Look at what has happened to us!

Have you heard of Quran Lee? It's a habit building Quran app unlike anything you've seen before. The app tracks your verses pages time and has not gained as well. I've tried it to check out the seven day free trial and see for yourself. Take your Quran reading from inconsistent to finishing it twice a year with the meaning. Download it on the app store now search for unli Smilla he will hamdu lillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah haga Allah Allah He was happy here Jemaine

my beloved brothers and sisters,

this beautiful masjid, in the southern part of Johannesburg, in an area known as Nora casa.

It is indeed an honor to be in this beautiful community.

And it is an honor to be here in such a wonderful place with beautiful hearts in the house of Allah subhanho wa taala.

On this beautiful day, which is the best day of the week, of Friday,

my brothers and sisters, the condition of the globe is such

that if we were to look

at where we are supposed to be, and where we actually are,

we would find

that we need to

correct ourselves, remind ourselves re align

and try our best

to get to what is required of us

by Allah subhanho wa taala.

Yesterday, I received a message from a friend of mine.

And I read it. And as I read it, I told myself I'm going to speak about this because it is extremely important.

What is this message all about? It's about the condition of man. It's called a reality check.

So it reads it's an Arabic but I'm just going to translate it into English.

It reads

the houses that we live in,

have become blockage very big.

You find people long back used to live in a little apartment, one bedroom, perhaps too small, many kids mashallah everyone is within the faces of the other and they didn't feel that it was too small. We grew up in a similar fashion.

And mashallah,

the houses have become big. But guess what?

Size of family has become small. Wow.

It's just something to ponder over.

Not only have the families become small, but

we do not even maintain family relations with those who are related to us quite closely.

When was the last time you visited your cousin? For example, one might say, well, that's a cousin. When did you visit your sibling who might be married? When have you visited your uncle.

So it's important for us to realize that it's not just about visiting. But our circle becomes minute and small because we have not fulfilled what Allah Almighty wants us to fulfill. Allah will bless us with something. Some are blessed with only females, some are blessed with only males, some are blessed with both male and female, and some don't have

children at all, neither male nor female. That's all from the blessing of Allah. But you will have an extended family who has a right over you.

And you need to maintain family ties, you need to visit you need to from time to time perhaps exchange gifts, perhaps you need to get together to have a little bit of what we call a bite, which means a meal.

Minimum is at least to message them to find out how are you doing?

Subhanallah Is everything okay? I haven't seen you. I haven't heard from you, etc. You're my family member. But look, the size of the house is huge. You have five whole bedrooms, there's no one there and you're not even bothered about your extended family. That's the reality. That's what has happened.

So it's really something worth pondering over.

And Allah Almighty warns us in the Quran

and reminds us in the Quran, so many places regarding the fulfillment of the rights of kinship. While it then karamba have cow who will miskeen, our burners Sebby when Allah speaks about giving in charity, he says, Give those who are related to you that do what is their do their due means, if they are in need, they have a right over you from two aspects. One is they are poor. So you should reach out to them. And two is they are related to you, so you should reach out to them. When giving your charities as they say Charity begins at home. When giving charity you must first look in the circle of your family, your relatives, is there someone immedi Is there someone who is perhaps poor

or someone who is struggling, reach out to them before you make that circle larger.

And Allah Almighty will bless you. Similarly we have

the Quran speaking about being conscious of your family, your relatives, your siblings,

whoever it may be that who is related to you what duckula had left it as

Luna be one.

In Allah Ghana, Allah ecomark Eva, Allah says, Be conscious of Allah, the One whose name you use, the one whose name you use to ask one another. You know, when someone says walleye, they are promising by whom, by Allah. They're saying, I swear by Allah, whose name are you using in order to be believed? You using Allah's Name, Allah says, Be conscious. Don't just use that name in vain. Don't be telling a lie using the name of Allah, you should not be lying anyway using the name of Allah or not. But if you do use the name of Allah, it's even worse. So Allah says, and be conscious of your relatives, your relations, those related to you through the womb, through the women, through

