Fragrance that Lingers Tour of Kenya
Lecture delivered at Bomas Nairobi
Mufti Menk – Dealing with Chaos
AI: Summary ©
The speakers emphasize the importance of avoiding chaos and finding acceptance in public. They also stress the need for peace and knowledge in public, particularly in regards to Muslims. The conversation emphasizes the importance of avoiding negative language and developing oneself to deal with chaos, particularly in regards to school in the region.
AI: Summary ©
Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim In the name of Allah subhanho wa Taala Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah
was happy here Jemaine
indeed we praise Allah subhanho wa Taala, Lord of the worlds, the creator and Alicia cherish our sustainer provider protector and cura have one and all the one in complete control over every aspect of existence and we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the best of creation, the most noble of all prophets of Allah Subhana Allah to Allah.
May Allah bless him and his entire family, his whole household as well as all his companions and May Allah subhanho wa Taala. Bless every single one of you, I mean,
my beloved brothers and sisters in this beautiful city of Nairobi in Kenya.
Firstly, I'm very appreciative of the warm welcome that I had in this beautiful city. And it's not the first time that I've been here. And secondly, I want to acknowledge that many of you have arrived here very early. And some of you are unable to make it perhaps, and as you know, we are going to try our best to beam this across the globe. Those who won't get it live will probably get it later on. The theme of this tour is fragrance that lingers, where did it come from? It came from a Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, wherein he speaks of the importance of good company. And that is point number one that I want to start with.
Every one of us we have a circle of people around us, please make sure they are good people. Please make sure they instill in you beautiful values, please make sure that they are people who direct you towards that which will please Allah, please make sure that they are people who would be able to help you get away from that which will displease Allah subhanho wa Taala. Because the biggest impact upon a person or those whom he or her, he or she associates with.
So those who have the biggest impact on you are those whom you see on a daily basis. You see them, you talk to them, you sit with them, those whom you are in their company, or they are in your company, if they happen to be good company, good news to you. If they are bad company, you won't even realize you're losing your values, you are losing your morals, you are losing your faith, you are losing your belief.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala safeguard us. So the Prophet peace be upon him says the example of good company and the example of bad company is similar to a person who sells similar to a person who sells perfumes on one hand. And on the other hand, a person who is a blacksmith who blows into the iron Oh, in order to purify it,
he says, the one who is selling perfume, if you are in his company, what will happen? Well, if you're lucky, he will give you a gift Subhanallah you might get some of the perfume as a gift. You know a person who's your friend, they have a store they have all the latest perfumes and you're looking at them and so on and they say you're my friend, would you like one of these just choose which one would you like from here, and you're smiling, so broad, you cannot believe that you know what I'm being offered free perfume. So it's possible if they are your friends, and it's possible if you are in the company, but you and I know that business is not that good these days, right? Don't
expect your friend to start giving you freebies, I have a habit and the policy. Whenever I go to get something, buy something, do something I love to pay.
I love to pay because
the relationship will remain longer. If we paid even if it was slightly discounted, it's fine. But if I paid for something, I won't feel guilty that I took it for free. It will happen once, twice, thrice and after that the person might feel in their heart. You know what? I'm giving one too many freebies to this particular person. It might destroy a relationship, the best thing go there with a smile, pay the price. If you really want to discount You asked for it. What will happen the Hudson says you might get something free. As I said you and I know not everyone's going to give you links free. So what will happen next is
they might put some for you you might have a little bit of perfume that they will give you slight but instead of getting the whole bottle
I might just get a little spring, small spring, there are people sometimes who cannot afford perfume you and I know what they do. What do they do? They walk past a perfume shop every morning, going to tests test the perfumes so that they can go to work with a good smell. So Pamela, I know when I walk past the airports and there's a duty free shop, a lot of the times you see people there, and I sit and I wonder, are you really going to buy but the reality is, so what at least they passed by it said test on there, there was some remaining so I'm entitled to test it. No one says I'm going to buy it. I'm testing it says testing. That's how we've become nowadays. To be honest, people are
doing it with clothing and everything else as well. Nowadays, they go to the store, they test all the clothing, they take all the pictures they upload them onto Instagram and Facebook and everywhere else pretending like they have the latest clothing, the latest shoes new pair every day. They don't know I just visited another stone. May Allah forgive us. So the third thing that would happen is you would get a good smell.
In fact, if I were to put it in the order, firstly he may give it to you. Secondly, you might buy some from him. And you know it's a good price because your friend won't cheat you I hope
your friend won't cheat you inshallah. So you know you've bought something at a good price. Thirdly, you will get a good smell and you enter how beautiful do you feel when you have a good smell lovely scent. Imagine you enter a home you feel a beautiful air condition and at the same time you take a deep breath
and you tell yourself Mashallah sit down and you're just enjoying it.
This is the benefit of good company the Prophet sallallahu wasallam says you will benefit from them in so many ways. They will leave a smell they will leave a scent. They will be something that lingers well beyond their departure Subhanallah well beyond them leaving you there is a smell a good person comes into your home, they will help you to change your life. That is a scent that lingers. That is the fragrance that remains well beyond the person who might have left you a long time back. This is the fragrance we're talking about my brothers and sisters fragrance I want you to ask yourselves, do I leave a fragrance wherever I go? I'm not talking about a smell a physical smell.
I'm talking I have a beautiful Islamic impression that is heading in the right direction. Do I leave behind a positive vibe? Do I leave behind some form of refreshing feeling in the hearts and minds of those whom I interact with no matter who they are? Or is it the opposite? What's the opposite? The Hadith says nothing will kill now SQL query someone who blows into the iron or if you are in his company, what will happen? Something will happen either he will burn your clothes or
you will have a foul smell from that particular burning. Even when you leave people will be able to smell that this person has a bad smell coming from them. You know when you're in the company of smokers? May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for all those who smoke to quit.
