Mufti Menk
Jumu’ah 06/07/2018
Arcadia Masjid
Mufti Menk – Believers are Tested
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah who 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 to grant us goodness, and to bless our offspring those to come up to the end of time may Allah subhanho wa Taala keep them steadfast upon the deen so that they can worship Him alone. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us ease
from all the difficulties that we face in life.
Allah subhanho wa Taala has revealed
114 chapters that are within the barn, and we read them.
And what we are meant to be achieving from the verses of the Koran, primarily
the understanding of the instruction of Allah subhanho wa Taala, to worship Him alone, and how exactly he wants to be worshipped, that would lead us to the way taught by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam to do things, the way that we would worship Allah the way that we should carry ourselves when you talk about Islam, we talk with five pillars. When you talk of a man, we talk of six pillars, when we talk of the rest of Islam, we speak of purity and cleanliness, cleanliness, known as bahara, that bahara is divided into several categories, two of which are the
tahara, that is outward,
and bahara. That is inward. So that is also one of the categorizations of the term Mahara.
And from that we would learn that it's important for us as Muslims, if you want to be a Muslim, you need to promise that you're going to be a clean person. Islam is a clean religion filled with purity. Purity is external, which means your body is clean and pure. And secondly, internal internal meaning your character and your conduct is also clean and pure. So we've spoken about acts of worship, how we're supposed to follow Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. And we've also spoken about that which is known as bahara. Now the purity would include believing in something known as halal and haram and that it comes from Allah. So if I'm a pure person, whatever is halal, I will
consider it pure, it's part of cleanliness. It's part of my duty as a Muslim. And this is why there are a lot of rules and regulations when it comes to Islam because we can only achieve internal and external purity if we are going to understand what is halal and haram.
A person who looks very clean outwardly very clean, smart, speaking Spanish, they may not have washed themselves after relieving themselves so they are considered impure in the eyes of Allah. A person who looks very smart speaking span from outside outwardly very clean, they may be very abusive with their tongues, so they are not pure. They may be hurtful, they may utter words that are unacceptable. These words can actually sometimes lead them to
damaging their reputation with Allah such that they might even come out of the fold of Islam. May Allah not do that to us. Sometimes externally a person is clean and pure, but you know what their dealings are not clean and pure. So they are not following Islam correctly. Some people would consume interest giving it another name. We are destroying what Islam has taught. Some people might be consuming alcohol giving it another name. Some people might be consuming or abusing weed, calling it that you eat.
So we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to grant us guidance and acceptance We ask Allah subhanho wa Taala to help us stay away from that which is forbidden. Remember, when we speak of Bahasa we're also speaking about halal and haram. We're also speaking about leading a clean and pure life. I give you another example.
We are not meant to consume meat that is not slaughtered in a specific way. If it is slaughtered in a specific way With the name of Allah seeking the permission of Allah subhanho wa Taala then you may consume it. Now sometimes
People are not bothered about what they eat
and what they drink. And the Hadith says towards the end of time, they will be people who will not be bothered about whether what they're consuming is actually Helen O'Hara, they will just eat it for the sake of eating, you know, wow, it's tasty. Tasty, doesn't mean it's halaal Allah subhanho wa Taala. Grant us understanding. So it's important for us to take care when it comes to halal and haram. If you haven't seen the animal being slaughtered, you will hear from someone reliable whom you trust. What do you trust them in? You trust them in their own dealings, you trust them in their own truthfulness? Then you can believe them when they tell you this is hella This is not hard. But
if you don't trust them in their own dealings and their own system, then how can you take their word, a man who is consuming for example, alcohol, and a journey, this is all halaal? You know, why are you going to really listen to him, You are not a man, for example, who is eating interest deceiving, cheating, he does not have any ethics of his own, it would it is the same. If he were to tell you this is halali you would have the right to doubt it. In fact, you should until you confirm from another source. So this is halala. And this is an example that we need to understand when something is doubtful we leave it because our purity is higher than taking that risk. May Allah
subhanho wa Taala guide us. But I want to tell you, once you believe in Allah, you have entered the fold of Islam correctly. When you enter the fold of Islam, Allah tells you now we can test you.
Hello.
