Mufti Menk – Appreciate What You Have

			Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
		

			smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah where Allah Allah, he was
happy.
		

			We praise Allah subhanho wa Taala we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to bless them, to
bless every one of us and to grant us goodness, my brothers, my sisters, indeed brings about a lot
of joy to be in this beautiful Masjid in blue, after more than a year, may Allah subhanho wa Taala,
grant us gentle dose. And in the same way that he has gathered us in his house, may he gathered us
in the presence of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and May He grant us success of this world
in the next I mean,
		

			my brothers and sisters
		

			across the globe, you will find that Muslims like ourselves,
		

			living in countries that are predominantly non Muslim,
		

			and
		

			being given the freedom to follow their faith, their religion,
		

			this freedom is something that is unique.
		

			It is something that we do, knowingly or unknowingly take for granted.
		

			And many people don't speak about it. We're living in a secular country, it's not a Muslim country,
that countries are not governed by Islamic law. Not in the least. But in fact, they have greater
rights than almost all those countries that are predominantly Muslim or ruled by Muslims. And that
is a matter that you can study and check. I have studied it very deeply and checked.
		

			So let's not be fooled. Let's thank Allah. And let's understand that we have to in the same way,
that we are given the right to follow our faith, agree, admit and allow others to follow what they
believe is correct.
		

			Because if it wasn't for that, we wouldn't be allowed to follow Islam. Some countries that are quite
advanced, are beginning to reverse this. And one of the reasons is because of us. Sometimes we
become so abusive in the way we speak, as though Islam is supposed to be forced on everyone living
in a country that's not even Muslim. There is no passage in the Quran, no suggestion in the Hadith
of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam saying that Islam should be forced upon anyone. In fact, the value
system of Islam makes mentioned in the Quran, la econavi the Katarina Roche domina Louie, there is
no compulsion at all. When it comes to entry into the fold of Islam. You cannot force someone people
		

			should be free, while Kunal have been spoon fed
		

			a new min
		

			phone, oh Mohammed, peace be upon him, tell them that the truth has been revealed from your Lord or
by your Lord, whoever once should believe and whoever once doesn't have to believe. But at the end,
there answerability lies with Allah. People get upset. Why does Islam teach that there is an
afterlife where perhaps people may be punished? The reality is you are free to believe and you are
free not to believe you can go and take any other system that's yours. It's fine. It may not be fine
with Allah subhanho wa Taala. But between you and I, your unsuitability is not to me, it's to Allah.
But as a human being, I allow you the freedom just like you've allowed me the freedom. If I didn't
		

			allow it to you, or vice versa, there would be war and chaos across the globe. So there are people
who believe that if you are not a Muslim, I must fight you I must hurt you. I must even go to the
extent of killing you are over Billa there are groups who believe this and they use verses of the
Quran that were revealed at the time of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam to justify this type of
behavior, not understanding that the same Quran explains to you the relationship you're supposed to
be having with those around
		

			And then everyone who's not a Muslim is in actual fact supposed to be looked at as a not yet Muslim.
What does that mean? I'm supposed to have hope. The enemy of Islam at the time was Abu Jahan. The
Prophet peace be upon him used to pray for him.
		

			Oh Allah guide this man to Islam Subhan Allah, Omar Abu Dhabi, Allahu anhu. Was he prior to Islam,
he was an enemy. He was one of the worst he went out not to plot or plan the killing of an ordinary
Muslim, but the Messenger of Allah subhanho wa Taala sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and what happened?
A prayer and the softness of the heart of the Prophet peace be upon him.
		

			The invocation of Allah when he invoked Allah saying Oh Allah guide this men to Islam, and within a
short space of time, the man comes to say Yasuda Allah now when someone says your rasulillah
automatically there is belief in the heart that this person considers the messenger, a messenger.
They could have come in and said, Yeah, Mohammed stavroula if they wanted to, that was his name.
Yes, indeed. But for someone to say yeah, Rasul Allah, it shows a level much higher than the person
who just addresses like anyone else. So he says in me a shadow Allah ilaha illallah wa shadow Anika,
Abu rasuluh Subhana. Allah, I bear witness, there is none worthy of worship besides Allah, and I
		

			bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah, they were shocked. They were surprised. They were
amazed. But there is nothing shocking for Allah. My brothers and sisters, the non Muslims we have
around us, I swear by Allah, they have every right to believe what they want. Even though we may
disagree with them completely on those matters.
		