See, the sisters said me louder than the brothers. I don't know why. But I know. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us all to eradicate all our bad habits. When I was saying that you are in my mind. I'm saying I'm going to see who's going to say amin May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us ease if you're in the company of those who smoke what happens at night when you go back home and you smell your clothes or someone smells them. You smell like you are the one smoking but you weren't. And then Subhana Allah when it comes to the men, sometimes their family members spouse or someone say Where were you? Where were you? You are not supposed to be asking me where I was, but you are giving me
the idea because I can smell you head to toe you're smelling of something that's really bad. You're not supposed to be smelling of it. May Allah subhanahu wa taala help us so this is where this whole theme has come about. The idea of my brothers and sisters is for every one of us to be able to leave a fragrance to be able to leave a beautiful scent. There is too much negativity going on on the globe. You know that? I know that? What are you doing? To promote positivity to let people's lives become positive? Are you reaching out to people? Are you helping the homeless? Are you reaching out to the orphans, the widows, those who don't have the disabled and the others when the Hadith speaks
about the reward that you will get if you were to assist widows and orphans for the sake of Allah, not for any other ulterior motive solely for the sake of Allah. You are ready to set
Rifai, your wealth, your time, and so much more in order to help people Allah says, One Subhan Allah, this is a hadith of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the one who strives, the one who strives to fulfill the needs of the widows and the orphans is similar in reward to the one who has spent the whole night in worship, meaning in prayer, and the whole day fasting, every day. You want that reward. You have to go out and leave a fragrance.
You have to go out and leave something that lingers well beyond your death, people will be making too hard for you, they will be praying for you Subhana Allah, take a look at the sick, those who are unwell to visit them to make dua for them. And you know, when we talk of visiting my brothers and sisters, they are etiquettes of visiting, it doesn't mean there's a sick person. So you arrive at their house eight in the morning, and you sit with them up to eight in the evening saying, Well when I stay with you, then I will see Allah subhanho wa Taala as miracles, no few minutes, make sure that it's the right time. Make sure it's okay. Some people it's enough to just message them that's okay
for them. Some people are in a condition they are not in a mood of visiting people. Imagine the minute you say I'm not well, you don't want to see 20 people at your house because then your wife will become unwell preparing tea for them. May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us. From one it becomes two and three you need to think you need to use your mind you need to understand don't burden people. You visit them Yes, I'm visiting the sick. Why? Just to make a draft for them. If it's possible, I might message them it will be enough. May Allah subhanho wa Taala guide us The point is to reach out to them in a way that they feel reassured there are people concerned about me
today I am here with Allah He for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala I may not know you personally, I may have seen some of you perhaps on social media. It's possible I'm also a human being I may have seen you but a personal relationship perhaps very few I would know. But I'm here for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala for exactly the same fragrance that I am striving to leave behind. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us all learn and understand.
So when we visit the sick,
Allah subhanho wa Taala his help, his assistance, his guidance, and all forms of mercy descend upon a person who is concerned about those who are sick and those who are in Subhan Allah, may Allah subhanho wa Taala help us reach out to one another. Today, if you take a look at the globe, everyone is searching for one thing, you know what it is?
Happiness. Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone wants to be happy. And guess what? Everyone has a recipe for that happiness, but not necessarily correct. But they all have a recipe. You know, it reminds me of baking. It reminds me of baking. When you bake. Yes, you have the ingredients number one number two is you have the recipe number three is you have the method number four is you need to know how to follow that particular method in order to get exactly what you want how you want it. If not, your cake is going to
flow.
Beautiful you bought all the ingredients you spent money you read it, you did this, you did that. But last minute, you know you put all the ingredients in properly, but you kept on opening the oven to make sure everything is okay, what happens the sisters and the brothers who might be bakers before I just used to say sisters who are bakers? Now I've acknowledged they are brothers also who are good bakers. Mashallah. So you would know that if you keep on opening, what happens, you're destroying that particular cake, you cannot see I see people nodding their heads, yes, you open, you don't have to open doors and little lights, you just turn it on and check from outside. That's it.
And if the bulb is gone, get some electrician to repair it. And if you have an oven that doesn't have a light bulb, wait, be patient, wait until it's you know enough time you've allowed enough time and then you might want to quickly look into the idea is you need to have the correct recipe so that the cake can be exactly how you want it. And guess what you would agree with me that sometimes you have modified the recipe to the in a way that it becomes better than the original recipe that today.
It happens because you've spent time you've actually improved. If someone has taught you something, it's possible that there comes a time when you become a bigger teacher than your original teacher. It's possible. It's very possible. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us and guide us so there are so many recipes to achieve happiness.
Some of them say when you take a drug or when you drink alcohol, you will become happy for a little while you forget absolutely everything that's been happening in my life. You know why? Because I'm Hi
I'm hi
Hi, when I was younger, I used to say hi to greet, you know, hi. When we grew a little bit older when a person was not in their mind, they said he's I, May Allah forgive us, I wonder what they're trying to say.
Hi meaning with a gh. That means you're now cloud nine, you're out of reality, drugs is never the solution for your problems. It might temporarily make you feel like you're above the ground. But to be honest with you, you're not flying.
Remember that? The same with alcohol? I know people who drink and then they come and say, you know, you look like a rich man. I say, well, you must be richer than me. Because you've got money to throw away people who smoke. And I always tell them, you've got money to blow Subhanallah you've got money to burn. You're foolish guys like us are saving every penny in order to ensure that our families are living comfortably or that we can buy a house perhaps, or maybe we can do something and perhaps be charitable also with the wealth, whereas there are others who are drinking, perhaps they're on drugs, they gamble their money thinking they're going to get more that brings about more problems,
did happiness come through drugs for anyone? Not one person.
My dearest brothers and sisters never that is a path of destruction. It is not the true ingredient. It is a path of chaos. The chaos that we are talking about. That is part of it. It causes destruction.