Listen very carefully. It's very interesting, where Allah says, You declare yourself a movement, a believer. Now we're going to check whether you really are a believer. Okay. Oh Allah, how are you going to test me? What are you going to do to me? I believe in you. I believe in halal haram I believe in the Pillars of Islam and everything. I try to be as pure as possible, what are you going to do to me?
Allah says, I will test you the same way that I tested those before you in order to find out whether you are truly a believer who believes in me, my name's Mike qualities, whether you worship me through thick and thin, you know, when you when a person gets married, sometimes in some cultures, they are made to utter some vows. And in those vows, they say that, you know, through goodness and hardship, whether whatever happens, we will remain together until death do us part, you know, they continue to say, and sometimes the first hardship that comes in their life, they already divorced, which means they were liars, they were liars. They said we're going to help each other through thick
and thin, right? But when the first thing happened, they said I'm out of here. So sometimes with the believers, this is what happens when we are promising that we believe in Allah says Hang on, I'm going to test you to see are you truthful or not? Uh, has he been a Roku, a Roku?
And levena cobbling him Fela.
La La Vina sada poo lemon kvb Allah says, do people think that it is enough for them, it will be okay for them to say we are true believers, and then we don't test them.
Allah says we tested those before them. We tested them as well. In order to distinguish who is really honestly going to worship Allah, even during hardship, so Allah says, We will take from you and look, do you still worship Me alone with the same enthusiasm we will give you and we will look? Do you still worship US alone with the same enthusiasm? When Allah gives you a lot, a sign of the fact that you are a believer is that that makes you closer to Allah and more humble in your character to the rest of the creatures of Allah.
When Allah made you a powerful person, he gave you authority. Trust me, it is only a test from Allah to watch you What are you going to do? I'm in control here. I put you in a higher position in a higher position. We become arrogant. We start looking at people with a nose in the air Subhanallah we start thinking that we are something big and everybody else is nothing if that is the case, Allah says no problem. You still need to die. There's still going to be buried in the dust you're still going to go and decompose in your grave but you failed your test. You failed it Why? We gave you to see does it bring you closer to Allah or not. Sometimes we have been given
Certainly lots of money it can happen. Well it happens. I mean, that was allowed on the Mashallah Mashallah, Mashallah. But let that come my brothers and sisters with humbleness, humility, when Allah bless you with your first million yuan in the masjid for Salah to
Allah law, now you're talking real business, you look at people's money come How are you, my brother What's happening? You talk to people in a respectful way you greet them with a smile, no one needs to be able to tell how powerful you are, how rich you are, because in the south of Salah you and the one who doesn't even have one cent is standing together in the eyes of Allah, you want to achieve the same closeness to Allah.
So when Allah gives you Be careful, my brothers, my sisters, it is a test. It's not necessarily just that Allah saying, Okay, I'm rewarding you for what you did. Sometimes. It's actually a test such that people fail it.
They feel it and they don't understand. We think that oh, I worked hard I applied for this job I did that I did this I did whatever I received and I achieved you know, it's not I it's not i a true movement says, By the blessing of Allah I was given this
through Allah grace, I was given this a lot of the times what we have in terms of wealth.
When we die, every cent we left behind was actually not necessary. You didn't need to earn it You didn't even use it but you fought your whole life to earn it and you if it came through halal means Alhamdulillah but if it came through haram means you should have rather use that time, effort energy and money to prepare you here after
last night we went to bed None of us knew we were going to get up but only some of us thought about it the others did.
You get what I'm saying tonight we're gonna go to bed tomorrow morning. Not every one of us is going to get up but some before they sleep they think about it and they say Oh ALLAH forgive me if you take me away in my sleep grant me good. In fact, it is a student of Mohamed Salah. So you know what he used to say when he used to reply
he used to say well back to Jambi
Bismillah whom Allah to Jambi what because, Oh Allah, my site is on my bidding. I've placed my site down to lie down in your name.
And I will get this site up, but he will Mercy by your name same thing when we come out with the name with your name also, I will manage to get up in some sector nuptse favela if you take me away at night, forgive me, you take my soul forgive it.
