Mufti Menk – Answers Your Questions!
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the difficulties of meeting everyone and the limitations of the number of people they can meet. They stress the importance of family and avoiding rejection. They also touch on cultural and political implications of the Shahada and the upcoming election, as well as the importance of being friends and being a friend to avoid damaging one's appearance. The segment emphasizes the benefits of using a start spray to prevent scratching and damage to scarves and the importance of motivation in achieving success. The segment also touches on the pressure on young Muslims to stay true to their faith and not give up, and encourages people to save their own personal and family's faith in order to achieve success.
AI: Summary ©
We all know Alhamdulillah we've heard the story, your youth growing up in sha Allah. But what I wanted to ask is, how do you now navigate you through? You know, people asking you questions. They want to meet you. They want to sit with you. Some even may ask for your contact details. How do you navigate through all of this?
As salaam aleikum, wa Rahmatullah? You can jump my number down in Sharla. Guys, and
it's fine. They can be in contact. It's okay. I shall no, no, no. On a more serious note, my beloved brothers and sisters, that's a very, very interesting question.
As time has passed, obviously, responsibilities have grown.
More and more people are aware of the work that I do.
But I think what people need to remember is, I'm not the only person on earth that they could actually get help from. And I'm a human being with a very limited capacity.
So I won't be able to meet everyone, I won't be able to talk to everyone. Personally, I won't be able to communicate with everyone and so on. In fact, it's just a small number of people. How would you expect me to meet the 1000 Odd who are here this evening, it would require four hours minimum.
And I think, in the excitement, people forget that,
it becomes so difficult, and it's really exhausting, I give it my utmost, I do the best I can, and then I have to have a cut off. So sometimes people feel offended. When I'd haven't given the time, or as a human being, I've got to excuse myself, or if I say, I won't be able to one of the sneakiest things to do is just to meet me randomly somewhere and say,
sorry, sure, what's your number and you're holding your phone, like, I'm going to just say it, you know. So what we've done is we have an admins number, that's the number that will go out. And then if it is felt that I need, and it's only me who can solve the matter and so on, perhaps it might get to me, from the emails I receive, I can only respond a few to a few a day, admin responds to some I would respond to some sometimes it's diverted to me, if it's a follow up email, perhaps I would get to see it, it becomes very difficult because I don't want to go into numbers, but in the 1000s there similar requests every day, from so many mosques, so many organizations, so many charities, so many
people, and all of them are good causes and everyone means well, but as a human, we are so restricted. So I also wait for Jana, to say that Inshallah, there there will be no limits, no restrictions, you can, you won't even need my number because you just have to think about it, I think about it and next best thing we are talking Mashallah. So it is very difficult. And
one of the worst things if I can say it is to take pictures of others while they're eating. That, for me is very offensive. If we're eating you know, we're
I don't eat more than once a day, basically, on most days.
And, you know, you're stuck into your food, and sometimes you have a morsel you're chewing and some people are busy taking pictures or videos while you're eating. I think that's rude. Secondly, is when a person's with his family, give them their space. It's okay, from a distance you can acknowledge you can see if not pray, pray for them and move on not just me, even others, be considerate with their family. It's time because you asking me how I navigate I can tell you my family finds it even more difficult sometimes because a simple, you know, going out to the shops, yes, if I'm alone, it's okay. But if I have my family with at least respect them, you know, you can
say Salaam Alaikum and move on. But now every other person wants to stop you and then they say this guy's arrogant because now he's a he thinks he's a big deal because look, he's very famous. No, that's not true. I think you're not being considered the man's a human being. He has a very limited capacity. And he stretched it to its limits now give him his time as well. And that's why people say oh, you're driving so yeah, I like to drive myself. Oh, but you know we can take you I can do it. So no, that's the whole thing. I'm running away from people taking me because I don't want to talk all the way I want to be on my own my me time think reflect do my own daycare, whatever else it may be.
So it's really difficult if you don't get a number.