your mother's through your sisters and so on. Be conscious, fulfill the rights. That's why Allah says in Allah con la cumbre Kiba. Allah is indeed ever watchful over you. Allah is watching. He sees he witnesses, you wrong, someone, you're not going to get away with it. Allah is watching and guess what he is taking a record. And he knows, this is why it's important for us to realize so as big as the houses have become, they're not really homes. In many cases. The difference between a house and a home, a house is a dwelling people stay there, a home, you feel loved, you feel a part of it, you feel that you have people around you who care for you. That's a whole. You have people who are

genuine, they can correct you and they can commend you. When you're wrong. They correct you when you're right. They can commend you. They appreciate in a home. But when there's a dwelling, it's more like a deal. I'm staying here, here's the rent, you don't talk to me, I don't talk to you. I walk in, I walk out you've got nothing to do with me. And you did tell me anything that's just a dwelling. May Allah grant us goodness.

The second part of this message it says medicine has progressed. Wouldn't you agree? Medicine has progressed, but the health of people is failing, it's become worse.

So you have medication today you will hear of third generation antibiotics. And you will hear of amazing breakthrough in this medication and that medication but go and check the sickness and disease that is across the globe.

And this is why the Hadith says near Mahtani Mulan fie Hema cathedral Mina nurse, a Suharto Farah, two major gifts of Allah that many people take for granted. What are they? Your health and use free time?

Before you know it, free time is gone. You had some free time you wanted to achieve you wanted to do something, but you didn't. And you know what? Allah took it away. Now you don't have the time anymore, but you had it. Why didn't you do what had to be done when you had the time? That's why a Muslim never leaves for tomorrow. What is meant to be done today? Don't that's not the quality of a Muslim to leave something that you can do now. Say don't worry, I'll do it tomorrow. That's not a good quality. You're a believer. You've got a chance to do it. Now. You don't know if you're going to exist tomorrow morning. You don't even know if you're going to sleep the night.

In your O'Meara, the Allahu and Omar used to say when you enter the evening, tell yourself you're not going to you may not make it to the morning or don't speak about the morning you're in the evening. And when you enter the morning to speak about the evening you may not make it today.

that particular time might not be a time you will witness. Be careful, every morning, be prepared, you might not see the evening, and every evening, be prepared, you might not see the morning.

So these are two gifts of Allah that people take for granted as she had to well Farah, one of them is good health, you're healthy, do what you have to use it in the obedience of Allah, a day will come when that will go. And this is why we say it is so sad to witness the advancement of medicine yet people are so unhealthy. I'll give you a quick example of the virus that we just had recently. Did it not shake the globe? It shook the globe.

as advanced as medication is and was and is still progressing, guess what? We lost? Millions, didn't we?

But there is Allah.

They are saying, we might witness something like that in the future again. But medicine is so advanced. This all goes back to Allah. Look at the Qudra of Allah, Oh, man, don't rely on yourself alone. Build your connection with Allah seek the help of Allah. And you need to know when Allah gives you the energy, the capability, the capacity to do something, that's the only time that you will be able to achieve that.

Then

the next part of it.

We have reached the moon, but we don't know our own neighbors. How's that one?

How many of you know your neighbors? Well, I'm sure in newer houses, perhaps it's much better because it's a much more loving community and society. But you get to the areas that are a little bit.

What can I say more low density, slightly wealthier, perhaps they don't even want to know each other. I've had people who've told me, We live in a building for 30 years. I don't know my neighbors.

But the same man and astronaut might have arrived at the moon. We know what's happening in the moon on the moon. But we don't know what's happening next door.

And yet the Hadith says Lhasa Allah Gibreel Do you see any bill Jerry had turned unto another who you are Retha who he says the rights of the neighbor so much that Jabril Alaihe Salam continued to remind me of the rights of the neighbor that I thought that perhaps he might come up and say he's going to be an A when you die, your neighbor inherits this portion. Obviously that didn't happen, but

it almost perhaps was thought that it might happen.

And another Hadith the Prophet sallallahu Sallam speaks about the rights of your neighbor.

