Mufti Menk – ‘Popcorn’ Addiction Pride! and when you owe a Sheikh $10 – #Unplugged

			in Santa Monica, we have just come to the event here in Accra, Ghana. It's called the motivational
evening there are quite a few guests who are sitting down settling in and us, we have to sit in the
backyard. And we decided to talk to you for a few minutes. So I have with us perhaps you can
introduce yourself shape the way you'd like to be introduced. Yes, sir.
		

			My name is Anna. Muhammad chemin. Baraka, Professor.
		

			Professor.
		

			Not not in those way.
		

			I'll come to his name later right now in sha Allah. So, Professor Natalie
		

			Okay, Dr. Muhammad Salah masala, myself, Chef Luba Jean Lim, perhaps you can say a few words,
introductory chef Nuruddin lemma your brother from Nigeria. And an honor pleasure privilege to be
here.
		

			Why the experts?
		

			We don't have he said he is he said to this day, he hasn't told his mother. He hasn't told his
mother what he does for it.
		

			And she told me like, Well, what do you really do? What is that you do? So I said teaching? So she
said teaching? Well, I'm an expert on watches.
		

			So if the viewers can comment on how to describe to my mom, that I help people who are struggling
with * addiction, like how would you describe that your mother sexologist? No, she haven't
		

			heard about that terminology in the first place. They use the word pour ologists.
		

			That was a brother, I think in Malaysia or somewhere came out introduced me once the first time they
said, we have our brother this and that. And then he said he is an expert in *.
		

			And he stopped and he left the stage and now he was laughing. So I had to make the correction next.
Next he came and he said these terminologies, the only pulmonologist we know in the Islamic world,
something like that. Then phonology came about. So just to explain to the viewers and so I help
people who are really struggling with * addiction, which is actually something now been
scientifically proven. It's not like you know, I feel it's an addiction. It's an absolute addiction
just replicates even hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. In fact, what I liked about your
description, when we traveled the last time to Indonesia and Malaysia, was when you said
		

			behavioral addictions is so it's not the hardcore addictions to the drugs and so on. But behavioral
addictions. People hooked onto their phones, I guess. Also gaming social media is shopping. I know
of someone who told me Oh, shopping as well. Yeah, I know of someone who told me that they, the
husband comes back from work, and he's on his phone up to 11pm 11pm. So it's a crazy thing. Yes,
yes.
		

			Teach him to unplug. Oh, yes. And focus on that which is necessary.
		

			No, I just was thinking you know, part of the same problem with all addictions is that it removes
the God given free will to choose what to do. So you're so stuck in this behavior, that all the
other priorities of life gradually become captive, your captive by a new law,
		

			slavery, and that's why Allah says 408 emulator for the Illa Guha upon love Allahu Allah. You know,
		

			you seem the one who he has taken his own desire, desire or brain or mind
		

			as his God. Yeah. And there comes a time when you become a slave of it and you think you can't do
anything about it, you would need help. But this applies to the person who does that he enjoys it,
and he's not learning to recover, nor is he seeking treatment by a person who feels the guilt
afterward and he is begging for help. And he's embarrassed to share is not necessarily undergoing
the third of a follow up item Anitta Illa Hauer is talking about somebody who enjoys follow on his
own whim. And because of that the Almighty Allah put a seal on his hearing his sight, and he simply
blocked his heart receptors, he cannot recognize what is right and what is wrong. So you don't have
		

			anything to add to that. Add to that when we look at Sati calf, when ALLAH SubhanA wa
		

			Vicuna, then whatever was is
		

			When the person follows the desire so much the more you go higher the more discipline comes down.
And therefore what it tells us also is when you want to increase your relationship with Allah, you
will have to work towards raising the remembrance of Allah and automatically they have
		

			since you brought this up you need to mention the reason behind the revelation. And the first part
because you said there are there is a contrast exactly a good part and an evil one. So tell us the
good part of it. Now, the good part of it in this case is what he says after it. No, the other
verses
		

			I will help you for 10 bucks No, no, no, don't help me. I will help
		

			you
		

			He says, My novel knuckleballs
		

			we do
		

			while
		

			I'm home to read busy knucklehead, dunya, Wallah, man
		

			whatever,
		

			what can um Google for about nine and we look at these looking at the position. They are between the
following the Hauer and also between the remembrance of Allah. It tells us that Claire juxtaposition
here is the moment one goes up automatically it pushes the other one down. So talking about
addiction in this particular case, the more we tend to follow the pleasures they did how
automatically you realize that like Shalimar has mentioned the income enslaved with that and that's
released that actually extends your relationship with Allah Yes, that's what I want to add on that.
		

