Mufti Menk – Time is Ticking – January 2015

smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala

nabina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa Tabby woman, tambien BSN and Elijah Medina with my brothers and sisters, the seconds pass and they never come back. So if you look at your clock right now, you will find that the seconds are actually ticking, the minutes are ticking. And they are after every hour passes. If you are late for something, you've missed it completely, you know, when you have to catch an aircraft, you know that you'd have to arrive at the airport an hour or two early. It does not mean that because the flight is taking off at seven o'clock, I can go there at 659. No, you have to go very early, you have to check in you have to get all your luggage checked,

everything has to happen and you have to be standing at the door of the plane. While in advance, perhaps they will ask you to enter half an hour before the time of takeoff. And you know that if you have been foolish to think that because the takeoff is seven o'clock, let me go at five to seven, you would miss your flight. The same applies to a train, you would have to go a few minutes in in advance and wait for it to come. You cannot say the train comes at seven or six. So let me get there at exactly six o'clock. No, perhaps it will come and the doors will open for a few minutes and then they will close and the train will continue and you would have missed the train. The same applies

for this particular Juma that we have today. If we think to ourselves, okay, the Juma will commence at one o'clock. So let me now go at about one o'clock, perhaps we might not get a place to sit or it might not be a decent place. Or perhaps we will miss the entire jumaan if something happens to delay us on the road. And because we fine tuned our entry into the masjid, we perhaps would miss it completely if there was a traffic jam or something went wrong on the road. But if we were slightly early, and we thought about it, the fact that time when it crosses, it will never come back for us never ever. The second that is just ticked as I started, will never ever return. So what is it that

we're trying to get at? Well, in the same way that the hour passes without returning so does the week, and so does the month, and so does the year, and so does the decade and so does entire life. So panela so this is what we need to constantly think about when the year passes, people get excited, without realizing that what is of value is for us to realize that one year has actually been wasted, to be honest with you. Every one of us without exception has to be able to tell himself or herself that I could have done better in this year. That has just gone by, I could have done better. Myself. The morning that I've got up for example, this morning to this particular moment, I

can tell myself, you could have done better, you could have achieved a bit more. This might be your last day it could be my last day or your last day, it could be my last few minutes because Allah subhanho wa Taala is the one who chooses when a person will leave this world. And he's given us a specific timeframe, which means every second that passes, some of my time is being taken. So panela every day that passes I am becoming older. We are not becoming any younger my beloved brothers and sisters. So this is why Allah subhanho wa Taala reminds us constantly, the fact that we are aging, he's on automatic reminder to say hey, think about where you came from where you are right now and

where you are going, where are you going? You have to go to meet with Allah subhanho wa Taala you have no option but to die at one stage, somewhere down you have to go Where are you going to go in sha Allah to a better place, we will all be within the mercy of Allah and Allah is the Most Merciful. Allah subhanho wa Taala has mercy exceeds the mercy of all of us on earth put together including any other creature of Allah subhanho wa Taala so merciful, Allah subhanho wa Taala is so there is no point in becoming depressed and thinking you know what, I don't want to die You have to go there is no option. May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for us the day he takes us away. I

mean, may he be pleased with us on that day. My brothers and sisters, the question I'd like to ask myself and yourselves is how have we prepared for the day that we are going to meet with Allah subhanho wa Taala or are we from amongst those who think you know what, I'm still young. I'm still okay, I'm still quite fit and you know what I can just carry on? No, you don't know when you will be going fortunate is He who can turn to Allah before he goes but there are so many out there who have already gone back to Allah subhanho wa Taala. So suddenly that one one is whether they had that opportunity to turn to Allah subhanho wa Taala. Today I am sitting here we are busy talking to each

other and they'll have the

We have an opportunity to speak about Allah subhanho wa Taala. The question is, when am I going to make a resolution to please Allah and Allah alone?

Because it is he who created me, he put me into this world, whether I like it or not. It's just for a purpose. Like we've always said, If life was only meant for absolute enjoyment, it would not have been as gloomy as it actually is. It would have been much better we wouldn't be suffering flus and coughs and sickness and disease, and we wouldn't be dying at 20 and 30 and 50 and 70. If Allah made us just to enjoy, he would have given us a minimum of 1000 years To be honest, to say, listen, go and have a blast. May Allah subhanho wa Taala safeguard us, but this is the attitude that sometimes those who have forgotten Allah are trying to promote, and they are trying to say, Listen, you only