Don't be offended if you send an email and you don't get the response inshallah try some other scholars try a different channel. Don't hold it against me. Because honestly, it becomes extremely difficult not because I don't want to because I just can't cope. It's your
We're human beings, I think it's fair to say that there's many ways of trying to get in contact with Inshallah, and we hope for the best. But you know, you mentioned family, before you say that many ways of getting hold of me, but you don't have to get hold of me in the sense that Hamdulillah you can get hold of someone else, and your job would still be done, perhaps. And if you really feel it's extremely important, then you can try Inshallah, it may happen. I mean, sometimes miracles do happen a lot of the times, and you end up seeing something and giving it importance and you realize, wow, Alhamdulillah thank Allah. I didn't miss this. And I must have missed so many brilliant
opportunities, but it's all in, in Allah's hands. I mean, we try our best Zakah you were saying? Yes. So you mentioned families. And a lot of us in this audience being from a certain area of the world, they may relate to this. This is one of the questions that came through if families have agreed for marriage, but culture dictates or let's say, the elder daughter has to get married first. Leaving the younger siblings, how would one tackle that?
That's wrong to wait for look, in an ideal the elder one, and then the next and then the next, we would like it that way. But there's no rule in Islam. It's got nothing to do with your sustenance, or what's known as Rosie or Kismat. You know, in reality, it's the same as a business. I mean, if the first guy didn't do well in his business, or hasn't yet gotten a job, does it mean the second one must keep rejecting jobs until the first one gets a job. So same thing, it's also sustenance, different type of sustenance. So the the the oldies are a little bit
too cultural in this and they end up kicking sustenance that Allah has brought to their door, you have a brilliant proposal for your third daughter, and you reject it, kicking what Allah sent to your door, simply because one and two don't have it. And community will actually talk maybe nowadays, they don't talk because they all go through the same thing. And even if they do, it's just, it lasts a few days. You have to look into what has come for whom so ever it has come. If they are of marriage agent, they're keen on that marriage. Let it be you are sinful if you block it, claiming that we'll wait for the older one No way No, Allah Who created you did not say that the
messenger SallAllahu Sallam did not say that. So if you do that you pay a price for it later on. May Allah Almighty protect us and our offspring, and those who are going through this type of a crisis Baraka Luffy. I mean, I mean, another question we had here was, could you advise on reverts feeling rejected by the Muslim community? Maybe not as a whole but a Muslim community after the Shahada? I have said that usually we offer a technique as a person declares shahada, right, and we think as an ummah, what we owe them is Allahu Akbar and that's it after that they want to get married No, they want to come to the masjid you look at them with skepticism they they try to interact you don't want
so what was the tech B roll about? You'd rather not have said the tech been and embrace them and let them feel a part of community and society guide them and you know, help them they have lonely EADS we have read in the park and I and I've met so many young boys and girls who say that I thank you for for being here because I have no family anywhere near and now I've met family meaning this the eat in the park where the whole Ummah gets together as a family happy OMA as a family is part of the the song that that is sung on the advert for that eat in the park, right? Yeah, that's right. So it is a family of the OMA and if they feel that way, imagine if you have a problem you're unwell if
your family is rejected you because perhaps you've reverted Wallahi it's our duty to at least reach out to such people and reach out to the reverts
look into their needs, communicate to them, invite them over once in a while, help them get married one of the sicknesses we face those who perhaps born Muslims or come from relatively cultural backgrounds refuse for their kids to get married to revert at times because they think well this person's a revert. I want to tell you, Abu Bakr Radi Allahu Anhu was revered Amara, Allah who was revered with man of the Father the Sahaba were reverse so if this old man or old woman was there, they probably would have rejected all these reverts, wouldn't they? But Allah forgive us, may Allah forgive us. If that person is a beautiful person, their deen is okay their character is okay. And
your child is very keen on it.
And let it be, let it be because if not, then you would be guilty of being from among those who would have rejected some of the companions of the Prophet peace be upon him I mean, hardly didn't win either the Allah who accepted Islam later on after having caused a lot of damage initially, does that reduce his value? If anything he was known as the sort of
of Allah, you know, so May Allah help us all my brothers and sisters I seize the opportunity to to ask every one of you to befriend at least one revert
that's the challenge every one of you should be friend at least one revert. If the prophets Allah Salem at his time the people of Medina took in one family
surely it's not too much for us to ask you to say at least befriend one revert, see what their needs are help them make them feel at home and inshallah guide them they may be still learning slowly but surely, but that's how it should be. I have befriended loads many Alhamdulillah and to be honest with you, in my eyes, they get preference because they're probably purer than you and I they accepted Islam later on. Their books started only when they declared their shahada, they had a clean slate and my slate was long back and must be having a lot of you know, delete things in it inshallah through Toba, may Allah forgive all of us. You know, that follows on to another question in sha
Allah close to Toba. So we have a question.