			The reason behind the revelation and show us the contrast machine was good enough second man
		

			called the Warrens
		

			the contrast
		

			I feel like I mean examining
		

			the TVC he told me he's not a scholar. I'm not an acid he is a scholar. So now he's examining no no
		

			it's all about money.
		

			I'll tell you why. Because he shows at perfect reference, the most perfect choice in this regard.
Because when Doctor No say
		

			about a person who follows his house, to the extent that the house or the home becomes like a God in
His fires not only inspires him endanger the person what to do and what not to do, then share I mean
caught the eye of Soraka Jaffe and Masha Allah Allah, Allah Allah, then we have to differentiate you
can just put on the forum here for so we have to differentiate between a person who happily chose to
do so and he saw what sucked into it. And a person who is sick or a person who needs a medical
attention is not happy with what he or she is doing. So he mentioned a beautiful reference. In
swatted calf and that's why when is it is sort of recap right away it clicked. Allah Almighty order
		

			the Prophet sallallahu Sallam to turn down the proposal the offer of the napkin chieftains about
Jeff, at this time also about Sofia Akane signatura those big guys they said look Muhammad you know
ona again is what you're preaching will love what you're saying but we have only only have one
little problem. Look at you followers, these low class guys the poor this leaves this think man
cannot sit with Bilal and so hi Ben. Amari be asset Subhanallah the same was repeated also in Medina
after migration, when abdulai No vagueness rule and some of these chieftains offer the prophets,
Allah Salam, the same if he goes if you give us a special gathering a private meeting for us will
		

			follow you. So the Almighty Allah said Nara chance it's a package at all for you live so what's the
enough second? All Mohamed Salah Salem Be patient?
		

			Man, Medina, the owner of the home Villa that you will actually alongside with those who invoked the
Lord Allah in the morning and Allah chi and 24/7 the rulership in the Almighty Allah.
		

			Well, weather third wiener can only make your eyes turn away from them focus on them. Can you
imagine when I'm Marlon Bilal, we'll come back with nl aerotwin
		

			These guys are being admired by Allah and he say about them you do not have down below that you will
actually and don't turn your eyes away from them. Then he said while condemning the American
chieftains proposal, when a total min el Felten culpa who Anza Karina obey those who their hearts
Allah made the negligence of the remembrance of Allah.
		

			Allah What did I follow is simply follow their desires why? Allah can a signature Abuja, Apple Sofia
in public they told people to listen to Muhammad he's crazy he's insane is utilizing the gym he is a
sorcerer, then at night he used to go sneak around and they spend the whole night till dawn enjoying
listening to the officers citation while paid by prayer then what the day break they bumped into
each other. So they made the three times while promising that we will never do it again. So all
admins paid a visit to our Sofia and I paid a visit to Abuja separately see what do you think what
your Abuja and said Listen up
		

			Benoit abdomen enough and our family. We were always competing with each other with regards to the
honor who's gonna be the chieftain of Makkah, who's gonna be the site yet. And they offer free food
to the pilgrims, we offered free food, they offer free water sacrifice. For Sakina up I'm over upon
the hammer Luther Hammond. And now they came up with a prophet they said we have a prophet and God
is revealing them. We're on Earth and how can we bring a Prophet from Benina zoom like then why on
earth so that's why by Allah I will never follow him. So he believed the he's a true prophet. And he
believed that it is truly the word of Allah and he enjoyed it. But because of how al Howard keep
		

			shift, many of us they think it is too much for the year the Hadith, whosoever have an Arab wave of
pride of keep in his heart, chama into paradise, why they say and how to wait till this one.
Obviously kibra Makes you despise people and it makes you reject the truth. That is you have the
rejection of the truth. Allah says well I king of value mean that we If
		

