Some great guidelines and reminders about the end of year holidays, where to go and what to do.
Mufti Menk – Going on Holiday
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
smilla Rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam
ala and he was happy.
We always praise Allah subhanho wa Taala. We send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah to bless them to bless every one of us, to grant us goodness and ease to help us through the difficulties that we're facing, and to help humanity at large to guide us home to the straight path, and to grant us home from his fame and his mercy. I mean, my brothers and sisters, if I were to ask you, where are you going on holiday, because it's a holiday season. Here in this country, many of us would say, I can't afford a holiday. So how many people would say you know what, if you're going to sponsor or have a holiday, I would
actually go, may Allah make it easy for us, my brothers and sisters, we have happy occasions as Muslims. And these are two most blessing days, the days of eating. One is the day known as evil. And the other one is known as evil empire. These are primarily days of rejoicing given to us by Allah subhanho wa Taala. Something unique is whenever Allah gives us a blessed day of rejoicing, of happiness of goodness, Allah wants us to worship him even more on that day. If you look at the Muslim countries, they would have a holiday on the days of eat, rightly so. But on that day, there is one extra Salah that you should be fulfilling, and that is the Salah of read. So Allah says, it's
a happy day, I want you to rejoice, I want you to be happy, I want you to eat and drink, I want you to remember Allah. And I don't want you to fast on this day, you know, it's prohibited to fast on the days of eight. So he tells you, I want you to remember me in a unique way, by engaging in one extra prayer. Look at this beautiful day of ours, today is a Friday, within the month of December, which is the month of the holidays, we have Christmas coming around the corner, we have the new year in terms of the Gregorian year around the corner. So the entire year, the entire world will probably be on holiday one way or another, the Muslims would be because of the fact that it's the end of the
year and so on.
it coincides with the days where leave is given, and so on. So the schools are closed and so much more happens. So everyone basically shall be on holiday.
I want to remind you, my brothers and sisters, as much as Yes, we are going through struggles not only in this country, but in many countries across the globe. It doesn't mean you need to leave the country in order to make use of the holidays, you can be within the nation. There are so many beautiful destinations around the corner. Many of us have gardens or yards that are probably better than some holiday destinations in certain countries. Do you know that many of us have fruit trees and so much more within our own compounds in such a way that others would only be dreaming of that they wouldn't even believe that you have that. But we take it for granted. However, let's remember
one thing, when we are going on holiday, it doesn't mean we are on holiday from worshiping Allah. There is never a holiday. Yeah.
Are you who believe be conscious of Allah in a manner that is befitting his level, that consciousness should be of the level that is befitting Allah, that's a very, very high level. In fact, in another verse, Allah explains that it needs to be as per your capacity for the Lamas to be conscious of Allah, according to your capacity, the extent of your capacity, that consciousness actually translates as developing the correct relationship with Allah. And that verse that I recited moments ago, it ends by saying, Don't die except in the condition of submission. A quick reminder of the translation of that is linked your life in such a way that if death were to come to you at any
time
You will not regret that you would be in the condition of submission and to allow so many people die during the holidays. Do you know why? One of the reasons is the mobile phone? People speak on their phones while they are driving, putting their own lives at risk in the lives of others, it is worse than the consumption of alcohol or drinking while driving while drunk.
