Mufti Menk – Duty Unto Allah and His Creatures

			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 salam ala rasulillah Allah Allah He was happy Jemaine All praise is indeed
due to Allah subhanho wa Taala blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
his household his companions May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless them all. May He bless every one of
us and our offspring those to come up to the end. May Allah keeper steadfast grant us all ease and
goodness, my brothers and sisters in Islam, we as Muslims believe that we have been created and
placed onto the earth as a test from Allah subhanho wa Taala. When we were younger, perhaps we did
		

			not understand the meaning of that. But as you grow older, and you witness the reality of life, and
you begin to see people leave the earth, you see them die, and you see what their purpose was. And
you see how short their lifespan actually was, you begin to understand the reality of this test.
Allah subhanho wa Taala placed us in this beautiful place known as the earth, with an even more
beautiful place awaiting us if we behave ourselves on Earth. As simple as that. Now when I say
behave ourselves, it sounds like we're addressing children, but in essence to Allah subhanho wa
Taala we are creatures, we are creatures Allah has favored to create better than the rest of the
		

			creatures. So in the Quran, Allah subhanho wa Taala says, Lakota fall upon
		

			us and Fie, Sangeeta buoy we have indeed created mankind in the best of postures, the best posture
possible you have it.
		

			And this when Allah says something is the best, he's challenging you because he doesn't lie. He's
challenging you to say there is nothing better than the posture of men in creation that I have
created. So if you take a look at your organs and exactly where they are placed, and how they are
made, your voice the voice box how you speak. Allah says it is absolutely the best. There is nothing
you as a human being can think of to be better than your own posture because this was heavenly. It
was from Allah subhanho wa Taala I always tell people, can you imagine your nose in a different
place? To this day? I have not got a single person saying yes, I can imagine it What are you going
		

			to say at the back way on your shoulder way where it is right now is the best place to pan Allah.
Allah subhanho wa Taala also says while other coven Burnie indeed the children of Adam, we have
honored them. We have given them a dignity, there is a respect that they carry Subhana Allah, look
at how we are clothed. The clothing itself is a respect that a person has been given by Allah
subhanho wa Taala, a gift of Allah. And this is why if you want to be respected, you need to know
how to cover yourself, the less you were
		

			those who believe would probably say, the less you will be respected. people begin to look at you as
a * object. You can say what you want, but they tend to look at you for the wrong reasons. As a
believer,
		

			they tend to value you based on what you've shown, not based on who exactly you are. Today I want to
speak about something extremely important, this beautiful test, what does it entail? Allah made you
created you on the earth? And he has said, I have put you on this earth in order to test you in
order to test you. So when you come into the exam room or the school, what do you expect? You
expect? Questions, situations, you need to answer them, you need to go into them, it will be an
obstacle course that you need to come out from successful. So that's what life is every day you will
have a test. Nobody from amongst us can say I will not be tested. I have not been tested. I do not
		

			wish to be tested. When you have wealth, a lower test you when you don't have wealth, a lower test
you when you have health a lower test you when you don't have health, a lower test you It all
depends on what you do, what you do in every situation that Allah puts you in. So we have two major
duties that we need to fulfill. What are these two duties? The first is the duty you have unto
Allah, the One Who made you you have a duty under
		

			Allah yeah you
		

			can be can carry Allah the hall apocrypha waka like Allahu Akbar, Allah says, All men, what has
deceived you? What is it that has deceived you? against your own maker? How could you transgress
against your own maker? Your rub? The one who is fooled or full of honor? The one who is full of
		

			Subhana Allah mercy, the one who's full of all the greatest of qualities, how can you be deceived
regarding this creator of yours? How can you turn away from your Creator? The one who has made you
the one who has fashioned you the one who has given you your identity? You know, the identity we
have? Who gave it to us? It was Allah subhanho wa Taala he chose I know you by name, how do I know
your name because I know your face. As soon as I see you from a distance I know Oh, this is so and
so how Allah gift to be able to recognize you imagine if we all had the same face. We would need
number plates. May Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us.
		