And he says

Montana you may know Billa he will Leah will actually follow you with Ijarah wherever believes in Allah and the Last Day, you believe you're going to go back to Allah, the accounts the accountability, such a person will never harm their neighbors, not even with a foul smell of smoke going in their direction. Nothing.

Neighbors, your neighbors. Why? Because you live in a community, a society, if you're a good neighbor, and they're good neighbors, you enjoy. The home becomes a beautiful home, you love the company, you care for each other. They look out when you're not there and you look out after them when they're not around. You check each other's homes, you look on to whatever is there and you fulfill each other's rights. It's so beautiful to have a loving kind neighbor.

You need something they're there. Something happens emergency either way they're there. So this is something extremely important. The issue of the neighbor and as it is said we've reached the moon

but we don't even know who our neighbors are, inshallah we can do better. This is why when we come in the masjid it's important to greet each other. It's important to know each other I see you every week Masha Allah, I see you every day, depending on which Masjid in which area, right? Whether it's too close to your workplace or your home. I see you every so often. How come I didn't see you this time?

A question is automatically posed within yourself. Why didn't I see this brother? If I didn't see you the second time I need to call the same my brother is everything. Okay? Is there anything I can do for you? SubhanAllah.

That's how it should be. I'll do it. Well, Jama two very important aspects of the deen the Friday prayer

and

the congregation

as well as the grouping of the Muslims, we congregate every day and we have a DUA, why is Joomla and Joomla import

To so that we can stand up for one another so that we can be there for each other. Yeah, doula Hema al Jamara. Allah Almighty's assistance is with the one who, meaning with the group.

But the group, may Allah Almighty make it easy for us.

My brothers, my sisters, it's very important for us

to get to know one another for the right reasons. I love you. Not because I want something from you or because you're an important person, simply because Allah has instructed me to love you.

I love you for the sake of Allah, the pleasure of Allah. If I see you in pain, I'm in pain.

If I see you happy, I share the joy. If I see you sad, I'd like to help.

If I see anything coming in your direction that is negative. I'd like to do something about it. Subhanallah that is a Mortman Mina Cal Jessa de la Hady. Either sticker I mean who do Tada Allah who saw it will just a DB saheliyon Hama, the believers are like one body. If a single part of the body is in pain, the entire body

will be in pain. suffering with what?

Insomnia sleeplessness, I can't sleep. Why? Because you know, my neighbor is in trouble. I can't sleep because such and such a person is in trouble.

And we suffer the fever because someone else has a fever. How's that? Meaning we should be feeling it. That's what is meant by the Hadith. But today, let's be honest, how many of us actually feel for one another? something bad happens to someone and you say yeah, he deserved it. That's the statement, isn't it? Yeah, it was about time that guy was greenhorns. May Allah forgive us? Those are the statements people say, where is the who? Or where is the love and the Brotherhood. May Allah Almighty grant us goodness, then we move on to the next point.

People have become extremely intelligent, as the car intelligence has increased. But people lack wisdom, simple wisdom. You're very sharp, you're very intelligent, you might have had top results at school, you might have been a person who's cracked all A's for your examinations. You might be a sharp businessmen, you might be very, very intelligent, that people know this person's intelligent, but you know what? You're not why is it? Oh, no wisdom. Wisdom is achieved by experience by learning by watching by respecting the elders by having mercy on those who are young, by interacting with people by remaining silent at times in order to watch what's going on before you actually correct or

you say something. But today we too fast. We want to comment on everything and anything because we think we intelligent, we want to say whatever we want to say immediately so that we can be registered. first comment was mine. People actually write on social media first, which means I commented first what's the big deal? Subhanallah Hang on, relax, calm down. Chill out, as we say.

He won't get a gold medal because you

dished out the first comment No.

But you need to be wise. Every statement.

every occasion has a statement that is suitable for that occasion. Everything that happens, perhaps has

a reaction or a contribution towards it in accordance with what is supposed to be the best for it. You got to sit and pause and think even before you open your mouth.

There is an English saying think before you think you heard that. Think before you ink I tell you think before you open your mouth.

