Mufti Menk – Hope and Solutions

			Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.
		

			smilla rahmanir rahim al hamdu Lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah Allah, Allah, he was happy.
I mean,
		

			we always praise Allah Subhana Allah to Allah upon all conditions, we send blessings and salutations
upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions, we asked Allah subhanahu,
wa Taala, to bless them to bless every one of us. And to grant us all ease to grant us comfort to
grant us good health to grant us success in the dunya and the aphylla. And to take us through to
gender to fulfill those in the company of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, I mean,
		

			my brothers and sisters in Islam,
		

			you and I know that in our lives,
		

			we go through a lot.
		

			Health Matters. Sometimes we run from doctor to doctor, literally pillar to post, we struggle
sometimes with our health, sometimes financially,
		

			we happen to face so much of difficulty that we think to ourselves, when is this going to end? How
long am I going to continue struggling in this way. And it becomes a battle sometimes from riches to
rags. And sometimes the opposite may happen. But
		

			we'd like to concentrate on the difficulties that people face you and I know that things are
becoming expensive. We hear about the dollar going down, the RAND going down, etc, prices going up.
Very rarely do we hear of prices coming down. A lot of the times my experience is when they want to
raise the price of fuel, they actually drop it to make you feel like something good happened.
		

			So they drop it by 50 cents, only to find out one month later that they raised it by a whole rant.
So it was to make you feel good. Or sometimes they raise it by a Rand and drop it by 50 cents.
effectively. they've raised it, but in a way that you were okay with it. But we never hear of it
coming down in a way that it hasn't gone up. Or going further down. Two or three price drops all at
once. A lot of the times when the difficulty strikes, it's not just one,
		

			one, and it's followed by another one, and it's followed by a third one hardship.
		

			Imagine Allah subhanho wa Taala, the Most Merciful, the most kind, the most compassionate, and yet
we are struggling Subhana Allah, this is what a weak person might look at. He might start thinking
How come a lie so merciful, but I can't make ends meet. I'm struggling to put a plate of food for my
children and my family members.
		

			And how come I'm looking for a job, but I haven't found one? And why is it that I'm trying to pay my
debt, but I cannot. Sometimes we have family problems, difficulties in the house. We are trying to
solve a matter in the family. And we simply cannot. Someone somehow somewhere is just so stubborn.
They either don't want to own up, they don't want to apologize. They don't want to change their
ways. Or we play the blame game. Each one says he was wrong. She was wrong. And this one says no,
she was wrong. He was wrong. And the problem does not get resolved in a lot of cases.
		

			So we go through so much of difficulty and hardship in that regard as well in the community. We have
issues. This man the other men that Auntie the other sister, etc. This organization, that community
this Masjid, the other Masjid, those trustees, these ones, problems, difficulties.
		

			And it's so bad, because as muslimeen we would have thought that perhaps when we have more than one
Islamic organization, they would cooperate. Rather nowadays, it's like a business.
		

			It's like how did you open a business similar to mine? well hang on the duty of the hour is
everybody's it's not just yours or mine. It's different from a business. In fact, even if it were
business, a true believer would not be angry and upset if a similar business opened across the road.
I take you to the Middle East or to China for that matter. When you want to buy electronics you
enter a market where they are 2000 shops, all electronics.
		

			What happened to them he will not move meaning but look at how they don't mind because they know
that if there is a whole city known as electronic city, at least the world is going to come here
perhaps they will come to me.
		

			With us you have an electronic store. And you hear that a kilometer down the line there is another
one and suddenly your little tiama has come May Allah subhanho wa Taala protect us. Where is the man
		

			But it is a problem, a problem in the sense that we have sleepless nights because of this. Then we
hear of the politics across the globe. We cannot deny that it affects us. It affects us because it's
happening to our brothers and sisters.
		

