Mufti Menk – Enslaved by Choices

			Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi
		

			wabarakatuh
		

			In the name of Allah, most Gracious, Most Merciful All praise is due to Allah Subhana Allah to
Allah, Lord of the worlds I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah. And I
bear witness that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is his final messenger and prophet may Allah
subhanho wa Taala bless every single one of us brothers and sisters in Islam, the choices we make in
our lives, shape up, where we end up May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for us to make the
correct choices. We'd like to take a look at what the Quran says regarding these choices, and draw a
few lessons for the practical day to day living of ours. Firstly, it sort of comes Allah subhanho wa
		

			Taala makes it very clear, he says, What Boolean formula means.
		

			mean? Woman
		

			sent me an amazing verse, Allah says, tell them all Muhammad Sallallahu Sallam The truth is from
your Lord. The truth is come down. The Deen has come down the Quran has come down justice has come
down what is right and wrong has been shown to you. When he says whoever wills from amongst you,
baby
		

			and whoever worlds from amongst you. disbelief, love. Imagine Allah is giving a person the option
and saying do what you want to do what your choice tells you to do. But it is not loose ended. Allah
warns us to say that consequence of your choice, you are enslaved by
		

			you know what this means. I might be free to make a decision what to do how fast or slow to Dr.
Mandela protect all of us what to do in terms of business or anything, we will go through a few
examples in a few moments. That choice is mine, I can feel it. If you want to stand up now and walk
out go elsewhere. It's your choice. If you've got the guts and courage, you may get up and walk out
loud. But whether or not the consequence of that will be within your control is definitely a
different question. Something else? So this is why after saying tell them the truth is from your
Lord, it's been revealed it's been made clear, it's up to you now to recognize it or to let go of
		

			it, to accept it or to reject it. Then he says immediately after that, in
		

			a house.
		

			What a powerful verse he says again, we have thereafter prepare the fire for the oppressors.
		

			simple logic, Allah says, We sent down the goodness you choose to believe you choose to disbelieve,
if you believe you will get to know what will happen as a result consequence of your choice. And if
you disbelieve, Allah says we prepared for those who oppress those who have done wrong, those who
have made the wrong choices in life, a fire that will be around them in the way they won't be able
to get away from it. It is going to encompass them completely. So this is why Allah is warning us to
say you have a choice to make. Make it wisely. This actually seeps into every aspect of my life and
yours, you have a choice. Are you lazy, would you like to get up or not? If you get up in the
		

			morning for Salah they will be a result of that choice of yours. And you've chosen in a way that you
were lazy and you decided okay, I'm not getting up, you will have to pay for it at some stage.
Remember, every action has a reaction. You need to know this. There is no ways that we can say okay,
I'm free, free will. People today think or a person is free to choose whether he wants to marry the
same * or opposite * as little love. That's the way people are talking. They call it a freedom.
		

			We say the consequence of your choice. You shall be enslaved by coolness, you have
		

			a barrier in some form or a tip of our own movie boo ha This is something amazing. Every person
shall go you are going to go I'm going to go You have a choice. I have a choice. Your choice will
either enslave you or set you free.
		

			Even in business, let's give you that example. You are worth $50,000 for example, and that's the
entire worth you are you don't have much to juggle with and you need to make a decision to invest if
you are going to you know
		

			Be What can I say, affected by a Ponzi scheme or a scam? And you're attracted by this pyramid scam
and scheme, and you are going to, for example, put your money in that whose fault is it low, but you
are the one who enslaved yourself by that decision. Don't come in now say hey, it's your fault, you
stole my money, but hang on the decision you made to give that money in that direction. Surely you
are part and parcel of, you know the the system of blame that may Allah Subhana Allah, Allah protect
us, Who told you to make that decision. So you will free to make a choice to not blame others for
the choice you made, you will pay for it, or you will reap the fruit of it. May Allah benefit all of
		

			us.
		