Allah has given you a brain you want to say something Wallah, he choose the best way to say what you want to say. I'm standing here in front of you trying to work things in the best possible way so that we get the message across and at the same time. We don't want people to feel like we are in any way above them or feel unwanted or unwelcome in this house of Allah. We want to get the message across we are all in the same boat and we'd like to improve ourselves. So you got to think put yourselves in the shoes of others, you will attain wisdom.

So if people have big degrees, sometimes you will be shocked that this person has such a great qualification. He might be a doctor or a lawyer or something very high. He has a doctorate in a PhD, but sometimes you will be surprised it's the same person does not have common sense. Common Sense

Didn't you didn't need to go to school for that and they don't have that sometimes their understanding is completely stunted

May Allah Almighty protect us from that?

And May Allah guide the Ummah

we move on.

In today's world we know so many people. But guess what? We are lacking true feeling and genuineness towards one another. We know more people than our fathers and forefathers knew simply because of technological advancement.

Our fathers and forefathers may have known 1000 people we know a million a million literally.

When we were younger, some of us in our 40s and 50s and beyond. You would remember

before the age of the mobile phone,

when we would memorize people's names and phone numbers, and we knew two 300 phone numbers just like that. Am I right or wrong? Yes, is the older the uncles are the more they shaking their heads, masha Allah, Allah bless you. The memory was solid. What happened now? I promise you you will not be able to rattle out 10 Phone Numbers sometimes not even your own.

You don't even know your wife's phone number because you know what? You just click wife and it starts ringing Am I right or wrong? There it goes. What has happened?

Well I tell you what, we know a lot of people but we lack that genuineness.

People are not genuine anymore. They want to know you because why you have money? They want to know you why because you have authority they want to know your why a is a good looking man. You want they want to know you why? Because you have some popularity perhaps. But Are they genuine? who just want to know me? For me? That's all nothing else. Am I important to you? I'm a Muslim.

I try to help people.

Those you know,

is it just because you want to be able to say hey, I've got this guy's phone number that you ask please can I give him your phone number?

Or are you really genuinely interested in something good? Many people have a whole list of phone numbers Wallahi my brothers my sisters, I challenge you across the globe. Go through your contacts and tell me how many people you have not contacted in over a year. What are they doing in your contact list? You might say ah well I have a reason you have a reason all I'm trying to show you is we know people but we is that connection. Where is it? We need to build on it right? Ask him once in a while how are you hope you're okay then you are adding value to the relationship?

We continue

the number of friends we have is increased but loyalty has dropped and decreased. We've lost it not loyal anymore. This guy is a friend tomorrow is an enemy why there was no loyalty some way something went wrong. No loyalty. Where is the loyalty gone?

Isn't it a sign of the hour that people lose loyalty? Faithfulness where is it? You have a ton of friends but you can't count on one of them. Don't you feel that sometimes? I have a ton of friends so many people I know but in when I'm in a situation I'm trying to think who can I count on? Perhaps there's only two or three if you are lucky. If you're lucky. If not every one of them will excuse themselves am a little bit busy the next guy a you know what tomorrow the other guy a you know I really can't help at this moment in time. The other guy a I mean a bigger problem than you and what happened you sitting on your own with your friends got a friend in need is a friend indeed when you

are in need and someone stands up to fulfill that friendship that they have with you. That is a friend indeed.

So may Allah Almighty grant us goodness.

Then we have one amazing, amazing parts of this beautiful message.

You see Today we look at the types of watches available in the market. What do we have very expensive watches. Rolex, you heard of that?

We have Richard mu, as they call it. I'm not sure if I pronounced it correct. Patek Phillipe, what else are all these types of watches?

You might be able to name some expensive watches.

But guess what?

as sophisticated as the watches have become, and as expensive as these watches have become. And as much as we look at the clock, even on our phones, and everywhere else and we know exactly what the time is at any given time. Unlike what used to happen long back. long back. We never really used to know the time as much as we do to

They were not as conscious of it as we are today.