Drinking while driving is a bigger crime in the eyes of Allah subhanho wa Taala. Because obviously, the consumption of alcohol is a major sin in Islam, it is something that is not allowed. But to be very honest with you to mess with your mobile device is actually putting your life at risk. And not only your passengers in your vehicle, but others also who might not even be driving in a vehicle, but just standing on the sides of the roads and elsewhere. So many have died, it's become statistically proven that it is much more dangerous to be on a mobile phone than it is from a safety perspective to be a drunk driver. Did you hear that? May Allah protect us I will read it a little
bit carefully in order for us not to think for a moment that alcohol is any lighter in terms of its prohibition of consumption in Islam. May Allah grant us protection and goodness me intoxicants are prohibited in Islam anything that intoxicates in Islam, we should be staying away from it. However, when it comes to the holidays, my brothers and sisters many people say be careful on the roads. You know what you shouldn't be drinking and driving. I can let you in on a quick one. If you're a Zimbabwean, you know it. Sometimes the person in front looks like he's a drunk driver. But in actual fact, what is he doing? Tell me at least, he's only avoiding bottles that
is, so it may not be a drunk driver. It's quite why sometimes if you see him swerve to have, you know the ability to know why he's sweating, you might want to swim as well slightly, because it might just damage your entire room, especially if it's one of those lenses, may Allah grant us goodness and ease. My brothers, my sisters, we enjoy our vehicles when going on holiday. I'd like to remind you from the pulpit, be safe, be safe, choose a good destination where you are reminded of Allah, it might just be your last few days on Earth. There are people I know of who died last year in the holidays, they never came back. There are people I know of who actually drowned in a way May
Allah give them a dose. They drowned in a way that Subhana Allah was so baffling. In a few moments they were gone. And no one would have guessed that on holiday. So I want to remind myself to say I don't know when I'm going to go, No, do you just need your life in a good way? Remember to seek the forgiveness of Allah every day. Because the prophets Allah Allah seldom used to seek forgiveness every day. If we follow that the day we die, sometime during the day, we would have sought the forgiveness of Allah, what a blessing day to go. Wouldn't you like to go on a day where you ask the forgiveness of Allah so many times during the day, so moisten your tongue with a steel bar or the
seeking of forgiveness of Allah subhanho wa Taala it will never let you down. May Allah grant us truthfulness, indent Do you know what truthfulness means? When I say
it's not just a movement of a little bee in my hand that happens to be just, you know, a motion of the lips and a little bit of the voice without any concentration? Think of what you're saying for a moment. Oh ALLAH forgive me, Oh Allah, forgive me. Even if you happen to say it in a language you understand? No problem saved in English. Oh ALLAH forgive me. It's equivalent to saying a sound Villa unconditioned that you understand the one. If you don't understand that you cannot concentrate on it, you'd rather say with concentration than without. So remember, secondly,
whenever we visit each other's homes,
many times nowadays, as we entered quikrete A salaam aleikum, we have a seat before anything else. What are we searching for? In a lot of cases, please let me know. We searching for something the phone comes down. The Wi Fi thing is pressed and we asked about the problem is the Wi Fi here, right? If there is what's the code here? So Panama, we are so interested in being connected. Fair enough. There's no amount It's not wrong, you can be connected. But my brothers and sisters when we go on holiday more important than being connected online is to be connected with Allah. It's the time of Salah. Take one minute to calculate which way is the Qibla take another minute to make your
will do
and fulfill your prayer. Allah gives you a bonus. You know, what's the bonus? Subhana Allah, Allah casa, which means that prayer, Allah says, I know you're on holiday, I know you're traveling, shorten it. So Panama, and according to some, join it, no problem. Join me in a certain way is a certain way of joining the praise. You make sure to these prayers, right? It's a bonus Allah knows you're traveling, Allah knows that you're on a journey, be it for a holiday, be it for Hajj or Umrah or whatever it may be. There are rules and regulations, making things easy for you. That's what Allah wants. It is made easy and still we don't do it. What excuse do we have? If you died on that
day? Wouldn't it be an embarrassment? So remember, one thing more important than to have your phone connected? connect yourself with Allah, it's not difficult, it requires a few moments. Similarly, find out which way the Qibla is find out the consumption of the food and make sure that you've consumed that which is halon and ensure that you have carried yourself in a way that's not embarrassing. What does that mean? Some people think I'm on holiday, which means I can dress how I want I can do what I want. I can jump where I want. I can visit wherever I want. Be careful. There are certain areas if you would not like to die in a place. Don't go there. Now ilaha illAllah This
is the meaning of
the Muslim moon. You know I had a few youngsters a few years ago they told me no on holiday we just like to see what's in the nightclub only to see I said my brother there's nothing like going to see what's in the nightclub you don't need to know.
You know, our nights are spent seeing how we can please Allah rather than anything else. Allah is not saying don't have fun, have fun, go out swim, enjoy, eat and drink and you know be with your children but make sure it is something known as clean fun. Is it impossible? Go Fishing Mashallah catch the fish Subhana Allah and you know what you consume? You might even think of selling them the way things are going in Zimbabwe. Allah grant us ease catchy no problem. And I'm sure you can do very well. pray for rain in the meantime, because when it's raining, you catch betta fish so Pamela they come to the surface because of the rain not realizing you know what? Your day with your rod I
see the fisherman not excited. They know what I'm talking about. Mashallah. The feeling when the when the fish has bitten, is something that a non fisherman can never understand. I used to wonder why do they stand today and in the afternoon, one bite and it's like, Mashallah, my dears? Me, big fish. My life is many. You know what, don't let a fun catch you in the same way. One Miss Uppsala is one bite, he gets equally excited. I caught a guy, 90 kilos today. Imagine 90 kilos, no salad, not at all. So
easy management time picking you up like this, and taking a photo and throwing you back. That's what people do. Like, this is efficient and know what I'm talking about. Sadly, some of us who are not fishermen, we just eat the fish we enjoy. So please catch it for us and
my brothers, my sisters, the point here is don't forget a lot. It's a holiday season for all of us. It's not difficult to remember, it is definitely not difficult to remember what you have been made for. Allah allows you to do so much. Another very interesting factor. Spend time with your family members. It's a break. The children are on break. They have school holidays, how much time did you spend with them, be patient with them. The world is changing so rapidly, that we need to be more patient today than we ever need needed to be before. Because today, there is so much of technological advancement, that the ills of the entire globe are all gathered in one device in the
hands of these kids. May Allah protect us and our children.