			They have every right to believe what they want. And just like you have the right to believe what
you want, they will go to their churches while we will go to our masjids. And to be honest, they
have that right. We may continue in our day our what is our propagation propagation We respectfully
discuss matters. I have a question for you, my beloved brother, brother in what in humanity, people
get angry when you call a Christian or a Jewish person or a Hindu or an atheist or an agnostic, my
brother or my sister, they get angry, they get upset for what went you astray some time back when
your parents or great grandparents astray. Some time back, someone somehow respectfully convinced
		

			them that you know what, let's talk about this. So tell me more about your faith. I believe you say
this and you say that explain to me why. And let me explain to you why. But my brothers and sisters
there is a major disaster amongst us. We don't know Islam good enough. We don't know it well enough
to even ask them a single question. They will bowl us midwicket and we will just look their mouth
aghast.
		

			That's it. Because why we know nothing. People tell you You know what? The Quran is filled with
verses of hate. It has in it and they will rattle them out to you. They will read to you 510 verses
and show you where they are. And you say, Oh, I didn't even know.
		

			Why don't you Google verses of hate in the Bible, you will find worse verses you'll find verses that
you can't believe exists, but they're in the Bible. All you need to do pick up your phone while
you're talking and Google verses of hate in the Bible, or in the Torah, etc, etc, you will find many
verses but remember that these verses in actual fact are not verses of hate. When they are taken out
of context and misunderstood and intentionally used to brainwash people, then definitely the
ignorant for the ignorant to begin to think that yes, these are verses of hate, not at all, they are
not and they are no verses of hate. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us goodness, the Quran is
		

			extremely balanced. And we believe as Muslims that even the Bible, in its original form is extremely
balanced. We believe the same about the Torah and the Talmud, etc. We believe exactly the same in
its original form. It was absolutely fair and balanced. My brothers and sisters we take for granted
the fact that we are muslimeen living with such freedom
		

			Subhan Allah, we have the houses of Allah such as this one, a massive, beautiful, lovely place,
absolutely superb filled with serenity such that the moment you enter the gate, if you have a heart
filled with the love of Allah, you begin to feel the calmness and the serenity Subhanallah I tell
you what, we sometimes don't make use of it. Allah will take it away.
		

			At some point, it's not going to stay forever. It's not going to stay forever. That's a promise of
Allah. When he gives you something, he will take it away. He's not, it's not going to be there
forever. Because there is something called a jello law. The limit the time that is fixed by Allah
for everything, when it comes, it's not going to be delayed.
		

			I know of people living in nations that used to be totally free in terms of the rights of a Muslim
woman to wear a hijab. And here I only talking of covering the hair. It used to go beyond that in
freedom. But the women didn't do it. In a lot of cases they did it by Well, you know, we sometimes
forget full of the fact that it as a Muslim, your focus is not on the on the dunya, but it's on the
Akira, you're going to live the dunya you're going to earn in the dunya, you're going to have a
little bit of comfort in the dunya you might smile when a luxury or two comes in your direction. But
your focus is that accurate because this world doesn't last more than 6070 years for any one of us.
		

			History speaks for itself, your relatives, your families, your friends in mind have passed on at an
early age.
		

			What was the benefit of them having focused on the dunya when they are not in the dunya for longer
than they were in the dunya don't lose focus. We focus on the Hara. The problem is while we focused
in this world or on the worldly life, we tend to lose the focus of the athlete. So when you have the
opportunity of wearing the hijab out of the freedom that is afforded to you, and you don't do that,
you know what will happen? A day will come and it has come for others when it is banned, whether you
like it or not, whether you like it or not, you're no longer allowed to wear it. If you wear it, we
will jail you. It has happened in modern countries first world countries, I'm sure you know the
		

			names of these countries. So Panama, why they have banned the fulfilling of prayer of Salatu. Juma
unless it is within the building of the masjid. I've been to places where if one man is standing out
of the mosque, they will be fined completely. They may even be shut down. So what do they do? They
have to have a Juma starting off at 12 o'clock, perhaps in the time clocks in another one at 1230.
Another one at one o'clock, another one at 130 and another one at two o'clock. Why do they have to
have four or five Juma as in the same Masjid because so many people come that they don't have the
space and it's illegal to read or to fulfill the prayer outside the exact wall of that mosque
		