We're in our CELTA fava beans if we can let the data to be read by the casalini. If you're going to send me back in the morning to see the world once again, then protect that soul of mine in the same way that you protect those who are pious, close, good worshipers of yours. That was a draft of who the prophets are a lot of seldom do we really make the dua
some of us we just say this Mikela Hamamoto here which is a beautiful sooner as well. But we say it without thinking of what we actually meant. In your name. Oh Allah, we die. We live. We come to life. What does that mean? I'm going to sleep now. It's called a small day. I might never get up. But the one who gets up in the morning has been given another chance to prepare for the day he doesn't get up. But we don't look at it that way. Before we go to sleep, we are planning the sin that we're going to be committing tomorrow. We don't want to die in that condition. It's a fact. seek forgiveness before you sleep. Tell Allah all I plan to commit sins tomorrow, but they will
cancel.
They all cancel. Allahu Akbar, you achieve the happiness of Allah, you achieve the pleasure of Allah, He is giving you a chance. So I spoke a little bit about how when Allah blesses you and gives you Be careful, be careful. What's your attitude, especially your tongue, your tongue, the tongue can actually be evidence that you have failed this test dismally.
When we get something, we start seeing her was this guy. That one day, I'll fix it. I'll show you why. I'm someone. Allah will show you. Allah will show you Do you really think that you just got that with your own intelligence when our own was given more wealth when all of us put together? his sin was he did not relate it to God Almighty. He said, it's my intelligence. I am sharp, I'm intelligent. I got it was me. I worked hard. But he didn't say the blessing of the Almighty helped me to achieve this and to achieve that, whatever you get related to Allah, related to God Almighty, make sure that you
realize and understand that this is from Allah.
Now, let's speak about the other side. When Allah takes something away from you, it's also a test. It's also a test. It's a test to see when you don't have Are you still going to worship Allah and believe in Him and have hope in Him the same way you would have a better
when you had more
so Subhana Allah, you have people after they had certain things, let's say they had an easy life, one day has to come. One day has to come. When you suffer a loss. There is no chance in anyone's life, that that hasn't happened or won't happen. No chance. Why does it come? But I'm a believer. I believe in Allah. I am a worshiper, I'm pure, I don't drink. I don't commit adultery, I don't sway. I don't cheat. I seek Allah's forgiveness all the time I fulfill all the pillars that I have to I try the cleanliness, I'm good to people, but I'm struggling. Allah says don't say but don't say but it's our test. If your problem brings you closer to God Almighty to Allah Subhana, Allah to Allah,
you are successful.
When your problem takes you to drinking,
to drugs, to gambling, two deadly things, what happened? You lost your cleanliness, your purity, that bahara which is a cornerstone of Islam and the man, you lost it because you became unclean. I remember speaking to someone who was drinking, and I said, What do you gain from this? In fact, he was on drugs. I forget my problems. Okay, you forget For how long? For as long as you are intoxicated, then what happens? Then there's bigger problems.
So can't you think for a moment Don't do this.
The best are those whom when they have an issue, they actually think Allah, they think Allah, suddenly you suffer the loss. A true believer is the one who says it could have been
Wes
to believe him.
I remember many years back in Madina munawwara we visited one of our teachers who lost his leg
in a car accident, the hospital, and he was saying Alhamdulillah I lost this leg and hamdulillah so some of the young people they didn't know much. They said yes, you are thanking Allah. He says, while I had my leg, I can't remember committing using that leg to commit a sin against Allah. And I thank Allah because if he wanted, he could have taken both of these legs. He took one away Subhana Allah, do we look at it that way? Some people lose a finger they are depressed, depressed, completely. One is gone, totally depressed. They cannot even breathe after that without complaining, swearing, whatever else. But what happened? I lost an eye. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant kill to
those who are sick and whenever he tests us, many make it easy for us to talk is one thing to be in it is another thing.
When you have five children, Allah takes one away. And the person is like they're gone completely different. Allah says I gave you four kids, those children, they they were mine in the first place, meaning they belonged to me in the first place. I gave that life. I took it away. But there are four more that are still there. What are you complaining about? Oh man, but man looks at the negatives.
So if you are prepared to look at the positives, it will bring you closer to Allah. It will make you regular with Salah how many believers we know when they have a problem. They start reading Salah Have you seen that happening? When they have a problem? They start reading Salah you see a man in the masjid.