			Allah Almighty
		

			Yanni is telling us that
		

			they are not relying on you. But in actual fact, they are denying out of their oppression, their
wrongdoings, they just denying it, they know what you brought is correct. And this is why when
people are in competition with each other, it becomes dirty to the degree that even though you know
he's right, we want to name him you want to do this. It happens among scholars I've seen happening
amongst scholars where they don't know you, they don't know much about you, they see you doing work
and for some for jealousy that overtakes the heart, they would make it their business to make your
life almost dismiss all the goodness that you've been doing since useless. So get word use is a big
		

			word yet Haroon of Surah Al Anon is a very big word Jehovah and Allah says about Prophet Moses and
all the signs nine miracles, physical tangible miracles, a show different people say what you had to
be, how do we have what's on it? For zoom, whoa, whoa, whoa, the rejected all these obvious
miracles, yet they were certain that Moses is a prophet
		

			was a prophet. And these are miracles he just denied it. Why? Because Bulunan are lower because of
their wrongdoings and Rondo is the arrogance. So because of their wrongdoings, they were unable and
that's why this verse that he recited earlier to say that Feldman cunber Who undegraded It proves to
you that if you are engaged in the remembrance of Allah, it is because Allah has invited you to do
so. Allah its effect because if Allah says we are the ones who made them oblivious of our
remembrance, that's why they're oblivious, but the opposite is true. If Allah brings you towards
Islam, and that's why they say, ask Allah for guidance. ask Allah for guidance. Don't just rely on
		

			yourself look towards him and keep asking Him for guidance. Now, Shetler
		

			know you remind me of the verse in Bukhara, you know, you will be here here and here. Many Allah
leads astray. Many he guides, but then Allah says, Omar you bill to be ill positiveness. But he
doesn't lead astray except those who are interested in going astray. And then you know, just the
point you're making about ignorance is not the issue. It is knowing the truth and rejecting it. You
know this from the Moses side and reminds me of that one minute Shaka Zulu member antimatter by Ian
		

			Load Buddha, you know, those who oppose the Prophet after guidance is clear, you know that you are
now responsible because you know what you're doing. And that's the group that Allah says He
punishes. But, and I think this just back to the issue of addictions,
		

			somebody can be addicted, as you said, and it's struggling. So there's that you had been enough to
try and be better, which is a good thing, which is a good thing when you have a reward actually,
even though you are in sin, but you're struggling to get out of that hole. And every attempt is one
in which you're getting a reward for doing something that's really difficult, maybe easy for others,
because they've just got good family support and all the other privileges.
		

			But I think the thing to also remember is when you follow your own power, and that's your new god,
yeah, that's your new law, you enjoy it. And you enjoy it. It's merciless, you know, like, if you
just go with your power, you're not going to end up with a balanced life. But if you can, I don't
like use the word addicted. But if you could get addicted to Allah, then what ALLAH asking you to do
is to take care of your family is to have a balanced life. So if you and you still enjoy your
family, you do enjoy everything. You know, one thing I learned from our brother wine is some time
back, I was talking to him about addictions. And he was saying, Look, if a person has say, for
		

			example, watched * today, and they're used to doing it everyday, then they, they hold back for a
longer time and the gap between their binging becomes bigger and bigger. It's a big achievement.
It's an achievement. So say, for example, that Ramadan, once a week, or once, whatever, then there
is a gap between the time so I mean, that's commendable. It's not that you are not committing the
sin, but you are trying to improve Allah.
		

			Allah gives us the month of Ramadan, like gives us so many other beautiful seasons just want to make
something very important that when you make the distinction between those who are struggling and
trying to get better and heal, and those who are enjoying it, the problem with addiction is that it
escalates. It does not remain a fundamental point. So those who are struggling now and trying to get
better, if they don't really seek out professional help, they will end up being numb to end and
tolerant to the behavior and they will end up actually enjoying it. And even brother we have noticed
now new pattern, that people are leaving the faith, giving up on slam because of their addiction to
		

			*. Why, because of the relapses relapse and then they repented and relapse again.
		