			A very, very powerful decision on the social front that shapes up even your spirituality is your
choice of marriage, do you know that we need to talk about it, because when you choose to marry
someone, that choice of yours will shape the rest of your future in a great way, in a very great
way. Your choice of a spouse and yeah, I know people are looking at me because they're telling
themselves about Wow, I'm already married here.
		

			Shall Allah make it easy for us? We're talking here for those who have not yet made decisions. And
even if you've made decisions, there's always ways they are always you know, different paths that
you could follow to improve which Allah but if you are unmarried, and you just look at the next
prettiest person around or good looking and a person who's wealthy perhaps so here are they, if
that's your decision, believe me, you are enslaved by the consequences of your decision totally.
Your life might head into spirituality or in another direction, you might lead a life of bliss and
joy because you made a good decision based on being you know, someone who was cultured with religion
		

			who was ready to sacrifice, Mashallah, now you will enjoy the fruit of it in that particular
direction. But when you made the decision to get married, for example, to someone who could not lift
a spoon to save their lives, then hamdulillah it's your choice. Now you are enslaved by that
particular choice. Now you need to do the lifting of the spoons, may Allah protect us, really not
God does goodness. This is why it's important for the young to know that do not be
		

			attracted by that which is not really a good quality, that which is not really something worth dying
for all with many in someone for. Because if that's the type of choice you've made, think very
deeply, you will have children. If for example, your wife might not be a person who is inclined to
the deal at all. How do you expect those children now to grow up one day you will become 4550. You
sit back and relax, look at your children, look at your wife, scratch your head and start saying Yo,
I made the wrong decision here. Now Allah protect us. This is why we are taught, think very
carefully in advance and tell yourself, I'm going to make a choice. A choice is mine. You can fight
		

			your parents, you can fight everybody else, this is my choice of a spouse, nobody at the end of the
day will be able to block you and stop you because it's your life. But your own choice, you shall be
enslaved by its consequences. What comes thereafter? Only Allah knows, may Allah protect us. That's
just one thing we made mention of let's talk of another important aspect. As parents, those of us
who have children whom we send to schools, do you know that the type of school you choose to send
your child to will determine a lot of the future of that child? Did you ever know that? Do you think
that your choice of a school will not enslave the child you are imposing on the child to mix with
		

			people who may be a very low morals, who may not be people who even bother have their clean speech,
and when you expect your child to come home and not sweat, and you expect your child to come home
and not have dirty ideas, but it was your choice. So this is why we say choose wisely. Starting from
your theme. We spoke about Sinatra and federal going down. Let's speak about something else which is
spiritually it is your choice to repent from a sin that might be your bad habit and to do it
quickly. It's your choice.
		

			Allah did not hold a gun to your head and say, engage in Toba. He did not do that. But you might die
now why it's committing the sin or what's not having repented from it. When only Allah knows what's
going to happen Allah forgive us all. So the choice is yours. Do you want to turn now or do you want
to just hold on and say relax? You know what? I'm still young. I haven't even had a pacemaker put
in. I'm not yet unhealthy and fit, I can still bounce around. Let me just do a little bit more
inshallah, one day we'll see when we want to tell if that's the case, you're using your choice very,
very unwisely. Because Allah has given you good health. It's about time you try
		

			To thank Allah, like we say every action has a reaction. When you insult Allah, Allah Subhana, Allah
to Allah will give you a little bit of time. That's because He is merciful. When you have a big man,
he didn't want to see what happens to you. If you're not on the ground in a second, believe me that
man is not a man.
		

