Lecture delivered in Kumasi, Ghana during the Points to Ponder Tour.
Mufti Menk – Don’t be trapped.
AI: Summary ©
The importance of following Islam's teachings and not giving up is emphasized, as it is essential for achieving good deeds and mental health. The speaker also discusses the need to confront mentalists and learn from others, as it is essential for achieving good deeds. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being liked and respecting others' opinions, and encourages people to use gifts and learn from others.
AI: Summary ©
Salam aleikum wa
rahmatullah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah. He was happy.
We commenced by praising Allah subhanho wa Taala Who has created us who nourishes, cherishes, provides protects, kills, the one who is in absolute control of all aspects of existence. We praise Him, we praise him constantly during days of ease, we continue to praise Allah subhanho wa Taala during days of difficulty, we still continue to praise Allah subhanho wa Taala Alhamdulillah
we send blessings and salutations upon all the messages who were sent to us from the beginning to now in order to remove us from the darkness and bring us to the light more so the messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam we are about to bless him to bless his companions, his household to bless every one of us and our offspring, those to come up to the end. May Allah bless us all and keep us steadfast on the deen. I mean,
my brothers and sisters, what is your purpose on earth? Why are you here? Why do we see people being born and after some time, they grow older, and after some time they pass away? Once you are born, the next thing you know for certain that will occur is dead. Do you agree? Even if you don't agree, it will come to you.
Even if you don't agree it will come to you. Even if you are wealthy, it will still come to you. If you are healthy, it will still come to you. So it means there is a greater purpose for our creation on Earth. Allah subhanho wa Taala has not made us without purpose. Allah created us for a reason. That is why life is so short 60 to 70 years is nothing in actual fact, it is nothing compared to the year after. If you look at those who have died or passed away 200 years ago, and you ask yourself question number one, what were their names we don't even know. Do your doing. If I tell you today, please name for me. 20 people who died 200 years ago, I don't think any of us sitting here will be
able to do that unless we go back to the books where the people who are buried are actually written by name. Anyone wants to try to name me 20 people who died in your community 200 years ago, don't even attempt it. So Panama. Allah subhanho wa Taala it means when I die 100 200 years later, perhaps they may never know who I was. We don't even know our fourth grandfather, sometimes our third grandfather, but he must have been a strong man, some kind of love and he must have been inshallah someone who was perhaps more powerful than us with us. Small changing weather, we become tired, we are weak. With learners. They used to work very hard from morning to evening in the fields, and they
were still active by the evenings. So it goes to show like I said point number one we cannot remember those who passed away 200 years ago. To those who died 200 years ago, they lived for an average lifespan of 70 years 60 to 70 years that was shorter than the time they have already died for you know what that means. They have been dead longer than they were alive. So which life should you be preparing for more, the one that is very short, 6070 years old, the one that is so long, that there are people who died 1000 2000 years ago they're gone we don't even know them. Good news to those from among them who prepared for the day they were going to die because the after death is far
longer than that short period of time when you are on this earth so do not allow the devil to deceive you develop the link with he who made you because you agreed to return to Him Who made you?
This is why Allah subhanho wa Taala tells us right at the beginning
the opening few pages
Oh people
worship,
your hub, what is the meaning of
it includes he who made you, the creator, nourish and sustain and provide a protected worship Him, the one who made you and he has he is looking after you completely Your life is in his hands worship, you're worshiping the one who created you, and the one who created those before you so karma so that you can achieve consciousness worship Him. The losers are those who don't worship the Almighty Who made them.
And if we went to worship Allah subhanho wa Taala, we would realize something very creepy. Allah subhanho wa Taala he wants to be worshipped alone, and he says, none other than me should be worshipped, none other than we should be worshipped. Allah says,
Every time he sent a messenger, he told that messenger to tell the people to worship Him alone. So Pamela,
so Pamela, so those who have chosen to worship with Allah some other issues, or mentors, or deities, they are at a loss, those who have chosen to worship besides their maker, they are at a loss. The only ones who are successful are those who worship the one who made them alone. Because Allah subhanho wa Taala has taught us something through a bootsy Ashoka at Miami, Lama Ashoka, he made a return to who
I am, the greater of independence of the partnership that people create. When there is a partner, the Greater One walks out and says, Don't worry, you can enjoy that on your own. I don't need to be with you as a partner. So Allah says, anyone who has done a deed wherein he or she associates partnership with Allah, He says, I don't want it rather give it to that one. I don't need it. I don't need it, give it to that one. So we are at a loss.