live once, enjoy your life, carry on. And that's it, do whatever you please. And you know what, there is no maker in the equation, to be honest. The same person when he or she is close to his deathbed, or upon his deathbed, he will start thinking or she will start thinking, Hey, where am I going? I am now for example, very old, I've clocked 100. Now what now what's going to happen? I can't even I can barely move my hand. All that is a gift of Allah to tell you, you are so blessed that we've given you old age for you to be able to turn to Allah and to praise Allah and to ask Allah and to have hope in the mercy of Allah. There are others whom we took away at a very early

age. The fact that you've been allowed to see old age is such a great gift that Allah subhanho wa Taala is giving you a bigger opportunity than others to turn to him before you actually go and meet him. May Allah make it easy for us all. So it's important for us to know the year passes. And where are we with our relation with Allah subhanho wa Taala Allah says, Allah Mia Neely la Vina mano

de shabu boom Li ke la,

la la mina have po has the time not come, has the time not come for those who believe in Allah subhanho wa Taala to soften their hearts towards the remembrance of Allah and towards that which has been revealed. The truth has the time not come to soften your heart? How long are you going to continue in your sin My beloved brother, my beloved sister, how long are you going to think to yourself I will turn to Allah tomorrow. I will do this tomorrow. I will start my Salah tomorrow I will become a better Muslim tomorrow when you don't even know if you will see that tomorrow Allahu Akbar. So it's about time we tell ourselves and promise Allah in our hearts yeah Allah here and now.

I cut my bad ways my bad habits Make me strong. I am a human being yeah Allah with you strengthening me I will be able to achieve if there is no strength coming from you your love for me and there is no acceptance then I'm a loser.

May Allah help us and may He strengthen us? So my brothers and sisters have hope in the mercy of Allah. Some people say we make resolutions once a year. Some people say no you turn to Allah you think about it and reflect and ponder once in a while. The truth is a min looks at his link with Allah at every opportunity he gets never ever less than once a day, which is something we need to know. Which means maybe more than once a day, but not less than once a day when you recline upon your bed in the evening. So Han Allah, one of the things you need to say and this is a sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam

where the profits are seldom used to read a specific da and the prophet SAW Selim says In the name of Allah subhanho wa Taala I have reclined my side Bismillah Allahu Akbar to God. It is in the name of Allah subhanho wa Taala Allah in your name I have put my I have reclined I have put my side down. I have now put my side down to sleep basically what because and it is in the name of Allah that I will raise it if he so wounds by the morning or whenever you get up. It's in the name of Allah that you will get your side back of your bedding in Sector NFC for Villa ha, Oh Allah. If you have kept my soul in the night whilst I'm asleep, then forgive it. So can Allah Allah forgive my soul? Forgive

me if you have kept me at night and you've not allowed me to get off my wedding? Yeah, Allah forgive me. We're in our CELTA and if you all I have chosen to send it back, which means if you allow me to get up then for my sleep and to get off the bedding for haha we have we can let you tackle the big brother Casali him then Oh Allah, protect it with that protection that you would protect your pious worshipers with Subhana Allah. So we asking Allah Allah help me protect me I am insane, I am weak. I have to make ends meet you have created me in such an environment that I need to go out to work to earn a livelihood, make it

easy for me the environment out there, let it be such that I do not have to disobey you in order to earn or in order to fulfill my day to day chores, may Allah make it easy for us all. So ask Allah continue calling out to Allah. Never underestimate the value of the call to Allah subhanho wa Taala. But coupled with that, you need to have an intention. You need to have sincerity, you need to have a solid heart, you need to have a link with Allah subhanho wa Taala conviction that Oh Allah, I've asked you and I know you will grant me what is best for me. The sadness that strikes is when a person removes a lot from the equation. I am healthy, I'm wealthy, I'm fit. I'm okay. I'm young. Let

me carry on. So we see an opportunity to commit adultery it's committed we see an opportunity to eat interest we eat it we see an opportunity to do for example, you serve something we do we see an opportunity to harm someone, we've harmed them. We see an opportunity to do anything we've done it but we don't realize that will come to an end. One day you will come to an end. So Pamela people if you are lucky, we'll say Rama to lie, which means may Allah have mercy on him. Otherwise people might say Wow, well done at least the person is finally gone. May Allah forgive us? May that not be the case with us? Really. But it all depends on our link with Allah subhanho wa Taala Let me tell

you, when you have developed a beautiful link with Allah subhanho wa Taala what happens? Your heart becomes crystal clear. You remove hatred from your heart, you begin to look at people with a clean eye you begin to look at people and tell yourself How can I help this brother? He doesn't like me but yeah ALLAH forgive him. Yeah, Allah opened his doors have mercy on him. Yeah, Allah grant him goodness, that's a man that is now because you know that your bread is buttered by Allah and Allah alone. That's why you have such a good relation with the rest of mankind. They are creatures of Allah, your duty if someone is doing something wrong, and you're a good person would be that you

remind them you tell them in a nice way, and then you leave it at that you don't need to become violent brother, I'm going to fix you up if you don't listen to what I have to say. That's not the attitude of a movement. Our duty is the same duty that was that was given to Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam from the angle of delivery. Obviously, he was an enemy of Allah. But when I say delivery we talking of in Allah.

