Jumuah Lecture – 10/05/2019
Midrand, South Africa
Mufti Menk – More than one
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the positive impact of Islam on people's lives, including the ability to count favors and achieve happiness. They stress the importance of developing relationships with Islam, including the ability to develop one in a specific way. The speakers also emphasize the need for fulfillment in spiritual goals and establishing spiritual connections with others. They stress the importance of finding one's actions to be humane and finding one's actions to be true. Finally, they discuss the importance of rewarding one's spending and developing one's relationship with Allah.AI: Transcript ©
Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah where Allah Allah, he was happy. I mean, we always praise Allah subhanho wa Taala we always send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the one who was chosen by Allah subhanho wa Taala. To bring the message of goodness to us today we are on such goodness, because of the choice of Allah subhanho wa Taala. And when he has chosen, we are indeed blessed and we are happy, we are filled with joy. In the same way, when Allah has blessed and favored some of us above others in different aspects and spheres of life, we should be happy for one another. Some are wealthier than others,
some are more knowledgeable than others, some may be more good looking than others, we are always happy for one another. And we understand Allah has blessed every single one of us in unique ways, perhaps not exactly the same way as the other. If you don't have what someone has, you have something that they don't have. Remember that. So this is the blessing of Allah and the favor of Allah, man becomes sad because he doesn't have what someone else has. But he doesn't realize that he has what that someone else does not have as well.
This is something you need to engrave within your system, because sadness across the globe and despair comes about for several reasons. One of them is when we compare our lives to others, and we try to see what we don't have very few from among mankind, especially the believers are the ones who actually continue to count the favors of Allah for that counting will not end even at the point of death. May Allah subhanahu wa taala grant us favor, what
do
is and
if you are going to try and count the favors of Allah upon you, you will never ever be able to count them totally or all of them. And indeed, Allah says man is not only oppressive, in that he does wrong and he commits sin, but he is very ungrateful, and shows lots of in gratitude may or may not be from among those. My brothers and sisters. This afternoon, I have chosen to speak about a very interesting topic. And that is, it is not just one thing that Allah has asked you to do. It is always more than one thing that he wants you to do. And the question is, what does that mean? And the second question is why Subhan Allah, when Allah says, Those who believe he doesn't just say
those who believe will enter Jannah he says, One letting
me know sorry, hi to
those who believe and do good deeds. Notice the two things, not just one thing. Two things when he says they will be from among those who enter Paradise from the people of paradise. Thereafter, when Allah speaks of prayer, he doesn't say those who pray are successful or he doesn't only instruct us to pray or to fulfill Salah he adds to eat something else. So what does he say? Well, Aki masala, to
establish your prayer and give charity, give out the czaka in the correct way. This is what he says. Notice again, two things. And I can show you example after example of every time Allah gives us more than just one thing to do. And he doesn't pin ultimate success on simply one item. I'm talking of actions. I'm talking of a belief. But Indeed Allah subhanho wa Taala wants from us something called taqwa taqwa, people translate it as the fear of Allah. We have refined that a little bit because of the broadness of the meaning in the Arabic language of the same word. taqwa. It's not literally translated as fear, no. The literal translation only
a certain element of fear is included in the term taqwa. The literal translation is not just one word. So what is it? And Wicca is the prevention. And if you are to create a barrier, it is also called
a barrier. So to create a barrier between me and the fire or the Wrath of Allah, the fire of *, that is also called taqwa. So how would I be able to achieve that by doing what pleases Allah and staying away from what displeases Allah, that would be holistically takua. In other words,
to be conscious of Allah to the degree that you only do that, which pleases Him, and you always try to abstain from that which displeases him, if you understand that it would create a barrier between you and the punishment of Allah. So that is also takua.
If we were to refine that to one beautiful word, or a little phrase, we would say, developing your relationship with Allah. For me, that is the best possible way of explaining the term taqwa develop your relationship with Allah. Yeah, are you hella Vina, de ma? Ha, oh, you who believe develop your relationship with Allah, that includes absolutely everything. Once you've developed that relationship with Allah, the type of fear that comes in you is born out of love.
Subhana Allah, what does that mean? I say it again, the type of fear that is instilled thereafter in you is born out of love. How can the two come together Love and fear I can explain with a simple example. When you love someone on earth so much.