			Everyone has some form of muscle dignity, you know, you insult someone in public, if he's a strong
man, he will make sure he sought you out immediately. That's what will happen. or somehow somewhere
down the future, you've had a level of mental advantage, goodness, imagine playing games with Allah.
It's only that He is merciful, that he allows us this chance. And he tells us you know what you did
X, Y, and Z in terms of evil, which was unacceptable. We're going to give you a short period of time
before we overtake you with punishment. So now he gives you two years for example, to be pinned.
This is just an example. Sometimes it's shorter than that. Sometimes it's longer than that. So you
		

			can be enjoying life for 20 years. You still drinking you still clubbing? When is that going to
stop? You're still going gambling you still opressing your wife you still you know cheating doing
this? When is it going to stop unless Do you want to ask to inflict you with a disease before you
turn by that time dpv you know the choice you made will now have come to haunt you in such a big way
that it compelled you to turn that to is part of the mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala but if you are
sharp and intelligent, you will know let me get close to my makeup. What hasn't he given me we have
food we have security we have weather the weather in this country Believe me is unmatched. Go to the
		

			other places of the globe you will see either humidity or heat or extreme cold or snow Mashallah.
		

			And here we have some heinola throughout the year acceptable weather as a result, what do we do? We
tend to disobey Allah is it fair? No Salah for the last 10 years, how can that be, we only come for
Juma and that too. We arrive late if you are not going to use your choice of cutting your job at 12
o'clock and making an effort to get to the masjid before everybody else. It's not going to happen.
We spoke about it. I think it was last week or the previous week. How important it is to fight
yourself. Here we are speaking about fighting yourself to make the right choice.
		

			And the same applies my brothers and sisters Let me tell you when you are fulfilling your Salah it
is your choice how quick you want to get done with it. Or if you want to treat it like an act of
worship. Believe me, it's about time we began to improve everyone myself included. Myself included
definitely. I need to slow down my Salah must be calm, relax, it's my choice. There will come a day
when I will not be able to fulfill a sajida because of my health they will come a day. And when that
day comes, I need to sit back and tell myself yeah Allah when you gave me the ability to make such
that I made it. I thank you to give me the good direction to use my choice in a proper way. And this
		

			is why in the Quran, Allah warns us and this verse should bring tears to our eyes. Allah says
		

			yo Mio
		

			una elasto God Fela is
		

			Kashyap.
		

			So God.
		

			Allah says on that day, the day in the hereafter Allah will call the people to prospect to Him
alone, say prospect to me now. And some people their backs will be straightened they won't be able
to move and others will prostrate. And they will be looking for why can't we move with our backs or
straighten and Allah says in the Quran that is because when they had the choice, they did not do the
such that today they are unable to because we took that away from them.
		

			So Allah telling us on that day, they will look embarrassed, they will be black and they will be so
embarrassed that they would have hoped they did not exist. Imagine a love your maker, calling you in
front of Allah in front of creation on that day to make such that to him. Alan says this, those who
are not used to making that search that in this world that backs will be strengthened they won't be
able to bend nothing. Why can't you bend Allah says that they can offer you the honor to God for
whom Sally moon they are the people who used to be called to make such that when they were healthy.
They did not make it today, when they use their choice very badly in the past. We are not going to
		

			allow them to bend we don't need that frustration from them. When I prostrate to Allah or you
prostrate to Allah, the honor is mine. Not Alas, the honor is mine.
		

			I'm frustrated to Allah. I am so lucky, I am fortunate to be guided to use my choice in the right
direction. I've always said brothers and sisters, so behind Allah, Allah, that's what we say in
sajida. minimum. If you are sending it three times, increase it two more times to five, is it hard?
It's not difficult. increase it a few more times, concentrate slowly and come up on that day of
judgment when you are called to such that perhaps you might be the first one who's able to go down
because you used to enjoy it. So ask yourself, Am I enjoying worshiping Allah? Or do I take it as a
burden? If I take it as a burden, it's about time to change direction in life and look at Allah as
		

			your Creator and maker whom You will never be able to do without no life. Now, Allah subhanho wa
Taala, grant us goodness. So this type of choice of fulfilling your Salah on time of reading, and
you had free time, for example, how did you choose it? How did you choose to utilize it should I say
if you chose to utilize your free time by sitting and watching movies, or the people are leaving the
real life outside? You know, this is what happens. If you have chosen your free time to sit and
perhaps you know backbite about others, you've used it wrongly that choice will come back to haunt
you one day, how does that haunt us? It will haunt us in the following way. They have fierman we
		