So to be patient with them, to talk to them with love. Back in the day, we will whipped into position and it worked and we enjoyed it really didn't do. Mashallah, today, it doesn't work. You have to talk people into the line you'd like them to be, you have to convince them you have to lead by example. You have to be kind you have to use other methods to be able to convince is something that will only happen when you show that you care. You know, people say I want to do dour, it's the holidays. I agree. It's a very good thing many of us should be using especially the youth use your time in the holidays, to join maybe a class where you might learn something more. There are so many
conferences happening in the holidays, online, offline.
So many young people perhaps going on a trip, which has a religious perhaps, tone to it, or a religious side to it, something like not so heavy, join them minimum is you want to disobey them. That's the minimum, inshallah it's up, it's the holidays, you know what to do work on your bad habits, you have a bad habit, Can I say one? With all due respect to the people, I've said it so many times some of you know what I'm about to say, smoking normal cigarettes, by the way, you know, when we talk of weed and all of that, it's on another level that we don't even need to get through right now, in terms of being worse, but and by the way, we exclude from this necessity,
medicinal cannabis, if it is consumed, not via smoking, but through what the herbalists teach and so on. They may be a certain permissibility in that regard, in no way are we speaking about that, which is social, and unnecessary. But we have to mention this because it is now the study of the age. And we have seen results with this as well. However, going back to ordinary smoking, so Pamela, can you give it up? Come on, it's a school holiday. Don't you want to come out of the holiday with better habits, because you know what? It might be the last holiday you're ever going to witness in your life? Well, it just happened. I had friends of mine, they spent some time with me last Ramadan, they
are gone. That was the last Ramadan they will ever have seen on this earth. May Allah grant the agenda.
It brings me to the level of consciousness beyond what I was perhaps because I realize you know what, the Angel of Death knocked very close to home, hear someone close to you gone. Isn't that a reminder, hey, you also have to go go and enjoy your holiday. Don't forget, as I was saying, spend time with your children, your loved ones be kind with them. You can no longer show any form of guidance that is going to be implemented. If you don't care for people. Like I was saying, people say we want to do our fair and good that we're meaning calling people towards goodness, and prohibiting bad or discouraging people from bad. I want to tell you know that our his effect is
effective, it will not have an impact. If you don't show caring for the people whom you are calling towards that goodness, you have an attitude, it's not going to work. You have no care for them. It's not going to work. When you care. When you reach out when you greet when you smile, when you show good character. When you show connection, when you try to help them in one way or another, then try talking to them about the deal and try talking to them about goodness, Allah He they will stomach it, they will take it they will digest it, they may even readily accept immediately because they know this person case for me, but you don't care for someone who can listen to you. Not at all. You
can give them gold, they won't even want it because you don't even care. May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us ease. So my brothers, my sisters to utilize these days in a way that you realize this might be my last opportunity is something that is called for when it comes to the Muslims and Islam.