There is an element of fear to make them upset or angry. You love someone so much. You don't want them to be angry. If there is a small misunderstanding, you are quick to try and clarify it and say no, no, no, that's not what I meant. You know, I love you so much. I would never do that. Thank you. There is a fear that is born out of love. The deeper the love, the more conscious of that fear we become this is considered the fear of Allah. We are actually afraid to displease a man that's what it is because we love him so much.
May Allah grant us goodness, look at how beautiful Allah has kept all these pieces of advice for us. The verse I read earlier, Allah says, Yeah levena mana de la Hakuna
Sadie.
Oh, you who believe develop your relationship with Allah and only utter that which is upright. Notice there are two things. One is the consciousness of Allah. And the other is watch how you speak. What's your mouth? If you truly have a relationship with Allah, your tongue will be so clean, it will be superb. Neither has it tasted haram nor has it uttered Haram. Amazing. It hasn't tasted something haram and it hasn't even been used in a way that hurt people it was abusive, etc, etc. It is a sign of the closeness to Allah. In another verse, Allah says, Yeah, I mean,
De La Hoya, how aku mass saw the pain, oh you who believe develop your relationship with Allah and only be in the company of the truthful meaning, watch who you associate with. So if you have the consciousness of Allah, there are two things again, he asks you to be developing your relationship with him on one hand and the other. He says Watch out who you mix with, mixing with people can actually make you or break you depending on who they are and who you are. If you are a brilliant person and they are taking from that brilliance than they are in good company. But if you are an average person, or even if you are a brilliant person and they are not taking from that brilliance,
but their low behavior and character is brushing off on to you, then your consciousness of Allah has an issue that needs to be dealt with and you need a little bit of help. You need to make a greater effort to develop that relationship with Allah such that even your friends are always always those who are brilliant, those who are good, those whom you benefit from when it comes to that relationship. This is why for us in business when we buy and sell when we deal when we have our businesses we are quick to associate with those
Whom we know are going to buy our product. These are customers, they are clients, what type of clients are they? Well, this man is such a great client, he's my biggest client, I promise you, we would not want to break that relationship. Because we know for a fact that if this person is upset with me, the business is going to go somewhere else. Right? This is my client. So we watch how we talk, we watch what we say, We want them to be happy, we will, you know, throw words of praise, etc, etc. Because we don't want to lose a business deal or to a loss is the most important business you could ever have is with a law. If they lead you to the Husky, they are the best business you could
have. *, I don't know comala
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Allah says, should I not show you a business, if you were to do it, it would actually save you from a painful punishment. People are suffering on Earth, not because they don't have wealth, not because they are not loaded or wealthy, not because they don't have food and clothing. But because they don't have the correct relationship with Allah. Because the people around them are not those who remind them of prayer. If you were one in a group of 10, and you were lazy when it comes to fulfilling your prayer, and all nine of them were brilliant individuals who were conscious of their prayer and the way they spoke, you would feel out of place uttering a vulgar word because they are
to clean from their mouths. And you would feel out of place standing outside the masjid or standing out of the prayer mats when they have laid them out, you would actually participate in it without even feeling the burden because those are your true friends. Hence, Allah tells you both things. Develop your relationship with Allah, and make sure your friends are good friends, how many of us are willing to change the friends we have. Many of these friends have driven us away from our own wives and children from our parents and siblings. But we don't see the light, we become blinded by the dazzling light of the dunya, which is the wrong light. Remember, when you are driving There are
two types of lights, your lights, and the lights that are coming from the front. You love one of them but you dislike the other one. Notice this, your lights, the brighter they shine, the clearer you see your path. But when lights are shining in the opposite direction, they will blind you. This is what happens in Islam. When your lights are shining on the right path. They show you the path and you enjoy the drive towards Allah, the moment you see lights in the opposite direction. They are dazzling, they are bright, they are coming into your eyes, you might recognize the beauty of the vehicle based on whether these lights happen to be the neon lamp of today are the old yellow light
of yesterday. And you say that's an Audi and that's a Mercedes but guess what, as you looked away, you were blinded for a moment, the longer the light lasted and the longer you looked into it, the longer you were blinded, you may have to even stop your own vehicle and you might veer off the road and you might be involved in a huge crash because you were concentrating on the wrong light. Same happens in our lives. There is light heading towards the other direction you are heading in the right direction. Be careful. Allah warns you and I and that's why Allah gives us Ramadan. Ramadan is actually the light that is bright. Mashallah bright. So now I can see my path loud and clear. Before