			People are dying. They don't know why they are dying. People are killing. They don't know why they
are killing. It's a prophecy of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam he says there will come a time
layer drill Cthulhu FEMA cattle well moku FEMA put in, they will come a time as a sign of the hour
that the one killing won't know why he's doing it, perhaps just an instruction. Oh, he's just
feeling good about it. Look at what's happening in the States. Every other day you hear of a
sporadic shooting. I'm not talking of Muslims, sporadic someone perhaps mental, someone, perhaps
whatever else it was driven by racism, driven by hate, etc. coming forth and shooting who random
		

			people anywhere and everywhere why he doesn't know. And why were those murdered? murdered? They
don't know either. That was prophesized by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. So it affects us and
it bothers us because number one part of the Muslim Ummah, number two, humanity at large, we care
for humanity, too many people say the Muslims only care for their own money. And for their type.
That is not true. We care for humanity, we are taught to care for the dogs and the cats and the
animals as well. We are taught to care for the ecosystem as well. The difficulty is
		

			if there was a dog drowning and a human being drowning, you had to prioritize as a Muslim to save
the human being, and perhaps thereafter hope that the dog is still okay, that you can actually go
and save it. But you cannot say I'm a Muslim. People are saying we only care for our room. Let me
save the dog. You cannot say that because in that case, you were foolish. It's a human being its
life. This is why the Quran says clearly. One man
		

			said Jamie, ever saved a single life is equivalent to one who has saved humanity. Because you can.
That's what it is. You have shown you're part of a huge family.
		

			But still, we feel that the Islamophobia across the globe is unfair.
		

			It is a very small group of people perhaps, who do things in the name of religion that affects us
negatively sometimes, but the bulk of us 99.99 and beyond percent of the Muslim mean, they have
contributed positively or they're trying at least to lead their lives in a normal way they have
their own struggles. Didn't I just say we all have either financial economical meaning, social
struggles, perhaps health, etc, etc. So many things. We go through our own problems, but we are
trying our best we're not affecting people negatively wherever we can. We are trying to reach out to
them. But they look at us with this eye.
		

			This eye of suspicion, doubt. You see a Muslim, suddenly everyone turns around Subhan Allah May
Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for us. My brothers, my sisters, there are many messages I wish
to deliver today. I want to start with one thing. Never lose your identity. Be proud of who you are.
Don't decide right, I'm no longer going to, you know dress like a person I'm supposed to as a
Muslim. As modest as I'm supposed to time for Salah. It's okay, there's all these people watching. I
can't do it anymore. Allah is most forgiving, Most Merciful. That's the reason why people think that
those who are religious are bad because we become too few in the eyes of the people. Too few. We're
		

			doing it for the sake of Allah. But when people whom you interact with on a daily basis, realize
you're a good Muslim who prays five times a day who's actually fulfilling whatever Allah wants him
or her to fulfill eating halal, ensuring that you know you're modest, you are clean, you are
upright, you are moral, you are not vulgar. That's when they realize you know what, actually the
Muslims are the best of people. But the difficulty is we want to hide it. I'm not saying we've
become bad. But sometimes we give up certain things, you know, we too shy to admit that I only eat
halal. Take a look at others. They'll tell you we only eat kosher and that's it. And we are stricter
		

			than any one of you. That's what they've said. I've had a few discussions with some of the Jewish
people and somehow Allah hats off to the fact that they are so strict sometimes with this matter of
kosher, that I feel to myself that perhaps we need to learn a thing or two regarding strictness.
		

			May Allah subhanho wa Taala make it easy for us. So politically, then we have the wars that are
happening. The wars that are happening, unfair, politically motivated in most cases and who is
		

			struggling and suffering the Muslims. And it's made to look like we're the bad ones. Yet if you look
at the root of the problem, voila, here you will find it. It does not lie with the Muslims. If you
look at the root of a lot of the problems and the wars and the fighting and the killing
		

			those who are honest enough to face facts, will confirm
		

			that it wasn't the Muslims Subhanallah people started this now, when you start something you need to
know it will have an effect and impact Schiphol effect. Sometimes you won't be able to control where
it goes, but who started it. Don't blame me May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us ease. We are now
trying to resolve a matter that you created. We are now trying to resolve a problem an issue we are
trying to contain that which is an inferno that is raging and who started the fire? May Allah
subhanho wa Taala grant us protection. May Allah make it easy for us. So it's frustrating, everyone
is frustrated because we see what's happening in Palestine for example, for ages,
		

			the oppression
		

			so much is happening. We can't even talk about it. It's not just a topic on its own. It's a lifetime
to discuss. And it's been happening since most of us in this Masjid, were born.
		