			Subhana Allah
		

			Subhana Allah, when we didn't have or we don't have those rules, we still don't go to the mosque. I
have studied a lot of nations, a lot of nations. And I promised you the majority. I'm not joking.
The majority now of the youth don't go for Salah forget about Juma or eat. They don't
		

			check the capacity, check the population, look at how much happens at the day of eat, count the
number of people check how many youngsters you have, and you will find me to be correct even in
beautiful nations where we enjoy our freedom. We are a minority actually pray in the masjid on a
Juma as well as on and read
		

			Subhana Allah May Allah forgive us,
		

			the more developed we become.
		

			The biggest problem is, I think for that reason we are lucky in this country, because our problems
keep us close to Allah they should be every time you think something is about to get better. And
suddenly it gets worse. It gets worse. And Allah and then you think it's getting better and it gets
worse. You know, you and I we stand and we are reaping the prayer mat. Oh Allah, we need your help,
Oh Allah, we need your help. And just about when you think things are happening, you got to repeat
again. Because this some other thing that has cropped up a lot. We are going through a torrid time I
promise you never lose hope in the mercy of Allah. There is a reason why Allah keeps us in this
		

			condition. And it's not always his punishment, although it can be
		

			sometimes it's to keep us within his obedience. Some people when Allah gives them everything, can I
take the liberty of saying a lot of people when Allah gives them everything they indulge in the
luxuries such that they forgotten Allah will either
		

			be Geneva law Kabbalah says you know what, man when we give him a lot we favored him. He turns he
turns on his side panel is gone the other way. Why? Because my Chi is in order. I've got the best
one the best house the best. There's no electricity problem. Light doesn't go bread. Nevermind. It's
available.
		

			At the shops, but it actually gets delivered to my house. How many ever knows hot hot Sinhala? It
doesn't happen to us. I think we live in Zimbabwe, by the time they deliver the bread across the
globe, the Zed is right at the bottom, there's no more bread, the love of
		

			my brothers and sisters, may Allah grant us at least that bread, may Allah make us thankful. Imagine
when there's no water in your tap. When there's no water in your tap for two weeks, and suddenly it
starts trickling starts trickling from the from the tap, the smile that you have on your face, when
you see a little bit of water suddenly come from the tap after two weeks, three weeks of a pause,
how excited do we become? Isn't that a moment of making sudo to Allah, but rather we say using
vulgar words that you know what these and then we use that vulgar word, they should have sorted the
problem out a long time back. Instead of saying Alhamdulillah the water is back, I think muslimeen
		

			still do that.
		

			But that's the favor of Allah, Allah wants to show you the net amount of water from a tap.
		

			The net amount of water from a tap is a luxury that is very recent. And it's only a few that enjoy
that.
		

			Only a few You know, there is an example I want to actually make mention of a
		

			beautiful example. And I've said it many times, but I want to repeat it because it brings about a
lot of comfort into my heart. You know, we are struggling, we must make use of the facilities we
have. Because if not, we're lucky we're doing a disservice to it. Let's encourage our children or
women in a beautiful way to come to the house of Allah, even if you may not have so many programs
and so many things that are happening. So come for prayer, come for the serenity come to the house
of Allah to sit with Allah for a few moments. Come on, just like I would come to your house if I'm
close to you every day for a little while until my wife gets irritated. Right? But go to the house
		

			of Allah, no one will get irritated. Don't use that excuse to go somewhere else. By the way, may
Allah grant us ease.
		

			But we must make sure my brothers and sisters that we are thankful to Allah by making use of the
facility Allah has given us right, let me explain to you who was the best of creation, the most
noble of all prophets, the highest of rank, without a doubt, wasn't that Muhammad Allah, Allah,
Allah.
		

			Allah loved him the most still, Allah loves him the most he is the highest of rank, he is the best,
he is the top Guess what? Guess what?
		

			In terms of facility and luxury.
		

			Allah gave you more than he gave him.
		

			If you thought of it, you and I seated here today. And those who will listen to this, if you have
the capacity and technology to listen to what I've said, Now, you have exactly what I said you have
in terms of luxury and facility. You had more than whom Allah loves the most. And Allah says O
Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam if we wanted, we could have given you better than everything. gardens,
with rivers flowing beneath we could have given you a law chose not to. Did Muhammad Sallallahu
wasallam? Did Allah choose for him to have water running from a tap? The answer is no. No. Does that
mean his value was decreased? No, not at all. That means having water from a tap is not important.
		