you dip that light, make sure you know where you're going. And you know, I am not going to be deviated a little movement this way or that way. I'm going to be at a loss. So my brothers and sisters, the question is, why does Allah always mentioned two things when it comes to what he wants us to do? Very simple. In life as Muslims, there are two major factors that we need to fulfill. One is your relationship with Allah and Allah alone in certain matters. Notice Allah says, Oh, you who believe develop your relationship with me. And then he says, fulfill your Salah, establish your Salah, then the second thing is always connected to humankind or the other creatures of Allah. Let
me give you the same example. What are the masala Dawa
I already translated this establish your prayer and fulfill your soccer your charities in the correct way. Notice when you establish your prayer, you have strengthened your relationship with he who made you when you establish your zaca part of the strengthening of the relationship of he who made you is to be kind
Good and reach out to the others whom he has made. Amazing, amazing. You want Allah when you can get Allah by looking at others greeting them talking to them understanding they are also loved by Allah. Never, ever think that you are the only one who has the right to be living. Never. If Allah has created someone or something, it or that person has the right to live just like you do. Subhan Allah, the moment you understand that you have recognized the meaning of the maker, because the maker didn't just make you. He didn't just make Muslims. He didn't just make people in your sect. He didn't just make people with your understanding. He didn't just make people in your religion. He
made all the people who have different brains and different understandings, and each one is convinced by something else. Allah says Don't worry. On Earth, you respectfully discuss the matter, you keep propagating. You keep calling people to what you believe is correct, and they shall do exactly the same. And at the end of the day, we will judge you on the day of judgment as to who was right and who was wrong. And who knows, I always say people who like to call others caffeine, and fossick and fougere and Muna fit, are quick to judge when they themselves may have some of those qualities, not realizing they will be shocked on the day of judgment to see all of those in the
first row as VIPs panela. It's not up to us to remove people from Islam, we may say, a sin is a sin, but the sinner himself we have hope in that sinner. we dislike the sin. We don't like the action, but we have hope in the sinner that he will leave that and perhaps we might be wrong in our understanding, there is that possibility. May Allah forgive us. The problem with us, the egos are a barrier. When we worship our brains, they are a barrier, we begin to feel that we are the only ones who have a sound understanding, not realizing that if you were to open yourself a little bit to what others are sometimes saying you might see a light even if you disagree with it, but it will not harm
you may Allah subhanho wa Taala forgive us and grant us a deep understanding. So my brothers and sisters, when you love the other creatures of Allah, be they dogs or cats. It is a sign that you are connected to the maker and the giver of life. I can prove myself from the Quran and the Sunnah Subhana Allah we Allah subhanho wa Taala tells us through the blessed lips of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam of a person who achieved forgiveness in Paradise, because he quench the thirst of a thirsty dog after he said to himself, the dog is going through the same thirst that I went through moments ago. Let me do something about it. So panela if caring for a dog had any value here, we've
heard its value. So panela if caring for a dog has that value, what do you think caring for another human being has? So panela and here we are mankind spitting at each other, swearing each other, fighting each other, killing each other, accusing each other having the worst of qualities and that's why I say it's not good enough to only establish Salah that does not make you a wholesome Muslim.
Did you hear what I said? How many of us know of uncles and aunts and I don't mean your uncle, but I'm just calling brothers and sisters. Perhaps Let's not say uncles and aunts because it's not unique to older people. But how many of us know people who fulfill file Salah, but they deceive, they cheat, they rob they steal they abuse they are bad to their families they are such that we don't even want to talk to them, but they fulfill their Salah Allah says that's not good enough. What happened to your Zakah the biggest charity you can ever start with is a smile, your expression Subhana Allah you don't even have it. It's for free. Subhana Allah no one can say I cannot give a
sadaqa because the Prophet says to buzzsumo Coffee whether he if he can sadaqa when you smile at the face of the other, it is already a charity. There is a monetary value to the term sadaqa but when it comes to a smile, it is priceless. So Allah says that's a charity I reward it. What happened? We learned to understand it's not good enough to look like a Muslim outwardly, but to be bamboo hollow inside. May Allah subhanho wa Taala protect us from that hollowness.