			We've known about it frustration upon frustration every year you hear about, you know, this killing
and people fighting. Why?
		

			And then we look like the bad ones. And then history, what people try and do is they try and change
history to make it seem to the world that what is happening today is actually the fault of the
Muslim in Subhana. Allah conveniently the Muslims will also some of them who don't know and they're
not prepared to go back into history to see what exactly took place. They will say yeah, that's
right. That's right slavery, Allah. Allah, May Allah forgive us and our shortcomings. We need to
remember and we need to learn you need to know your history, you need to know where it started, why
it started?
		

			Why is it that this is happening?
		

			The issue of Palestine is at the heart of every Muslim, not just Palestine. Take a look at how the
Middle East has been completely destroyed.
		

			And people blame every one of us. Yes, it is true that we are to blame for the infighting we are.
But take a look at the trigger. How did it trigger? Where did it go?
		

			May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us the ability to resolve these matters. With all this
frustration, you have unilateral announcements suddenly, this is the capital. It's like saying
Harare is the capital of China and the whole world says Wow, yes, great. It is Wow, you look like a
fool. So Han Allah Harare, the capital of China. Subhan. Allah, may Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us
ease.
		

			So it's important for us to know why is it? Why is it that this is bothering the whole Muslim oma?
		

			But my brothers and sisters, I want to tell you, in this frustration, we can do two or three things,
we can either sit and forget about it and not do anything about it. That's not a good moment. Number
two, we can either do things that make matters worse, worse, meaning you start hitting innocent
people around because you venting your frustration. So you decide you know, every Jewish person is
my enemy. That's not true. That's not true. A lot of the Jewish people support the Muslim stance,
I'm sure you may have seen that.
		

			Every Christian person out there deserves to be harmed, that's not true. So don't think that by you
venting your frustration in the wrong way, you're going to be helping the oma instead, you're going
to be making matters worse, you have to understand it's our duty to explain this, however, my
brothers and sisters, a group from amongst us, and we need to make sure that the majority of us are
in that group, if not every single one of us.
		

			According to the level that Allah has given you, you need to do something about it. If Allah has
given you political clout, whereby you are in authority somewhere across the globe, a world leader,
you're a Muslim, you have a greater responsibility than those below because you have that power,
that position to be able to voice something in a way or do something about it. Sometimes that might
even solve the whole problem by the help of Allah.
		

			But I can tell you another fact. Don't we feel let down by political leadership who are Muslims? We
feel let down it creates another frustration. So what can you and I do?
		

			People say, Well, I didn't hear you write anything about it on Facebook, for example. Okay.
		

			That's a very interesting observation because you
		

			you boil down the solution to putting something up on Facebook, then I think you've actually missed
the plot.
		

			You actually have, yes, it is very important to create the awareness. Yes, we should and we must.
But remember, each one of us deals with it in a different way. It doesn't mean that what I did. If
it was different from what you did, then I am wrong. Perhaps you did something more than more than I
did. And I don't know.
		

			And guess what many of us get so frustrated that our Eman becomes weak quality and you don't realize
your Eman is actually flying away. And you're so frustrated thinking I'm a good Muslim because you
know what happens? We belittle the solutions of the Quran, that is the word of Allah. When Allah
tells you you've got a problem do x y and Zed and when we have the problem we are doing a B and C.
Our Eman is actually becoming weak without realizing Can I tell you why why.
		