			It's a gift of Allah. So Allah subhanho wa Taala tells us in an amazing, unique way, oh man, you
have to worship Me and Me alone. That's the that's the primary duty unto Allah. The first set of
duties is your duty unto Allah, what is the main duty unto Allah and taboo Allah to Shri COVID, a
Hadith of
		

			the Allahu anhu, where the Prophet sallallahu Sallam asks him, Omar, do you know the duty of the
creation towards Allah?
		

			The Prophet sallallahu wasallam responded to the same question that he was asking me, Japan, he
says, to worship him without associating partners with him, that is your primary test on Earth.
		

			It is one of the main things in fact, it is the main thing that you are being tested with when you
come on to the earth. So remember this, my beloved brothers and sisters, your test is to worship
Allah alone, rent the acts of worship to Allah. In the meantime, when you came onto the earth, you
came without anything, you were naked, so was I, who closed you, your parents, if they were not
there, whoever was nearby, they put something on to you, in order to give you the honor, the respect
to distinguish you from the animal, so panela the animals when they're born, what happens? No cow
begins to take a piece of cloth and cover the other cow, it doesn't happen. But human beings, part
		

			of your dignity is to cover you. When you are when you die, what happens, you are covered
Subhanallah, again, you are covered both times by someone else, not you. That's a gift of Allah,
Allah is showing you Oh, man, you are here for a purpose. When you came, you came with nothing,
someone covered you. When you die, you die with nothing, someone will cover you. You go Subhana,
Allah, what happened in the middle, that was your test. That's your examination. When you entered
the school, you knew nothing. In the school, you learned everything, then you have your final
examination, and you have monthly tests and weekly tests that may contribute towards the final
		

			result. But when you graduate from the school, what happens, you just take the results, you take the
results, that's it at the school, they might talk about you, if you were an outstanding student,
they might write your name on one of the boards out there to say in 1999, so and so was there. And
that's what they will say this man was a very brilliant student, but that is not really going to
help you.
		

			It is not going to help you. Unless you have practiced upon what you've learned. I learned
mathematics and come the day of the examination. I know one plus one is two, but purposely I say no,
it's three. And then I start laughing and say that was just a joke. You failed already. Because on
the ground, you need to say the right thing. The same applies with Allah. We know what's right and
wrong. When we were kids. We learned halal Haram, we learned so many things. As we grew older, we
know what is permissible, what will earn the anger of Allah, what is going to end the Wrath of
Allah, we know it. But the sad reality is, we intentionally sometimes go against it. I know that by
		

			me doing this act, I'm going to earn the displeasure of Allah, but I still do the act. Don't be
foolish. My brothers and sisters, Allah loves us enough to say, if you seek forgiveness, I will
still forgive you. Subhana Allah, it reminds me of an examination paper whilst you're writing, and
then you realize a I did the wrong thing. I wrote the wrong thing. You can cross it off. You can ask
for another paper The invigilator will gladly provide you with another paper. You can
		

			The correct answer for as long as you are inside the exam room, the minute you exited the room too
late. So when you die, it's too late. When you are alive, you can ask for another paper clean paper
write the correct answer. Oh, you wrote it wrong the second time. Okay, delete it the second time,
write the correct answer the third time. Yes, that's the way Allah operates. He will give you a
chance upon chance, but you don't know when the bell is suddenly going to ring. You know, recently
we've been having power cuts and you have a power surge. I was explaining death to one of the
youngsters a few days ago and he was telling me how does it feel like to die? I said my son, I have
		

			not yet died. So I cannot explain to you how it will be except from the Quran and the Sunnah.
		

