Friday Jumu’ah Lecture from Masjid Quwwatul Islam on Upton Lane, East London, UK
Mufti Menk – Extravagance!
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Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah who Allah Allah He was happy.
We praise Allah subhanho wa Taala we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah, to bless them all. And we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to bless every single one of us to I mean,
my brothers and sisters in Islam, every one of us is looking for what we term risk or sustenance.
Risk is predestined by Allah subhanho wa Taala, he has already written how much you're going to get. He has already written what you will get what you will achieve through what you get, and so on.
That does not mean that we should not make an effort because we don't know. Sometimes people say, If Allah knows who is going to heaven, and who is going to *, who is going to Agenda who is going to jahannam? What's the point of me doing things? One simple answer is because you don't know. Simple, nothing else. So the fact that you don't know you need to work, that's all. The same applies to sustenance, Allah has written, you will get 2 million pounds, don't worry. But when someone says Don't worry, it does not mean that they can sit back at home because they don't know they're going to get 2 million pounds, you have no guarantee you for you. You don't have a guarantee, meaning you
don't know what Allah has written. Whoever tells you things and they say that Allah will take care of you. You don't know whether that will be through what is termed ease for you or difficulty for you. But in the eyes of Allah, it was always better for you. Because the Hadith says Agia polyamory more meaning for a number of hula hula who have the affairs of a true believer. Amazing. Because everything that happens they it's always good for him. If something hard comes in his direction he bears suffer. So the reward of the summer was so big that he got generally in return, it was better for him. And sometimes there was something good that happened he made sure he thanks Allah so that
thankfulness and gratitude is better for him. How is thankfulness better? How do we thank Allah we think Allah by obeying His commands, you No one needs to say oh ally Thank you, but you keep on committing Zina. You keep on committing different sins. You keep on going to the clubs you keep on doing that, which is totally unacceptable. And you say like Alhamdulillah Shukria wa Jalla Jalla Luke, that's not good enough. Why? Because you are being a hypocrite. How can you say with your tongue Alhamdulillah and do with your organs, something that is our all to build a stone for Allah? May Allah subhanho wa Taala protect us so the point I'm raising is everything is destined but
because you don't know what that destiny is. You have to work hard hard. The Hadith says is Allah and Phalke work hard to achieve what you believe is beneficial for you. Work hard to achieve it and Allah will then open the doors. So when you work hard, Allah will give you may Allah subhanho wa Taala bestow upon us that which is the best And may Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us in the dunya and the Hara, that which he knows will be for our success. I mean, so my brothers and sisters, we start earning at an early age we get wealth and hamdulillah and after some time we start thinking let me settle down, let me get married, Mashallah, we will be witnessing an appreciation of the Nika
after this Salah to Juma and the brothers are all invited to actually take part in to witness it, because it is soon to be a witness of appreciation of nikka for many reasons, one of them is to encourage you who are not married to say get married to is to remind those who are married to say I was very happy one day, why am I not that happy? Let me go back and see and try and resolve the matter and to give the opportunity to those who are even happier than the day they were married to thank Allah subhanho wa Taala because that has become rare these days. May Allah Subhana Allah Allah bless us. So my brothers and sisters, as we grow older, we get married Mashallah
there comes responsibility with marriage, very big responsibility. One of those responsibilities is a financial responsibility.
whereby you provide for the home view, you make sure that that is your house nowadays, and I know in UK in particular, and in a lot of the Western nations, life has become so difficult, and life has become so challenging that both husband and wife have to work in order to survive. That's what's happening because of how expensive life has become. If that is the case they need to be an underwriter.
There needs to be respect and they need to be a lot of given take. However, remember one thing and that's the topic that I want to talk about today. Save yourself from wastefulness. Save yourself from extravagance.
Save yourself from spending money where you do not need to spend. And make sure in the same way you want to see luxury and goodness in the dunya you should be bothered about your luxury in the grave. You should be bothered about your heating system in the grave. When I talk of the heating system here in the UK because we're in the middle of winter right now. That's why I'm saying heating system. You might be surprised I don't want heat in my grave. But if it is absolutely frozen like the weather is today, for example, for me, it is something that we don't see in Africa.
But let's say air conditioning, you are worried about your air conditioning in the grave, you need to do something about it. You need to do something about it. So if for example it was very cold here, someone would say turn on the air conditioning unit. We want it to be a little bit warmer. And if it was very warm, we would say turn on the air conditioning unit. We want it to be cooler. Someone has to pay the bill here.