The same applies to any other bad habit. Take a look at adultery, for example. People might think wow, I'm, you know, it's something good because people might think it's something good because I achieved something from it while law he that is the devil making you feel that you've achieved something, it is unclean, it is impure, and it will only come back to you with chaos. You want to know why we're in chaos. We're in chaos, because we've turned away from purity. That's what it is. You want to be pure, you need to purify yourself, start with your heart, your heart needs to realize point number one, I need to develop a link with the one who made me, I need to worship Him alone.
That's the point number one. I'm sure he sent messengers. In fact, he has. And I need to follow those messengers in order to make sure that I am content, I'm happy, because that is the only ingredient of happiness, the only recipe of happiness that has actually brought about true happiness. And it has brought about an end to the chaos that we've been in. If not guess what happens. As you're growing older, you look into the mirror, and you start noticing I have a pimple on my face.
And what happens?
Well, I want to make Calvin Klein rich, that's all or I want to make someone else rich by buying all sorts of things. And listen, I'm not picking on makeup at all. But I'm picking on the way it's being done today. That's a reality. The way it's being done today is such that it has resulted in chaos across the globe. People are depressed, they cannot come to the door without painting their faces. They will not be able to even go to school without looking like someone they are not Subhan Allah, where is the peace? How long is this going to last? What law he be happy with what you look like for indeed, that will become a point of comfort and peace, a point of happiness. Don't worry, someone
somewhere will really adore you for exactly who you are. You don't need to prove to the world that you are blemishes, we all have blemishes, we all have bent noses, we all have teeth that are not in order. We all have something here and then that is Alice way of letting you know that you are a human being here for a bigger purpose. Our life has been reduced to worrying about cosmetics, males included, not just the females. So panela
like I said, I'm not attacking makeup because to a certain point with certain conditions. Yes, it may be there but I'm talking of the way it is progressing nowadays. How it is developing, people are going beyond the limits.
It brings about chaos in our lives. Because I know of cases as a counselor, where there are some wives who don't allow their husbands to see them without makeup. Why did I marry you man? Why did I marry you so panela
imagine what would happen
if he cannot see you because you don't have makeup now that you have makeup I guess he cannot touch you luck. May Allah forgive us.
When it entered
my brothers and sisters,
as you will notice from what I'm saying,
as you will realize,
sometimes the chaos from a certain angle and I will be speaking about it from a few different angles but from a certain angle is chaos within us within the individual. There is chaos in my heart, I don't have happiness, I don't have contentment, I'm not calm. Everything is chaotic. I'm running from pillar to post. I don't know what I want. You know why sometimes materialism has taken over our hearts. So purify the heart. You don't need to have the latest. You don't need to stand out such that you are the best and the top No, in the eyes of Allah, you will always be the best in your own unique way. In your own unique way. You are definitely the best. What is your relationship with
Allah? Do you really fulfill your Salah? If you don't? How do you want that happiness? How do you want your heart to become pure, you have not gotten up for Salah in so many days in so many months. You have not even picked up the Quran in so many months as well. The last time was the previous Ramadan.
How do you want that internal chaos to be dealt with when
you haven't even thought
about pleasing Allah subhanho wa Taala.
In Islam we are taught to dress modestly. We are taught to dress modestly. This modest dressing is not just for the females, it is for the males as well. And we are taught to be of high character conduct values and so on. This modest dress is supposed to come us it is supposed to bring about a sense of peace, a sense of equality.
Whether you are rich or poor, whether you are fair or dark in complexion, Allah loves you remember that and Allah loves you and unmatched love. It's up to you to reciprocate that. Remember my words, Allah loves you. But do you love Allah? That's the question. People say Allah doesn't love me. If someone says that it's because they don't love Allah. That's the reason. Allah loves you. Do you love Allah? If the answer is yes. How can you give up your prayer? How can you start exposing yourself? I remember someone asked me a question. And I'm taking the liberty of answering it here because I think it's absolutely important. Why would a law judge this was the question, right? Why
would Allah judge you based on your dress? Why do I need to cover my hair or my legs? Why would Allah actually judge me based on whether my legs are covered, or my hair is covered? You see, these are the questions of today. So I said, For the same reason that he would judge you If you prayed or not. If you stole or not, if you did anything else or not. These are rules and regulations. You call yourself a Muslim. What is the meaning of a Muslim? Islam is generally interpreted in two different ways. Coming from East Islam, which means to surrender, and to submit, surrender.
who surrendered anyone who wants to call themselves Muslim? It means they have surrendered. If they don't want to surrender, well stop calling yourself a Muslim. But today they want to say I am a Muslim and I won't surrender. It's a different thing. If you have a weakness, if you're weak, and you know that, look, I'm supposed to be doing this but I'm weak. Oh ALLAH forgive me, then you're a sinful person, perhaps or you are struggling to do the right thing. But if you are a defiant person, and you say I'm a Muslim, but who says alcohol is haram, I'm a Muslim who says gambling is haram. I'm a Muslim who says adultery is haram. If that's the case, please, you can do what you want
because you are answerable to Allah but don't call yourself a Muslim because you have not submitted to Allah and you want to change the deen. That's what people are trying to do today. They want to change the deen in a way that they will bring about things that are not in the deen into the deen and say it's the deen and they want to remove things from the deep end say that's the team and if you are sticking to the strength and narrow, they will call you an extremist perhaps May Allah forgive us.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala guidance, we need to develop ourselves. I cannot shove down your throat anything. I can only encourage you. And if you see me doing wrong, you can encourage me. And even if you don't see me doing something wrong, it's your duty to act to tell me to encourage me to remind me Alhamdulillah so people are doing things that are unacceptable and saying they're a part of Islam. I was saying that there are two things one is to submit and two is peace. I'm sure we've all heard Islam means peace. You heard that Islam means peace, and others will say Islam means to say
mitten surrender the reality is it means both of them. You submit and surrender and you will achieve peace, no submission, no surrender, no achievement of peace. What does that mean? Allah has come with a recipe. He's given it to us through Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam It's amazing. It's unique. It's something that is a gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala. At what do we do? We know it. We read it, we hear it, but we couldn't really be bothered, and we're still searching for peace. We're still searching for peace.