The verse I read on its own, we can talk about it for years on end and this is why it is part of
you know when the prophets of Allah. When he spoke many times he commenced with verses of the Quran. The verse I read is one of the verses he read very often reminding people listen, develop your relationship with Allah, your time on earth is ticking. It's clocking you're becoming older, not any younger. My brothers and sisters, we have such a beautiful faith. Allah makes things easy for us. He says you need
to be common law. So when he speaks about fasting, which is a pillar of Islam, he says Allah once ease for you not difficulty. You know when it comes to clothing in Islam,
there is no specific color that is compulsory for you to wait. There is no specific dress that is compulsory for you today. There are only guidelines, if you covered in a modest way. Whatever Allah asks you to cover with the correct type of perhaps material in a nice way you've arrived at something acceptable in the eyes of Allah. Imagine, if Allah wanted, he could have said like, everyone must wear this color, it would have been like a uniform. You see some people in some churches they have, for example, a certain color, it's up to them. But with us, everyone wears a different color. It's just got to do with a general ruling that Allah has given us it's only the
outline. That's what Allah says, I leave it to you, you can enjoy your culture can come into play, whatever your liking is can come into play. uncondition that
It has covered in a modest way that modesty translated and interpreted according to the rules of Allah subhanho wa Taala. May Allah grant us ease. Another very interesting factor as we leave to go on holiday, remember, control your temper, have a lot of patience. Don't get angry with people. I've witnessed something in some countries let's talk about South Africa in particular, many of us might be going there perhaps because it's just a neighboring country. Beautiful Mashallah. I promise you, if you lose your cool, it costs 50 cents less than one grand to get rid of you. What happens? I've seen it in my life that in the last few months, I've witnessed many people lose their lives over a
small argument. Two weeks ago, someone in a car park particle another person came and said I was supposed to park my car here. Small argument. Second later on, Luca happened to pick out his gun. One bullet in the chest. The brother was dead. Gone. totally gone. What happened? You argued learn not to argue. That's why the professor syllabuses I promise a little place in paradise for those who don't argue Subhanallah you know why you and I, we are brothers, we are brothers and sisters, we may argue we may raise our voice. It's okay between us. When we get used to that we start doing it to people we don't know when they don't know how to control their temper and the only thing they have
in their pocket is a little nine mil gun. You know what they do? They use it. They will use it no matter how big you are muscular. It means a small gun, nothing guy who weighs five kilos less than you. He'll just pick up the gun pointed towards you, you are gone. All your protein was wasted your gym subscriptions were wasted. Everything else gone. Imagine Why? Because you did not discipline your mind. Take your entire character to the gym and discipline it. It's more important. You know what to do when you go to the gym, instead of lifting 100 200 Mashallah, it's good. It's not bad. And you show everyone trying to impress Wow, wow. You don't get someone intentionally to train you
how to control your anger. Let them insult you. And I don't know how because we don't train people to insult but let them say things to you that will rile you up and calm down, rile you up? That is worth more than carrying 1000 kilos. Do you know that?
Why?
Because Allah says when you have swallowed your anger, perhaps you might even earn paradise through that.
Allah describes with goodness, Allah describes with a lot of goodness, one cow, we mean
what
do you see? Those who extinguish the anger? So the powerful ones power solid martial law, how much do you carry? This guy threw one time at me. I just deflected it like this, Mashallah. It went, I didn't get upset. Now you're talking. He threw one time? What happened? I just moved. It went. I smiled at him, walked away. Allah says those who forgive people do you know when you forgive others, you are helping yourself. Stress is a killer. People die of diseases because of stress. Because they are carrying so much on their shoulders, they cannot release. Allah encourages us so many times when among sobre la hora in
those who are patient and those who forgive, it's the best thing you could do. Why does Allah say that? Not only is it a spiritual benefit for an evaluator in terms of closeness to Allah, Allah, He even your health improves, you are calm, you are relaxed. You don't have tension. You know, people are diagnosed with all sorts of diseases. Now there is a study that is even connecting diseases like cancer to stress, diseases, so many other diseases, autoimmune diseases, to stress, people are making your life difficult laugh it off. Laughing Oh, how many times should I laugh it off? As many times as you can? I'm not saying don't go for justice. No, but I'm saying learn to process what
comes in your direction, in a way that does not cause more harm.
May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant disease
Subhana Allah.
We are here in this month of december nearing the end of it. My brothers, my sisters, once again, I remind you, yes, by all means, let's go on holiday. That holiday. Each one according to his level. You don't have to go to Hawaii and Honolulu Guess what?
If you can't afford it, you can go around the corner somewhere here. The dams inshallah will be fooled by that time
Perhaps you might want to go out there are so many beautiful places here. According to your budget, you might want to go out for a drive that you haven't been with your children or a walk to the park. Many of us haven't done that. Spend time with your kids. We have a beautiful country. It is relatively one of the safest countries in Africa. It is a beautiful nation. It has a lot of greenery and nature. Make use of it. Appreciate the favors of Allah, go out and enjoy yourself. Don't forget Allah. Don't disconnect from Allah. I end up with the same point I mentioned in the middle of my talk for the benefit of myself and your cells. Once again. You know how irritated you get when
you're disconnected from the internet.
You know, how irritating if I were to switch off everyone's internet here now. Everything. People would get irritated if we crossed a certain limit and I still don't have internet. It's like you can't breathe anymore. Well lucky. When we are disconnected from Allah, we should be even more irritated than that.
May Allah keep us connected all the time with the strongest connection. May we be from among those who remember the famous of Allah upon us. Apollo cola was Salatu was Salam ala nabina