			So could we could comfortably say that if you are struggling with any form of addiction seek
absolutely no way anyone can cure his own addiction. Well, you know that the Prophet Salla Santa
Monica literally mentioned what you just say, a couple of minutes ago. And that's why the treatment
is mentioned in the Hadith itself, is it every human beings heart is exposed to fit and to some
trials, desires, lust for matters and so on. So the heart the prophet, Salah Salem resemble the two
as punch in one narration another narration like a mirror. So when a sponge, you drop something on
it, whether good or bad, you will absorb it. When a heart which is like a mirror is supposed to
		

			reflect the images. So when you look at yourself in the mirror, you need to comb your hair, you need
to fix yourself, but if it is foggy, you don't see anything. How does it get foggy? This is exactly
what the Prophet SAW said whenever a person commits a sin, they would leave that blackbutt. And if
you were to repent immediately, the struggle that you're talking about it will be removed and it
will shine up again. But if you don't, then you add another one to it and a third and a fourth, it
will end up being completely darkened. So there is no mirror no more. So what is their Kelkoo the
Moshe Korea like a glass that is turned upside down? What is the similarity? The similarity is
		

			normally on the cloud on the glass or the canvas both outward. If you want to fill it up with water
or drink or whatever, it's usable. But if it is turned upside down, you keep pouring and it is
nothing so the glass doesn't function anymore. The heart in this condition doesn't function anymore.
To the extent that the Messenger of Allah said layer before more often, whether you Roman current
Elana or Cherie bahawa so the Hello once again John's to take the lead to become God. If this is
good, I love it man. If this is if he does not desire it, like you know, hello, he doesn't desire
it, it should be rejected Adhara so the house has taken the role of God which is legislation. That's
		

			why my advice and also mashallah should have
		

			Advice all your clients and those who are seeking help, that it's a very healthy sign that you
recognize you need help. The next step is to seek help. And I want you to enlighten us also on one
very important question that always come during those discussions is that if I can tell you that I'm
addicted to *, I'm exposing myself.
		

			The difference between
		

			there is a difference. There is a huge difference. There is a huge, huge, huge difference. You've
mentioned the issue of atheism. When a young man when a college student comes to me and said, check,
there are some questions in my mind, I'm afraid if I tell anyone they will think I'm, you know,
become a Kaffir.
		

			And if he doesn't release them and relief his heart, and as he's cushions to arouse a good person,
he will become a Kaffir eventually. So what are you supposed to do? an uneducated imam or a person
who's nearly half as
		

			foolish should be talking about that. How dare you say that? An educated person will hug the person
and say Come, you've come to the right person, one thing at a time, there is not a single
misconception that doesn't have an academic refutation.
		

			This deal is perfect. This is not my statement. This is the statement of Allah in Medina and Allah
is that there is zero errors in a while can I mean the luxury healer? Why did Wolfie DLF and Kathy
your zero errors? No way. Even if you do jumping jacks 10,000 times is clean the Quran and the deen
from top to bottom cover to cover Not a chance. So enjoy. So if a person comes in for treatment,
wait a minute,
		

			a direct answer to your question. Sure. You remember this young men come into the prophets of salaam
		

			make me to commit Zina. You know Look, I'm willing to pay. I'm willing to pray at my annual Llahi we
get the same complaint. People say I pray at night I pray on time I decided but this is my weakness.
So what did the Prophet sallallahu Sallam do to odo illogically spoke to him then he made this
powerful to replace his farm and his house and you say, Hello mouths here to them? What from from
what I hear Calvin, and let everyone utilize the same da Oh Allah, pardon him and forgiving
yourself. For forger who got his chastity, protect his profit from committing adultery.
		