			How many of us cry at the time of the 100 making to alpha the oma how many of us I don't even want
to ask you to show hands because I know it will be a minority Let's face facts.
		

			Yet that is a powerful solution. The prophets Allah salon used to get up every morning he used to
cry for the oma.
		

			We say do i do how the Quran talks about the Quran talks about some of the Quran talks about
developing your taqwa to solve a problem in New Zealand. Well, New Zealand is not mentioned in the
Quran. But what I mean is somewhere else in the world, solve that problem. You need to develop your
toccoa to start with, you need to develop your suburb, you need to think about it you need to
discuss it. You need to use whatever capacity Allah has given you to do what you believe is the most
you could have done
		

			so every one of us we pass the buck, what did you do, brother? What did you do? What I did,
inshallah, I'll try my best in my capacity, whatever I can, you may not know my capacity, I may not
know yours. Sometimes from amongst us there are people who are quiet sitting in one corner, they are
so so close to Allah that Allah subhanho wa Taala uses their effort to resolve massive problems, and
we don't even know aren't remote meaning don't we believe that from amongst us, they are those who
are close to Allah whom we don't recognize. I recall visiting a Middle Eastern country recently, and
in the masjid, there was a security guard. He was from Africa. And he was sitting there very, very
		

			early. We had gotten in quite early and he was sitting there early, and he was busy reading his
Quran. And I told the brother next to me, I said, Brother, I want to meet this man.
		

			Something about him told me this guy is you know, he's on another level. Obviously, I may be wrong.
You need to be one to recognize one but at the same time. It's a feeling you get in your heart that
you know this brother is genuine. He's really someone who's trying no one would think a security
guard standing out there even deserves to come and read salata Juma, May Allah forgive us. Sometimes
we have people who work for us who are Muslim, and we don't cater for them for Salah. And then we
want our problems to be resolved. Everything I was talking about, and we don't realize that was your
little test, Allah put it there for you.
		

			So this brother later on, I couldn't meet him because after Salah he he went away probably he went
back to his, wherever he was guarding.
		

			But I told the brother I said, Please meet him and convey him my regards and meet him every time you
see him. He said, This man is at the masjid all the time. He's there for every Salah, or whenever he
is on duty, somewhere nearby. He's at that must read for Salah. And I'm thinking to myself, this
possibly could be someone who's very, very close to Allah, Who knows, Allah knows. But for us, we
don't even respect each other, not even each other. Would you greet someone for no reason? Besides
the fact that you're a movement you have nothing in common besides the fact that you have the
Shahada, which is the most powerful thing you could ever have in common, even though it's only one
		

			thing
		

			a lot of us we greet in America because I know you as long how's it how's it What's happening?
Another thing is, you see a nice the new Tesla come in, and you see that uncle Salamanca, how's it
because you want a free ride in there, that's all or at least you want to be associated with it. I
might be giving you a simple example. But it's a fact. You see a powerful figure, a wealthy figure,
a popular figure it becomes more important for you to agree. I want you to make sure that you live
as an oma, my starting with myself as an oma voila, here we are one family. Everything that may have
happened in our lives in the past has to remain there. We have hope in the mercy of Allah no matter
		

			what. And I want to read for you a few verses.
		

			Allah subhanho wa Taala says la tabella one fee Mr. Li Kumar.
		

			foresee calm, you will be tested in a very, very big way. In your wealth and in your within
yourselves. Allah says we will throw the
		

			test at you one after the other.
		

			That's what life is all about. Life is all about being tested from the beginning there are problems
up to death. When you are when you die, they say in tequila ihlara Mattila, this person has reached
the Wrath of Allah. That's what we say. Why? Because now there's no more it's over if you if you
went through all the suffering properly as a movement, you have eternal success and bliss, may Allah
grant that to us.
		