If I get a body piercing, when I was not close to Allah, must I remove it after I repent?
A body piercing or a tattoo or anything that you've done at a time when you are perhaps not so practicing or not even Muslim?
If the tattoo is a permanent one,
you know what? The minute you repent You're forgiven. That's one thing you need to know you repent, the the effects of it is still on you. You may have to live with it for a long time. It may be beyond your budget to change it number one or not healthy, it might be dangerous to actually remove something. If that is the case. You will have to struggle or suffer looking at that thing. And may be a comment to to from ignorant people who are judgmental, but in the eyes of Allah, you're forgiven in the eyes of Allah, it's deleted. If you can correct it, correct it if you cannot correct it, it's okay. Because Allah knows your struggle. But don't think for a moment that you are not
forgiven. I've seen a lot of people sometimes go for camera and when they go for camera mashallah you can see all the tattoos and everything because the men mashallah you know, the Haram during our shows one massive shoulder handler and and then you have people say stuff for Allah say no, you gotta say love bake Allah Humala bake, it's not a stop for Allah. May Allah forgive us. I mean, I mean
clothing, you know, it swiftly moves on Inshallah, a question is, how do you make your headscarf? So point I thought you were going to ask me about clothing of the people and the children and so on. You asked about my headscarf.
Maybe it's very pointy. But you can try it out. Slice your hand bro. Mashallah. Mashallah, it's just my my sort of head but mechanism, you know? Mashallah, may Allah bless you.
We had a lot of questions you really want to know, yeah, I really want to know SubhanAllah. Okay, so it's basically a type of headgear
it's, it's called the Shema, which is the Arabic of it, this type, the one that I've got on right now. And there is a little spray that you get a start spray that you get that you can use spray on it, as you're ironing it, and then you iron it so it remains crisp and it sits on the head correctly. So it doesn't really go down. If you if you sweat a lot or if it's very hot, or if it rains, it will probably flop again, which is fine. But you can refine it with a little bit of a start spray. That's all there's no no big secret to it. It's just something that some people don't know. Yeah, so inshallah you guys also the quality of scarf makes a difference sometimes. If it is
something that you know is not, does not start up correctly. It won't Sharla the one I've got one is normally called Al Bassam. That's the brand name. I'm not advertising for them, but it's just a fact. Okay. I'm the Lead Zack. Okay. Shall we had a lot of question about cats?
hamdulillah apparently, we have a lot of cat lovers in our audience. One of them is right here. Okay, okay, so our cats pure. This is one of the questions. Yes. Cats are definitely pure. I mean, that's the Hadith says in a hot minute. We're fina la Kamata. We're fat. You know, when the profits are seldom declared that they are not nudges. They are not unclean. They're actually pure. So if they they will roam around you so it's fine. If they come in, go out your prayer mat your house, they generally clean they keep themselves clean when they want to. I was about to say use the bathroom but what I mean is when they have to excrete for example, they would go into their own
little tray or
They have a little bit of that in intelligence so they are pure. Um, the last I think I saw a video of you and your cat is it mean to you? Yeah, they're not my cats. Yeah, it was supposed to be manky but they made it mean key Mashallah. So that's fine. Have not my cats my kids cats, mashallah, mashallah we lost them a few times, but we found them always.
I was hoping they didn't, but they did.