So can Allah
the peace is there. Fulfill your prayer? voila, he I promise you, my brothers and sisters. And this is a challenge for myself and yourselves. I promise you and I challenge you. Get up for Salah to fetch it early, early. considering it an honor. Try it.
consider it an honor. Set your clock for 30 for example. And you know Salah perhaps will only be a quarter past five in the masjid. Oh, I don't need to read Salah up to just before sunrise, one might argue and they might say that. But the challenge is to get up early. Get up really early for the sake of your maker. I love him. I'm going to get up at 430 for him. I love him. I'm going to get up at 430. And you know what? He tells us the rules and regulations I have stipulated for you are actually for your benefit. I don't want from you anything.
I don't want from them any sustenance. I don't want anything from them, nor do I want them to feed me it's not about materialism, Allah says I don't need your wealth. I don't need that particular food. In fact, in Allah Who am Zach ucci Maddie, Allah says indeed it is Allah who is the provider, the all powerful it is Allah who is the provider he will provide for you develop a link with him, become friends with him get close to him how I will get up early for Salah. I will make will do I will cleanse myself and I will stand up in prayer considering it an honor one law he I promise you you will achieve peace in your heart for the rest of that day. Well, I
have have we felt that have we felt it?
I hear quite a few yeses, but we want to hear a few more yeses as well in the future. You get up for the sake of Allah if you are ready to get up even before that and read Salatu tattooed or at least make dua to Allah pray supplicate to him at that time of the morning, you will achieve a lot of peace.
A lot of comfort even though you will have challenges by the way who on earth does not have challenges who does not have difficulties we think that we are on earth and life is supposed to be rosy no way even a rose has phones you know that.
So if your life is supposed to be rosy while I might say okay it is but these two three things are just the thorns in the path. So what you have to do make the most of the smell the scent Mashallah the rose enjoy what it looks like. But once in a while you might be injured, they might be a little bit of blood here. What I mean is things may not happen exactly the way you want it not everything can be smooth as you wish and as you want. So Panama but what you do need to know is life will be full of tests from the beginning to the end. And Allah says that you will create it to be tested. That's all. So what happens in the test, you have questions that are difficult, they cannot be easy
all the time. You have situations to resolve that will not be so easy, they will be difficult.
But Allah says spend a few more years there
and inshallah you will get contentment Agia belly Emeril movement for in Amara hula hula who hailed the Prophet sallallahu Sallam says the affairs of a true believer are amazing. They are strange in a unique, beautiful, positive way. Why? Because when something good happens, then a believer is thankful. So it's better for that believer. And when something bad happens to them, they their patience, they are still content. They surrender to the decree of Allah subhanho wa Taala. So they are still happy. Many of us were not happy with the degree of Allah, Allah chose that you will have this you say no, I don't want it well, you're not going to be able to change it. That's Allah. He
gave you hair in a certain way, a face in a certain way. If he gave you a complexion in a certain way. That's his choice. You cannot say I'm upset with Allah. Allah chose your parents for you. There is nothing you're going to be able to do about changing that zero. That's something in fact, you cannot even change.
Those are your parents. They are a test for you and you are a test for them. One might say how am I adjust for my parents? I can explain so many things might happen to you in your life. Can I get
a hot topic, something that's really happening amongst the people today. You know, Islam, obviously has grown far and wide and the globe has become a little village, you agree with the internet.
So
your child wants to marry someone who doesn't belong to your tribe or your color or your group or your little circle and so on. And you need to know what do I do? Well, if you don't follow the guidance that Allah has set, your pieces snatched, there will be chaos, there will be chaos in your life, in their lives in everyone else's life because you did not follow the guidance. But if you follow the guidance, the chaos will be gone, everything will be gone. And Subhanallah you lead a peaceful life, what is the guidance either an attack on mental bernadina who look off as a widow in light of Allah who can fit in a certain area? If someone proposes a person a proposal has come forth
from someone whose Deen level of religion is okay, that character is acceptable, then let them get married. So long as the both parties are happy, both the bride and the groom to be happy. Let it happen. If you don't,
now the odd thing if you block it, what will happen that couldn't fit Neptune will be worth a certain area. They will be great fitness on Earth, chaos on earth, and great corruption, facade.
Lots of unwanted things. your health, your family's broken to pieces, no one speaks to each other people are depressed people are sick, they go to the hospitals, they are dying because of this and that only because you know what? They wanted to marry Halla legal, okay, it was fine. Nothing wrong with it. You blocked it, because what will people say?
What will people say? That's the reason? What is my family going to say?
Sorry.
On the Day of Judgment is I'm not going to ask you. What did your family say?
What did your group say? What did your people break the trend? Come on, let it happen. The others will follow you there are 10s of 1000s in the same boat, they are willing
to go forth. They just need someone to lead by example.
So how was it to test a parent who denies the right for their child has failed their test in the eyes of Allah, they need to know that their whole idea of my son, my daughter, when they when they were born, we had a clicker for them. We call people we had a party we named all that was by the way, you failed your test when it came to you. So it is not easy to let go of your child. But Allah teaches you from the very beginning that the control you have of that newborn will diminish as time passes such that they will come in age when you have nothing to do with them besides what you've already trained them towards. If it was good, let me give you an example. Your little who names you,
your parents.
Who close you, your parents, obviously, it's Allah subhanho wa Taala close, but he used your parents.
What type of toys were given to you, your parents decided a little bit later. You didn't want those toys, because they were too old fashioned for me who's a sophisticated person, now three years old, they can no longer give you a rattle. Because the rattle is for someone who's only six months, up to six months, they can use a rattle after that we know we want something more sophisticated. So let the mom come and give a rattle. See what happens. I don't want it. Why. Come on, man. You're giving me a rattle. I want your phone. Give me your iPhone. Now the kids know. You know, I've seen this with my own eyes, Mashallah.