			So don't think life is going to be easy. No, life is a challenge from the beginning right to the
end. You may never see a day when your health is restored. Perhaps Allah wants to take you away in
that condition. But don't lose hope. Because to die with hope is a sign of the man. Who did I have
hoping in Allah? Doctors might have given up but I have hope in Allah. That's your Eman. Like I
said, People say look at the problems on the globe. what hope do we have I always say there is lots
of hope through bhavati nothing. Sometimes something appearing negative is the most positive thing
that could have ever happened. But we don't see the light our demand is dwindling. That's why we
		

			lose hope. Never lose hope. We are a family. No matter who you are. We may have our differences. We
come from different races, different backgrounds. We're lucky we are a family
		

			and passionately and truly I say if you have hatred in your heart for another, it's you who is sick.
It's you who is sick, you need to change that you need to learn to love people today. Very
unfortunately small differences within opinion. We cannot respect them number one, number two is we
start hating we dislike a person I don't want to talk to him Why you know what he does this and he
does this for what we have our own weaknesses we have our differences etc. No problem. If
differences were meant to make us be separate today, the as what is happening the oma would be in
pieces Subhanallah we have to keep on having hope. And keep on asking yourself what should I do?
		

			Let's complete that verse. Allah says Allah tessmer Amina Latina o to Nikita moussaka, Bella como
Amina La Nina Shaku.
		

			caffee you will hear a lot of abusive statements from the people of the book before you and from the
those who associate partners with a lot of meaning from people who don't believe from the non
Muslims you will hear a lot of abusive speech, a lot of that which is not correct against you,
whether it is vulgar, whether it is false accusation, everything Allah says you will hear it let us
know own it means definitely definitely you are going to keep on hearing that.
		

			Where is this verse? surah? Allah Allah, Allah subhanho wa Taala says, We're toast Boo. Boo. In
Polycom in nazmul. Mo
		

			simple solution but our Eman doesn't want that solution. What's the solution? Allah says if you bear
suffer and you develop your taqwa that's the best thing you could do. In the face of someone who
says something against you. vulgar accusation, anything bad. The Koran is telling you sovereign
taqwa is your best bet. Allahu Akbar. But like I said, Our Eman is so weak. We believe that the
sovereign taqwa actually will do nothing. That's why we've got to at the moment, you say How long
are we going to have server by server have server right now and have it for as long as it takes?
		

			Then what do we do? That does not mean that you don't protect yourself? That does not mean that you
don't defend yourself? That does not mean that you don't do something within what Allah has
permitted to resolve the matter. For example, a thief comes in we have so many carjackings,
hijackings, etc. May Allah protect the soul we have murders that are happening on a daily basis in
this country in so many other countries, from thieves from people who may be not religiously
motivated or politically motivated, but just simple crime. It's happening. Does that mean sovereign
taqwa hang on just leave it? It's okay. No, you follow it up. You need to make sure you've covered
		

			your home you try to hunt who was that time make sure that they are penalized or they are caught
etc, etc. Or at least the minimum you could do is save yourself, protect yourself do something have
the CCTV or whatever else, not because that is going to actually save you ultimately. But it's part
of what Allah has asked you to do. It's part of what Allah has asked you to do. So therefore you
will do it. So Allah subhanaw taala there is another verse in the Quran also in Surah Baqarah where
Allah speaks about how he's going to test every one of us with a bit of fear, with loss of wealth,
with loss of your health, with matters in your lives within yourself, etc. And Allah subhanho wa
		

			Taala says, Whoever bears patience, indeed, those are the successful give good news to those who
bear patients. While Bashir is Saberi.
		

			give good news to those who are patients in this regard.
		

			And then I want to end with three verses of surah talaq. Very important verses. Many of us feel we
are trapped, either in our personal capacities or personal lives, trapped in the sense that you got
a marital problem. You got a health problem, you got a financial problem, some form of an issue
within some circle of your own and you feel that you're trapped. Allah is telling you never to lose
hope. Continue trying and a day will come you make sure you Will you do your bit, Allah will do his
bit. Remember that you keep on having faith. Listen to what Allah says. Or am I many tequila?
		