			But Allah subhanho wa Taala says when you believe and you've done good deeds, your death will be
very easy. It's like turning off a switch. The only difference is when you turn off a switch you
know you're turning it off. In this case, it's more like an MC be tripping what happened there was
life and suddenly boom, it's gone. No more life. What happened it was not so painful. It was just
there was no nothing actually was destroyed. The MC be tripped and life came to an end. Electricity
came to an end. That's the same that will happen to us. One day they will be a surge. What's the
surge something happens either it's and this is Allah's mercy to be able to blame something either
		

			it's a heart attack either it's a car crash either it is something either you get burnt, what
happens there is a surge after that mseb trips, you're gone. So Pamela, the appliances, everything
remain in the house, the electricity is not there anymore, you are not there you are gone. May Allah
make it easy for us on that day. This was just a little example. But the primary duty unto Allah is
to worship Allah alone. Worship Allah, Allah, make sure you fulfill your duties unto Allah. It is
called Allah, the rights of Allah. When Allah tells you to do something, make sure you do it. When
Allah tells you to abstain from something, make sure you abstain from it so that you can earn the
		

			mercy of Allah keep on asking him when you do a good deed or banner Taco Bell Minh in
		

			the semi onlinee Oh Allah accepted from us. I did the good deed. I read my Salah, I read my Quran I
fasted I gave my Zakat I went for Hajj, I went for ombre, Oh Allah accepted from me. The acceptance
is more important than anything else. If you did it correctly for the for the right reasons with the
correct intention. Allah will accept it but ask Allah to accept it. So everything good you do, don't
just feel good about it and say, right, that's me. I'm a big man. No, no. You need to ask Allah to
accept it. First of all, Ibrahim alayhis salam and his son Ismail Alayhi Salam were instructed to
build the Kaaba by Allah subhanho wa Taala when they completed it, the Quran Surah Baqarah. This is
		

			where the verse comes. He says after he fulfilled the instruction of a lot to him to build the
house. Oh Allah, we've now built the house accepted from us. Subhan Allah for indeed you are all
hearing you are all knowing.
		

			So when you do a good deed, ask Allah to accept it. When you do something for Allah. ask Allah to
accept it and ask Allah to forgive your shortcomings or to Ballina in
		

			Rahim. Oh Allah, forgive us, you are indeed to rob, what's the meaning of the web?
		

			The web refers to two things. The term Toba means two things it means to return to Allah and for
Allah it means to accept the forgiveness. So when you say to one who turns to Allah subhanho wa
Taala. And when you say mantapa tabela Allah, whoever seeks the forgiveness of Allah whoever returns
to Allah, Allah will forgive him. The same word is used Dabba and taba. So it means both things
depending on the context. When you use taba, referring to Allah, it means the acceptance of the Toba
when you use taba referring to human beings, it means to return to Allah in forgiveness, seeking
forgiveness. So, this is why we always say, Oh Allah, forgive us, for indeed you are the acceptor of
		

			forgiveness. You are the one who accepts forgiveness, not once. So many times.
		

			Allah says to those who know the Arabic language, they know that there is emphasis, the wow is
doubled. And there is an emphasis it's called keyed in the Arabic language for a reason to show you
that it happens often.
		

			This is a reason Subhanallah so when Allah says Tao, it means he forgives you once. That's not one
of his names. It is one of
		

			the worshiper of the one who always forgives much
		

			One time, every time so my brothers and sisters Don't lose hope in the mercy of Allah subhanho wa
Taala Don't lose hope in the mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala seek His forgiveness, worship Him
alone, always look at how shape man is trying to trap you because shape and his job is to trap.
That's what shape man's job is. So it's like a multiple choice. And I've said this before as well,
where you have a question, one plus one. I said it last week, if I'm not mistaken, one plus one
equals a two, B three,
		

			c zero, you got to choose a B or C shaytan keeps on telling you a it see it see. And you know, a, it
is a not B or C it is a I know I learned it. But shaytan convinces you know I'm telling you, there's
a new technology out it's no longer two. It's something advanced just like zero, you get it right.
When you write zero, you fake. That's what shaytan does to us. When it comes to sim you know what's
wrong. You know, this is going to earn the displeasure of Allah but chances Hang on, don't worry,
it's okay. You know, allies will give you sometimes this is what a man does. Don't worry one time,
right? It has a disastrous effect upon us, my brothers, my sisters.
		