I have a passcode on my phone, not because I have something to hide. My family knows it. But at the same time, it's because the little children muscle temple and start tweeting, you know, silly things on behalf of myself from my own device. So what happens? my little daughter, two and a half. She knows my passcode
that's it.
You know, it's a little design, how she just speaks a little bit. And here she is, she can pick the phone up and open it whoa, I'm shocked when I was little. I don't know. Now when I think about it, it makes me feel like I was sick yesterday and I wasn't
that I wasn't. But technology wasn't up to scratch or it wasn't up to what it is today. And trust me it's going to keep on changing and it's going to keep on updating itself and becoming more and more sophisticated. The point is your control over your child becomes less and less as time passes. And you notice when the child is little you close the child when the child goes a little bit older, they will make tantrums in order not to wear certain clothing. I don't want to wear this. That's it. I'm not wearing this. I'm wearing that I'm doing this I want to do that. When they're little you send them to the schools when they grow a little bit older. I don't want to go to the school anymore. I
want to go to another school when they grow even older. What's happening what's happening Allah is showing you the child is a test Why?
You can move them mold them, when the cement is wet, or when the iron is hot, you mold it Subhanallah you don't wait until everything's become cold and then you want to start molding. No, by that time, it's too late. So Allah subhana wa Taala has shown us as time is passing, you are getting your control over the child is less than less, why? Because the child belongs to us, not to you.
The child belongs to Allah in Allah, he was in La miraggio We all belong to Allah and we are all going to return back to Allah. So myself as a parent, if my child wants to do something, I need to ask myself, is it permissible or not? does Allah allow it or not? Is it okay or not? Is my blocking of it permissible or not? And I need to take cue from that. I do not do things according to my whims, my fantasies, what I perceive my culture as being if it is a negative culture, no way.
You know, culture is acknowledged in Islam for as long as it does not trample over the tools of the rules and regulations we have.
But many times people look at Islam as a Bad Religion, not because of Islam, but because of the culture that we've, we've we clinging on to in a way that it gives that a bad name. A lot of the cultures we are in Allah He they promote racism, they promote tribalism. They promote various other lines that are actually not there in Islam. Islam has taught us that the color you are the tribe you belong to and wherever else you may be in terms of complexion, etc. All that is from Allah subhanho wa Taala, just in order that you recognize one another Lita araku, Allah says to recognize one another. What does that mean? If I look at you, I see you again some other time. Whoa, I saw you
Where did I see you somewhere. But if we all looked exactly identical, it would be boring.
If everyone sounded the same, and everyone looked the same, what would happen? life would be boring Subhanallah we would need number plates. Like I said, we would need number plates.
So panela just like motor vehicles, they all look the same. How do we distinguish them? Well through the number plates, and if you're lucky through the color.
So all those lines are there for a reason. Learn the reason, understand it, and don't go beyond it. Don't think for a moment someone else is lower than you know. And don't think for a moment that you are lower than someone else. No, in the eyes of Allah, there are equal opportunities for everyone. Subhana Allah, everyone equal opportunities, it's up to you to seize that you get close to Allah subhanho wa Taala. So my brothers and sisters, we need to deal with the chaos within ourselves. By eradicating this love from materialistic items that would not last long. When you came to the earth, you came bare hands, bare feet, you had nothing on you were clothed when you came when you left the
earth, you left without anything, whatever was there remained behind. So it was just a test from point A to point B, if it was anything beyond the test alone would have given us much more than 70 years.
The average lifespan is 70 years. We should not spend it running behind materialistic items in a way that we've compromised our link with the one whom we're going to go back to. I'm not saying it's wrong to earn I'm not saying it's wrong to have nice things. But what we are saying is not at the expense of your hereafter no way not at all.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us blessings.
Now let's move on to another aspect of chaos.
One was the chaos within inshallah we will eradicate the jealousy, the envy, the hatred, perhaps the racist feelings that we may have and so many other things that we may feel, we will eradicate them we will work on them we will develop our link with Allah when your Salah is in order when you link with Allah is in order, then what happens you tend to respect other people.
You tend to respect other people becoming religious, a sign of it is your heart is softened towards the rest. Look at Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He was the best of creation, the most noble of prophets, the highest in rank, but he was calm. He treated people with utmost respect. Even those who swore him he never swore back at them.
Those who said bad things about him. He did not say bad things about them in return. He was calm, he was relaxed. He always sees the opportunity to do good in life when he was
May Allah Subhana Allah forgive us all in life when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was chased and he was harmed. Do you know what happened? The angels came to say we can crush these people.
He said no, not at all. Not at all.
Oh ALLAH forgive them. They don't know what they're doing Oh Allah guide them offspring if you haven't written guidance for them. So Panama, look at how the heart is suffering because of its closeness to Allah. The same will apply with us. If you are becoming hard and your heart is developing hatred and animosity against your fellow believers and against others.
Remember, it's a sign of your distance from Allah, no matter how much you are praying, there is something wrong with the sincerity and perhaps the intention, something is wrong. What's the point of someone who comes to pray in the mosque only to show people that I'm praying, I mean, the first sub Look, I've been here for 20 years, so on, you know, we go for Hajj and Umrah Mashallah, we do it for the sake of Allah and you may have a count of how much you've done, but you didn't go in order to count. So someone says you made Ramadan Yes, 25 times.
I didn't ask you how many times that's now between you and Allah. So don't let the number become an issue. Let the sincerity become the issue. And that is when it will help you to cleanse the heart. But like I was saying another aspect of chaos, my brothers and sisters is the chaos within Muslims.
The Chaos amongst ourselves.