You know, this is a good lead up question like, for myself, I'm a father of three. And my young son is seven going on, going to be older now. Mashallah, for me, it's always difficult to comprehend how am I going to keep a connection with him when he grows older? You as a father, you me as a father, yeah. Now we have the similar concerns. And now I've seen you and I've seen how the youth connect with you. And also some of the young kids. How do you connect with all these kids? How do you keep it fresh? The connection with them, I think, to make them feel always important, that's what it is. Make them feel important. Look at them smile at them. Good guys. I mean, look at this youngster
looking at me Mashallah. A very important, I mean, to me, if he were to ask me something yesterday, I was somewhere in London. And normally, like I said, we don't like pictures while we're eating. It's it's not it's rude. So we had a kiddo to come and say, Are you Mufti Menk or something and whatever. And I was busy eating and I saw these little kids cute kids, they could have been anyone's children. Children are generally innocent. I say generally, because some are not. Mashallah. What I mean, is they can really cause it for you Subhanallah they know sometimes what they're doing. But anyway, generally, children are innocent. So what they do what what these kids did is they came on
and, and then someone tried to explain to them no, no, no, go away. And then the father was trying to say no, so I said, No, bring them back. They made it here. I'm not going to chase them away. Give him a nice big hug. Take a picture, break your rule. It's okay. It's fine. It's just a child. They're gonna go back with the memory to say, You know what, I got to this guy. They chased me away, and I went off. That's it. You busted for the dean. Because you're holding the dean. You get what I mean. So what I did is I smile, they gave me such a lovely tight hug. I could feel the love in it. I was so happy that I did that. And I would have anyway, and we took a picture and then the other
brother comes and we did the same thing. We broke the rules for both of them. And when the adult came, they told him you buzz off, that was fine, Masha, Allah, Allah bless all of us. But it's not. It's not easy. That connection is very, very important. Communication, listen, understand, try to appreciate. And you know, when they do something good. Appreciate it in a massive way, so that when they have done something bad, your silence itself is a punishment, meaning it's like a reprimanding for them, because they know Oh, I think I've done something wrong.
Times have changed. And you know, the children are very different. They have a lot of access to so much across the world. They have access to good and bad at a very early age. to discipline them is a whole new ballgame. But to connect with them, you need to communicate, talk, express your love. Look at them, no matter what has happened. You look at them, you express your love you tell them how gorgeous they are. Tell them how good looking they are. Tell them all this connects you with them. But the minute you're going to ignore them, you have a problem. May Allah make it easy for all of us. We have a mammoth task. Allah make it easy. I mean, I mean, okay, my next question, it's a
little bit a bit serious right. Now, all of us at some stage of our life have faced criticism, and sometimes we deal with it in the right way. Sometimes we don't someone like yourself, obviously, we all love you, for the sake of Allah, but also sometimes you might get criticized as well for certain things. How do you deal with this? I think the criticism is naught point naught naught naught naught naught 1%. But it's loud. It's loud. And you know what, it's okay. It's healthy, it's good. It's fine. And the people who want to fall in its trap. It's okay. You don't have to please everyone all the time. And if you know something that you want to do, and you you have to pay the price for it.
It's okay. You paid for as long as you're right. It's between you and Allah, a few people will dislike you, but they don't know you. And a few may love you beyond what is even Okay, sometimes I've had some crazy people who would like sort of irritate you with the amount of love that they want to display. But, yes, I've arrived at a stage in fact, from earlier on, it's okay. They can criticize they can say what they want. It's fine. It's not easy for everyone. But I think what hurts is when someone who knows you when someone who's close
to you does that, then it's a little bit painful. Because you know, this person means so much to me, look what they've done. It has happened a few times, where you have a person you look up to as perhaps someone who taught you something, and they the ones who criticize and then you start thinking to yourself, oh, no man, you know, they could have asked me, they could have come to me, they could have dealt with it differently, but it happens otherwise, sometimes it's healthy. And I think,
you know, I can actually think of a few examples in my life where something has happened. And suddenly you face an onslaught of things and then you tell yourself, you know what, it was good that at least the Ummah felt that, okay, this was something wrong. Here's the backlash of it. And this is what happened. So the Ummah is alert and awake, and it's watching and it sees in a way, there is a benefit from it a BB. And guess what if criticism comes in there, right, change yourself, I've done it. Change yourself. It's okay. If it came in the worst possible form, a guy swore you big, big swear words, but the one sentence of correction was correct. Take that. And excuse the rest. You
know, I want to just share something with the audience. I mentioned it twice. But I want to say it for a third time because this is a question
a few days ago, last week was it we were at some event and after the event, a youngster came to me outside and says can I have 30 seconds of your time. And I was on my way out and I was about to leave, but it's okay. Because you know, 30 seconds you're gonna give and you're gonna give a lot of people it becomes a lot but I saw his on his own he looks like a good lead. And inshallah let me sit no problem. He says, Can you step aside with me is no problem, step aside with him.