			But I want to go on to the second set of duties that we have the first one, the duties unto Allah, I
spoke about the primary duty unto Allah to worship Him alone, without associating partners with him.
Allah alone deserves all acts of worship. So shaytan will come and try and make you render an act of
worship to someone else to something else. Be careful, keep on asking yourself, Am I involved in any
way? In schilke? In association of partners with Allah, why do I need to keep on asking myself that
question, because that is the main thing that shaytan will trap you buy. That is the main objective
of your creation on earth is to ensure that you worship Allah alone, right at the beginning. Surah
		

			Al Baqarah, the first instruction Allah gives men Allah says, Yeah, I saw a Buddha by como la de
holla Kaku Oh, people worship, you're up who created you? don't worship anything else, obviously,
worship, you're up who created you? So once I've worshipped Allah and I make sure that Allah
subhanho wa Taala definitely, indeed is being worshipped alone, I need to realize there is another
set of duties, what are those set of duties? I have fulfilled my duty unto my maker.
		

			Now, my maker has made other creatures besides me, the same maker.
		

			If your father has other children besides you, what do they become? your brothers, your sisters,
right? How because they are linked to you via a parent. When Allah has created other creatures, he
created them for a purpose.
		

			The purpose is to test you through the rest of the creatures that you will interact with throughout
your little test. Subhana Allah, so I fulfill my duty unto Allah as my maker, and I have to fulfill
my duty unto the rest of the creatures of the same maker, because they were made by the same Allah.
Today when we sit, we feel entitled, every one of us thinks I am me. And it is I. That's what we
think right now you're sitting, you are important to yourself, very important to yourself, but you
become a winner. When you start thinking the man next to me is equally important. That's when you
are a winner. Because then you start realizing that I'm not the only one here my life on earth is
		

			very short. I come here and I will be known for something and I will leave this is why the one who
cheats The one who deceives the one who has bad deeds. The Hadith says on the Day of Judgment, they
will each have a flag. What is the flag has he heard the two Fulani boo Fulani?
		

			This person? What is this flag? This flag is the deception of that man son of that man, which means
by name you are known for what you really achieved on Earth. You are a big deceiver. So now on the
Day of Judgment, you are known as the deceiver, you are a liar. So on the Day of Judgment, you are
known as a liar, so panela remember this, you know it's easy for me and you to call each other
liars. That means nothing. But what really means something when Allah declares someone a liar, then
the game is over. May Allah forgive us
		

			in rajala, like you ever been in the Leica daban, a person who lies begins to believe the lies and
begins to forget the truth in such a way that a lot declares his name as a liar, it's over his brain
shuts down to the truth, complete shutdown. He doesn't know it is closed and switched off. And he
begins to believe in reality that voila, he loves him. This thing is the truth yet it is a lie.
		

			Why? Because the Hadith says when a man is satisfied with his falsehood, he is written by Allah.
		

			by the law he's written in with Allah subhanho wa Taala. As a liar, the door is closed. May Allah
subhanho wa Taala not do that to us. So on the Day of Judgment, the door is definitely closed,
because people will have their flags the question I have for myself and yourselves. Powerful
question, serious question. And voila, it is no joke. We are now aging. We are becoming older and
older, closer to our graves as the days pass. We're lucky. The question is, what would you like to
be known as on the day of judgment? That's the question. I repeat the question on the day of
judgment in front of Allah subhanho wa Taala. What do you want to be known as, work towards that?
		

			work towards it? If you work towards it, trust me, Allah will grant you that. But if you defy, and
if you deny, and if your ego disallows you from turning back, then remember, it is none other than
you to blame for Allah yellowman nafsa. The Hadith says, Whoever sees anything besides goodness,
they can only blame themselves, they can only blame themselves. So my brothers and sisters, you have
a duty unto your brothers and sisters who are next to you, your brothers and sisters across the
globe. The other creatures have Allah the trees, the plants, the animals, the dogs, the pigs,
everything, Allah made it for a purpose. Do you know as Muslims, we know the regulations regarding
		