			Maharajah for as long as you are prepared to develop your taqwa your consciousness of Allah, your
relationship with Allah. Allah says whoever develops the taqwa, I will open a way out for them from
a place that they never ever thought it would open from.
		

			Your resume in high school is the same. Allah says I will grant them. sustenance is not only wealth,
but it includes wealth. It's all your whole life is just sustenance, who you marry is also
sustenance. Your life is sustenance, but whatever Allah has provided for you is sustenance. Allah
says we will sustain you from a place you never dreamt of you never imagined.
		

			A verse down Allah says, Why May Allah Ya Allah whom in me he saw,
		

			whoever is conscious of Allah, the minimum that Allah will do is to make matters easy for you. You
might struggle you might go through the struggle, but you will be content you will be happy, you
will be okay with what Allah has chosen for you. That's the minimum to say the minimum otherwise
Allah will create even greater ease which is also included in the same verse. So the moral of it is
developed our taqwa every time we hear it, tequila, tequila, tequila, but we take it for granted.
The hope we have in Allah is connected closely to your taqwa. How can I want a lot to help me when I
haven't helped what he has asked me to do? While I owe Soren nama whom a pseudo Allah assistance
		

			will come to those who fulfill what Allah has asked them to fulfill. And keep on going. There is
another verse in the Quran where Allah says, I'm huseby Tiger collusion, long verse, Allah says, Do
you really think you're going to go to Paradise when the tests that came to those before you have
not yet come to you, but settled But sir, what Baba war came to them harm came to them. They were
struggling with health matters and problems and plagues and so many other difficulties. They were
shaken completely until the messengers from amongst them said when is the help of Allah going to
come? And Allah says, You continue in your taqwa Allah in Nasrallah, Hickory. Indeed, the help of
		

			Allah is very near nearer than you think it is,
		

			of hope. My brothers and sisters, these problems across the globe, they shall be solved by the mercy
of Allah, but let's play our bit. By developing our link with Allah. Allah says, in Allah, Allah,
you will
		

			be coming.
		

			To see him, Allah will not change the condition of a nation for as long as the people themselves do
not individually change themselves. How do you want it? And we say, no, that's not faith. People are
still in the clubs. People cannot give up the bad habits. People are still on drugs, people are
still gambling, people are still committing adultery. People cannot quit sin for the sake of Allah.
People cannot even dress appropriately for the sake of Allah and we want massive matters of the oma
to be resolved. And when someone tells us this is the first step, we say go to *. Who are you,
you Rama? You just stand in the front and tell us get close to Allah get close to Allah they are
		

			real matters on the ground. I've heard people tell that to me.
		

			That's why I say it's a sign of weakness of a man excuse those keep on trying, keep on talking to
them keep on instilling that hope. The verse the third verse Allah says and that is in Surah two
tala one many tequila you can feel Ron Husseini
		

			for you are a vim Lw, da, whoever is going to develop his or her consciousness of Allah and
closeness to Allah and the piety levels, Allah says, even if that problem is not solved the way you
want it to be solved, we will
		

			subtract your sins. expiate them, swap them into something good. Allah says we will cancel your sins
and you know what, we will expand and make grand your reward, you will have a great reward for the
suburb that you bought that somebody is from Allah, my brothers and sisters, a lot has been said, My
time is actually up. I hope and I pray that what I've said today can help me develop the love I have
for every single one. And may Allah subhanho wa Taala help us all
		

			To develop our linkwood Allah in a way that rarely we feel what has been said in the words of Allah
subhanho wa Taala to be true solutions for the problems that we face. May Allah strengthen our
leaders. May Allah strengthen our Allah. May Allah strengthen the political leaders across the globe
to do something about what is bothering us as an oma, whereby we feel so frustrated and so let down
And may Allah subhanahu wa taala guide us and help us akuto Kali hada or sal Allahu wa salam ala
nabina Muhammad