Allah tells him Your duty is to deliver the message. Well, the same applies to us My duty is to deliver the message if I delivered it and hamdulillah I cannot shove guidance down your throat nor can you shove guidance down my throat. We ask Allah Allah guide this person. So when a person's develop their Eman, they become calm and they become relaxed, their hatred is removed. Their life is led with beauty such that they are content with what Allah provide them with. Allah has given you something be happy, you can afford for example, a motor vehicle of $2,000 and hamdulillah. You can afford one of 20,000 Alhamdulillah your neighbor has afforded one of 200,000 Alhamdulillah, free

from jealousy free from envy free from hatred, because he or she realizes that my success ultimately will be upon the day that Allah tells me you are successful. May Allah Tell that to us all. When Allah tells you you are successful, how do you feel so Allah, then you can jump actually, the Quran makes mention of what would happen when you achieve your book on the right hand and Allah says the person will be so excited, he will tell everyone Hey, look at my resolve, look at my book, like a little child, because why Allah has given you the answer to say you lead your life, you had a good heart, you try you served me and at the same time you were kind and good to the rest of my

creatures. Alhamdulillah for you is success.

But sometimes we don't serve Allah, which means our duties that are there to be fulfilled, we don't do them. So that when failure is a burden, my brother this might be the last day. If you make an effort to get up for Salatin and say it was your last day what would happen? You would be so fortunate one law he there are people in their graves right now, right now as we speak, who are wishing that they could come back to the earth to make one prostration to their maker, just one. And here we are right here right now. How much are we going to engage in terms of worship of Allah, the people are really in their graves regretting how they let the time pass without them turning to

Allah. So this is why we say number one, develop your link with Allah. Come on. What are you waiting for you waiting to become 50 years old, and then you're going to turn to Allah, guess what? You're not going to see the 50th year you will die before that. Who knows? You don't have a guarantee. Nor do I. But what if that is the whisper? May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us? This is why don't wait for tomorrow. You might not see. I might not see how many of us have known people who are our friends, our family, people whom we've heard about people whom we are acquainted with, who've just left suddenly they left the house and they never ever came back. Do you really think that cannot

happen to you and I do you really think that we are

An exception it can it can happen to anyone. But it's not bad. Like we say, it's not how you die is besides the point, it's got to do with the condition upon which you've died. So if you die upon the happiness of Allah, you are successful, even if something really terrible happened and as a result you died. May Allah grant us all ease. But if you've died even in your bedding with the simplest of death, but Allah is not pleased with you may Allah never do that. to us. That would be failure. Even if you've lived a life full of luxury, there is no sign of success. Success truly is when you die in the right, link with Allah Subhana Allah to Allah May Allah make it easy for us. So as we said,

number one we resolve to make a difference when it comes to the link with Allah subhanho wa Taala we need to improve on our prayer, my brothers and sisters, a quick reminder sometimes we become regular with our Salah Mashallah we read five salah and people say no Al Hamdulillah I'm reading my five Salah day don't stop there shaytan makes you think that okay, I'm reading my five Salah

improve on the quality of that prayer. start learning the meanings of the words in prayer. Do something develop go further beyond you know when it comes to the world we live when you have a turnover of $1,000 a week. Will you be just satisfied and think okay, I'm you know, the turnover is $1,000 a week I'm excited. And you stop at that. No, it is human nature that you want to see an improvement regarding that turnover. The same should apply when it comes to religion. And this is why we have reminders of this nature to say if I if I finish my Salah in three minutes. Now when I read my Salah it must take a little bit longer. I'm not timing myself, but what I do know is I must

relax I must take it easy. It's my link with Allah. The Prophet sallallahu Sallam says very clearly, suddenly, Salah thermodyne fulfill your Salah as though it is the final farewell Salah that you are going to fulfill. It might be my last Juma it might be your last Friday, it could be my last prayer. May Allah make it easy for us. Also, very importantly, never ever stretch your eyes to that which Allah has blessed others with. When Allah has given someone else something, your duty as a good believer, as a person who has a link with Allah is to say Alhamdulillah Allah, you are the owner of sustenance, you bless them, they Allah bless them even further. And if you really want to add Allah