Many people they say Mashallah the brother is on the Sunnah. What are you talking about? You can say Mashallah, the brother is trying outwardly he's fulfilling things I pray myself. Always add yourself Don't ever when you talk about people don't ever make like you are immune from the dua you probably need it more than they do. May Allah guide myself
And then everyone else I mean, so when you look at someone you say Mashallah they are trying hard outwardly May Allah accept me to be outwardly and inwardly the Muslim that he wants me to be? Yeah, I mean a man who?
Takashi wala tamo moon Illa.
Moon, oh you who believe develop your relationship with Allah in a manner that it should be in a manner that that relationship should be. And Allah says don't die except in the condition of submission. Remember you are going to go the squabbles you have on earth will come to zero. The little differences that you have on Earth, they may never help you. In fact, they would harm you. If you were an abusive person who didn't ever consider what would please Allah subhanho wa Taala.
So Allah mentions two things all the time. Listen to this verse of Surah Fatiha Allah subhanho wa Taala says in LA Vina yet no Nikita la la cama sala de la
yo yo knotty
turbo, I'm going to translate it starting from the end of it. Do you want to know who are the people who do business that will never ever suffer a loss, that business that can never ever result in anything besides humongous profit? Allah says you know who they are, they are those who believe. And like I said, believing alone is not enough. Many people believe in Allah. But they don't have anything besides that. Hence, they will ultimately perhaps enter Paradise, but they have many issues that they will have to pay for. Perhaps that payment might come in the form of a visit to Hellfire May Allah protect us from that.
So Allah says in the larina, do Nikita Bella, those who recite the book of Allah who read it, try and understand it is part of the reading of the book of Allah. But that's not enough. How many people finish item after item, they'll finish one whole item a night. And by the way, that is not recommended at all. According to me, it is an insult to the word of Allah to complete it in one night, you will be zooming through it like you wouldn't even want your own words to be read by someone who represented you. And on the Day of Judgment, you will never be able to read in another way than that way that you use to read on Earth. So calm down and read in a melodious way. We are
not in competition on Earth, my brothers and sisters, Allah didn't create you in order to test you how many times you did. Allah is not worried about how many and how much he is worried about the quality and he has laid bare in the Quran. You know what he tells us? Allah the follicle monitor one hyah Talia boo
sanwa Mela, it is Allah who created death and life in order to test you who from amongst you has better deeds, never, ever did he say more deeds. So there is no virtue at all to insult Allah by whipping through the word of Allah. And you wouldn't do that to another important human being. May Allah forgive us, but they are people who finish the setup. Every few days. They are with the Quran every day, but their character stinks. Allahu Akbar, you don't want to be in their midst, when they open their mouths, you would be shocked. So Allah says it's not enough to just do tilava of the Quran. While a camo salata, you need to establish your prayer as well. So there are two things so
far in that business that we spoke about that can never ever fail. The first two things one is you need to recite the Quran. Develop your relationship with the book of Allah because that is the manual of success. How will you know how to fill your tax returns when you don't even know the law of tax Subhana Allah, you need to know at least the little bit so that you can even hand to your accountant what he needs or what she needs to panela my brothers and sisters thereafter you establish your prayer in a way that it humbles you. If you fulfill salah and it makes you think I'm a holy man, you're talking of holes, there are holes by your nose, there are holes by your ears and
elsewhere that you wouldn't even want to know. But at the same time my brothers and sisters the true nobility actually belongs to the one whose prayer humbles him, brings him down to earth makes him reach out to others with compassion and love. The character and conduct is definitely such that you can feel this man is connected to Allah. The way he talks to you the way she talks to you. You can tell the Salah is accepted a litmus test for
The acceptance of your Salah and your Tila is that it will show directly in the character and conduct you have in the way you speak and treat your family members starting with your spouse, children, parents, siblings, etc. How you communicate with them, even during difference of opinion will establish whether or not your prayer is fulfilled correctly and your tilava recitation of the Quran is fulfilled correctly. I mentioned two things only so far. Let's speak about the third one.