So as much as we know, the time and as much as the clocks and the watches and everything

have actually become so many so unique, so luxurious, so expensive. We actually do not have time. How ironic. I know the time, but I don't have time. I've got the latest watch, but I don't have time. I look at the clock every so often, but I don't have time. Why? Do you know why? Because we are occupying ourselves with that which is not necessary and not important. What are you sitting doing? Well, I was I had a bit of free time. So I was sitting and scrolling through tick tock. Okay. Guess what happened? As you were sitting in scrolling through tick tock. time was ticking and talking.

Right or wrong? That's why they call it that because why? As you flick one goes tick the other one goes tock, tick, tock, tick. Tock. Before you know it, the day is over. What were you doing? I was just scrolling. You were scrolling and you didn't have time for your mother, your father, your siblings, your children, your spouse, your grandparents, your grandparents you didn't have time for anyone Why was the scrolling scrolling what clothes that device prioritize correctly? Please go and do something meaningful that will earn you a great reward and perhaps your Jana would have been had you close that phone and gone to visit your parents.

Just sit with them ma i came to visit you. I just wanted to see your face it brings a lot of comfort and peace to my heart. Imagine how she will feel

you go and see your elderly father don't need he doesn't need anything from you. Besides you went to see him that I just came to see you I need your DUA I get so happy when I sit with you even for five minutes

even if you did not take anything to him it's okay and then you come back what happened? You use your time wisely but today now I'll come when will you come out see next week? What happens next week? I am a bit busy next month then a but it is on the corner we'll see you come on Ed two minutes you pop in by your for your parents and you know what Salah can be mubarak eid mubarak everyone Salaam Alaikum. Salaam Alaikum. I'm gone. Where are you gone? I got no time.

Allahu Akbar ways that prioritize my brothers. My sisters.

They say a long time back. Houses were made of stone you know the stone houses. They were not bricks and cement as we have today. Long time ago. The houses were made of stone.

And the hearts were made of gold. Today the houses are made of gold and the hearts are made of stone.

How's that? You find a heartless person but his house. Top notch marble you enter the gold designs and colors. Beautiful capillary lovely furniture, amazing kitchen. What a lovely bedroom suite. What about the bathroom is such that some people might look at it and say I'd rather live in this bathroom. That's our lovely it is so beautiful. That carpet is so luxurious. But I tell you your heart is of stone of stone. What's the point of having all of this just for yourself? A true Muslim only enjoys when he shares

a true Muslim only enjoys when he shares I have a place I'm going to call my family and my friends we're going to sit and we're going to really enjoy the gifts of Allah talk about Allah for a little while we'll have a meal for a little while. We'll ask each other about each other for a little while we'll make a little DUA and we'll leave you sharing what you have.

That is how it shouldn't be. But unfortunately guess what happens today. house is beautiful. No one comes there is just you, you and your small little family as we said earlier, what was the point? Because the hearts are no longer of gold.

Houses word of stone and hearts were of gold. At a time when people did not have much they used to get so excited when the guests come to the house. Welcome them you're having a meal you stay in three days buy my place I'm not allowing you to go that's how it was. Do you agree?

The older people know what I'm talking about. You visit Heidelberg for example.

You only plan to go there for part of a day they forced you to stay the night no ways there's no chance you're going you staying here you sleeping Come let's let's do whatever

they will have a little bride in the evening a barbecue they'll have something else and mashallah they so happy Zara and Al Baraka. Baraka are the blessings have visited us what that actually means is that Allah will bless us as a result of the visitors that have come to us. It's a sign of the blessings of Allah. But today, you have a luxury

Curious home, you have the latest motor vehicle, you have wealth 100 times more than your parents. But hospitality

is below zero. You get upset when someone rings the bell? Tell them we're not at home.

How's that one?

Tell them we're not at home.

So then the child goes out and says, my daddy told me to tell you that he's not at all. Love Akbar.

May Allah forgive us, is it not happening? So there we go.

The hearts were the heart of gold to say Come Come inside. You know what, in fact, nowadays, these Bosch houses, you ring the bell, it shows it sends a photo of the person who rang the bell to your mobile phone, wherever you are. Even if you're on holiday somewhere overseas. You can contact the person to say you know what, I'm not at home right now. But Subhanallah you're more than welcome. There's no one day you can actually stay over if you want.