And we will quickly realize that in order for us to know what that maker wants from us, He has sent to us messages. So Pamela,
what a beautiful verse. Allah says, Indeed, Allah has favored the believers, Allah did a favor to the believers when he sent to them from amongst them a messenger in order to guide them in order to purify them in order to teach them and so on. And Allah subhanho wa Taala says yet before that they will misguided so Pamela so this goes to show how important it is for us to follow the footsteps of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam
people say Islam is a religion that has many rules and regulations. I promise you.
those rules and regulations are there in order to help us lead a happy life. In order to ensure that whatever we do, we will be content, we will be happy. This is why we have been taught something known as a rebar bill.
To be happy with the key of Allah, the destiny that Allah has chosen for us, you lose something, you are happy, you gain something, you are happy, you lose something, you are happy because it was the decision of Allah even though human nature might make you sad that sadness will never go to the point of questioning the degree of Allah. When you are happy because you have gained something that happiness will never take you to the degree where you think you can transgress the commands of Allah subhanho wa Taala. Remember this. The reason is, sometimes when we have wealth, when we have a poverty when we have position when we have something more than others,
Shame on leads us to commit sin, because I'm a rich man, because I'm a man.
Because people look up to me because I have people working for me, etc. When that happens, we have lost, but rather the more you get, the more humble you become. The more you realize while law he my brothers and sisters before us, there were so many people who had a lot, but they were more humble than us right now on Earth. They are people who have much more than we have, but we're lucky they fulfill their Salah.
they fulfill their Salah. They are beautiful people. They do not perpetrate sin. I know of a wealthy wealthy man, he sits with the 700 people who work for him in such a way that no one recognizes who is the worker, and who is the employer. No one knows. You have to be told that this person is actually the boss and the rest of them are actually working some kind of luck, what humble characteristics whereas with us, we have five more CDs than the other person in the organization.
Yes, it's me. I have no you know, may Allah subhanho wa Taala, protect myself and yourselves from haughtiness from arrogance. And from transgressing when Allah has blessed you, you know when you have the day of he what is the day of a it is a day given to you because of your data to be happy from Allah subhanho wa Taala after the month of Ramadan, you were fasting you were reading for Are you engaged in extra voluntary prayer,
etc. And for a whole month you did that when you completed Allah says, when he took me that
Allah has given you this beautiful must upon upon you completed and you declare the the greatness of Allah subhanho wa Taala and you are thankful to Allah that is the way you show gratitude to Allah for giving you a month where he has cleansed you But I tell you that they have read is a bit of happiness given to us by Allah, but we make on that day in a lot of cases shapen happier than anyone else. I'll tell you why. Those who don't drink in the month of Ramadan. Sometimes they say oh Ramadan is over let me get the bottle again. Those who are used to committing adultery
a critic and he they started the game who became happy
but who gave you their happiness Allah, those who do not dress in the proper way.
They look like Mashallah Mussolini, he, sometimes on the day of leave, even those who dress properly throughout the year, they use that day to uncover themselves in a wrong way immodest dressing with the excuse.
we become happy with the displeasure of Allah. No, no, no, we will change our attitude towards these days of happiness by only doing that which pleases Allah subhanho wa Taala. So sometimes we, we make big mistakes, we do that which is wrong. Look at the things of either giving you an example of how we forget, it's a day of Allah subhanho wa Taala. He gave it to you to be happy, do not make fun, happy on that day from today on whenever there is a time of need. Remember to not transgress against Allah on that day. A few weeks ago, a few weeks back, there was a young boy whom I was speaking to. And he I told him, what are you doing? He says, I can't tell you. I said Why?
He says you know, during Ramadan, we were eating dates. You don't want to date
dates up top of the tower. They're called dates in English, he says but today I have a real date.
It took me two seconds to understand what he was saying because I was a little bit dumb at that moment. Then I realized it means today he has an appointment with his girlfriend Subhana Allah. So he said we did his part with dates every day. Now I will do his part with a real date.
I told him my little son, you have lost the plot. He said How have I lost the plot. I said you are wasting the bother of the month of my burn by choosing
To do languages, on the day that Allah has given you to be happy.