And then he said, you know, shake, I have really said a lot of bad things about and I stopped him there.
What does he want to say to me? He's built the courage to tell me that I've written about you or I've said bad things about you. And I want you to forgive me. That's what he wants to say. Before he finished his sentence. I said, Listen, just stop exactly the I want to tell you two things. Number one, I have forgiven you for what you did before you did it. It's okay. I don't I'm a man who doesn't hold it. And seriously, I don't I forgiven you for whatever was said, and even before you did it. And the second thing is, if you ever have to do it again, please do it.
Did you hear what I just said? If you ever have to do it again, please do it.
Subhanallah, he must have looked at me and said this guy's being sarcastic. I said no. And I'm being serious. Number one is forgiven. And number two is meaning number one is forgiven before you did it, and anyone else they want to say something bad. Why? Why? So now I want to explain it. The reason is, we are where we are because of a package of things that Allah has allowed us to go through one of them is the criticism or the backbiting or the hate without that hate and criticism and backbiting. You would not be where you are. If that's what got my boat floating. Wow, let it be. It was ALLAH who floated the boat, not them. To get the point. Their criticism will not sink my boat
ever. It's Allah who can sink your boat without criticism. So never mind. I mean, if someone said that, to make this cake, I had to put two pinches of salt. And the other guy says, well, salt is a little bit it's don't put it in the neck the next time you make it, but I want the same cake. You got to add the salt into it. So without that, you know what, perhaps we wouldn't have been where we are today. And we have to thank Allah not to say that I've arrived at the moon or anywhere but Alhamdulillah it's part of life. You have to take it and don't hold it against them. I mean, I know I'm, it's good. You've raised this because it could be motivation for others.
Don't worry about criticism of the criticize. It's okay. It's mostly about them, not about you. It's mostly about them. It's their insecurities, their misunderstandings, their issues, their problems, their lack of foresight, sometimes maybe they don't think like you whatever it might be, it's okay, fine. So that was a very interesting story. Yeah. Zack Allah has you know, you mentioned something about motivation in what you just said now. You go around the world meet a lot of people the book that we also have motivational moments, based on best of Mufti Menk as well. Now, how Why did you get into that sector? Like why did you concentrate on motivation? Motivation? Okay, that's a very
interesting question. So there are 1,000,001 scholars out there all of them doing tremendous work all of them mashallah doing a lot of goodness, but each one is specialized in something knowingly or unknowingly. Some of them are teaching in the in the school, some of them in the university, some of them in the madrasahs. Some of them are Imams, some of them are freelance, some of them are in the hospital, some of them are wherever
or else they may be. And a lot of them are on the internet today. And each one specializes in different subjects and different topics just like you have school teachers. And what I found over over time is that there are so much pressure across the globe on the young Muslim, in most countries, tremendous pressure on them.
Regarding their faith, someone needs to help them maintain that identity in a beautiful way that motivates them. Tonight, we spoke if, if we haven't motivated you to be steadfast and made you feel that identity of yours as a Muslim, we failed.
The whole aim of a motivational evening is to motivate you to remain on your deen to be to be hopeful about your Lord because there is hopelessness across the globe who is dealing with it? Who is there to make a weak Muslim who is struggling with his or her faith to stay on the deen and don't give up because a lot are giving up. So I thought of it and I said, Well, you know what, I don't want to say no one's doing it. But perhaps I haven't seen many doing it. I want to do it on a large scale. And I don't care if someone says you're not teaching this and you're not teaching that. I leave it for you, brother, I leave it for you, the subject you want me to teach you can teach it or
the others are already teaching it. Come, let's see who's doing what I'm doing. You will find very few. But mashallah it's picking up. So we we need to save drowning souls by diving into the ocean and helping them convincing them to get hold of this beautiful life vest that we've just thrown at them. That's what motivation is all about. Otherwise they would my children, your children, young boys and girls who are here this evening, they could be struggling with their faith, what are you going to do?