People already shaking their heads. It's impossible. Impossible. How can they be at my house when I'm not there? Okay, fair enough. All I'm saying is what happened to the hearts. Even if you were there, you wouldn't want them there. So now, how many of us truly get excited when we have visitors and guests? Surely that should change in the sense that if we don't something wrong with us, mankind, you know Billa he will yo malarkey for Lucrin BIFA. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his or her guests. Someone visited you honor them.

And this is why at the end of this message, it says houses were filled with the love of Allah and today the houses are filled with the love of this worldly life. The trends of this world trend, anything trendy, we're doing it someone wears a shoe like this we have a shoe like that. Someone has a slit on the clothing like this we have a slit like that someone cuts their hair this way we cut our hair like that someone uses this type of something we have to use the same someone has this type of a kitchen we need the same and so on. That's we

we have gone

where is the love of Allah

Salah has become cosmetic. What does that mean? I just fulfill it because I'm a good Muslim I need to get it done. No.

You do not fulfill Salah simply because you need to get it done. You should be doing it because you want to get it done. I want to fulfill the salah not I need to fulfill it. Yes, at a certain point initially when you're struggling with your prayer, you're going to fulfill it because you need to fulfill it. But surely there should come a time in the life of a believer where now I'm doing because I want to do it. And when you want to do it and you're doing it you're going to add to it your sunnah and you will not fail and everything else because you want to do it. But if you're doing it simply because you need to do it what you're going to do. It's called a sharpshooter

Sharpshooter. What happened I went in to records of Salah walked out. I did my father

mashallah, what happened to everything else? Well, you know what, at least I did my father the command? Yes, you did. But surely, Isn't it correct for us to remind one another once in a while to say let's go beyond that as well? Come on. Do it for the sake of Allah. So may Allah Almighty have mercy on all of us. May Allah Almighty grant us goodness and ease today. I was told that I can speak for as long as I want. But I thought to myself half an hour is good time. Perhaps I might have overshot by two, three minutes, yet they gave me 40 minutes I still sliced it. May Allah Almighty grant us ease and goodness, once again, the community of this beautiful place known as Nora has a

first time hearing of it. Thanks to brother Zane. I always tell him Listen, I need to go to communities that I haven't met. And I haven't seen and I'd like to go to those who perhaps

may not have opportunities that others have. Perhaps those who are of a lower income, perhaps less fortunate, and that's why we keep going to the massage in areas that I really feel the love. I can tell you and I'll end on this note. The reason I say this is because I've noticed it myself.

The minute we become more luxurious.

For some strange reason a lot of the hearts become slightly distant.

One wonders why it's obviously shaytan

but I'm sure you notice it. You go to a masjid, for example, where it's a beautiful air conditioning units. Lovely carpets. I'm not saying it's wrong. And I'm not saying the community is bad. And you have the people who come in with the most Porsche of Motor Vehicles

NOTICE very few will greet. And they will greet certain cliques, and they will greet certain circles. And they may even give a dirty look in some direction or the other. And you may not feel so comfortable. I'm not saying it happens all the time, but it is happening. We feel it I have felt it I'm sure you have. And that's why when you come to a place where

we may not even have electricity. People don't really come in the motor vehicles they go to walk or they come on bicycles or whatever else it might be. The facility might not be big enough. We don't have proper sound system or anything. But guess what? Better than everything we have golden hearts. May Allah keep it that way.

May Allah keep us connected and united and may Allah Almighty help us to respect one another and to love one another. Listen, we will have differences as time passes. It doesn't mean we need to hurt and hate not at all. We have a difference. We discuss it and so on end of the day, we are all at rest of the Shahada. We are all part of one family.

May Allah grant us increase in love? And may Allah accept us all? And may Allah Almighty gather us in Jannah to those in the companionship of Nabina Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mean what have you I wanna I will hamdulillahi rabbil Alameen wa sallahu wa sallam or Baraka ala Nabina Muhammad