So he says, and this is the problem, when we learn knowledge, let's never lay to justify what we are doing wrong. Some people they learn knowledge in order to just define the wrong that they're doing. But no, we should learn knowledge in order to put it into practice correctly. The young man tells me Look, don't blame me blame shape. And I said, What do you mean? He says, I was told in the masjid. That shape man is tied up throughout
the day he comes out, I'm sure this must have been
my brother, how can you blame shake man for your deeds, and then I let him
walk on.
Mooney
Allah says that they will say, Allah promised to promise but you did not follow. I promised you a false promise, and you came straight through, I had no control over you. So
I have no control. You're the one who came. So don't blame me blame yourself.
This is why my brothers and sisters, when we are steadfast within the pleasure of Allah, when we are not we earned the displeasure of Allah, Allah has given you something to not go against him, he gave it to you thank Him, because He says,
if you are going to be thankful, by obeying the law, by saying words of gratitude, I will give you more and more. But if you are showing in gratitude, you are ungrateful, I will take away what I have given you. In fact, he says my punishment is severe, severe. And this is why,
you know, sometimes you have so much and suddenly it goes away. And you're wondering, why did he go? Why did the nation change? Why is everything changing for the negative, it's because we have changed, that
Allah
that Allah will not change the name of the gift that he has bestowed upon the nation, unless and until they deserve it because they change themselves in the negative. So when we change ourselves, we become negative losses, I take away the net amount that I have given you.
This is why my brothers and sisters I am here to tell you today and to remind myself when Allah has blessed you with something, thank him, don't become a transgressor. Don't become a sinful person, thank you more and more you will you will give you the most primary you will keep you happy and content.
Meaning finding nama who
says the affairs of a true believer amazing, everything that happens is better for him. When goodness comes in his direction, he is thankful. So it is better for him when something bad befalls him or her he or she bears patience, so it is better for him or her. When you bet patience, Allah rewards you when you show gratitude towards you. Now the question we may have,
if we have faltered, if we have done wrong, what should we do?
Many times, people think and I have received the so many times by email where people say shit, I have committed so much wrong. I think Allah will not forgive me. Have you heard someone say that? I have done so much wrong. I think maybe Allah will not forgive me. But Allah He I want to show you something of this. Zuma. Allah says
In
a lot is instructing Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam telling him, tell him my worship is good and give the news to my worshipers and my brothers and sisters, we are all the worshipers of Allah. So the news is for you, and the news is for me, and the news is for the worshipers of Allah subhanho wa Taala. Those who have done wrong against themselves, those who have transgressed against themselves, why does he say transgress against ourselves? Because when we transgress, we do not harm Allah, we harm ourselves. someone commits a sin, they are harming themselves, they're not harming Allah subhanho wa Taala. So this is why Allah says to Muhammad, Allah, those who have transgressed
against themselves, my worshipers who have transgressed against themselves, never lose hope in the mercy of Allah.
Allah, don't ever lose hope in the mercy of Allah. So when you say I don't think Allah will forgive me, you have gone against this particular verse, you are losing hope in the mercy of Allah. So don't lose hope in the mercy of Allah. No matter what you've done in the past, there needs to be the day that you change. And Allah says in the lie of
Allah will forgive all the sins so you seek that forgiveness from Allah subhanho wa Taala you don't go to the trees, you don't go to the stones. You don't go to the grave and seek the forgiveness of Allah subhanho wa Taala you seek it from the owner of forgiveness, Allah subhanho wa Taala in the law.
It is a law who accepts the Toba the repentance of a worship for as long as they are not at the stage of dying, known as.
So we turn to Allah but sometimes some people they read that verse, and then they say, you know I will commit this sin because
you heard them say that.
We don't lose hope in the mercy of Allah. This is only adultery. It's fine. You know, the people are doing it today. I'm sure Allah will forgive me, my brothers and sisters, what if you die in that condition? What if you die in that condition? Yesterday, we received the clip internationally of one of the people
that he passed away before before
he was leaving his coma you might have seen the clip. And he passed away.
In the lesson in the house of Allah, the people who came into the masjid they saw this is in
a lot while because that was his life. He lived that way. He lived that way. And Allah Allah gave him a beautiful day. When the person lives in a way that they do not feel ashamed of the sin they are committing there is a chance that they will die in that condition. When we see people dying in situ. You see people die in the masjid. You see people die in the harem. You see people dying read the Koran we say Oh Allah give us a good day just like that. I mean
don't we say army?