			pig, pork, bacon, whatever else, we know how we become very, very. What can I say? We become very
protective over ourselves when there is association with May Allah grant us all honor and dignity
association with a pig. So someone say no, no, no, no, no pig, not at all. Please don't, you know,
don't do this. And I won't associate myself. But remember one thing, as much as a pig is considered
the way it is considered in Islam. We are not allowed to suddenly just harm the pig. As a result of
that. You see a pig, you start throwing stones? No, that is haram. The pig has a liver, the pig has
lungs, the pig has a soul that soul was created by the same creator who created your soul? Have you
		

			thought of it that way? The answer is, oh,
		

			well, it's the first time I'm looking at it that way, the dog, the dog out there that we throw
stones at now the builder, may Allah protect us from doing that. It's wrong because the same Allah
maker who made you and me what law he think about it, he made the dog he gave the dog a soul. The
dog was also born just like you were born, the pig was also born just like you were born at the test
is encapsulated in a specific set of rules. And that is you won't consume you won't touch etc, etc.
Did Allah say just go and do as you please start throwing stones and harm and kill letting cry that
no way? No way. Not at all. Even when you are, for example, getting rid of rodents or something that
		

			is a nuisance. You need to do it in the most respectful way, knowing Oh Allah with your permission,
and getting rid of this.
		

			When you are sacrificing slaughtering an animal for consumption to eat, you have a duty unto the
cow, you have a duty unto the sheep, what is the duty you need to use the most humane, the most
simple, the quickest way of
		

			taking the life of that animal, because it has rights that you need to fulfill. So panela the
animals. So this is why we say we talk about Coco Cola, when we talk about a Coco a body, we talk
about the rights of Allah, the rights of the worshipers, the others who are around you, you don't
deceive them, you don't cheat them, you don't steal from them, you don't lie about them, you you
honor them, you you make sure that you protect them, you lend help you lend assistance, you know,
today, a lot of us are going through various struggles, because the situation not only here, but
across the globe is a little bit tough. Do you know that if you cannot help someone,
		

			the biggest thing you can do, don't harm them.
		

			That is the biggest gift. There was a time when people used to say, Oh, this guy is my friend. Why?
Because you know, he helps me. My brother, Allah is the one who gave you that. If yes, you respect
them, you honor them, but you need to know the limits of that relationship to you know, a man who is
a murderer. You cannot support him simply because he helps you know, you have to understand your
duty unto the rest of the creatures of Allah stand up for justice for the sake of Allah, not for the
sake of a hand that feeds you know, for the sake of Allah because if Allah once the tables will turn
and they can turn and what happened
		

			You're stuck on the Day of Judgment with a flag saying a man who stood up for injustice solely
because there was a hand that fed him. Allah forgive us. May Allah grant us a lesson and an
understanding. This is why we say my brothers and sisters,
		

			there was a time when we used to say this man is good, he helped me law he The Times have changed.
This man is brilliant because he does not harm me. That's where we are today. And I consider my best
friends, those who have not harmed me, I don't need your help. I just need you not to harm me. Leave
me alone. That's all. All of you would agree with the same thing I'm saying because life has
changed, where people are looking how to harm this man. You see a person driving a beautiful
vehicle. First thing, this man must be doing drugs man. Why say that? If you kept quiet, you are an
honorable person. You are honorable leave him did he steal from you? The answer is no. Well then do
		

			your thing. Subhana Allah Subhana Allah May Allah subhanahu wa taala grant us a beautiful
understanding. My time is up my brothers and sisters, but this is a beautiful topic I thought of
touching on to say we have two primary duties that towards our maker, and that towards the rest of
the creatures of the same maker, starting with mankind. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us
goodness May Allah make us the best of people. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us the best of the
dunya and the Akira May we become closer to Allah subhanho wa Taala may love and unity spread in our
community and in all other communities and depalma at large, may we embrace one another with justice
		

			for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala in a way that will please Allah such that our problems of
the dunya and the archaea are resolved simply by the pleasure of Allah subhanho wa Taala akuto Kohli
has also sallahu wa salam ala nabina Muhammad