This is the house of Allah subhanho wa Taala who's going to pay the bill. It's a question isn't it? Well law he if you were charged one pound for every such that you made it is cheap, very cheap. You walked into the house of Allah subhanho wa Taala you utilize the water you put your shoes they you came in you came you set in a beautiful place there is a lovely carpet one such that is more valuable than any amount of money do you agree? Okay, let's give you a discount, not 1%
one pound per Salah that you made in the masjid put it into the box then give it to someone say look this is something you don't need to say anything put it why because I'm using the facility. One pound per Salah Is that too much? One pound for every Salah who some of the young people are looking at me You mean five pounds a day Hello a cover Okay, we give you a discount even beyond that. One pound a day. One pound a day 20 p per Salah. You read it in the in the house of Allah you are not giving this man or that man making the Imam rich No, the money goes to the upkeep of the machine and for various other good activities that are done. Are you ready? But when it comes to the restaurant,
you will go in 50 pounds Mashallah we had a beautiful meal you didn't think of it, you had cholesterol, food, whatever else it was and you still paid for it out of the villa Subhana Allah, Allah Allah mean, I'm not saying that's wrong to enjoy yourself one in a once in a while, but I'm only trying to show you how we as human beings, we prioritize wrongly enjoy once in a while. But remember, the bigger enjoyment will be the food of the era. Imagine in general fear those
imagined in general fear those if you will actually be given by Allah subhanho wa Taala some food of Jenna.
Imagine
if someone told you the best food in London is at this place, and you know what come and we will give you free food or a discount Subhan Allah or even if you were to pay for it, but at least you'll enjoy good food. Once in a while, you're going to say yes, let's go and spoil ourselves. You know, food is such a lie. As soon as you put it in your mouth, nobody else will take it from you. It's over, it's gone. Even you won't want to eat again. If it was to be removed and kept for a little while. You won't want to eat that food. Why? That's the nature of food Allah is showing you the minute you put it in your mouth, the game is over. Unless obviously it's a little child and you're
trying to soften something nowadays, even the children won't take it from your mouth. Your wife won't take it from your mouth anymore. May Allah forgive us.
So once it goes in, it's gone. But when it comes to Allah subhanho wa Taala my brothers, my sisters, the gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala is the success of the Hara. It is a gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala It is amazing. It is unique. It is something that Allah has blessed us with.
But in order to achieve that, we have a good cause that we need to spend in. We have a good cause that we need to seek the gentleness that Allah has prepared through. It's a good cause. So getting back to the marriage,
several types of people in marriage, those who are so miserly, so stingy that even necessity they don't want to purchase. They don't want to spend on that which is necessary. You we don't spend on but I'm sitting with a fat bank account. I have a lot of money. But I am stingy. I am miserly. Do you know that when you spend the Hadith says the best
amount you can spend on his own your own family to start with halaal my family I am responsible it is for line, it is my duty for not just for on one person, two people, everyone, it is for have upon you to take care of those who are your dependents, you need to you must well make it easy for us.
So don't be wasteful. But at the same time, don't be so stingy, miserly, such that the people are looking at you, they are struggling and suffering and you just gathering a bank balance, learn to spend, that is a sign of goodness, it's a sign that you understand that when sustenance comes in, I need to give. This is why in Islam, when you have a mess, the wealth you need to pay this occur.
But if you have put it into something, sometimes you don't have to pay anything because I bought, for example, a car, I bought a house, I bought a piece of clothing, we are going to use it perhaps etc. There is no sucker on your assets just like that No zakka is on your stock, the car is on that which you've amassed and kept. The car is on your cash at hand that which you are holding, that's what the car is on. But my clothing I'm wearing, do I need to say okay, how what's the value of this? What's the value of that? the mercy of Allah says no, no, no, when you spend it, it's okay we acknowledge it's gone. Subhana Allah, Allah, Allah mean. So that is an encouragement to say give and
spend. If you want to amass, you need to give the poor, you need to reach out to the poor, why? My brothers and sisters do it as an honor. As an honor. You know, we have people of other faiths, and I have witnessed this myself, they give 10% of their salary every month 10% salary comes in, it's gone. The Muslims are asked for two and a half percent not of their salary of a specific portion of their wealth that they have saved or held in stock, etc. per annum, per year. And that too, if we were to give it correctly, we would alleviate the suffering of all the Muslims across the globe.