But you don't read Salah? How are you going to die? If you don't read? How are you going to die when reading the Quran? You don't go to the masjid. How are you going to die while in the masjid Subhana Allah, look at how foolish we are or like give me dead while I'm reading the Quran.
I don't want to die.
How can you say that?
That is foolish. So this is why when you ask Allah for blessing dead, stop doing blessing things. Because that is when you will pass away in the correct condition and make a drop to Allah O Allah do not take us away why we are doing something bad and stay away from it. seek the forgiveness of Allah every day, the prophets of Allah. He used to seek the forgiveness of Allah 70 times a day more than 70 Times up to 100 times a day. Did he need it?
The answer is no. We are the ones who need it. But he showed it to us. It's an example. Imagine if you start your day every day seeking the forgiveness of Allah. You cannot just sit in one sitting and say
you have to complete the number are more important than the number is the sincerity and the understanding. A strong feeling love means I seek your forgiveness for a lot. I want
To forgive me pause for a moment and think what you were saying. Imagine if you were to say that three times 30 times so many times, 100 times, every day, one day you will die. The day that you die if you have that habit, the angels will have written that on this day, this person actually asked your forgiveness, Oh Allah, ask your forgiveness 30 times and they passed away. Do you really think
is going to say no, I'm sending it to Jana.
Do you really think that Allah is going to go against what he says? That I'm going to forgive everyone who seeks the forgiveness? The only time is when we will not genuine?
Imagine the person committing a sin while committing the sin. They're saying.
What are you doing while you're committing the sin? Forgive me, forgive me forgive. What is this stopping? You have to stop the sin you have to regret it. Then you say Allah forgive me. You have to know in your heart. I don't want to do this again. May Allah subhanho wa Taala Forgive me.
So my brothers and sisters, some people they delay, they don't want to go for Hajj even though they are wealthy. And they said you know what? It's okay. I'm still young. I'm still young. You need to go now. Because when the medical mode comes to you, when the Angel of Death comes to you, he won't say Hang on, hang on, you're still young, let me go back. He will not do that will come comes he takes you no matter how old you are. Death knows no age, in your community, my community people have passed away in all different ages.
So we need to understand, turn to Allah before it is too late. And that is why the next verse after the verse of hope, there is another verse telling you hurry up, hurry up, you better make sure you are quick to seek the forgiveness of Allah subhanho wa Taala. Listen to what Allah says.
I
turn back to Allah, and surrender to
surrender, meaning follow what he's telling you,
telling you before it is too late, before the punishment overtakes you, and then you won't be helped in any way no one will be able to help you. So you do not wait for the punishment to come to you. And then you say, Oh, I want to turn look at the pharaoh Freetown. He knew he was not the god but He used to say, Oh, my
God, I don't know of a god for you guys besides me. Imagine how he felt. He knew he was not a God, but he kept on telling his people.
So he was from among those who was cursed. He did not repent. But when he saw the angel of death, that he decided to repent. What did he say? He says,
me.
Me, me.
I believe in the God of Islam, and I am now a submitted I submit, but it was too late. Once you see the angel of death, you cannot declare that you now worship Allah. It's too late.
Didn't you hear the hottie I mentioned earlier Allah accepts your Toba for as long as you do not get to
the point of death where the pains have already commenced. mela counterspell But before that, said amin,
Sophia around, he did not say I believe that there is no god worthy of worship besides Allah. But he said, I believe in the deity of Burma, we saw him Why? Because he used to call itself Allah. He's to say I am Allah. So if he said, I believe that, I believe in Allah as the only devotee. It might be confusing to the people that he's talking about himself. So he had to clarify this. And then Allah says,
Is it now that you want to turn
and you have transgressed all along in the past, and you go from among those who are sinful, corrupt,
To let you know what happened to the Pharaoh, how many of us would like to end up in that way? The answer is zero, no one. So let's turn to Allah before it is too late. In fact, the third verse after that in sort of the Zuma, Allah says, what an evil
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beautiful nurses were allies reminding us follow the best of revelation follow that which has been revealed to Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. It is for you following before the punishment comes suddenly, and you won't even have realized it, you won't even have realized it. So let's turn to Allah subhanho wa Taala because I promise you, there are verses in the Quran, my brothers and sisters that remind us that Allah becomes so happy with our repentance, that he actually converts the bad deeds we've been doing in the past. If we change completely, and our life changes, and we only do good deeds after about adultery, repentance, Allah says, I will convert the bad deeds into
good deeds, you know, there is any state now, after making mention of the punishment, there is an exception that Allah makes mention of at the end.