			come and suddenly they you know, we've got a lot of good deeds, maybe salah and Sokka and all the
deeds are being taken account of and then they will come a line of people and they want to see you
Why do they want to see you we need to do a bit of dealing here. What do you when you were
backbiting about us and now we are here to take your good deeds away, you pay
		

			so now your Salah I was there for fudger every day, let's come to x and you know what I gave zecca
of X amount it's one two y
		

			and I fulfill the Hajj it's gone to zero. And you know what the alphabet started at eight we only
mentioned X, Y and Z Allahu Akbar.
		

			If that's the case, the Hadith says such a person, the way they use their choices during their life
has resulted in the loss of all their deeds the Quran makes mention of it.
		

			And the Hadith makes mention of it. So panela such that they will have no more good deeds and they
will still be some people waiting for justice. So Allah subhanho wa Taala will say no operation
today, take some of your bad deeds give it to him, because now we are doing a barter deal. That day
Allah says Yo man, I am
		

			Jonah
		

			uttama
		

			Salim serving on that day, your wealth and your children, they cannot help you. You know today, you
have a problem. Someone swears you and your child comes in my dad alone, because nowadays the
children are bigger than their fathers. And we noticed that Mashallah huge kids bigger than us.
Mashallah. So they'll come in, watch out. In fact, people want to tell you something, they look at
your sentences, because they know they can say anything here.
		

			And another thing the person is extremely wealthy, he thinks he can get anything done in this world.
I got my money. Believe me, there's no bribery in the art. Nothing. Nobody's gonna ask your kid give
me a tenant in my hand, and I'll set you up no more than nothing like that. So unless there's no
Well, no children, nothing will happen to your heart. If your heart is clean, pure. Without
synchronous. saline means healthy, you're spiritually good. In that case, you will enjoy that day.
But imagine you'll enjoy that day, walking straight through the green route. Even if anyone were to
ask you what's going on. You can tell them come check, see my DS, here's my book. And these are all
		

			my deeds, I got it on my right hand and I'm happy I'm walking out who may Allah grant that to us. So
Allah says, You want that book, you need to make the right choices here in this world, brothers and
sisters life is so short. The other day I read an article of someone who said maybe oxygen is so
poisonous that it killed the person within 70 years. I sat down I thought of it and look at how they
worded it. Maybe oxygen is so poisonous that it kills a person within 70 years, because it makes you
age and it makes you do this. And I told myself Say what you want, think how you want the truth is
you are going to die. And so am I allowed? Whether you were breathing nitrogen or anything else, you
		

			are still going to die. So what we are saying is the winner is the one who knows I need to prepare
for that eternal life because people who have gone have gone for longer than they had lived. Have
you thought of that? If your life is 40 years, 50 years, there are people who've died 4000 years
we've gone over there somewhere. I need to prepare for the day. If this life was everything we were
supposed to live for. Do you know that it would have been much more enjoyable than it actually is
right now. If this life
		

			Was everything we were created for. We would all be flying on gold carpets to Panama, everybody
would be wealthy because Allah says okay, once you do your good deed, go and enjoy it straightaway.
Because this is all you have. The fact that when you are a solid movement, your life is still tough,
that on its own is evidenced that there is some way you are going to go to be paid for what you did.
Going back to the topic, your choice needs to be made correctly, the payment of that choice of yours
is coming May Allah subhanahu wa taala strengthen us and may make us from people who can read the
Quran, who can understand it, who can adopt it, and who can read the tsunami, Bahamas all of a
		

			sudden increase our knowledge make the right choices in life. Wherever we have made the wrong
choices, we can always come and make amends inshallah engage in a lot of ecfr because that is by far
one of the biggest and best ways of spending your time repent to Allah telling him 1000 times a day,
a million times a day as many times a day I still feel loving aku COVID