And people have worked this out, you can go and check, we would have billions of dollars and pounds, if it is utilized correctly. And we all give it with an honor. We can help in a big way. The difficulty is we become miserly, give more than two and a half, two and a half belongs to Allah for every 100 pounds he gives you For example, every 100 pounds he gives you have you actually have to give two and a half pounds change. So 97 and a half is yours. The other two and a half is not even yours. If it came in your kitty, you owe it you have to give it back that two and a half you have to give it back. It's not yours. It is property that belongs to someone else. That's what it is. So
don't think you're doing yourself a favor when you're just giving the change back It is a form of Yes indeed. But for you to get closer to Allah you must give more than just your zaca Look, every act of worship where there is a fourth There is also that which is voluntary. Look at Salah, there is four of Salah after for Salah what is the Sunnah Salah then there is nothing Salah the Hadith says you want to get closer to Allah Yes, you fulfill your forum. But you will get closest to Allah when you do more than the forest considering it an honor. The people who read further and run away perhaps the thought of this done, I cannot deny that but those who want to be closer to Allah, they
will stay behind and say look, I want to do a little bit more Subhana Allah. The same applies with fasting, you have Ramadan, but on top of that you have soon a fast Nuffield fast I told you that every act of worship, the same applies to Hajj you have the hedge that is foreign, you can go again and again you can go for camera which is not foreign, for example. So these are the same similar act of worship but we are increasing because we want to get closeness to Allah subhanho wa Taala Why don't we do that when it comes to our wealth?
Why don't we give much more when it comes to our wealth, you have given two and a half percent. Now you say that is for the czaka I'm giving another 5% 10% etc from myself lilla heater Allah for the sake of Allah, the elderly, those who perhaps are in need, you reach out to them because Allah will reach out to you in your need. For as long as you are reaching out to others in their need, Allah will reach out to you in your need. Now if you take a look at Sora to Lisa and I was looking at the verses just a few moments ago, something very interesting Allah subhanho wa Taala says, what
has gone well miskeen our bonus mean, while I talk about the Jabberwocky in your Surah Surah Allah says give the right and the dues to those who are related to you when you are giving first people you look at those who are related to you within your circles also those who watch you earning
you know you have a big business every day the poor people are passing the street they watch they see what's happening, big business. They feel in the heart A this man's a rich man look we are suffering
If you learn to give Zakat to those in your midst around you and and those who have witnessed and so on who are poor will law when they pass your business they will make dua for you to say Mashallah, there's a small percentage of this business that actually comes to me, Allahu Akbar. So Allah give them more so at least when I have 1%, you know, 1% of 100 is one pound 1% of 100,000 becomes a slightly bigger amount, Mashallah, you know, so this is the thing one of the beauties is to be able to soften the hearts and unite the muslimeen you give those who are in need, they will make dua for you learn to give, even sometimes people who are slightly wealthier, to give a gift is actually a
sooner. Obviously, with a noble intention. If your intention is not normal, it's not a sooner. So you give with a noble intention that you know what, this is the thing I'd like to give you a gift. And the best gift you can give a person is to be sincere to them, to be genuine to them, you need to remember this, to be able to say a good word about someone behind her back or his back is actually better than giving them a bottle of perfume, or something which is physical.
So Allah says, fulfill the rights by giving those who are related to you. And the miskeen Let me skin is the poor person, even noosaville. Those who are perhaps homeless, or those who are
on the road, so to speak, that's the literal translation translation of it those in need, right? Then Allah says, and don't be wasteful on yourself, don't waste spend, but don't waste. If I can sort my job out. For example, with X amount, why do I need to become so extravagant?
A lot of us and this takes us back to the marriage. You get married, and SubhanAllah. The amount of money you spend on clothing is ridiculous. The amount of times you change your shoes and your clothes. And the amount of time that you have the amount of money that you spend on these things is unacceptably high.