			It's something minor. It's something it's something Allah doesn't look at as important for your link
with Allah. But if you don't have it, perhaps your link will be better.
		

			Did Muhammad peace be upon him have a mobile phone? Did he have internet? Did he have a phone? Did
he have a stove? Did he have electricity? Did he have a car? Did he ever ride in a plane? Did he
ever have anything you have the material you have the watches you have the pins? You have the
buttons? You have the technology you have the internet alone, anything of that nature? The answer is
no. But Allah blessed him way beyond all of us. Did you think of that? It goes to show everything we
run behind today is of zero importance in the eyes of Allah zero knew nothing. Not at all. Have you
thought of that?
		

			It's got to do with your relationship with Allah build it.
		

			Build it. You know why? Everything I mentioned now, you're going to leave it behind when you die.
Totally. It becomes irrelevant. You can't receive a phone call from a dead person. It's not going to
happen. No matter how acknowledge how technology advances, that's not going to happen. You can't get
a message from someone in the grave saying send me some airtime. It's not happening. No way.
		

			It shows you all of those issues elevant your electricity, your water from a tap your car, your
aeroplane, whatever else, whatever technology. Allah says tabaka NaVi sha Allah Allah La Casa
		

			de cajon, Tajiri me
		

			Hello,
		

			welcome vembu Bisa Akbar Allah says in Surah Furqan that Glory be to he who he will, he would have
given you a messenger
		

			better than all of that gardens beneath which are flowing rivers, Hannah law and palaces, palaces
and castles. Allah says nee, they
		

			have belied the hereafter they don't believe in the hereafter. And I'll end on that point, it's a
reminder for you and die. Beautiful reminder. Remember what I'm saying is not in order to scare us.
But it's in order for us to think just to think and to try and find our balance in this world that
is filled with difficulty on one hand and the luxury on the other that we cannot reach and we are
busy trying to reach forgetting the focus on the hereafter that is actually coming even before we
will get that luxury. Now Allah grant us goodness.
		

			So, Allah subhanho wa Taala has favor upon us is great. Allah has blessed us Allah has bestowed upon
us Allah says to Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam that you know what we have given you, we have blessed
you You are the highest in rank you are on the best of character and conduct. We chose you from
entire creation.
		

			And we decided to put you at a time
		

			when this technology was not available. In order for us all my beloved brothers and sisters to learn
a lesson that is actually got to do with your relationship with Allah. May Allah subhanho wa Taala
grant us a good relationship with Him. May we be grateful? May we focus on the hereafter? May we
focus on our character on our conduct on our Deen. I really encourage you my brothers and sisters,
to greet one another with a smile, greet one another with a smile. Please greet one another with a
smile. It is a starting point while lie and I'm repeating it for the fourth time, my brothers and
sisters please I beg you from this member to do something simple today. As you're going away. Don't
		

			forget one thing I've said only one greet each other with a smile, genuine smile. It is the
beginning of the increase of the love amongst you. You will feel like coming to the masjid because
you feel like my family is there. My people are there. Those who love me are there. Unfortunately
when we come with duck from this one die from that one, we don't want to see that one. No matter
what differences you have. greet each other smile at each other. Try it out of Allah do lucam Allah
amin either fall to the bottom of Santa Monica, the Prophet sallallaahu salam whom we love, we
follow he says Shouldn't I show you something? If you were to follow it, it would increase the love
		

			amongst you. greet each other correctly. My brothers and sisters May Allah subhanho wa Taala fulfill
our doors meaningful the goodness in our lives.
		

			May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive our shortcomings. May He make us more conscious of who we are,
maybe help us to fill the massagin such that as the generations past we get closer to Allah it's our
duty when we show the lack of interest in what belongs to Allah and what Allah has asked us to do.
What do you expect from our children? When we show no interest, the children will actually
discourage others from going closer to Allah. Learn your deen. Like I said earlier there is
ignorance that is there. Let's learn the deed. Let's put it into practice. And let's try our best to
understand the goodness and the beauty that is going to help us not only in this world, but even in
		

			the hereafter. Aku Kohli has Allahu wa salam ala nabina