And Allah subhanho wa Taala says it quite clearly.
After making mention of the punishment, he says the exception is for those
who engage in repentance and to good deeds thereafter, for them, we will convert the bad deeds into good deeds, as a bonus of Allah has a gift from Allah Subhana Allah to Allah because Allah achieves nothing by punishing us. A lot achieves nothing by punishing us may have
to what is Allah going to do by punishing you, if you are thankful, grateful, and you are believing alone will not punish you. Allah doesn't achieve anything by that. But the loss is ours if Allah were to punish us, therefore, my message for you today, three things. Remember these three things. Number one, we worship Allah alone. Number two, we follow Muhammad salallahu alayhi wasallam as best as we can. Number three, we repent to Allah and we turn to Allah before it is too late if we do this, and if we constantly turn to Allah subhanho wa Taala trust me, Allah will open our doors in this world and the next and you will grant us contentment and happiness. A last point I want to
mention before I close
it does not mean that Allah is upset with you when something that you really want in your life does not come in your direction.
And it does not mean that Allah is happy with you, when you get certain things that others do not have.
It is actually your heart, the condition of your heart and the consciousness will allow that determines whether He is pleased with you or not. Whether you are poor or rich, whether you have or you don't have. Sometimes we make it to our to Allah for something, you want to marry someone you want to have a business you want to go somewhere you keep on making
your according to Allah supplicating But for you, it's not happening. Keep on making the drop, keep on hoping Allah will give it to you one day as a medical
as
of that,
Allah will grant you much of his favor in the dunya as well as in the alpha sometimes.
Sometimes he removed some calamity from your part. Because of that you've made sometimes he keeps for you that he will have it in the hereafter. Trust me the best of the lot is when he has kept it for you in the hereafter. That is the best of the box. So keep on making drop, keep on calling out to Allah subhanho wa Taala and you will find the toes opening in this world at the next
so my brother
and sisters, once again I say I am indeed extremely delighted to be here in this beautiful country of Ghana and this beautiful city of Kumasi. Mashallah, I've been here the last time and we have promoted goodness for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala Today we are reminding ourselves and yourselves to get closer to Allah subhanho wa Taala What a beautiful day. What a lovely message that comes from the Quran and the Sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Do you know that it's important for us to reach out to the non Muslims around us through our good character and conduct? Many of them think that we promote violence, we promote hatred, we promote killing, that is wrong.
That is wrong. That is what the media is telling them. But in real life, we are the ones who promote the peace. We promote the harmony, the goodness, the cleanliness, the uprightness that just remember, when you as a Muslim do something wrong. You are insulting Islam, that Islam that was brought by Mohammed Salah. So you are insulting the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and You are insulting Allah subhanho wa Taala it will never harm Allah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it will harm you or me if we were to do that. So therefore they just learn to uplift the team. Be honest, be upright, be kind learn more of the deen you have so many Roma in Kumasi that sometimes I'm shy to even speak in your lips because I know there are people who hold PhDs in your in Islamic Studies, make use of them, attend their lessons, attend the lectures, make sure you attend the classes, learn what the team is all about. There are so many sisters who are so active in the deed they are trying to help make use of it. Allah will ask you in your city, I kept Fulani
Fulani. They were working hard they were teaching this and that when were you did you not learn from them? You can say they were my name was but I was busy smoking cigarettes outside.
Make use of them go to the feet of the scholars make the time to come take a look at the others how they go to their places of worship in their 1000s Allah
subhanaw taala even
late last season subhanho wa Taala on a Friday after the setup of the Imam how many people get up in order to complete one unit of prayer? May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us. So remember, we need to make use of the gifts Allah has given us because Allah will take it away one day and he will ask us about the gifts that he has bestowed upon us to
him, then indeed on that day I was going to ask you about the gifts and the favors he has bestowed upon you. May Allah bless you all I hope and I pray that Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us every form of goodness. And I hope and pray that Allah has mercy on us and that we can get up from this mentalist from this sitting morpholine having been forgiven by Allah Subhana Allah to Allah
sallallahu wasallam calorie
counting