bless me to and hamdulillah there's nothing wrong with that. It's a good day. But don't ever say Allah, why did you give that person we have an attitude today? where sometimes shaytan groups a few people, such that you see a person driving a new vehicle, and immediately you say that man must be dealing in drugs. This man must be dealing in something illegal for what? And guess what, even if he is did he steal your cash luck? May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless us, and nine times out of 10 if not more than that he's probably not Allah blessed him. You could strike a deal whereby suddenly you made money enough to buy a car. So what Alhamdulillah that's Allah He chose Yes, when a man has

stolen your wealth, you have the right to stand up and try and get your right back Subhana Allah try and get what was lawfully yours back to yourself. But if you want to * your contentment away, start comparing your life with others start looking at what others have in terms of the dunya we have been taught by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that when it comes to acts of worship and religion, then you should look at those above you and tell yourself that man comes for Salah he's always in the first stuff I must compete with that. That man fulfills all five Salah he's done so much of good he takes so much of time he spends so much in the cause of Allah I must compete with

that and do better than that. That is correct because it's a religion. It's linked with Allah. Allah says for statistical hierarchy we compete with one another when it comes to doing good. But when it comes to worldly material items, we are taught to look at those below us from low income men who do not come look at those who are below you. Mashallah, you have shoes and your shoes are beginning to develop little you know holes in them. Tell yourself if you cannot afford another pair that there are others who don't even have shoes with holes. There are others who don't have shoes, there are others who don't have feet. There are others who perhaps cannot walk so panela look at where we are

blessed but if you keep on looking at Hey, that man's got rollerskates Mashallah Luke is rolling with these blades. We are never going to be satisfied because we keep on looking at those above us never tell Allah subhanho wa Taala your life Thank you for what you've given me. You are the owner of my sustenance your life. I thank you you blessed me in my own unique way. And you Allah you will test me with tests as you have promised. make them easy for me. May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for us. So my brothers and sisters, here we have

moments that will never return. How do you use them? How do you utilize them?

Make sure that you've used them in a way that one day when you have to look back, you tell yourself I tried my best. laziness, there is no room for malice and jealousy, no room for, you know,

sin and that which will displease Allah there is no room for if we have fallen, if we have fallen, and human nature makes us falter at times, we need to know. Turn to Allah immediately. Don't wait for five minutes, not even five. Turn to Allah immediately ally did something wrong and regretted your lives. I really repent to Allah. I mean, Sandhya Allah, I'm weak, and I know you're merciful. I'm not doing it out of defiance, Allah, it's human weakness that made me do this, forgive me, Allah and do good deeds. We are taught that sometimes, if you've done a bad deed at a certain place, then perhaps do a good deed at the same place. Why? Because the places bear witness against you on the

Day of Judgment. If you've done a bad deed, somewhere that place will actually bear witness on the day of judgment to say Allah so and so I bear witness that he committed a sin here and I am the witness, but he Allah I bear witness that he did a good deed a charitable deed something he praised you he repented in the same place, may Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us all, man, he opened our doors, there is much to be said. But Alhamdulillah seeing that we have all inshallah made a promise to Allah subhanho wa Taala that we will improve ourselves today, even if it means by an inch. Remember, if we don't do that, we've wasted our time we wasting our life. Before we know it, we will

have gone to Allah and we will be literally regretting saying Oh, I wish I could have gone back and done a little bit more. Let that not be the case. Let's turn to Allah subhanho wa Taala. Let's improve ourselves as people Let's learn to love one another and to live with one another with clean hearts in a beautiful way. Let's learn to be a part of the lives of others, either constructively, or we don't participate. But there's no third to it. Which means if you cannot help someone, you cannot benefit someone. The minimum is do not harm them.

If you cannot help someone, don't harm them today, I consider some of my best friends those not those who have helped me but those who haven't harmed me that's good enough for today. We are living in such a dirty world that people would harm for any small thing. So if someone has not harmed you, trust me they are genuine people. Allah subhanho wa Taala helped me to be from amongst those who doesn't harm anyone. And may Allah help me to be from amongst those in fact, who can reach out to help others. And this is the way that a movement should be looking at life. Never ever harm someone because you never have any excuse to do that. Now Allah subhanho wa Taala bless us all was Allahu wa

salam ala nabina Muhammad