			It's all about 35. So you're doing this role, which is purifying the heart physically. And
spiritually. I wanted to warn them if I can say the a big thing is that when people come to us from
amongst us, they are those who go and tell others, they spread the information community, so people
stop coming to or they embarrass the person. So we also need to educate general people who might be
leaders in the community to say listen, if it is an Amana, if someone comes to you with their
personal issues, really attractive.
		

			Man Do not divert, you have news especially, that's a major problem. I mean, just the code of
doctors, a doctor doesn't tell everybody I mean, the doctor has been given the privilege and the
respect by you to even show your own private talk to them.
		

			And it's not anybody's business and the doctor knows this is something that is just between you and
me. And there's an Amana trust. And so when we have people who bring their marital problems, they
are weaknesses, *, addictions, whatever the need for them to feel this as a safe space. The
importance also of the distinction on actions judged by intentions, when you bring your mistakes,
your sins, your weaknesses to somebody, are you bringing it to boast about it? Or are you bringing
it because you need help? So it's the same action, but the intention makes this one permissible,
because if you need help, then the Quran tells you ask those who know if you don't know. So I think
		

			you know, just like in the case of medicine,
		

			should somebody look at the exposing of their weaknesses as just publicizing their sessions or
exactly just like sickness? No, Doctor night, there is one valuable information that I want to share
with both of you three of us already, you know, we started a series of unplugged a couple of months
ago. By accident. I mean, it was not planned at all. Subhanallah he said chef, I got you and you
might as a gift
		

			sinless right? So Hannah Allah and we tried it and it went viral and it was a beautiful episode
right on the beach in Dallas. The second the third the fourth even when we're traveling to Malaysia
when we come here and there not a single episode is pre planned it is by the cover of Allah
		

			the reason why are you sitting here was to extend the reason why we're sitting here. There is a big
crowd outside waiting for us on dinner and the food is getting cold. And we said let's go then
Pamela Manisha before and who ended up this guy
		

			is not possessory anymore. Masha Allah, He says, Let's do an episode about what we have no clue. Did
you know, it's just video. So introduced to
		

			introduce to you, Dr. Nine. That's a funny thing. The funny thing she
		

			was doing was putting the mic issue like, what's going on?
		

			I was I was also going to ask him what exactly is going on here? Is it push ups? Okay.
		

			I was going to begin the episode by asking him about his name, and make the whole episode about the
Ninite. And what it means.
		

			how so many people keep asking us to come. So why don't just before we go, there's one important
thing I want to link up with. What's he saying? I mean, perhaps chef, he can? No, no, he just called
it the time box.
		

			Right. So there is this extension of 10 bucks. 10 bucks, you owe me 10 bucks?
		

			No, okay, fine. Not Nigerian bucks. Let's see, I have I have fixed the problem. So is 00. Now, we
haven't.
		

			So the issue is there is a research talking about sicknesses of the hearts. I don't know if you have
come across the TCM, they call it Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or what they call Broken heart syndrome,
where they scholars in cardiology say that sicknesses of the hearts actually breaks their heart just
like we have a glass breaks. So when they come to see Broken heart syndrome, they come to confirm
that is actually breaking of the hearts. And some of the issues that you mentioned about his
addiction is one of the things that can break their hearts. And here they talk of anger, envy, you
know, anger, envy, jealousy, extreme grief, all these tend to shrink this like you have mentioned
		

			that the professor is still only 10 bucks.
		

			He said easy December How would you even Nigerian 10 bucks or the Ghanaian 10 bucks I told you at
the beginning give me
		

			anyone who's struggling with any sort of addiction, if it is,
		

			you know, substance addictions you need to sulla heads will help from the experts who deal with
this. You know, substance addiction if you are struggling with behavioral addiction Hamdulillah we
have the AWARE Academy can help you but why there is hope we have seen people who were addicted for
14 years in that cycle
		

			of less than 100 What about those who are struggling with hunger and they want to eat
		

			rather than
		

			leave? Please leave us your comments and please let us know what you'd like to be discussed in these
unplugged sessions that are very impromptu. There's a common law here to my brothers makes it easier
when everyone respects each other and we all are on potshots and handle Salam Alaikum