What is happening, each one says I'm on the straight path. The rest of them are out. They are out of the fold of Islam. They are not Muslim. They are Kufa. They are what Kufa it is happening in our midst. It's a problem we need to tackle, and we need to tackle it fairly. We need to tackle it justly. We need to understand revelation comes from Allah subhanho wa Taala. And who brought it to us Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam no doubt that in order the hierarchy it starts off Allah subhanho wa Taala and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam thereafter, we cannot deny that that is what makes us muslimeen. So if I have a problem for
fish finish a
photo for
soon.
If you truly believe in a line, the last day when you have a dispute, when there is an argument about something, you go back to what Allah said, What did the messenger say? That's what it is. You go back to that. So we do agree that there is a way of doing things but later on, you find Subhanallah one picks on the other, this one picks on that one? Do you realize everything is a test from Allah, you have the rights to propagate, you have the right to communicate, you have the right to put forward your view and the reasons why it is your view, you have the evidence, you put it you don't have the evidence you might want to present whatever logic it is, whatever else it is, but you
need to know you don't need to become violence. You don't need to become hurtful and hateful.
You will propagate, I will propagate, I will tell you what I believe is correct. And I will tell you why I believe that what I believe is correct, I will present for you the reasons and if you're not convinced, so what you're not convinced I'm a human being, your answer is to Allah the Prophet sallallahu Sallam was told in the Quran, in Allah, Allah Your duty is to convey the message not more than that.
And in another place, Allah says, Allah, Allah, Allah, Allahu wa ala in LA Sabu. Your duty is to deliver the message and our duty is the accounts we will take account, we will judge the people you just deliver the message, don't judge them deliver the message, I don't know who from amongst who is closer to Allah than I am.
And I don't even know how you have responded to the call of Allah because there are more than 100 million teachings of Islam, because you are not following the 10 that I am following. I certainly think that you are a stray.
You might be adopting another thing that I've never even thought of Subhanallah I do agree. The core matters of belief are of utmost importance, but then again, discuss it propagated, give it to people and do not become a person who is violent do not become hurtful and hateful by saying words that will crumble this entire Ouma. We have 1,000,000,002 billion people on the globe but suhara la Where are we heading? Have you ever thought about it?
May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us?
We are dealing with a crisis if you go on to the internet today, and I'm sure all of you have been on there. You will notice this one speak bad about that one that one call this one a coffee and this one call that one a deviant and this one called that one this robber
And positive propagation. Where are we?
If you really believe someone is wrong, there is no harm in presenting what you believe is right. And also presenting evidence as to what you believe is wrong. But sometimes you haven't even given them the opportunity to clarify their stance, you haven't even given them a chance to even say why they may have said what they have said. And sometimes they may not even have said, what you think they have said, it could just be an issue of clip and paste, cut and paste, or as you know, the editors have videos and voice overs and so on. All of that can be the case. But what did we do? We started hating on individuals in a way that we don't even know who they are, what did we we complain
when the media passes judgment before the court. You know, when there is a case going on in the court, sometimes the newspaper already passes a judgement by saying this person is guilty, and that person is this and that person is like this, and we complain about it, but we do it in our own lives. Without giving someone a chance. Someone sometimes you don't even know you start hating on them. Why? Just because that person is like this and like that, no, if you would like to communicate do so if you would like to propagate do so if you believe you are on the right path, you have every right to communicate it and propagate it. It's a human right to propagate what you believe is right,
that is your rights, no one can take it away from you.
And it's your duty as a Muslim also to convey. The Prophet sallallahu Sallam says ballyhoo only convey the message. This is an instruction, even if it means one verse that you know, conveyed. So it's your duty to convey the verses the messages, but it's not your duty. In fact, it is haram to go out and spread chaos in an already suffering oma.
So I hope my message is clear. When dealing with chaos amongst members of the oma, we need to be positive about our approach. If you notice those who talk to you, there are some whom when they speak to you, you begin to hate individuals, and you begin to want to beat them up. Sometimes some are older believe they will actually drive you to a point where you want to kill someone else. If that is the case, they are not religious. That's not the deen. That's not what Allah wants. But if someone makes you hate what is bad, then they are on the right path.
Are you getting my point? If someone makes you hate what is unacceptable and what is bad, then they're on the right path. But I don't need to talk about a specific individual without giving them a proper opportunity and so on. It's something serious. Because we are struggling on the globe, we are becoming fragmented into bigger, in fact, into a larger number of fragments, each one of them smaller than the previous one.
And enemies trampling over us completely. People are trying to eradicate the whole of Islam as a result of the actions of a few misguided people. So now there's a problem with hijab, when there was never a problem with the job, and hijab is not actually the problem. But people are sitting behind the scenes, seizing the opportunity of our disunity to talk about things that seem so absurd to us and try and find fault with that, which has no fault in it. Just because we are all in pieces, no one is speaking on our behalf, and no one does. And even those who do, we don't recognize them. We don't understand them. We don't appreciate the sacrifice they actually make for that.
So the message I have for you today is purify your belief as well purify it, but it should come about with calmness with love of Allah, cleanse yourself. Worship Allah alone, protect yourself from innovation. Without a doubt that is there that's primary but at the same time, what you should do is spread peace and goodness learn to respect others.
Learn to respect others SubhanAllah. Part of the problem I'm talking of within the oma is that we don't know how to propagate the deen we've left the path of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam when it comes to the propagation of the deen
It was never propagated in a violent way. Never.
If the wars happened, they happen for reasons. And yes, there is a whole study in that regard. But what has been happening in the last decade, decade and a half, two decades Subhanallah it is taking a turn whereby the whole world is beginning to think that Islam is a religion of violence, hatred, blood and killing. That's it.
And we know that that's not true. We know it. We've lived by it. I'm sure in our midst, there are non Muslims seated with us today. I'm sure they feel safe here in our midst.
goes to prove we're not just a bunch of terrorists.