And this is becoming a trend especially
amongst our sisters, every function, you need a new set of clothing, every occasion you need something. I would like to class this very close to her I'm very close to her and because it is such a big shame in the waist. You might say, well, it's my money. I can do what I want. No, it's not your money. I'll malamala the wealth belongs to Allah. He gave it to you. He's going to ask you every cent. Where did you get it? Where did you spend it? You're going to tell him? Well, every week I bought a new set of clothing. Did you need it? What was it? Didn't you read my verse? When I told you don't be wasteful? While our two bedroom Villa Why do I see it's close to haram to do that? In
Elmo bad Vereen, aka
equinus Shailene What can I show you pannonia Bianca, for those who are wasteful, they are the brethren of the devil. And indeed, the devil is very ungrateful. So when you waste money, it's a sign of ingratitude to Allah
Subhana Allah so you might say, so what should I do with my money, don't be wasteful. If you don't need to change your set of clothing don't and if you are giving away your old clothes, then by all means, you may get more clothing. But the problem is we're lucky if we go to our closets in our homes, there is not enough space in the house to keep your clothes and your shoes and your perfumes your dressing table cannot take the amount of ether and perfume that you have. I challenge you my brothers and sisters for the sake of Allah to go home today and clean out half of that and give it free civilian law. I challenge you and earn your gender. Earn your paradise. When you die, they will
do it anyway. Do it while you're alive. When you die and they do it anyway. You get no reward for it because that was a waste.
Do it while you're alive. There are brothers and sisters of ours nearby who are homeless who are struggling. They've got nothing to wear. And here we are every day changing our clothing. How are we not ashamed of this?
When you have a function, be happy and proud to wear the same clothing until that clothing becomes unwearable, nothing wrong set a new trend. We are mostly mean why do we need to set the trend of competition that you know what I need a new set every time there are people who have made marriage so expensive that customer bill bait, people are taking bank loans in order to be able to have a wedding that they are lying they could afford
custom and the marriages are broken before the bank loan is paid back. Well lucky.
You can hear the passion in my voice. It is a sickness, it is a disease we need to talk about it.
And I challenge you because you will be asked by Allah subhanho wa Taala
Have a simple wedding have a simple nikka you don't you wear the best of your clothes. The hottest never said we're in new clothes. No, we're even on eat the Hadid says the best of your clothes on a Joomla if we had it our way we would buy be buying new clothes every Friday just as well. Subhan Allah, the masjid is the way it is May Allah forgive us
and go and check the boxes at the back empty.
Go and see what comes in front of us about the coin few a little bit here and they we spent so much. I'm not talking about that which as far as I'm not denying, we probably are giving that which is far up. But I'm saying look at how we're spending we want luxury only in the dunya kettlebell to him boon Allah g la una. Cara indeed ne you love that which is in front of you, but you're forgetting about the Akira.
Forgetting totally, I want good clothing. I don't know I've got 15 minutes to live. That's it.
And I want lovely clothing. It's not wrong to have good clothing, but not at the expense of your camera. How much did you spend for a house that you will live in for eternity? How much time did you spend with Allah, this house here in the dunya people will go and they will take a bond from the banks, they will take whatever else. And we're not going to go into that discussion because you know, there is a discussion regarding it, but it takes you 3040 years to pay in order to live in a house once you've paid it, you're not going to live in it for more than a few more years, then you have to die. Many people die while paying. And the main house that voila, he you have no chance of
actually diving or trying to run away from his debt in the era, but you never paid for it. Every day you pay five times a day for that house, it should be considered an honor and honor. Same way you don't delay when you want to pay a loan. It must be paid on time. When you pay Allah subhanho wa Taala Salah must be on time, then your agenda is being built. Don't be fooled. Don't be fooled by materialism. It has taken us over completely my brothers and sisters. It has taken us over totally and completely. I would have loved to continue but I'm actually just noticing the time. And I remember being told that the other will be called just now. So I don't wish inshallah they will be
more time to speak in the future. At some stage. My brothers and sisters I leave you with one message. Spend in the good cause, learn to spend on your family. But don't be wasteful. Go and sit and read the verses that I read for you so rotten israa, where Allah subhanho wa Taala says you should not be miserly, and you should also not be extravagant, but a true min someone in the middle who knows what to spend, how much to spend, give. I want to end with one quick point. If I give every month for example, 20 pounds to Syria, or to the homeless or I put in the masjid. Every week, I put 20 pounds, you know what Allah is written the sustenance of someone else. Allah has written
the sustenance of someone else through you. Which means if I say I'm going to give every week to the homeless, the homeless, his sustenance is written. We know that who's giving, you're giving. So Allah has to give you to give them you get the point. If you stop, they will still get it from somewhere else. But if you carry on Allah will keep giving you because he knows this is written a lot about what I've said is very powerful. Think about it. I'm ending by just asking you please ponder over these words and learn to be generous. Because the Hadith says mana Kasama alone means sadaqa nobody's wealth has ever depleted as a result of them being charitable akula kolyada or
sallallahu wasallam Allah and Amina Mohammed