe if it's your close friend of yours, you might want to tell them my brother, you know what, I don't mean to be rude or nosy. But inshallah if you if I can pick you up next week for Juma and the brother says oh no problem. Oh, you pick me up no problem. What time 12 o'clock so early? Mashallah. Then at least you can settle for half past Well, shall I the will of Allah Subhana Allah. Allah make it easy for us, my brothers and sisters, Islam is beautiful. It is a reminder from one another. We need to remember that each one of us must remind the other that's Islam, it's part of Islam. And you
need to enjoy a reminder must not be stressful thing whereby it causes hate to why did this guy Tell me not many of you are wrong, they have the right to let you know, in a beautiful way to say you know what, your dress is a little bit inappropriate. You know, it's not going to be a good it's not really you'd rather die
with you know, clothing, that is something that would please Allah, then something that is just done because of the rest of humankind, pushing towards one direction, relax. It's the way you talk. It's the way you come across. It's the way you speak to people. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us use every moment in the most blessed way. May you protect us from regret my brothers and sisters just as I started, I want to end by telling you use your time valuably Do not let the clock tick, having wasted even the second that has crossed today. Do something constructive. And at least if you are sitting, remember Allah declare his praise, utter it. Reach out to your parents, your children reach
out to your brothers and sisters in a beautiful way reach out to those whom you may have a dispute with try and sorted out resolve For indeed we either please Allah or we please shaytan let us not be from the latter. rather let us be from those
Please Allah subhanho wa Taala sallallahu wasallam ah Baraka