What felco mean?
The third thing you will need in order to do that business that will never fail is to spend Alice's from what We have provided you we gave you. What do you have in your pocket? Where did it come from? People say, my brain. That's what Calhoun said, well, who gave you the brain? Allah so it still goes back to Allah Subhana Allah. So even if you want to answer wrongly by saying my brain, a follow up question, which still lead you to Allah Subhana Allah, how many people don't have the brains? May Allah subhanho wa Taala, forgive us, may he strengthen us and grant cure to every one of us.
So Allah says, The true Beloved, who understand their relationship with their maker and its importance and not trying to develop it, they are the ones who they have a connection with the poor and they have a connection with prayer, and they spend from what Allah gave them. Allah gave them their spending from it, and they spend in two ways. Look at what Allah is saying, when you spend two ways.
What are the two ways
they spend secretly, no one knows quietly, no one knows I gave. I know Allah knows I'm smiling, Allah is happy with me and I know that his relationship with Allah, you are pleasing, the one who is most loved to you. And in return, you earn a love that is more than the love you could offer. So can Allah Allah says, you come to me a little I come to you much more tenfold. 20 fold, you come to me walking, I come to you rushing Subhanallah you show me a little bit of love. I will shower the true love on you from Allah. So Allah says they spend without people knowing quietly and they even spend when people know openly at times
when we would spend openly for many reasons, not just for boasting and bragging many of us we want to brag about our charities Allah says your reward is nullified. Totally louzada Tati, billman Newell. Allah says don't ever destroy the reward of your charities by bragging by showing off and by harming people constantly reminding them I gave you this whole business you got I started you with the 10 rounds when we were at school by the tuckshop. You remember? What nonsense is this? people continue to say this type of thing to try and make like they were the ones who set you up initially. While we are taught to acknowledge the goodness that people do upon us. We are taught never to
remind people of the goodness you did upon them. Because ultimately, it was the goodness that Allah did upon you. When you spend on someone, you didn't do them a favor. Allah did you a favor by making a person in need come in your direction, remember that, who is more important, the giver or the receiver? That is a whole debate some kind of law, but in a certain way, if there were no receivers, there would be no charity, the door of a bada one pillar of Islam would be closed. So the poor have been created by Allah as a test for those who are wealthy. If Allah wanted and he has done it, it could be vice versa. So when we spend openly, it should be in order to encourage you tell your
friends Listen, I gave 5000 a year. I expect you to give the same Francis what you gave five I'll give him Mashallah. The idea is competing for the sake of Allah amongst us we know I'm going to give more they did it at the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam where
he brought an amount, Omarosa brought half his wealth and here comes abubaker What did he come with? Absolutely everything that was the development of the relationship with Allah, when you are giving, don't worry about receiving you will get from Allah when you give you get I've said it the last three nights of Ramadan and 50 abna dama Yun phallic spindled, son of Adam, and it shall be spent upon you what you give you will get it handsomely in return in this world and the next your intention needs to be right. When overbook or acidic or the Allahu anhu when he gave the well they asked him what have you left for your family? He says, I left Allah and His Messenger Subhana Allah
I'm going to work today I'll earn a little bit we'll put food in sha Allah Subhana Allah, what yaqeen and conviction they had. May Allah bless us all May Allah grant us ease May Allah accept from us our past. The point of today's lecture was to show you and I to remind myself in yourselves, it's not good enough to only develop
Your relationship with Allah and not be bothered about your relationship of the creatures of the same Allah because in that particular instance your relationship with Allah would not be wholesome and it would not be a holistic relationship. let's develop that which is wholesome that which is good that which will bring about genital for those who have not wronged people while I was in Salah while I dressed properly while I tried to follow the Sunnah I made sure I did not hurt a soul. I made sure I helped everyone I could help how many of us we know of people who've died and they say this man was such a good man. He didn't have a soul. He was as helpful as he could be. Go to the
genesis of that person. At the graveyard you will find 1000s of people they are bearing witness that the man was a good man made that happen to us May Allah subhanho wa Taala accepted from us aku kolyada masala Allahu wa salam o Baraka ala nabina Muhammad
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