Mufti Menk – First Death in My Family

			Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
		

			Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah Allah Allah He was happy,
Germaine, we praise Allah subhanho wa Taala we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah subhanho wa Taala, to bless
them to bless every single one of us and to grant us all goodness, my brothers and sisters,
		

			I bear today some sad news, and some good news. The sad news is that in our community, we have had
the first death due to COVID-19. The Muslim community has been affected by the first death and
indeed that is sad. Why am I saying this? Never in order to make you panic, because there is never
need to panic. Like we said last week, only what Allah has decreed to happen will happen.
		

			But I am saying it in order for us to realize that we have a role to play. That role is simply to
take precautions and to be responsible. We call out to Allah Do you know our lives should be
changing for the better when something like this is actually happening across the globe. If this
pandemic has not brought you to your knees, in rabada, in the worship of Allah, if this pandemic has
not made you regular with your Salah, then definitely you have missed the point. So this is why we
say my brothers, my sisters, if at all, there is something that looks like a calamity, but it made
me a better person in my relationship with Allah, it was a blessing. It can never be a punishment,
		

			anything that happens in your life. If it brought you closer to Allah, I swear by Allah, it was a
great blessing of Allah favor of Allah, even if you lost anything in your life, you went through a
divorce health problem, perhaps you lost your job, the list goes on. If even one inch of improvement
was realized, in your deen in your religion, in your closeness with Allah, you have every reason to
smile, may Allah make us from among those who realize, and if you are a person who has survived, if
you are a person who has been affected and come out, and that's going to be the majority of us, the
vast majority, perhaps 95% may be
		

			it doesn't mean you have a license to be complacent, because there are others who may not survive
it. And due to negligence on your part Subhana Allah, they would have suffered in a greater way. So
this is why we say and I'm repeating it reiterating, simply because, yes, in history, it will go
down to say, we've lost people too.
		

			I give you news of a very close relative of mine in South Africa, whom I consider a grandmother of
mine, very closely related to me, passed away this morning, also due to COVID. May Allah give her
gentle little fair dose? It is hitting home. I'm not saying this for anyone to panic, because trust
me, I know and you know, the majority will actually survive it.
		

			But does that mean as Muslims, we should just be complacent we should ignore from amongst us, they
are the elderly. I was very upset when last week I heard a person who's supposed to be respectable
say, well, that guy passed away. He was quite old. wasn't he? Subhana Allah. Are you not a Muslim?
What if it was your father, your grandfather? How would you feel for someone to say well, he was
old, wasn't he? Is that a pathway to say it's okay for us to be negligent? Not at all. What's your
duty as a Muslim? Number one turn to Allah a badda Toba because I could go you could go anything
could happen. No one knows. People are saying it depends on your blood type. It depends on this and
		

			that it depends on the favor of Allah upon you and whether you fulfilled your duty unto Allah.
		

			People are still finding out more, but I want to tell you life must continue. It must continue. Life
will not come to a halt. Your ibadah should increase. Your Salah should increase. You will come to
the masjid and all you need to do is a bit of precaution. Be responsible. Don't just think you know
what, it's okay. Maybe it's okay for you Subhana Allah and inshallah I pray that it won't be as bad
as everyone is talking. But again, that statement should not be misunderstood as it's okay. Just do
what you want. No, I'm a Muslim. I must engage in Toba. I must.
		

			changed my life, I must quit sin. I promise you if a day passes, without you having sinned, it was a
beautiful day, it was a successful day. You know why? to abstain from sin for the sake of Allah is
rewardable. Allah rewards it. If you have a sin in your mind, you want to do something, it's easily
accessible. Maybe it might be on your phone, or a click of a button. And if you abstain at the
moment from doing it, because of Allah, Allah, He you have a reward. You have a reward. Why? Because
I just didn't do this because of Allah. So remember, if your day passes, and you have not sinned
against Allah, you have had a beautiful day, you can plug into the next day. But if your day has
		

			passed, and over and above, not sinning, you did good deeds, and you were showing concern for
others. That was a bonus. That was a big profit. Imagine, I know I'm healthy, for example, you know,
you healthy, no underlying conditions. I don't have a guarantee, but I'm feeling a sense of comfort
because of that. But if I'm now thinking of the next person, Allah will help me and put Baraka in my
life and that of my families, and so much more Subhan Allah,
		

			that is Allah subhanho wa Taala. So remember, we will hear of more and more people affected. What we
won't hear about as much is the number of people who have recovered already. So Pinilla there are
plenty. There are so many, in fact, I would like to think perhaps more than half have recovered
completely. They've developed antibodies. Did you know that right now as we speak, they are at an
advanced stage to getting some form of medication or a break through in terms of a vaccination or
whatnot. That's not my field. But at the end of the day, it shouldn't make me complacent. I need to
think, look, we haven't even got there yet. Let me just be a little bit responsible. Why do you
		

			think we're sitting the way we're sitting today, it's something unusual, unacceptable under normal
circumstances, but these circumstances are not normal. So when you show concern for others, it is a
bonus, Allah will reward you tremendously. To save one life directly or indirectly is a saving you
the whole of humanity. That's what Allah says. So if I'm responsible, what have I done, I've saved
the whole of humanity. And as for those who will be affected the day you discover that you are
positive, that's the day you need to lay complete trust in Allah without panic. Obviously, we've
already laid our trust in Allah, but people can be shaken. I've had friends who've come to me and
		

			told me, I just tested positive, it feels like I'm going to die. I said, Not at all. The feeling of
me going to die should be there every day. COVID or no COVID.
		

			I should not be comfortable to say I'm going to survive because I'm I don't have COVID look at how
many have died due to car accidents and various other sicknesses not related at all. What makes me
feel that I'm not going to be from among those, so I need to be prepared. But at the same time, if
you have tested positive chances are like I said, 90% and perhaps beyond, you'll come out of it. In
fact, many of them say that we don't even have symptoms asymptomatic and we've come out of it few
weeks later. So let's not panic. But all we're saying take precautions as an ibadah is an act of
worship, change your life. It's a chance Allah can affect us with something far more detrimental if
		

			we didn't learn our lessons with that, which is less detrimental.
		

			May Allah grant us ease the good news? I told you I have good news. I'm sure you're waiting for it.
You must be thinking this guy every week. We're coming here he's talking about COVID No, it's my
duty it's our duty we need to conscient eyes the people let them know what's going on and explain to
one another remind one another that you know what nothing to panic about in your stride inshallah.
Take the precautions make dua to Allah turn to Allah become a better person do Toba. Increase your
sadaqa Do you know sadaqa charity, a sadhaka. To Bella set, charity extinguishes Bella Bella means
calamity. If a calamity is headed for you, Allah says your doula and your charity can change the
		

			course of the calamity. It's one thing that some of the scholars say actually changes a portion of
your calendar to a certain degree. Imagine so be charitable. That's why the professor Sam says the
best charity is that which you give at a time when you are fearing poverty, a I might lose. My
business is low. That's the time Allah says are you ready to give Subhana Allah Allah Allah Allah
me. Now for the good news.
		

			The good news is life continues.
		

			life continues. Mashallah tabarrok Allah, we have to eat, we have to drink. We may have to go to
work, take precautions, but life continues. Life cannot stop
		

			when we had a lockdown where we could not come to the masjid due to government regulation, do you
think we were excited about that? Soon as the masajid opened again, we were back, but we took
precautions life has to continue and inshallah they won't be
		

			that level of lockdown again, we hope we pray. If it does come, we'll cross the bridge when we get
there. But life continues today we are going to witness a nikka people getting married from our
community. Surely we should be happy, happy for them. And that is the way like I said earlier COVID
are no COVID life continues. Mashallah. So I want to seize this opportunity from the pulpit to
congratulate the bride and the groom and the families. May Allah subhanho wa Taala Bless you all and
every one of us, and it's a shining example, do not delay your nikka your marriage Do not delay the
goodness simply because we're going through a pandemic.
		

			As far as possible. Go ahead, you don't know. Marriage is a form of risk. It's a form of sustenance,
if Allah has written that sustenance for you during this time, that is goodness that is coming in
your direction. So inshallah we will be witnessing the appreciation of that nikka in a few moments
in this Masjid, and I seize the opportunity just to remind the bride and the groom following the
Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu sallam, and those who are from the families as well as all those in
attendance those who might hear this later on one piece of advice, because it's a sooner yeah levina
mana talkin la aku Kona de de de la comme la, ya la la Koo back Come on me.
		

			mouza now Lima, a verse that is always recited in hospital hajah that we will hear in Sharla.
Shortly, oh, you who believe be conscious of Allah develop the correct relationship with Allah. That
is the meaning of it. duckula
		

			kulu colon sadita means, say that which is upright, in other words, Watch your tongue. Watch what
you say. At the time of marriage, it's repeated at the time of anything important, the verse is
repeated. Why? Because my tongue can be occupied in the remembrance of Allah, or it can be occupied
in the opposite. If you don't occupy it in that which is good. Perhaps it may become occupied in
that which is bad. Be conscious of your tongue. Do you know something very amazing, that we tend to
forget. Everything you do, and you say is written down by the angels. You're writing your book?
What's the book made up of words and actions, some Hana law of yours? So write a good book, author,
		

			a beautiful book, when we are writing proper as an author, maybe in English writing a book for
someone's benefit, people will correct even the grammar, the punctuation What about us, writing our
own beautiful book of eternity, and we have nevermind, punctuation or spelling errors, but we have
bad words. It's not necessary. A Muslim should never be vulgar. Even jokingly, people today have the
B word the F word whatever other words, simple words, they say the D word, the P word, whatever it
may be whatever you've made of what I've just said, Now, it's unacceptable. Unacceptable, but
unfortunately, we're taking it more and more for granted today. Young people you know small things,
		

			they just say anything without thinking it's written down. Please say good words. That's why Allah
says kulu Colin sadita do you see that because as Muslims we are different. In what way be
responsible in the way you talk. Your jokes should be lovely. make them laugh but in a in a
beautiful, clean way. Have fun, but a clean way. Beautiful fun May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless us
with good days ahead. So Allah says, only say that which is upright, even the loving and kind words
to your spouses, Allah subhanho wa Taala tells us clearly that we must be from among the best to our
spouses. So every day, take off how many times you told your spouse
		

			you love them or you care for them or a good word? Just a word of reassurance. So panela I see some
of the older folk just looking at me like I've never done that in my life, you know, but it's okay.
Good words, reassuring words that of comfort Mashallah, it isn't a birder. May Allah subhanho wa
Taala grant us ease and goodness that's part of Poland said Didn't
		

			you
		

			speaking the words that are going to get you into Jenna, may Allah subhanho wa Taala make us the
best to our spouses. When Allah says if you watch your tongue, you know what we will do for you as a
result, we will make your other deeds acceptable, your slaves are Malika and automatically we will
forgive your other sins. How did Allah forgive my other sins? Simply because I watched my tongue. I
didn't hurt people. I wasn't abusive, I was always truthful, I did not deceive, etc, etc. And then
Allah says, because of that, it's such a powerful act of worship. Yo Fiddler kung fu Baku. We're
going to forgive your sins Subhana Allah. And then law says, Whoever follows Allah and His Messenger
		

			has indeed succeeded the greatest success and what is that genda tool for those. Ultimately my
brothers and sisters, we've all come onto this earth, with a timeframe, expiry date. You don't know
when it is whenever it is. The winner is he or she not who dies late in life, but who dies at a time
when Allah is pleased with him or her even if you died at 1815 earlier or later? If Allah was
pleased with you trust me the world will keep on rotating without you But you are in a beautiful
place. May Allah Subhana Allah Allah be pleased with us once again to our for those who are getting
married today. May Allah bless you in every way and protect you and all of us from all harm and
		

			evil. akuto Kali hada was Allahu wa salam ala nabina Muhammad