And his friend will tell you know he's got a very big problem. Please pray for him. You know what? encourage the people that was a gift of Allah. If it was a problem that brought you to the masjid have we rather have 10 problems? Subhana Allah, if a problem brought you to pray made you closer to the one who made you that problem was really a gift, wasn't it?
Subhana Allah, you have sometimes small problem, people still don't come to Allah. Then Allah says, hang on. I love this one enough to be able to let him come. So let me give him a bigger problem. a bigger one and a bigger one. A massive one comes finally you at the mosque. You raise your hands for the first time to Allah, you start reading Salah you cry, whoa, tears to say Oh Allah, I've been sinful. You found a love through your issue through your problem through your hardship. And you know what? Allah does not promise to give you what you want, but he promises to do what he wants. What will he do? Allah promises you that if you believe in me and my power and my supreme authority, I
will grant you contentment within your heart and make you happy. How happy
so you have a problem for me.
Have you lost a job, you're trying to look for a job, look for another job, look for a job, you're not getting it. But if you really come close to Allah, you are content inside you. You know Allah is in control. If you didn't give this to me, I'm a happy person. I am content, I am not going to complain to add to anyone.
So that contentment you still didn't get your job but what religion did to you and what Allah did to you is he made you come, he made you realize it's okay. I used to use $20 a day. Now I'll survive on $2 a day. $3 a day.
Wow. So you adjusted because those who cannot adjust their lifestyle based on their income, they are punishing themselves. When you used to earn $1,000 a month, you used to live a lavish life. When that came down to $200 a month. What happened? You still want to live that old life. That's why you are suffering. You want to show or whatever else you want to do. No. Take a look at food. You know what is the gift of Allah regarding food? The one who buys food with $1 and the one who's eating with $20 they still filling their bellies.
They still filling their bellies. You asked this one What did you eat? You say pizza? Right? You asked the other one? What did you eat? This is sadza. Right. Which one is healthier? Let's be honest,
the cheaper one SubhanAllah. But we are complaining, I don't have money, unless I provide it for you. Do you know our complaints 99%. In fact, 100% of the time, our complaints are about more than the basic need, and what guarantees you to provide for you the basic needs, you will survive. But when the complaint you have is actually regarding more than that basic. That's what you really want. So it's some can tell me greed may not be totally agreed with everyone because everyone wants to improve their life standard. But why don't we improve our spiritual standard as well?
Allah says, I provided me what's the ends, you know the size of the ends, the size of the ends such that right now if the ends around here we don't even know we can't even see. I promise you one grain provided for him. Allah says if I have provided for these little ends, do you think there is anything that moves that we don't provide for while I'm
betting? fill out a law and the law here is Kona, Allah takes the responsibility. You know Allah He means it is the duty of Allah.
Allah says anything that moves on Earth, we have taken the responsibility to sustain it. That's all. So hannula you man you are we are big, how many ends can fit in the size of my body? billions.
And I am complaining.
May Allah make it easy for us. So what I have said today, listen for all of us, we build our belief in Allah. And we will be clean and pure as best as possible. And then when the tests come to us, we consider it a beautiful examination. Whether it's addition or subtraction, it is from Allah. Don't despair, don't lose hope the day you lose hope that is the day your door closes. Don't lose hope, no matter what. And I end by giving you one example that I've been giving the last few weeks. You know when a lot closes window, say for example you lost a job. You're looking you applied for one didn't get it.
You applied for another one, you didn't get it. You applied for a third one you didn't get it you applied for a fourth one you didn't get it. Why? Why? Because Allah knows that if you had any one of those four jobs,
they will not get you as far as the fifth or sixth one that is waiting for you. So we want you to get the sixth job.
But you already depressed by applying for for weight loss got a bigger plan than you can dream of. So Allah says you'll be happy you understand for as long as you work hard, get up every morning and go and apply and try the day you are lazy you achieve nothing you apply you try you go ahead you keep on going one door closes 234 when the fifth one open, it opens it will take you to a place far beyond where the first four would have ever taken you. See, that is a lot and that is a gift of a believer. That's why Allah says for in Amara illusory user an intimate illusory user with every hardship there is ease and with that same hardship definitely there is even more ease. Allah
subhanho wa Taala grant us goodness aku Kohli hada sallallahu wasallam ah Baraka, Allah Nabina Muhammad