It goes to prove we are peaceful people. We've been living serving the nation serving so many different places serving humanity at large, ultimately, obviously serving Allah subhanho wa Taala. But these are our duties and responsibilities as human beings. Why you are seated here today is because there are so many people who work so hard to get this thing happening. We appreciate them. We might have differences with them. We might not agree with everything they do in their lives, but they are our brothers and sisters. They are our brothers in humanity. They are, we should Spread the Love. It doesn't mean someone says Salaam Alaikum. And you just spit in that direction and walk
away. No reply back.
I would rather makers make a mistake to reply back than to make a mistake to spit because that there's no way that it's correct.
Someone says a Salam Alaikum alaikum salam, I don't need to judge them in your heart. No, the thing is, you know, I can't reply this person because
some basic small thing a lot of the times something that is petty, I remember, in one city, in the in the UK, there was one chef who said
he had very strong views about women who drive, listen carefully. He had strong views about women who drive cars, and he felt it was unacceptable. Okay, that's his opinion, I might disagree with it. His opinion, he's entitled to it. I don't think he's convinced many people in that regard, but entitled to his opinion, I don't need to harm him, go and slap him arrange for people to go and kill him just because of that doesn't need to happen. It's something it's his opinion, the women are still going to drive anyway. So that was his opinion. As a result of it. He became very passionate. And he said, it is haram to greet a woman who drives Okay, that was a factory issue. Okay, how to
greet a woman who drives so what happened is
someone contacted a relative of mine by phone, ladies, women. And they happened on the telephone to say, Hello, how are you? What's happening? How's things going? You know, I wanted to speak to you because of this exercise class that we are going to so this sister happened to say, hang on, hang on, start off with a Santa Monica. Right. So the other sisters is Wait, our chef told us not to greet women who drive and you drive.
So this is the said, Well, what the chief must have meant is don't even greet them. Don't even greet them means don't even talk to them communicate to them. The point I'm raising is my brothers and sisters. To go to that level where you have to talk to them, you will have some interaction with them. But you cannot start with Santa that is low. That is cheap. That is unacceptable. That is unacceptable. A salomo couple column before you talk, say something I came onto the podium here, how did I start?
signature beginning Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. And I truly mean it because it's a dua it means I pray for you.
I pray for you that Allah grant you peace, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you. That's what I said. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you. I started off that way. May you be at peace externally, internally and in every way, your surroundings, your inside, outside everything religiously, financially, everything else by that to assalamu Aleikum perhaps you will also be able to pay your debts. So that's why I keep on saying a Salam O Allah Subhana Allah, because then you add more pieces in it.
So for us to go about the Muslim Omar telling people that you know what, don't greet them, how am I going to give them that Allah you know, what is our propagation? How am I going to propagate to them when I'm not going to talk to them? I'm not going to talk to you, how am I going to propagate the message to you? I need to talk to you. I need to tell you, I need to develop a relationship with you the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam uniquely Do you know what he did?
The enemies in Marketo, mocha Rama, he treated them so well. that a lot of them they were blown away by his character and conduct. They knew this is a messenger of Allah. He is a suit he is an OB of Allah subhanho wa Taala they accepted the fate as a result. I'm not going to give you detailed examples but I'm sure a few examples must be coming to your mind how beautiful he was in character. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us all then we have another aspect of chaos.
What is the other aspect of chaos my brothers and sisters?
The non Muslims perception of the Muslims of today. It's become such that it makes it difficult for peace loving Muslims to live as Muslims in many countries on the globe. Because people now think that the Muslims are not exactly what they are portraying the
To be but rather, they are violent, they have this hidden element of terror in them. And that's not true. That is absolutely unacceptable. If you see a man with a beard, it does not mean he wants to blow up the next place. Not at all. If you see a sister in a jar in the car, or if you see a person who's covered from top to bottom, it doesn't mean they are violent, or they are extremist Not at all.
We have upheld our Islamic values, and we have served humanity dedicatedly we've served nations we have progressed and we've achieved so much from amongst us are the intellectuals from amongst us are those who pray five times a day, they dress appropriately, and they are served so much they've reached out to so many non Muslims as well.
And this is the majority, those who perhaps might be perpetrating heinous crimes.
There are a small percentage, very small percentage. So my brothers and sisters, it makes it even more important for us
to live as true Muslims, it makes it very important for us to go out of our way to portray the good teachings of Islam.
I can give you one example from my own life and it's happened a lot. I try my best and I hope that we all do try and I'm sure in fact that we do in our own way, but increase it inshallah increase the goodness reach out to people, they will see the goodness of Islam.
I happen to land at an airport
and the carousel, we were waiting for the bags, and I saw two nuns, elderly nuns, they were waiting for their Macs. What did I do? Take a guess.
I actually went out to them. And I greeted them. And I offered help. I got a little trolley. I took out the bags, I put them on this trolley, and I pushed the trolley out through the customs for them. So panela I was with them. Two nuns working behind the ship.
Looks dodgy, doesn't it? It's very dodgy. But all I'm saying is a lie. At the end. They were so so touched. They actually said a few things. They were they told me you know what, we've changed our whole perspective. And then they asked me, who are you? What's your name? and so on. And I gave them my first name. And I thought they said no, but there's something about you. And I said, What is it maybe my beard? And they said no. And I said, Well, look, you know what I actually am a preacher. I'm a Muslim leader. I'm one of the Muslim. You know, I preach Islam, and goodness.
And they looked at each other like this, like they were shocked. That's not what they knew. That's not what they knew. So if someone who's looked at as a leader can do that, I wonder what the people who actually follow would do Subhana Allah. And why did they do it? Just because they were human beings? Well, I didn't intend to earn brownie points or anything. I've done it hundreds of times. I don't even know the types of people that I've tried to help. And I have helped. And I'm not telling you because I want to show off. But I'm telling you because I consider it a duty as Muslims. Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam did it before us. We are following his example. Truly, those people are
the ones who will tend to Islam. Take a look at big names in the Islamic arena. A lot of them sometimes were leaders of other churches, who saw the beauty in Islam. Take a look at use of sts for example, who was he find out what happened to him? How did his life change? Take a look at Pickthall, for example, Who was he? Where was he? How did his life change? These were religious leaders belonging to other faiths, they suddenly became religious leaders belonging to Islam, because of someone who tried with them. Someone who reached out to them someone who understood that even if they're not Muslim, so what I'm reaching out to them, they are human beings, I need to still
smile speak with respect to understand, and you know what, I don't need to curse people like this.