If you want to make them feel so non Muslim you would, and they probably would disappear? And they have other things that they could do that would that would make them temporarily happy because they knew no better? Are you prepared as a father figure, as a senior as an uncle to them as an elder brother to them, to talk to them to say Allah loves you, Come, come Come this way. Allahu Akbar. That's where the motivation comes from. And that's why I don't mind being called a scholar, motivational speaker. It's okay. And I don't mind people attacking me that you don't teach this subject and that subject. We have, we have done we shall do. We might not name it the way you're
naming it, but it is included in what we're doing, if only you're interested in listening long term. So we do address the subjects, but in our own unique way after studying what exactly needs to be done, so I'm not belittling in any way what others are doing, but they shouldn't belittle what we're doing as well. I mean, Zack, Allah has shared this question has been asked a few times, right. mufti, how do you stay so young?
Meaning you look young.
I know I don't
know May Allah bless you grant your goodness, habibi.
Look, I'm going to tell you two things.
That's just the blindness of the people. Number one, they can't see you age. But your kids can your family can everyone can I'm a grandfather, I'm sure you're aware of that. And at the same time,
many of my kids are actually married Mashallah.
But the truth of the matter I think, if you watch carefully, I don't hold things in my heart. Not at all. I don't even mind you could have said what I've done. If I've disappeared or I've blocked someone it's not because I'm angry or upset or something. We are human we would probably to a certain level but that level with me is is not it's not a matter of concern. Leave it let it be live your life thank Allah for everything and keep going keep going. And I think maybe that might have contributed towards making you look a little bit less than what what your age actually is. You know, how old do you think I am?
They will guess correctly.
They've just googled it quickly. Okay, let's not say anything.
Wikipedia lies by the way, Wikipedia lies that's a that's a fact. Sorry. That's a fact. So don't believe everything you read online. Yes, habibi. hamdulillah Zakka fair shake. I think it's been a very nice comfortable chat we've had with you
it's really opened my eyes a lot as well Mashallah. Now you can see my correct age, right? Well, I'll leave it to everyone to decide Inshallah, but you know what you can tell us. Another good thing is
when I was young, my dad used to always correct the expression on my face with his finger. That's a fact.
So whenever I used to scrunch my face, use
To put his finger between my eyes here, and he used to say, Don't do that. He used to always say don't do that. A simple way he says, And he said, you will have lines on your forehead very quickly. And so if you notice my expressions, a lot of the times I'm either smiling, or I just have a straight face Subhanallah that might have helped. Thanks to my dad. So it's a quick piece of advice. You guys a bit too late in the lives of some right, but you can still try my Shala finger on the forehead. hamdulillah Zakka head.
Brothers and sisters, I've got a special one announcement for you today. hamdulillah we've started this last Monday and today is the following Monday.
You know what? I'm just gonna ask Mufti to introduce Inshallah,
talking about the camera. I am talking about Russia law, my brothers and sisters, you know, we've been through COVID We've been through a time where they were challenges lock downs.
We can actually say they were unprecedented times that we've been through. A lot of people have struggled with lost loved ones jobs, health, wealth so much so much. And now that things have opened up and people would like to travel and go forth I think the best place to go would be for Amara to Makkah and Medina. So Imam channels convinced me to join the trip that they have arranged mid Feb because there seems to be a midterm break, I think in this part of the world. So just for those 910 days, I think in February, we I have agreed to join the group in Sharla for hombre so whoever would like to join us, I'm sure there would be QR codes on the screens there that you can actually
register your interest through and perhaps even book your space. They will be limited spaces but inshallah I've agreed to it simply because we it's about time we reconnected, rejuvenated, built that hope once again motivated ourselves in sha Allah to do the right thing. And we would like to be people who are, you know, guided in the right way insha Allah so that we can get closer to Allah without being kicked. May Allah make it easy for all of us. Shukran Sheikh we like to thank you for your time in sha Allah brothers and sisters, please do remember that this is a limited space on a trip Sharla is going to be a five star trip. We're going to have to jamas in both places Makkah and
Medina. We'd like to thank moviemaking again. Once again inshallah for the time in sha Allah and on TV as well. Brothers and sisters, you are free to also scan this code as well. We'd like to thank you as well and say salaam to you on demand channel, Sky 757 as salam alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh