Mufti Menk – Gifts come with Gratitude

			Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
		

			smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah Allah Allah, he was happy woman
instead of a Buddha.
		

			We praise Allah subhanho wa Taala we thank him upon all conditions we send blessings and salutations
upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his entire household, all his companions May Allah
subhanho wa Taala bless them all, every single one of them without exception and May Allah subhanho
wa Taala bless every one of us and our offspring, those to come up to the end. May Allah subhanho wa
Taala keep us all steadfast. I mean,
		

			my beloved brothers and sisters, every one of us looks forward to the gifts of Allah subhanho wa
Taala we all look forward to that which Allah has kept. That would make us smile, we all one good
health, we all want good children or a good spouse before that we all want a good job, we all want
to be successful in this dunya in this world, that which we would turn the gift of Allah in the
Arabic language, the gifts of Allah subhanho wa Taala or the boons of Allah subhanho wa Taala
referred to as near Mattoon or a neon near Mattoon means the bounties of Allah the favors of Allah,
the gifts of Allah niram is the plural. So I would like to achieve these gifts of Allah subhanho wa
		

			Taala there has to be a way of doing it, there must be a way if I want to get something from Allah
subhanho wa Taala that I feel would benefit me in this dunya in this world as well as the next What
should I do? So it is impossible that a religion such as Islam, which is the perfect way of life,
can not have told us what is to be done. So if we were to take a look at Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wasallam. What he taught us how he lived, how he did things, what he went through, we would come to
realize that he was the most favorite of all of us. Allah blessed him in the biggest way possible,
but never ever was it about figures. It was more about the blessing in what he was given. If you
		

			take a careful look, whenever Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made it whenever he supplicated
to Allah subhanho wa Taala he concentrated on the Baraka on the blessings of it, and he never
concentrated on the figures and the amount. For example, when he asked for sustenance, he asked for
that which had blessing in it. He asked for that which was broad broad meaning we are comfortable
Alhamdulillah he didn't say Oh Allah, I need a million Durham's. Oh Allah, I need, for example, this
and that his do as and supplications were so broad, they were so fulfilling because he knew better
than any one of us that this life is a test. This life is not permanent. No matter what you have in
		

			this life, it is only to be used as a tool to earn your paradise. When Allah blessed you with
wealth, he's going to ask you, where did you earn it? Where did you spend it? What did you do with
it and so on. When Allah blessed you with health, he's going to ask you, you are young, you are
energetic. What did you do with your health? What did you spend it in? You became old, you became
depleted literally. How did you become depleted? What did you use that energy in we gave it to you.
Health is a gift of Allah. Ask those who are failing in health May Allah grant them Shiva and cure,
they will confirm to you that health is a gift of Allah one of the greatest gifts so much so that
		

			the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has said even your free time is such a big gift that people
become deceived when it comes to your free time. Near mahtani masamune Fie Hema, Kathy roominess.
They are two gifts of Allah to Nam, you see the word nirma that we use to gifts of Allah subhanho wa
Taala to bounties of Allah subhanho wa Taala that many people are deceived regarding or they don't
even know about it, they take it for granted. What are these two, a 621 for your health and your
free time? Why free time because every second that passed, is never, ever going to come back. So if
you wasted a day, you have wasted a portion of your life for you and me to be honest with you. My
		

			day should be rotating around how am I reserving my spot in general? That's what I should be
thinking about. How am I going to reserve my position in general in this life, we have people who
		

			I've never owned the house, but they have booked their place in general. And we have people who own
property upon property, but they have forgotten to book their place in general. Look at this. So
ironic it goes to show it's got nothing to do with what Allah dished out to you in terms of wealth
sometimes that wealth is either a punishment or it is a major test, rather than a gift of Allah
subhanho wa Taala it depends how we are leading our lives. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam teaches us something very, very important.
		

			He speaks about the gifts of Allah subhanho wa Taala we want the gifts of Allah, I would like the
gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala How do I receive these gifts of Allah subhanho wa Taala it's closely
connected to my link with Allah. If I don't have a link with Allah, what I'm getting is not a gift
of Allah. It is a test of Allah, it is actually sometimes a punishment, like Allah subhanho wa Taala
says, What
		

			amona motomachi fesem foofy for help
		

			me Oh, speaking about how when he wants to destroy a nation or a town, he actually causes a certain
group from amongst them the affluent from them, to perpetrate crimes to engage in sin. And as a
result, the punishment would be deserved by them, then he destroys them, which means he gave them
and then he knew what they would do with it. They were not thankful in any way. When you get my
brothers and sisters become closer to Allah. When the wealthiest from amongst us is here for Salah
five times a day, and he is as humble as ever that nobody knows how much wealth he has. Then we are
heading in the right direction. For us, well Ah, here we have a disease. What is it? The first
		

			million I earn? I feel that I now can breathe the air two centimeters above the rest of the people.
So I'm with my nose in the air just because I have a million brands asked me I come from Zimbabwe,
that million can come crashing you know from eight we move to 15 from 15 May Allah not let it go the
way we went all the way to 150 and 1 million and a trillion and we learned numbers we never knew
existed. May Allah subhanahu wa taala grant us ease the wealthiest from amongst us became poor. Do
you know that? It can happen to anyone? It happened just across the border. So don't ever let it
deceive you that I've got a lot and now I can start ruling people dishing out instructions becoming
		

			No I've got a lot I must spend in the cause in the correct cause that will please Allah I must
humble myself. Abdullah hip normobaric Rama to LA LA. He was such a wealthy men. It is reported that
when he used to go out in the battlefield, he used to cover his face so no one knew it's the same
men when he used to spend he used to cover his face. No one knew it was him spending and he used to
be found in the masjid. No one even knew what wealth he had. So Panama, these were the people why
can't we learn? If you are close to Allah what you have is a gift of Allah. If you are close to
Allah, the disease you have is a gift of Allah. If you are close to to Allah, the armed robbery you
		

			may have had is a gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala everything of it is clear in the life of Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he was the closest to Allah subhanho wa Taala yet they were battles
where people prepared armies to come and tackle him. He never said all of this is your punishment.
He always said yeah, Allah if you are happy with me, there's nothing else I want. You know what
happened in my life. I don't need to repeat it. He considers it a gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala
life you are happy with me this is a gift. If you are not happy with me, we have a major problem.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us a lesson. He lost his children, his sons in infancy and
		

			childhood. He considered it a gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala he did not complain. No, he did not
complain against the decree of Allah. But as a human being he felt it. He was sad. He cried as well.
And he said in number here, Mattoon, Allah Allah Hafiz Abadi, ohama these tears are just a sign of
mercy. I'm a human being. These tears are a sign of mercy that Allah has placed in the hearts of
those who have mercy. But at the end of the day, the gifts of Allah were known. The reason I have
chosen this topic is because many of us are confusing the gifts of Allah subhanho wa Taala. With
numbers and figures and material items. We're lucky the two can be connected but not necessarily
		

			connected.
		

			Some people have so much they cannot sleep. Some people have nothing. they snore such that it's
difficult to wake them up somehow.
		

			Allah May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us get up for Salatin. In that case it would be a gift. And
believe me, there is no point in pretending to be pious by fulfilling five Salah in the first stuff
having Mashallah Suna dressing and so on. And we despise people and we harm people, and we cook
people and rub them, deceive them, talk bad with them and about them. And we dish out instruction as
though we are the only ones know, remember to marry the two. You want to be a pious person it will
show in your character. If you want to know that your Salah is accepted, it will show in your
character and the way you treat the rest of the creatures of Allah subhanho wa Taala if you have a
		

			problem, the way you treat the rest of the human beings and the creatures of Allah, the way you talk
to them, if there is a problem in that you need to know there is a problem with your Salah and the
rest of the acts of worship. It's just a show. It's just a show. May Allah forgive us. May Allah
grant us the ability to love one another. in the true sense my brothers and sisters will lie if you
take a look at the Quran. Once you have a gift of Allah, we will want increase. Let me explain what
type of increase all of us without exception when Allah gives us something good. We want a little
bit more of the same goodness Mashallah. Why say for example, you are sick, and Allah grants you a
		

			little bit of cure. What's your drought? Allah grant me cure? We say Camila. What does that mean?
Complete. We want a full cure all I know I'm halfway there. Allah says Hang on. You never used to
worship me in such a sincere way when you were healthy. So as a gift to you, we kept you six or now
you are so sincere. When you cry, those tears are real, they are genuine. We know because you need
something. So if we keep you in need, it's a gift of hours upon you. Because the minute we take the
need away, you are probably going to forget us once again.
		

			Let that not happen. My brothers and sisters listen very carefully. Allah subhanho wa Taala blesses
us we want increase, I can give you another example material, Mashallah you have a job. And after
searching for a job for two years making to our Lord, grant me, Grant me and you find a job and they
are offering you 5000 rands, right, a month, and they keep you at that salary. Would you be happy at
that salary for the next 10 years? The answer is no, we want an increase in two months, three
months, we will start complaining life is expensive, you know, so and so what does that mean? That
means we all want increase, don't we? So Allah says, LA,
		

			Chicago to LA.
		

			You know, the terminology used in the Arabic language is powerful. It is language that confirms that
Allah is emphasizing the fact that he will definitely grant you increase, if you are thankful,
shook.
		

			The gifts of Allah are very closely connected to your gratitude to Allah. When you are not grateful.
What you have is not a gift, it's a punishment, or it's a major test. When you are thankful to
Allah, even if you have something that appears negative, it's a gift of Allah.
		

			Sometimes someone desperately wants to marry a person. And this happens a lot nowadays with the
young people and there is something blocking them stopping them and they don't realize they are
calling out to Allah for them. It's negative, perhaps, if you are close to Allah, Allah is saving
you from something major from a disaster from something big. So learn to entrust learn to trust
Allah subhanho wa Taala lay your trust in Allah. I'm close to Allah, why do I need to worry? So
Allah says, if you are thankful, I will definitely definitely grant you increase. There's no two
ways about it. And Allah does not lie. And Allah does not cheat us and allow has never mentioned the
		

			wrong word in the Quran. So when he says Be thankful, I will give you increase. Some of us sit with
a test B and you say, a sugar sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar or like a hamburger shaka laka laka
Shaka and we think that that is the only way of thanking Allah I mentioned it by mouth, and I go to
the clubs and I commit Zina, and I'm deep into music and the beat and I'm eating haram and I'm not
bothered how I'm dressing and I don't mind lying and cheating and I've my Salah is not even in
order, but I just sit and say like the cashier, the cashier, Why be a hypocrite?
		

			Through gratitude to Allah is when you promise in your heart here and now that Oh Allah, I will
change my bad ways for your sake. That's all. That's true gratitude. What are you losing?
		

			Each one of us has weaknesses. When you promise Allah I'm insane. I'm weak. I'm a human. I fought
		

			I assumed all I promise you here and now, bless it Friday, you give it to us every week, we don't
know if we are going to see the next one. But I promise you my bad habits, I will change them for
your sake. You watch how Allah will increase you in blessings, that 5000 records that you have, you
won't need an increase in figures because you will still be having change after you've spent monies
that you have to
		

			and you will have change and you will sell hamdulillah when you buy something that item will be
durable, it will last sometimes you buy an expensive apparatus or appliance and is broken. What
happened no Baraka where Why? I tell you why. Because your sugar, there's something wrong in it,
you've misinterpreted or misunderstood it, you don't know what it's all about. And this is why Allah
says when he has given someone a gift, he doesn't ever take it away. Unless they change in their
gratitude. You want to do the best that he can be Allah Allah Mia como
		

			been
		

			forcing him alive, promising that he will never change a gift that He has given a people or a
nation, he will never change a gift he's given you until him unless the people themselves have
changed in a way that they are no longer grateful to Allah something has gone wrong with them. Then
he says I take the gift away or I can convert it into a means of punishment. The same thing you
have, someone has wealth, it's a gift. Another person has the same wealth. It's a punishment. How do
we know this?
		

			We would only know it by gauging ourselves how close are we to Allah? Am I sinning? Do I continue
sinning some of us we earn Mashallah tabarrok Allah we've got increase instead of seeking halaal we
go out
		

			to seek Haram. Allah says goddess and I don't need to mention what haram channels are. I'm sure we
know them. Think within yourself. What is the Haram you know? People have wealth The first thing
they do, haha, why don't we a mess with the intention of making Hajj Subhan Allah, soften in your
heart go to Allah Sina, Baraka that will come. Just yesterday, someone told me a story of how as
they were growing, and they earned their wealth. And the father says, Do you know what, instead of
buying the house first, you'd rather go for HUD first. And they say we went for HUD when we came
back, we had a bargain of a house waiting for us. That's a gift of Allah. speak to the people see,
		

			we are all complaining my brothers and sisters about what I don't have enough. Everyone is
complaining. You have a wife, you don't have enough. You have children, you don't have enough. What
do you want? What is going to make you happy? Part of the nirma of Allah is he makes you content
with what he's given you. Now you have a wife who said hamdulillah that's it. I thank Allah I've got
children Mashallah. That's my day. I spend my time with them, nurturing trying to teach them because
when I die allows me to ask me I gave you children, you cried for those children when I gave them to
you. You didn't even spend time with them, teaching them about me. You thought it was somebody
		

			else's duty. You paid money. You saw them once in a while. And that's it.
		

			Now law Forgive us, my brothers and sisters, this is dangerous, it's detrimental. It's bad for us.
We need to understand what is the gift of Allah subhanho wa Taala. Don't ever think to yourself that
because you are struggling, that that is a punishment of Allah. Just ask yourself, how's my link
with Allah? Look at Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, they surrounded them for three years in
sha Allah been met Katrin mocha Rama, where they didn't allow food to go through or anything to go
through some of the Sahaba of the law and who suffered and struggled. You know the companions died
in the meccan period. Did they ever complain? Not once the prophets of Allah Salam It is reported as
		

			the best of creation, you know what they were eating? They were sucking the roots of the tree in
order to extract the juice and the leaves of the trees in order to fill their bellies. And one
narration makes mention of some of the companions actually eating the skins of the animals.
		

			Have you anyone Have you ever eaten skins of animals because you didn't have something?
		

			They consider that a gift of Allah. Why can I tell you why my brothers and sisters This is the
highlight of today's talk. The biggest gift Allah has given you and AI is the fact that we are the
oma of Mohamed Salah.
		

			thank Allah for that. And if you don't think Allah He will take it away from you or your offspring.
He will take it away. How do you think
		

			Allah let me explain. It's not good enough to just say I thank you, Oh Allah, it's that's part of
it, but it's not good enough. I need to prove it with my actions. I must become humble. I must be
there for Salah recently I was in Nigeria my brothers and sisters, I was shocked when I saw some of
the wealthiest of people. Their determination to fulfill Salah was such that if attorneys called
they won't talk until they fulfill their Salah.
		

			And if you were to ask them, you know what happened?
		

			He will say, I don't need to explain to you what happened. Didn't you hear the Iran being called?
You're a Muslim? You should know if Allah is calling me who are you for me to continue to talk to
you.
		

			Imagine I learned this in Nigeria.
		

			What type of the friends of Allah May there be there? And we are busy sitting here thinking I am a
holy guy and pious I got a nice Masjid here. I come here often I sit in the first stuff. I got a fan
going I got this going. What are you talking about? That's not any sign of closeness to Allah sign
of closeness to allies here. You should know it. you humble yourself. You run when it comes to Allah
instruction. You run away when it comes to Allah prohibition, then you know what, no matter what
comes in your direction, you always say al hamdu lillahi Allah Callaghan. I think Allah upon all
conditions Allah never promised you you're not going to struggle in the world. But Allah promises
		

			you we will help you through those struggles if you're close to us. Life is a test. My brothers and
sisters, thank Allah for what you have worked hard to achieve more Yes, but work hard to get Baraka
and blessings in what you have. It's not good enough to say Allah, I need a million and a billion
and there's no Baraka in it. Your intention is as soon as I get it, I'm going to go to commit Zina.
I'm going to go to the casino, I'm going to go to the nightclub. I will be able to buy the cocaine
and the heroin and the drugs and whatever else it is. It's pathetic. Give up that bad habit. See the
Baraka that Allah places in your lives? Can I tell you something else?
		

			haram costs a lot of money. Remember this point, haram and mccoo and that which is detested and bad,
it costs a lot of your money. When you don't have Baraka in your money. The first question you
should ask, am I doing something haram? You will find maybe you have a girlfriend you're spending
too much money on maybe you are spending money on drugs, I can take it as far as cigarettes, some of
us who smoke Subhan Allah we could have built three machines for Allah in the last 40 years the
amount of cigarettes we've been paying for, I promise you
		

			and sometimes what happens is we have the bottle as a bad habit, something else as a bad habit and
your money goes and then you're complaining no Baraka, no Baraka, what no Baraka Allah says you are
not grateful. Wala
		

			cafaro tune in Mila Shadi
		

			if you are ungrateful, look at the term Khufu, you know, Khufu means disbelief, isn't it? But it
also means in gratitude because you are basically denying the favor of Allah upon you. Allah gave
you well to give you how what are you doing? ungrateful Allah says, Okay, then my punishment is
severe, you will see my punishment. You know, you've seen people who are sick, terminally ill, and
they are smiling.
		

			I met a brother in Dubai, completely paralyzed from top to bottom, he speaks with his eyes. And you
know what? He told me with the same eyes, he says, I am so happy with the ILA that Allah has chosen
for me.
		

			Which means if you don't know how happy I am with what Allah has chosen for me, and this man is
paralyzed, may Allah grant him a miracle. May Allah grant him Shiva.
		

			And I know others who the toe is twitching and they are depressed. The toe is twitching, totally
depressed. Something went in your eye and you really want to swear and curse. Something happened to
your finger got closed in the door. And that's it. You saw the whole world for that. Look at the
difference why you have a problem with your link with Allah. Let's rectify that. That's the message
we have today. And you will find that the sugar and the name of Allah, gratitude and the gifts of
Allah they come hand in hand, but know how to interpret the gifts of Allah subhanho wa Taala May
Allah subhanho wa Taala help us or May He grant us Baraka in everything he gives us? May he never
		

			test us with tests that are too difficult for us to pass and May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us
all goodness in every way. May Allah grant love in the oma May Allah subhanho wa Taala unite the
llama of the soma, may Allah unite the public and the general oma us as muslimeen take a look at
your heart while law Hill as in my brothers and sisters, when you feel for a fellow Muslim, it's a
sign you're close to Allah subhanho wa Taala. The problem is we look for a small
		

			Difference between us and a fellow Muslim. We hate him. Why? Because he had Salah slightly different
to the way I read Salah. It's a reality. We don't want to see them. Is that what Islam is? When the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was claimed to the hypocrites, when he reached out to the Kufa,
how did it happen? These are not kuffar. We can't even call them hypocrites because that only Allah
knows. But we can say the other Muslim man who knows on the Day of Judgment, who is going to be
closer to Allah subhanho wa Taala and here we are, having the issues with ourselves and then we want
Baraka and we want the gifts of Allah and we don't realize all this may just be a punishment of
		

			Allah Mallanna do that to us. May Allah subhanahu wa taala safeguard us all all Allahu wa Silla
Baraka Allen Amina Mohammed