So that is my message. When dealing with the chaos of that level. You need to be of sound character and conduct and you need to be very patient, they will be people who don't like you. I want to give you one other example.
I won't give you every detail, but I will tell you what happened with me. I was on an aircraft, okay. And it was a Western aircraft.
And I was sitting
and I saw a family walk in body.
This happened not too long ago.
And I've been reading stories about how Muslims are asked to leave the plane while it's happened to a lot of people, especially in the Western world where anything you know, if you say on the phone, someone said in Sharla Alhamdulillah and someone reported them that these people are remembering Arabic murmurings they were told to get off the plane. Well, I'm not joking. It's become ridiculous. This is the chaos we are talking about as well. It's become ridiculous, so just be careful. Just be careful.
So anyway, I was on this aircraft and voila, he I was shocked because I saw a family come towards me. And they were divided into two. Some of them came on this side of the island. The others were on the side of the aisle, perhaps where their seats were. And a young boy must be about four years old.
He looked at me and he immediately call out to his dad on the other side, Dad, I'm scared, straight.
And I was shocked because now my heart started pumping a bit faster.
First time happening to me, Dad, I'm scared I'm scared that I'm scared and I told myself I need to fix this little boy in such a way that I don't raise alarm because now soon the cabin attendants will come Charlie's scared sir please can you disembark with the other passengers are not feeling safe with you on the plane? It seemed to me that the child May Allah forgive me but it seemed to me that the child may have been trained to do that alone because so confident and came in unless the child read stories or seen movies or whatever else. I don't know But Dad I'm scared I say hang on what's happening man? I know your dad. We went school together man.
We will and he looked at me says CDs. I said yeah, man. Relax. Cool. down. Sit down, man. He said Oh, that's okay. That's cool. He sat down come the father was still putting the bags didn't notice anything. The doors closed the plane took off a little while later son goes to that. You know that man? He says No, I don't.
Man May Allah forgive me. May Allah subhanho wa Taala Forgive me but
it so it goes. Obviously solve the problem. And it goes to show that Subhana Allah there is there is chaos out there. We need to sort something out. Luckily, I was a little bit quick in the way I thought I know your dad from school days, man from school days. In my mind, I meant you know, I know a lot of non Muslims from school is okay. Okay. You know, you might say stop justifying the line. Okay, let's leave it because a lie, okay. But at the same time, it's chaotic. It's a problem. It's an issue that we were dealing with. So Allah, I had to deal with it myself. I was in the position. And I was thinking, as soon as I heard it, I said, That's it, I better start getting ready to be,
you know, to be offloaded from this plane, and so on.
But so Han Allah, Allah subhanho wa Taala showed us away, and I just said something, and the child was calm straightaway, within seconds, cool, calm. What did it need? Speaking?
Please, I'm not justifying telling them telling a lie. I mean, May Allah forgive me, but I'm letting you know, these are real life problems we have faced them. I know of a family going on holiday. And they were told, you know, you know, you have to get off. For what reason someone some way somehow was perhaps saying that, you know, there's a Muslim family in here. My brothers and sisters, we are fortunate in our countries, we are fortunate that we have a good relationship with authorities. And this is why it's important to engage authority, it's important to engage them in a positive way. Some people think you know what, when I fight authority, then I'm going to gain what I want. That's
not how it works. You need to engage them and convince them and try with them again. And you need to know that we will probably have to get the numbers in order to be able to ensure that legislation does not deprive the Muslims of fulfilling what they have to. And we need to appreciate that that is the case. In most African countries, we are we are free to
practice our Deen in such a beautiful, unique way in order to preserve that. Learn from the lessons of others preserve that by learning from the lessons of others, those who are struggling as a result of a handful of people perpetrating crimes in the name of the team that that same deal does not teach.
So if you see this morning, or this afternoon, we've discussed three different aspects of chaos. And I've presented a few ways of dealing with this chaos. Firstly, we spoke about the internal chaos. And before that, I dwelled for a few moments on the fragrance and how important it is to develop ourselves to the degree that who ever you interact with whoever it is, you leave behind something, they will think to themselves Wow, I met a really blessedness say good things about one another behind their backs behind our backs. You want to say something say something decent, especially within family so panela Don't break the family unit today. The Chaos starts off inside. And then the
small circle, husband, wife, and then the parents and children and then brothers and sisters and then uncles and aunts and suddenly the in laws coming to the whole equation and make matters worse. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us so we dwelt on the fragrance. We spoke about the internal chaos we spoke about the entire Muslim
Chaos and we spoke about the interfaith chaos that we're having. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us to deal with this because with his help, we can deal with anything and everything. Remember when dealing with a problem, do not employ something that will create a bigger problem as a solution, because it won't solve the matter when dealing with a problem. It will require lots of suffering in the law masabi allies with those who may have patience allies with those who enjoy it will require wisdom. minute l hc Mata Fatah duty hiren Katya, whoever has been given wisdom has been given a lot of goodness, Allah says, We don't know Eli Sabina B capital Hickman
has Anna when calling towards the path of the Almighty call with a lot of wisdom. And with a good reminder, a good way of reminding people, there needs to be wisdom. So this is how we will be able to resolve the matters I call on you once again to develop your link with Allah subhanho wa Taala. By worshiping Him alone, by considering it an honor to fulfill the obligations that he has placed upon you and will lie through those obligations you will find a lot of peace, a lot of comfort, a lot of happiness that the whole world is searching for a guru Kohli hada Salatu was Salam. ala nabina Muhammad wa Salam alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh